cair-net Digest of: get.601_700
Topics (messages 601 through 700):
CAIR-NET: Muslim Name Makes Catholic Rower Suspect
601 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Wife of Florida Mosque Bomb Plotter to Talk
602 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Burner of Islamic Sign Seeks Mercy
603 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: 'Double Standard' Applied in FL Mosque Bomb Plot
604 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Barred by U.S. Sues to Return
605 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims Say War on Iraq Not Justified
606 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Make Run For Canada
607 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Hijab Explained in National Ad Campaign
608 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FBI Says Airplane Doing Surveillance
609 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Attack on NJ Muslim Probed as Bias Crime
610 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Beating of Calif. Muslim Prompts Call for FBI Probe
611 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: One Man's Tense Ride on the LIRR
612 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: GOP Asked to Condemn Muslim Prayer Walkout
613 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Patriot II's Attack on Citizenship
614 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Lawmaker Will Apologize for Muslim Prayer Walkout
615 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Three Men Indicted in Attack on Oregon 'Arab'
616 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Florida Man Who Sent Threatening E-Mail Arrested
617 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: WA Muslim Leader to Speak Following House Prayer
618 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Address Terrorism in National Ad Campaign
619 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Arab, Muslim Groups Fear Backlash Attacks
620 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CIA Holds Young Sons of Captured Al-Qa'eda Chief
621 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CIA Denies Holding Children of Terror Suspect
622 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim University Students Threatened in California
623 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Some Blame Israel for Iraq War
624 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Illinois Mosque Attacked as Muslims Pray Inside
625 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FBI Warns of More Hate Crimes if War with Iraq
626 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Chaplain to Open Session of Texas Legislature
627 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Family Values Examined in CAIR Ad Campaign
628 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Florida School Board to Protect Muslim Students
629 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FBI to Muslims - Let's Help Each Other
630 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Deny Israeli Aid Request After Bulldozer Death Say Muslims
631 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Muslim Community Safety Kit
632 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FBI Has War Plan to Mobilize Agents
633 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Asylum Detention Policy Needs Clarification
634 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: MD Newspaper Mocks Bulldozer Death of American
635 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Register Online for CAIR Training Conference in DC
636 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Even a Quick War Has Negative Consequences
637 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Controversy Surrounds Synagogue Speaker
638 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Anti-Muslim Incidents in California, Michigan, Illinois
639 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Pro-Israeli General to Oversee Iraq Construction
640 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Penn. Muslim Receives Settlement Over Harassment
641 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Bracing for a Backlash/Where are Iraq's WMD?
642 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Explosion Destroys Illinois Muslim Family's Van
643 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Steps Up Secret Surveillance
644 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Man Pleads No Contest to Anti-Muslim Hate Crime
645 by: cair1.ix.netcom.com
CAIR-NET: Indiana Muslim Burned, Motive Sought
646 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Oregon Leaders Decry Hate in Wake of Incident
647 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Missionaries to Follow in Wake of Iraq Invasion
648 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Woman Harassed on Florida Highway
649 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Phoenix Iraqi-American Family Attacked
650 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Israelis Trained US Troops in Jenin-Style Warfare
651 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: NY Man Targeted Arabs in Killings
652 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Florida Bills Would Block Aid to Muslim Students
653 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Conference Dinner to Focus on Political Empowerment
654 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Support Bill Disavowing Preemption
655 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Bush Asked to Rescind Nomination of 'Islamophobe'
656 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Exerts Unusual Pressure on NY Terror Suspects
657 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Florida Muslims Decry Leniency for Terrorist
658 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Pro-Israel Hawks to Govern Iraq
659 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: School Bus Burns Outside Virginia Mosque
660 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: USIP Asked to Reject Daniel Pipes' Nomination
661 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: AIPAC and the Iraqi Opposition
662 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Montreal Islamic School Vandalized with Racist Graffiti
663 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Imams and Khatibs Urged to Attend CAIR Leadership Conference
664 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Republicans Want Terror Law Made Permanent
665 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Pat Robertson Appearance at Synagogue Sparks Ire
666 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Ask Senate to Reject Daniel Pipes Nomination
667 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Seattle Muslim Receives Support After Slur
668 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Pentagon Sponsors Franklin Graham
669 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Vanishing Liberties/US-Israel Target Syria
670 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Florida Lawmaker Apologizes to Muslim Group
671 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Calif. GOP Asked to Repudiate Anti-Islam Remarks
672 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Graham Invitation Irks Muslims at Pentagon
673 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Key Republican Not Sure on Patriot Act
674 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Terrorism or Hate Crime?
675 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Denver to Halt 'Spy Files' on Peaceful Protesters
676 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Washington Post Slams Daniel Pipes Nomination
677 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Dallas Paper Says Daniel Pipes is 'Bad Choice'
678 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Bush Nominee Refuses to Condemn Japanese Internment
679 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Calif. Muslim Teen to File Suit Against Attackers
680 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Daniel Pipes to Appear on C-SPAN's 'Washington Journal'
681 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Ohio-Based Web Site Calls for Genocide
682 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Pipes: President Shouldn't Say Islam is Peaceful
683 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Forum: Impact of Iraq War on US-Muslim Relations
684 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Woman Assaulted in New York
685 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Lobby Against Pipes Nomination on Capitol Hill
686 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FBI Apologizes to Men Detained After 9/11 Attacks
687 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FL Web Site of Anti-Muslim Critic Links to Terrorist Group
688 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Anti-Muslim Critic Drops Terrorist Web Link
689 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Texas Judge Awards Custody to Muslim Mom
690 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Readers of Right-Wing Web Site Threaten Muslims
691 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Makes Deal with Terror Group
692 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Chicago Tribune Says 'Reject' Pipes Nomination
693 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Law Enforcement Community Offered Guide to Muslims
694 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Seattle Groups Protest Lecture by Israeli Advisor
695 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Faith Group Says Pipes Nomination 'Ill-Advised'
696 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: US-Backed Exiles Return to Reinvent Iraq
697 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Colorado Bill Stigmatizes Muslims
698 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: IL Senator Introduces Hate Crime Bill
699 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: More Cities Rally Against Patriot Act
700 by: CAIR
---------------------------------
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 2/21/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: A WISE PERSON
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* ROWER WITH MUSLIM NAME IS AN ALL-AMERICAN SUSPECT (NY Times)
* WIFE OF MAHER ARAR TO CONTINUE CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
* MUSLIMS DENY AL-ARIAN FITS GOVERNMENT DESCRIPTION (SP Times)
- Rights Groups Upset By Professor's Arrest (UPI)
- Balance Sometimes Lacking Al-Arian Coverage (SP Times)
- Jews, Muslims React Differently To Arrests (Herald)
- Arab-Americans Say Politics Influenced Arrests (Sentinel)
* CIVIL INDIGNITIES (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
- This is Patriotism? (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Proposed Patriot Act II Criticized (Gannett News Service)
- Arab-Americans Get Assurances on Civil Rights (Sentinel)
- South Asians, Muslims Protest At INS Building (AP)
* IRAQIS WILL NOT BE PAWNS IN BUSH AND BLAIR'S WAR GAME (Guardian)
- The Martial Plan (New York Times)
- US Lobbyist Helped Draft E. European Iraq Statement (Globe)
- Inspectors Call U.S. Tips 'Garbage' (CBS News)
- Chinese Muslims Fret Over War, And Terrorism (Reuters)
* HINDUS NATIONALISTS STEP UP ANTI-MUSLIM RHETORIC (AP)
* TENN. CITY ANNOUNCES MARCH AS "MUSLIMS" MONTH
* LIEBERMAN FUNDRAISES WITH ROBERTSON, FALWELL (Forward)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A WISE PERSON
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "A wise person is one
who
keeps watch over his bodily desires and passions, and (keeps away) from
that which is harmful, and strives for that which will benefit him
after
death. And a foolish person is one who subordinates himself to his
cravings
and desires, and expects from God the fulfillment of his futile
desires."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 16
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
ROWER WITH MUSLIM NAME IS AN ALL-AMERICAN SUSPECT
Ira Berkow, New York Times, 2/21/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/21/sports/othersports/21ROWW.html
They weren't going to let Aquil Abdullah on the plane at Newark
International Airport, at least not right away.
"We need you to step to the side," he was told by a reservations clerk
for
his prospective flight to Seattle. "I have to call a police officer."
"What's the problem?" asked Abdullah, a 29-year-old member of the
United
States national rowing team and the single sculls winner in the 2002
United
States national rowing championships…
Abdullah was on a no-fly list. "What this means," Andrew Kurpat, a
police
officer with the Port Authority in Newark, explained yesterday, "is
that
anyone with a common Muslim name has to be checked out, to see if it's
an
alias, to see if he's on a terrorist list."
So the Port Authority officers checked through their files, contacted
the
F.B.I. and the immigration authorities, and then came back to Abdullah.
He
was no terrorist. By this time, his flight had departed.
"I can understand the concern," Abdullah said recently with a graceful,
disarming demeanor and an easy smile. "It's legitimate, of course, and
some
of my friends are angrier about the name profiling than I am, but I do
wish
the authorities could be quicker about the check..."
"I can understand his being detained at an airport once," said Mike
Teti,
head coach of the national rowing team, "but when it happens again,
that's
unfortunate. Here's a guy representing his country in athletics and
he's as
American as you can get. A second time, they should know who he is..."
Meanwhile, the chance that Abdullah will again be checked and
double-checked before a flight is likely. "I oscillate between feeling
great, that the government is taking such measures to protect the
citizens
of the United States — I know that there is a price to pay for this
protection," he said, "but then I get feelings of indignation that I'm
being singled out. I mean, I have obligations, too. I don't want to
miss my
flights. And I'm concerned as to what comes next, what infringements on
our
personal freedoms."
And if he were on an airplane with someone with Arab characteristics,
how
would he feel? "I would raise an eyebrow and get a good look at who he
was,
and check out what he was doing," he said. "But I know I'd feel a sense
of
shame, too, because I know the feeling of being followed by a detective
in
a department store because of assumptions he made because I was black.
The
issue is terribly conflicting for me."
Finally, Abdullah was asked the name of the mosque he attends. "I'm not
a
member of any mosque," he said. "I'm Catholic, actually."
-----
WIFE OF MAHER ARAR TO CONTINUE CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
WHAT: On Monday, February 24th, 2003, Monia Mazigh will hold a
candlelight
vigil on Parliament Hill to call for the release of her husband, Maher
Arar. Arar, a Canadian citizen, was detained in the United States en
route
to Canada and deported, first to Jordan, then to Syria. He has been in
jail
for the past five months.
Monia Mazigh will attend the vigil with her two young children. Maher
Arar's mother and brothers will also be in attendance.
WHEN: Monday, February 24th, 2003
WHERE: Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Near the Centennial Flame in front of
the
Peace Tower
TIME: The vigil begins at 4 p.m.
-END-
Contact: Naeem Saloojee at 613-254-9704; E-mail: Canada@cair-net.org
-----
LOCAL MUSLIMS DENY AL-ARIAN FITS GOVERNMENT DESCRIPTION
Babita Persaud, St. Petersburg Times, 2/21/03
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/02/21/TampaBay/Local_Muslims_deny_Al.shtml
TAMPA - It was a day of anger and confusion for many local Muslims.
They
expressed dismay at the federal government's description of Al-Arian -
their leader - as the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the
United
States.
They know him.
Imran Ismail, a University of South Florida student, heard Al-Arian
give
speeches at the academy's mosque on 130th Avenue, where he urged
Muslims to
get involved in American politics and encouraged them to vote.
Ismail studied Arabic with Sameeh Hammoudeh, the 42-year-old USF
instructor
who also was arrested Thursday.
"We are all shocked this has happened. I was shocked," Ismail said. "We
were not expecting it."
"This is frustrating," said Mohammed Al-Dahoud, who taught
seventh-grade
math to Al-Arian's son at the Islamic Academy. "The government is just
doing something to make the public feel that they are doing something…"
The news spread quickly through the Muslim community. Updates were
posted
on the local United Muslims Association website: "We ask that all
Muslim
brothers and sisters, and lovers of justice, be prepared to stand up
and
peacefully protest against these atrocities."
Speaking at a news conference outside Tampa's federal courthouse, Ahmed
Bedier, the communications director for the Miami office of the Council
on
American Islamic Relations, worried the arrests could bring
repercussions.
"It's not about Sami as a person," he said. "It's about a situation
that
could set a precedent for other Muslims across the country."
"The core of the judicial system is that all men are innocent until
proven
guilty," Bedier said. "In this case, it seems like the other way
around."
SEE ALSO:
RIGHTS GROUPS UPSET BY PROFESSOR'S ARREST
Anwar Iqbal, UPI, 2/20/03
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030220-060338-2208r
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Civil rights groups in Washington warned
Thursday that the arrest of an Arab professor in Florida may have
negative
implications for other Arabs and Muslims living in the United States.
Professor Sami Amin Al Arian was arrested earlier Thursday along with
three
other Arabs for their alleged links to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a
group already declared a terrorist outfit by the State Department.
"Mere membership of an organization, in my belief, should not alone be
the
basis for prosecution," said Kit Gage, president of the National
Coalition
to Protect Political Freedom.
"Unfortunately, this government is going that way…"
Omar Ahmad of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said his group
was
"very concerned that the government would bring charges after
investigating
an individual for many years without offering any evidence of criminal
activity."
"This action could leave the impression that Arian's arrest is based on
political considerations, not legitimate national security concerns…"
"A massive indictment at this late date that includes a huge array of
charges, many of them using the relatively attenuated term of
conspiracy,
raises concerns," said Gage.
---
BALANCE SOMETIMES LACKING IN TV'S AL-ARIAN COVERAGE
Eric Deggans, St. Petersburg Times, 2/21/03
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/02/21/TampaBay/Balance_sometimes_lac.shtml
For some news outlets, the Thursday arrest of suspended University of
South
Florida professor Sami Al-Arian seemed like confirmation of suspicions
they
had been airing for years.
And few commentators were quicker to speak to the issue than Fox News
Channel personality Bill O'Reilly.
"He used his office and stationery to raise money for this Islamic
Jihad,
and you guys in Florida are paying his salary," O'Reilly said during an
interview Thursday with area Fox affiliate WTVT-Ch. 13.
Several local TV outlets had footage of Al-Arian's early morning
arrest,
tipped in advance to the planned police action…
Local cable newschannel Bay News 9 balanced talk of the charges'
seriousness with a quick interview with Al-Arian attorney Robert McGee,
reminding viewers the charges must be proven in court.
As the day wore on, cable news outlets based their midday talk segments
on
the issue, including CNN's Talkback Live and MSNBC's Buchanan & Press.
"Would the attorney general bring charges against Mr. Al-Arian that he
could not substantiate, when if it were so proven, he would wind up
with
egg all over his face?" Pat Buchanan asked a spokesman for the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations on MSNBC.
"Let's see the evidence," countered Ibrahim Cooper of CAIR. "Let's see
it
in open court."
---
LOCAL JEWS, MUSLIMS REACT DIFFERENTLY TO ARRESTS
Richard Dymond, Bradenton Herald, 2/21/03
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/5228334.htm
University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian's indictment
Thursday
by a federal grand jury in connection with his alleged ties to
terrorists
was met with an outpouring of emotion from local Jews and Muslims.
Both sides said the real tragedy could be how Muslims are now viewed
locally and worldwide.
Al-Arian is accused of leading the North American arm of the
Palestinian
Islamic Jihad, a group that has claimed responsibility for suicide
bombings
in Israel.
"I knew there was something there without knowing," said Howard
Shipotofsky, a 69-year-old Bradenton resident and a member of Temple
Beth
El. "Instead of putting him in jail, he should get the ultimate if this
is
true…"
For many Muslims, there is a fear the charges against Al-Arian will
make
people even more suspicious of innocent Muslims.
Bradenton's Catalina Zuniga, 40, a Muslim who attends the Islamic
Society
of Sarasota and Bradenton, said she gets contemptuous stares when she
wears
her hijab head covering in public.
"My own son doesn't like to walk with me in the grocery store, not
because
he doesn't love me, but he doesn't like seeing how people look at me,"
Zuniga said. "People are afraid…"
---
ARAB-AMERICANS SAY POLITICS INFLUENCED ARRESTS
Sean Mussenden and Henry Pierson Curtis, Orlando Sentinel, 2/21/03
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-asecreact21022103feb21,0,2556001.story
WASHINGTON -- Arab-American groups accused the federal government of
timing
Thursday's indictment of four U.S. residents to build political support
at
a crucial point in the nation's war against terrorism.
The groups also contended that the indictment sets a dangerous
precedent
because the government built part of its case on anti-American
statements
the men made -- speech that is protected by the U.S. Constitution.
The indictment -- which led to the arrests of Sami Amin Al-Arian, a
professor at the University of South Florida, and three other men
accused
of being members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad -- cites several
political
speeches made by the men during the past decade...
-----
EDITORIAL: CIVIL INDIGNITIES
Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2/21/03
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/3665354.html
When Osama bin Laden's henchmen ended their evil mission on 9/11, they
toppled more than Manhattan's towers. They also demolished the American
assumption that freedom and security can coexist. The White House has
made
much of the ensuing uncertainty, trimming freedom's sails in the name
of
national safety.
And if Attorney General John Ashcroft has his way, U.S. civil liberties
may
soon be snipped still further. His rumored Domestic Security
Enhancement
Act of 2003 bespeaks despotism, not democracy. Congress must resist
it...
"Patriot Act II" offers everything an aspiring autocrat might wish for:
It
would expand government's spying power and curb judicial checks --
permitting 15-day wiretaps without court approval in a "time of
emergency."
It would expand law-enforcers' power to secretly arrest and
indefinitely
detain anyone thought to be linked to a suspected terror group. It
would
tighten the Freedom of Information Act to keep the public from
discovering
whom the government has arrested and why.
Most troubling, perhaps, is a provision that would strip American
citizenship from anyone who supports political groups of which the
executive branch disapproves…
SEE ALSO:
THIS IS PATRIOTISM?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2/21/03
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/Editorial/073EB94BE499F8C586256CD40053C2AD
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT is preparing to ask Americans to surrender more
of
their rights in the war against terrorism, even though it hasn't shown
that
the rights we've already surrendered have made us safer.
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft has a draft of a sequel to the 2001
Patriot Act that would grant the government startling new powers to
deport,
secretly imprison, wiretap and spy on citizens and noncitizens. The
bill,
dubbed the Super-Patriot Act by its critics, is antithetical to a
government of constitutionally protected rights and is an abject
surrender
to the intimidation of terrorists.
Americans and Congress should dig in their heels and make it clear that
we
will not surrender our freedom to megalomaniacs like Osama bin Laden,
or to
politicians whose response to terror is an assault on our freedom.
The Justice Department was surprised earlier this month by the leak of
the
draft bill - officially called the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of
2003. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the department had not
decided
how to proceed on the bill, but critics fear it that will be introduced
during a period of fear…
---
PROPOSED PATRIOT ACT II CRITICIZED
Pamela Brogan, Gannett News Service, 2/20/03
http://www.detnews.com/2003/politics/0302/19/a05-88981.htm
WASHINGTON -- A Justice Department plan that would allow government
agents
to secretly investigate, detain and punish U.S. citizens and legal
immigrants suspected of terrorism is being assailed by critics as an
assault on the Constitution.
The proposal, drafted by staffers working for Attorney General John
Ashcroft, "threatens to fundamentally alter the constitutional
protections
that allow us to be both safe and free," said Timothy Edgar, a
legislative
counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.
"If it becomes law, it will encourage police spying on political and
religious activities, allow the government to wiretap without going to
court and dramatically expand the death penalty under an overbroad
definition of terrorism."
The draft legislation has raised concerns even with groups that
acknowledge
the federal government faces a difficult dilemma in trying to balance
tougher anti-terrorism measures with a respect for civil liberties.
Critics of the draft say it would circumvent the courts and strip
citizens
and legal immigrants of their right to due process.
"My major concern is that some of the language is insufficient with
respect
to structural checks and balances, although the structural goals of the
legislation are salutary," said Paul Rosenzweig, a senior legal
research
fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. "If we want to be
effective in tracking down terrorists, we need the imprimatur of a
court or
Congress…"
---
ARAB-AMERICANS GET ASSURANCES ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Henry Pierson Curtis, Orlando Sentinel, 2/20/03
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-loccivilrights20022003feb20.story
Arab-Americans met with state and federal law-enforcement officials
Wednesday in Orlando to discuss fears that antiterrorism measures mean
a
loss of civil rights for Muslims.
The meeting was the second in a series of meetings statewide to allay
fears
that prejudice and abuse will be tolerated in the wake of Sept. 11.
"Today,
it's the Muslim community. Tomorrow, it could be someone else's turn at
the
table," said Parvez Ahmed of CAIR-Florida (Council on American-Islamic
Relations). "These are issues affecting all Americans."
The Liberty in the Balance Project convenes Muslim community leaders
and
law-enforcement officials in a low-key setting to foster mutual
understanding and trust…
Some of the issues raised Wednesday were selective law enforcement,
immigration restrictions on residents from certain Middle Eastern
countries
and the likelihood of a backlash against Arab-Americans in a U.S. war
with
Iraq.
"This is our community. This is our country," said Ahmed of
Jacksonville,
who voiced support for improved domestic security. "At the same time,
we
want to be more secure about our rights under the law…"
---
SOUTH ASIANS, MUSLIMS PROTEST AT INS BUILDING
Associated Press, 2/21/03
DETROIT - Civil rights advocates, area Muslims and South Asians
gathered at
a U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service office Friday to protest
what
they say are unjust special registration programs and detentions of
Middle
Eastern and South Asian immigrants.
The federal program requires that men from 18 countries who entered the
United States on temporary visas before last October be photographed,
fingerprinted and interrogated.
The program, which has drawn protests from Arab-American groups, is
part of
the government's anti-terrorism efforts following the Sept. 11, 2001
attacks. Thousands of male visitors from mainly Muslim countries face
deadlines to register with U.S. immigration authorities. In Michigan,
the
interviews take place at an INS office in Detroit.
Bob Parsons, one of those protesting Friday morning in Detroit, said
the
government's registration effort is a type of racial profiling.
"It's racist and intimidating," the 56-year-old said. "We're not going
to
let it go down."
No one from the INS was immediately able to comment.
-----
IRAQIS WILL NOT BE PAWNS IN BUSH AND BLAIR'S WAR GAME
Kamil Mahdi, Guardian UK, 2/21/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,899082,00.html
Having failed to convince the British people that war is justified,
Tony
Blair is now invoking the suffering of the Iraqi people to justify
bombing
them. He tells us there will be innocent civilian casualties, but that
more
will die if he and Bush do not go to war. Which dossier is he reading
from?
The present Iraqi regime's repressive practices have long been known,
and
its worst excesses took place 12 years ago, under the gaze of General
Colin
Powell's troops; 15 years ago, when Saddam was an Anglo-American ally;
and
almost 30 years ago, when Henry Kissinger cynically used Kurdish
nationalism to further US power in the region at the expense of both
Kurdish and Iraqi democratic aspirations…
SEE ALSO:
THE MARTIAL PLAN
PAUL KRUGMAN, New York Times, 2/21/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/21/opinion/21KRUG.html
The Marshall Plan was America's finest hour. After World War I, the
victors
did what victors usually do: they demanded reparations from the
vanquished.
But after World War II America did something unprecedented: it provided
huge amounts of aid, helping both its allies and its defeated enemies
rebuild.
It wasn't selfless altruism, of course; it was farsighted, enlightened
self-interest. America's leaders understood that fostering prosperity,
stability and democracy was as important as building military might in
the
struggle against Communism.
But one suspects that our current leaders would have jeered at this
exercise in "nation-building." And they are certainly following a very
different strategy today…
It's not that the Bush administration is always stingy. In fact, right
now
it is offering handouts right and left. Most notably, it has offered
the
Turkish government $26 billion in grants and loans if it ignores
popular
opposition and supports the war.
Some observers also point out that the administration has turned the
regular foreign aid budget into a tool of war diplomacy. Small
countries
that currently have seats on the U.N. Security Council have suddenly
received favorable treatment for aid requests, in an obvious attempt to
influence their votes. Cynics say that the "coalition of the willing"
President Bush spoke of turns out to be a "coalition of the bought off"
instead.
But it's clear that the generosity will end as soon as Baghdad falls…
---
US LOBBYIST HELPED DRAFT EASTERN EUROPEANS' IRAQ STATEMENT
Boston Globe, 2/21/03
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/030220/1/3819f.html
A former Pentagon official helped draft a controversial statement by 10
Central and Eastern European nations this month that supports the
United
States in its stand-off with Iraq, according to a press report
published in
Paris.
In an interview, Bruce Jackson, a former US Defense Department official
who
heads a Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, said that he was among
those
who helped initiate the statement supporting the US stance, the daily
International Herald Tribune reported...
---
INSPECTORS CALL U.S. TIPS 'GARBAGE'
CBS News, 2/20/03
http://cbsnews.cbs.com/stories/2003/01/18/iraq/main537096.shtml
U.N. arms inspectors are privately complaining about the quality of
U.S.
intelligence and accusing the United States of sending them on
wild-goose
chases.
CBS News Correspondent Mark Phillips reports the U.N. has been taking a
precise inventory of Iraq's al-Samoud 2 missile arsenal, determining
how
many there are and where they are.
Discovering that the al-Samoud 2 has been flying too far in tests has
been
one of the inspectors' major successes. But the missile has only been
exceeding its 93-mile limit by about 15 miles and that, the Iraqis say,
is
because it isn't yet loaded down with its guidance system.
The inspectors have become so frustrated trying to chase down
unspecific or
ambiguous U.S. leads that they've begun to express that anger privately
in
no uncertain terms.
So frustrated have the inspectors become that one source has referred
to
the U.S. intelligence they've been getting as "garbage after garbage
after
garbage." In fact, Phillips says the source used another cruder word.
---
CHINESE MUSLIMS FRET OVER WAR, AND TERRORISM
Scott Hillis, Reuters, 2/21/03
TANSHAN, China - Tanshan village is about as far away from Baghdad and
Washington as it is possible to get, but a looming war in Iraq is never
far
from the residents' minds.
Living deep in the parched and impoverished hills of northern China's
Ningxia region, the villagers usually worry about more immediate
problems,
such as whether their meagre harvest of wheat and beans will last out
the year.
But here and in other areas of southern Ningxia -- where more than 80
percent of people belong to the Muslim Hui ethnic group -- many are
watching the U.S. build-up to war with anger...
In Tongxin, a town about 70 km (40 miles) from Tanshan, restaurant
manager
Zhang Xiaoling engages guests in polite chat about Hui customs and
history
before the talk turns to Iraq.
The soft-spoken 25-year-old with a spiky haircut, sharp suit and a
ready
smile answers as easily as if he had been asked for his opinion on
local teas.
"As an average person, I just want world peace. If the world is
peaceful,
then we will have peace at home as well," Zhang said. Then he adds:
"But as
a Muslim, I am very angry."
A typical response came from Hong Weizhong, 64, an elderly
administrator in
a blue Mao suit and white Muslim cap at a school run by Hong Yang
outside
Tongxin.
"America is just like an adult picking a fight with a child!" said
Hong.
He perhaps has good reason to fear a backlash against Muslims: during
China's 1966-76 ultra-leftist Cultural Revolution, fanatical Red Guards
levelled every mosque in the area and burned down the previous Islamic
school.
-----
HINDUS NATIONALISTS STEP UP ANTI-MUSLIM RHETORIC AHEAD OF FOUR STATE
LEGISLATURE ELECTIONS
Ashok Sharma, Associated Press, 2/21/03
Hindu hard-liners are stirring passions and raising anti-Muslim
rhetoric in
an effort to win votes in four state elections next week.
With legislative elections for another five states due later this year,
and
federal polls in 2004, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Bharatiya
Janata Party is projecting itself as the protector of Hindus against
Islamic Pakistan and radical Muslim militants.
A year after Hindu-Muslim rioting killed more than 1,000 people in
western
Gujarat state, sectarian tensions are resurfacing with the activities
of
the governing BJP's religious affiliates, particularly the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad, or World Hindu Council...
"Every step of the VHP is synchronized with electoral considerations,"
said
Syed Shahbuddin, a Muslim leader. "The mask of neutrality has fallen…"
-----
TENN. CITY ANNOUNCES MARCH AS "MUSLIMS" MONTH
WHAT: Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie Herenton will preside over an opening
ceremony of "Muslims in Memphis" month. The event will include
speeches,
exhibits and musical contributions from a Muslim youth troupe.
Throughout
the month, The "Muslims in Memphis" project team will present Islam to
the
Memphis community in a positive and informative light.
WHEN: Saturday, March 1, 4 to 6 P.M.
WHERE: Appling Manor Conference Hall, 1755 Appling Road, Cordova, TN
38016
-----
LIEBERMAN FUNDRAISES WITH ROBERTSON, FALWELL
The Forward, 2/21/03
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.02.21/featherman.html
Say It Ain't So, Joe: Browsing through the infomercials on the PAX
cable
television network, Hartford Courant reporter Eric Ericson was stunned
to
see three giants of the Christian right - Christian Coalition founder
Pat
Robertson, convicted Watergate felon Charles Colson and Moral Majority
leader Jerry Falwell - fundraising with Joseph Lieberman.
Ericson, writing in the January 16 issue of the Courant, reports that
the
Jewish Democratic presidential hopeful appeared in a January 2
broadcast
along with the trio in a half-hour appeal for a program called "On
Wings of
Eagles," which brings Russian Jews to Israel through the International
Fellowship of Christians and Jews. The Chicago-based nonprofit
organization, run by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, advocates an improvement
of
relations between Christians and Jews and receives considerable support
from right-wing Christians. "'On Wings of Eagles' is a modern-day
fulfillment of biblical prophecy," Lieberman says on the infomercial.
The Hartford Advocate reports in its February 14 issue that Lieberman
asked
that his endorsement be struck from the infomercial. Eckstein told the
Forward that Lieberman's wishes are being respected. "We're spending
money
to take it out of the video," Eckstein said, adding that the incident
was,
"a non-story, [a] stupid story... It seems like a liberal newspaper
essentially trying to get at Lieberman through one way or another.
-----
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-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 2/24/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: MARRIAGE SHOULD NOT BE A BURDEN
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
- A Gift of Books (Star-Ledger)
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
- In Search Of All Things Spiritual (Wichita Eagle)
- Positive Feedback on 'Islam in America' Campaign
* INCITEMENT WATCH: PAX PROGRAM MAY SMEAR MUSLIMS
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: ISRAEL'S 'YES' MEN IN CONGRESS
* WIFE TO TESTIFY VS. HUSBAND IN BOMB PLOT (AP)
- Wife of FL Mosque Bomb Plotter to Talk (Tampa Tribune)
* OREGON CHURCH SPONSORS ANTI-MUSLIM SPEAKER (Columbian)
* LIVES LIKE ANY OTHERS (Washington Post)
- Mideastern Men Worry About Detentions (Sun Sentinel)
* DELIVER US FROM ASHCROFT (Washington Times)
- Marbury v. Madison v. Ashcroft (NY Times)
- GAO: Justice Dept. Inflated Terror Cases (AP)
* BUSH FACES INCREASINGLY POOR IMAGE OVERSEAS (Washington Post)
- France Offers Counterproposal to US Draft on Iraq
- 17 British Firms Armed Saddam (Sunday Herald)
- Allies Hushed Up Weapons' Destruction (Scotsman)
- Perle: Syria May Be Next (AFP)
- Not So Fast (Washington Post)
* WHY ARE WE IN JOLO? (Washington Post)
* PEACE HOPES FADE AS SHARON PICKS HAWKISH PARTNER (Telegraph)
- Israel Urges U.S. Help to Bolster Economy (Wash. Times)
* 3 FAITHS CELEBRATE MUSLIM FESTIVAL OF EID (Sun Sentinel)
* REQUEST FOR STUDENT SUBMISSIONS ON MUSLIM LIFE AFTER 9/11
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: MARRIAGE SHOULD NOT BE A BURDEN
The Prophet also said: "The marriage which produces the most blessing
is
that which involves the least burden."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 925
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
SEE ALSO:
A GIFT OF BOOKS
Patricia C. Turner, Star-Ledger, 2/24/03
http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1045984710103801.xml
Better understanding of Islam is the goal of a program through which
books
are donated to libraries by American Muslims.
"If even one person gets a better understanding of my religion, the
donation will be worth it," said Muna Saeid of Secaucus, about her
participation in the Council of American-Islamic Relations' campaign to
provide books, tapes and other materials to public libraries across the
country….
"A lot of people had misconceptions about Islam and Muslims," Saeid
said.
"I thought my community, my neighborhood, would benefit."
Aftab Husain of Edison arranged for a library package to be sent to the
North Edison branch library.
"Right after the 9/11 incident, CAIR took the initiative," he said. "I
said
I would like to do anything I can to help. A few fanatics are sending
the
wrong message."
"They're beautiful books," said Molly Davis-Bright, director of the
North
Edison library. Although her library had several books on Islam, the
18-item library package provided a big boost…
Rosemary Garwood, director of the Pequannock Public Library, said the
donor
who designated her facility "was very generous."
"The books are very up-to-date," she said. "I thought they were really
good
books. It was very wonderful to receive this gift. They're excellent
books
on Muslim culture and the history of Islam, and they're not
proselytizing...
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
SEE ALSO:
IN SEARCH OF ALL THINGS SPIRITUAL
Tom Schaefer, Wichita Eagle, 2/22/03
http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/living/columnists/tom_schaefer/5235339.htm
"Which one of us is a Muslim?" That's the question in a recent
newspaper ad
that shows an African-American girl, an Asian man and a man of European
heritage.
The ad's response is: "We all are...we're American Muslims."
Last Sunday's ad in The New York Times and other major newspapers
kicked
off a year-long campaign by the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
a
civil rights and advocacy group, to foster greater understanding of
Islam
in America and to counter what it says is "a rising tide of anti-Muslim
rhetoric in the United States."
The weekly ads will feature a different belief of Islam and can be seen
at
www.americanmuslims.info
No matter what your faith is, it's crucial that we continue learning
about
one of the world's major religions.
---
POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' CAMPAIGN
The following are excerpts from emails sent to CAIR regarding the
"Islam in
America" advertising campaign:
"I applaud you on your ad campaign. Today I saw the ad about the Muslim
troop of girl scouts. It was a refreshingly positive view of Islam." -
Flushing, NY
"This is a wonderful way to show that Muslims are just like everyone
else
and that they have nothing to fear. Continue the good work." -
Bloomington, IN
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: PAX PROGRAM MAY SMEAR MUSLIMS
Professor Jack Shaheen has alerted CAIR to potentially stereotypical
anti-Muslim content and themes in tonight's episode of "Sue Thomas:
F.B.Eye" on the PAX cable network.
The leak
Monday February 24, 9:00 PM
http://www.pax.tv/shows/suethoma/episodes.cfm
What looks like a routine SWAT takedown of a terrorism suspect turns
into a
potentially deadly ambush of our people. Myles finds himself dealing
with
the psychological aftermath of the experience while Sue leads the
charge to
uncover the information leak that compromised the raid - a twisted
trail
that may lead all the way to the halls of the U.S. Senate.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Please watch the program and send polite feedback to:
TEL: 1 (888) 467-2988
E-MAIL: http://www.pax.tv/contact/
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: ISRAEL'S 'YES' MEN IN CONGRESS
"The combination of Congress being a yes man for Israel and a president
who
is the same way, I'd say that bodes well for [billions in new aid to]
Israel and poorly for the American taxpayer,"
Duncan L. Clarke, professor of international relations at American
University
Washington Times, 2/24/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030224-131658.htm
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE.)
Contact the White House and Congress to ask that the
multi-billion-dollar
Israeli aid request be rejected.
1. Call the White House at: 202-456-1414 or 202-456-1111.
2. Contact your elected representative by calling the Capitol
Switchboard
at 202-224-3121. (Have your zip code ready.)
3. Go to http://capwiz.com/cair/home/ to e-mail the President and/or
your
elected representatives.
-----
WIFE TO TESTIFY VS. HUSBAND IN BOMB PLOT
MITCH STACY, Associated Press, 2/24/03
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - The wife of a podiatrist charged in a plot to blow
up a
Muslim gathering place has agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors
in
a plea bargain, officials said Monday.
Robert Goldstein and his wife, Kristi Goldstein, are accused of
planning to
blow up an Islamic education center in St. Petersburg. Goldstein, who
is
Jewish, is described in court documents as seeking to retaliate for the
Sept. 11 attacks and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Explosives, bomb-making materials, bulletproof vests, 25,000 rounds of
ammunition and a typed list of 50 Islamic worship centers in the Tampa
Bay
area were found in the couple's home, authorities say…
She allegedly shared her husband's fascination with firearms and
explosives
and knew of his plan to launch the attack on the Islamic Society of
Pinellas County.
SEE ALSO:
WIFE OF TERROR SUSPECT TO TALK
Jim Sloan, Tampa Tribune, 2/24/03
http://www.tampatrib.com/MGALZXD3HCD.html
TAMPA - Kristi Goldstein, whose husband is accused of plotting attacks
on
Islamic centers across the state, will cooperate with authorities under
a
plea agreement.
Goldstein will plead guilty to a charge of possession of firearms not
registered to her. Two counts of making false statements will be
dismissed.
Her husband, Robert, a podiatrist, was arrested in August after
Pinellas
County sheriff's deputies found an arsenal of high-powered guns,
Claymore
mines and homemade bombs in his condominium when they responded to a
domestic call at the couple's Seminole home.
Authorities also found a three- page plan for terrorist attacks against
Muslims.
Federal agents arrested Kristi Goldstein, 28, in October, saying she
knew
more about her husband's bomb-making habits than she told investigators
at
the time of the search...
-----
IS EVENT ON ISLAM BIASED?
Kelly Adams, Columbian, 2/21/03
http://www.columbian.com/02212003/clark_co/13904.html
The founder of the Islamic faith was a terrorist, says Dave Hunt, an
author
scheduled to speak tonight and tomorrow at Vancouver's Crossroads
Community
Church.
The event, called "The Truth About Islam," is billed as an educational
opportunity by Crossroads officials. Other religious leaders and Muslim
organizations call it a platform for hatred.
Hunt speaks around the world on religious issues and has written
several
books about religion. He has a degree in mathematics, is a certified
public
accountant and has a background in business management. He does not
have
any formal religious education.
"I think I can learn just as well from accurate sources as well as from
any
professor," he said in a phone interview from his home in Bend, Ore.
The 9/11 attackers were not extremists but true Muslims following the
teachings of the Koran, Hunt said…
Others take great exception with Hunt's views.
"I have two words: not true," said Shaaban Naim, the president of the
Southwest Washington Islamic Society. "The religion I know says if you
kill
one person, it is as if you killed the whole world; if you saved one
person, it is as if you saved the whole world. That is the religion I
know..."
Tom Tucker, the president of the Greater Vancouver Interfaith
Association
and minister at East Vancouver United Methodist Church, said he was
disappointed that one of the biggest churches in the county is
sponsoring
Hunt's appearance. Crossroads has about 6,500 members.
"I am concerned about it. It's obviously biased and inflammatory,"
Tucker
said. "It stirs up a sense of hatred of all things Islamic…"
This weekend's event is not unique to Clark County. Hodan Hassan,
spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based Council on American- Islamic
Relations, said speaking tours like Hunt's have become a cottage
industry
around the nation in the wake of 9/11.
The Christian Coalition recently included a presentation called the
"True
Face of Islam" at a conference in Washington, D.C., she said…
-----
LIVES LIKE ANY OTHERS
Mona Eltahawy, Washington Post, 2/24/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55842-2003Feb23.html
I know I speak for millions of Muslims in this country when I say I
feel a
disconnect between what our beliefs and lives are actually like and
what we
hear they are like in government statements and news reports...
When Attorney General John Ashcroft raised the country's alert status
from
"elevated risk" to "high risk," he made the connection between terror
and
hajj and the holiday that marks the end of the pilgrimage season, Eid
al-Adha.
"Recent reporting indicates an increased likelihood that al Qaeda may
attempt to attack Americans in the United States and/or abroad in or
around
the end of the hajj, a Muslim religious period ending mid-February
2003,"
Ashcroft said as he announced that the country was on Code Orange
alert.
With that sentence, the attorney general took the highlight of the
Muslim
calendar and rendered it a blip on the terrorist radar. Never mind that
2
million Muslims converged peacefully on Mecca and its environs for the
five-day ritual that symbolizes spiritual cleansing and rebirth. Once
again, because of the 19 men behind the horrors of Sept. 11, 2001, our
faith is relevant only for its terror quotient…
SEE ALSO:
MIDEASTERN MEN WORRY ABOUT DETENTIONS, DEPORTATIONS
Tanya Weinberg, South Florida Sun Sentinel, 2/24/03
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-sdecisionsfeb24,0,5590544.story
He says the rule of law is why America is his family's haven.
But these days Mushtaq Sajwani falls asleep in his snug Coral Springs
apartment anxiously pondering his new legal obligations. What if the
Immigration and Naturalization Service detains him when he reports to
be
fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed? What if he is deported to
Pakistan, where he says business competitors physically attacked him
and
threatened to kidnap his children?
Several weeks ago, Sajwani awoke to the shooting pains of a heart
attack.
"I thinking too much about this thing," he said, arms crossed tightly
across his chest.
As deadlines loom for thousands of non-resident men to register under a
recent national security initiative, many are agonizing over their
choices
and struggling to find clear information on what to expect in
complying…
Shahid Kamal of Coral Springs already has INS work authorization and
was
referred to INS investigations when he went to register. While he was
not
detained, he said the questioning, which covered his reaction to the
Sept.
11 attacks and details of his religious life, was unexpected and
frightening...
------
DELIVER US FROM ASHCROFT
Nat Hentoff, Washington Times, 2/24/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20030224-4268111.htm
Attorney General John Ashcroft, with support from President Bush, has
increasingly forgotten that the Constitution is ours - not just his.
The
Center for Public Integrity has now exposed Ashcroft's sequel to the
Patriot Act for what it is: an assault on the Bill of Rights drafted
without consultation with Congress…
I can't, within a single column, detail every abuse against the Bill of
Rights contained in the Justice Department draft. But, to begin with,
one
of the most damaging abuses is found in Section 201…
The new bill states that "the government need not disclose information
about individuals detained in investigations of terrorism until ... the
initiation of criminal charges," no matter how long that might take. If
passed, this would become the first time in American history that
secret
arrests would be specifically permitted under the American rule of law…
"We the People" must turn to Congress to protect us from this
out-of-control Justice Department, since the president has yet to keep
it
within the bounds of the Constitution and its principles…
SEE ALSO:
MARBURY V. MADISON V. ASHCROFT
Anthony Lewis, New York Times, 2/24/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/24/opinion/24LEWI.html
BOSTON - After 200 years Americans are so accustomed to judges having
the
last word that alternatives seem unthinkable. We rely on the courts to
enforce what the Constitution promises us. But in one area the courts
have
disappointed us. In time of war, actual or threatened, they have
repeatedly
abdicated their function, bowing to claims of national security. A
dramatic
example in the last century was the internment of Japanese-Americans
during
World War II; bowing to government claims that they were a security
threat,
the Supreme Court, in the Korematsu case, refused to interfere.
We are now headed for a profound test of our commitment to the
Constitution
in time of war: the war on terrorism, as President Bush has proclaimed
it.
His administration has taken steps that radically impinge on the right
to
counsel and other fundamental liberties. Will the courts, in the end
the
Supreme Court, subject those measures to real constitutional scrutiny,
or
give way to arguments of war emergency…?
---
GAO: JUSTICE DEPT. INFLATED TERROR CASES
Laurie Kellman, Associated Press, 2/24/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A41330-2003Feb21
Federal prosecutors exaggerated their success convicting would-be
terrorists last year by wrongly classifying three of four cases as
"international terrorism," a government watchdog says.
Overall, almost half of 288 convictions deemed "terrorism-related" were
found by investigators to have been wrongly classified as such for the
fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the General Accounting Office found.
The Department of Justice "does not have sufficient management
oversight
and internal controls in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability
of
terrorism-related conviction statistics included in its annual
performance
reports," reported Congress' nonpartisan watchdog agency…
-----
BUSH FACES INCREASINGLY POOR IMAGE OVERSEAS
Glenn Kessler and Mike Allen, Washington Post, 2/24/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55326-2003Feb23.html
The messages from U.S. embassies around the globe have become urgent
and
disturbing: Many people in the world increasingly think President Bush
is a
greater threat to world peace than Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
U.S. embassies are the eyes and ears of the U.S. government overseas,
and
their reports from the field are closely read at the State Department.
The
antiwar protests by millions of people Feb. 15 in the cities of major
U.S.
allies underscored a theme that the classified cables by U.S. embassies
had
been reporting for weeks.
"It is rather astonishing," said a senior U.S. official who has access
to
the reports. "There is an absence of any recognition that Hussein is
the
problem." One ambassador, who represents the United States in an allied
nation, bluntly cabled that in that country, Bush has become the
enemy...
SEE ALSO:
FRANCE OFFERS COUNTERPROPOSAL TO US DRAFT ON IRAQ
Reuters, 2/24/03
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - France, countering a draft U.N. resolution
by
the United States and Britain aimed at paving the way for war on Iraq,
proposed Monday at least four more months of U.N. arms inspections.
The French plan, an informal counterproposal to the draft Security
Council
resolution being circulated by Washington and London, was drafted with
help
from Germany and Russia and is also supported by China, a spokeswoman
for
France's U.N. mission told Reuters.
The plan affirms that peaceful disarmament remains the "imperative
objective" of the international community and calls for a bolstered
U.N.
inspection regime to pursue specific disarmament tasks under a rigorous
timeline.
It would bring in additional inspectors and give them more
sophisticated
equipment while requiring them to report on their progress to the
Security
Council on a regular basis. The plan would call on chief U.N.
inspectors
Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei to first prepare a detailed work
program
outlining the key remaining disarmament tasks for Iraq to accomplish…
---
REVEALED: 17 BRITISH FIRMS ARMED SADDAM WITH HIS WEAPONS
Neil Mackay, Sunday Herald, 2/24/03
http://www.sundayherald.com/31710
Seventeen British companies who supplied Iraq with nuclear, biological,
chemical, rocket and conventional weapons technology are to be
investigated
and could face prosecution following a Sunday Herald investigation.
One of the companies is Inter national Military Services, a part of the
Ministry of Defence, which sold rocket technology to Iraq. The
companies
were named by Iraq in a 12,000 page dossier submitted to the UN in
December. The Security Council agreed to US requests to censor 8000
pages
-- including sections naming western businesses which aided Iraq's
weapons
of mass destruction programme.
The five permanent members of the security council -- Britain, France,
Russia, America and China -- are named as allowing companies to sell
weapons technology to Iraq.
The dossier claims 24 US firms sold Iraq weapons. Hewlett-Packard sold
nuclear and rocket technology; Dupont sold nuclear technology, and
Eastman
Kodak sold rocket capabilities. The dossier also says some '50
subsidiaries
of foreign ---enterprises conducted their arms business with Iraq from
the US'…
---
ALLIES HUSHED UP WEAPONS' DESTRUCTION
Tim Cornwell, Scotsman, 2/24/03
http://www.news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=230772003
The highest-ranking defector ever to turn informant on Saddam Hussein's
government told United Nations weapons inspectors in 1995 that Iraq had
destroyed all its chemical and biological weapons stocks after the Gulf
war.
But UN inspectors hushed up that part of Hussein Kamel's story - which
he
also told to debriefers from British and United States intelligence -
because they wanted to keep the pressure on Iraq to tell more.
The revelation, reported in the US magazine Newsweek, raises new
questions
over claims by the US and Britain that Iraq has failed to account for
vast
stores of chemical and biological weapons…
---
PERLE: SYRIA MAY BE NEXT
Agence France-Presse, 2/23/03
http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/bv/Qiraq-us-perle.R8i7_DFN.html
DUBAI - The United States will attack Iraq even if France uses its veto
to
block a new resolution in the UN Security Council, top Pentagon adviser
Richard Perle said in an interview published Sunday.
The Bush administration hawk also indicated that after overthrowing
Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein Washington might set its sights on Syria's
Bashar
al-Assad.
If Paris vetoed a resolution backing war, "We will go (to war) without
an
international resolution," the Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat quoted him
as
saying in an interview...
"The experience in Iraq will be a prelude to reforms in the region,"
Perle
warned. "I hope Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will consider reforms,
otherwise" he may say to himself, "'I could be the second target.'"
---
NOT SO FAST
William Rasperry, Washington Post, 2/24/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55845-2003Feb23.html
This is hard. So soon after very nearly swooning over Colin Powell's
report
to the United Nations Security Council, I find myself thinking the once
unthinkable: I don't believe him…
Whence my change of heart? For one thing, I've had time to digest that
tour
de force performance of earlier this month. For another, I've been
listening and reading (particularly Dilip Hiro's book "Iraq: In the Eye
of
the Storm"). And finally, I've found it impossible to see how Powell's
allegations and speculation -- even if they are all true -- lead so
ineluctably to war.
The argument is that Saddam Hussein has defied the United Nations;
therefore the United States must punish him. And not just with
sanctions or
diplomatic pressure but with war -- even though there is no evidence he
is
doing anything to us…
I accept the possibility that Hussein isn't interested in negotiations
--
that he's eating very well and couldn't care less that his people are
starving or that he's motivated by some combination of hatred and
jealousy
of the democratic West.
For this we should make unilateral, unprovoked war…?
-----
WHY ARE WE IN JOLO?
Washington Post, 2/22/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45290-2003Feb21.html
On Thursday, via a series of background briefings by unnamed spokesmen,
the
Pentagon casually let the public know that it intends to dispatch 1,700
Special Forces and Marines for a combat mission against Muslim
guerrillas
in a remote and hostile corner of the Philippines. The first American
soldiers are due to arrive within days, officials said; the term of the
mission is open-ended.
Though dwarfed, perhaps, by the scale of the impending war with Iraq,
this
sounds like a substantial and potentially treacherous campaign. Yet
neither
the president nor any senior official has explained to the country why
young Americans might need to die for this new cause -- nor has
Congress,
which is on recess, discussed it...
Instead of being bound by rules allowing them to fire only in
self-defense,
something that happened only once in the previous deployment, American
soldiers reportedly will be joining Philippine units in combat
operations.
"The intent is for U.S. troops to actively participate," said one of
the
briefers. The terrain is also different -- Abu Sayyaf has moved from
Basilan to the nearby island of Jolo, a tough and nearly lawless
region.
It's perhaps worth remembering that U.S. troops have already fought
Muslim
guerrillas on this ground, a century ago: The result was a bloody
quagmire
and damaging accusations of brutality by U.S. troops…
-----
PEACE HOPES FADE AS SHARON PICKS HAWKISH PARTNER
Alan Philps, Telegraph UK, 2/24/03
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$QPZLRUSCEEXPLQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2003/02/24/wisr24.xml
The Israeli government swung to the right yesterday when Ariel Sharon,
the
prime minister, signed up as his first coalition partner the National
Religious Party, a lobby for Jewish settlers which opposes a
Palestinian state.
The move came as the Israeli army stepped up its offensive against
Islamic
militant strongholds - killing at least nine Palestinians and taking
over a
part of the Gaza Strip which the group Hamas has used to fire home-made
missiles into Israel.
Armoured columns moved into the northern town of Beit Hanoun,
destroying
some buildings and commandeering others. Raids on the Gaza Strip happen
every week, but this time the army appeared to be occupying a sizeable
area
with the intention of staying…
SEE ALSO:
ISRAEL URGES U.S. HELP TO BOLSTER ECONOMY
James G. Lakely, Washington Times, 2/24/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030224-131658.htm
Israel is asking the United States for billions of dollars in direct
aid
and loan guarantees to help prop up its stumbling economy and bolster
the
Israeli Defense Forces as war looms in Iraq.
Dov Weisglass, a top aide to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, led a
delegation that met with Bush administration officials for three days
last
week to lay the groundwork for congressional approval of about$12
billion
in aid, in addition to the $3 billion given to Israel each year…
A source at the Israeli Embassy said he is "optimistic" that Congress
would
approve the additional funds. If passed, the aid would come on the
heels of
a request by Turkey of more than $6 billion in direct aid and $20
billion
in loans as U.S. forces prepare to use bases in that country as a
staging
area for any attack on Iraq…
Duncan L. Clarke, professor of international relations at American
University, said "Israel tends to get what it wants from Congress."
"The combination of Congress being a yes man for Israel and a president
who
is the same way, I'd say that bodes well for Israel and poorly for the
American taxpayer," Mr. Clarke said.
The question that he said probably is not being asked on Capitol Hill
is:
"Is it the appropriate role of the U.S. to pump up a foreign country's
economy?"
-----
3 FAITHS CELEBRATE MUSLIM FESTIVAL OF EID
Nicole T. Lesson, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 2/24/03
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-eid24feb24,0,3028598.story
Coral Springs Jews, Muslims and Christians are more similar than some
may
think, according to panelists at a program Sunday in celebration of the
Muslim Festival of Eid.
Program panelist, Rev. George Puthursseril from St. Andrew Catholic
Church
thought "A Shared Holiday, Three Faiths, One Tradition" event should
have
been renamed.
"It should be one faith, three traditions," he said. "All three
religions
presented here are all monotheistic, all believe in one God. It's three
different ways we express faith in one God."
About 250 people gathered to get some insight on the similarities of
three
religions -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- at the Northwest
Regional
Library in Coral Springs.
Rabbi Mark Gross from Temple Beth Orr and Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah from
the
School of Islamic Studies were the two other featured panel speakers
who
also answered questions from the audience.
Wanting to broaden her and her young daughter's knowledge of religion,
Leonor Vazquez of Parkland attended the two-hour event.
"I wanted to be exposed to the Muslim culture, it has had such a
negative
connotation to it," said Vazquez, while sitting with her daughter,
Danielle, 9. "I learned the similarities of all three religions. I also
got
more of a Muslim insight…"
The program concluded with a group prayer and a reception that served a
variety of Middle-Eastern, Indian and Pakistani food and refreshments.
The Coral Springs Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee, with assistance
from
local Muslim neighbors, hosted the event.
"This is the second year the committee has hosted this kind of
program,"
said Joyce Campos, community relations manager for the city of Coral
Springs. "Our intention is to highlight the common beliefs the three
faiths
share while noting the significant highlights of each."
-----
REQUEST FOR STUDENT SUBMISSIONS ON MUSLIM LIFE AFTER 9/11
The following is a request for articles/essays written by American
Muslim
college students for an anthology on life after 9/11:
"We are looking for Muslim students to write articles/essays to be
considered for inclusion in this anthology. We hope, through this
project,
to tap into the diverse experiences of Muslim students in America. The
voices of young Muslims need to be heard by all Americans. This
anthology,
inshallah, will be able to present the Muslim experience to a wider
audience. We are looking for bright, insightful, and inspirational
Muslim
students to put their thoughts on paper, expressing some aspect of
their
personal experience as Muslims in America and the complications and
challenges that go along with that.
If you are interested and would like us to consider a piece from you
for
inclusion in the anthology, then you should send a writing sample to:
MuslimVoiceNow@hotmail.com (include your name, age, university, year,
major, ethnicity, as well as your post-undergrad plans). The writing
sample
should be about a page long (single-spaced) and should give us an idea
of
your writing style and what you are interested in writing about.
Please note that writing samples will be DUE on MARCH 15th. If you
have
any questions, please feel free to contact us at mailto:
MuslimVoiceNow@hotmail.com"
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 2/25/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: GOOD NEWS
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* BURNER OF ISLAMIC SIGN SEEKS MERCY (Palm Beach Post)
* INCITEMENT WATCH: CHRISTIAN COALITION FORUM ON ISLAM
- Columnist Hit the Books the Wrong Way (Washington Times)
- CAIR-FL to Discuss Anti-Muslim Rhetoric on NBC Nightly News
* U.S. CRACKDOWN SETS OFF UNUSUAL RUSH TO CANADA (NY Times)
- Couple Leaving For Pakistan After Deportation Order (AP)
* FBI PROFILING US, INTERRUPTING OUR HOLIDAY UNFAIR (Daily Star)
- Terror Case Tests 'Patriot Act' Limits (AP)
- Mass. Congressman Condemn FBI "Mosque Counting" Policy
* MUSLIM GROUPS AND CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS BRIEFED ON GUJARAT CRISIS
- Maryland Lecture to Include Account of Gujarat Massacres
* REPUBLICAN LEADERS ENCOUNTERING MORE ANTIWAR SENTIMENT (LA Times)
- Al Qaeda Taps Arab War Fears (Christian Science Monitor)
- Australia Baulks at US Plans for Iraq (Sydney Morning Herald)
- Oldest Human History Is At Risk (NY Times)
- Two Men Driving Bush into War (Observer UK)
- Foreigners Challenge U.S. Travelers (Newsday)
* NY SEMINAR ON LEGACY OF MALCOLM X
* ILLINOIS LECTURE ON CHALLENGES FACING ISLAM
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GOOD NEWS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever meets God
without
associating anything in worship with Him will go to Paradise." A person
then asked the Prophet: "Should I not inform the people of this good
news?"
The Prophet replied, "No, I am afraid, lest they should depend upon it
(absolutely)."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Hadith 131
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
NOTE: If you are planning to reproduce the ads in your local paper,
please
contact CAIR so that we can publicize the efforts of communities across
the
country. Send the important details (newspaper, date it will run, etc)
to
hhassan@cair-net.org.
-----
BURNER OF ISLAMIC SIGN SEEKS MERCY
Susan Spencer-Wendel, Palm Beach Post, 2/25/03
http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/epaper/editions/tuesday/south_county_e3a5debee551a00500c0.html
WEST PALM BEACH -- A Boca Raton man caught burning an Islamic community
center's sign asked a judge for leniency Monday, saying his act was a
message to Muslim extremism.
"We all suffer from it every day. I hope the court would take that
under
consideration," said contractor George Aboujawdeh, 46, who faces up to
a
year in jail for the incident in September, when police observed the
construction sign for the future Assalam Center burst into flames as
Aboujawdeh stood before it.
Aboujawdeh was raised a Christian in Lebanon and fought Muslim
extremists
there. His defense attorney, Bert Winkler, minimized the crime to just
burning a sign and maximized Aboujawdeh's image as a victim of violence
himself. Winkler asked County Judge Jonathan Gerber to sentence
Aboujawdeh
to just probation and perhaps house arrest instead of jail.
Assistant State Attorney Renelda Mack depicted the act as an assault
and
hatred of all Muslims -- one that terrified the Muslim community in
Boca.
Mack asked that Aboujawdeh be jailed, ordered into psychological
treatment
and to write an apology letter to members of the center...
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: CHRISTIAN COALITION FORUM ON ISLAM
Christian Coalition of America - Symposium on Islam: Muslims & The
Judeo-Christian World - Where to From Here? Held in Washington, D.C. on
February 15, 2003.
SPEAKERS:
Daniel Pipes
Labib Mikhail
Don Feder
Joseph Farah
Bill Koenig
A video clip is available at:
http://video.c-span.org:8080/ramgen/hdrive/ter021503_islam.rm
SEE ALSO: WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
---
COLUMNIST HIT THE BOOKS THE WRONG WAY
Collin Earnst, Washington Times, 2/25/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20030224-13415734.htm#4
In her column, "The jihad against the textbooks" (Op-Ed, Thursday),
Suzanne
Fields claimed that history textbooks distort and "whitewash" Islamic
history. Alas, she is the latest armchair historian whose bias has
misled
the public into believing that Islam is a barbaric and murderous
religion
and that the violent actions of Muslim fundamentalists are explicitly
prescribed in the Koran. Her column is based on loose citations of
questionable sources, selective quotation from school textbooks and
anti-Muslim scare tactics.
The majority of Mrs. Fields' column comes directly from a report by
Gilbert
Sewall of the American Textbook Council, an ideological group that
promotes
a biased slant on history. The Feb. 19 issue of Education Week magazine
states that history experts and scholars of Islam consider Mr. Sewall's
report an "unfair attack on the religion," suggesting "the report was
based
on questionable scholarship…"
Claims that the Council on Islamic Education manipulated the editorial
process of educational publishers are completely unfounded and are
based on
speculation and bias. Educational publishers and the media have the
same
responsibility to present accurate and unbiased information.
Unfortunately,
Mrs. Fields has served to alienate the Muslim population further by
giving
a biased history lesson.
COLLIN EARNST
Director
Media relations
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston
---
CAIR-FL TO DISCUSS ANTI-MUSLIM RHETORIC ON NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
On Tuesday, Feb 25, NBC Nightly News will feature a segment on rising
anti-Muslim rhetoric from segments of the Christian evangelical
community.
The piece includes an interview with CAIR-FL representative Parvez
Ahmed.
-----
U.S. CRACKDOWN SETS OFF UNUSUAL RUSH TO CANADA
Susan Sachs, New York Times, 2/25/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/25/national/25DETA.html
BURLINGTON, VT. - Once Jalil Mirza decided to leave the United States
to
avoid possible deportation, nothing happened quite as he expected, not
even
goodbye.
As did hundreds of other Pakistanis fleeing a post-9/11 crackdown on
illegal immigrants, Mr. Mirza quit his job, packed up his possessions
and
headed north rather than face a forced return to Pakistan. After a
16-hour
bus ride from Virginia with his wife and seven children, he arrived at
the
Canadian border, hoping to take advantage of Canada's political asylum
law.
But besieged Canadian officials told him to come back in two weeks. And
when he dragged their suitcases back to the American side, United
States
immigration agents promptly arrested him and his two teenage sons,
leaving
the rest of the family wailing in despair in the icy cold.
The Mirzas are part of an unusual and chaotic exodus that has jammed
land
crossings from the United States into Canada over the past two weeks,
overwhelming immigration officials and refugee aid groups on both sides
of
the border…
"This is one of the most tragic events I've ever witnessed, seeing this
exodus of good, hard-working families," said Patrick Giantonio,
executive
director of Vermont Refugee Assistance, which had found the shelter for
the
Mirzas and dozens of other Pakistani families trying to reach Canada.
"It's a tragedy not just for their communities," Mr. Giantonio added,
"but
for the American community..."
SEE ALSO:
COUPLE LEAVING FOR PAKISTAN AFTER HUSBAND ORDERED OUT OF THE COUNTRY
Associated Press, 2/25/03
RALEIGH, North Carolina - A former city councilwoman in North Carolina
says
she will leave for Pakistan this week with her husband, a Pakistani
citizen
who has been ordered out of the United States.
Mary Watson Nooe's husband, Mohammad Shafi Khan, must leave the United
States by the end of the day Wednesday under a judge's order given in
late
January.
Khan applied for asylum in 1994 for fear of being persecuted in
Pakistan
for his political views, but an immigration judge rejected the request.
The
couple, both 55, blame their circumstances on an immigration crackdown
that
began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Over the past year,
thousands of visitors and would-be immigrants from mostly Muslim
countries
have come under new scrutiny, sometimes facing detentions and
deportations.
"We are victims, clearly - victims of the war on terror," Nooe said
Monday,
breaking into tears as she prepared to leave. Nooe, who served on the
Raleigh city council from 1987 to 1995, said she will probably travel
back
and forth between the United States and Pakistan this year, trying to
help
Khan gain permission to re-enter the United States...
-----
FBI PROFILING US, INTERRUPTING OUR HOLIDAY UNFAIR
Meryem Brawley, Daily Star, 2/22/03
http://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/columns/2003/02/22/braw.html
On Feb. 10, the pilgrimage to Mecca culminated with more than 2 million
Muslims gathering on the plain of Arafat to fortaste the Day of
Judgment.
On Feb. 11, we began the celebration of the Feast of Sacrifice - Eid
al-Kurban. This joyful holy day commemorates the day when Allah the All
Merciful accepted Prophet Ibrahim's intention and attempt to sacrifice
his
son Ishmael for the sake of Allah, and when Allah ordered that a sheep
be
sacrificed in place of the boy.
The celebration of Eid normally lasts four days. But on Feb. 12, the
FBI
and the INS came to our house.
We were not surprised that the investigators showed up, and we told
them
so. When we moved to Sidney Center in late summer 2002, we got used to
cars
occupied by two men driving by and taking pictures of us and our guests
eating our meals on the deck. We are Muslims…
How many Latino-American homes were visited on Christmas by officials
looking to discover drug runners or undocumented law-abiding visitors?
How
many Italian homes were visited on Christmas to find Mafia hit men? How
many Russian citizens were visited on the Orthodox Christmas to find
prostitution-ring leaders…?
SEE ALSO:
TERROR CASE TESTS 'PATRIOT ACT' LIMITS
Andrew Kramer, Associated Press, 2/25/03
PORTLAND, Ore. - The government's expanded spying powers under the USA
Patriot Act face an early legal challenge in the case against five
people
accused of conspiring to help al-Qaida forces fight U.S. troops in
Afghanistan.
U.S. District Court Judge Ancer Haggerty was expected to hear arguments
Tuesday and Wednesday asking the government to reveal its justification
for
36 secret warrants the FBI used to watch and listen to the suspects.
"Civil liberties for the defendants, and all citizens, certainly are at
stake here," said Whitney Boise, attorney for defendant Patrice Lumumba
Ford…
David Cole, a law professor at Georgetown University in Washington,
D.C.,
said the case could test the constitutional boundaries of the new
snooping
authority given the FBI after Sept. 11, 2001.
The question, he says, is whether it's "constitutional for the
government
to tap a suspect's phone in a criminal investigation, without probable
cause of criminal activity. It's a very important case..."
---
MASS. CONGRESSMAN CONDEMN FBI "MOSQUE COUNTING" POLICY
The following is an excerpt from a letter sent by Congressman Barney
Frank
(D-MA) to the FBI objecting to new guidelines on counting local mosques
to
determine goals for counter terrorism investigations and secret
wiretaps:
Dear Mr. Attorney General:
On January 29 you received a letter from the Senator Russell Fiengold,
and
Rep John Conyers and Jerrold Nadler, objecting to the announcement that
the
FBI is now counting Mosques. I am in complete agreement with their
objection to this policy. I certainly agree that the fact that illegal
activity is being conducted inside a religious entity should not be
shield,
but there is no basis for assuming that all mosques are sources of such
activity, and the very fact that the FBI is counting mosques without
any
regard to whether or not there has been any indication of illegal
activity
there unfairly characterizes them, and could well lead to intrusions on
legitimate religious freedom.
Indeed, this policy seems me to go contrary to the views frequently
expressed by yourself and the President that we should not engage in
prima
facie assumptions that people of Arab descent in this country are
somehow
bent on doing something illegal. This sort of activity undermines
rather
than advances our security-among other things, it does not seem to me
to
very efficient as a way to use FBI time, and I strongly urge you to end
this practice.
Barney Frank
ACTION REQUESTED: Please send notes of appreciation to Congressman
Barney
Frank through http://www.house.gov/frank/contact.html
-----
MUSLIM GROUPS AND CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS BRIEFED ON GUJARAT CRISIS
Press release, Indian Muslim Council-USA
(Washington D.C., 2/24/03) - In commemoration of the one year
anniversary
of the pogrom in Gujarat, the Indian Muslim Council-USA
(http://www.imc-usa.org) held a briefing today for Muslim organizations
and
Congressional staff members on the deteriorating conditions of Indian
Muslims. The event was held in the press conference room of the Council
on
American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Washington, D.C.
Zahir Janmohamed, National Outreach Director of the Indian Muslim
Council-USA, gave an overview of the conditions of Muslims and spoke
about
his own experiences working in the relief camps in Gujarat during the
communal violence in which thousands of Muslims were killed and raped.
The
documentary "Evil Stalks the Land" was also screened.
In his presentation, Janmohamed stressed, "We must not speak about
Gujarat
in the past tense. The conditions in Gujarat continue to deteriorate
for
Muslims. With the BJP and its affiliates firmly in power and calling
the
violence a 'successful experiment,' Muslims should be prepared for
another
Gujarat to occur, unfortunately sometime very soon..."
"If we wish to improve the conditions of minorities in India,"
Janmohamed
said, "We will have to mount a collective, dedicated, long-term
campaign to
apply international pressure to curb the rise of Hindu nationalist
groups."
IMC-USA will launch a nationwide series of public programs on February
27th
with a press conference in Washington, DC, to mark the first
anniversary of
Gujarat massacres and rapes and the threat that Hindut
ultra-nationalism
(called Hindutva by its followers and Hindutva-fascism by mainstream
Indian
parties and Gandhians)pose to world peace and regional stability.
CONTACT: Zahir Janmohamed at (202) 349-3967 or email info@imc-usa.org
SEE ALSO:
MARYLAND LECTURE TO INCLUDE EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT OF GUJARAT MASSACRES
WHAT: Gujarat Anniversary Event and Fundraising Dinner - Zahir
Janmohamed
of the Indian Muslim Council USA will give an eye witness account of
the
massacres of Muslims in Gujarat. Jason Erb of CAIR will give advise on
lobbying on Capitol Hill.
WHEN: Saturday, March 1st at 6 P.M.
WHERE: Al-Rahmah Masjid - 6631 Johnny Cake Rd, Catonsville, MD, 21244,
410-747-4869.
CONTACT: Attaulla Khan at (410) 903 1157 or Muzaffar ul Jameel Shaikh
at
(443) 794 5589
-----
REPUBLICAN LEADERS ENCOUNTERING MORE ANTIWAR SENTIMENT
Janet Hook, Los Angeles Times, 2/25/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-na-iraqcong24feb24001441,0,7909972.story
WASHINGTON -- With the U.S.-Iraq showdown possibly headed to a climax,
many
Republicans who have spent months staunchly behind President Bush's
hard-line posture are confronting anxiety, skepticism and some outright
opposition among their constituents.
Rep. Sherwood L. Boehlert (R-N.Y.) was peppered with questions about
Iraq
at a lunch last week with local officials in upstate New York. Sen.
Gordon
Smith (R-Ore.) heard from critics of war at town hall meetings across
his
state. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) comforted a weeping mother of a
soldier
stationed in the Persian Gulf region.
"It is hitting home big time," said Upton, who like all but seven
Republicans in Congress voted last fall to authorize the use of force
against Iraq and since then has firmly backed Bush's threat to wage
war…
SEE ALSO:
AL QAEDA TAPS ARAB WAR FEARS
Philip Smucker, Christian Science Monitor, 2/25/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0225/p01s02-woiq.html
"Bin Laden is a dreadfully talented player," says a senior US
intelligence
analyst, also the anonymous author of the book, "Through Our Enemies'
Eyes," an account of bin Laden's network and views. "He remains focused
on
three things that have the support, I think, of most Muslims, whether
they're liberal or conservative. Many disagree with his tactics and
actions, but almost no one disagrees with him that the US should get
its
forces out of Saudi Arabia, end sanctions on Iraq, and lean on the
Israelis
about their treatment of the Palestinians. These are apple-pie issues
in
the Muslim world."
The US official, who spoke from Virginia on the condition that he
remain
unidentified, says that bin Laden probably believes current US
interventionist policies strongly favor his own designs. He suggests
that
bin Laden is thinking that the US has "already flooded the Arabian
peninsula with troops and will not only be starving Iraqis through the
embargo, but will now kill them with our military. It's marvelous for
him..."
---
AUSTRALIA BAULKS AT US PLANS FOR A POSTWAR IRAQ
Marian Wilkinson and Tom Allard, Sydney Morning Herald, 2/25/03
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/24/1046063966089.html
Australia has expressed concern to the United States about plans to
rule
Iraq for up to two years following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
Canberra voiced its fears after Australian observers attended a secret
two-day meeting in Washington on how Iraq was to be run after a war.
The meeting, held by the Pentagon's postwar Iraq planning office, was
described as a rehearsal for administering Iraq by US officials and
their
coalition supporters for up to two years until a new Iraqi Government
could
be put in place.
Australia and Britain want greater United Nations involvement in
postwar
Iraq, more opportunities for Iraqi opposition figures to participate
and a
swifter move to democratic elections.
"We've made it clear to the United States that we think it's very
important
that the United Nations has a key role in Iraq," Australia's Foreign
Minister, Alexander Downer, said yesterday. "I don't think it's
necessarily
going to be quite as simple as a US-led military administration..."
A Pentagon lawyer, Michael Mobbs, was named as the new civil
administrator
for Iraq. He would answer to the US military governor, General Tommy
Franks, one report said.
Mr Mobbs's appointment will also be viewed as controversial. He came to
prominence in Washington for his legal arguments to a US court that an
American citizen captured in Afghanistan should be deemed an "enemy
combatant" and denied any legal rights in the US…
---
OLDEST HUMAN HISTORY IS AT RISK
Holland Cotter, New York Times, 2/25/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/25/arts/design/25SITE.html
Iraq has hundreds of thousands of archaeological sites. Some 10,000
have
been identified, but only a fraction have been explored. Any of them
could
change what we know about human history, as past excavations have done.
Some have already revealed the world's earliest known villages and
cities
and the first examples of writing.
The country is also one of the prime centers of Islamic art and
culture. It
is home to some of the earliest surviving examples of Islamic
architecture
-- the Great Mosque at Samarra and the desert palace of Ukhaidar -- and
it
is also a magnet for religious pilgrimage. The tombs of Imam Ali and
his
son Husein, founders of the Shiite branch of Islam, at Najaf and
Karbala,
are two of the most revered in the Muslim world…
During the Persian Gulf war in 1991 at least one major archaeological
monument, the colossal ziggurat of Ur, was bombed. Shock from
explosions
damaged fragile structures like the great brick vault at Ctesiphon, and
the
13th-century university called the Mustansiriya in Baghdad...
---
TWO MEN DRIVING BUSH INTO WAR
Ed Vulliamy, Observer UK, 2/23/03
http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,901066,00.html
Lurking in the background behind Bush, his Vice-President, Dick Cheney,
and
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are the people propelling US policy.
And
behind them, the masterminds of the Bush presidency as it arrived at
the
White House from Texas, are Karl Rove and Paul Wolfowitz.
It is too simple to explain the upcoming war as 'blood for oil', as did
millions of placards last weekend, for Rove and Wolfowitz are
ideologists
beyond the imperatives of profit. They represent an unlikely and
formidable
alliance forged between the gritty Texan Republicans who took over
America,
fuelled by fierce conservative Christianity, and a faction of the East
Coast intelligentsia with roots in Ronald Reagan's time, devoted to
achieving raw, unilateral power.
Rove, writes Frum, was 'drawn to a very different answer'. Islam, Rove
argued, 'was one of the world's great empires' which had 'never
reconciled... to the loss of power and dominion'. In response, he said,
'the United States should recognise that, although it cannot expect to
be
loved, it can enforce respect'.
Rove's position dovetailed with the beliefs of Paul Wolfowitz, and the
axis
between conservative Southern Protestantism and fervent, highly
intellectual, East Coast Zionism was forged - each as zealous about
their
religion as the other…
---
FOREIGNERS CHALLENGE U.S. TRAVELERS
Samson Mulugeta, Newsday, 2/25/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wosafr243146339feb25,0,1969601.story
Johannesburg, South Africa - As a group of medical students chatted
before
a class at Johannesburg Hospital recently, Joel Mirmis' Kansas accent
silenced his South African classmates.
One turned to Mirmis, 25. "What's up with you Americans?" he asked.
"Why
are you going to bomb Iraq?"
These days, Mirmis is not just an exchange student from the University
of
Kansas. As an American abroad, he's frequently challenged to explain
his
government's actions toward Iraq.
"It's frustrating," he said. "These guys are more anti-American than
anti-Iraq."
With world public opinion hardening against any immediate U.S. attack
on
Iraq, Americans in South Africa, as elsewhere, are facing a wave of
anti-U.S. sentiment unseen in many regions since the Vietnam War. In
restaurants and tourist spots, Americans are called on to defend their
country's position, even if they don't agree with it themselves.
"They look at us as a bunch of warmongers," said David Dearth, Mirmis'
roommate. At a bar in Melville, a trendy section of Johannesburg, a
group
of South Africans asked Dearth, 25, why the United States had the right
to
attack another country…
-----
NY SEMINAR ON LEGACY OF MALCOLM X
WHAT: Upper Westchester Muslim Society will be hosting a public seminar
entitled "The Legacy of Malcolm X: A Muslim Perspective". Speakers
include
Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid, Dr. M. Ayesha Samad-Matias, and Imam Hisham
Jabr.
WHEN: Saturday, March 1 at 2 P.M.
WHERE: Thomas H. Slater Center in White Plains, NY
CONTACT: For more information, visit www.uwms.org
-----
ILLINOIS LECTURE ON PAST AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FACING ISLAM
WHAT: Averroes Academy is pleased to announce that Professor Akbar
Ahmed of
American University will be the Keynote Speaker at its Fourth Annual
Fundraiser Dinner and Lecture.
WHEN: Friday, February 28th at 7:30 P.M.
WHERE: Bristol Court Banquet Hall, 828 E. Rand Road, Mount Prospect, IL
Tickets: $75 adults, $35 students.
You can purchase tickets online for the event at:
https://www.enoor.com/averroes.html
-----
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-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FL MUSLIMS SAY "DOUBLE STANDARD" APPLIED IN MOSQUE BOMB PLOT
(MIAMI, FLORIDA, 2/26/2003) - The Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today expressed concern about what
the
civil rights group called a "double standard" in a plea agreement
arranged
with a woman who allegedly took part in a plot to blow up Islamic
institutions in that state.
Kristi Goldstein, 28, was suspected of planning, along with her
husband, to
blow up Florida Islamic sites in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks and
the
Arab-Israeli conflict. Authorities say explosives, bomb-making
materials,
bulletproof vests, ammunition, and a list of 50 mosques and Islamic
centers
were found in the couple's home in August of last year.
Under the agreement with prosecutors, Goldstein entered a guilty plea
today
to a single count of possession of illegal firearms, referring to five
bombs that were to be used in the attacks. She also agreed to cooperate
with authorities in testifying against her husband and others who may
have
been part of the terrorist cell.
At today's hearing, Goldstein showed no remorse when entering her plea
to
the reduced charges and was released pending sentencing. She is
expected to
receive a three-year sentence.
"This was a clear case of terrorism directed at the Muslim community in
Florida. Unfortunately, the case was not treated with the seriousness
required by the nature of the charges or the potential loss of life
that
would have resulted had the terrorist plot been carried out," said
CAIR-FL
Executive Director Altaf Ali. Ali noted that to date, law enforcement
authorities have refused to release the list of the Islamic
institutions in
Florida targeted in the Goldsteins' plot. He added that many in
Florida's
Islamic community believe the case would have been handled differently
had
the defendants been Muslims.
"We are pleased with the arrest and conviction of Ms. Goldstein, even
though on reduced charges, but we are also concerned that other members
of
this terrorist cell may be at large and ready to carry out the original
plot," said CAIR-FL Communications Director Ahmed Bedier.
- END -
CONTACT: Altaf Ali, CAIR-FL, 954-298-8214, E-MAIL:
altaf@cair-florida.org;
Ahmed Bedier, CAIR-FL, 813-731-9506 - EMAIL abedier@cair-florida.org;
Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR-National, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 2/26/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: NO BETTER MEAL
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
- CAIR Official Discusses Ad Campaign on MSNBC's "Nachman"
* MEDIA REQUEST: NPR SEEKS MUSLIM OPINION ON WAR WITH IRAQ
* CASE OVER, BUT SO IS YEMENI'S LIFE IN U.S. (Detroit News)
- Defending the Dream (Washington Times)
- Muslims Say Faith Not Tied to Terrorism (Oklahoman)
* MUSLIM BARRED BY U.S. SUES TO RETURN (Chicago Tribune)
* WIFE OF MOSQUE BOMB PLOTTER GETS JUST 3 YEARS (AP)
- US Indicts Four for Sending Charity to Iraq (Reuters)
- Muslim Student Faces Prison for Visa Violation (Reuters)
* TSA PROPOSES DATABASE TO TRACK ALL AIRLINE PASSENGERS (Wash. Times)
* RALLY PROTESTS AL-ARIAN ARREST (Bradenton Herald)
* BAPTIST LEADER'S ANTI-ISLAMIC REMARKS INCITING HATRED IN FL (NBC)
* DUAL LOYALTIES AND THE NATIONAL INTEREST (Washington Post)
- Perle: U.S. Seeks Regime Change in Iran, Libya, Syria (WT)
- Bush to Cast War as Part of Regional Strategy (Wash. Times)
- Iraqi Opposition Rejects US Rule, Turkish Invasion (Reuters)
- Retired Air Force General Takes Bush to Task on Iraq (AP)
- How the News Will Be Censored In This War (Independent)
* CONGRESSWOMAN SAYS SHE'LL GO TO MAT ON ISRAEL ISSUES (JTA)
- Bush, Sharon Expected To Attend D.C. Pro-Israel Rally (JTA)
- Israel Sees War in Iraq as Path to Mideast Peace (NY Times)
* MARYLAND CORRECTIONAL SEEKS VOLUNTEER MUSLIM CHAPLIN
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: NO BETTER MEAL
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 3, Hadith 286
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
SEE ALSO:
CAIR OFFICIAL DISCUSSES AD CAMPAIGN ON MSNBC'S "NACHMAN"
http://www.msnbc.com/news/nachman_front.asp
HOST: Keith Olbermann
GUESTS: Ibrahim Hooper; Robert Spencer
In these times when terrorism is associated with Muslim extremists, a
prominent Muslim group in the U.S. has launched a new national ad
campaign
aimed at fostering greater understanding of Islam and also countering
what
the group considers a rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the U.S.
Ibrahim Hooper is a spokesman for CAIR, the Council on American Islamic
Relations...
Mr. Hooper, explain what these ads are for.
HOOPER: Well, basically, the American-Muslim community felt that it was
being defined by others, not only by anti-Muslim bigots, but by
extremists
from the Muslim side.
So, we decided we needed to define mainstream Islam. We needed to
portray
the real experience of the American-Muslim community, which is people
going
about their business, Girl Scouts, as we saw in one ad. We have
doctors,
bus drivers, students, mothers, all of these people just living their
normal lives and not coming near any act of violence or holding
extremist
views. That's what we're trying to portray in the ads...
When people don't have information about the real Islam, the real
experience of the American-Muslim community, when somebody comes to
them
and makes the false claim that 80 percent of mosques are extremist,
they
go: Well, really? I don't know about Islam, so maybe that's true...
-----
MEDIA REQUEST: NPR SEEKS AMERICAN MUSLIM OPINION ON WAR WITH IRAQ
National Public Radio is researching a story on how Muslims feel about
the
US entering Iraq. First, are you opposed to an invasion (even though
you
may not like Saddam Hussein). Second, do you believe a US action would
be
an attack on Islam -- is there a religious crusade-like motivation by
the
White House? Or, do you believe that the more important motives are
political (oil, US hegemony, a pro-Israel foreign policy)?
I would very much appreciate hearing your thoughts by e-mail:
BBradley@npr.org
Sincerely,
Barbara Bradley Hagerty
Religion correspondent
National Public Radio
-----
CASE OVER, BUT SO IS YEMENI'S LIFE IN U.S.
David Shepardson, Detroit News, 2/26/03
http://www.detnews.com/2003/metro/0302/26/a01-94870.htm
DEARBORN -- On his way to Indianapolis to make a delivery, truck driver
Mohamed Nasser Alajji got a flat tire and pulled into a rest stop in
Springfield, Mich., where he was promptly arrested.
The day before, on Dec. 17, New York police got a call saying Alajji
was
plotting a "bin Laden al-Qaida" terrorist attack.
The FBI searched his home and truck, seized his computer and spent
hours
retrieving deleted e-mails. He spent 10 days in the Wayne County Jail,
while reporters and federal agents staked out his home.
Alajji was freed Dec. 27 by a federal magistrate who dismissed the
government's charges and later severely criticized the government's
case in
a confidential memo to other federal magistrates and judges that was
obtained by The Detroit News.
But Alajji lost his job anyway.
Now, without an apology from the government and still officially under
investigation, Alajji is going home to Yemen. The 31-year-old who came
to
Dearborn in 1995 is to fly home Saturday on a Royal Jordanian flight.
An
FBI agent will meet him at the airport to give him his passport and
watch
him leave Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the U.S. Attorney's Office
said.
"I don't feel safe anymore. I think all Muslims are under suspicion,"
Alajji said in an hour long interview Tuesday. "These accusations were
totally false."
Federal investigators say they were simply doing their job in the
post-Sept. 11 world of investigating all allegations of terrorism. But
critics of the war on terrorism point to the Alajji case as an example
of
the government trampling on civil rights and hastily prosecuting Arabs
and
Arab-Americans for technical violations that it wouldn't normally
pursue…
The government accused Alajji of committing fraud by failing to tell
the
Social Security Administration that he had been issued a second Social
Security number in 1995.
The government's case came down to whether minor mistakes on a Social
Security form -- he left a question blank and used a hyphen in his last
name in one place -- constituted fraud, said Alajji's attorney, Corbett
O'Meara...
SEE ALSO:
DEFENDING THE DREAM
Suhail A. Khan, Washington Times, 2/26/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20030226-91553978.htm
Before his passing almost four years ago, this proud American, Dr.
Mahboob
K. Khan, taught me, his oldest son, the treasured values of being an
American; the freedom to voice an opinion, to engage and even criticize
the
government, to practice one's religious faith, and to secure economic
security. But while he extolled the virtue of freedom, he was quick to
remind my siblings and me that this liberty did not come without a
price.
With freedom came responsibility, and in cherishing our blessed status
he
warned that often sacrifices must be made to defend that freedom.
Unfortunately, some have taken the attacks on our nation, our measures
of
heightened security, and the possible conflict with Iraq as license to
target and demonize Americans of the Muslim faith as a threat to our
national security and indeed our American way of life. Some have gone
as
far as to question the loyalty of American Muslims and to even call for
the
barring of all American Muslims from public service. This is only
giving in
to the terrorists - demonstrating to our enemies that we are willing to
respond to hate with hate, and to give in to our fear by succumbing to
prejudice with our own fear and prejudice. Evil must not triumph, and
we
must work and struggle to resist those seduced by hate and prejudice...
---
MUSLIMS SAY FAITH NOT TIED TO TERRORISM
Carla Hinton, Sunday Oklahoman, 2/23/03
http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=990671
Though they see Oklahoma as a place of "unprecedented support," many
Muslims statewide are concerned the federal government is now linking
their
faith to terrorism, a Muslim leader said recently.
Statements made recently by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft
appeared to
unite the Muslim religious observance of Hajj to terrorism - something
that
ultimately could place American Muslims in jeopardy, said Imad
Enchassi,
president of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City.
"This is unhealthy," Enchassi said. "The country is already going
through
an 'Islamophobic' phase, and the moment you link religious holidays to
terrorism, hate crimes, hate e-mails and hate will increase against
American Muslims..."
-----
MUSLIM BARRED BY U.S. SUES TO RETURN
Deborah Horan and Laurie Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 2/26/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0302260209feb26,1,3651260.story
Sabri Samirah, the high-profile Chicago Muslim community leader who was
barred from returning to the United States last month, is seeking to
force
the government to allow him back into the country, his lawyers said
Tuesday.
Samirah filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that the Immigration and
Naturalization Service violated the Constitution and the agency's own
regulations by refusing to allow him to return to America after a trip
to
his native Jordan in December. Reached by phone at his sister's home in
Amman, Samirah said he wants his day in court.
"I want a hearing before a judge to be able to hear all the charges
leveled
against me," said Samirah, 36, who has been living in the U.S. since
1987
but is not a naturalized citizen. "I want to defend myself right in
front
of the court. I deserve due process…"
In a hearing Tuesday, Samirah's lawyers told U.S. District Judge James
B.
Moran that the INS had lured Samirah out of the U.S. by approving his
plans
to travel and return to America, then revoking his right to come home
while
he was abroad.
"Once he was out of the country, they said, 'Ha ha, now that you're
out,
we're not going to let you back in,'" said Mark Flessner, Samirah's
lawyer.
"That's not the way it works…"
-----
WIFE OF MAN WHO PLANNED ATTACK ON MUSLIMS COULD GET 3 YEARS
Mitch Stacy, Associated Press, 2/26/03
TAMPA, Fla. - The wife of a Pinellas County podiatrist charged in a
plot to
blow up Muslim gathering places can expect to go to prison for about
three
years, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.
Kristi Lea Goldstein, 29, pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing five
unlicensed bombs that her husband, Dr. Robert Goldstein, allegedly
planned
to use in an attack on an Islamic mosque and education center in
Pinellas Park.
As part of her plea deal, which was announced earlier this week, Kristi
Goldstein agreed to cooperate with authorities in the case against her
estranged husband. Two counts of lying to authorities were dropped…
Ahmed Bedier, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
said
he was pleased with Kristi Goldstein's plea but felt she should be
designated a terrorist and kept in jail until her sentencing.
"Her admission of guilt confirms that there is substantial evidence
that
they planned to carry out this attack," said Bedier, who worships at
the
Pinellas Park mosque that was the alleged target.
He criticized the federal government for allowing Kristi Goldstein her
freedom as University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian remains
jailed…
SEE ALSO:
FLORIDA MUSLIMS SAY 'DOUBLE STANDARD' APPLIED IN MOSQUE BOMB PLOT
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=1005&page=NR
---
US INDICTS FOUR, CHARITY FOR SENDING MONEY TO IRAQ
Reuters, 2/26/03
WASHINGTON - A federal grand jury in Syracuse, New York, has returned
an
indictment charging four people and the "Help the Needy" organization
with
illegally transferring millions of dollars to people in Iraq. SEE:
http://www.helptheneedy.net/
The Department of Justice said in a statement that the indictment,
returned
earlier this month but unsealed on Wednesday, charges four defendants
and
"Help the Needy and "Help the Needy Endowment Inc" with conspiring to
transfer funds to Iraq in violation of the International Emergency
Economic
Powers Act.
The defendants named in the indictment are Rafil Dhafir, 55, Maher
Zagha,
34, Ayman Jarwan, 33 and Osameh Al Wahaidy, 41. All but Zagha were
arrested
in Syracuse on Wednesday…
If convicted, Dhafir and Zagha face up to 265 years in prison and fines
of
more than $14 million. Jarwan and al Wahaidy each face up to five years
in
prison and a $250,000 fine while the organizations face maximum
possible
fines of $14 million.
---
U.S. SAYS SAUDI STUDENT ARRESTED FOR VISA FRAUD
Reuters, 2/26/03
WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - A federal grand jury indicted a Saudi
student studying in Idaho for visa fraud and failing to disclose
involvement in a charitable organization that the grand jury said
promotes
terrorism.
The indictment, returned by the grand jury earlier this month but
unsealed
on Wednesday, charged Sami Omar Al-Hussayen, a citizen of Saudi Arabia,
with fraudulently obtaining student visas and making false statements
on
visa applications and related paperwork.
Al-Hussayen was arrested on Wednesday morning in Moscow, Idaho. He was
charged with failing to disclose his financial and operational
involvement
in the Michigan-based Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA) -- a
charitable group which the indictment alleges has promoted terrorism…
SEE:
http://www.iananet.org
The indictment alleges that from October 1998 Al-Hussayen routed
thousands
of dollars he received from overseas sources to the Islamic Assembly of
North America.
It says he provided computer expertise and website services to the
organization…
"By failing to describe the role he played in IANA, its funding, and
its
operations on his visa application and related paperwork ...
Al-Hussayen
defrauded the United States," the Justice Department said in a
statement.
If convicted, Al-Hussayen faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in
prison
for each of the visa fraud counts and five years for each false
statement
counts.
-----
TSA PROPOSES DATABASE TO TRACK ALL AIRLINE PASSENGERS
Audrey Hudson, Washington Times, 2/26/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030226-73777264.htm
Flight information from all airline passengers, including financial
data,
can be collected and analyzed under a little-seen regulation proposed
by
the Transportation Security Administration to track potential
terrorists.
The federal government wants to keep information for 50 years on
passengers
it believes pose threats to national security, while information on
other
passengers would be stored in a database for the duration of their
travel
and eliminated after their return trips.
Privacy advocates criticize the TSA proposal as a national database
open to
abuse, similar to concerns about the Pentagon's Total Information
Awareness
project, which Congress has put on indefinite hold.
"This is something that ought to be particularly worrisome to the
public"
said former Rep. Bob Barr, Georgia Republican. "The public focus has
been
on TIA, while the TSA has been quietly putting together a program that
is
as potentially just as intrusive…"
-----
RALLY PROTESTS AL-ARIAN ARREST
Irina Slutsky, Bradenton Herald, 2/26/03
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/5263499.htm
TAMPA - Black and white. Christian and Muslim. Women, men and children.
Students and retirees.
They marched outside of the federal courthouse Tuesday protesting the
arrest of a man they respect. A man they believe is a leader, a scholar
and
perhaps a martyr.
They chanted demands of freedom for suspended University of South
Florida
professor Sami Al-Arian, a man who calls himself a "prisoner of
conscience."
"I am not a criminal," Sami Al-Arian stated in a letter read by his
17-year-old daughter to a crowd of family members and supporters.
"I'm crucified because of who I am," Leena Al-Arian continued reading
her
father's words, dozens of microphones, notepads and tape recorders
framing
her face...
The wives, sisters and daughters of Sami Al-Arian, Hammoudeh and Fariz
wept
quietly into tissues and handkerchiefs as attorneys explained to
Magistrate
Mark Pizzo why they needed more time to prepare for a bond hearing.
-----
BAPTIST LEADER'S ANTI-ISLAMIC REMARKS INCITING HATRED IN FLORIDA
NBC News Nightly News, 2/26/03
Partial transcript:
TOM BROKAW, anchor: Tonight, we begin an occasional series visiting
American cities and towns as the United States moves closer to war. In
the
days right after 9/11, understandably there was a great deal of talk in
this country about not blaming the attacks on Islam itself or Muslims
generally. President Bush visited a mosque and talked about the need
for
tolerance. Well, apparently, that message didn't reach a powerful
Baptist
preacher in northern Florida. NBC's Bob Faw tonight on the Christian
fault
lines in Jacksonville.
BOB FAW reporting: In Jacksonville, Florida, the hymns are triumphant
and
the message is bold.
Reverend JERRY VINES (First Baptist Church of Jacksonville): Oh,
preach,
ladies and gentlemen! Preach, preacher! Preach the word!
FAW: So bold, some true believers here are terrified.
Unidentified Man: If I were a Muslim, I would be worried.
Mr. JOSE ROSA (Interfaith Council of Jacksonville): My worry is great.
FAW: They worry because this small Baptist church not only publicly
labels
Mohammed a murderer, it drives home the theme on its Web site.
Reverend GENE YOUNGBLOOD (First Conservative Baptist Church): The
heartbeat
of Islam is hatred and animus.
FAW: And the pastor at Jacksonville's Powerhouse First Baptist Church,
25,000 members strong, doesn't mince words, either.
Rev. VINES: Ladies and gentlemen, all religions are not equally true.
All
religions are not the same.
FAW: Vines calls Mohammed a demon-plagued pedophile, and he's not about
to
back down.
Rev. VINES: These statements were correct. I have not had any rebuttal
from
those statements from a scholarly point of view.
FAW: Jacksonville Muslims, devout and thoughtful, complain the
atmosphere
is being poisoned.
Mr. ROSA: They're preaching hate. They're--they're trying to get people
who
don't know to hate.
FAW: Monica Lunt told her daughters, `Don't go out dressed like a
Muslim.'
That's how much the preaching has alarmed her.
Ms. MONICA LUNT: It incites unrest. It incites an us-against-them type
of
mentality.
FAW: But in this sun-splashed community, the anti-Islamic statements
have
been repudiated by only a handful of clergymen.
Mr. GREG WARNER (Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church): I think we've got an
obligation as Christians to say, you know, there's another voice to be
heard here.
FAW: While some churchgoers strongly disavow the anti-Islamic
remarks...
Mr. MARY WYNN (Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church): When I hear that,
it--it
really does cut to my soul as a Baptist...
-----
DUAL LOYALTIES AND THE NATIONAL INTEREST
Washington Post, 2/26/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2703-2003Feb25.html
Lawrence F. Kaplan ["Toxic Talk on War," op-ed, Feb. 18] says that it
is
fair to question the extent of Israel's influence on the Bush
administration's policy regarding Iraq but that "the problem here is
the
implication that some of the Bush team have been doing Israel's bidding
and, by extension, harbor dual loyalties."
In 1996, Richard Perle, Douglas Feith and David Wurmser, all of whom
now
hold influential policy positions in the Bush administration,
co-authored a
paper titled "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm,"
which
was hand-delivered by Mr. Perle to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu. The "realm" referred to Israel, and "removing Saddam Hussein
from power" was described as a means of containing Syria and as "an
important Israeli strategic objective in its own right."
The paper, which was described as "a framework for a series of
follow-up
reports on strategy," also counseled the Likud prime minister on how to
massage American public opinion and U.S. policy-makers. The point is
not
that Messrs Perle, Feith and Wurmser are "doing Israel's bidding" but
that
they wrote a plan for Israeli foreign policy that they are now
positioned
to carry out within the U.S. government. The least they can do is
recuse
themselves.
ROBERT L. NORBERG
Washington
NOTE: To view "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm,"
go
to: http://www.israeleconomy.org/strat1.htm
SEE ALSO:
PERLE: U.S. ALSO SEEKS REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN, LIBYA, SYRIA
Worldtribune.com, 2/25/03
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/breaking_2.html
ABU DHABI - The United States will not be satisfied with toppling
Saddam
Hussein, but also seeks to change other regimes throughout the Arab
world.
Richard Perle, chairman of the U.S. Defense Advisory Board, said the
regimes include those in Iran, Libya and Syria. Perle told Arab
journalists
during a trip to London last week that the U.S. tactic would differ for
each country.
Perle, who is close to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, is said to be
one
of the architects in the Bush administration on the policy of the
toppling
of the Saddam regime, Middle East Newsline reported. He has played a
leading, if behind-the-scenes role in diplomatic, political and
military
aspects of the current Iraqi-U.S. confrontation as well as the war
against
terrorism.
Change is needed in all those three countries [Iran, Libya and Syria],
and
a few others besides," Perle told the London-based author and analyst
Amir
Taheri…
---
BUSH TO CAST WAR AS PART OF REGIONAL STRATEGY
Peter Slevin, Washington Post, 2/26/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2442-2003Feb25.html
President Bush intends to outline his postwar vision for Iraq and the
Middle East in a speech tonight designed in part to showcase the
administration's belief that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's overthrow
would be a significant step toward broad democratic change in the Arab
world.
The planned address, to the American Enterprise Institute, is part of
an
intensive administration effort to defend a prospective invasion of
Iraq.
Bush will present an optimistic portrait of how events could unfold if
he
chooses war. The speech will emphasize a broader U.S. campaign -- part
of
what Bush calls a "battle for the future of the Muslim world" -- that
will
last far longer than military hostilities in Iraq and test the United
States' already difficult relationships in the region…
---
IRAQI OPPOSITION REJECTS US RULE, TURKISH INVASION
Joseph Logan, Reuters, 2/26/03
SALAHUDDIN, Iraq - Iraq's opposition warned on Wednesday against U.S.
rule
or Turkish intervention in a war to oust President Saddam Hussein, but
a
U.S. envoy sought to reassure them Washington wanted Iraqis to govern
themselves.
Gathering on their home soil, Saddam's long-divided opponents rejected
U
send troops into Kurdish-held northern Iraq to nip a Kurdish state in
the bud.
"There should be no break in the sovereignty of Iraqis over Iraq,
because
there is much good in it and its absence would mean many calamities,"
said
Ahmad Chalabi, head of the U.S.-funded Iraqi National Congress (INC).
"Among the greatest dangers we face from the war that is expected is
foreign domination of Iraq and its capabilities," said Abdelaziz
al-Hakim
of the Iranian-backed Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in
Iraq...
---
RETIRED AIR FORCE GENERAL TAKES BUSH TO TASK ON IRAQ
Associated Press, 2/26/03
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=57303
LAKE OSWEGO - Tony McPeak, a four-star general who headed the U.S. Air
Force during Desert Storm, believes that President Bush should publicly
admit personal failure and restart diplomatic negotiations for a
possible
war against Iraq.
McPeak, who retired to Oregon in 1995, says Bush has botched the
crucial
process of building a coalition, of enlisting the United Nations and of
rebuilding Afghanistan as a model of reconstruction…
McPeak served four years on the Joint Chiefs of Staff advising Bush's
father and then President Clinton after flying 269 Vietnam combat
missions
and participating in the Thunderbirds, the elite aerobatic team. He is
also
a graduate of Grants Pass High School.
Despite his military career, McPeak questions Bush's priorities as the
president confronts terrorism, North Korea and Saddam Hussein. It makes
him
worry about a return to federal budget deficits and about declining
goodwill toward the United States since Sept. 11, 2001…
---
HOW THE NEWS WILL BE CENSORED IN THIS WAR
Robert Fisk, Independent UK, 2/25/03
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=381438
Already, the American press is expressing its approval of the coverage
of
American forces which the US military intends to allow its reporters in
the
next Gulf war. The boys from CNN, CBS, ABC and The New York Times will
be
"embedded" among the US marines and infantry. The degree of censorship
hasn't quite been worked out. But it doesn't matter how much the
Pentagon
cuts from the reporters' dispatches. A new CNN system of "script
approval"
- the iniquitous instruction to reporters that they have to send all
their
copy to anonymous officials in Atlanta to ensure it is suitably
sanitised -
suggests that the Pentagon and the Department of State have nothing to
worry about. Nor do the Israelis…
Just where this awful system leads is evident from an intriguing
exchange
last year between CNN's reporter in the occupied West Bank town of
Ramallah, and Eason Jordan, one of CNN's top honchos in Atlanta.
The journalist's first complaint was about a story by the reporter
Michael
Holmes on the Red Crescent ambulance drivers who are repeatedly shot at
by
Israeli troops. "We risked our lives and went out with ambulance
drivers...
for a whole day. We have also witnessed ambulances from our window
being
shot at by Israeli soldiers... The story received approval from Mike
Shoulder. The story ran twice and then Rick Davis (a CNN executive)
killed
it. The reason was we did not have an Israeli army response, even
though we
stated in our story that Israel believes that Palestinians are
smuggling
weapons and wanted people in the ambulances…"
-----
NEW HEAD OF HOUSE PANEL SAYS SHE'LL GO TO MAT ON ISRAEL ISSUES
Matthew E. Berger, JTA, 2/25/03
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Congresswoman+pledges+to+back+Israel&intcategoryid=3
WASHINGTON - When Rep. Benjamin Gilman announced he was retiring from
Congress last summer, many on Capitol Hill speculated that the House of
Representative's Middle East panel would go with him.
After all, the subcommittee was created in 2001 to give Gilman a forum
for
his Middle East advocacy when tenure rules forced the New York
Republican
to turn over the gavel of the House International Relations Committee.
But the subcommittee has been saved, thanks in part to Republican
efforts
to court the American Jewish community. The panel's new chair, Rep.
Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), says she is ready to come to the Jewish state's
defense.
"I feel great solidarity with the Israeli people," Ros-Lehtinen told
JTA
last week, after leading a congressional delegation to Israel. "I
treasure
heading this subcommittee and will take it on with a great deal of
seriousness…"
SEE ALSO:
BUSH, SHARON EXPECTED TO ATTEND RALLY FOR ISRAEL
Matthew E. Berger, JTA, 2/24/03
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Bush%2C+Sharon+expected+at+Israel+gala&intcategoryid=4
BALTIMORE - President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon are
expected to attend a May 19 rally in Washington to commemorate Israel's
55th birthday.
The "Concert for Israel" will feature major entertainment acts and
political messages of support for the Jewish state, said leaders of the
Israel Forever Foundation, a new organization formed by leading Jewish
philanthropists to honor Israel…
---
ISRAEL SEES WAR IN IRAQ AS PATH TO MIDEAST PEACE
James Bennet, New York Times, 2/26/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/24/international/middleeast/24CND-ISRA.html
JERUSALEM, Feb. 24 - Israelis once believed that the Oslo agreement
with
the Palestinians would usher in a new Middle East of comfortable
Israeli-Arab co-existence.
With Oslo in tatters, they are now putting similar hopes in an American
war
on Iraq.
Other nations may cavil, but Israel is so certain of the rightness of a
war
on Iraq that it is already thinking past that conflict to urge a
continued,
assertive American role in the Middle East…
Shaul Mofaz, Israel's defense minister, told members of the Conference
of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations last week that after
Iraq, the United States should generate "political, economic,
diplomatic
pressure" on Iran.
"We have great interest in shaping the Middle East the day after" a
war, he
said…
-----
MARYLAND CORRECTIONAL SEEKS VOLUNTEER MUSLIM CHAPLIN
Roxbury Correctional Institution is looking for a Muslim volunteer to:-
- Conduct Friday Prayers.
- Teach Islamic study classes on Tuesday nights between 8.30 and 9.45
p.m.
- Provide spiritual advice to the inmates.
Qualifications:
- Be of the Islamic faith.
- Knowledgeable in the Quran, Sunna etc.
- Should be accommodating to other Muslim sects in the prison.
Interested and qualified persons should contact:
Lt. Shaemaker
18701 Roxbury Rd.
Hagerstown, MD 21746
Tel: (240) 420-3375
-----
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https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
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To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. MUSLIMS SAY WAR ON IRAQ NOT JUSTIFIED
CAIR says UN inspectors should be given more time
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/27/2003) - A prominent national Islamic civil
rights
and advocacy group today re-affirmed its long-standing position that an
attack on Iraq by the United States is not justified and that United
Nations weapons inspectors should be given sufficient time to complete
their task.
The statement by the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) said:
"Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons constitute a serious threat
to
humanity. The possible use of such weapons by Iraq, North Korea,
Israel,
and other nations is of great concern to all Americans. But the
elimination
of banned weapons possibly held by Iraq should be dealt with through
the
United Nations, not through precipitous unilateral action by the United
States.
"An American attack on Iraq would almost certainly lead to the death of
many innocent civilians, further destabilize an already unstable
region,
harm international efforts to combat terrorism, drain much-needed
financial
resources from our struggling economy, and set a dangerous precedent
for
unilateral intervention in the affairs of other nations. Any American
invasion and occupation of Iraq will fuel anti-American sentiment and
would
thereby harm our nation's image and interests in the Middle East and
throughout the Muslim world.
"Instead of pursuing a costly and globally unpopular interventionist
policy
that will likely result in many unintended consequences, the United
States
should agree to allow United Nations weapons inspectors to continue
their
work as long as those inspectors believe the effort to eliminate banned
weapons is moving forward."
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR-National, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726,
E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441,
E-MAIL: hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 2/27/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: PUT THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN PEOPLE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: THE FIGHT AGAINST ISLAM OR 'ISLAMISM'?
* MUSLIMS MAKE RUN FOR CANADA (Hamilton Spectator)
- Moral Question Faces Canada in Alien Crush
- Canada Must Guard Against Loss of Rights
* HARASSED MUSLIM STUDENT GETS PROBATION FOR STABBING (AP)
* ISRAELI SPIES AIDED FEDS IN READYING Al-ARIAN CASE (Forward)
* GROUPS: RACIAL PROFILING ON RISE (Newsday)
- Balancing Liberty and Security (NY Times)
- Judge Rejects Challenge to FBI Spy Powers (AP)
- National Security Paradise (Indianapolis Star)
- Congress Members Object to "Patriot II" in Letter to FBI
* ISRAEL'S DEFENSE HANDOUT MAY BE CUT TO $1B (Ha'aretz)
- More than Half of Americans Oppose Israeli Aid Package (CNI)
- Israel's Role: The 'Elephant' They're Talking About (Forward)
* TERRIFYING PENTAGON WEAPON READY FOR USE IN WAR (ABC News)
- U.S. Diplomat Resigns Over Iraq Policy (New York Times)
- Former U.S. Senators Oppose Plans to Invade Iraq
- Lust for Empire (MSNBC)
- Armed US Guards Lay Down Law for Iraqi Exiles (Independent UK)
- Anti-War 'Virtual March' Jams Hill Circuits (Washington Times)
- Experts Say Iraq Doing Best to Disarm (AP)
* A HISTORY OF HOSTILITY IN PHILIPPINES (LA Times)
* HOMAGE TO HINDU NATIONALIST REFLECTS CHANGE IN INDIA (Washington
Post)
* RIGHTS GROUP: THOUSANDS DISAPPEAR AT HANDS OF ALGERIAN FORCES (AP)
* BBC HOST TO PROVIDE MEDIA PERSPECTIVE IN MARYLAND LECTURE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PUT THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN PEOPLE
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
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: THE FIGHT AGAINST ISLAM OR 'ISLAMISM'?
FIGHTING ON ALL FRONTS
Robert Satloff, Washington Times, 2/24/03
Robert Satloff is director of policy and strategy planning at the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
"In the fight against Islam, we have to work with what we've got."
(Note: This quote was taken from the hard copy of the Washington Times.
The
online version of the quote has been changed to make reference to
"Islamism.")
-----
MUSLIMS MAKE RUN FOR CANADA
Joan Walters, Hamilton Spectator, 2/26/03
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=1014656316146&c=Article&cid=1046214145873
Ten days ago, Jamil Akhtar and his frightened family held a yard sale,
gave
the rest of their goods to the Salvation Army and dumped their minivan
at a
Virginia gas station, telling a friend to sell it if he could.
The Pakistani Muslims -- illegals targeted by a U.S. immigration
crackdown
-- ran north from the eastern seaboard in the middle of the night.
Panicked
by the prospect of detention or deportation, and out of options, the
family
fled toward Canada hoping for asylum as refugees. But reality hit when
the
Akhtars arrived at Vive La Casa, a well-known refugee haven in a grimy
Buffalo neighbourhood near the Peace Bridge.
More than 700 other fleeing foreigners -- most of them Pakistanis --
were
already ahead of the Akhtars at the private centre, waiting for a
chance to
make their border claim. Thirty to 50 new asylum seekers arrive every
day.
The Akhtars are part of an unprecedented northward migration of
America's
underground illegals, this wave primarily composed of Pakistanis.
The American crackdown has led to a rush for asylum that has swollen
Canada's immigration system for weeks and put U.S. aid groups under
siege…
The Akhtars' story is repeated across Canada's major crossings.
Thousands
of others are in aid centres, bus stations, homes and hotels at
Detroit-Windsor, the Quebec-Vermont border and other crowded spots. The
sudden flow of thousands of asylum seekers has jammed immigration
offices
at the Canadian border and unsettled normal immigration flows.
In Ontario alone, 871 people applied for asylum in January, nearly
double
the number in November. Rejean Cantlon, of Citizenship and Immigration
Canada, says the province has seen "a significant increase in refugee
claims in recent months…"
The trigger for the northbound exodus was pulled in the United States.
Under an anti-terrorism program started in December, men who are
nationals
of target countries must register with American immigration or face
separation from families, detention and possible deportation if caught.
Pakistani and Saudi Arabian men have a March 21 deadline for
registration,
resulting in the recent exodus…
SEE ALSO:
MORAL QUESTION FACES CANADA IN ALIEN CRUSH
Casey Korstanje, Hamilton Spectator, 2/27/03
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1046300527216&call_pageid=1014656273827
Policy, both U.S. and Canadian, leans toward sending "illegal aliens"
back
to where they come from.
The rules, at least on this side of the border, call for giving people
seeking asylum as refugees, at least the opportunity of making a case
for
being allowed to stay in Canada.
A little more than 50 per cent of refugee claimants are accepted.
That now places Canada in an interesting moral position. There are
thousands of people jamming the Canada-U.S. border hoping to find a
safe
home here. If they are not accepted, they will be returned to the
United
States where they will face arrest and deportation.
Let's be straight here. The folks huddled at the border in Third World
conditions hoping desperately to be allowed into Canada overwhelmingly
are
not terrorists, criminals, and ne'er-do-wells. They are just people
with no
future in the land of their birth hoping to make a better life for
themselves and their families.
Should we give them a break and allow them in? Our rules will
disqualify
half of them.
But these are not ordinary days and perhaps doing the right thing is
not
necessarily the same as following the letter of the law.
---
CANADA MUST GUARD AGAINST LOSS OF RIGHTS
Robert Howard, Hamilton Spectator, 2/27/03
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=1014656316146&c=Article&cid=1046127754752
If the U.S. government wants to force "special registration" on
Canadians
travelling to the United States at least partly because they were born
in a
"suspect" country, it will do so, regardless of complaints, arguments
or
protests.
But that doesn't make it right.
It's wrong -- it is always wrong -- for some Canadian citizens to be
treated differently than other Canadian citizens because of where they
were
born or because of the colour of their skin. In this country, a
Canadian
citizen is a citizen, regardless of whether he or she was born in
Damascus,
Dublin or Dundas. That's fundamental to the nature of Canadian society.
There are reasonable grounds to screen people, including whom they've
associated with or where they have been. But racial profiling --
interrogating or registering someone because of what they look like or
where they were born -- should be abhorrent to us all.
But that, essentially, is what is happening to Canadian citizens born
in
one of more than 20 countries as they enter the United States for
travel or
business. As The Spectator's Joan Walters reported exclusively on
Saturday,
foreign-born Canadian citizens are being targeted, photographed,
fingerprinted and interrogated as they try to enter the U.S. When they
leave the United States, they must report their departure…
Racial profiling at borders is going too far. It is wrong, and Ottawa
should raise its voice to say so, whether Washington listens or not.
Let it be said, clearly and loudly, that within the borders of this
country, there has to be something more at issue than the colour of
your
skin or your place of birth for a Canadian citizen to be questioned by
authorities.
-----
BOY, 14, GETS PROBATION IN BOCA RATON SCHOOL STABBING
Associated Press, 2/27/03
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A 14-year-old honors student who claimed he was
being picked on because he is Muslim was sentenced to probation as a
juvenile in the stabbing of a classmate.
James Eisenberg, the eighth-grader's attorney, said that the boy
stabbed a
classmate with a pair of scissors while trying to defend himself
because he
was being picked on because he is Muslim.
The victim in the stabbing said the accused student walked up to him in
the
Boca Raton Middle School locker room and spat on him. The two argued,
and
the victim says he was walking away when he was stabbed from behind.
However, a witness said the accused student was trying to fend off
eight
students who attacked him in the locker room. Another classmate said
the
accused student had been taunted by the victim and the victim's friends
since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks because he is Muslim...
-----
ISRAELI SPIES AIDED FEDS IN READYING 'JIHAD' CASE
Mark Perelman, Forward, 2/27/03
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.02.28/news1a.html
Intelligence supplied by Israel played a key role in the indictment
last
week of University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian on charges
that
he is a leader of the Islamic Jihad Palestinian terrorist group, the
Forward has learned.
An FBI delegation traveled to Israel late last year to collect
intelligence
obtained by Israel during the mid-1990s, a former top counterterrorist
official said on condition of anonymity. "The evidence the U.S.
government
has is intelligence, much of it from the Israeli government, relating
to
1994 - when the Mossad had a penetration of [Islamic Jihad]
headquarters in
Damascus," the official said. "Much of the intelligence was turned over
to
the FBI on a recent visit to Israel..."
-----
GROUPS: RACIAL PROFILING ON RISE
Deborah Barfield Berry, Newsday, 2/27/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usrace273149042feb27.story
Washington - Two years after President George W. Bush vowed to end
racial
profiling, the practice is far from dead and in fact has taken on new
life
under the administration's policies to combat terrorism, a coalition of
national civil rights groups says.
In a report to be released today, the Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights
calls for Bush and Congress to ban racial profiling and set up a method
to
track the practice.
"In a climate in which we thought the president and the attorney
general
had committed to ending racial profiling what we've seen is not only
the
continuing problem of street-level profiling ... now we've seen this
expanded into the war on terrorism," said Julie Fernandes, senior
policy
analyst at the Leadership Conference, a Washington-based lobbying
group...
The Leadership Conference calls profiling ineffective and said it does
not
lead to better policing or safer streets. Instead, it argues the
practice
often alienates communities that could help police.
"Someone being an Arab or Muslim is not a proxy for criminal behavior,"
Fernandes said...
SEE ALSO:
BALANCING LIBERTY AND SECURITY
New York Times, 2/27/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usrace273149042feb27.story
Anthony Lewis, in discussing the assault on our civil liberties in the
aftermath of 9/11 (Op-Ed, Feb. 24), is right to lament of the courts:
"In
time of war, actual or threatened, they have repeatedly abdicated their
function, bowing to claims of national security." I suspect that
judges, in
deferring to the executive branch, are probably reflecting the
sentiments
of the majority of Americans. Congress, judges and the public tend to
let
the president have a free hand in dealing with real and imagined
threats to
national security, even if it means, among other measures, the arrest
and
indefinite detention of Americans without trial and without access to a
lawyer.
Why? Because the public knows that the real targets of these laws are
Muslims. If it does not affect me, why should I bother to raise my
voice?
But while today they are coming after Muslims and Arab-Americans in
this
country, who knows which ethnic group will be the next target?
MUHAMMAD SALEEM
Larchmont, N.Y.,
---
JUDGE REJECTS CHALLENGE TO FBI SPY POWERS
Associated Press, 2/26/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2436729,00.html
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The FBI does not have to explain why it applied
for
search warrants to bug homes and tap phones of defendants in a
terrorism
case, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in an early test of the
government's
new and expanded spying powers.
The five defendants were charged in October with conspiring to support
al-Qaida and the Taliban.
U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones denied a defense request asking the
government to reveal its justification for the secret warrants, issued
under the USA Patriot Act, the anti-terror legislation passed by
Congress
after Sept. 11.
The warrants allowed agents to bug the home of at least one defendant
and
tap the phone of another.
The ultra-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or ``spy
court,''
in Washington issued the warrants last year.
The agents used 36 secret warrants in the case to intercept more than
271
conversations.
---
NATIONAL SECURITY PARADISE
Dan Carpenter, Indianapolis Star, 2/26/03
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/4/018101-5604-021.html
As George Orwell reminded us, there's nothing more conducive to big
government than a society indefinitely at war.
His novel "1984," published shortly after World War II, is a cautionary
tale not just about brute tyranny but about mass conformity. Big
Brother
was not a dictator but a protector, you see, and he had to be
fearsomely
powerful in order to confront foreign evil and domestic disloyalty.
A generation earlier, at the end of World War I, the anarchist author
Randolph Bourne put it another way: "War is the health of the state."
"It automatically sets in motion throughout society those irresistible
forces for uniformity," he wrote, "for passionate cooperation with the
Government in coercing into obedience the minority groups and
individuals
which lack the larger herd sense."
These men were prescient...
It's no secret that core American rights -- speech, association,
information, privacy, legal representation, public trials, equal
protection
regardless of race, religion or national origin -- are compromised by
these
new presidential powers our state of war serves to legitimize...
---
CONGRESS MEMBERS OBJECT TO "PATRIOT ACT 2" IN LETTER TO FBI
The following is a letter sent by several members of Congress to
Attorney
General John Ashcroft expressing concerning at recent moves by Justice
Department:
Dear Mr. Attorney General:
We write to express my profound disappointment about your Department's
handling of anti-terrorism policy. Recent reports irrefutably indicate
that
the Department of Justice has been working on a successor bill to the
"USA
Patriot Act" for some time. Notwithstanding the Judiciary Committee's
jurisdiction in this matter and outstanding record of dealing with this
legislation, the Committee reported a bipartisan version of the Patriot
Act
by a unanimous vote, according to the Chairman's spokesman, there have
been
no consultations with the Committee on this bill.
Your spokesperson, Barbara Comstock, claimed in a February 7 statement
(attached) that the new draft bill was still in "internal
deliberations"
within the Department and still being discussed at "staff levels" and
has
not been "presented... to the White House." This is blatantly false in
several respects, yet a Department of Justice "Control Sheet"
(attached)
plainly indicates that the bill was forwarded to the Speaker of the
House
and Vice President on January 10.
The Department's handling of this matter has only lent credence to
suggestions that this Administration is intent on using the war on
terrorism as a partisan political tool and the Justice Department is
waiting to spring this bill on the Congress when the nation once again
has
endured a terrorist attack or is in the midst of war.
As Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and former Ranking
Members of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security,
and
the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims, we request
immediate consultations on this legislation. Please reply no later than
February 15.
Sincerely,
John Conyers, Jr.
Robert C. Scott
Sheila Jackson Lee
-----
ISRAEL'S DEFENSE HANDOUT MAY BE CUT TO $1B
Nathan Guttman and Aluf Benn, Ha'aretz, 2/27/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/267481.html
Several U.S. sources said the White House may scale back Israel's $4
billion defense aid request, possibly to under $1 billion, and Defense
Ministry Director General Amos Yaron is on a "secret" mission to
Washington
to discuss the request defense aid request...
Sources in Washington said the $4 billion request had run into
opposition
both in the administration and on Capitol Hill, which is bracing for a
war
in Iraq that could cost U.S. taxpayers close to $100 billion. "The
administration is not enthusiastic," one source said. "Israel is
already a
major recipient of U.S. largess and $4 billion was just too much at
this
time," one U.S. source said...
SEE ALSO:
POLL: MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICANS OPPOSE ISRAELI AID PACKAGE
WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 19, 2003 - A Council for the National Interest
Foundation poll by Zogby International on February 6 shows that 57% of
the
American people oppose the new $12 billion Israeli aid package and less
than 30% support it. By a margin of 2 to 1, the public strongly
opposes
granting $12 billion to Israel in addition to her $3 billion annual
grant aid.
Unwanted publicity about the new request from Israel has caused the
Administration to temporarily hold up actual submission to Congress,
but it
is expected to be submitted later and easily approved, with or without
restraints on auditing Israel's use of the money.
The poll strongly indicates that Jewish Americans are far from
unanimous in
supporting this aid package. Of the 30 Jewish Americans, or 3% of the
total
number polled, 15 support and significantly, 9 oppose it, with 6 having
no
opinion. Among those who identify themselves as Born Again
Christians,
about 20% of the population, 48% oppose and 41% support the new aid
package
for Israel. These are the strongest single groups of supporters of the
Bush Administration and may indicate that the President has a political
problem if he supports the Israeli request.
Out of the seventeen different categories of Americans polled, fifteen
opposed the additional aid, while only two groups, Jewish Americans and
those with less than a high school education, support the additional
aid. 64% of those who completed high school oppose the package. Those
middle income Americans earning between 25-35 thousand dollars a year
oppose the new aid by a margin of 72%, with only 21% supporting it.
The
poll had a margin of error of 3-4%.
The exact question asked of more than 1,000 Americans was, "As a result
of
the potential war with Iraq, there is a 12 billion dollar aid package
for
Israel being proposed. This is in addition to the 3 billion dollar
annual
aid that Israel receives. Do you support or oppose the additional aid
package for Israel?"
This poll, according to CNI Foundation, demonstrates that there is a
growing feeling among Americans that Israeli policies are draining
American
resources and endangering American security and credibility around the
world.
For more information or the complete poll by email or fax,
contact Eugene Bird at CNIF, 1-800-296-6958 or 1-202-863-2951
COUNCIL FOR THE NATIONAL INTEREST FOUNDATION
1250 4TH Street, SW, Ste. WG-1, Washington, DC 20024
T: 202 863-2951; 800-296-6958; F: 202-863-2952; E: count@igc.org
www.rescuemideastpolicy.com and www.cnionline.org
---
ISRAEL'S ROLE: THE 'ELEPHANT' THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
Ami Eden, Forward, 2/27/03
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.02.28/news4.html
"It is the proverbial elephant in the room," wrote liberal columnist
Michael Kinsley in the October 24, 2002, edition of the online journal
Slate. "Everybody sees it, no one mentions it."
Kinsley was referring to a debate, once only whispered in back rooms
but
lately splashed in bold characters across the mainstream media, over
Jewish
and Israeli influence in shaping American foreign policy.
In recent weeks, in fact, the Israeli-Jewish elephant has been on a
rampage, trampling across the airwaves and front pages of respected
media
outlets, including the Washington Post, The New York Times, the
American
Prospect, the Washington Times, the Economist, the New York Review of
Books, CNN and MSNBC...
Many of these articles project an image of President Bush and Prime
Minister Sharon working in tandem to promote war against Iraq. Several
of
them described an administration packed with conservatives motivated
primarily, if not solely, by a dedication to defending Israel...
-----
TERRIFYING PENTAGON WEAPON READY FOR USE IN WAR
John McWethy, ABC News, 2/25/03
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/newbomb030225.html
Feb. 25 - When and if the United States does go to war, military
sources
say the United States is preparing a monster new weapon to be used
during
the first nights.
It's called MOAB, short for "massive ordnance air burst" bomb. It is a
modern, bigger version of the 15,000-pound "Daisy Cutter" used in
Vietnam,
the Persian Gulf War and Afghanistan.
Sources say MOAB - still experimental - is a 21,000-pound bomb that
will be
pushed out the back of a C-130 transport and guided by satellite.
Because
it is not dropped by parachute, as was the old Daisy Cutter, the
aircraft
can let it go from far higher altitudes, making it safer for U.S.
pilots.
The MOAB's massive explosive punch, sources say, is similar to a small
nuclear weapon...
SEE ALSO:
U.S. DIPLOMAT RESIGNS, PROTESTING 'OUR FERVENT PURSUIT OF WAR'
FELICITY BARRINGER, New York Times, 2/27/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/27/international/middleeast/27NATI.html
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 26 - A career diplomat who has served in United
States
embassies from Tel Aviv to Casablanca to Yerevan resigned this week in
protest against the country's policies on Iraq.
The diplomat, John Brady Kiesling, the political counselor at the
United
States Embassy in Athens, said in his resignation letter, "Our fervent
pursuit of war with Iraq is driving us to squander the international
legitimacy that has been America's most potent weapon of both offense
and
defense since the days of Woodrow Wilson."
Mr. Kiesling, 45, who has been a diplomat for about 20 years, said in a
telephone interview tonight that he faxed the letter to Secretary of
State
Colin L, Powell on Monday after informing Thomas Miller, the ambassador
in
Athens, of his decision.
He said he had acted alone, but "I've been comforted by the expressions
of
support I've gotten afterward" from colleagues.
"No one has any illusions that the policy will be changed," he said.
"Too
much has been invested in the war."
Louis Fintor, a State Department spokesman, said he had no information
on
Mr. Kiesling's decision and it was department policy not to comment on
personnel matters.
In his letter, a copy of which was provided to The New York Times by a
friend of Mr. Kiesling's, the diplomat wrote Mr. Powell: "We should ask
ourselves why we have failed to persuade more of the world that a war
with
Iraq is necessary. We have over the past two years done too much to
assert
to our world partners that narrow and mercenary U.S. interests override
the
cherished values of our partners."
His letter continued: "Even where our aims were not in question, our
consistency is at issue. The model of Afghanistan is little comfort to
allies wondering on what basis we plan to rebuild the Middle East, and
in
whose image and interests."
It is rare but not unheard-of for a diplomat, immersed in the State
Department's culture of public support for policy, regardless of
private
feelings, to resign with this kind of public blast. From 1992 to 1994,
five
State Department officials quit out of frustration with the Clinton
administration's Balkans policy.
Asked if his views were widely shared among his diplomatic colleagues,
Mr.
Kiesling said: "No one of my colleagues is comfortable with our policy.
Everyone is moving ahead with it as good and loyal. The State
Department is
loaded with people who want to play the team game - we have a very
strong
premium on loyalty."
---
FORMER U.S. SENATORS OPPOSE PLANS TO INVADE IRAQ
http://www.usnewswire.com
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A bipartisan group of former
United
States Senators today announced its opposition to the Bush
Administration's
plans to invade Iraq.
In a statement released by the former lawmakers, the group said that,
among
other problems a war will cause, the already struggling American
economy
will fall into a recession. The statement continues:
"We are concerned with the expenditure of American lives in a war that
need
not be undertaken at this time. Not only will our sons and daughters be
put
in harm's way, but this is a war that will dramatically increase the
terrorist threat to Americans both at home, as well as the more than
one
million Americans who live abroad."
"We favor multiplying U.N. inspectors in Iraq -- if necessary
accompanied
by U.N. forces -- to complete the U.N.'s task more quickly and
effectively.
This will be eminently less expensive in lives and treasure than
all-out war."
"The nation's almost-forgotten 'war on terrorism' has been seriously
neglected because of the Administration's preoccupation with Iraq and
Saddam Hussein."
"We are all concerned that serious damage that can be done to the
United
States by terrorism triggered by an attack on a sovereign Arab nation."
"As well, all Americans should be concerned that an invasion when
carried
to Iraq's cities will result in the needless killing of innocent Iraqi
civilians, especially women and children, who have no voice in their
government's policies."
"A first strike is not authorized under international law, because Iraq
poses no imminent or unavoidable threat to the United States. And there
has
been no confirmable evidence of any connection between Iraq and Al
Qaeda."
"We believe that the principles of the United Nations' Charter will be
violated if we attack another nation when we are not threatened. Such
an
attack will seriously undermine our ability to represent a moral
standard
to the world. We will be prevented from objecting should India or
Pakistan
decide to attack the other, or if China should decide to invade Taiwan.
Instead of undermining United Nations' principles, we should be
supporting
them."
"We successfully contained the Soviet Union for nearly 50 years by
avoiding
an attack on that country which was a real threat the U.S. Iraq has no
current ability to threaten the United States as does North Korea, for
example."
The group of former lawmakers includes Former United States Senators
George
McGovern of South Dakota, John Culver of Iowa, Paul Simon of Illinois,
Adlai Stevenson III of Illinois, Fred Harris of Oklahoma, Dale Bumpers
of
Arkansas, Charles Mac Mathias of Maryland, Bill Hathaway of Maine, John
Tunney of California, Gary Hart of Colorado, Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio,
and
James Abourezk of South Dakota.
Contact: Jim Abourezk, 605-334-8402
Bill Hathaway, 703-821-3074
---
LUST FOR EMPIRE
Jill Nelson, MSNBC, 2/26/03
http://www.msnbc.com/news/877726.asp
It would be funny if the stakes weren't so high. Saddam Hussein
challenges
George W. Bush to debate. Turkey balks at a multibillion-dollar aid
package
- also known as a bribe - offered by the United States in return for
permission to deploy upwards of 60,000 American troops along its border
with Iraq; it demands not only more money but a share in the Iraqi
oilfields that many believe, more than weapons of mass destruction or
toppling a dictator, are the real reasons for war.
Bush dismisses millions of anti-war demonstrators at home and abroad as
merely a "focus group," as if the war is a product being test-marketed.
A
few days later, he declares that even if Saddam dismantles missiles as
instructed by U.N. weapons inspectors, it's just the tip of the
iceberg,
and may be too little, too late to prevent an American attack...
Surely, whatever side of the fence we're on, we can agree that
pre-emptively attacking another nation when most of the world does not
support us is not a wise move. Is it that we are so terrified that we
will
accept any actions that might decrease our own fears, at home and
abroad?
Our collective silence on the steady curtailment of our civil rights
here
at home by John Ashcroft's in-Justice Department suggests that we are
willing to trade our freedoms for the modern equivalent of a snake-oil
elixir to wash away our fears...
---
ARMED US GUARDS LAY DOWN LAW FOR IRAQI EXILES
Patrick Cockburn, Independent UK, 2/27/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=382087
The first meeting of the Iraqi opposition in the heart of Iraqi
Kurdistan
was overshadowed yesterday by the presence of heavily armed Americans.
The occasion was meant to be a momentous one for the combined Iraqi
opposition factions launching a democratic future for the post-Saddam
era.
However, the Americans dominated the meeting, loudly demonstrating
their
views on the process of nation building.
US special forces are known to have entered the country covertly but
those
who were waving their weapons yesterday were members of the Diplomatic
Security Service, according to tags on their body armour.
"Stop filming and friggin' listen to me," one of them shouted as Zalmay
Khalilzad, an American envoy, told the heavily guarded meeting that the
US
wanted the Iraqi people to determine their future...
At a meeting in London in December, they believed that the US had
agreed to
an Iraqi interim civilian government headed by a council of three from
Iraq's three main communities of Kurds, Shia and Sunni Muslims and a
temporary legislative body.
Earlier this month, American officials had appalled the Kurds by saying
that, instead, there would be a US military government supported by a
US-nominated advisory council with limited powers...
---
ANTI-WAR 'VIRTUAL MARCH' JAMS HILL CIRCUITS
Julia Duin, Washington Times, 2/27/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030227-92610576.htm
An anti-war "virtual march" yesterday aimed at Capitol Hill led to a
deluge
of phone calls to some lawmakers' offices but barely had an effect on
others.
Although organizers of the Virtual March on Washington said 120,000
people
had registered with the anti-war Web site www.moveon.org to call
Capitol
Hill, some offices there reported only moderately more traffic than
usual.
Others, such as the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California
Democrat,
had six operators answering continuously ringing lines...
The protest was organized by the Web site, which was founded in 1998 by
California software developers Wes Boyd and Joan Blades to oppose
President
Clinton's impeachment. It has become a force in Democratic Party
politics
because of its ability to raise millions of dollars through the
Internet...
---
EXPERTS SAY IRAQ DOING BEST TO DISARM
Niko Price, Associated Press, 2/27/03
BAGHDAD, Iraq - South African disarmament experts visiting Iraq said
Thursday they are convinced Iraq is doing its best to disarm, and
appealed
to the U.N. Security Council to give weapons inspections more time to
work
before authorizing war.
"It's clear there is movement on the whole issue of weapons of mass
destruction," South Africa's deputy foreign minister, Aziz Pahad, said
at a
news conference. "Clearly (the inspection regime) is working, and if
it's
working why stop it"...
-----
A HISTORY OF HOSTILITY IN PHILIPPINES
Richard C. Paddock, Los Angeles Times, 2/27/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-fg-phil27feb27004424,1,5195764.story
JOLO, Philippines - When U.S. troops land on this forbidding jungle
island
in the coming weeks, they will find a proud tribal people with a
historic
hatred of the United States and a deep suspicion of American motives.
They will find a land where mothers put their children to bed with
lullabies telling them to become strong so they can avenge atrocities
by
U.S. forces a century ago.
During the American campaign, Philippine historians say, U.S. troops
under
Gen. John J. Pershing committed atrocities against the Tausugs. The
troops
massacred hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people, including women and
children, they say. Photos taken at the time show American soldiers
standing amid hundreds of bodies.
In Jolo, uncertainty over the plan has heightened anxiety among the
public
and contributed to suspicion about the United States' intentions.
Many Tausugs find it hard to understand why Washington would be so
concerned about a ragtag band of 200 criminals hiding in the jungle on
a
remote island far from the U.S. They suspect that the Americans have an
ulterior motive...
-----
HOMAGE TO HINDU NATIONALIST REFLECTS CHANGE IN INDIA
John Lancaster, Washington Post, 2/27/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7915-2003Feb26.html
NEW DELHI - A little more than half a century ago, Vinayak Savarkar was
on
trial for his life, accused of conspiring with seven other men in the
assassination of Mohandas K. Gandhi on Jan. 30, 1948.
The court acquitted Savarkar, citing insufficient evidence, but there
was
never much doubt about where his sympathies lay: A hard-line Hindu
nationalist who wrote admiringly of Nazi Germany, he made no secret of
his
antipathy toward India's Muslim population or toward Gandhi, whose
embrace
of religious tolerance and diversity he saw as a threat to India's
cultural
purity...
But yesterday's suspect is today's hero. In a ceremony this afternoon,
India's Hindu-nationalist government unveiled a portrait of Savarkar to
hang opposite Gandhi's in the central hall of Parliament, describing
him as
a neglected and misunderstood patriot who deserves his place in the
pantheon of India's great leaders.
The ceremony reflected the degree to which hard-line Hindu nationalism
has
moved into the mainstream of Indian politics, drowning out debate on
other
topics, such as development, and alarming those who see the movement as
a
threat to the secular, pluralistic nature of Indian democracy...
-----
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP: MORE THAN 7,000 ALGERIANS DISAPPEARED AT HANDS OF
SECURITY FORCES
Angela Doland, Associated Press, 2/27/2003
PARIS (AP) - Algerian plainclothesmen march a prominent doctor away
from
his hospital. Men bang on a journalist's door and spirit him away as
his
family watches. Security officers round up young men in a crowd.
They were never seen again.
They are among Algeria's "disappeared" - the more than 7,000 people
believed missing at the hands of security forces during the 1990s,
Human
Rights Watch said Wednesday in a report. Only wartime Bosnia had more
disappearances in the past decade...
SEE: http://www.humanrightswatch.org/press/2003/02/algeria022703.htm
-----
BBC HOST TO PROVIDE MEDIA PERSPECTIVE IN MARYLAND LECTURE
WHAT: BBC World News anchor Mishal Husain will give a talk titled
"Perspectives on the Muslim World - A View from the News Desk".
WHEN: Sunday, March 2, 11 A.M. to 1 P.M.
WHERE: Muslim Community Center (MCC), 15200 New Hampshire Ave., Silver
Spring, MD 20905,
CONTACT: MCC at (301)384-3454 or visit http://mccmd.org
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
CAIR ACTION ALERT #367
HIJAB EXPLAINED IN NATIONAL AD CAMPAIGN
Muslim communities urged to place local advertisements
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/28/03) - An American Muslim woman describing why
she
wears hijab will be featured in the third installment of a national
advertising campaign designed to foster greater understanding of Islam
and
to counter the rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United
States.
Muslim communities are being encouraged to place the ads in local
newspapers.
SEE: http://www.americanmuslims.info
CAIR launched the year-long "Islam in America" campaign February 16th
with
an ad on the New York Times editorial page. That ad featured images of
an
African-American girl, an Asian man and another man of European
heritage,
and asked the question: "Which one of us is a Muslim?" The response:
"We
all are...we're American Muslims." The second ad in the 52-part series
featured a Muslim Girl Scout troop in California.
The text of the latest CAIR ad reads: "My name is Manal Omar. I've
earned a
Masters degree from Georgetown University, and I've won several
national
public-speaking awards. I'm a development researcher for an
international
corporation. I vote. I'm active in politics, and I belong to several
civic
organizations. I'm an American Muslim woman and I wear hijab.
"I choose to wear hijab - a head scarf and modest attire - because the
practice is integral to my religious beliefs, and because I am proud to
be
a Muslim woman. In Islam, both women and men are encouraged to dress
modestly, thereby allowing a person to be judged on the content of his
or
her character, and not on physical appearance. To me, hijab is a symbol
of
my confidence and self-respect."
"This advertisement is designed to demonstrate that adopting modest
attire
and personal behavior is a liberating and empowering choice for both
men
and women," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Awad noted that
Muslim
men also have guidelines for what they wear. He said CAIR has dealt
with
many incidents of discrimination related to Islamic dress.
The weekly CAIR ads, each explaining one aspect of Islam, are being
distributed to Muslim communities around America for placement in local
newspapers. As each ad is published in the New York Times, it will be
available at www.americanmuslims.info.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 15 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
ACTION REQUESTED:
1. Publish each weekly ad in your local community's newspaper. This is
a
year-long campaign, so you can get more favorable rates by agreeing to
publish a series of ads instead of just one.
For a step-by-step guide to publishing the "Islam in America" ads in
your
local newspaper, go to:
http://www.americanmuslims.info/instructions.asp
2. Donate to support the campaign. To send a contribution, fill out the
form below, or go to:
https://secure42.softcomca.com/americanmuslims_info/donate.asp
- PLEASE POST, COPY AND DISTRIBUTE -
--- CLIP AND MAIL/FAX/E-MAIL ---
YES, I would like to support CAIR's "Islam in America" ad campaign by
donating $___________. Enclosed is my check, payable to CAIR.
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
TEL:
FAX:
E-MAIL:
Payment: ___Check ___VISA ___MasterCard ___Discover ___Money Order
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Exp. Date:
Name as on Card:
Signature: ________________________________________________
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 2/28/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: WORLDLY WEALTH
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* SAVE APRIL 25-27 FOR CAIR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN DC
* MD BILL DEALS WITH IMAMS AND ISLAMIC FUNERALS
* FBI SAYS AIRPLANE DOING SURVEILLANCE (Herald-Times)
- Agents interviewing International Students at IU
- Wife of Grad Student Says He's Innocent (AP)
* ATTORNEY: ANTI-MUSLIM BOMB PLOT WAS A FANTASY FOR PODIATRIST (AP)
* SOME POLICE SEARCHES BANNED IN RACIAL PROFILING SUIT (AP)
- Group Asks Bush to Stop Profiling Arabs (AP)
* BUSH MAY SIGNAL SHIFT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS (Washington Post)
- Palestinian Man in Hospital Dispute Dies (AP)
* TALK OF ARAB 'DEMOCRACY' IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SCIMITAR (NY Times)
- Wild Horses Couldn't Drag Me to War (Orlando Sentinel)
- Activists Fear Cluster Bombs to Be Used In Iraq (Reuters)
- Winning a War and Losing the World (Intl. Herald Tribune)
* TWO MEN CREATE BRIDGE OVER NIGERIA'S TROUBLED WATERS (CS Monitor)
* GEORGETOWN SYMPOSIUM ON U.S/MIDEAST RELATIONS
* CAIR NY LECTURE ON LEGACY OF MALCOLM X THROUGH WOMEN'S EYES
* VA FUNDRAISING EVENT TO HIGHLIGHT CIVIL RIGHTS
* CALL FOR PAPERS: MUSLIM SOCIAL SCIENTISTS CONFERENCE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: WORLDLY WEALTH
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told his companions: "I am not
afraid that you will be poor, but I fear that worldly wealth will be
bestowed upon you as it was bestowed upon those before you. (Then) you
will
compete amongst yourselves for it, as they competed for it, and it will
destroy you as it did them."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 5, Hadith 351
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
SAVE APRIL 25-27 FOR CAIR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN DC
Workshop topics include:
* Building Alliances
* Political Lobbying
* Patriot Act II
* Faith-Based Initiative
* Media Relations Basics
* Public Speaking
* Negotiating Skills
For more information, e-mail: register@cair-net.org
-----
MD BILL DEALS WITH IMAMS AND ISLAMIC FUNERALS
http://mlis.state.md.us/2003rs/billfile/SB0429.htm
-----
FBI SAYS AIRPLANE DOING SURVEILLANCE
Kurt Van der Dussen, Herald-Times, 2/28/03
http://www.hoosiertimes.com/stories/2003/02/28/news.030228_HT_A1_MCW30131.sto
The single-engine plane flying around Bloomington lately is an FBI
surveillance plane.
Two FBI officials said Thursday the Cessna 182 is conducting
nonelectronic
visual surveillance of individuals, vehicles and gathering places such
as
businesses under that surveillance.
The flights are related to national security and anti-terrorism efforts
going on across the nation. And many of the individuals whose actions
are
being monitored are non-Americans.
FBI officials Thomas V. Fuentes and James H. Davis of the Indianapolis
FBI
office were in Bloomington Thursday and discussed the flights as
thoroughly
as they said they could without compromising specific subjects of
investigation.
The two stressed that the FBI is not aware of any threat of terrorism
directed toward Bloomington, or anywhere in Indiana.
As for the FBI statement Wednesday that the plane was not theirs,
Fuentes
said an FBI agent had been asked by a reporter whether the FBI had an
airplane doing any electronic surveillance over Bloomington. The agent
said
no, because the plane wasn't doing electronic surveillance…
But the two said Bloomington is a community with many individuals from
outside the United States in it. And while the vast majority pose no
threat, there are those that either could or do…
Fuentes said the surveillance targets are not war protesters. But he
said
it's only prudent to have surveillance of non-U.S. individuals who
could
possibly have ties to terrorist groups so information is available on
them.
But he also said the FBI is concerned about arousing concern about or
accusations against any particular group or person.
He specifically alluded to the incident earlier this week in
Indianapolis
in which a Saudi student was involved in an accident and left the
scene. He
said the situation "completely spun out" of control when the student
was
found to have the address for the Federal Building in Indianapolis in
his car.
An investigation determined the man was on his way to the Immigration
and
Naturalization Service office there for legitimate business. He also
proved
to be a legitimate student at an aviation mechanics school in
Vincennes…
SEE ALSO:
BUREAU AGENTS INTERVIEWING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT IU
Steve Hinnefeld, Herald-Times, 2/28/03
http://www.hoosiertimes.com/stories/2003/02/28/news.030228_HT_A1_KEM04157.sto
FBI agents have been in Bloomington questioning Indiana University
international students, university officials said Thursday.
A spokesman for the bureau would not say if the work was related to
concerns about terrorism or security, nor would he confirm an
investigation
was taking place.
That's typical policy for the agency, said FBI spokesman Doug Garrison.
He
said disclosing information about what agents are doing could
compromise
what they are trying to accomplish.
Garrison also wouldn't say if flights over Bloomington by an FBI
surveillance plane were related to any questioning of IU students.
Agents from outside Bloomington have been in town for several weeks,
according to Bob Weith, director of residential operations for IU's
Residential Programs and Services department. He said they have showed
up
at several campus apartment complexes to conduct interviews with
individuals…
Officials with Islamic and Middle Eastern groups say they have had
visits
from agents. And last month the FBI began the Iraqi Initiative, a plan
to
interview all Iraqi nationals living in the United States, including
students and visiting scholars…
Amr Sabry, president of the Islamic Center in Bloomington, said FBI
agents
have been visited the mosque and been in touch with its leaders several
times in the past year or so. He said the visits were friendly and were
apparently intended to establish lines of communication with the
Islamic
community…
He said there have been stories about Middle East residents being
temporarily detained at the Indianapolis Airport. And on at least two
occasions, he said, younger students have been upset about questioning
by
law enforcement officers.
"They were pretty shaken when they came and talked to me," he said…
---
WIFE OF GRAD STUDENT SAYS HE'S INNOCENT OF TERRORISM-RELATED CHARGES
JOHN K. WILEY, Associated Press, 2/28/03
MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) - The wife of University of Idaho graduate student
Sami
Omar Al-Hussayen says her husband is innocent of terrorism-related
charges.
Maha Al-Hussayen was questioned for five hours by federal agents after
her
husband was arrested on Wednesday, according to a news release from the
woman's lawyer…
Maha Al-Hussayen declined interviews, and asked that the privacy of the
couple's three children be protected, according to the release issued
by
lawyer Cynthia Miller of Moscow. There was no answer at the family's
apartment on Thursday.
Miller said FBI agents confiscated the Al-Hussayens checkbook and other
financial documents, depriving Maha Al-Hussayen of a way to provide for
her
family.
"This is completely unacceptable and unconscionable," Miller said. She
urged university students and other Moscow residents "to speak out in
support of the Al-Hussayens."
"The federal government is capitalizing on the public's fear of
terrorism
to create what constitutes a witch hunt against innocent individuals,"
Miller said.
The head of the Islamic Student Association at the University of Idaho
called the arrest a misunderstanding and urged residents not to jump to
conclusions about Al-Hussayen, 34.
"We can assure the community of our brother Sami's innocence," Marwan
Mossaad said. "If anything, this man has always been a man of charity
and
peace."
Other Muslim students met Wednesday night at the mosque in Moscow and
expressed worries about being arrested, he said…
Blain Dahlstrom, an INS official in Seattle, said Al-Hussayen's wife
and
children will be allowed to remain in the United States pending the
disposition of the case. If Al-Hussayen is convicted, he and his family
would face deportation, Dahlstrom said, adding the lives of
international
students on U.S. campuses are more controlled because of a new
nationwide
system that tracks their movements.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service began enforcing the new
Student
Exchange and Visitor Information System - SEVIS - on Feb. 15. It
requires
colleges, universities and trade schools to report, via the Internet,
information such as enrollment, employment, name and address changes,
or
disciplinary or criminal actions against foreign students…
Mossaad was reluctant to talk Thursday about the new wariness of
international students.
"Everyone is in pretty bad shape right now," he said. "Many of us left
our
countries because we could not express our own views. Maybe now that's
changing here."
Mossaad said some Arabic students believe their movements and
activities
are being monitored…
Idaho President Robert Hoover said universities will be changing their
policies over the next few years to reflect new security concerns.
"The University of Idaho is not the same place today as it was
yesterday,"
Hoover said. "A university's value is its openness. That's been
challenged
by this event."
-----
ATTORNEY: ANTI-MUSLIM BOMB PLOT WAS A FANTASY FOR PODIATRIST
Mitch Stacy, Associated Press, 2/28/03
SEMINOLE, Fla. - The plot looks to be the work of a meticulous weapons
hobbyist bent on avenging the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by wiping out
a
neighborhood Muslim center and killing everyone in sight.
A detailed "mission template" found last summer in Robert Jay
Goldstein's
townhouse had him planting homemade bombs and using powerful automatic
weapons to destroy the Islamic Society of Pinellas County mosque and
cultural center. He would eliminate police officers, too, if they got
in
the way.
"Will storm (main building) and open-fire on all rags and then bolt out
and
let the (explosive) devices do the rest," the handwritten plan said,
employing a derogatory term for Muslim people.
The question: Would the 38-year-old podiatrist really have pulled on a
black sweatshirt and pulled off a daring, bloody siege that surely
would
have garnered headlines worldwide?
His attorney, Myles Malman, says no. He says Goldstein is mentally ill
and
that the plot was a fantasy, something akin to "Dungeons and Dragons."
Others, though, are convinced he was dead serious. And the case against
him
appeared to get even stronger Wednesday when his 29-year-old wife,
Kristi,
cut a deal with prosecutors and agreed to tell them what she knows...
"We were frightened," said Ahmed Bedier, a spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, who worships at the mosque allegedly
targeted
by Goldstein. "We were shocked. And we were upset. We felt like the
government wasn't taking it seriously..."
-----
SOME POLICE SEARCHES BANNED IN SETTLEMENT OF RACIAL PROFILING SUIT
Associated Press, 2/28/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/5281190.htm
SAN FRANCISCO - The California Highway Patrol settled a
racial-profiling
lawsuit Thursday by agreeing to ban some car searches and require
officers
to specify the reason for each traffic stop beyond just a hunch about
wrongdoing.
The settlement, filed in federal court, also requires the highway
patrol to
track all stops and constantly review that database to spot whether any
officer is pulling over a disproportionate number of black or Hispanic
motorists. The highway patrol also must pay $875,000 in fees and
damages.
Highway patrol officials have insisted officers do not profile or
discriminate, and under the settlement they admitted no wrongdoing.
Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the
class-action lawsuit on behalf of three San Francisco Bay-area drivers,
hailed the settlement as a victory when the war on terrorism has
bolstered
profiling as a law-enforcement tool…
ACLU lawyers said the settlement was particularly important given the
targeting of Arab and Muslim Americans by terrorism investigators.
"It's a statement and a reminder that racial profiling is wrong, that
racial profiling is not necessary for effective law enforcement," said
Alan
Schlosser, legal director for the ACLU of Northern California...
SEE ALSO:
GROUP ASKS BUSH TO STOP PROFILING ARABS
Jonathan D. Salant, Associated Press, 2/28/03
WASHINGTON - A leading civil rights groups has asked President Bush to
end
the extra scrutiny given to Arabs and Muslims in the post-Sept. 11
fight
against terrorism.
In a letter Thursday to the president, the Leadership Conference on
Civil
Rights said singling out people of Middle Eastern or South Asian
ancestry
is just as wrong as racial profiling directed against blacks and
Hispanics.
The organization asked to meet with Bush to discuss how to end the
practice.
Not all drug crimes are committed by African Americans and Hispanics,
and,
likewise, not all terrorism is committed by Arabs, Muslims or South
Asians," the group wrote.
A call to the White House was not immediately returned…
SEE: http://www.civilrights.org/issues/cj/details.cfm?id=11408
http://www.civilrights.org/publications/reports/racial_profiling/
-----
BUSH MAY SIGNAL SHIFT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS
Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, 2/28/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13827-2003Feb27.html
In his speech Wednesday evening on postwar Iraq, President Bush
signaled a
shift in the administration's policy on the controversial issue of
Israeli
settlements, apparently embracing the Israeli government's view that
substantial concessions by the Palestinians are necessary before Israel
must begin to rein in the expansion of settlements in the occupied
territories.
"As progress is made towards peace, settlement activity in the occupied
territories must end," Bush said. In contrast to earlier speeches, Bush
dropped a reference to a 2001 report recommending how to resolve the
settlement issue, a diplomatic nuance that experts said had important
implications…
SEE ALSO:
PALESTINIAN MAN IN HOSPITAL DISPUTE DIES
Mohammed Daraghmeh, Associated Press, 2/28/03
NABLUS, West Bank - A Palestinian grandfather who was shot in the
stomach
by Israeli soldiers during a sweep for militants died after being
transferred from an Israeli hospital to the West Bank during a winter
storm, his family says.
Family members say Fathi Abu Jabarrah, 60, was discharged prematurely -
and
knowingly put at risk - because of a payment dispute. The Israeli
hospital
denies discharging him over a lack of payment, saying when he left he
was
well on the road to recovery.
"I don't understand how this happened," said his wife, Wajiha Abu
Jabarrah,
47. "They should have kept treating him at that hospital."
Abu Jabarrah, 60, was celebrating Eid al-Adha, Islam's biggest feast,
on
Feb. 11, when soldiers stopped him for questioning, according to his
wife.
While he and other residents were waiting on a corner for troops, a
group
of soldiers began firing from across the street, she said. An
8-year-old
boy was killed in the gunfire, and Abu Jabarrah was shot in stomach…
-----
TALK OF ARAB 'DEMOCRACY' IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SCIMITAR
Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 2/28/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/28/international/middleeast/28ARAB.html
CAIRO - Mr. Bush's vision of a new Iraq -- democratic, oil-rich and
allied
with the West -- may have become an overarching justification for his
argument to oust Mr. Hussein by force. But interviews with politicians
and
analysts here suggest many Arabs are unconvinced that a war against
Iraq
would bring stability, let alone democracy, a view supported by a
large,
boisterous antiwar demonstration today.
On the contrary, those interviewed said the forcible overthrow of
Iraq's
dictatorship would unleash a fury of anti-American sentiment,
especially
among fundamentalist Islamic forces, resulting in new crackdowns that
would
stifle democratic changes.
Even those who might benefit most from democracy here -- people like
Mr.
Said or Essam el-Erian, whose political organization, the Muslim
Brotherhood, is officially banned -- argued that the imposition of
democracy by force in Iraq would be viewed as American repression, not
liberation.
"By destroying Iraq," said Dr. Erian, a pathologist who has spent six
years
in prison under Egypt's emergency laws, "you are opening the door not
to
democracy, but to hell..."
Many of those interviewed accused Mr. Bush of double standards in
calling
for democracy in the Arab world when it has demanded the ouster of
Yasir
Arafat as leader of the Palestinian Authority, even though he was
chosen in
an internationally monitored election. Dr. Erian also noted that Iran,
an
Islamic, if not Arab state, was "more democratic than any other in the
region" but has been branded by Mr. Bush as part of what he views as an
"axis of evil…"
SEE ALSO:
WILD HORSES COULDN'T DRAG ME TO WAR
Dick Turner, Orlando Sentinel, 2/28/03
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edpmyword28022803feb28,0,4912997.story
Maybe it's because Saddam Hussein dissed Dubya's daddy. Maybe it's
because
Dick Cheney can't wait to gobble up more of the world's oil supply.
Maybe
it's because certain politicians are obligated to support Israel at any
cost.
Whatever the case, it's obvious that we are about to blow Iraq to
smithereens -- which the president says we are going to do "in the name
of
peace." Somewhat like saying, "I'm a nonviolent man and I'll kill
anyone
who says otherwise."
Well, I think the whole thing is a sham and a shame. Iraq, with its
suspected nuclear weapons, is certainly less a threat to the United
States
than North Korea with its known nukes. Why then are we so hellbent on
obliterating this California-sized nation with one-tenth our
population?...
---
ACTIVISTS FEAR CLUSTER BOMBS TO BE USED IN IRAQ
Jeremy Lovell, Reuters, 2/28/03
LONDON (Reuters) - With war threatened in Iraq, activists Friday
launched a
global appeal for a ban on cluster bombs, many of whose victims are
children not even born when the bombs were dropped.
Thousands of cluster bombs were dropped on Kosovo and Afghanistan, each
containing some 200 "bomblets" of which up to 10 percent fail to
detonate
immediately and which, in effect, become landmines awaiting the unwary.
Unexploded bomblets designed to penetrate armor are still claiming
lives in
Kuwait 12 years after the Gulf War, and some three decades after the
end of
the Vietnam War people are still being maimed and killed by long
forgotten
cluster munitions.
"These are weapons that have the effect of targeting the young because
of
the inquisitiveness of youth," veteran war correspondent Martin Bell
told
reporters at the launch of the global petition against cluster bombs.
"Are we really going to sow these things in a country where half the
population are under 15?" he said, referring to Iraq…
---
WINNING A WAR AND LOSING THE WORLD
William Pfaff, International Herald Tribune, 2/27/03
http://www.iht.com/articles/87964.html
PARIS - The Bush government's Phony War against Iraq now has lasted
longer
than the Phony War of 1939-1940. With each month of delay, opposition
to
the American plan to invade Iraq has intensified. The administration's
manners in campaigning for war have provoked a real anti-Americanism in
West European opinion, going much beyond mere dissent on this one
issue…
The incompetence of all this is what surprises. Never before has the
Iraqi
despot had so many governments trying to prevent an attack on him.
Never
before has opinion in the liberal democracies been so alienated from
the
United States.
The president and his men have put their own team in a hole so deep
that
when Washington does go to war against Iraq, as it soon will, it is
unlikely to have any major allies left other than the governments of
Britain, Spain and Poland…
-----
TWO MEN CREATE BRIDGE OVER NIGERIA'S TROUBLED WATERS
Christian Science Monitor, 2/28/03
http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2003/0228/p07s01-woaf.html
KADUNA, NIGERIA - In a conflict zone between the Muslim north and the
Christian south, two former enemies find common ground and share a
peacemaking mission.
James Wuye was once a self-described militant Christian youth, and
Muhammad
Ashafa a radical Muslim activist - unlikely partners in efforts to
bring
peace to Kaduna, the ground zero of religious conflict in Nigeria.
But instead of battling when violence breaks out, Reverend Wuye, a
Pentecostal preacher, and Imam Ashafa, who leads a local mosque, go to
the
frontlines to try to calm tempers and find solutions...
Wuye and Ashafa share duties in the Muslim-Christian Dialogue Forum and
the
Inter-Faith Mediation Center, organizations they jointly founded to
create
better understanding between the communities and to mediate when
violence
occurs. They hold workshops on conflict resolution with vigilante
groups
and sharia police in Kaduna and nearby states. They've produced a
weekly
series on local television, quoting passages of the Koran and the Bible
showing common ground between Islam and Christianity.
They've written a book called "The Pastor and The Imam: Responding to
Conflict." And they meet with both sides in simmering disputes to try
to
prevent violence. If clashes do break out, they rush to the scene to
try to
quell tensions, at times putting themselves in danger. During the Miss
World clashes, they drove religious leaders around affected
neighborhoods
on a bus, and arranged to have them appear on television to appeal for
calm...
-----
GEORGETOWN SYMPOSIUM ON U.S/MIDEAST RELATIONS
WHAT: Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies is
holding its 28th Annual Spring Symposium titled, ""The US in the Middle
East: Manifest Destiny?"
This year's symposium will undertake a critical analysis of the role of
the
United States, present and prospective, in the Middle East. Since
September
11, 2001, the United States has formulated new policies and pursued new
strategies at home and abroad, some of which have precipitated intense
controversy and debate. Prominent academics, government officials,
intellectuals, journalists and political observers from the Middle
East,
Europe and the United States will analyze the current state of affairs
over
a period of two days.
WHEN: Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28
WHERE: Georgetown University Conference Center - Leavey Center Salons
C, H,
and F
To register, go to http://www.ccasonline.org/Symposium2003/index.htm or
call
(202) 687-6215
-----
CAIR NY LECTURE ON LEGACY OF MALCOLM X THROUGH WOMEN'S EYES
WHAT: CAIR-NY presents the 2nd Annual Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Memorial
Lecture
with contributions from Suad Abdul-Khabeer (Poet), Safiya Bukhari
(Jerico
Movement), Myrian Medina (Women In Islam/Alianza Islamica), and Halima
Toure
(Hostos Community College)
WHEN: Friday, February 28, 6 P.M. - 9 P.M.
WHERE: The Interchurch Center Lounge, 475 Riverside Drive at 120th
Street
(Entrance on Claremont Avenue)
CONTACT: CAIR-NY at (212)870-2002
-----
VA FUNDRAISING EVENT TO HIGHLIGHT CIVIL RIGHTS
WHAT: MAS Freedom Foundation is holding a fundraising event titled,
"Protecting the Muslim Community, A Call to Action!" Guest speakers
include:
Imam Siraj Wahhaj
Mahdi Bray - Executive Director of the MAS Freedom Foundation
Carl Massinio - The Partnership for Civil Justice
Rev. Graylan Hagler - President of the National Christian Muslim
Coalition
Hillary Shelton - Director of the NAACP Washington, DC office.
WHEN: Sunday, March 2 at 8 P.M.
WHERE: Dar Al Al-Hijrah Islamic Center - Falls Church, VA
CONTACT: Sister Sherifah Rafiq, MAS Freedom Foundation at (202)
496-1288
-----
CALL FOR PAPERS: ASSOCIATION OF MUSLIM SOCIAL SCIENTISTS CONFERENCE
The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS) is calling for
papers
for its 32nd annual conference titled "East Meets West: Understanding
the
Muslim Presence in Europe and North America".
The Muslim presence in "the West" is thought to be a new, and to some,
a
troubling phenomenon. But what does the rapidly growing western Muslim
community really imply? Are there tensions between being a "Muslim" and
a
"Westerner?" What impact can Muslims have on western societies and
policies? Can we go beyond the "clash of civilizations" thesis that has
supporters in both the non-Muslim and Muslim worlds?
The 32nd AMSS Annual Conference, to be held at Indiana University in
Bloomington, from September 26 - 28, 2003, is an opportunity to explore
these, and related, questions about the Muslim presence in the West,
past,
present, and future. The idea that Muslims and the West represent
incompatible values, propagated by both Muslims and non-Muslims, is a
well-worn topic of examination. We are looking for papers that will
bring
fresh insights to the situation of Muslims in the West. Ideally,
participants will produce innovative ideas that will be a benefit not
only
to academia, but also to those activists and policy-makers seeking to
better the lives of Muslims in the West, and indeed, around the globe.
DEADLINES: Abstracts - May 15, 2003, Papers - August 22, 2003
For more information, go to
http://amss.net/Conferences/ConferenceCall32.htm or contact AMSS
coordinator Ms. Layla Sein at coordinator@amss.net.
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/2/2003
HEADLINES:
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* ATTACK ON MUSLIM PROBED AS BIAS CRIME (Star-Ledger)
* REVEALED: US DIRTY TRICKS TO WIN VOTE ON IRAQ WAR (Observer)
- Standing Firm: But Paper Admits Translation Goof (Drudge)
* AMERICA USES ISRAEL'S WORDS TO JUSTIFY OCCUPATION (Independent)
- 7 Killed in Israeli Incursion Into Gaza (AP)
- Sharon's Coalition Rules out Palestinian State (Morning Herald)
- Not a Week for Reality (Washington Post)
- Bush Ex Machina (New York Times)
* PATRIOT ACT'S BIG BROTHER (Nation)
- Legislation Curtailing Patriot Act to be Introduced (AP)
- Americans Need to Defend Rights (Detroit Free Press)
- Hotline Advises Immigrants (Mercury News)
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
ATTACK ON MUSLIM PROBED AS BIAS CRIME
REGINALD ROBERTS, Star-Ledger, 3/2/03
http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-2/104658947964230.xml
Wearing a cap and robe, Zulfiqar Ahmad and two of his sons had just
left a
Muslim service when they stopped at the Pathmark on Lyons Avenue in
Irvington.
When he went to his car the night of Feb. 21 to retrieve his wallet,
Ahmad
said he was accosted by two men who accused him of being a terrorist.
"You are killing my people in America," he said the men shouted at him
as
they knocked him to ground, kicking him in his head, abdomen and groin.
"You have to go back to your country."
During the attack, the suspect cursed him, Ahmad, 33, said. "They used
very
dirty words…"
"So far there are no suspects," said Deputy Police Chief Steven
Palamara.
"But we are working on a lead."
Palamara asked for the public's help in catching the suspects,
described as
two white males, both in their early to mid-20s, one standing 6 feet
tall,
weighing about 215 pounds, blond hair and the other about 5 feet 5
inches
tall, slim and clean-shaven.
Anyone with information on the incident, which happened about 11:30
p.m.,
is asked to call Detective Henry Delmoral at (973) 399-6763…
Ahmad lives with his wife and six children ages 13 months to 12 years
old
in the Ivy Hill Apartments in Newark. He said it was the first time he
had
been physically attacked.
But since Sept. 11, he said he and other Muslim families who live in
his
ethnically mixed apartment complex feel threatened. "We have no
protection," he said.
Ahmad, who immigrated to the United States from Pakistan nearly 10
years
ago, said he would not rest easily until his attackers are caught. "I
want
justice," he said...
-----
REVEALED: US DIRTY TRICKS TO WIN VOTE ON IRAQ WAR
Martin Bright, Ed Vulliamy, Peter Beaumont, The Observer, 3/2/03
http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,905899,00.html
The United States is conducting a secret 'dirty tricks' campaign
against UN
Security Council delegations in New York as part of its battle to win
votes
in favour of war against Iraq.
Details of the aggressive surveillance operation, which involves
interception of the home and office telephones and the emails of UN
delegates in New York, are revealed in a document leaked to The
Observer.
The disclosures were made in a memorandum written by a top official at
the
National Security Agency - the US body which intercepts communications
around the world - and circulated to both senior agents in his
organisation
and to a friendly foreign intelligence agency asking for its input.
The memo describes orders to staff at the agency, whose work is clouded
in
secrecy, to step up its surveillance operations 'particularly directed
at...UN Security Council Members (minus US and GBR, of course)' to
provide
up-to-the-minute intelligence for Bush officials on the voting
intentions
of UN members regarding the issue of Iraq.
The leaked memorandum makes clear that the target of the heightened
surveillance efforts are the delegations from Angola, Cameroon, Chile,
Mexico, Guinea and Pakistan at the UN headquarters in New York - the
so-called 'Middle Six' delegations whose votes are being fought over by
the
pro-war party, led by the US and Britain, and the party arguing for
more
time for UN inspections, led by France, China and Russia…
The existence of the surveillance operation, understood to have been
requested by President Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza
Rice,
is deeply embarrassing to the Americans in the middle of their efforts
to
win over the undecided delegations.
The language and content of the memo were judged to be authentic by
three
former intelligence operatives shown it by The Observer. We were also
able
to establish that Frank Koza does work for the NSA and could confirm
his
senior post in the Regional Targets section of the organisation.
The NSA main switchboard put The Observer through to extension 6727 at
the
agency which was answered by an assistant, who confirmed it was Koza's
office. However, when The Observer asked to talk to Koza about the
surveillance of diplomatic missions at the United Nations, it was then
told
'You have reached the wrong number'.
On protesting that the assistant had just said this was Koza's
extension,
the assistant repeated that it was an erroneous extension, and hung up.
While many diplomats at the UN assume they are being bugged, the memo
reveals for the first time the scope and scale of US communications
intercepts targeted against the New York-based missions…
SEE ALSO:
STANDING FIRM: BUT PAPER ADMITS TRANSLATION GOOF
Drudgereport.com, 3/2/03
http://www.drudgereport.com/matt.htm
London's OBSERVER newssheet altered words of a "top secret" email from
a
alleged National Security Agency worker -- an email which detailed a
U.S.
plan to spy on key U.N. Security Council members!
"The email was originally transcribed with English spellings
standardised
for a British audience," the paper claimed on Sunday after the DRUDGE
REPORT revealed the oddity of an American government worker typing
favorable as 'favourable', recognize as 'recognise' and emphasize as
'emphasise'.
Other errors also appeared in the paper's online document of the
purported
email text. The spelling of the NSA official's name was strangely
changed
from "Frank Koza" to "Frank Kozu"; and the top secret marker of "Top
Secret//COMINT//XL" should have read "Top Secret//COMINT//X1" to
conform to
any government coding.
The multiple errors immediately ignited questions about the
authenticity of
the email and raised credibility issues over the entire OBSERVER
report.
Spelling alterations and typographical slip-ups not withstanding,
editors
of the OBSERVER are standing tough behind the results of the paper's
investigation…
-----
AMERICA USES ISRAEL'S WORDS TO JUSTIFY OCCUPATION
Robert Fisk, Independent, 2/28/03
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=382362
Ah, to be a "viable" state! The word "viable" has now become the be-all
and
end-all of American policy towards Palestine. "For its part," George
Bush
told us, "the new government of Israel, as the terror threat is removed
and
security improves, will be expected to support the creation of a viable
Palestinian state."
Well, since Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, says that the
Palestinians may only get 50 per cent of the West Bank and his new
chums in
his coalition government are all for more settlements in that area, why
should Muslims take this talk seriously? They don't. It's just another
word
trick to kick-arse the Arabs into support - or at least acquiescence -
in
the American invasion of Iraq.
Not once did President Bush mention the word "oil" - save for a brief
reference to the disastrous oil-for-food "programme" - though there was
just one mention of the occupied territories (or "so-called occupied"
as
Donald Rumsfeld infamously called them). But once America occupies
Iraq,
what argument can the Arabs deploy against Israel? If the West Bank is
occupied, well so is Iraq. If the United States occupied Iraq to spare
the
world from "terror", why shouldn't Israel occupy the West Bank to spare
itself from "terror"? Few have yet worked through this dangerous
equation…
So on we go to a "free and peaceful Iraq". But what was it President
Bush
told us? "Iraqi lives and freedom matter greatly to us," he said.
Since when? When Iraqi men and women were being raped in President
Saddam's
torture chambers in 1983, Donald Rumsfeld was in Baghdad asking the
Iraqi
leader if he could reopen the US embassy. Rebuilding Iraq will require
"a
sustained commitment from many nations" but "we will remain in Iraq as
long
as necessary and not a day more". How extraordinary. For these are
precisely the same words used by Israel when it invaded Lebanon in
1982. It
took Israel 22 years and hundreds of Israeli lives - and thousands of
Arab
lives - before that occupation ended.
Ah, what it is to fight for "the liberty of an oppressed people" - this
is
Mr Bush on Iraq - provided, of course, they are not Palestinian...
SEE ALSO:
7 KILLED IN ISRAELI INCURSION INTO GAZA
IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press, 3/2/03
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli tanks moved into the Nusseirat and
Bureij refugee camps in the central part of the Gaza Strip early
Monday,
witnesses said, killing seven people and destroying two houses.
The incursion followed pledges by Israeli officials to crack down on
militants from the violent Islamic Hamas. The Israeli military would
say
only that an operation was in progress.
Witnesses said the focus of the incursion was the Bureij camp, where
soldiers blew up two houses after demanding that the residents leave.
Palestinians said at least two of the seven dead were civilians - a
14-year-old boy who was shot dead and a woman whose house collapsed
from
the force of the blast next door. The bodies of the dead were still in
the
camp, residents said, and dozens of wounded from Israeli gunfire were
lying
untreated in the streets…
---
SHARON'S HARDLINE COALITION RULES OUT PALESTINIAN STATE
Chris McGreal, Sydney Morning Herald, 3/1/03
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/28/1046407751688.html
The Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, virtually ruled out the
creation
of a Palestinian state under his hawkish new government just a day
after
the United States President, George Bush, pledged to broker a peace
deal
once he had dealt with Iraq.
Hours before his cabinet was sworn in on Thursday, Mr Sharon revealed
to
the Knesset that he had backed away from his commitment to the
Palestinian
state envisioned by Washington's "road map" for a settlement, as part
of
the deal to put together his government.
Mr Sharon told parliament that the road map was "a matter of
controversy in
the coalition" and had been dropped from the written agreement that
drew
far right, pro-settler and anti-religious parties into the Government.
Mr
Sharon will also have frustrated his US friends by promising to expand
Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.
A Palestinian cabinet minister, Saeb Erekat, said Mr Sharon's speech
killed
any prospect of a peace process under the new government.
"He is saying there is no road map, no peace process. It's a government
for
the settlers, from the settlers and by the settlers. I think Sharon
made it
clear tonight that he wants the Palestinians to surrender to him. I
hope
President Bush will see the light…"
---
NOT A WEEK FOR REALITY
Mary McGrory, Washington Post, 3/2/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18961-2003Feb28.html
The idea that the war would benefit Palestinians is stunning and
totally
contradicted by the record. Bush has sedulously ignored the Middle
East.
He has accepted all of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's alibis for
not
going forward with the "road map" that the so-called Quartet --
consisting
of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia
--
is supposed to use in negotiations. Sharon pleaded suicide bombers, the
election and finally the formation of his new government as reasons not
to
come to the table. The time for action has never been ripe, nor is it
likely to be: Sharon has chosen a hard-line cabinet that would rather
fight
than switch…
---
BUSH EX MACHINA
MAUREEN DOWD, New York Times, 3/2/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/02/opinion/02DOWD.html
"A new regime in Iraq would serve as a dramatic and inspiring example
of
freedom for other nations in the region," he said, adding: "Success in
Iraq
could also begin a new stage for Middle Eastern peace, and set in
motion
progress towards a truly democratic Palestinian state."
Conservatives began drawing up steroid-fueled plans to reorder the
world a
decade ago, imperial blueprints fantastical enough to make "Star Wars"
look
achievable.
In 1992, Dick Cheney, the defense secretary for Bush 41, and his aides,
Paul Wolfowitz and Scooter Libby, drafted a document asserting that
America
should prepare to cast off formal alliances and throw its military
weight
around to prevent the rise of any "potential future global competitor"
and
to preclude the spread of nuclear weapons…
In 1996, Richard Perle, now a Pentagon adviser, and Douglas Feith, now
a
Rumsfeld aide, helped write a report about how Israel could transcend
the
problems with the Palestinians by changing the "balance of power" in
the
Middle East, and by replacing Saddam.
The hawks saw their big chance after 9/11, but they feared that it
would be
hard to sell a eschatological scheme to stomp out Islamic terrorism by
recreating the Arab world. So they found Saddam guilty of a crime he
could
commit later: helping Osama unleash hell on us…
-----
PATRIOT ACT'S BIG BROTHER
David Cole, The Nation, 2/27/03
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030317&s=cole
If the Patriot Act was so named to imply that those who question its
sweeping new powers of surveillance, detention and prosecution are
traitors, the DSEA takes that theme one giant step further. It provides
that any citizen, even native-born, who supports even the lawful
activities
of an organization the executive branch deems "terrorist" is
presumptively
stripped of his or her citizenship. To date, the "war on terrorism" has
largely been directed at noncitizens, especially Arabs and Muslims. But
the
DSEA would actually turn citizens associated with "terrorist" groups
into
aliens.
They would then be subject to the deportation power, which the DSEA
would
expand to give the Attorney General the authority to deport any
noncitizen
whose presence he deems a threat to our "national defense, foreign
policy
or economic interests." One federal court of appeals has already ruled
that
this standard is not susceptible to judicial review. So this provision
would give the Attorney General unreviewable authority to deport any
noncitizen he chooses, with no need to prove that the person has
engaged in
any criminal or harmful conduct…
Other provisions are designed to further insulate the war on terrorism
from
public and judicial scrutiny. The bill would authorize secret arrests,
a
practice common in totalitarian regimes but never before authorized in
the
United States. It would terminate court orders barring illegal police
spying entered before September 11, 2001, without regard to the need
for
judicial supervision. It would allow secret government wiretaps and
searches without even a warrant from the supersecret Foreign
Intelligence
Surveillance Court when Congress has authorized the use of force. And
it
would give the government the same access to credit reports as private
companies, without judicial supervision…
SEE ALSO:
SANDERS TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION CURTAILING PATRIOT ACT
Associated Press, 3/2/03
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. (AP) - Rep. Bernard Sanders plans to introduce
legislation
next week aimed at reducing the FBI's power to investigate libraries
and
bookstores.
The bill would raise the legal threshold government agents must achieve
before a court grants permission to search library or bookstore
records.
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, will be co-sponsoring the legislation, said
Sanders, an independent...
The Patriot Act, approved after the 2001 terrorist attacks, allows
government agents to seek court orders to seize records "for an
investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine
intelligence activities."
Such court orders cannot be challenged like a traditional subpoena.
Bookstores and libraries are barred from telling anyone if they get
one.
Sanders said the legislation he and Paul planned to introduce would
reduce
that searching power, but he did not outline specifics Saturday.
Bear Pond Books in Montpelier said last month it will purge purchase
records for customers if they ask, and it has already dumped the names
of
books bought by its readers' club.
---
AMERICANS NEED TO DEFEND RIGHTS AS MUCH AS NATION'S SECURITY
RON DZWONKOWSKI, Detroit Free Press, 3/1/03
http://www.freep.com/
In this period when we have so much to worry about -- war, the troops,
the
terrorists, the economy, take your pick -- don't forget your rights,
too.
This nation, for all its guts and glory, has a history of trying in
troubled, fearful times, to suppress or remove the rights that enabled
it
to become great in the first place. And the people have historically
been
willing to let it happen, usually cowed by government declarations that
the
future of the republic is in peril. The national security argument
seems to
trump the Bill of Rights every time in the public's perception.
Meantime, if the government wants to suspend civil rights -- as
President
Abraham Lincoln did during the Civil war; or jail a German-born
symphony
conductor for refusing to play the National Anthem before a concert, as
happened during World war I; or pack Japanese Americans into internment
camps, as President Franklin Roosevelt ordered during World War II; or
ruin
people's lives on the basis of anonymous charges that they were godless
communists, as happened during the early days of the Cold War; or round
up
Muslim men and subject them to indefinite detention and secret court
proceedings, as has happened since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11,
2001
-- well, those are trades we appear willing to make, at least until the
rights affected are ours…
---
HOTLINE ADVISES IMMIGRANTS
Jessie Mangaliman, San Jose Mercury News, 3/1/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5292916.htm
In a long, narrow room with one window, Samina Faheem operates the
country's only volunteer hotline designed to answer questions about a
new
national security program that requires men and boys from certain
countries
to register with the federal government.
"AMA-PADF hotline, may I help you?" Faheem said in the cramped Newark
office of the American Muslim Alliance and the Pakistan American
Democratic
Forum, two Bay Area-based national groups that set up the hotline about
a
month ago.
The hotline is a response from immigrant communities across the Bay
Area to
the program that requires certain people on temporary visas to register
with the former Immigration and Naturalization Service -- which today
was
dissolved and absorbed into the Department of Homeland Security...
Some callers have questions about the requirements for special
registration. Others want to find a lawyer. Several needed bail because
they or loved ones had been detained.
"People are fearful and panicky," Faheem said…
"The response has been overwhelming," said Agha Saeed, chairman of
Muslim
alliance. "The need was for people to get immediate help and advice. We
thought the best way is a hotline."
Faheem says she has heard from people across the country who hold valid
visas but have nonetheless been detained. She recently found an
attorney
for a foreign student from Houston who has been in detention since Jan.
29.
Another Pakistani who holds an H-1B visa was denied re-entry into the
United States after visiting a brother in Canada.
"It's like being on parole from prison. They're treating people who
haven't
done anything like criminals," Saeed said...
If you have questions about the special registration process, you can
call
the toll-free hotline at (866) 815-7233…
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
- MEDIA ADVISORY -
BEATING OF CALIFORNIA MUSLIM PROMPTS CALL FOR FBI PROBE
Other assaults occur in Northern California and New Jersey
WHAT: On Tuesday, March 4, the Southern California office of the
Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA), along with other civil rights and
religious organizations, will hold a noon news conference in Anaheim to
call for an FBI investigation of recent bias-related attacks on Muslims
in
California and New Jersey.
The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group reports
that a
Muslim teenager was severely beaten February 22 in Yorba Linda, Calif.,
by
a group of some twenty attackers using baseball bats and golf clubs.
The
assailants, at least two of whom were reported to be white
supremacists,
allegedly shouted racial slurs such as "F**k the Arabs," "you Arab
pieces
of s**t," and "camel jockeys." The 18-year-old victim sustained
multiple
head injuries and stab wounds. He underwent reconstructive surgery on
March
1 during which metal plates were used to repair facial bone fractures.
In Irvington, New Jersey, a Muslim father of six was assaulted February
21
by two men who accused him of being a terrorist. The Star-Ledger
newspaper
reported that the attackers said, "You have to go back to your
country," as
they knocked the victim to the ground, kicking and injuring him in his
head, abdomen and groin.
SEE:
http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-2/104658947964230.xml
In Santa Clara, Calif., a Muslim woman wearing Islamic attire was
assaulted
February 28 in the laundry room of her apartment building. She was
punched
in the face and suffered a split lip and bruises. Every item in the
woman's
laundry was later found to be torn and stabbed by a sharp object. The
attack is being investigated as a possible bias-related incident.
"We believe this recent increase in attacks on American Muslims is a
direct
result of the barrage of pro-war and anti-Islam rhetoric coming from
right-wing and evangelical leaders," said CAIR-LA Executive Director
Hussam
Ayloush. "The FBI needs to take these incidents seriously to help
provide a
sense of security for ordinary American Muslims," said Ayloush. He
added
that government officials, elected representatives and political
commentators should also cool down their rhetoric and acknowledge that
harsh words can lead to violent actions.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 4, Noon
WHERE: CAIR-LA Office, 2180 West Crescent Ave., Suite F, Anaheim, CA
NOTE: Photographs of injuries sustained by the Yorba Linda victim will
be
on display at the news conference. A family representative will also be
available for comment.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-LA, Sabiha Khan, 714-776-1847 or 714-390-0334, E-MAIL:
cair_sca@cair-california.org; CAIR-Northern California, 408-986-9874,
CAIR-National, Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 703-861-7294,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/3/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: GENEROSITY
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
- Move to Remove Muslim Stereotypes (Newsday)
- Positive Feedback on 'Islam in America' Campaign
* CAIR WORKSHOP ON ISLAM FOR EDUCATORS (Dallas Morning News)
* ONE MAN'S TENSE RIDE ON THE LIRR (Newsday)
- Sikh Group to Sue NYPD for Discrimination
* PILGRIMS RETURN TO CALLS FOR PEACE (Washington Post)
- Criticism of US Unites Iraqi Opposition (CS Monitor)
* INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM CASES MISLABELED (Washington Post)
* CHIEF U.S. IMAGE MAKER TO MUSLIM WORLD STEPS DOWN
- U.S. Cringes at Arab Images (Chicago Tribune)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GENEROSITY
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
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
SEE ALSO:
MOVE TO REMOVE MUSLIM STEREOTYPES
Monty Phan, Newsday, 3/3/03
http://www.newsday.com/business/printedition/ny-bzad3154519mar03,0,3559798.column
A new advertising campaign from the Council on American- Islamic
Relations
is seeking to change preconceived notions about Muslims.
The print ads, which began running two weeks ago in the Sunday New York
Times, will run in the paper once a week for a year. The council also
is
encouraging community newspapers and publications to run the ads by
making
them available on a Web site, www.americanmuslims.info.
"The idea is to get it in as many papers as possible," said Hodan
Hassan, a
spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based Islamic advocacy group.
The first ad pictures an African- American girl, an Asian man and a
Caucasian male, along with the question, "Which one of us is a Muslim?"
Below, the answer reads, "We all are...we're American Muslims."
A portion of the text reads, "It's impossible to make general
assumptions
about Muslims because we represent more than 1 billion people from a
vast
range of races, nationalities and cultures - from the South Pacific to
the
horn of Africa." The ad states that only about 18 percent of Muslims
live
in the Arabic-speaking world and that the largest Muslim community is
in
Indonesia.
The second ad shows a Muslim Girl Scout troop from California, under
the
headline, "We're Americans and we're Muslims."
The campaign was designed to combat unfavorable stereotypes of Muslims,
including anti-Islamic sentiment as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks
and
messages in popular entertainment, which often depict Muslims in a
negative
light.
Hassan said the ads build on an earlier campaign that sought to educate
people via pamphlets and other educational materials.
"I think it will help humanize American Muslims," Hassan said. "We're
more
than just caricatures you might see on TV or in films."
---
POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' CAMPAIGN
The following are excerpts from e-mails sent to CAIR regarding the
"Islam
in America" advertising campaign:
"I read your ad in the Times today, and I think your ad is a great
idea.
Your explanation of the hijab--that it is to emphasize character, not
appearance, is something I did not know. Though I live in a
neighborhood
where many of my neighbors are Muslim, I know very little of the
religion…As Islam is a relatively new element in American society, I,
like
most Americans, am mostly ignorant of the subject.
Unfortunately, most exposure to Muslim ideas and movements are through
the
actions of violent extremists. And though I often hear that these
positions
are not truly Muslim, it is hardly ever countered with an explanation
of
what IS Muslim. Your campaign is addressing this…
---
"This ad series is very well done, and I applaud you for achieving the
right tone with it. But I also want you to know that the fact that
these
ads are necessary breaks my heart…
Ithaca, NY
-----
WORKSHOP ON ISLAM DESIGNED FOR TEACHERS
Dallas Morning News, 3/1/03
The Council on American Islamic Relations, Dallas-Fort Worth will have
two
workshops for area teachers about Islam. The workshops are from 9:30
a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Monday at the Islamic Association of North
Texas,
840 Abrams Road in Richardson.
Call 972-889-2254 or e-mail tworkshop2003@yahoo.com with "Teacher
Workshop"
in the subject line to register.
-----
ONE MAN'S TENSE RIDE ON THE LIRR
Ray Sanchez, Newsday, 3/3/03
http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-nysubvr3154895mar03.story
The 7:54 p.m. Huntington train out of Penn Station delivered Gurpreet
Singh
into the not-so-secret American campaign against people who are Muslim
or
presumed to be Muslim.
Standing with five or six riders on the Long Island Rail Road some
nights
ago, Singh noticed a man staring at him. "I felt very uncomfortable,"
the
24-year-old technology consultant said. "I'm a very friendly and social
guy. I walked over and said, 'Hello.' He replied by saying, 'Where you
getting off?' I said, 'Syosset.' He said, 'Good…'"
"Get off the train!" the man shouted.
Now another man got up and offered Singh the seat next to his. "He
won't
bother you here," said the stranger…
"I can't believe you're defending these Muslims," said the man with the
Bud, his voice rising…
Singh is neither Arab nor Muslim. He is a baptized Sikh who was born in
Afghanistan and raised in Flushing. He is a graduate of New York
University…
Since 9/11, a pall of suspicion has been cast over Arabs, Muslims and
even
people from South Asia, such as Indians and Pakistanis, who often are
mistaken for Arabs. There have been assaults and murders. Hundreds of
discrimination cases against employers have been filed. While there has
been no widespread eruption of hatred or vengeance, American attitudes
toward Muslims and people of South Asian descent have become more
negative
and mistrustful. The principles of liberty and freedom do not apply…
SEE ALSO:
SIKH COALITION & SIKH OFFICER TO FILE DISCRIMINATION SUIT AGAINST NYPD
Press Release, The Sikh Coalition, 3/3/03
Press Conference on March 4, 2003
On Tuesday, March 4, at 11:00 a.m., Amric Singh Rathour, a former
officer
of the New York City Police Department, will hold a press briefing at
the
Interfaith Center of New York, located at 40 East 30th Street (near
Park
Avenue).
The purpose of the press briefing will be to announce the filing of a
federal civil rights lawsuit against Police Commissioner Raymond W.
Kelly
and the New York City Police Department in the United States District
Court
for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Rathour was fired by the
NYPD in
August 2001, after refusing direct orders to remove his turban and trim
his
beard, which are both required by his religion. His lawsuit will charge
that the NYPD's turban prohibition constitutes unlawful employment
discrimination…
"The Sikh community is outraged by the lack of support from the New
York
Police Department," said Harpreet Singh, Director of Community
Relations at
the Sikh Coalition. "Amric wants nothing more than to serve, just as
any
American would. Yet, we have found that the NYPD is not willing to
reasonably accommodate the religious practices of some of its own
employees. We hope this lawsuit sends the message that as a community,
and
as Americans, we will not accept this situation and will do everything
we
can to obtain justice."
Contacts:
Ajeet Kaur: ajeet.kaur@sikhcoalition.org, 917-612-4751
Prabhjot Singh: prabhjot.singh@sikhcoalition.org, 917-304-4144
-----
PILGRIMS RETURN TO CALLS FOR PEACE
S. Mitra Kalita and Ian Shapira, Washington Post, 3/3/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31276-2003Mar2.html
Mustaq Khan was on his way to a kickoff party for his software company
in
Leesburg yesterday, but the Centreville resident had to make a quick
stop
by his mosque. Not to pray, but to speak bluntly about the looming war
in Iraq.
"You know many of us want a regime change in Iraq, but we also want one
in
Washington," he said, triggering applause among more than 200 Jews,
Muslims
and Christians who gathered at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society
mosque in
Sterling for a day of talking politics and praying for peace. The
event,
organized by religious leaders in the Reston area, ended in a teach-in
and
vigil last night.
"I'm no supporter of Saddam; I want to see him disappear, too. But to
go to
war like this will result in casualties of all religions. We're all in
this
together," Khan said.
The teach-in featured a Persian Gulf War veteran, Erik Gustafson, who
said
the United States is not "seeking justice," but rather waging "a war
operation called 'just us,' " part of comments that received a standing
ovation.
A day earlier at the mosque, local Muslims swapped tales from the
recent
hajj, or pilgrimage to the holy Islamic city of Mecca. During a potluck
featuring pasta, hummus, chicken curry and apple pie -- a feast that
spanned their countries of origins -- women flipped through Laila
Latib's
photo album of her recent journey…
SEE ALSO:
CRITICISM OF US PLANS UNITES IRAQI OPPOSITION LEADERS
Cameron Barr, Christian Science Monitor, 3/3/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0303/p10s01-woiq.html
SULAYMANIYAH, IRAQ - In a meeting this weekend at the mountain resort
of
Salahuddin in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, 54 members of an
opposition
coordinating committee elected a six-man leadership body, condemned a
possible Turkish military role in a US-led invasion, and rejected the
idea
that a US general should rule their country immediately after Hussein's
fall from power.
The US, meanwhile urges the opposition not to do anything that
resembles
creating a new government, wants Turkish involvement in a coalition,
and
has announced that an American general will indeed preside over Iraq,
should the US go to war…
-----
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM CASES MISLABELED, N.J. LAWYERS SAY
Washington Post, 3/3/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31331-2003Mar2.html
NEWARK -- New Jersey prosecutors say they handled 62 "international
terrorism" indictments last year -- but of those, all but two involved
Middle Eastern students accused of paying impostors to take English
tests
for them, according to a newspaper analysis.
Nearly all of the accused students are free on bond. Nine have been
convicted, and most of those have been fined between $250 and $1,000
and
sent back to their own countries, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
"There is not one whit of evidence that connects any of these people to
terrorism," said Lawrence S. Lustberg, who represents 25 Saudi students
charged with hiring others to take their tests...
-----
CHIEF U.S. IMAGE MAKER TO MUSLIM WORLD STEPS DOWN
George Gedda, Associated Press, 3/3/03
WASHINGTON (AP) - Charlotte Beers, the Bush administration's point
person
for improving the U.S. image in the Muslim world, is resigning because
of
health reasons, a State Department official said Monday…
A former advertising executive, Beers spent 17 months as Undersecretary
of
State for Public Diplomacy, attempting to reverse the anti-American
tide in
Muslim countries.
Beers acknowledged last week that the task is daunting.
"The gap between who we are and how we wish to be seen and how we are
in
fact seen, is frighteningly wide," Beers told a Senate Foreign
Relations
Committee hearing last Thursday...
SEE ALSO:
U.S. CRINGES AT ARAB IMAGES
Howard Witt, Chicago Tribune, 3/3/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0303030176mar03,1,4404602.story
WASHINGTON - If the last Iraq war was CNN's, the next one will be Al
Jazeera's. And the Bush administration fears that could spell deep
trouble
for its faltering efforts to win hearts and minds in the Muslim world
in
the event of an invasion of Iraq.
Twelve years ago, the fledgling Cable News Network was the only
television
operation able to broadcast out of Baghdad when U.S. bombs started
falling,
while Arab audiences were left largely in the dark by their own timid
state-run television stations.
Today, satellite dishes sprout from roofs, balconies and even Bedouin
tents
across the Middle East, and most seem perpetually tuned to Al Jazeera,
the
Qatar-based news station whose reputation is built on its fearless
coverage
of the U.S.-led war in 2001 to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan
and
Israeli military assaults in 2002 against Palestinians…
-----
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-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GOP ASKED TO CONDEMN WALKOUT DURING MUSLIM PRAYER
Washington state lawmaker says action "an issue of patriotism"
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/4/2003) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) today called on state and national Republican leaders to condemn
a
walkout by two members of that party during a Muslim prayer opening
Monday's session of the Washington State House of Representatives.
The Washington, D.C.-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group said
Republicans Louis McMahan and Cary Condotta went to the back of the
chamber
during the invocation by Imam Mohamad Joban of the Islamic Center of
Olympia. Condotta said he "wasn't particularly interested" in the
prayer.
McMahan said she did not remain in the chamber because: "It's an issue
of
patriotism...The Islamic religion is so…part and parcel with the attack
on
America. I just didn't want to be there, be a part of that…My god is
not
Mohammed."
SEE: "2 LAWMAKERS SPURN MUSLIM'S PRAYER"
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/110881_prayer04.shtml
"How many times must American Muslims ask Republican leaders to
repudiate
Islamophobic hate within their own ranks? Americans must not allow the
actions of a few, whatever their positions of authority, to divide our
nation along religious and ethnic lines. Such divisive actions by
elected
leaders can only serve to increase discrimination against ordinary
American
Muslims and harm our nation's image and interests worldwide," said CAIR
Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Awad urged state and national Republican leaders to repudiate the
lawmakers' walkout and to apologize to Washington's Muslim community.
In his prayer, Imam Joban stated: "We open this session of the House of
Representatives in the name of Allah, the one God of Abraham, God of
Moses,
God of Jesus, and God of Mohammed, peace be upon them all…We ask Allah
or
God to bless the state of Washington so it may continue to prosper and
become a symbol of peace and tranquility for people of all ethnic and
religious backgrounds. We pray that Allah may guide this House in
making
good decisions for the people of Washington…At this time, we also pray
that
America may succeed in the war against terrorism. We pray to God that
the
war may end with world peace and tranquility."
In response to the walkout, Imam Joban said: "As a Muslim we have to
respect what people believe and…we have to forgive something because of
ignorance The Holy Quran says that (one should) always respond to bad
action with good and those who used to be enemies become friends."
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 15 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/4/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO ANIMALS
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4751 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
- Positive Feedback on Ad Campaign
* CAIR CONDEMNS PHILIPPINES AIRPORT BOMBING
* PATRIOT II'S ATTACK ON CITIZENSHIP (FindLaw)
* LAWMAKERS WALK OUT DURING PRAYER BY MUSLIM CLERIC (AP)
- 2 Lawmakers Spurn Muslim's Prayer (Seattle PI)
- The Sin of Pride (Newsweek)
* THE WORK OF HATE (OC Register)
- Suspects Sought In MO. Temple Attacks (AP)
* CIA HOLDS CHILDREN OF AL-QAEDA SUSPECT (NY Post)
- Military Wants Its Own Spies (LA Times)
* FBI PLANE OVER CITY REASON FOR CONCERN (Herald Times)
- Manipulation of the Public Builds (LA Times)
* U.S. MILITARY PLUGS ISRAEL INTO REAL-TIME WAR (Ha'aretz)
- Some Arabs Show Disappointment in Leaders (AP)
- Tight Lips Over Buggers' Tricks (Sydney Morning Herald)
- The Thirty Year Itch (Mother Jones)
* 250 PAKISTANI DETAINEES AWAIT DEPORTATION (NCPA)
* EVENT FOCUSES ON MUSLIM AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES (Michigan Daily)
* INTERNSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE WITH AMJ
* NEWS PROVIDED BY ARABS, FOR ARABS (Pioneer Press)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO ANIMALS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "While a man was walking
along a road, he became very thirsty. He came to a well, got down into
it,
drank, and climbed out again. He then saw a dog panting and licking mud
because of severe thirst. The man said to himself, 'This dog is
suffering
from the same state of thirst I did.' So he went down the well (again),
filled his shoe (with water), held it in his mouth (as he climbed out),
and
gave the water to the dog. God thanked him for that deed and forgave
him
(his sins)." The people then asked the Prophet: "Is there a reward for
us
in serving animals?" He replied: "(Yes), there is a reward for serving
any
(living being)."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 38
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4751 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 4751 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
SEE ALSO:
POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON AD CAMPAIGN
"Your ads are very well done. They inform me in an area in which I am
largely ignorant. They force me to examine my perceptions of the Muslim
community and rethink any stereotypical views I held." - Wayne, NJ
-----
CAIR CONDEMNS PHILIPPINES AIRPORT BOMBING
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/4/03) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group,
today
condemned a bomb attack outside an airport in the southern Philippines
that
left 19 dead, including one American.
In a statement, CAIR said:
"We condemn this murderous attack and all other attacks on innocent
civilians by any individuals, groups or states. We call for the swift
apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators. No faith or ideology
should support such barbarous actions."
-----
PATRIOT II'S ATTACK ON CITIZENSHIP
Joanne Mariner, FindLaw, 3/3/03
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/mariner/20030303.html
A basic principle of American democracy is that members of government
serve
at the behest of the citizenry, and not vice-versa. The people, being
sovereign, can use their votes to "throw the bastards out," even though
the
government has no reciprocal power to jettison disfavored citizens.
Our leadership may distrust or despise certain people, but it cannot
strip
them of their citizenship involuntarily. Murderers, child molesters,
and
tax evaders are subject to criminal punishment, not denationalization.
Yet with the Domestic Security Enhancement Act, informally known as
"Patriot II," this basic rule is under attack. The draft legislation,
the
Justice Department's proposed sequel to the 2001 USA Patriot Act, was
recently made public after being leaked to the Center for Public
Integrity.
As Anita Ramasastry explained in a previous column for this site, the
bill
would go well beyond its predecessor in threatening essential civil
liberties...
Consider, in contrast, Patriot II's new rule on the loss of
citizenship.
Patriot II extends to a citizen's support of even the legal activities
of
an organization that the executive branch has deemed terrorist.
In other words, if you help fund an orphanage administered by one of
the
three Chechen separatist groups that the government has labeled as
terrorist, or if you give pharmaceutical supplies to a medical outpost
run
by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, or if you are on the wrong side
of
any of a number of other political conflicts in the world, you are
vulnerable to the loss of your citizenship.
Considering the almost non-existent due process safeguards of the laws
on
labeling terrorist organizations, the political uses of the terrorist
label, and its inherent malleability - which I discussed in a prior
column
- this is dangerously broad…
-----
TWO STATE LAWMAKERS WALK OUT DURING PRAYER BY MUSLIM CLERIC
Associated Press, 3/4/03
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Two legislators left the floor of the Washington state
House of
Representatives during an opening prayer by a Muslim religious leader,
one
calling it "an issue of patriotism."
Republicans Lois McMahan of Gig Harbor and Cary Condotta of East
Wenatchee
went to the back of the chamber during the invocation Monday by Mohamad
Joban, imam of the Islamic Center of Olympia…
Kathy Erlandson, director of the ministerial group, said she was
disappointed but not surprised.
"It makes me embarrassed to know that some of our legislators can't
even
treat someone with that common respect," she said. "He's an American
citizen and he's praying for their work, then how can it be an act of
patriotism to walk away?"
The national Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) urged state
and
national Republican leaders to condemn the walkout and apologize to
Washington Muslims.
"How many times must American Muslims ask Republican leaders to
repudiate
Islamophobic hate within their own ranks? Americans must not allow the
actions of a few, whatever their positions of authority, to divide our
nation along religious and ethnic lines," CAIR Executive Director Nihad
Awad said…
SEE ALSO:
2 LAWMAKERS SPURN MUSLIM'S PRAYER
Angela Galloway, Seattle Post Intelligencer, 3/4/03
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/110881_prayer04.shtml
OLYMPIA -- He prayed for the politicians, the state's prosperity and
peace
for all ethnicities and religions.
But when a Muslim cleric offered the opening prayer before the state
House
of Representatives yesterday, at least two lawmakers stepped off the
chamber floor.
"It's an issue of patriotism," Rep. Lois McMahan, a conservative
Republican
from Gig Harbor, said of her decision to stand in the back of the room…
---
THE SIN OF PRIDE
Martin E. Marty, Newsweek, 3/10/03
http://www.msnbc.com/news/879509.asp?0cv=OB10
Often the company the president keeps gets him into trouble. True, the
administration distances itself from the most extreme statements
against
Islam and the Muslim Scriptures, the Qur'an, when clerics who are
otherwise
congenial to the White House voice them. The billion humans in the
Muslim
world, leaders and followers alike, had good reason to seethe when the
evangelist who prayed at Bush's Inaugural-and who remains close to the
president-persisted in calling Islam "a very evil and wicked religion."
The administration had to reject that claim-and it did. Regular
appearances
by the president at meetings of certain evangelical groups, however,
make
it hard for friendly Muslims not to hear the word "Islam" whenever Bush
portrays "terrorists" as absolute evils. And, as evangelical theologian
Richard Mouw points out, "Those inflammatory statements stimulate
further
antagonism on the part of Muslim extremists," who can go recruiting
among
moderates…
-----
NOTE: The Justice Department informed CAIR that an investigation has
initiated in the case of a New Jersey Muslim believed to be the victim
of
bias-related assault. SEE:
http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-2/104658947964230.xml
THE WORK OF HATE
Eric Carpenter, Orange County Register, 3/3/03
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=28189
YORBA LINDA - An Arab-American civil- rights group today will ask the
FBI
to investigate the severe beating and stabbing of an 18-year-old of
Lebanese descent at a Yorba Linda park, an attack police are
investigating
as a hate crime.
Leaders of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the attack on
Rashid Alam of Yorba Linda was one of the most violent they're aware of
and
they are concerned police are moving too slowly.
Up to 20 teens kicked in Alam's jaw, stabbed him with a screwdriver,
and
hit him with golf clubs just after midnight Feb. 23, Brea police said.
They
allegedly shouted racial epithets and white-power slogans.
"We thank God our son is still alive, but we also want to bring
attention
to this to make sure that this doesn't happen to anybody else," said
Ahmad
Alam, Rashid's father, who immigrated to the United States from Lebanon
in
1971.
Alam said he is concerned about his family's safety because his son's
attackers have not been arrested…
"There's no question these were serious injuries and white-supremacist
slogans were used, so we're treating this as a serious hate crime,"
Conklin
said. "We'd like this investigation to move faster, but it takes time."
SEE ALSO:
SUSPECTS SOUGHT IN MO. TEMPLE ATTACKS
Jim Suhr, Associated Press, 3/4/03
ST. LOUIS - Security is being stepped up for a Hindu temple that was
firebombed twice in a week and federal agents are trying to determine
if
the attacks were youthful mischief or hate-fueled religious bigotry.
No one was injured by the attacks that slightly damaged the Hindu
Temple of
St. Louis on Feb. 23 and last Saturday. The temple's massive metal
doors
blocked the first firebomb, and flame-retardant carpeting limited
damage
from the second, which was thrown through a window.
There was no immediate indication if the Feb. 23 attack was related to
one
that same day at the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Kansas City in
Shawnee, Kan., about 250 miles away, where someone broke the glass
front
door and caused $700 in damage.
Temple officials were concerned about whether the violence could
escalate,
possibly involving someone who wrongly equates Hindus with Islamic
extremists. Several mosques and temples across the country and Canada
have
been vandalized since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks...
-----
CIA HOLDS CHILDREN OF AL-QAEDA SUSPECT
HE'LL SPILL HIS GUTS, OR ELSE
Niles Lathem and Brian Blomquist, New York Post, 3/3/03
http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/69950.htm
WASHINGTON - A CIA team will use "all appropriate measures" to convince
the
just-captured mastermind of the 9/11 attacks to talk - including
dangling
freedom for his two young sons, who are in U.S. custody.
Law-enforcement sources told The Post that the CIA has had the 7- and
9-year- old sons of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in custody since September,
and
plans to use them as leverage to get the No. 3 man in al Qaeda to
disclose
Osama bin Laden's whereabouts and details of future terror operations…
The United States has made it a practice to take some high-profile
terror
detainees from Pakistan and Afghanistan to Arab countries like Jordan,
Egypt and Morocco for interrogation.
"We don't kick the s- - - out of them. Some of our friends do, but we
don't
do that," said one former counterterrorism official…
SEE ALSO:
MILITARY WANTS ITS OWN SPIES
Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times, 3/4/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-na-armyspy4mar04,0,2750977.story
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon is planning to assemble its own network of
spies
who will be posted around the world to collect intelligence on
terrorist
organizations and other military targets, moving squarely into a
cloak-and-dagger realm that has traditionally been the domain of the
CIA,
according to Department of Defense officials familiar with the plans.
"The CIA doesn't have the number of assets to be doing what the
secretary
of Defense wants done," said one Pentagon official familiar with the
plans.
"This is a capability the secretary wants the Department of Defense to
have…"
-----
FBI PLANE OVER CITY ONE OF MANY REASONS FOR CONCERN
Mike Leonard, Herald-Times, 3/4/03
http://www.hoosiertimes.com/stories/2003/03/04/column.030304_HT_C1_JLR05649.sto
Most people seemed to find humor in the news that a single-engine FBI
Cessna was flying reconnaissance missions over Bloomington last week...
In truth, American citizens have every reason to view strange phenomena
with a watchful eye. Foreign students at Indiana University,
particularly
from Middle Eastern countries, are being approached and interviewed by
FBI
agents, not for probable cause but because of their country of origin.
Groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the
ultra-conservative Eagle Union are protesting in the strongest terms a
proposal coming from Attorney General John Ashcroft's office to erase
even
more civil liberties and constitutional protections than were hatcheted
by
the ill-considered and hastily-passed USA Patriot Act.
Included in "Patriot II" is a proposal to legalize the secret arrest
and
detention of "suspected terrorists" with no obligation to tell anyone
who
is being held, why or where…
---
MANIPULATION OF THE PUBLIC BUILDS ALONG WITH WAR CLOUDS
Matthew Rothschild, Los Angeles Times, 3/4/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-oe-rothschild3mar03,0,1048340.story
As George W. Bush prepares to plunge the nation into war against Iraq,
he
is using rhetoric in a highly manipulative way. Though that may not be
unusual for a wartime president, we as citizens should recognize when
he is
leading us around by the nose.
More than 30 times in the last seven months, Bush has used variations
on a
theme to describe the U.S. as vulnerable. For example, speaking to a
conference of religious broadcasters in Nashville on Feb. 10, he said
that
before 9/11, "we thought oceans would protect us forever." The same
day, at
an informal press conference, Bush said: "The world changed on Sept.
11....
In our country, it used to be that oceans could protect us -- at least
we
thought so." Meeting with small-business owners in Georgia on Feb. 20,
he
invoked the oceans again...
Why does Bush insist on such rhetoric? "This notion of unprecedented
vulnerability is absolutely crucial to the Bush team's
anti-constitutional
program," says Mark Crispin Miller, author of "The Bush Dyslexicon."
"What
that statement really means is, 'We were safe, now we're in danger, and
the
danger is so severe that you must give me all possible power. What the
oceans once did, now only I can do…' "
-----
U.S. MILITARY PLUGS ISRAEL INTO REAL-TIME WAR
Nathan Guttman, Ha'aretz, 3/4/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=268764
WASHINGTON - Israel and the United States have set up a joint command
post
next to the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv at which Israeli army officers
will be
able to view real-time pictures of the movements of American war planes
over Iraq in the event of a war.
According to the Journal, Israel will be the only country other than
the
U.S. hooked directly into the U.S. Central Command's communications
system.
The joint command post in Tel Aviv will enable Israel Defense Forces
officers to view what is termed the "common air picture" - essentially
an
upgraded version of a flight command and control system that enables
the
viewer to follow the activities of all American and Iraqi aircraft in
real
time. Israeli officers will thus be viewing exactly the same pictures
as
the U.S. officers running the war from the CENTCOM base in Qatar...
SEE ALSO:
SOME ARABS SHOW DISAPPOINTMENT IN LEADERS
Donna Abu-Nasr, Associated Press, 3/4/03
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - As a possible war in Iraq nears, many Arabs
feel they are watching the same bad movie, with the same predictable
plot
and most of the same cast.
An intransigent Arab leader taunts Washington and the United Nations.
Spats
at a summit meant to deal with the crisis underscore Arab disunity. And
many say they expect it to end with more humiliation as they watch
their
leaders, shackled by the obligations to Washington that have kept them
in
power, helplessly agree to a war…
Many are outraged at what they see as the inability of their leaders to
come up with a stand on the Iraq crisis that would, for once in the
region's 50 or so years of independence from colonial powers, allow
them to
hold their heads high.
Instead, thanks to satellite television, every day Arabs are confronted
by
the sense the Arabs are doing much less than several Western leaders to
avert a war. Add to that the embarrassment many felt when an Arab
summit in
Egypt last weekend made headlines for its display of deep political
rifts…
---
TIGHT LIPS OVER BUGGERS' TRICKS
Marian Wilkinson, Sydney Morning Herald, 3/4/04
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/03/1046540137073.html
The United States Government has so far not responded to claims that
their
electronic spying organisation is bugging delegations at the United
Nations
Security Council as part of the Bush Administration's efforts to win a
second resolution on Iraq.
But an intelligence expert on the National Security Agency said
yesterday
that a memo leaked to Britain's Observer newspaper about the alleged
operation looked "authentic".
James Bamford, author of two books on the NSA, also believed that the
agency would have sent the memo to Australia's electronic spying
agency,
DSD. The memo outlines an aggressive effort to target six UN Security
Council members - Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Bulgaria, Guinea and
Pakistan -
all non-permanent members who joined the Security Council in January.
It
appears to be written to the NSA's allied agencies overseas but the
"recipients" have been deleted…
---
THE THIRTY YEAR ITCH
Robert Dreyfuss, Mother Jones, 3/4/03
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2003/10/ma_273_01.html
Three decades ago, in the throes of the energy crisis, Washington's
hawks
conceived of a strategy for US control of the Persian Gulf's oil. Now,
with
the same strategists firmly in control of the White House, the Bush
administration is playing out their script for global dominance…
If you were to spin the globe and look for real estate critical to
building
an American empire, your first stop would have to be the Persian Gulf.
The
desert sands of this region hold two of every three barrels of oil in
the
world -- Iraq's reserves alone are equal, by some estimates, to those
of
Russia, the United States, China, and Mexico combined…
-----
TWO-HUNDRED-FIFTY PAKISTANI DETAINEES AWAIT DEPORTATION
Press Release, National Council of Pakistani Americans
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/4/03) - About two hundred and fifty Pakistani
detainees, imprisoned at various facilities around the country, are
waiting
to be deported to Pakistan, sooner than later.
"The total number of Pakistani detainees in various INS detention
centers
is about 250, out of which 150 have no judicial appeal left and have
been
waiting for a considerable period of time to be repatriated to
Pakistan,"
said the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Pakistan, Mr.
Mohammad
Sadiq.
Majority of these detainees had been issued deportation orders before
their
arrests and are now in mandatory deportation proceedings. Those want to
leave early have one hitch--commercial airlines have put "new
restrictions"
on the travel by detainees delaying the repatriation...
-----
EVENT FOCUSES ON MUSLIM AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES
Soojung Chang, Michigan Daily, 3/3/03
http://www.michigandaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/03/03/3e62f53b87714
While the war against terror has placed much emphasis on the status of
Muslims internationally, a conference held in the Michigan Union
Ballroom
over Spring Break attempted to focus on the Muslim community
domestically.
"We wanted to really bring emphasis on Muslims in America," said Muslim
Graduate Student Association representative and Dental School student
Mohammad Khalil. "People think that Muslims only care about what's
going on
internationally but they care about both international and local
issues."
The conference, titled "The 1st Annual Perspectives on the Muslim
Community
in America Conference," featured University of Chicago Islamic studies
Prof. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Howard University African studies Prof.
Sulayman Nyang, DePaul University Islamic studies and religious studies
Prof. Aminah McCloud and Wayne State University Islamic studies Prof.
Muneer Fareed…
In his keynote speech titled "Muslims in America: Historically, Post
9-11
and in Relation to the International Community," Nyang said there are
over
80 nationalities represented in the American Muslim community.
"The American Muslim community is a mirror image of global Islam," he
said...
-----
INTERNSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE WITH AMERICAN MUSLIMS FOR JERUSALEM (AMJ)
AMJ is now offering internship opportunities for the spring and summer.
Our
internship program is designed to provide students an opportunity for
hands-on experience in advocacy. You will get valuable insight into
legislative issues regarding the Middle East and an understanding of
how
policy is shaped in the halls of Washington.
AMJ interns are expected to attend briefings at various think tanks;
attend
and report on Congressional hearings; participate in advocacy on
Capitol
Hill; write press releases, action alerts and Congressional briefs;
track
congressional issues and legislation, and assist in office duties.
To apply for an internship, please submit resume by fax to AMJ at (202)
548-4201 or email programs@amjerusalem.org
For more information, contact: Miryam Rashid at 202-548-4200.
-----
NEWS PROVIDED BY ARABS, FOR ARABS
HANNAH ALLAM, Pioneer Press, 3/4/03
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/5302043.htm
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) - The new owner of Jerusalem Mediterranean
Cafe in Columbia Heights knows what his customers want: mint tea,
shisha
pipes and continuous Arabic-language news.
The first two orders are no problem. But Bilal Haidari said he is
pulling
the plug on al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite news channel often
referred to as "the CNN of the Arab world." Haidari said his young
Middle
Eastern regulars will be glued to the cafe's TV if the United States
attacks Iraq - perhaps scaring off non-Arab customers and alerting
federal
agents.
"(My restaurant) is not a political buffet," he said, over the din of a
raucous card game and the bubbling of shishas, or water pipes. "It's
for food."
Haidari's experience mirrors what other community leaders and business
owners have noticed: With a war brewing and relatives potentially in
danger, Middle Easterners in Minnesota are paying closer attention to
news
provided by Arabs, for Arabs. They are buying $200 satellite antennas,
turning coffee shops into community viewing areas and checking
al-Jazeera's
Web site several times a day...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
CAIR GOOD NEWS ALERT #368
* LAWMAKER WILL APOLOGIZE FOR MUSLIM PRAYER WALKOUT
* FBI TO INVESTIGATE ANTI-MUSLIM HATE CRIME IN CALIF.
* OKLAHOMA, INS TO ALLOW HIJAB IN PHOTOS
-----
LAWMAKER WILL APOLOGIZE FOR MUSLIM PRAYER WALKOUT
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/5/2003) -Washington State Representative Lois
McMahan
will apologize on the state House floor today for comments she made
about
her decision to walkout during a prayer delivered Monday by a Muslim.
McMahan, a Republican, says did not mean to offend anyone when she
explained to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper that she made a
personal decision for "patriotic" reasons to remain off the floor
during
the prayer.
Yesterday, CAIR called on state and national Republican leaders to
condemn
the walkout and to offer an apology to Washington Muslims.
SEE:
"Lawmaker Will Apologize for Walking Out on Muslim Cleric"
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/111090_mcmahan05.shtml
"Under Fire for Prayer Stand"
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-imam5mar05,1,1332865.story
---
FBI TO INVESTIGATE ANTI-MUSLIM HATE CRIME IN CALIF.
Following a request by CAIR and other civil rights groups, the FBI now
says
it has opened an investigation into the brutal beating of an
18-year-old
Muslim in Yorba Linda, Calif., by a mob that allegedly shouted racist
and
white supremacist slogans.
Laura Bosley, an FBI spokeswoman, said the agency is working with
police on
the case. Police officials will meet with the FBI today. "We are taking
these allegations seriously," she said. 'There has been an increase in
hate
crimes against Muslim Americans since Sept. 11. Hundreds of
investigations
have been initiated."
SEE: "FBI to Aid Hate-Crime Probe of Yorba Linda Teen's Beating"
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beaten5mar05,1,163269.story
---
OKLAHOMA, INS TO ALLOW HIJAB IN PHOTOS
CAIR today announced that Muslim women drivers in Oklahoma and those
renewing INS green cards will be allowed to wear religiously-mandated
head
scarves in official photographs.
The policy change by that state's Department of Public Safety (DPS)
came
following complaints from Muslim women who were told they could not
wear a
scarf when obtaining a license. The directive allowing the head scarves
was
issued by DPS Commissioner Bob Ricks and took effect February 28.
The directive, outlined in a letter to the Islamic Society of Greater
Oklahoma City, reads in part: "A head covering will be permitted, if
the
head covering does not: 1. obscure or obstruct a full front view of the
face, 2. display any: logo; insignia, symbol, or regalia; word or
words;
letter, number, or character, or any combination thereof; or graphic
design, other than the overall pattern of the fabric or material; or 3.
cast a shadow onto the face of the person." Prior to the change, only
the
Public Safety Commissioner or his designee could authorize an exception
to
the rule against head coverings. The new guidelines will appear as a
statutory change in Oklahoma Senate Bill 704, authored by Senator Owen
Laughlin.
In a letter requested by CAIR following complaints from concerned
Muslims,
INS Residence and Status Branch Director Pearl Chang wrote: "…our
policy
does permit men and women who are required by their religious beliefs
to
cover their head and ears, to submit photos that do not conform to the
ADIT
[Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunications System]
requirements of an uncovered head and visible right ear…the person must
remain clearly identifiable from the photograph and should include a
brief
statement along with that photo explaining why it does not meet those
particular ADIT requirements."
"We appreciate the fact that Muslim women will not have to violate
their
religious beliefs when obtaining an Oklahoma driver's license or a
green
card. We hope that other states and government agencies will follow
suit in
providing explicit policy guidelines allowing religious attire of all
faiths in official photographs," said CAIR Board Member Dr. Mujeeb
Cheema,
an Oklahoma resident.
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/5/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: LOVE THE POOR
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* THREE MEN ARE INDICTED IN ATTACK DOWNTOWN (Oregonian)
- Georgia Muslim Hurt In Campus Attack (Atlanta Journal)
- Teen's Beating Denounced As a Hate Crime (OC Register)
- FBI to Aid Probe of O.C. Teen's Beating (LA Times)
* LAWMAKER WILL APOLOGIZE FOR WALKING OUT ON MUSLIM (Seattle PI)
- State Official's to Forgo Muslim Prayer Angers Many (LA Times)
* ISLAM OFFERS IDENTITY FOR SOME BLACKS (Tampa Tribune)
- N.C. Town Looks After Muslims (Atlanta Journal)
- War Talk Intrudes On Islam New Year (Chicago Tribune)
* DANIEL PIPES EXPLAINS WHY U.S. MUSLIMS ARE A "THREAT" (Free Press)
- Protest Letters to MSNBC Draw Savage Response (Wash. Post)
- Michael Savage's Long, Strange Trip (Salon.com)
- Fact-Checking the Blonde Banshee (TomPaine.com)
* MUSLIM STUDENTS LEAD WAR PROTESTS (Washington Times)
- General Sees Plan to Shock Iraq into Surrendering (NY Times)
- Budget Can't Support Bush's Blank-Check War (Palm Beach Post)
- A War Policy in Collapse (Boston Globe)
- Man Arrested For Wearing Peace T-Shirt (AP)
- Right Takes Centre Stage (Guardian UK)
* FROM THE "YOU BECOME WHAT YOU HATE" DEPARTMENT (Washington Times)
- Army Probing Deaths of 2 Afghan Prisoners (Washington Post)
- 'Terror Boss' Moves Up Ladder As U.S. Sees Fit (Sun Times)
* RUSSIAN COURT REJECTS ACCOMMODATION OF ISLAMIC HEADSCARVES (Reuters)
* INDIAN COURT ORDERS EXCAVATION AT RAZED MOSQUE SITE (Reuters)
* MICHIGAN ISLAMIC CENTER HOLDS 4TH ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: LOVE THE POOR
The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told his wife Ayesha: "If you
love
the poor and bring them near you...God will bring you near Him on the
Day
of Resurrection."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1376
The Prophet also said: "The people before you were destroyed because
they
inflicted legal punishments on the poor and forgave the rich."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 778
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
THREE MEN ARE INDICTED IN ATTACK DOWNTOWN
Maxine Bernstein, Oregonian, 3/5/03
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/104686911042611.xml
Three men have been indicted on state hate crime and assault charges in
a
Jan. 12 beating in downtown Portland of a man police said they mistook
for
an Arab.
Michael Grant Bonadurer, 23, of Portland, and Adrece Jovony Mitchell,
23,
of Clackamas, each pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to first-degree
intimidation and third-degree assault charges. Jonathan Vaefaga Semau,
23,
also of Clackamas, pleaded not guilty to the same charges last week.
A Multnomah County grand jury indicted the three men on Feb. 21. They
are
accused of shouting Middle Eastern slurs at Gerard Gioio, 32, a South
African native of Italian descent, as they beat him on a city street.
"They heard my husband's accent and couldn't place it," said Abigail
Collins, Gioio's wife who witnessed the assault...
Gioio and his wife said they think the men returned to assault him
because
they mistook him for an Arab, and they recounted the Middle Eastern
slurs
the men shouted at Gioio while under attack…
SEE ALSO:
GEORGIA TECH STUDENT HURT IN CAMPUS ATTACK
Saeed Ahmed, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 3/5/03
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/atlanta/0303/05techattack.html
A Muslim student from India was attacked without provocation by two men
on
Georgia Tech's campus last week, university officials confirmed
Tuesday.
Akbar Ladak, a graduate student at the College of Computing, was
attacked
by two white men behind the college building about 2:25 a.m. Friday.
The
men punched and kicked him repeatedly but left without taking anything,
campus police said.
Ladak was hospitalized overnight at Crawford Long Hospital with a
swollen
lip and a broken tooth. He also required three stitches under his left
eye.
University spokesman Bob Harty said it was too early to say whether the
incident was racially motivated. "But we're certainly not ruling
anything
out at this stage," Harty said.
---
TEEN'S BEATING DENOUNCED AS A HATE CRIME
Eric Carpenter, Orange County Register, 3/5/03
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=28331
ANAHEIM More than a dozen leaders of Orange County's religious and
ethnic
communities on Tuesday publicly denounced the beating of an
Arab-American
teenager in Yorba Linda as a hate crime that nobody should tolerate.
They called for a thorough investigation to bring swift justice and
deter
other possible hate crimes.
Brea police, who are investigating the Feb. 23 attack on Rashid Alam,
18,
said they will share information on the probe with the FBI today…
"When Americans allow this type of hate to occur, it undermines the
basic
fabric of this community," said Nirinjan Singh Khalsa, a spokesman for
the
Sikh Dharma of Southern California. "We are living in fear of
terrorism,
but we are terrorizing ourselves."
Khalsa was joined at the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Anaheim
office by leaders from Catholic, Baptist, Methodist and other religious
communities, as well as leaders of Latino and Japanese- American
groups...
---
FBI TO AID PROBE OF O.C. TEEN'S BEATING
Scott Martelle and William Lobdell, Los Angeles Times, 3/5/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-beaten5mar05,1,218607.story
As complaints mounted over a nine-day official silence, police on
Tuesday
agreed to consult the FBI in the investigation of a violent,
race-related
clash between two groups of Yorba Linda teens.
Police and Yorba Linda city officials said they decided not to disclose
the
Feb. 22 beating of Rashid Alam, an 18-year-old Arab American man, in
order
to investigate it.
But community activists Tuesday questioned the delay in publicizing the
case, which became news Monday when the victim's family came forward.
Some
saw a double standard.
"There's a feeling in our community that crimes against [Muslims] are
not
treated the same way" as crimes against others, said Hussam Ayloush,
executive director of the Southern California chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations. He spoke Tuesday at a news conference
attended
by human rights activists, religious leaders and police.
A 16-year-old from Placentia and a 17-year-old from Yorba Linda were
arrested on misdemeanor assault charges three days after the incident,
but
the lack of further arrests has incensed some Arab American and human
rights activists.
"A few [of the attackers] are allegedly going around their schools
bragging
about how they almost killed or disabled this Arab boy," Ayloush
said...
-----
LAWMAKER WILL APOLOGIZE FOR WALKING OUT ON MUSLIM CLERIC
Seattle Post Intelligencer, 3/5/03
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/111090_mcmahan05.shtml
Rep. Lois McMahan will apologize on the state House floor today for
comments she made about her decision to sit out a prayer delivered
Monday
by a Muslim cleric that opened the session, legislative staff members
said.
McMahan, a Republican from Gig Harbor, did not mean to offend anyone
when
she explained to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that she made a
personal
decision for "patriotic" and other reasons to remain off the floor
during
the prayer.
A national Muslim group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
criticized McMahan and East Wenatchee Rep. Cary Condotta for their lack
of
respect during the prayer, and the state Republican Party chairman
condemned their actions.
SEE ALSO:
DECISION TO FORGO AN ISLAMIC SERVICE AT STATE HOUSE ANGERS MANY
Tomas Alex Tizon, Los Angeles Times, 3/5/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-imam5mar05,1,1332865
SEATTLE - When state lawmaker Lois McMahan chose not to participate in
a
Muslim prayer at the House of Representatives in Olympia, Wash., it
was,
she says, for private reasons, and they may have stayed private had she
not
answered the questions of a reporter.
Now her personal protest has become a public spectacle.
"It's an issue of patriotism," McMahan, a conservative Christian,
reportedly said. "The Islamic religion is so ... part and parcel with
the
attack on America. I just didn't want to be a part of that.
"Even though the mainstream Islamic religion doesn't profess to hate
America, nonetheless it spawns the groups that hate America."
Since the publication of those words, local and national Muslim groups
have
demanded an apology from McMahan, and state Republican leaders have
condemned the legislator's actions as inappropriate and
unrepresentative of
the GOP…
Late Tuesday, Nihad Awad, executive director of the Washington,
D.C.-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations, demanded that Republican Party
leaders apologize to the Muslim community and repudiate McMahan's and
Condotta's act.
The chairman of the state's Republican Party, Chris Vance, called
McMahan's
actions inappropriate and said "the head of the Republican Party is
George
W. Bush, not Lois McMahan." President Bush has emphasized that the war
on
terrorism is not a war on Islam, Vance said...
-----
ISLAM OFFERS IDENTITY FOR SOME BLACKS
Michelle Bearden, Tampa Tribune, 3/5/03
http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGA0NRFHVCD.html
ST. PETERSBURG - For African-American Muslims like Aquil and Bilal who
chose traditional Islam, the post-Sept. 11 atmosphere has been a test
of
faith. They, too, have suffered the anti-Muslim backlash, although they
concede it's not been as difficult for them as for Muslims of Middle
Eastern descent.
"As black men, we know about discrimination. We've already dealt with
adversity," Bilal says. "So as Muslims, we're more prepared to handle
it..."
Indeed, to talk about black history without addressing Islam is a
"serious
injustice," says Abdul Ali, 55, of St. Petersburg, a distributor for
health
and beauty products. The former Matthew Savage converted in 1975,
attracted
by Islam's message of black independence and its healthy dietary laws,
which include no drinking, no smoking and no pork.
As he delved into the religion's history, he learned about its
connection
to his African ancestors and how many slaves were forced to abandon
their
Muslim beliefs and adopt their owners' Christian theology. For
modern-day
African- American Muslims, he says, Islam is like returning home…
SEE ALSO:
N.C. TOWN LOOKS AFTER MUSLIMS
Moni Basu, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 3/5/03
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/wednesday/news_e3565a5fe20f01a0002c.html
Greensboro, N.C. - For the Muslim community, post-Sept. 11 fears have
been
heightened by several high profile arrests --- including the weekend
capture of alleged al-Qaida mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed --- and
by a
string of harassment reports.
But this textile town of 234,000 residents is trying to mend its
community
fabric by bringing Muslims together with African-Americans and members
of
the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, who have a strong
tradition here.
"In many ways, this is a community that has stood up to injustice,"
said
Max Carter, coordinator of the Campus Ministry at Guilford College, a
small
Quaker-run institution. "Even in the deepest days of segregation and
Jim
Crow, there has been a progressive element here."
Palestinian-born Badi Ali, director of the Islamic Center of the Triad
here, agreed that the city's historic tolerance makes the situation
better
for Muslims.
"We are the new victims, the new scapegoats," he said. "Because of all
this
publicity, we are scared. Greensboro has some experience in dealing
with
this. If it were not for the support from minorities and the Quakers,
we
would feel even more isolated..."
-----
WAR TALK INTRUDES ON ISLAM NEW YEAR
Deborah Horan, Chicago Tribune, 3/5/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northshore/chi-0303050175mar05,1,6765153.story
For Assad Busool, the Islamic New Year has always been a time to
reflect on
the most pivotal point in early Muslim history and pray for peace in
the
ummah, the Muslim world community.
But this year, wishes for peace have been overshadowed by worries of
impending war with Iraq and continued violence between Israelis and
Palestinians, he said, as Muslims around the globe Tuesday ushered in
the
Islamic year 1424.
"It is a concern in the mind of every Muslim," said Busool, chairman of
the
Arabic studies program at the American Islamic College in Chicago. "I
wish
the U.S. would send more tractors to the Middle East instead of more
tanks.
Then everyone would be chanting 'God bless, America.'"
Muslims commemorate the New Year with prayers to atone for past sins
and
ask for God's blessings in the coming year, Busool said. The holiday
typically passes quietly, without the resolutions and parties that
characterize Western celebrations...
-----
DANIEL PIPES EXPLAINS WHY U.S. MUSLIMS ARE A "THREAT"
MIDEAST WRITER INSPIRES VIBRANT DEBATE
Mark Richardson, London Free Press, 3/5/03
http://www.fyilondon.com/londonfreepress/index.shtml
Next Monday at 7.30 p.m., there will be a lecture by controversial
Middle
East commentator Daniel Pipes.
To get a sense of just who is being targeted, I listened to Pipes'
interview on CBC Radio One's The Current. Host Anna Maria Tremonti did
her
snippy best to expose mean-spiritedness, but came up empty. Campus
Watch is
about Middle East studies, Pipes said, not Israel. There is no list of
targeted academics, he added; he is simply trying to alert the world to
the
analytical failures of academia.
I was impressed. Especially when he made it clear to Tremonti,
"Militant
Islam is the problem. Moderate Islam is the solution."
Then, however, she quoted something Pipes had said to the American
Jewish
Congress in 2001: "I worry very much from the Jewish point of view that
the
presence, and increased stature and affluence and enfranchisement of
American Muslims . . . will present true dangers to American Jews."
Hmm. No distinction there between Islamism and Islam. So I e-mailed
Pipes
for clarification and he was good enough to respond.
"As the number of Muslims increases in Western countries," he wrote,
"those
countries are going to become more Muslim in nature, and that will
inevitably be to the detriment of some elements . . . I was speaking to
a
Jewish audience. I would make the same point to audiences of women,
gays,
civil libertarians, Hindus, Evangelical Christians . . . among others,
all
of whom face similar 'true dangers' as the number of Muslims increases
and
threaten their interests. For an example of a country, Denmark, that is
experiencing advanced problems along these lines, see my article . . .
at
www.danielpipes.org/article/450."
So I did. In his New York Post article, Pipes says, among other things,
"Muslims are only four per cent of Denmark's 5.4 million people, but
make
up a majority of the country's convicted rapists, an especially
combustible
issue given that practically all the female victims are non-Muslim."
This is not a pleasant fact to point out, Pipes noted in closing, but
all
concerned are better off dealing with the truth and not hiding from it.
Well, not so fast. Even if Pipes' stats about Denmark and other
countries
are accurate -- which, not surprisingly, has been debated -- his
conclusion
about supposed Muslim domination "inevitably" threatening other groups
is
questionable. Are gentiles, for example, rotten to the core because of
the
Holocaust? Was Auschwitz inevitable?
No one can blame minorities for feeling threatened. But that applies to
Islamic minorities, too. I suspect the root cause of the problems Pipes
associates with Muslim immigration are the very lack of stature,
affluence
and enfranchisement he fears...
SEE: WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
SEE ALSO:
PROTEST LETTERS TO MSNBC DRAW SAVAGE RESPONSE
Howard Kurtz, Washington Post, 3/5/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43013-2003Mar4.html
Michael Savage, the conservative radio host whose hiring by MSNBC has
turned him into a national lightning rod, is threatening to lead a
boycott
against the "slimy, filthy groups" that oppose him.
Accusing them of "Nazism" and "economic terrorism," Savage has told
listeners that "these brownshirt groups" live in "mud puddles" and that
he
may ask the Justice Department to investigate them.
Savage is responding to a letter-writing campaign by the Gay and
Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation aimed at pressuring MSNBC into dropping the
Savage program, which debuts Saturday. MSNBC executives have agreed to
schedule a meeting tomorrow with the group, whose effort is backed by
the
National Organization for Women...
---
MICHAEL SAVAGE'S LONG, STRANGE TRIP
David Gilson, Salon.com, 3/5/03
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/03/05/savage/index_np.html
At first glance, Michael Alan Weiner seems like an improbable candidate
to
be America's angriest, most vicious conservative radio host. Born 60
years
ago in the Bronx, Weiner has lived in Northern California for most of
his
adult life, making a living as an herbalist and nutritionist…
These days, Weiner's more interested in purging the body politic. Using
the
pseudonym Michael Savage, he's launched a one-man mission to save
America
from its enemies at home and abroad, which on any given day includes
liberals, gays, academics, the homeless, the Clintons, immigrants,
feminists, CNN, the American Civil Liberties Union, Muslims and other
minorities. Broadcasting three hours a day, five afternoons a week,
from a
studio inside his home in the affluent San Francisco suburb of
Larkspur, he
gives voice to the right wing's darkest fantasies. He muses about
launching
preemptive nuclear strikes on the Middle East ("I wish to God the
hatches
were open and the missiles were flying!"), suggests gunning down
illegal
immigrants ("If we had a government, we'd blow them out of the desert
with
airplanes!")…
---
FACT-CHECKING THE BLONDE BANSHEE
Eric Alterman, Tompaine.com, 3/5/03
http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/7334
This excerpt is one of three from Eric Alterman's book, What Liberal
Media
(Basic Books, 2003).
I first met Ann Coulter in 1996 when we were both hired to be pundits
on
the new cable news station, MSNBC. Still just a right-wing
congressional
aide, she had been hired without even a hint of journalistic
experience,
but with a mouth so vicious she made her fellow leggy blonde pundit,
Laura
Ingraham, look and sound like Mary Tyler Moore in comparison...
Shortly after 9/11, Coulter became famous again when she suggested, in
a
column published by National Review Online, after seeing anti-American
demonstrators in Arab nations, that we "invade their countries, kill
their
leaders and convert them to Christianity." Coulter's column was dropped
by
the magazine, but not because the editors objected to its content.
Coulter remained unbowed. At a meeting of the National Political Action
Conference, Coulter advised, "We need to execute people like John
Walker in
order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that
they
can be killed too. Otherwise they will turn out to be outright
traitors."
She also joked about the proposed murder of Transportation Secretary
Norman
Mineta...
-----
MUSLIM STUDENTS LEAD WAR PROTESTS
Julia Duin, Washington Times, 3/5/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030305-68206638.htm
Muslim collegians are quickly moving into the leadership of U.S.
anti-war
protests, such as today's One-Day National Student Strike on 300 high
school and college campuses.
Although the "strike" - which ranges from class walkouts to lunchtime
lectures - is organized by the secular left-wing National Youth and
Student
Peace Coalition, many Muslim student groups across the country are
providing support and manpower.
"They are very active," coalition spokesman Andy Burns said of the
Muslim
Student Association (MSA) of the U.S. and Canada, the only religious
group
in the 15-member National Youth and Student Peace Coalition.
Unlike in Vietnam-era protests, Muslim students are a major influence
in
today's anti-war movement. Muslim students are steering committee
members
of Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, a radical leftist group that
organized the Oct. 26 and Jan. 18 anti-war demonstrations on the
Mall...
SEE ALSO:
TOP GENERAL SEES PLAN TO SHOCK IRAQ INTO SURRENDERING
Eric Schmitt and Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times, 3/5/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/05/international/middleeast/05IRAQ.html
WASHINGTON - The nation's top military officer said today that the
Pentagon's war plan for Iraq entailed shocking the Iraqi leadership
into
submission quickly with an attack "much, much, much different" from the
43-day Persian Gulf war in 1991.
Gen. Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
declined
to give details. But other military officials have said the plan calls
for
unleashing 3,000 precision-guided bombs and missiles in the first 48
hours
of a short air campaign, to be followed quickly by ground operations…
---
HIS BUDGET CAN'T SUPPORT BUSH'S BLANK-CHECK WAR
Palm Beach Post, 3/5/03
http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/epaper/editions/monday/opinion_e31660cd0439811100a5.html
A price tag for invading Iraq leaked out of the Pentagon last week: $95
billion, including the cost to buy off Turkey. That would bring this
year's
projected deficit to $402 billion. Doesn't that news, at last, take
more
tax cuts off the table?
The record deficit, which the president's father set in 1992, is $290
billion. Defense Department budget planners suggest that the $95
billion
can be spread over two years, but next year's deficit already is pegged
at
$304 billion without an add-on for war. Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld
disputed his department's figure, but he couldn't or wouldn't say what
the
true cost might be. "There are so many variables," he insisted, "that
the
numbers of possible point answers create a range that simply isn't
useful."
So don't even try…?
---
A WAR POLICY IN COLLAPSE
James Carroll, Boston Globe, 3/4/03
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/063/oped/A_war_policy_in_collapse%2B.shtml
Within a period of a few days, the war policy of the Bush
administration
suddenly showed signs of incipient collapse. No one of these
developments
by itself marks the ultimate reversal of fortune for Bush, but taken
together, they indicate that the law of "unintended consequences,"
which
famously unravels the best-laid plans of warriors, may apply this time
before the war formally begins. Unraveling is underway. Consider what
happened as February rolled into March:
The Russian foreign minister declared his nation's readiness to use its
veto in the Security Council to thwart American hopes for a UN
ratification
of an invasion.
Despite Washington's offer of many billions in aid, the Turkish
Parliament
refused to approve US requests to mount offensive operations from bases
in
Turkey -- the single largest blow against US war plans yet. This
failure of
Bush diplomacy, eliminating a second front, might be paid for in
American
lives.
The capture in Pakistan of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a senior Al Qaeda
operative, should have been only good news to the Bush administration,
but
it highlighted the difference between the pursuit of Sept. 11 culprits
and
the unrelated war against Iraq. Osama bin Laden, yes. Saddam Hussein,
no…
---
MAN ARRESTED FOR WEARING PEACE T-SHIRT
Damita Chambers, Associated Press, 3/5/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-mall-activists0305mar05,0,3505887.story
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A man was charged with trespassing in a mall after
he
refused to take off a T-shirt that said "Peace on Earth" and "Give
peace a
chance."
Mall security approached Stephen Downs, 61, and his 31-year-old son,
Roger,
on Monday night after they were spotted wearing the T-shirts at
Crossgates
Mall in a suburb of Albany, the men said.
The two said they were asked to remove the shirts made at a store
there, or
leave the mall. They refused. The guards returned with a police officer
who
repeated the ultimatum. The son took his T-shirt off, but the father
refused.
"'I said, 'All right then, arrest me if you have to,'" Downs said. "So
that's what they did. They put the handcuffs on and took me away..."
---
RIGHT TAKES CENTRE STAGE
Brian Whitaker, Guardian UK, 3/5/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,907312,00.html
At the annual dinner of the American Enterprise Institute last
Wednesday,
the US president, George Bush, gave a speech outlining his political
visions for Iraq and Palestine, and what he sees as the link between
them...
Paying tribute to his hosts, the president said: "At the American
Enterprise Institute, some of the finest minds in our nation are at
work on
some of the greatest challenges to our nation. You do such good work
that
my administration has borrowed 20 such minds. I want to thank them for
their service."
So what is the AEI, who are these great minds, and what, exactly, are
they
doing to help the president?
The AEI is the most important rightwing thinktank in the US and, with
assets of almost $36m (£23m) and an annual income of around $24m from
(mainly anonymous) benefactors, it is probably the wealthiest, too.
Among
other things, it has been highly influential in promoting the "zap
Iraq"
policy.
Foremost among the great AEI minds tapped by Mr Bush is Richard Perle,
chairman of the defence policy board at the Pentagon and chief
architect of
the "creative destruction" project to reshape the Middle East, starting
with the $90bn invasion of Iraq...
-----
FROM THE "YOU BECOME WHAT YOU HATE" DEPARTMENT
INTERROGATING KSM
Jack Wheeler, Washington Times, 3/5/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20030305-77856900.htm
With the capture of top al Qaeda terrorist Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
(known as
"KSM"), getting him to disgorge the contents of his brain quickly and
truthfully is critically necessary before his network has a chance to
vanish undercover…
So here's what to do. Fly in from the United States and set up an fMRI
at
Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, where KSM is being held, and do three
things: Place KSM under the fMRI brain scanner; put him on a mechanical
respirator; and give him an injection of a paralytic drug called
succinyl
choline chloride (SCC)...
Now the interrogation begins. KSM is asked a series of questions to
which
the answers are known (e.g., Are you a Muslim? Would you like a drink
of
pig grease?). If he lies, the respirator is turned off. Few experiences
are
more terrifying than that of suffocation…
---
ARMY PROBING DEATHS OF 2 AFGHAN PRISONERS
Marc Kaufman, Washington Post, 3/5/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42373-2003Mar4.html
KABUL, Afghanistan, March 4 -- The U.S. Army is conducting a criminal
investigation into whether its soldiers caused the deaths of two Afghan
prisoners at Bagram air base in December, a military spokesman said
today.
The men died while under U.S. control, and a military pathologist
listed
homicide as their official cause of death, said the spokesman, Col.
Roger
King. The death certificates for both men said they had died of blunt
force
injuries, in addition to other causes…
The Post has reported that the CIA and the U.S. military were using
"stress
and duress" techniques on prisoners at Bagram and elsewhere to elicit
information about possible involvement in terrorist activities.
According
to officials familiar with the situation at Bagram, some of those
practices
include intense psychological and physical pressures designed to break
down
resistance. Some have said the practices sometimes blur the line
between
humane and inhumane treatment of prisoners.
---
'TERROR BOSS' MOVES UP LADDER AS U.S. SEES FIT
Debra Pickett, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/4/03
http://www.suntimes.com/output/pickett/cst-nws-pickett04.html
A month after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush released a list of
the
world's most-wanted terrorists. There were 22 names on it. Khalid
Shaikh
Mohammed was No. 22.
And the list wasn't alphabetical.
But, sometime between then and early Saturday morning, when Mohammed
was
captured in Pakistan, the U.S. government identified Mohammed as the
mastermind behind the al-Qaida plot.
Osama bin Laden, we're now told, is pretty much a figurehead: It's
Mohammed
who made things happen. Over the past 2-1/2 years, he's climbed from
last
place to a photo finish for No. 1 on the most-wanted list.
The cynical view on this is that Mohammed is still the relatively small
fish we were first told he was, but the news of his arrest is being
hyped
because the Bush administration needs a victory in the war on terrorism
before going to war in Iraq…
-----
RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT REJECTS APPEAL FROM MUSLIM WOMEN OVER REQUIREMENT
THEY REMOVE HEADSCARVES FOR ID PHOTOS
Associated Press, 3/5/03
MOSCOW - Russia's Supreme Court rejected an appeal Wednesday by a group
of
Muslim women who objected to a police requirement that they remove
their
headscarves for ID photos.
The court upheld an earlier decision by a local court in the
predominantly
Muslim region of Tatarstan, which ruled the requirement was legal,
according to the ITAR-Tass and Interfax news agencies.
The Quran, the Muslim holy book, requires women to dress modestly, and
women in most Islamic societies wear headscarves. But Russian police
prohibit head coverings in photographs for internal passports, the
all-purpose identity documents required for all citizens...
-----
INDIAN COURT ORDERS EXCAVATION AT RAZED MOSQUE SITE
Reuters, 3/5/03
LUCKNOW, India - An Indian court ordered archaeologists on Wednesday to
excavate the site of a razed mosque to find out if a temple existed
there
before the mosque was built hundreds of years ago as claimed by
hardline
Hindus.
A three-judge bench of the Uttar Pradesh state high court said the
Archaeological Survey of India should start excavations at the site
within
a week "to find the truth in regard to rival contentions of the
parties" to
the dispute.
The bitter row over the site in the Uttar Pradesh town of Ayodhya,
about
650 km (400 miles) southeast of Delhi, triggered a religious divide in
the
country and caused clashes that killed about 3,000 people after Hindu
mobs
destroyed the mosque in 1992...
Hindu militants built a makeshift temple on the site but have since
been
barred by the Supreme Court from any further construction.
Hardline groups affiliated to India's ruling Hindu nationalist
Bharatiya
Janata Party say god-king Ram was born on the site of the mosque
thousands
of years ago and Muslim invaders destroyed a temple to build the Babri
mosque in the 16th century.
Muslim groups say there is no proof of this...
-----
MICHIGAN ISLAMIC CENTER HOLDS 4TH ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE
WHAT: Islamic Center of Ann Arbor is holding its 4th annual open house
where the general public is invited to tour the Islamic Center
building,
interact with members of the Muslim community, and learn about the
beliefs
and cultures of the Muslim world and American Muslims. The open house,
which usually attracts hundreds of visitors and many government and
elected
officials, will feature lectures, bazaars, cultural displays, free
ethnic
foods and entertainment.
WHEN: Saturday, March 8, 12:30 P.M. to 8 P.M.
WHERE: Islamic Center of Ann Arbor, 2301 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI
48105.
CONTACT: Nazih Hassan, (734) 665-6772, president@mca-aa.org
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
FLORIDA MAN WHO SENT THREATENING E-MAIL ARRESTED
Threat came following incident involving Muslim med students
(MIAMI, FLORIDA, 3/6/2003) - Florida's office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today expressed appreciation to
law
enforcement authorities following the arrest of a man who allegedly
sent a
threatening e-mail to a hospital that accepted three Muslim medical
students involved in a false terror scare.
Tommy Ethridge (also known as William Ethridge Jr.), 52, is charged
with
one felony count of making a written threat to kill or do bodily injury
in
an e-mail from his home in Georgia to Miami's Larkin Community
Hospital.
The threatening e-mail, headlined "Liar and Traitor" and signed "A True
Patriot," stated:
"I would hate to see your hospital have a terrorist event. A word to
the
wise is to BEWARE. Terrorists come from all walks of life. What price
do
you place on your life? It would be a shame for something to happen to
you
and yours."
That message was among more than 2,000 received by the hospital
following
the incident in September 2002, in which three Muslim medical students
traveling to study at Larkin Community Hospital were wrongly accused of
threatening a terrorist attack.
The students were stopped based on a tip from a Georgia woman who said
she
overheard a conversation in which they made threatening remarks. All
three
say they made no such remarks and that the woman may have been reacting
to
their Middle Eastern or Muslim appearance. No charges were filed in the
case.
SEE: "MED STUDENT INVOLVED IN TERROR SCARE SAYS IT WAS ALL A MISTAKE"
http://www.cair-florida.org/ViewArticle.asp?Code=CM&ArticleID=48
Following that incident, the hospital came under pressure to expel the
students. During a September 17, 2002, news conference, CAIR-FL called
for
an investigation of the many threatening messages sent to hospital
officials.
"The Florida Department of Law Enforcement deserves our appreciation
for
bringing the alleged perpetrator to justice," said CAIR-FL
Communications
Director Ahmed Bedier.
"This arrest sends a powerful signal that while everyone has the right
to
express their opinions, no one has the right to threaten or intimidate
others," said CAIR-FL Executive Director Altaf Ali.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is
America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is headquartered in
Washington, D.C., and has 15 regional offices nationwide and in Canada.
Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil and religious
rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: Altaf Ali, 954-298-8214, E-MAIL: altaf@cair-florida.org; Ahmed
Bedier, 813-731-9506, EMAIL abedier@cair-florida.org; Ibrahim Hooper,
202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan
Hassan,
202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-MAIL: hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/6/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO ANIMALS
* CORRECTION: GEORGIA MAN WHO SENT THREATENING E-MAIL ARRESTED
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
- Positive Feedback on the New York Times Ads
* INCITEMENT WATCH: COLUMNIST SUPPORTS PRAYER WALKOUT
* WASH. MUSLIM LEADER TO SPEAK FOLLOWING HOUSE PRAYER
* U.S. EXPANDS CLANDESTINE SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS (LA Times)
- Allegations Heighten Muslim Bias Concerns (Newsday)
* USING TORTURE TO FIGHT TERROR (Washington Post)
* ISRAEL KILLS 11 PALESTINIANS IN RAID AFTER BUS BLAST (Reuters)
- Two Reuters Journalists Hurt in Gaza Violence (Reuters)
- World Bank: 2 Million Palestinians in Poverty (AP)
- Senseless Killings (Ha'aretz)
* STUDENTS ACROSS U.S. MOUNT ANTIWAR PROTESTS (Washington Post)
- Troops 'Told Of March 17 Invasion' (Daily Telegraph)
- Britain's Dirty Secret (Guardian UK)
- US Divided Over Post-War Iraq (Telegraph)
- Strangeloves in Bloom (LA Times)
- Going Off To War Supplied With Lies (NY Observer)
- The War on Schools (NY Times)
* OKLA. TO ALLOW SCARF FOR MUSLIM WOMEN (UPI)
* ILLINOIS CONFERENCE EXAMINES WOMEN IN RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP
* NO. CAL CONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON RELIGIOUS PLURALISM
* DC MUSLIM LEGAL FUND PROGRAM ON CIVIL RIGHTS
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO ANIMALS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "A woman was punished
(by
God) because of a cat. She had not provided (the cat) with food or
drink,
nor had she set it free so that it might eat the insects of the earth."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1047
-----
CORRECTION: GEORGIA MAN WHO SENT THREATENING E-MAIL ARRESTED
A CAIR news release distributed earlier today headlined "Florida Man
Who
Sent Threatening E-Mail Arrested," should have read, "Georgia Man Who
Sent
Threatening E-Mail Arrested." The e-mail threat was received in
Florida,
but the man arrested lived in Georgia.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective
information
about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
SEE ALSO:
POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON THE NEW YORK TIMES ADS
"You deserve an A+ on such beautiful, meaningful and precise ads.
Congratulations! Keep it up, it is a great service not only to Muslims
but
also to the America and American values." - New York, New York
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: COLUMNIST SUPPORTS PRAYER WALKOUT
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH?
Craige McMillan, WorldNetDaily.com, 3/6/03
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=31383
Have Democrats forgotten 9-11? Those in the Washington state
legislature
have, because on Monday they invited Mohamad Joban, a Muslim cleric
from
Olympia to pray in the name of Allah and claim the spiritual ground of
the
state and the people they represent. Only two of the people's
representatives stood quietly against this effort.
The American left, embodied by the Democratic Party in Washington
state,
had no second thoughts about taking ground purchased 200 years ago
through
our forefathers' blood and tears for Jesus Christ, and turning it over
to
Allah, a god on record publicly as seeking our destruction...
-----
- MEDIA ADVISORY -
WASH. MUSLIM LEADER TO SPEAK FOLLOWING HOUSE PRAYER
Second prayer follows apology from Republican lawmaker over walkout
WHAT: On Friday, March 7, the Seattle office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Seattle), along with other civil
rights
and religious groups, will hold a news conference following a second
prayer
by a Muslim leader opening a session of THE Washington State House of
Representatives. The Muslim prayer follows one offered earlier this
week
during which two Republican lawmakers left the House floor in protest.
One of those who left the floor, Rep. Lois McMahan, said she refused to
listen to the Muslim prayer because it was "an issue of patriotism."
CAIR's
national headquarters issued a statement calling on Republican leaders
to
repudiate the walkout.
SEE: "GOP ASKED TO CONDEMN WALKOUT DURING MUSLIM PRAYER"
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=1007&page=NR
McMahan later apologized for her remarks and said she would accept an
invitation to visit a local Islamic center.
Other groups scheduled to speak include Northgate Mosque, Islamic
Center of
Kent, Islamic Center of Bellevue, Islamic Center of Olympia, Arab
American
Community Coalition, and Al-Islam Center of Seattle.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 15 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 10:15 a.m. (Pacific)
WHERE: The Sun Dial, located between the temporary headquarters of the
State House and Senate, 310 16th Avenue SW, Olympia, Washington
- END -
CONTACT: Aziz Junejo, 206-937-8687; Samia El-Moslimany, 206-409-3407,
E-MAIL: samiaelmo@yahoo.com; Imam Mohammad Joban, 360-791-0796, E-MAIL:
mjoban@attbi.com; CAIR-National, Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787
or
703-861-7294, E-MAIL: hhassan@cair-net.org
-----
U.S. EXPANDS CLANDESTINE SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS
Richard B. Schmitt, Los Angeles Times, 3/6/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-na-terror5mar05,0,5150443.story
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department has stepped up use of a secretive
process that enables the attorney general to personally authorize
electronic surveillance and physical searches of suspected terrorists,
spies and other national-security threats without immediate court
oversight.
Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday
he
has authorized more than 170 such emergency searches since the Sept. 11
attacks -- more than triple the 47 emergency searches that have been
authorized by other attorneys general in the last 20 years...
Now, Justice Department officials are pushing the law's limits even
further. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, officials have seized on a
provision
that allows them to launch emergency searches signed only by the
attorney
general. The department must still persuade the secret court that the
search is justified -- but officials have 72 hours from the time the
search
is launched, and such requests are almost always granted.
Ashcroft's tally was more fuel for critics of the law who contend that
it
already operates in the shadows.
"That is a startling increase," said Timothy Edgar, a legislative
counsel
for the ACLU...
SEE ALSO:
ALLEGATIONS HEIGHTEN MUSLIM BIAS CONCERNS
Ron Howell, Newsday, 3/6/03
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/brooklyn/nyc-nymosq063159183mar06.story
A day after allegations that members of a Brooklyn mosque contributed
money
to terrorists, a Muslim leader said he was happy to report there were
no
bias incidents against places of worship.
But the leader said he was afraid that could quickly change if
officials
such as U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft continue to make blanket
allegations against Muslim immigrants.
"We don't have a problem with normal people, but we have a problem with
higher levels like the attorney general, because people like him incite
against Muslims," said Zein Rimawi, board member with the Arab Muslim
American Foundation, which represents mosques in the city...
"There's a climate of fear that pervades the South Asian, Arab and
Muslim
communities," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York
Civil Liberties Union. Like Rimawi, Lieberman blamed the administration
of
President George W. Bush.
"The Bush administration has engaged in policies since Sept. 11 that
created this climate and make those communities justifiably concerned
and
afraid," she said...
-----
USING TORTURE TO FIGHT TERROR
Richard Cohen, Washington Post, 3/6/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48626-2003Mar5.html
Of course, lots of nations practice it. Some of them, as it happens,
are
our allies. The Washington Post reported on Dec. 26 that the United
States
shipped -- "rendered," is the term of obfuscation -- some suspected
terrorists to these countries to be, well, tortured. The information is
then used by U.S. intelligence, which pretends ignorance. The Post
named
Jordan, Morocco and Egypt.
Here is what happened after The Post broke that story: nothing. The
Bush
administration naturally denied that it condones torture, and the
American
public, possibly busy returning Christmas presents, smartly moved on to
the
funny pages. Only some human rights organizations paid any attention,
but
they might as well have been yelling into the wind. No one gave a damn.
But we should. Just to be pragmatic, torture is not as effective as
it's
cracked up to be. Your average torture victim is likely to say anything
to
relieve the pain -- the truth, a lie or, if he happens to be innocent,
whatever will please his jailers...
-----
ISRAEL KILLS 11 PALESTINIANS IN RAID AFTER BUS BLAST
Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters, 3/6/03
JABALYA, Gaza Strip - Israeli forces killed at least 11 Palestinians,
including some torn apart by a tank shell, in a major raid in the Gaza
Strip on Thursday after a suicide bomber killed 15 people in Israel.
The Gaza bloodshed and Wednesday's bus bombing in the port city of
Haifa,
the first suicide attack in Israel for two months, battered U.S. hopes
of
dampening violence in the 29-month-old conflict ahead of a possible war
against Iraq.
Witnesses and medics said the tank round crashed into a crowd watching
firemen hose down a commercial building set ablaze in the raid on
Jabalya
refugee camp which triggered hours of pitched gunbattles...
SEE ALSO:
TWO REUTERS JOURNALISTS HURT IN GAZA VIOLENCE
Reuters, 3/6/03
GAZA - Two Reuters journalists were wounded when an Israeli tank shell
exploded in a crowd in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on
Thursday, witnesses said.
Photographer Ahmed Jadallah was hit by shrapnel in both legs and was
dragged away from the scene by bystanders, blood pouring from his
wounds.
Medics said he would undergo surgery later on Thursday. Television
cameraman Shams Odeh suffered a fractured foot.
Both had been working in the Jabalya refugee camp after it was attacked
by
Israeli armed forces following a suicide bombing carried out by a
Palestinian militant in the northern Israeli city of Haifa which killed
15
people on Wednesday.
Witnesses said Odeh and Jadallah were filming in Jabalya when a tank
shell
hit the refugee camp as a crowd tried to hose down a shop that had been
set
ablaze in the raid. Medical officials said eight people were killed in
the
shell attack...
---
WORLD BANK: 2 MILLION PALESTINIANS IN POVERTY
Steve Weizman, Associated Press, 3/6/03
JERUSALEM - A World Bank report published Wednesday said almost 2
million
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip live on less than $2 a
day,
triple the number before violence erupted in September 2000.
A U.N. report put out in tandem with the World Bank survey said the
traumatized Palestinian economy was a result of ongoing Israeli
military
closure of the Palestinian territories and called on Israel to ease
restrictions...
The World Bank report said that 60 percent of Palestinians, or 2
million
people, are living beneath the poverty line...
But Roed-Larsen said that massive aid would not solve the problem.
Instead,
Palestinians should be given the opportunity to manage their own
affairs.
"They cannot do this without access to markets, to services, to
workplaces,
to one another," Roed-Larsen said. "That is, only once Israel lifts its
restrictions on the movement of goods and people..."
---
SENSELESS KILLINGS
Ha'aretz, 3/6/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=269196
The Israel Defense Forces operations in the refugee camps of the Gaza
Strip
in recent weeks appear to have been carried out with reckless abandon.
Care
not to harm innocent bystanders - oft recited mechanically by military
commanders and ministers - has disappeared.
The operations are leaving dozens of dead civilians in their wake. Of
the
72 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in February, 25
were
civilians, including three children under the age of 10. A pregnant
woman
and two youths were among the dead in El-Bureij.
In demolishing the homes of terror activists, the IDF has also
destroyed
the property and possessions of neighbors who had nothing at all to do
with
anti-Israel activity before falling victim to the terror attacks,
reprisals
and counter-terrorism operations...
-----
STUDENTS ACROSS U.S. MOUNT ANTIWAR PROTESTS
Robert E. Pierre, Washington Post, 3/6/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48259-2003Mar5.html
CHICAGO, March 5 -- J.S. Irick, shivering in only his underwear,
chained
himself to a flagpole and smeared his body with red paint to represent
blood. Scores flung themselves on the student union floor to dramatize
the
innocent Iraqis they say will die if the United States invades that
country. More than 1,000 others skipped classes and trekked through
several
inches of snow this afternoon for an antiwar "teach-in" at the
University
of Chicago's Rockefeller chapel.
The acts of defiance on this campus were part of a coast-to-coast
effort in
which thousands of high school and college students cut class, read
poetry,
performed skits and played loud rock music to try to halt what they
view as
an irrational march toward war in Iraq.
More than 300 high schools and colleges participated in the protest,
characterized as a national student strike. Thousands of students in
Britain, Sweden, Spain and Australia rallied in solidarity with their
counterparts in the United States, who wanted to highlight the effects
of
war on domestic issues, including education, health care and the
economy...
SEE ALSO:
TROOPS 'TOLD OF MARCH 17 INVASION'
Daily Telegraph, 3/6/03
http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6084727%5E401,00.html
British troops had been told an invasion of Iraq would begin on March
17,
with a huge bombing campaign being launched four days earlier, the
Daily
Express in London has reported.
The tabloid quoted a senior government source, who it reported had
direct
access to British military planning in Kuwait, as saying that
"everything
is being geared up towards a ground invasion beginning on Monday
week..."
---
BRITAIN'S DIRTY SECRET
David Leigh and John Hooper, Guardian UK, 3/6/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,908426,00.html
A chemical plant which the US says is a key component in Iraq's
chemical
warfare arsenal was secretly built by Britain in 1985 behind the backs
of
the Americans, the Guardian can disclose.
Documents show British ministers knew at the time that the £14m plant,
called Falluja 2, was likely to be used for mustard and nerve gas
production.
Senior officials recorded in writing that Saddam Hussein was actively
gassing his opponents and that there was a "strong possibility" that
the
chlorine plant was intended by the Iraqis to make mustard gas. At the
time,
Saddam was known to be gassing Iranian troops in their thousands in the
Iran-Iraq war...
---
US DIVIDED OVER POST-WAR IRAQ
Toby Harnden, Telegraph, 3/6/03
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$BQHUWEW5ZIBV3QFIQMFSFFWAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2003/03/06/wirq106.xml
A battle is being waged within the Bush administration over plans for
rebuilding and governing Iraq after Saddam Hussein is overthrown.
Having lost its fight to prevent a war to force "regime change", the
State
Department is leading the attempt to stop the Pentagon installing Ahmad
Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress, as interim leader of
Iraq.
State Department officials are also pushing for the United Nations to
be
given a key role in the reconstruction of Iraq, a move that has
infuriated
those in the Pentagon and White House who regard the UN as
irrelevant...
Career officials at the CIA's Langley headquarters and the State
Department's offices at Foggy Bottom have long opposed Mr Chalabi and
see
the exiled Iraqi opposition as unlikely to command loyalty in the
country.
These officials, supported by Colin Powell, the secretary of state, say
a
military occupation lasting several years would be needed and an
American
or UN figure should be in charge...
---
STRANGELOVES IN BLOOM
James Pinkerton, Los Angeles Times, 3/6/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-oe-pink5mar05,0,6331095.story
It's a sign of the hawkish times that supporters of war against Iraq
are
able to get away with labeling antiwar doves as wimps and fools.
Indeed,
some pro- warriors go further, smearing antiwar Americans as dupes of
the
enemy.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) pronounces some antiwar
Democrats
guilty of "appeasement" toward Saddam Hussein; the neoconservative
Weekly
Standard makes the same accusation against the entire State Department
as
well as selected Republicans. Columnist Mona Charen has gone even
further;
in a new book titled "Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the
Cold
War and Still Blame America First," she attacks, among others, Jimmy
Carter, Al Gore and Madeleine Albright...
And last week, Council on Foreign Relations fellow Max Boot blasted all
antiwar opinion -- not only over the last year but also over the last
century -- saying protests slowed or thwarted U.S. victories from the
Spanish-American War to Vietnam.
Got that?
On its face, this argument may seem absurd, but its true absurdity is
found
in the criticism of peace movements.
Opposition to the U.S. occupation of the former Spanish colony of the
Philippines allegedly gave false hope to Washington's enemies,
encouraging
them to keep fighting. But was it really a good idea for the American
military to subdue the Philippines? It took 70,000 U.S. soldiers to
crush
the insurrectos, a four-year operation that cost 4,234 American lives
and
caused the deaths of 200,000 Filipinos. One might ask, what was the
upside
for the U.S...?
---
GOING OFF TO WAR SUPPLIED WITH LIES
Nicholas von Hoffman, New York Observer, 3/6/03
http://www.observer.com/pages/observer.asp
However much war may depress advertising and ruin the news budgets of
the
big media corporations, it gooses the ratings and makes stars of the
on-air
performers. And heroes, too: In December, HBO showed Live from Baghdad,
a
docudrama glorifying war whoredom. The same show is available around
the
clock on television as these journalistic war profiteers promote
themselves
and their careers...
On the 24/7 news channels, which have less news than time to fill, it
has
become a practice to pepper news programs with retired military
officers
whose actual or potential connections with the Pentagon are not
discussed.
Another type of media magpie commonly seen on the screen is the moldy
scrapings from the bottoms of the think tanks, those soi disant experts
whose real expertise is patriotic buncombe, self-promotion and red,
white
and blue humbug...
---
THE WAR ON SCHOOLS
Bob Herbert, New York Times, 3/6/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/06/opinion/06HERB.html
There's something surreal about the fact that the United States of
America,
the richest, most powerful nation in history, can't provide a basic
public
school education for all of its children.
Actually, that's wrong. Strike the word "can't." The correct word is
more
damning, more reflective of the motives of the people in power. The
correct
word is "won't."
Without giving the costs much thought, we'll spend hundreds of billions
of
dollars on an oil-powered misadventure in the Middle East. But we won't
scrape together the money for sufficient textbooks and teachers, or
even,
in some cases, to keep the doors open at public schools in struggling
districts from Boston on the East Coast to Portland on the West…
It's an insane society that can contemplate devastating and then
rebuilding
Iraq, but can't bring itself to provide schooling for all of its young
people here at home...
-----
OKLA. TO ALLOW SCARF FOR MUSLIM WOMEN
Anwar Iqbal, United Press International, 3/5/03
WASHINGTON - A decision by authorities in Oklahoma to allow Muslim
women to
wear scarves for driver's license photos has provoked a barrage of hate
mail, according to officials there.
In a letter to the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, the
state's
Department of Public Safety said: "A head covering will be permitted,
if
the head covering does not obscure a full front view of the face,
display
any: logo; insignia, symbol, or regalia; word or words; letter, number,
or
character, or graphic design."
The letter was released Wednesday by the Washington-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations. The group welcomed the fact that women in
the
state now can observe the Islamic restriction on keeping their head
covered
in identification pictures, both for driver's licenses and for
immigration
documents like green cards. The letter says the scarf, which should be
made
of a common fabric or material, should not "cast a shadow on the face
of
the person."
Batty said his department has received a lot of hate mail over the
issue,
which he attributed to media coverage of the measure -- including that
by UPI.
"The word Muslim (in your story) seems to have triggered" the mail, he
said.
"Was Timothy McVeigh not enough," Batty said one writer asked -- a
reference to the Oklahoma bomber. "My initial reaction to that was that
McVeigh wasn't a Muslim, he wasn't a woman and didn't wear a head
cover, so
I don't see the connection," said Batty...
-----
ILLINOIS CONFERENCE EXAMINES WOMEN IN RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP
WHAT: The Catholic Theological Union sponsoring, with the generous
support
of the Illinois Humanities Council, its third annual conference. This
year's title is "SISTERS: Women, Religion, and Leadership in
Christianity
and Islam"
The recent crises in the Catholic Church and in world politics have
lent
even bolder relief to questions bearing on the importance of women's
leadership in both Muslim and Catholic Christian settings. People are
asking important questions--many of which have been asked before, but
most
of which have somehow taken on a new importance--about the role of
women in
religious leadership past, present, and future.
Speakers include: Diana Hayes (Georgetown), Ingrid Mattson (Hartford
Seminary and ISNA), Dianne Bergant, CSA (Catholic Theological Union),
Amina
Wadud (Virginia Commonwealth University), Asma Afsaruddin (Notre Dame),
among others.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 19th and Thursday, March 20th
For more information, visit
www.ctu.edu/BernardinCenter/CMregistration.htm
-----
NO. CAL CONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON RELIGIOUS PLURALISM
WHAT: Conference on Islam in the context of religious diversity,
"Religious
Pluralism in the 21st Century: Muslim Identities in the Diaspora."
Scholars
on Islam who will speak include Dr. John L. Esposito of Georgetown
University, Dr. Hamid Algar of UC Berkeley, and Dr. Amina Wadud of
Virginia
Commonwealth University. Conference includes workshops, prayer, music,
art
and a handicrafts market, and the premiere of the documentary, "Oceans
of
Mercy: African American Sufi Muslims in the San Francisco Bay Area."
WHEN: Friday, March 7 at 3 P.M.
WHERE: 2400 Ridge Road, Berkeley
Registration $35.
Visit www.gtu.edu/islamic.html
-----
DC MUSLIM LEGAL FUND PROGRAM ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Muslim Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc. (MLDEF) is hosting a
reception
and fundraiser to "support lawyers fighting for the civil rights of
Muslims."
The reception will be held on Saturday, March 8th at 6:30 p.m. at Tec
Law
Group offices, 1150 Connecticut Ave, NW, 9th floor, Washington, D.C.
Dr.
Ziyad Motala of Howard University School of Law and Eric Erfan Vickers
will
be the keynote speakers at the program.
DONATIONS: Individuals: $35 & Patrons: $50
RSVP: Al Hajji Talib Karim, Esq. - (202) 862-4383
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
CAIR ACTION ALERT #369
MUSLIMS ADDRESS TERRORISM IN NATIONAL AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR ad says terrorism is "not condoned by Islam or any other religion"
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/7/03) - The issue of religiously-motivated
terrorism
will be addressed in the fourth installment of a national advertising
campaign designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to
counter
what ad sponsors say is a rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the
United
States.
SEE: www.americanmuslims.info
CAIR launched the year-long "Islam in America" campaign February 16
with an
ad on the New York Times editorial page. The first three ads featured
examples of ethnic diversity in the American Muslim community, a Muslim
Girl Scout troop in California and a Muslim woman explaining why modest
Islamic attire is both liberating and empowering.
The text of the latest CAIR ad reads: "Over the course of history, many
religions have fallen victim to violent interpretations. The texts and
teachings of all faiths are vulnerable to manipulation and abuse by
violent
extremists. Terrorism is a tactic employed by deluded individuals or
groups
to advance an ideological or political cause. It is not condoned by
Islam
or any other religion.
"American Muslims condemn all acts of terrorism and we are as outraged
as
our fellow Americans by atrocities committed in the name of God and our
religion.
"Islam, Christianity, Judaism and many other faiths share the basic
values
necessary to create a world where tolerance and peace prevail. We have
an
opportunity to build bridges between our faiths and challenge those who
attempt to repeat history by dividing humanity along religious and
ethnic
lines.
"It's up to people of conscience to seek and embrace the truth."
"We often hear that Muslims have not condemned terrorism enough since
the
9/11 attacks. This advertisement is designed to address that issue and
show
clearly Islam's and the American Muslim community's strong opposition
to
acts of violence against civilians, whether they are committed by
individuals, groups or states," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad
Awad.
Awad noted that the ad's message is consistent with the long-standing
and
repeated condemnation of terrorism by all major American Muslim
organizations.
The weekly CAIR ads, each explaining one aspect of Islam, are being
distributed to Muslim communities around America for placement in local
newspapers. All the advertisements previously published in the New York
Times are available at: http://www.americanmuslims.info/archive.asp
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 15 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
ACTION REQUESTED:
1. Publish each weekly ad in your local community's newspaper. (They
can
also be downloaded and used as posters, hand-outs, billboards, etc.)
This
is a year-long campaign, so you can get more favorable rates by
agreeing to
publish a series of ads instead of just one. For a step-by-step guide
to
publishing the "Islam in America" ads in your local newspaper, go to:
http://www.americanmuslims.info/instructions.asp
2. Donate to support the campaign. To send a contribution, fill out the
form below or go to:
https://secure42.softcomca.com/americanmuslims_info/donate.asp
- PLEASE POST, COPY AND DISTRIBUTE -
--- CLIP AND MAIL/FAX/E-MAIL ---
YES, I would like to support CAIR's "Islam in America" ad campaign by
donating $___________. Enclosed is my check, payable to CAIR.
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
TEL:
FAX:
E-MAIL:
Payment: ___Check ___VISA ___MasterCard ___Discover ___Money Order
Credit Card Number:
Exp. Date:
Name as on Card:
Signature: ________________________________________________
SEND TO: CAIR, 453 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003
FAX: 202-488-0833 E-MAIL: membership@cair-net.org
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/7/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE PROPHET AT HOME
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* ISLAMIC CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP OPENS ARIZONA OFFICE (AZ Republic)
* MUSLIMS CONDEMN TERRORISM STRONGLY AND CLEARLY (Times Union)
* ARAB, MUSLIM GROUPS FEAR BACKLASH ATTACKS (AP)
- Florida Charges Ex-Deputy with Threat (Atlanta Journal)
* MUSLIM LEADER RETURNS TO GIVE PRAYER AT STATE HOUSE
* AMERICA: DO NOT SACRIFICE CIVIL LIBERTIES (Florida Times-Union)
* AGENT WHO SAW 9/11 LAPSES FAULTS FBI ON TERROR (NY Times)
* AFGHAN PRISONERS BEATEN TO DEATH AT US BASE (Guardian)
- America Admits Suspects Died in Interrogations (Independent)
* PLAYING TEXAS POKER, BUSH BETS ALL ON IRAQ (Chicago Sun-Times)
- What Bush Isn't Saying About Iraq (Slate.com)
- Nightline: The Plan (ABC)
* A SURGE IN 'WORTHLESS KILLING' IN MIDEAST (Washington Post)
- U.S. Oks Israeli Retaliation if Iraq Attacks (LA Times)
- Israeli Troops Seize Chunk of Gaza Strip (AP)
* CAIR CONGRATULATES AMC AND AMA ON NEW ORGANIZATION
* ARABS SEEKING VOICE FORM PAC (Washington Post)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE PROPHET AT HOME
When a wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked:
"What
did the Prophet do at home?" She replied: "He used to work for his
family
and when he heard the (call to prayer), he would go out."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 276
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
ISLAMIC CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP TO OPEN ARIZONA OFFICE
Daniel González, Arizona Republic, 3/6/03
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0306muslim-ON.html
A national Islamic civil rights organization will open its first office
in
Arizona today as part of ongoing efforts to improve the image of
Muslims in
the United States and protect their civil rights.
The office of the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations will function as a place where Muslims can report
discrimination
and will serve as the Phoenix headquarters for disseminating
information
about Islam and Muslims, said executive director Deedra Abboud…
Including the Phoenix office, CAIR now has offices in 15 cities in the
United States and Canada and plans to open another 12 within the next
year,
said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington. DC.-based
organization.
"The need is growing by leaps and bounds," he said. The public is
invited
to attend an open house between 2-7 p.m. today at the organization's
new
Phoenix office at 202 E. McDowell Road, Suite 170, Abboud said. There
will
be 4 p.m. ceremony.
Abboud can be reached at directorcairaz.org or (602) 262-2247.
-----
MUSLIMS CONDEMN TERRORISM STRONGLY AND CLEARLY
Shazia Ahmad, The Times Union (Albany, NY), 3/6/03
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=112606
Every major Muslim organization in the United States and Canada,
without
exception, condemned the terrorist acts on Sept. 11 as unjustified and
immoral.
The Islamic Society of North America, an umbrella organization that
represents 2 million American Muslims, the Muslim Students Association
of
the U.S. and Canada, with 748 affiliated chapters on college and
university
campuses throughout the nation, and the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, based in Washington, D.C., were at the forefront in
condemning,
in the strongest possible terms, the violence against innocent life
that
took place on Sept. 11, 2001...
-----
ARAB, MUSLIM GROUPS FEAR BACKLASH ATTACKS
DEBORAH KONG, Associated Press
Anxiety over a U.S. invasion of Iraq could be fueling a small spate of
backlash attacks against Arab-Americans and Muslims in the United
States,
advocacy groups say.
In recent incidents, attackers have beaten people they perceived to be
Muslim and Arab, shouted racial slurs and scrawled "Nuke Iraq" on
buildings, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations and
the
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Backlash attacks swelled after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, then
tapered
off. Though small in number, the approximately half-dozen incidents in
recent weeks are the most the Council on American-Islamic Relations has
heard about in months, said Hodan Hassan, a council spokeswoman.
"It seems to correspond with the increasing tension regarding a
possible
war with Iraq and the recent elevation of the terror alert," she said.
"As
the rhetoric for war increases, we're seeing a lot of talk of 'us
versus
them…'"
The incidents have taken place in California, Georgia, New Jersey,
Oregon
and South Carolina, the groups say…
SEE ALSO:
FLORIDA CHARGES EX-BIBB DEPUTY WITH E-MAILING THREATS
BILL MONTGOMERY, Atlanta Journal, 3/7/03
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/metro_e386f3d26572300400d3.html
Bond was set at $5,000 Thursday for a former Bibb County deputy sheriff
jailed on a charge that he sent threatening e-mail to a South Florida
hospital last fall after three medical students were detained as
suspected
terrorists.
William T. Ethridge Jr., 52, of Alpharetta was arrested at his
apartment
Wednesday by GBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents and
Fulton County police on a Florida charge of "written threats to kill or
do
bodily injury…"
The Fulton County man is accused of threatening a south Miami hospital
where three Muslim medical students were scheduled to start work last
year.
The students were detained as terror suspects on a South Florida
highway
after a Cartersville woman said she overheard them making terroristic
remarks about the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Florida authorities said Ethridge sent an e-mail to the Larkin
Community
Hospital reading, in part: "I would hate to see your hospital have a
terrorist event. A word to the wise is BEWARE!!!!!!"
Authorities said Ethridge sent the threatening message Sept. 22,
several
days after the students had been stopped on the Alligator Alley stretch
of
I-75 in South Florida.
The students, who denied talking or joking about terrorism, were
detained
for 17 hours after authorities shut down a 20-mile stretch of I-75 and
searched their cars, but found nothing…
-----
MUSLIM LEADER RETURNS TO GIVE PRAYER AT STATE HOUSE
REBECCA COOK, Associated Press, 3/7/03
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Imam Mohamad Joban returned to the state House on
Friday morning to give the opening prayer, and this time everyone
listened.
Rep. Lois McMahan, R-Gig Harbor and Rep. Cary Condatta, R-East
Wenatchee,
sparked a controversy on Monday when they refused to listen to the
Muslim
leader's prayer. McMahan called her decision "an issue of patriotism"
and
linked Islam to terrorism.
Their actions prompted rebukes from a national Muslim group and from
state
Republican Chairman Chris Vance. On Friday, McMahan and Condatta both
shook
Joban's hand and apologized to him. Joban said he accepted their
apologies,
and invited them to visit him at the Islamic Center of Olympia...
Attendance is usually spotty, as it was Monday. On Friday, however,
nearly
all 98 representatives were standing at their desks, listening
respectfully
as Joban stepped up to the microphone…
"We pray that God guides the hearts of all good people of all faiths to
see
what we all have in common and pray that it makes us a stronger
community
in nation," he said, in part. He also prayed that America would win the
war
against terrorism.
Condatta said he thought the prayer was "great."
McMahan issued a written statement saying she stood at her desk "to
show my
support for Imam Mohamed (sic) Joban's God-given freedom of religion."
After the prayer, Joban and Muslim leaders from Olympia, Seattle and
Tacoma
met with reporters outside the House chambers. Joban said the
experience
was "very exciting."
He read from a letter he wrote to McMahan, accepting her apology. "What
you
did showed strength of character and moral fiber," he wrote.
-----
AMERICA: DO NOT SACRIFICE CIVIL LIBERTIES
CANDY KRUEGER, Florida Times-Union, 3/7/03
http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/030703/opl_11931219.shtml
I don't fear a potential foreign attacker as much as I do the real
threat
of losing my personal and civil freedoms.
I fear being controlled by a color-coded bureaucracy that can convince
intelligent people that plastic and tape will protect them from
bullets,
missiles and, ultimately, death…
The terrorist attacks were terrible. We will remember passionately for
a
long time, but our children's children will forget as we forgot the
Maine,
the invasion of Poland and all the other past atrocities.
We can't allow our government to dwell on the past or be molded by a
knee-jerk mentality, because, as a nation, we will go on.
We don't want future citizens to wonder why we sacrificed freedom and
independence to gain a safety our bureaucrats cannot ensure even if
they
had all the armies of the world behind them.
Bad things will always happen. We need strong leaders with sound
judgment
to see our country through hard times.
War or no war, we can't afford to sacrifice our civil liberties for
docility and artificial safety now.
-----
AGENT WHO SAW 9/11 LAPSES STILL FAULTS F.B.I. ON TERROR
PHILIP SHENON, New York Times, 3/6/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/06/politics/06THRE.html
WASHINGTON, March 5 - The veteran F.B.I. agent who exposed the bureau's
failure to heed evidence of terrorist plots before the Sept. 11 attacks
is
now warning her superiors that the bureau is not prepared to deal with
new
terrorist strikes that she and many colleagues fear would result from
an
American war with Iraq…
-----
AFGHAN PRISONERS BEATEN TO DEATH AT US MILITARY INTERROGATION BASE
Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, 3/7/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,909164,00.html
Two prisoners who died while being held for interrogation at the US
military base in Afghanistan had apparently been beaten, according to a
military pathologist's report. A criminal investigation is now under
way
into the deaths which have both been classified as homicides.
The deaths have led to calls for an inquiry into what interrogation
techniques are being used at the base where it is believed the al-Qaida
leader, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is now also being held. Former
prisoners at
the base claim that detainees are chained to the ceiling, shackled so
tightly that the blood flow stops, kept naked and hooded and kicked to
keep
them awake for days on end.
The two men, both Afghans, died last December at the US forces base in
Bagram, north of Kabul, where prisoners have been held for questioning.
The
autopsies found they had suffered "blunt force injuries" and classified
both deaths as homicides...
SEE ALSO:
AMERICA ADMITS SUSPECTS DIED IN INTERROGATIONS
Andrew Gumbel, Independent, 3/7/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=384604
American military officials acknowledged yesterday that two prisoners
captured in Afghanistan in December had been killed while under
interrogation at Bagram air base north of Kabul - reviving concerns
that
the US is resorting to torture in its treatment of Taliban fighters and
suspected al-Qa'ida operatives.
A spokesman for the air base confirmed that the official cause of death
of
the two men was "homicide", contradicting earlier accounts that one had
died of a heart attack and the other from a pulmonary embolism…
US officials previously admitted using "stress and duress" on prisoners
including sleep deprivation, denial of medication for battle injuries,
forcing them to stand or kneel for hours on end with hoods on,
subjecting
them to loud noises and sudden flashes of light and engaging in
culturally
humiliating practices such as having them kicked by female officers.
While the US claims this still constitutes "humane" treatment, human
rights
groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have
denounced it as torture as defined by international treaty…
-----
PLAYING TEXAS POKER, BUSH BETS ALL ON IRAQ
ROBERT NOVAK, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/7/03
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak061.html
Any suggestion that the present course largely echoes policies of the
Israeli government risks accusations of anti-Israeli and, indeed,
anti-Semitic bias.
Ever since the Six Day War of 1967, my late partner Rowland Evans and I
have faced such accusations whenever we questioned the wisdom of a
joint
U.S.-Israeli policy. Most recent was the column in the Washington Post
of
Feb. 18 by Lawrence F. Kaplan, a New Republic senior editor. He cited
me
and several other journalists in alleging that "invoking the specter of
dual loyalty" (to the United States and Israel) by Jewish Americans was
"toxic," polluting and even nullifying "public discourse."
Two days later on CNN's "Crossfire," I asked Kaplan to name one
instance
when I had suggested dual loyalty by anybody. He could not, because I
had
not. But more than misrepresenting me is involved. Origins of the
decision
to wage the war against terrorism by removing Saddam has nothing to do
with
the ethnic origins of its supporters, but constitute something that
should
be explored without being attacked.
On July 7, 1996, the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political
Studies
issued a paper by six "prominent opinion makers" laying out "a new
vision
for the U.S.-Israeli partnership" that urged an end to "land-for-peace"
concessions. Among many suggestions was to "focus on removing Saddam
Hussein from power in Iraq."
The "study group leader" preparing the report was Richard Perle, who as
chairman of the Pentagon's part-time Defense Policy Board has put
priority,
ever since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, on changing the regime in
Baghdad.
The group also includes two current full-time administration officials:
Douglas Feith, the undersecretary for policy at the Iraq-first
Pentagon,
and David Wurmser, a State Department senior adviser...
SEE ALSO:
WHAT BUSH ISN'T SAYING ABOUT IRAQ
Michael Kinsley, Slate.com, 10/24/03
http://slate.msn.com/id/2073093/PT
The lack of public discussion about the role of Israel in the thinking
of
"President Bush" is easier to understand, but weird nevertheless. It is
the
proverbial elephant in the room: Everybody sees it, no one mentions it.
The
reason is obvious and admirable: Neither supporters nor opponents of a
war
against Iraq wish to evoke the classic anti-Semitic image of the king's
Jewish advisers whispering poison into his ear and betraying the
country to
foreign interests. But the consequence of this massive "Shhhhhhhhh!" is
to
make a perfectly valid American concern for a democratic ally in a
region
of nutty theocracies, rotting monarchies, and worse seem furtive and
suspicious…
---
NIGHTLINE: THE PLAN
ABC News: Nightline, 3/5/03
http://abcnews.go.com/Sections/Nightline/
TED KOPPEL
You can watch our story tonight on at least two levels. One, the
conspiracy
theory, as in this excerpt from a Scottish newspaper, the Glasgow
"Sunday
Herald". "A secret blueprint for US global domination reveals that
President Bush and his cabinet were planning a premeditated attack on
Iraq
to secure regime change even before he took power in January 2001." And
a
similar, if slightly more hysterical version from a Russian paper, the
"Moscow Times". "Not since Mein Kampf has a geopolitical punch been so
blatantly telegraphed, years ahead of the blow."
Take away the somewhat hyperbolic references to conspiracy, however,
and
you're left with a story that has the additional advantage of being
true.
Back in 1997, a group of Washington heavyweights, almost all of them
neo-conservatives, formed an organization called the Project for the
New
American Century. They did what former government officials and
politicians
frequently do when they're out of power, they began formulating a
strategy,
in this case, a foreign policy strategy, that might bring influence to
bear
on the Administration then in power, headed by President Clinton. Or
failing that, on a new Administration that might someday come to power.
They were pushing for the elimination of Saddam Hussein. And proposing
the
establishment of a strong US military presence in the Persian Gulf,
linked
to a willingness to use force to protect vital American interests in
the
Gulf. All of that might be of purely academic interest were it not for
the
fact that among the men behind that campaign were such names as, Dick
Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz. What was, back in 1997,
merely
a theory, is now, in 2003, US policy. Hardly a conspiracy, the proposal
was
out there for anyone to see. But certainly an interesting case study of
how
columnists, commentators, and think-tank intellectuals can, with time
and
the election of a sympathetic president, change the course of American
foreign policy…
JACKIE JUDD
Out of all this, a conspiracy theory blossomed, especially in Europe.
From
Scotland to Russia to England. Writers who oppose a war have written
about
a cabal of neo-conservatives pulling the strings of the President. A
cabal
with visions of an imperialist America dominating the world. Even Ian
Lustick thinks the Project has acted in a conspiratorial way.
PROFESSOR IAN LUSTICK
This group, what I call the tom-tom beaters, have set an agenda and
have
made the President feel that he has to live up to their definitions of
manliness, their definitions of success and fear, their definitions of
failure…
-----
A SURGE IN 'WORTHLESS KILLING' IN MIDEAST
John Ward Anderson and Molly Moore, Washington Post, 3/7/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53753-2003Mar6.html
JABALYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip, March 6 -- Around sunrise today, as
Israeli tanks began withdrawing from the northern Gaza Strip after a
night
of heavy fighting, Adel Abdallah joined dozens of neighbors and a
handful
of firefighters in a desperate bid to extinguish a blaze raging through
an
apartment building and store.
From down the street, without warning, Palestinian hospital
authorities
and witnesses said, a departing tank fired a final shell that slammed
into
the burning building and spewed shrapnel, killing eight people and
injuring
at least 60…
Palestinian witnesses and hospital officials, some of whom said the
Israeli
tank fired something similar to a flechette antipersonnel round -- a
shell
packed with about 1,000 inch-long arrows. An Israeli army spokesman
said
only "three regular tank shells" were fired during the entire operation
in
an effort to rout Palestinians accused of attacks against Israel.
Residents said the incident occurred after they thought the Israeli
tanks
had withdrawn following a night of fighting. They said people had
converged
on the street to help the firefighters when a tank shell came out of
nowhere.
Video footage of the explosions taken by a Palestinian film crew --
reviewed in slow motion, frame by frame -- showed that two firefighters
were wrestling with a hose, spraying water on the flaming building,
when a
projectile hit the building and showered the area with what appeared to
be
white-hot pieces of shrapnel.
"I was on the balcony because they had withdrawn and I thought it was
safe,
and then they fired a shell," said Khalil Matter, 37, who lives in the
building next door. "This does not help Israeli security. It increases
the
hatred of the Palestinians…"
SEE ALSO:
U.S. REPORTEDLY HAS OKD ISRAELI RETALIATION IF IRAQ ATTACKS
Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times, 3/7/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/la-fg-usisrael7mar07,1,704033.story
In a marked departure from the U.S. approach during the Persian Gulf
War,
the Bush administration has signaled that it would accept an Israeli
retaliation against a devastating Iraqi missile attack, U.S. officials
say…
In private, there has been agreement that if an attack is not
catastrophic
but still significant, the two sides would consider the specifics and
discuss whether Israel or the U.S. should respond, officials say. Such
a
formulation, they acknowledge, still leaves room for disagreements
between
the two countries.
But the American shift on the politically charged issue is the latest
sign
of how much more closely the U.S. and Israel are coordinating in the
buildup to an increasingly likely war than they did last time around.
It
comes at a time of growing political pressure in both countries for the
Bush administration to allow the Jewish state to defend itself.
In the U.S., Jewish American organizations as well as conservative
Christian groups that are a bedrock of Bush's political support have
urged
that Israel be given a free hand…
---
ISRAELI TROOPS SEIZE CHUNK OF GAZA STRIP
IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press, 3/7/03
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli troops reoccupied a chunk of the
northern Gaza Strip on Friday to stop Palestinian rocket attacks on
nearby
Israeli towns, deploying dozens of tanks, blocking roads and seizing
rooftops in a crowded four-square-mile area…
Palestinian officials said about 6,000 Palestinians live in the area
seized, most in Beit Lahiya, which is closest to the border fence with
Israel.
About 40 tanks and military vehicles were parked Friday on a sandy hill
overlooking Beit Lahiya and Jabaliya. Troops took over a former
Palestinian
police base and an elementary school, witnesses said. Bulldozers
cleared
orchard trees and farm land that the military said provided cover for
Palestinians firing rockets.
Mansour Abu Hamad, a 33-year-old lawyer living in the reoccupied zone,
said
Israeli troops surrounded his five-story apartment building and seized
the
rooftop of an adjacent building. From that position, troops fired from
time
to time toward a large housing project across the street, Abu Hamad
said by
telephone.
-----
CAIR CONGRATULATES AMC AND AMA ON NEW ORGANIZATION
The board and staff of CAIR congratulate American Muslim Council and
American Muslim Alliance on their endeavor to establish a new Islamic
organization. We wish them the best to help Muslim in American and we
stand
ready to continue our cooperation and support. May God bless you.
---
AMC AND AMA AGREE TO ESTABLISH A NEW ORGANIZATION
Washington, DC/San Francisco, CA - March 6, 2003: The Chairman of
American
Muslim Council, Dr. Yahya Mossa Basha, and the Chairman of the American
Muslim Alliance, Dr. Agha Saeed, signed a memorandum of understanding
on
March 1, 2003 agreeing to establish a new Muslim organization.
The MOU authorizes the Boards of Directors of both the organizations to
follow a stipulated timeline for creating a brand new entity named
National
American Muslim Federation (NAMF). It is anticipated that AMC and AMA
will
be completely dissolved in connection with the formation of NAMF.
"This is a change to signal progress for the community, and it is one
more
step to meet news challenges," said Dr. Basha in a statement.
"This act of unity, we believe, will help create a new grammar of hope,
a
broader agenda for activism, a far more diversified leadership, and a
far
more effective vehicle for gaining efficacy as citizens of the United
States," Dr. Agha Saeed said.
-----
ARABS SEEKING VOICE FORM PAC
Chris L. Jenkins, Washington Post, 3/7/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54174-2003Mar6.html
A group of Arab American professionals from Northern Virginia who want
a
bigger voice for their community in state and local politics have begun
raising campaign money and plan to back candidates in this year's
elections.
Leaders of the New Dominion Political Action Committee say the new
organization will be secular, including Christians and Muslims, and
will
work for candidates of both parties. The idea, they said, is not to
focus
on foreign policy but on local issues affecting Arab Americans,
including
education, access to health care and the protection of civil liberties…
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/9/2003
HEADLINES:
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CIA HOLDS YOUNG SONS OF CAPTURED AL-QA'EDA CHIEF (Telegraph)
- 'They will do what is needed to get the information'
- Questioning Suspects in a Dark and Surreal World (NY Times)
* JIMMY CARTER SAYS IRAQ WAR UNJUST (New York Times)
- NY Times Says No War Without International Support
- Washington Post Says More Diplomacy Needed
- The Xanax Cowboy (New York Times)
- British Minister Says will Quit if War Without UN (Reuters)
- Some Evidence on Iraq Called Fake (Washington Post)
- Harkin: I was fooled on Bush Iraq plans (Des Moines Register)
* IS IT GOOD FOR THE JEWS? (New York Times)
* VT REFUGEE ASSISTANCE CALLS HALT AMID OVERFLOW (AP)
* MUSLIMS, NOT OTHERS PROSECUTED FOR HELPING IRAQ (Post-Standard)
* AN EPIDEMIC OF STUPIDITY, INTOLERANCE (San Jose Mercury News)
* TERRORISM BY ANY OTHER NAME (Haaretz)
* CHECHEN REFUGEES REJECT VOTE (Newsday)
* FRENCH SOLDIERS FIND MUSLIM CORPSES IN IVORY COAST (Reuters)
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CIA HOLDS YOUNG SONS OF CAPTURED AL-QA'EDA CHIEF
Olga Craig, Telegraph, 3/9/03
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/03/09/walqa09.xml
Two young sons of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of
the
September 11 attacks, are being used by the CIA to force their father
to talk.
Yousef al-Khalid, nine, and his brother, Abed al-Khalid, seven, were
taken
into custody in Pakistan last September when intelligence officers
raided a
flat in Karachi where their father had been hiding.
He fled just hours before the raid but his two young sons, along with
another senior al-Qa'eda member, were found cowering behind a wardrobe
in
the apartment.
The boys have been held by the Pakistani authorities but this weekend
they
were flown to America where they will be questioned about their father.
Last night CIA interrogators confirmed that the boys were staying at a
secret address where they were being encouraged to talk about their
father's activities…
SEE ALSO:
'THEY WILL DO WHAT IS NEEDED TO GET THE INFORMATION - AND FAST'
Olga Craig, Telegraph, 3/9/03
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/03/09/walqa309.xml
"He is the mother lode," says George G Tenet, the CIA's director.
"Almost
half of our successes in eliminating more than a third of al-Qa'eda's
leadership have come from interrogations of their captured members at
Bagram."
What he is less forthcoming about, however, are the methods used to
extract
such information. As Cofer Black, the former head of the CIA's
counter-intelligence centre, says: "That is classified information.
Let's
just say this. There was before 9/11 and there is after 9/11. After
9/11
the gloves came off…"
At Bagram, where the White House argues that al-Qa'eda prisoners are
"unlawful combatants" and thus not entitled to the protection of the
Geneva
Convention, the CIA has carte blanche to employ the "stress and duress"
techniques that it has honed since the Vietnam war.
As one informed CIA official puts it: "Let's just say we are not averse
to
a little smacky face. After all, if you don't violate a prisoner's
human
rights some of the time then you aren't doing your job…"
If testimonies from other prisoners are anything to go by, Mohammed
will
have been blindfolded and sent crashing into the walls of the 7ft x 6ft
cell in which he was held in Pakistan before being flown - still
shackled
and probably bound to a stretcher with duct tape - to Bagram.
His body will have been tied in excruciatingly painful positions for
hours
on end, he will have been subjected to deafeningly loud sounds and,
when
the blindfold was finally removed, blinded by bright lights for 24
hours…
Any injuries that may have been sustained when he was seized and
transported are unlikely to have been attended to by his captors. When
Abu
Zubaida, a senior al-Qa'eda member, was captured in Pakistan last March
for
example, he was shot in the groin.
National security officials conceded that initially no medication had
been
administered. "His wound wasn't life threatening," the military police
officer says with a shrug. "He survived."
Once inside Bagram a favoured technique is the "false flag'. Using fake
decor and disguises, the prisoner is led to believe that he is in a
country
with a reputation for brutality. Female interrogators are used, a
psychologically jarring experience for men reared in a Muslim culture
in
which women are never in control…
With Khalid Sheikh Mohammed the CIA interrogators hold an ace card.
Last
September, special forces came within moments of capturing him when
they
raided a flat where he was hiding. Though he had fled, his two sons
aged
seven and nine were still inside.
They have been in custody in Pakistan ever since. "It is an area where
we
know he will be vulnerable," says a Pakistan intelligence official.
"They
are being well cared for but, as a father, he will be frantic about
their
wellbeing…"
On Friday it was revealed that two al-Qa'eda prisoners at Bagram died
as a
result of ill treatment. Post-mortem examinations showed that they had
been
beaten with blunt instruments and their deaths were classified as
homicides.
Former detainees have also signed statements alleging that they were
hung
from ceilings, kicked to keep them awake and beaten. The CIA is saying
little. Off the record, however, the former official acknowledged: "We
do
what we do with our eyes open. I don't think the Bush administration is
going to be wasting much time investigating this…"
---
QUESTIONING TERROR SUSPECTS IN A DARK AND SURREAL WORLD
DON VAN NATTA Jr., New York Times, 3/9/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/international/09DETA.html
CAIRO, March 8 - The capture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed provides
American
authorities with their best opportunity yet to prevent attacks by Al
Qaeda
and track down Osama bin Laden. But the detention also presents a
tactical
and moral challenge when it comes to the interrogation techniques used
to
obtain vital information.
Senior American officials said physical torture would not be used
against
Mr. Mohammed, regarded as the operations chief of Al Qaeda and
mastermind
of the Sept. 11 attacks. They said his interrogation would rely on what
they consider acceptable techniques like sleep and light deprivation
and
the temporary withholding of food, water, access to sunlight and
medical
attention.
American officials acknowledged that such techniques were recently
applied
as part of the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, the highest-ranking Qaeda
operative in custody until the capture of Mr. Mohammed. Painkillers
were
withheld from Mr. Zubaydah, who was shot several times during his
capture
in Pakistan…
Routine techniques include covering suspects' heads with black hoods
for
hours at a time and forcing them to stand or kneel in uncomfortable
positions in extreme cold or heat, American and other officials
familiar
with interrogations said. Questioners may also feign friendship and
respect
to elicit information. In some cases, American officials said, women
are
used as interrogators to try to humiliate men unaccustomed to dealing
with
women in positions of authority.
Rights advocates and lawyers for prisoners' rights have accused the
United
States of quietly embracing torture as an acceptable means of getting
information in the global antiterrorism campaign. "They don't have a
policy
on torture," said Holly Burkhalter, the United States director of
Physicians for Human Rights, one of five groups pressing the Pentagon
for
assurances detainees are not being tortured. "There is no specific
policy
that eschews torture."
Critics also assert that transferring Qaeda suspects to countries where
torture is believed common - like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia -
violates
American law and the 1984 international convention against torture,
which
bans such transfers…
-----
JIMMY CARTER SAYS IRAQ WAR UNJUST
Just War - or a Just War?
JIMMY CARTER, New York Times, 3/9/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/opinion/09CART.html
ATLANTA - Profound changes have been taking place in American foreign
policy, reversing consistent bipartisan commitments that for more than
two
centuries have earned our nation greatness. These commitments have been
predicated on basic religious principles, respect for international
law,
and alliances that resulted in wise decisions and mutual restraint. Our
apparent determination to launch a war against Iraq, without
international
support, is a violation of these premises.
As a Christian and as a president who was severely provoked by
international crises, I became thoroughly familiar with the principles
of a
just war, and it is clear that a substantially unilateral attack on
Iraq
does not meet these standards. This is an almost universal conviction
of
religious leaders, with the most notable exception of a few spokesmen
of
the Southern Baptist Convention who are greatly influenced by their
commitment to Israel based on eschatological, or final days, theology…
SEE ALSO:
NY TIMES SAYS NO WAR WITHOUT INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
Saying No to War
New York Times, 3/9/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/opinion/09SUN1.html
Within days, barring a diplomatic breakthrough, President Bush will
decide
whether to send American troops into Iraq in the face of United Nations
opposition. We believe there is a better option involving long-running,
stepped-up weapons inspections. But like everyone else in America, we
feel
the window closing. If it comes down to a question of yes or no to
invasion
without broad international support, our answer is no.
Even though Hans Blix, the chief weapons inspector, said that Saddam
Hussein was not in complete compliance with United Nations orders to
disarm, the report of the inspectors on Friday was generally
devastating to
the American position. They not only argued that progress was being
made,
they also discounted the idea that Iraq was actively attempting to
manufacture nuclear weapons. History shows that inspectors can be
misled,
and that Mr. Hussein can never be trusted to disarm and stay disarmed
on
his own accord. But a far larger and more aggressive inspection
program,
backed by a firm and united Security Council, could keep a permanent
lid on
Iraq's weapons program.
By adding hundreds of additional inspectors, using the threat of force
to
give them a free hand and maintaining the option of attacking Iraq if
it
tries to shake free of a smothering inspection program, the United
States
could obtain much of what it was originally hoping to achieve. Mr.
Hussein
would now be likely to accept such an intrusive U.N. operation. Had Mr.
Bush managed the showdown with Iraq in a more measured manner, he would
now
be in a position to rally the U.N. behind that bigger, tougher
inspection
program, declare victory and take most of the troops home.
Unfortunately, by demanding regime change, Mr. Bush has made it much
harder
for Washington to embrace this kind of long-term strategy. He has
talked
himself into a corner where war or an unthinkable American retreat seem
to
be the only alternatives visible to the administration. Every signal
from
the White House is that the diplomatic negotiations will be over in
days,
not weeks. Every signal from the United Nations is that when that day
arrives, the United States will not have Security Council sanction to
attack.
There are circumstances under which the president would have to act
militarily no matter what the Security Council said. If America was
attacked, we would have to respond swiftly and fiercely. But despite
endless efforts by the Bush administration to connect Iraq to Sept. 11,
the
evidence simply isn't there. The administration has demonstrated that
Iraq
had members of Al Qaeda living within its borders, but that same
accusation
could be lodged against any number of American allies in the region. It
is
natural to suspect that one of America's enemies might be actively
aiding
another, but nations are not supposed to launch military invasions
based on
hunches and fragmentary intelligence.
The second argument the Bush administration cites for invading Iraq is
its
refusal to obey U.N. orders that it disarm. That's a good reason, but
not
when the U.N. itself believes disarmament is occurring and the weapons
inspections can be made to work. If the United States ignores the
Security
Council and attacks on its own, the first victim in the conflict will
be
the United Nations itself. The whole scenario calls to mind that
Vietnam-era catch phrase about how we had to destroy a village in order
to
save it.
President Bush has switched his own rationale for the invasion several
times. Right now, the underlying theory seems to be that the United
States
can transform the Middle East by toppling Saddam Hussein, turning Iraq
into
a showplace democracy and inspiring the rest of the region to follow
suit.
That's another fine goal that seems impossible to accomplish outside
the
context of broad international agreement. The idea that the resolution
to
all the longstanding, complicated problems of that area begins with a
quick
military action is both seductive and extremely dangerous. The Bush
administration has not been willing to risk any political capital in
attempting to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians,
but
now the president is theorizing that invading Iraq will do the trick.
Given the corner Mr. Bush has painted himself in, withdrawing troops -
even
if a considerable slice remains behind - would be an admission of
failure.
He obviously intends to go ahead, and bet on the very good chance that
the
Iraqi army will fall quickly. The fact that the United Nations might be
irreparably weakened would not much bother his conservative political
base
at home, nor would the outcry abroad. But in the long run, this country
needs a strong international body to keep the peace and defuse tension
in a
dozen different potential crisis points around the world. It needs the
support of its allies, particularly embattled states like Pakistan, to
fight the war on terror. And it needs to demonstrate by example that
there
are certain rules that everybody has to follow, one of the most
important
of which is that you do not invade another country for any but the most
compelling of reasons. When the purpose is fuzzy, or based on
questionable
propositions, it's time to stop and look for other, less extreme means
to
achieve your goals.
---
WASH. POST SAYS MORE DIPLOMACY NEEDED
Moment of Decision
Washington Post, 3/9/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63346-2003Mar8.html
The United States, for its part, must remain open to reasonable
compromise.
If a few more weeks of diplomacy will serve to assuage the legitimate
concerns of undecided council members, the effort -- even at this late
date
-- would be worth making.
---
THE XANAX COWBOY
MAUREEN DOWD, New York Times, 3/9/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/opinion/09DOWD.html
It still confuses many Americans that, in a world full of vicious
slimeballs, we're about to bomb one that didn't attack us on 9/11 (like
Osama); that isn't intercepting our planes (like North Korea); that
isn't
financing Al Qaeda (like Saudi Arabia); that isn't home to Osama and
his
lieutenants (like Pakistan); that isn't a host body for terrorists
(like
Iran, Lebanon and Syria).
I think the president is genuinely obsessed with protecting Americans
and
believes that smoking Saddam will reduce the chances of Islamic
terrorists'
snatching catastrophic weapons. That is why no cost - shattering the
U.N.,
NATO, the European alliance, Tony Blair's career and the U.S. budget -
is
too high...
William Greider writes in The Nation, "As a bogus rallying cry,
`Remember
9/11' ranks with `Remember the Maine' of 1898 for war with Spain or the
Gulf of Tonkin resolution of 1964. . . ." A culture more besotted with
inane "reality" TV than scary reality is easily misled. Mr. Greider
pointed
out that in a Times/CBS News survey, 42 percent believe Saddam was
personally responsible for the attack on the World Trade Center and
Pentagon, and in an ABC News poll, 55 percent believe he gives direct
support to Al Qaeda.
The case for war has been incoherent due to overlapping reasons
conservatives want to get Saddam.
The president wants to avenge his father, and please his base by
changing
the historical ellipsis on the Persian Gulf war to a period. Donald
Rumsfeld wants to exorcise the post-Vietnam focus on American
imperfections
and limitations. Dick Cheney wants to establish America's primacy as
the
sole superpower. Richard Perle wants to liberate Iraq and remove a
mortal
threat to Israel. After Desert Storm, Paul Wolfowitz posited that
containment is a relic, and that America must aggressively pre-empt
nuclear
threats.
And in 1997, Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard and Fox News, and
other
conservatives, published a "statement of principles," signed by Jeb
Bush
and future Bush officials - Mr. Rumsfeld, Mr. Cheney, Mr. Wolfowitz,
Scooter Libby and Elliott Abrams. Rejecting 41's realpolitik and
shaping
what would become 43's pre-emption strategy, they exhorted a "Reaganite
policy of military strength and moral clarity," with America extending
its
domain by challenging "regimes hostile to our interests and values…"
---
BRITISH MINISTER SAYS WILL QUIT IF WAR WITHOUT UN
Reuters, 3/9/03
LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) - A leading member of British Prime Minister
Tony
Blair's government said on Sunday she would resign her position if the
country went to war with Iraq without the backing of a second U.N.
resolution.
The announcement ratcheted up the pressure on Blair, facing rising
disaffection from the public and his own party over his unswerving
support
for a U.S.-led attack to remove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from
power.
"I will not uphold a breach of international law or this undermining of
the
U.N. and I will resign from the government," International Development
Secretary Clare Short told the BBC.
"I think it's time for cards on the table. I think I owe it to my
colleagues in the government and members of the Labour party to just be
truthful about my position. It's the time to say what my intentions
are,"
she added.
Short would be first high ranking member of the government to quit her
post
over the issue…
---
SOME EVIDENCE ON IRAQ CALLED FAKE
Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 3/8/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59403-2003Mar7.html
A key piece of evidence linking Iraq to a nuclear weapons program
appears
to have been fabricated, the United Nations' chief nuclear inspector
said
yesterday in a report that called into question U.S. and British claims
about Iraq's secret nuclear ambitions.
Documents that purportedly showed Iraqi officials shopping for uranium
in
Africa two years ago were deemed "not authentic" after careful scrutiny
by
U.N. and independent experts, Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of
the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told the U.N. Security
Council.
ElBaradei also rejected a key Bush administration claim -- made twice
by
the president in major speeches and repeated by Secretary of State
Colin L.
Powell yesterday -- that Iraq had tried to purchase high-strength
aluminum
tubes to use in centrifuges for uranium enrichment. Also, ElBaradei
reported finding no evidence of banned weapons or nuclear material in
an
extensive sweep of Iraq using advanced radiation detectors.
"There is no indication of resumed nuclear activities," ElBaradei said.
Knowledgeable sources familiar with the forgery investigation described
the
faked evidence as a series of letters between Iraqi agents and
officials in
the central African nation of Niger. The documents had been given to
the
U.N. inspectors by Britain and reviewed extensively by U.S.
intelligence.
The forgers had made relatively crude errors that eventually gave them
away
-- including names and titles that did not match up with the
individuals
who held office at the time the letters were purportedly written, the
officials said.
"We fell for it," said one U.S. official who reviewed the documents…
---
HARKIN: I WAS FOOLED ON BUSH IRAQ PLANS
JANE NORMAN, Des Moines Register, 3/7/03
http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/20672471.html
Washington, D.C. - Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa said Thursday
that if
Congress were voting now on its resolution authorizing the president to
take military action against Iraq, he would oppose it.
"I'm not going to be fooled twice," said Harkin, who backed President
Bush
on the resolution last year.
Harkin said he did so because the language required the administration
to
seek diplomatic solutions to the standoff with Iraq and to make full
reports to Congress on the progress of diplomacy.
Instead, "In my adult life, with the exception of Vietnam, this has
been
the biggest failure of diplomacy we've had," said Harkin.
The Senate voted 77-23 last October in favor of the sweeping
resolution,
which was also approved by the House. While Congress put constraints on
President Bush in the document, the resolution does not require
legislative
approval for a military strike against Iraq or mandate United Nations
approval.
Harkin, who at the time was in a re-election race against former Rep.
Greg
Ganske, was one of 29 Senate Democrats who backed the resolution.
Ganske
supported it in the House.
Harkin said that at the time, he believed Bush was trying to seek a
peaceful solution in Iraq, but instead the administration has been
"like
the cowboy who rode out of Texas, all guns blazing" in pursuit of Iraqi
leader Saddam Hussein.
"As I look back, it sure looks like the administration was never
serious
about resolving the situation peacefully - I thought they were," said
Harkin…
-----
IS IT GOOD FOR THE JEWS?
BILL KELLER, New York Times, 3/8/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/08/opinion/08KELL.html
Maybe we're all a little too desperate these days for a simple formula
to
explain how our safe world came unhinged. That, as much as anything,
may
explain one of the more enduring conspiracy theories of the moment, the
notion that we are about to send a quarter of a million American
soldiers
to war for the sake of Israel.
This idea has received only fleeting attention in the mainstream
discussion
of our looming invasion of Iraq, and it would not deserve more except
for
three things: (1) The idea that this war is about Israel is persistent
and
more widely held than you may think. (2) It has interesting ripples in
our
domestic politics. (3) It has, like many dubious theories, sprouted
from a
seed of truth. Israel is part of the story. And why shouldn't it be?
The conspiracy theory appears in several variations, ranging from
malignant
to merely cynical, but it goes something like this: A cadre of
pro-Zionist
zealots within the Bush administration and among its media chorus (the
"amen corner," as the isolationist Pat Buchanan crudely called them
last
time we threatened Iraq) has long schemed to make the Middle East safer
for
Israel by uprooting the hostile regime of Saddam Hussein. They have
finally
succeeded, the theory goes, in pushing their agenda up to the desk of a
gullible president.
Exhibit A for this plot is a document entitled "A Clean Break: A New
Strategy for Securing the Realm," prepared in 1996 by a group of
American
defense thinkers for the hard-line Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of
Israel. This study proposed an aggressive redirection of Israeli
strategy,
including a plan for "removing Saddam Hussein from power." Three of the
authors of the prescription - Richard Perle, Douglas Feith and David
Wurmser -are now prominent "embeds" in the Bush administration…
Reinforcing this sinister narrative is the suspicion that the
presidential
mastermind Karl Rove designed the war as shameless pandering to
Florida's
Jewish voters and to the tens of millions of evangelical Christians who
have taken up Israel as a passion. (Many evangelicals love Israel
because
in their Biblical end-of-days scenario, the gathering of Jews in the
Holy
Land is necessary for the Second Coming. Inconveniently for the Jews,
the
story calls for them to either abandon their beliefs or be exterminated
in
time for the great rapture.)
-----
VT REFUGEE ASSISTANCE CALLS HALT AMID OVERFLOW
DAVID GRAM, Associated Press, 3/9/03
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The head of a refugee aid group on Sunday
renewed
his call for the Canadian government to drop its policy of giving
asylum
seekers appointments with immigration officers and turning them back to
the
United States.
Patrick Giantonio, director of Vermont Refugee Assistance, cited two
motivations for his group's announcement that as of Friday, it will
stop
acting as the relief valve for the crisis at the border and cease
arranging
room and board for new asylum seekers awaiting appointments.
VRA has two part-time staff members who have been putting in 100-hour
weeks
since January and can't do it any more, Giantonio said. "We're
strapped. We
just don't have the resources," he said.
Many volunteers in Vermont "have been wonderful" in offering
assistance, he
said, adding much praise for the Salvation Army in Burlingoton, which
has
been providing shelter in its chapel for refugees for more than a
month.
Those efforts have reached their limit, he said.
In addition, Giantonio said there was a growing sense that his tiny
organization was being used by Canada to address a problem created by a
Canadian government policy that could be changed at any time.
"All they need to do is bring on a few more immigration officers,"
Giantonio said.
"VRA is neither a disaster relief organization nor a human service
agency.
We have no additional human or financial resources for this effort
other
than those already committed," said a letter from Giantonio and Major
James
Fletcher, director of the Salvation Army in Burlington, sent last week
to
Denis Coderre, Canadian minister of citizenship and immigration.
"Neither do we wish to facilitate the ability of governments to
implement
policies and procedures we believe to be unjust and unnecessary and
which
have simple solutions but lack the will to achieve them," the letter
said.
The crisis began to build in the fall, when a new U.S. policy requiring
special registrations by male immigrants from 25 mostly Muslim
countries
began to trigger a large flow of asylum seekers north toward Canada.
Many
had overstayed their visas in the U.S.
The border crossing between Champlain, N.Y., and Lacolle, Quebec,
became a
flash point due to the high volume of refugees seeking to enter Canada
there...
In many instances, asylum seekers were turned back from Canadian
customs
and were intercepted by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
Service,
with husbands and grown sons jailed and mothers and younger children
left
in the hands of the charitable groups.
Canadian authorities have said repeatedly that they adopted the policy
of
setting appointments in the future for asylum seekers because border
personnel at Lacolle could not handle the numbers of people arriving in
recent months.
But when those denied immediate entry were returned to U.S., their
status
of having expired visas prompted authorities to jail them and begin
deportation proceedings.
"Why the hell are we detaining and deporting people who are trying to
leave
the U.S.?" Giantonio asked Sunday…
-----
OTHER GROUP HELPING IN IRAQ NOT PROSECUTED
Renee K. Gadoua, Post-Standard, 3/7/03
http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-7/104703007286030.xml
The same federal act used to indict three Central New Yorkers accused
of
illegally sending money to Iraq has not been enforced against at least
a
dozen local residents who openly violated U.S. law by traveling there.
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act authorizes U.S.
sanctions
against Iraq. Four Muslims, including three Onondaga County residents,
were
indicted Feb. 26 on charges that include violating the act by using the
Syracuse-based charity Help the Needy to send money to Iraq without a
license.
About 600 people have brought medical supplies and other goods with
them to
Iraq since the Chicago-based peace group Voices in the Wilderness
formed in
1996. Group officials and supporters said they are unaware of any
arrests
or investigations of the organization. It and four delegates face
$50,000
in fines imposed by the federal Office of Foreign Assets Control in
November because the group delivered medicine without a permit to Iraq
in
1998.
"Every time we send a delegation to Iraq we break the sanctions," said
Bitta Mostofi, speaking for Voices in the Wilderness. "We do it
intentionally and knowingly."
Two Central New Yorkers, Cynthia Banas of Vernon and Ed Kinane of
Syracuse,
are in Iraq as part of a peace delegation with Voices in the
Wilderness.
Glenn Suddaby, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York,
said he
is not familiar with Voices in the Wilderness or any investigation of
the
group or its donors.
"This (Help the Needy) is a fraud case that's occurred here," he said.
"Funneling money to Iraq is only part of this investigation."
Federal prosecutors say Help the Needy and Help the Needy Endowment,
which
said they would help starving and oppressed Iraqis, lacked a required
license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control to send money or
goods to
Iraq.
Voices in the Wilderness does not have a license. Nor does it plan to
pay
the fines, Mostofi said.
"We do not believe any human being should seek permission to aid
another
human being in need," she said. "If they want to give us permission, go
ahead, but we don't feel like we need it."
The press office of the assets control office, the branch of the U.S.
Department of Treasury that enforces U.S. trade laws, did not return
two
phone calls Thursday.
Voices officials were unfamiliar with the Help the Needy case, but said
the
group's stated intention of helping oppressed people in Iraq mirrors
their
own goal.
"It's very telling about the policies of this country that Muslims and
people affiliated with it (the Muslim community) are handcuffed and so
quickly taken away when relatively all-white, Christian peace groups
have
been treated as we have, which is the threat of fines or minimal
fines,"
Mostofi said…
-----
AN EPIDEMIC OF STUPIDITY, INTOLERANCE
Peter Delevett, San Jose Mercury News, 3/9/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/5352313.htm
Every time we turn around these days, it seems another public figure
says
something incredibly dumb.
The latest to show off her ignorance was Washington state Rep. Lois
McMahan, a law-and-order Republican from suburban Tacoma.
As in many states, our neighbors to the north like to kick off their
legislative sessions with a prayer. Monday's chaplain was a Muslim
cleric
named Mohamad Joban.
As Joban began to pray, McMahan and another legislator walked out.
McMahan -- in one of the more stunning recent examples of official
intolerance -- later called her protest "an issue of patriotism,"
adding
that Islam is "part and parcel with the attack on America."
To blame the world's 1.3 billion Muslims for the acts of a few fanatics
is
like blaming every white man with a mustache for Hitler's atrocities…
-----
TERRORISM BY ANY OTHER NAME
GIDEON LEVY, HAARETZ, 3/9/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=270513
Terrorism begets terrorism - there is no other way to describe the
violent
relations that have developed between us and the Palestinians. There is
no
need to elaborate on the cruelty of their terrorist attacks, certainly
not
for the Israeli reader, and even less so after last week's horrific
suicide
bombing in Haifa. Murderers of children are murderers of children,
without
any ifs or buts. The debate is over our attacks, which we are trying to
conceal by definitions that soften them and with tortuous accounts and
excuses offered by the Israel Defense Forces, which do not always meet
the
test of truth or reasonability…
Israel's efforts at obfuscation are intended above all to keep our
conscience clean. This is false posturing that can no longer be
countenanced. When the IDF demolished a mosque on the "Philadelphi"
route
on the outskirts of Rafah and immediately claimed that the building had
been abandoned, no one asked why the mosque had been abandoned. Here is
the
real sequence of events: first the Gaza Strip is occupied, then
settlements
are established in it, then guarded roads are built to protect the
settlers. In the next stage, after the Palestinians begin to rebel
violently against the occupation, we begin killing them until they are
forced to abandon the mosque and indeed the entire area. Finally the
"abandoned" mosque is demolished. But to us it seems that only the
Palestinians destroy holy places, such as Joseph's Tomb. Our conscience
is
pure and unblemished, always.
-----
CHECHEN REFUGEES REJECT VOTE
Liam Pleven, Newsday, 3/9/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wochec093164508mar09,0,5129129.story
Eager to end the separatist war that has killed thousands over the past
decade, Russian officials have scheduled a referendum March 23 on a
constitution that would declare Chechnya an "inalienable" part of
Russia.
Moscow aims to use the vote to show that one of the world's bloodiest
and
most intractable conflicts is basically over, and that calm is
returning to
a region that has been linked to international terrorism.
"The Chechen people want peace and ... [have] a chance to say so out
loud
at the referendum," Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said last month.
But with armed clashes commonplace and tens of thousands of Russian
soldiers still in Chechnya, many refugees at the camps near this town
just
outside the Chechen border say they have no intention of returning to
take
part in a vote they regard as useless. In effect, they plan to abstain
with
their feet.
"Even if they have a referendum, there won't be an end to the war. Only
when they pull the troops out," said a woman named Koka, who fled
Grozny,
the Chechen capital, in 1999.
"There can't be any voting at gunpoint," she said…
Such views are a blow to the Russian contention that conditions are
returning to normal in Chechnya.
To bolster the vote, Russian officials are promising buses to carry
refugees just over the border to cast ballots. They also are offering
housing in Grozny to longtime tent-dwellers, some of whose former homes
are
rubble.
At the same time, Moscow has said it will let roughly 23,000 Russian
soldiers in Chechnya, almost 5 percent of the eligible electorate, cast
votes…
-----
FRENCH SOLDIERS FIND CORPSES IN IVORY COAST TOWN
Clar Ni Chonghaile, Reuters, 3/9/03
DUEKOUE, Ivory Coast, March 9 (Reuters) - The French army in Ivory
Coast
said on Sunday it had found corpses and signs of serious violence
against
civilians at a deserted rebel-held town and a rebel leader said 200
civilians had been butchered there.
Rebel commander Ousmane Coulibaly said he believed more than 200
civilians
were killed in Friday's attack on Bangolo, which he blamed on Liberian
mercenaries allied to President Laurent Gbagbo's army…
The rebels said they repulsed the assault on Bangolo, some 600 km (375
miles) northwest of Ivory Coast's main city, Abidjan, but not before
the
attackers reached the centre of town and started killing civilians
suspected of backing the rebels.
Coulibaly said the victims were mostly foreigners and Ivorians from the
mainly Muslim north.
"I asked the French to come and see the dead. There is an entire Dioula
neighbourhood that was decimated. All the houses are full of bodies,
only
the imam escaped alive," he said…
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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 - 3/10/2003
HEADLINES:
* BREAKING NEWS: CIA DENIES HOLDING CHILDREN OF TERROR SUSPECT
* HADITH OF THE DAY: BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4757 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
- Positive Feedback on Ad Campaign
* EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT CAIR SACRAMENTO
* NATIONAL MUSLIM GROUP OPENS NEW OFFICE IN ARIZONA
* MEDIA REQUEST: CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES TARGETING MUSLIMS
* BUSH SR WARNING OVER UNILATERAL ACTION (London Times)
- A Hazy Target (LA Times)
- Troops Get a Quick Course on Islam (Star Telegram)
* MUSLIM WOMEN'S STRUGGLE (Newsday)
- Federal Raid in Idaho Town Creates Anxiety (SF Chronicle)
- Civil Rights Leaders Urge Muslims to Protest Violations (Crimson)
* THE ISRAELI WILD CARD (Newsweek)
- Israeli Military Joined In Cycle of Casualties (Miami Herald)
- Murder of a Population Under Cover Of Righteousness (Ha'aretz)
- U.S. To Allow IDF Action Even During War (Ha'aretz)
- When the Israeli Army Comes Calling (BBC)
* ARCHAEOLOGISTS SURVEY SITE CLAIMED BY HINDUS, MUSLIMS (AP)
* LEGISLATION WOULD CHANGE RULES ON LIBRARY RECORDS (National Journal)
-----
BREAKING NEWS: CIA DENIES HOLDING CHILDREN OF TERROR SUSPECT
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/10/03) - A CIA official today termed "utterly
false" a
British media report claiming the spy agency is holding the 7- and
9-year-old sons of suspected Al-Qa'eda mastermind Khalid Sheikh
Mohammed at
a secret location in the United States.
CIA Spokesman Tom Crispell told the Washington-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) that an article making that claim in
yesterday's Telegraph newspaper is "completely and utterly false…every
fact
in that report is false." Crispell also called the article "scurrilous"
and
said the CIA is not holding the children in the United States or
anywhere
else, and no third party is holding the children on the agency's
behalf.
The Telegraph report said the boys were being held in a bid to pressure
their father into revealing details about his role in recent terrorist
attacks. The newspaper quoted what it said were "CIA interrogators" who
confirmed that the boys were being "encouraged" to talk about their
father's activities.
SEE: "CIA Holds Young Sons of Captured al-Qa'eda Chief"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/03/09/walqa09.xml
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone is pleased
have
God and His Messenger love him, he should speak the truth when he says
anything, fulfill his trust when he is put in a position of authority
and
be a good neighbor."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1289
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4757 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 4757 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
SEE ALSO: POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON AD CAMPAIGN
"I completely agree with CAIR that Muslims have to take the initiative
now,
more than ever, to define their religion and its basic teachings. God
willing, this ad campaign that you have started should go a long way in
clearing misconceptions about Muslims. Campaigns like this are needed
not
just for release in America but globally." - Dubai
-----
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT CAIR SACRAMENTO
CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) California is seeking
applicants for to position of:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CAIR-CA/Sacramento Valley Office, Sacramento, California
Interested candidates should apply by March 15, 2003, with a
comprehensive
resume stating education, work history, references, along with copies
of
relevant academic certificates to:
CAIR Southern California
HR Department
2180 W. Crescent Ave., Suite F
Anaheim, CA 92801
Fax: 714-776-1847
E-MAIL: cair_sca@cair-california.org (Please do not send attachments.)
-----
NATIONAL MUSLIM GROUP OPENS NEW OFFICE IN ARIZONA
CAIR-Arizona will promote civil rights and religious diversity
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/10/03) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) announced today that it has opened a new office in Arizona.
CAIR's
Phoenix office (CAIR-AZ) joins 16 others the Washington-based Islamic
civil
rights and advocacy group has nationwide and in Canada.
The new CAIR-AZ affiliate will assist the local Muslim community in
dealing
with issues related to political participation, civil rights and
interfaith
dialogue. SEE: "Islamic Civil Rights Group to Open Arizona Office,"
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0306muslim-ON.html
"We have had an overwhelming number of requests for information about
Islam
and Muslims. Now we will have a solid base for responding to these
requests
and for dealing with reports of anti-Muslim discrimination and bias,"
said
CAIR-AZ Executive Director Deedra Abboud.
"CAIR's Arizona affiliate will add an important component to our
network of
offices nationwide. It is through local offices that CAIR is able to
serve
the needs of the Muslim community and to help promote greater
understanding
of Islam," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad. Ahmad added that CAIR
plans
to open a number of other regional offices in the coming months.
There are an estimated 15,000 Muslims in Arizona, seven million in
America
and some 1.2 billion worldwide. For background on the American Muslim
community, see "The Mosque in America: A National Portrait," at:
http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport/
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 15 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-AZ, Deedra Abboud, 602-738-2482; CAIR-National, Ibrahim
Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms.
Hodan
Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-MAIL: hhassan@cair-net.org
-----
MEDIA REQUEST: CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES TARGETING MUSLIMS
How do you feel about Christian Missionaries actively seeking out
Muslim
converts here and especially abroad? We at NY Times Television are
doing a
documentary which in part addresses the growing activities among
Christian
missionaries in converting Islamic believers overseas, and here in US.
We
are looking for a well spoken Islamic scholar, writer or informed
community
leader who can address a two fold issue on camera: Are there currently
activities within Islam equivalent to the proselytizing efforts of
Christian Missionaries? What organizations might we speak with in the
US
about this, ideally in the Northeast, though we will consider responses
from other parts of the US as well.
The second set of questions is about how it feels from an Islamic point
of
view that these proselytizing efforts are being organized around the
world.
Please send responses and suggestions as soon as possible to
juliam@nytimes.com.
Thank you,
Julia Morrison, Associate Producer
New York Times Television
-----
BUSH SR WARNING OVER UNILATERAL ACTION
Roland Watson, London Times, 3/10/03
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-605441,00.html
The first President Bush has told his son that hopes of peace in the
Middle
East would be ruined if a war with Iraq were not backed by
international
unity.
Drawing on his own experiences before and after the 1991 Gulf War, Mr
Bush
Sr said that the brief flowering of hope for Arab-Israeli relations a
decade ago would never have happened if America had ignored the will of
the
United Nations.
He also urged the President to resist his tendency to bear grudges,
advising his son to bridge the rift between the United States, France
and
Germany.
"You've got to reach out to the other person. You've got to convince
them
that long-term friendship should trump short-term adversity," he said.
The former President's comments reflect unease among the Bush family
and
its entourage at the way that George W. Bush is ignoring international
opinion and overriding the institutions that his father sought to
uphold.
Mr Bush Sr is a former US Ambassador to the UN and comes from a family
steeped in multi-lateralist traditions...
SEE ALSO:
A HAZY TARGET
William M. Arkin, Los Angeles Times, 3/10/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-op-arkin9mar09004511,0,4564058.story
SOUTH POMFRET, Vt - For all their differences, proponents and opponents
of
war with Iraq agree on one thing: The paramount threat posed by Saddam
Hussein is his possession of chemical and biological weapons...
Incredible as it may seem, given all the talk by the administration --
including Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's discourse last week
about
continuing Iraqi deception -- there is simply no hard intelligence of
any
such Iraqi weapons.
There is not a single confirmed biological or chemical target on their
lists, Air Force officers working on the war plan say...
---
TROOPS GET A QUICK COURSE ON ISLAM
Brett Hoffman, Fort Star-Telegram, 3/10/03
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/5357242.htm
As U.S. troops prepare for deployment to the Middle East for a
potential
war with Iraq, Frank Baker can be called at a moment's notice to give
Fort
Bliss-based soldiers a heads-up on common Muslim practices.
Baker, a Muslim, briefs reassigned soldiers for about an hour and
fields
questions on Islam at the El Paso Army base.
"The most important thing is that a soldier understands what Islamic
religion is about," said Baker, Fort Bliss' director of international
training. "You need to know basics, such the five essential pillars of
Islam that includes prayer and fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimages."
The
other pillar is declaration of one's faith in Allah...
The predominantly Christian U.S. force is told, for example, that
observant
Muslims pray five times a day.
"If you're on the street and you see someone on a rug bending up and
down,
you know the guy is not crazy, he's just praying," Baker said. "'You
should
know that [Muslims] pray five times a day. Some of them put their rug
anywhere. You should not walk on a prayer rug or stand in front of
them..."
-----
MUSLIM WOMEN'S STRUGGLE
Bart Jones, Newsday, 3/10/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-limusl103166000mar10,0,2788189.story
They hail from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt and other
nations. They share the same religion: Islam.
They gathered yesterday at the Islamic Center of Long Island in
Westbury to
celebrate International Women's Day and to talk in part about what it
is
like to be a Muslim woman in the United States after the Sept. 11
terrorist
attacks and as the country appears poised to unleash war against Iraq.
For many, Long Island has been a generally accepting place to live even
after the terrorist attacks, but some fear a backlash against Muslims
if
the United States goes to war against Iraq.
"People are in a state of panic," said Nazli Chaudhry, a native of
Pakistan
who lives in Commack. "It's kind of brewing. It's going to burst out -
that
hatred can't be contained."
Still, many of the women said they were hopeful that the goodwill most
Long
Islanders have shown Muslims would continue even in the event of war...
SEE ALSO:
FEDERAL RAID IN IDAHO TOWN CREATES ANXIETY FOR MUSLIMS
John M. Hubbell, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/10/03
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/10/MN41108.DTL
A recent predawn arrest of a Muslim doctoral student in Moscow, Idaho,
has
left residents there wondering if the roughly 100 federal agents who
swarmed into their small college town made a major terror-related bust
or
an alarming blunder.
A detention hearing is to be held in Boise on Tuesday for Sami Omar
Al-Hussayen, who faces an 11-count federal indictment for alleged visa
fraud and making false statements to the government. Al-Hussayen, who
has
pleaded not guilty to the charges, is a Saudi Arabian who has studied
computer science at the University of Idaho since 1999.
While Al-Hussayen, 34, faces no direct terror-related counts, federal
prosecutors allege that he failed to disclose his role in the Islamic
Assembly of North America, a Muslim charity based in Michigan whose
offices
were raided at the time of his arrest on Feb. 26. Simultaneously in
Syracuse, N.Y., four other men were arrested on charges they used Help
the
Needy, an affiliated charity, to funnel money to Iraq...
As the day unfolded, Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne credited Al-Hussayen's
arrest in part to post-Sept. 11 security measures, while agents
"questioned
all the Saudi students . . . and a number of other Muslim students,
some of
whom had possible immigration irregularities," said Elizabeth Brandt, a
professor at the University of Idaho College of Law.
She said students told her that agents confiscated some of their hard
drives and told them, erroneously, that they had no right to legal
counsel.
Officials have defended the timing and nature of their actions as
necessary
to coincide with related moves in Michigan and New York.
Meanwhile, Brandt said, the indictment of Al-Hussayen itself "does not
comport with their understanding of him." She and others recall
Al-Hussayen
as a vocal critic of the Sept. 11 attacks, a man who coordinated a
blood
drive for victims and walked in a town vigil dedicated to their memory.
"I don't know what evidence they have," said Michael Whiteman, who
directs
the University of Idaho's international programs. "An indictment," he
said,
"is an accusation..."
---
CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS URGE MUSLIM AMERICANS TO PROTEST VIOLATIONS
Nathan J. Heller, The Crimson, 3/10/03
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=346053
Three civil rights leaders urged Muslim Americans and others to speak
out
against government encroachment on civil liberties at panel at the
Divinity
School yesterday morning.
The discussion, which was part of the two-day Islam in America 2003
conference, focused on violations of American Muslims' civil rights
since
the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Panelists said ethnic profiling stemming from restrictive national
security
measures has become a prominent concern for the nation's Muslim
community.
Civil rights lawyer Stanley L. Cohen and co-panelists Joshua Salaam and
Salam Al-Marayati urged audience members to speak out if they found
their
rights restricted.
"What can we do?" Cohen asked rhetorically. "Fight back. Do not go
silently
into the night. Stand up, organize, boycott, demonstrate."
Joshua Salaam, who is director of the Civil Rights Department for the
Council on American-Islamic Relations explored possible causes for what
he
termed the "vilification of the Islamic community" in government
discourse
and media coverage.
"The power of rhetoric is so important," he said, "and the power of
media
is so important. I don't even know if you can blame people who fall
into
this, because we all fall victim to rhetoric..."
All three panelists stressed the need for solidarity with Muslim
Americans.
"We have a lot of great players," said Salaam, joking that he felt
compelled to use a sports analogy. "But you can't win alone..."
-----
THE ISRAELI WILD CARD
Joshua Hammer, Newsweek, 3/10/03
http://www.msnbc.com/news/882793.asp
Israel might also step up military assaults in its own backyard. In
recent
weeks the Israeli military has escalated hit-and-run raids in the Gaza
Strip in an effort to eradicate strongholds of the militant group
Hamas.
The raids have caused appalling civilian casualties. Palestinians fear
that, with world attention focused on the Iraqi conflict, Sharon could
order a far bloodier reoccupation of the Gaza Strip. Israeli analysts
and
government officials say Sharon isn't likely to risk such a move.
"Sharon is extremely sensitive to what he hears from the White House,"
says
Shai Feldman of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv.
"The
costs would be too high [for the U.S.-Israeli relationship]." Yet
Sharon
has consistently placed Israel's security concerns, or his
interpretation
of them, ahead of United States interests. With the second gulf war
looming, some fear he'll do it again-with potentially calamitous
results.
SEE ALSO:
GAZA, ISRAELI MILITARY AGAIN JOINED IN CYCLE OF CASUALTIES, BLAME
Carol Rosenberg, Miami Herald, 3/10/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/5358504.htm
The crowd grew to about 200 Arab children, some circling on bikes and
others throwing stones at the newest Israeli tank emplacement in Gaza
when
a shot rang out on Sunday morning, usually a school day.
A boy had been aiming a stick, rifle-style, at the Israeli armor dug
into
dunes above -- and was hit in the leg, then whisked away in an
ambulance
that was idling nearby...
In the early days of this uprising, Israel said it had no interest in
taking back Gaza territory it had ceded under the 1993 Oslo peace
agreement, opting instead to deal with violence directed from Gaza by
targeted assassinations.
Now, Israel is doing both. It has tank emplacements scattered around
the
strip, and it sent helicopter gunships this weekend to kill four men
riding
in a car in downtown Gaza, notably Ibrahim Makadme, 53, a leader of
Hamas'
military wing, the Qassam Brigades. Last week, a column of tanks went
into
the Jabalya refugee camp to arrest another Hamas activist, and 11
people
were killed in fierce overnight firefights...
---
MURDER OF A POPULATION UNDER COVER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Shulamit Aloni, Ha'aretz, 3/6/03
http://www.haaretz.co.il/
(Translated from Hebrew.)
We do not have gas chambers and crematoria, but there is no one fixed
method for genocide...
The government of Israel, using the military and its instruments of
destruction, is not only spilling blood, but it is also suffocating.
What
other name can be given to the dropping of a one-ton bomb over a dense
urban area, when the justification uttered is that we wanted to murder
a
dangerous terrorist and his wife? The rest of the citizens who were
killed
and injured, among whom are children and women, do not count, of
course.
How is it possible to explain the expulsion of citizens from their
homes at
three o'clock in the morning on a rainy night, then depositing bombs in
the
house and then departing without warning? When those expelled returned
to
their home, the bombs were exploded and a brutal murder and destruction
of
property was thus committed. And what is the justification for what
happened in Jenin? We did not destroy the whole neighbourhood, just 85
houses; it was not slaughter, we killed only 50-some citizens. How
many
does one need to murder and destroy for it to be a crime? - A crime
against
humanity, as determined by the Laws of the State of Israel, not only
the
laws of Belgium...
---
U.S. TO ALLOW IDF ACTION IN TERRITORIES EVEN DURING WAR
Aluf Benn, Haaretz, 3/10/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=270733
Last Wednesday, during a nighttime cabinet meeting following the
suicide
bombing in Haifa that killed 16 people, government ministers heard a
report
from security officials on Israel Defense Forces activities in the Gaza
Strip...
The ministers were told that from now on the IDF would seize control of
areas in the Strip that it has never entered in the past, and that
assassinations would continue. As customary during cabinet meetings,
the
names of the candidates for assassination were not given, and no
distinction was made between military and political leaders...
The U.S. administration avoided criticizing recent IDF operations in
the
Gaza Strip and did not put pressure on Israel to stop them. Israel was
condemned only for harming Palestinian civilians and for the
humanitarian
distress in the territories. In this case as well the U.S.
administration
was relatively moderate and Jerusalem noticed the inconsistencies in
U.S.
behavior: the criticism was delivered by White House and State
Department
spokesmen, but in private talks and in diplomatic channels, the
Americans
avoided raising the issue with Israeli officials...
-----
WHEN THE ISRAELI ARMY COMES CALLING
Alan Johnston, BBC, 3/10/03
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/from_our_own_correspondent/2829245.stm
Alan Johnston has just spent nearly two weeks living with a Palestinian
family in the West Bank city of Nablus looking at how the lives of
hundreds
of thousands of ordinary people are being re-shaped by the seemingly
endless confrontation:
The beam from the searchlight caught the house, and the living room
around
us was suddenly awash with light.
We stood motionless, listening to the Israeli armour grind slowly up
the
street. Would the soldiers pass by - or were they coming for us? They
stopped at our gate.
It was two in the morning, and it seemed that in a moment, the troops
would
be pounding on our door.
We had heard their loudspeaker earlier, ordering people to come out of
their homes with their hands on their heads. But then the patrol gunned
its
engines. It was turning and moving on.
Leila began to laugh softly. "Now you know why we smoke so much," she
said.
I knew all along that even if we were ordered out, my identity card
would
show that I was a foreign journalist, and I'd be left alone.
But for a moment, standing in the beam of the searchlight, you did get
a
little of the sense of what it is to be a Palestinian when the Israeli
army
comes calling in the night...
-----
ARCHAEOLOGISTS SURVEY SITE CLAIMED BY HINDUS, MUSLIMS IN INDIA
Prajnan Bhattacharya, Associated Press, 3/10/03
AYODHYA, India - Government archaeologists guarded by police on Monday
began a survey of South Asia's most disputed religious site, where a
long-running squabble over a temple and a mosque has fueled deadly
riots
and transformed India's politics.
Experts from the Archaeological Survey of India examined the site in
the
northern town of Ayodhya where the 16th century Babri Mosque was
destroyed
in 1992 by thousands of Hindu activists, with spades, crowbars and bare
hands.
The High Court of northern Uttar Pradesh has ordered archeologists to
determine within four weeks whether a Hindu temple once existed at the
site, 550 kilometers (345 miles) southeast of New Delhi.
B.R. Mani, the leader of the archaeologists' team, said a preliminary
survey had been made at the site, which was guarded by more than 2,100
police officers. Excavation is likely to begin on March 12, local
officials
said...
The movement to build a Hindu temple at the site has transformed the
fortunes of India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party,
which
was once an insignificant political force.
With legislative elections for five states due later this year and
federal
polls in 2004, leaders of Vajpayee's party have raised anti-Muslim
rhetoric
and sought to portray themselves as defenders of the Hindu majority...
-----
LEGISLATION WOULD CHANGE RULES ON ACCESS TO LIBRARY RECORDS
Drew Clark, National Journal, 3/10/03
http://nationaljournal.com/
The drive to reverse parts of the 2001 anti-terrorism law known as the
USA
PATRIOT Act began on Thursday, with Rep. Bernard Sanders filing a bill
designed to shield libraries from revealing their patrons' records
without
evidence of criminal activity.
Sanders, I-Vt., said his bill would protect library patrons' freedom to
read without fear that their records would be relinquished to the
government. Under a provision in the current law, libraries and other
business can be compelled to give the personal records to the FBI if
law
enforcement officials say they are relevant to an international
terrorism
investigation. Although excised from the House anti-terrorism bill by
bipartisan agreement, the language remained in the Senate version that
ultimately became law.
The provision freed the FBI from having to demonstrate probable cause
of
criminal activity or of an individual's connection to a foreign power
before getting the library records.
"This legislation will protect libraries, bookstores and their patrons
from
unjustified government surveillance into what books Americans are
reading
or buying and what Web sites they may be visiting when using a library
computer," Sanders said in a press conference. "The threat of terrorism
must not be used as an excuse by the government to intrude upon our
basic
constitutional rights."
Democratic Reps. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, Raul Grijalva of Arizona
and
Peter DeFazio of Oregon joined Sanders at the press conference. Texas
Rep.
Ron Paul is the only Republican among the 23 co-sponsors of the bill,
but
Sanders said he expects more.
For more information, see:
http://bernie.house.gov/statements/20030307183831.asp
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MUSLIM UNIVERSITY STUDENTS THREATENED IN CALIFORNIA
CAIR meets with FBI about threat to shoot Muslims on campus
(SAN JOSE, CA, 3/10/2003) - The Northern California office of the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NCA) said today it met Friday with
the
FBI about threats made against Muslim students at San Jose State
University
(SJSU). The threats took the form of expletive-laden graffiti scrawled
at
locations around the campus. One threat stated: "Muslims will be shot
on
San Jose State University campus on March 10, 2003."
After being informed of the threatening graffiti by the campus Muslim
Students Association, CAIR-NCA Executive Director Helal Omeira called
for a
meeting with SJSU police, the local FBI Hate Crimes Unit, the San Jose
Police Department, and the university's Office of the President to
address
the security concerns of Muslim students. Participants in that meeting
mapped out a plan to deal with the threats.
"It is encouraging to see that law enforcement authorities are taking
these
threats very seriously and are doing all they can to ensure the safety
of
San Jose State University students. We appreciate the quick response
and
the professional manner in which the Muslim community's concerns were
addressed," said CAIR-NCA President Fouad Khatib.
In a message sent to Muslim students on campus, SJSU President Robert
L.
Caret stated in part: "It appears that all the messages were the work
of
one individual. The San Jose State University Police Department is
working
with other local and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate
these
incidents. If you see any similar messages, please call the San Jose
State
University Police Department 408-924-2222 immediately."
The threats are just one of a series of anti-Muslim incidents across
the
country reported to CAIR in the last few weeks. Physical assaults
against
Muslims have been reported in Northern California, Southern California,
Georgia, New Jersey, and South Carolina. One incident in Yorba Linda,
Calif., left a Muslim teenager badly beaten by a group that allegedly
included white supremacists.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 15 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-NCA, 408-476-7843 or 408-986-9874, E-MAIL:
cair_nca@cair-california.org; CAIR-National, Ibrahim Hooper,
202-488-8787
or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan,
202-488-8787
or 202-439-1441, E-MAIL: hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/11/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: WORK FOR THE POOR
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
- Group Attempts to Counter Anti-Muslim Rhetoric (VOA)
- CAIR Tackles Issue of Terrorism in Ads (UPI)
* SOME BLAME ISRAEL FOR IRAQ WAR (JTA)
- Moran Said Jews Are Pushing War (Washington Post)
- Were Neo-Cons' 1998 Memos a Blueprint for Iraq War? (ABC)
- Lunch with the Chairman (New Yorker)
* WASHINGTON FURIOUS AT ISRAELI LEAKS (AFP)
- Stopping 'Transfer' of Palestinians During War (Antiwar.com)
- Contact Congress to Oppose New Aid to Israel
* IS WEAPONS CASE AGAINST IRAQ DISINTEGRATING? (ABC)
- U.S. Diplomat Resigns Over Iraq War Plans (Reuters)
- Secretive U.S. 'Information' Office Back (AP)
- March 15 Rally in DC Against War in Iraq
* MUSLIM STUDENTS REFUSE TO BOW TO HATE GRAFFITI (LA Times)
- Graffiti Warns Muslims to be Shot at Campus (Reuters)
- All of Us Must Fight Bigotry (LA Times)
* LIBRARIES POST PATRIOT ACT WARNINGS (SF Chronicle)
- Mosque Voices Concerns Over FBI Surveillance (AP)
- FBI Gets a Crash Course on the Islamic World (Newsday)
* BAY AREA PAKISTANIS RESENT REGISTRATION RULE (Mercury News)
- Philadelphia Program Aids Those Registering With INS
* KORAN TO BE TRANSLATED INTO IRISH (Reuters)
* INDIAN MUSLIMS QUESTION FAIRNESS OF EXCAVATION (AP)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: WORK FOR THE POOR
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The one who looks after
and
works for a widow and for a poor person, is like a soldier fighting for
God's cause, or like a person who fasts during the day and prays all
the
night."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 35
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
SEE ALSO:
ISLAMIC ADVOCACY GROUP ATTEMPTS TO COUNTER ANTI-MUSLIM RHETORIC
Meredith Buel, Voice of America, 3/7/03
http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectid=D2F343B3-5310-4A5C-8F2274A4D7B9753F
To listen to Meredith Buel's report in Real Audio, go to:
http://www.voanews.com/mediastore/buel_islam_us_7mar03.ram
An Islamic advocacy group has launched an advertising campaign in the
United States to counter what it says is a rising tide of anti-Muslim
rhetoric. Organizers say the effort is designed to present an accurate
picture of Islam.
When many Americans see Islam portrayed in news reports it is often
linked
to extremism and terrorism, such as the latest tape from Osama bin
Laden or
suicide bombings in Israel.
This negative news coverage has prompted the Washington-based Council
on
American-Islamic Relations - or CAIR - to begin a year-long media
campaign
called "Islam in America."
The communications director for the council, Ibrahim Hooper, says he
hopes
the ad campaign will help reverse the negative image some Americans
have of
the Muslim faith. "Well that is one of the main factors that led us to
do
the campaign, was defining Islam," he said. "So often Islam is defined
by
extremists on both sides. Both on the right-wing and evangelical
circles
and from Muslim extremists. So we need to define that Muslim center to
take
it out of the hands of both of these sets of extremists and that is
what we
are trying to do here..."
---
CAPITAL COMMENT
United Press International, 3/10/03
http://upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030310-040334-9515r
Ad-dressing an important issue...
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of America's larger
Muslim
organizations, is waging war on "religiously motivated terrorism"
through a
national ad campaign intended to "foster greater understanding of
Islam" in
light of "a rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States."
In the newest ad, CAIR says, "American Muslims condemn all acts of
terrorism and we are as outraged as our fellow Americans by atrocities
committed in the name of God and our religion."
"We often hear that Muslims have not condemned terrorism enough since
the
9/11 attacks. This advertisement is designed to address that issue and
show
clearly Islam's and the American Muslim community's strong opposition
to
acts of violence against civilians, whether they are committed by
individuals, groups or states," CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad
said.
-----
SOME BLAME ISRAEL FOR IRAQ WAR
Matthew E. Berger, JTA, 3/11/03
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Some+blame+Israel+for+Iraq+war&intcategoryid=5
WASHINGTON - A furor over comments by a U.S. lawmaker is highlighting
the
resurgent trend of blaming Israel and the Jewish community for the
impending war against Iraq.
Six rabbis from northern Virginia have asked for the resignation of
Rep.
James Moran (D-Va.), after he told constituents last week that the
Jewish
community is behind the Bush administration's push for war…
While Moran's comments specifically linked the organized American
Jewish
community with a push for war, an increasing number of people are
blaming
the looming Iraq war on Jewish officials in the Bush administration.
The sentiments echo those made in 1991 by conservative commentator
Patrick
Buchanan, who said the Persian Gulf War was being touted by "the
Israeli
Defense Ministry and its amen corner in the United States..."
Israel, too, has taken a low profile, though the widespread view is
that
Jerusalem supports U.S. efforts to dismantle a regime that is a threat
to
its security.
But some have pointedly noted that some of the strongest advocates for
war
in the Bush administration are Jewish, implying that their support for
Israel is the rationale.
Among those being targeted are Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of
defense;
Richard Perle, chairman of the Defense Policy Board; Douglas Feith, the
undersecretary of defense for policy; and Dov Zakheim, the Pentagon's
comptroller...
SEE ALSO:
MORAN SAID JEWS ARE PUSHING WAR
Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, 3/11/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7832-2003Mar10.html
Jewish organizations condemned Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.)
yesterday
for delivering what they said were anti-Semitic remarks at an antiwar
forum
in Reston, where he suggested that American Jews are responsible for
pushing the country to war with Iraq and that Jewish leaders could
prevent
war if they wanted to.
At the forum, attended by about 120 people at St. Anne's Episcopal
Church
on March 3, Moran discussed why he thought antiwar sentiment was not
more
effective in the United States.
"If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this
war
with Iraq, we would not be doing this," Moran said in comments first
reported by the Reston Connection and not disputed by Moran. "The
leaders
of the Jewish community are influential enough that they could change
the
direction of where this is going, and I think they should..."
---
WERE NEO-CONSERVATIVES' 1998 MEMOS A BLUEPRINT FOR IRAQ WAR?
ABC News, 3/10/03
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/nightline/DailyNews/pnac_030310.html
March 10 - Years before George W. Bush entered the White House, and
years
before the Sept. 11 attacks set the direction of his presidency, a
group of
influential neo-conservatives hatched a plan to get Saddam Hussein out
of
power.
The group, the Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, was
founded
in 1997. Among its supporters were three Republican former officials
who
were sitting out the Democratic presidency of Bill Clinton: Donald
Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz.
In open letters to Clinton and GOP congressional leaders the next year,
the
group called for "the removal of Saddam Hussein's regime from power"
and a
shift toward a more assertive U.S. policy in the Middle East, including
the
use of force if necessary to unseat Saddam.
And in a report just before the 2000 election that would bring Bush to
power, the group predicted that the shift would come about slowly,
unless
there were "some catastrophic and catalyzing event, like a new Pearl
Harbor."
That event came on Sept. 11, 2001. By that time, Cheney was vice
president,
Rumsfeld was secretary of defense, and Wolfowitz his deputy at the
Pentagon...
---
LUNCH WITH THE CHAIRMAN
Seymour M. Hersh, New Yorker, 3/11/03
http://www.newyorker.com/printable/?fact/030317fa_fact
At the peak of his deal-making activities, in the nineteen-seventies,
the
Saudi-born businessman Adnan Khashoggi brokered billions of dollars in
arms
and aircraft sales for the Saudi royal family, earning hundreds of
millions
in commissions and fees...
Khashoggi is still brokering. In January of this year, he arranged a
private lunch, in France, to bring together Harb Saleh al-Zuhair, a
Saudi
industrialist whose family fortune includes extensive holdings in
construction, electronics, and engineering companies throughout the
Middle
East, and Richard N. Perle, the chairman of the Defense Policy Board,
who
is one of the most outspoken and influential American advocates of war
with
Iraq.
The Defense Policy Board is a Defense Department advisory group
composed
primarily of highly respected former government officials, retired
military
officers, and academics. Its members, who serve without pay, include
former
national-security advisers, Secretaries of Defense, and heads of the
C.I.A.
The board meets several times a year at the Pentagon to review and
assess
the country's strategic defense policies.
Perle is also a managing partner in a venture-capital company called
Trireme Partners L.P., which was registered in November, 2001, in
Delaware.
Trireme's main business, according to a two-page letter that one of its
representatives sent to Khashoggi last November, is to invest in
companies
dealing in technology, goods, and services that are of value to
homeland
security and defense. The letter argued that the fear of terrorism
would
increase the demand for such products in Europe and in countries like
Saudi
Arabia and Singapore...
-----
WASHINGTON FURIOUS AT ISRAELI LEAKS OVER IRAQ ATTACK MONDAY
Agence France-Presse, 3/11/03
http://www.prolog.net/webnews/wed/dc/Qisrael-iraq-us.R7hX_DMA.html
Jerusalem - The United States has complained to Israel about constant
leaks
by senior security officials about the date of an attack on Iraq,
Israel
media said Monday.
But US ambassador Dan Kurtzer told reporters after meeting with Israeli
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom that media reports that Washington will
not
alert its close ally before any attack as a result of the leaks were
baseless.
"Washington sent in the past few days a message expressing its concern"
over the leaks, said army radio.
As a result of the complaints, the Israeli foreign ministry has asked
Israeli diplomats not to talks about Iraq, ministry officials said.
The daily Maariv said Washington was "seething" at the leaks and that
"as a
result security establishment officials have decided to assume that the
offensive will come as a complete surprise..."
SEE ALSO:
STOPPING THE 'TRANSFER' OF THE PALESTINIANS DURING BUSH'S WAR
Uri Avnery, Antiwar.com, 3/11/03
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/avnery5.html
The present Israeli political-military leadership includes groups that
have
been planning for a long time to exploit a war situation in order to do
things which cannot be done in ordinary times. The moral brakes that
still
exist in parts of the Israeli public, as well as the expected
international
reaction, prevent the implementation of these plans for the time being.
All this can change in a war situation. The attention of the world will
be
riveted to the battle in Iraq. In the Arab countries, chaos may
prevail,
diverting attention from the Palestinian territories. The Israeli
public,
fearful of Saddam's capabilities, will be (even) less sensitive to the
plight of the Palestinians...
---
CONTACT CONGRESS TO OPPOSE NEW AID TO ISRAEL
A coalition of concerned American organizations are joining forces on
Wednesday, March 12, to urge members of Congress to oppose Israel's
request
for new financial aid, including $4 billion in direct military aid and
$8
billion in American taxpayer guaranteed loans.
On Wednesday, March 12, please contact your elected representatives
with
this message: Don't send $12 billion more in American taxpayer dollars
to
Israel. America's needs must come first.
To phone your members of Congress, call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at
202-224-3121. Have your ZIP code ready and the switchboard will
transfer
your call.
You may also go to http://capwiz.com/cair/home/ and enter your zip code
under the section "Elected Officials." There is a form letter
challenging
the aid request on this same page. If you send the letter by e-mail,
make
sure you follow up with a phone call to your representative on March
12.
-----
IS WEAPONS CASE AGAINST IRAQ DISINTEGRATING?
ABC News, 3/11/03
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/2020/GMA030310Iraq_weapons_evidence.html
As the Bush administration tries to make the case to America and the
world
that Iraq is trying to rebuild its nuclear weapons program, some top
United
Nations officials contend that key evidence against Iraq is crumbling.
Before Congress, and in public, President Bush and Secretary of State
Colin
Powell have repeatedly pointed to aluminum tubes imported by Iraq which
they say are for use in making nuclear weapons.
But on Friday, head United Nations nuclear inspector Mohammad ElBaradei
told the Security Council that it wasn't likely that the tubes were for
that use. ElBaradei also said that documents Bush had cited and relied
upon
to make the case that Iraq tried to buy uranium from a country in
central
Africa were fake.
"These documents - which formed the basis for the reports of recent
uranium
transactions between Iraq and Niger - are in fact not authentic,"
ElBaradei
told the United Nations on Friday...
"I think the fact that these documents turn out to be false really is
an
embarrassment to the Bush administration," said Jon Wolfsthal, deputy
director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace...
SEE ALSO:
U.S. DIPLOMAT RESIGNS OVER IRAQ WAR PLANS
Reuters, 3/11/03
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/03/10/sprj.irq.diplomat.resignation.reut/
WASHINGTON - A U.S. diplomat resigned from government service Monday in
protest at President Bush's preparations to attack Iraq, the second to
do
so in less than a month.
John H. Brown, who joined the U.S. diplomatic corps in 1981 and served
in
London, Prague, Krakow, Kiev, Belgrade and Moscow, said in a letter to
Secretary of State Colin Powell made available to the media: "I cannot
in
good conscience support President Bush's war plans against Iraq.
"Throughout the globe the United States is becoming associated with the
unjustified use of force. The president's disregard for views in other
nations, borne out by his neglect of public diplomacy, is giving birth
to
an anti-American century," the diplomat added...
A senior U.S. diplomat based in Athens, political counselor John Brady
Kiesling, 45, resigned in protest at the Bush administration's policy
on
Iraq last month.
---
SECRETIVE U.S. 'INFORMATION' OFFICE BACK
Connie Cass, Associated Press, 3/11/03
WASHINGTON - A Cold War-era office with a shadowy name and a colorful
history of exposing Soviet deceptions is back in business, this time
watching Iraq.
The Counter-Disinformation/Misinformation Team's moniker is more
impressive
than its budget. It's a crew of two toiling in anonymity at the State
Department, writing reports they are prohibited by law from
disseminating
to the U.S. public.
In coordination with the CIA, FBI and others, the team helps U.S.
embassies
identify and rebut other nations' disinformation, most often
fabrications
about the United States planted in foreign newspapers or television
shows
and, these days, on the Internet.
It's part of a broader Bush administration project to shore up
America's
reputation when sentiment against a possible war with Iraq is running
high
overseas...
---
MARCH 15 RALLY IN DC AGAINST WAR WITH IRAQ
WHAT: The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition and other organizations are calling
for an
Emergency National Anti-War Convergence to TAKE IT TO THE WHITE HOUSE
WHEN: Saturday, March 15 at 12 P.M.
WHERE: Washington Monument, Constitution Ave (between 15th and 17th
Streets NW)
For more info, visit:
http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/m15/index.html
-----
MUSLIM STUDENTS REFUSE TO BOW TO HATE GRAFFITI
Carol Pogash, Los Angeles Times, 3/11/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-muslim11mar11,1,6035002.story
The vast majority of Muslim students attended class at San Jose State
on
Monday, defying anonymous death threats and expletive-laden hate
graffiti
on campus, authorities said.
Muslim student leaders said that female students in hijabs, or head
scarves, felt particularly vulnerable.
They moved in clusters to class, Muslim student leaders said.
Authorities said they believe the slurs are the work of one individual.
"We're easy targets," said Sameena Usman, 22, a Muslim and political
science major specializing in Middle Eastern studies.
"That was the fear we had," she said, "but I wasn't going to let this
stop
me from going to class. This person did this to make us feel scared..."
Extra university police officers patrolled the campus of 30,000
students.
Muslim students were advised to be watchful. Some failed to attend
class,
but most defied the threats, said Mohammad Naaman, 21, president of the
Muslim Students Assn. They weren't going to let hateful messages
intimidate
them, he said...
"We live in this bastion of diversity," said Helal Omeira, executive
director of the Northern California Council on American Islamic
Relations
and a San Jose University student.
"By and large, I think we get along with each other. These isolated
incidents of hate," he said, "are very unfortunate. I would argue that
they're from a marginalized part of our community..."
SEE ALSO:
GRAFFITI WARNS MUSLIMS TO BE SHOT AT CALIF. CAMPUS
Reuters, 3/11/03
SAN JOSE, Calif - Federal and local authorities are investigating
graffiti
threats at a Northern California University that warn "Muslims" on
campus
that they will be shot, police and an Islamic group said Monday.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the threats were
contained
in expletive-filled graffiti found around the campus of San Jose State
University. One read: "Muslims will be shot on San Jose State
University
campus on March 10, 2003."
The university's president and the Islamic civil rights group said in a
statement the graffiti appeared to be the work of one person. They
added
the San Jose State University Police Department was working with other
local and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate.
"It is encouraging to see that law enforcement authorities are taking
these
threats very seriously and are doing all they can to ensure the safety
of
San Jose State University students," said Fouad Khatib, a Council
official...
---
ALL OF US MUST FIGHT BIGOTRY
Los Angeles Times, 3/11/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-hate10mar10,1,514251.story
Petty rivalries and stupidity may have prompted a pack of young men to
viciously beat an 18-year-old Arab American in Yorba Linda. Or, the
Feb. 22
attack that left Rashid Alam hospitalized with a broken jaw might have
been
triggered by racist ignorance.
This much is clear: About 30 young men, some swinging bats, a golf club
or
beer bottles, gathered on a residential street late on a Saturday
night.
The ensuing fight was peppered with shouts of "white power." Alam ended
up
in the hospital, two teenagers were held on misdemeanor charges and
other
arrests are imminent.
Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime -- a
charge
that occurs when prejudice against the victim plays a substantial
factor in
the commission of the crime. Whatever motivated the Feb. 22 crime,
authorities should use it as impetus for an aggressive campaign to
prevent
violence against Arab Americans as war looms in Iraq.
The FBI agreed to monitor the investigation after Alam's family
complained
that local police were failing to give crimes against Muslims the same
treatment as crimes against others. On that front, law enforcement must
conduct a thorough and open investigation.
Meanwhile, educators must communicate with students to fend off
possible
acts of retribution at the Anaheim high school where some of those
involved
are students. "These things tend to simmer and bubble up unless you
have an
administration or school district that moves quickly,'' said Joe Hicks,
vice president of Los Angeles-based Community Advocates, which works to
improve race relations...
Government, though, can do only so much to eradicate hate. Southern
Californians can move toward greater harmony by refusing to allow
bigotry
to fester in their homes, campuses and places of employment.
-----
LIBRARIES POST PATRIOT ACT WARNINGS
Bob Egelko, Maria Alicia Gaura, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/10/03
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/03/10/MN14634.DTL
Along with the usual reminders to hold the noise down and pay overdue
fines, library patrons in Santa Cruz are seeing a new type of sign
these
days: a warning that records of the books they borrow may wind up in
the
hands of federal agents.
The signs, posted in the 10 county branches last week and on the
library's
Web site, also inform the reader that the USA Patriot Act "prohibits
library workers from informing you if federal agents have obtained
records
about you."
"Questions about this policy," patrons are told, "should be directed to
Attorney General John Ashcroft, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
20530."
Library goers were swift to denounce the act's provisions.
"It's none of their business what anybody's reading," said Cathy
Simmons of
Boulder Creek. "It's counterproductive to what libraries are all
about..."
SEE ALSO:
MOSQUE VOICES CONCERNS OVER FBI SURVEILLANCE
Associated Press, 3/11/03
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - FBI anti-terrorism surveillance targeting foreign
students could lead to an anti-American backlash in their home
countries, a
Bloomington mosque warned.
"These students will return to their homelands to become important
figures
in government, academia and industry," The Islamic Center of
Bloomington
said in a statement posted on its Web site.
"By frightening them and making them feel unwelcome, we will be
generating
even greater anti-American sentiment in the next generation of world
leaders," the statement continued.
The mosque was responding to the FBI's acknowledgment last month that a
small plane seen flying over the college town for several days was
conducting anti-terrorism surveillance...
-----
A CRASH COURSE ON THE ISLAMIC WORLD
Patricia Hurtado, Newsday, 3/11/03
http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-nyfbi113168261mar11.story
FBI Special Agent Foria Younis stepped up to the podium at FBI
headquarters
in lower Manhattan yesterday and told an auditorium filled with her
colleagues this story about how some foreigners perceive America...
Younis - who also informed colleagues the most-watched American show
around
the world was "Baywatch" - suggested ways they could span the cultural
and
religious differences encounter with Muslims as part of the war on
terrorism.
Her address was the latest in an ongoing series of lectures on Muslims
the
FBI has been holding for their 1,100 agents in New York City.
Agent Younis had practical advice for her colleagues: Male colleagues
may
want to avoid crossing their legs with the soles of their feet pointing
at
their subject, perceived, she said as a sign of disrespect.
And misunderstanding about small details may lead to incorrect data
collection, Younis said. If a Muslim man tells you his name begins with
"Hajj," it is not their first their name, she said, but meant the
individual has made a pilgrimage to Mecca. If a woman's name begins
with
"Bibi," it is not her first name, but is used as a term of respect like
"Madame."
"These can be innocent mistakes, not someone intent on fraud," said
Younis...
-----
BAY AREA PAKISTANIS RESENT REGISTRATION RULE
Patrick May, San Jose Mercury News, 3/11/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/5364305.htm
Ever since the United States added Pakistan to its list of mostly
Muslim
countries whose nationals are required to register with the government,
Pakistanis from San Jose to New York City are discovering the home of
the
free can be a very scary place.
The grapevine buzzes with tales of men 16 and older taken away in vans
or
detained indefinitely by immigration authorities. Fears of mass
deportations mount as the March 21 deadline approaches. Hundreds of
illegal
visitors -- and in some cases even naturalized U.S. citizens -- have
sought
asylum in eastern Canada in a highly publicized, frantic rush of
Pakistanis
who have become refugees overnight...
Law-abiding citizens of Pakistani origin are furious that fellow
countrymen
are being viewed as possible terrorists and that they must register and
be
questioned, finger-printed and photographed. The fact that their
homeland
has been a key supporter in the war on terrorism only adds to their
resentment.
"We've lived here and in Canada 30 of my 40 years of marriage, but I
feel
scared for my children," said Mussarrat Aziz, whose husband, Khalid,
teaches at Stanford University...
SEE ALSO:
PHILADELPHIA PROGRAM AIDS THOSE REGISTERING WITH INS
The Islamic Council of Greater Pittsburgh, the National Lawyers Guild,
the
American Civil Liberties Union, the American Immigration Lawyers
Association, and the Jamaat for Justice have coordinated a program
designed
to provide free legal aid to those required to go through the INS
Special
Registration process. Fifty-two attorneys have volunteered their time
to:
* To meet and review your papers (passport, I20, I94).
* To accompany you to the INS office for the special registration.
All the above is free of charge. If your case requires more work than,
an
attorney will be assigned to you with a discounted rate.
To schedule a meeting with an attorney, please call the following
numbers:-
1) Arabic Speakers, (412) 758 1851
2) English speakers, (412) 654 6047
-----
KORAN TO BE TRANSLATED INTO IRISH
Reuters, 3/11/03
DUBLIN - Islam's holy book, the Koran, is to be translated into Irish
in an
ambitious project aimed at bringing Ireland's Gaelic-speaking and
Muslim
communities closer together, organisers said on Tuesday.
Lesley Carter of the Dublin-based Islamic Cultural Centre, which will
oversee the project, said the translation would benefit Irish-speakers
from
both cultures.
"There are a number of Muslims among the Irish-speaking community --
people
who were born or reared here and learned Irish in school. And also for
those (non-Muslims) who have an interest in Islam then the Koran will
be
available in the language they prefer," she said.
The Islamic community is currently the fastest-growing religious
minority
in Ireland, with around 18,000 Muslims living in the country -- most of
them in the capital Dublin...
-----
INDIAN MUSLIMS QUESTION FAIRNESS OF EXCAVATION OF DISPUTED RELIGIOUS
SITE
ALSO CLAIMED BY HINDUS
PRAJNAN BHATTACHARYA, Associated Press, 3/11/03
AYODHYA, India (AP) - Leaders within India's Muslim minority are
challenging the impartiality of an archaeological dig that a court
hopes
will help settle a bloody dispute over an ancient religious site also
claimed by the country's Hindu majority.
The Muslim leaders fear the outcome of the excavation of the now
demolished
16th-century Babri Mosque, in the northern town of Ayodhya, will
unfairly
favor Hindu activists.
Despite earlier assurances to abide by the rule of law, they said
Tuesday
that they would defy India's Supreme Court if it accepted fabricated
evidence and consequently allowed the construction of a Hindu temple
there.
The dig, the Muslim leaders complained, was being carried out by
archaeologists under the direction of India's Hindu-nationalist
government.
Hindu activists say the Babri mosque was built by Muslim invaders atop
a
Hindu temple. A Hindu mob razed the mosque in 1992, triggering
nationwide
riots that led to 2,000 deaths...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
CAIR ACTION ALERT #370
ILLINOIS MOSQUE ATTACKED AS MUSLIMS PRAY INSIDE
CAIR calls for FBI investigation, increased police protection
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/12/2003) - CAIR today called for an FBI
investigation
of an attack last night on a Chicago-area mosque that occurred while
more
than 100 Muslims prayed inside.
Police investigators, witnesses and mosque officials told CAIR that
worshipers heard two loud bangs just after the evening prayer at the
Islamic Foundation in Villa Park, Ill., one of the largest mosques and
Islamic schools in America. (SEE: http://www.islamicfoundation.org/)
Witnesses say they found a window of the prayer area damaged by two
projectiles that they took to be bullets. Islamic Foundation Director
Abdul
Hameed Dogar called the attack "a deliberate attempt to kill
worshipers"
because those praying were clearly visible to the attackers through the
large windows of the mosque.
Villa Park Police Detective John Szkolka told CAIR he does not know
what
kind of projectiles hit the mosque window and is following "some leads"
in
the case. Szkolka said the attack was "almost certainly" bias-related.
This was not the first such attack on the mosque. In 1999, vandals
threw a
chunk of concrete through a glass door and broke a window. Other
incidents
of vandalism occurred while the mosque was under construction.
Following
the 9/11 terror attacks, the mosque received a number of threats.
"We are thankful that no one was hurt in last night's attack. This
incident
is just the latest in a series of assaults on and threats against
American
Muslims in recent weeks. We believe the increase in Islamophobic hate
crimes is directly related to the drumbeat of pro-war and anti-Muslim
rhetoric in our society. Local law enforcement agencies should offer
increased protection for Muslim communities and their institutions
during
this time of crisis," said Omar Haydar, executive director of CAIR's
Chicago office (CAIR-Chicago).
Haydar noted that just this week, death threats were made against
Muslim
students at San Jose State University in California. The threats were
just
one of several anti-Muslim incidents across the country reported to
CAIR
within the past month. Physical assaults against Muslims have been
reported
in Northern California, Southern California, Georgia, New Jersey, and
South
Carolina. One incident in Yorba Linda, Calif., left a Muslim teenager
badly
beaten by a group that allegedly included white supremacists.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Take steps to increase security of your local mosque, Islamic center or
school.
Areas of Vulnerability:
* Mosques located in isolated areas.
* Mosques left unattended for extended periods of time.
* Mosques with unsecured doors and/or windows.
* Absence of a burglar alarm system.
* Heavy exterior vegetation (shrubs, etc.) in which criminals may hide.
* Absence of exterior lighting.
CAIR MOSQUE SECURITY CHECKLIST
CAIR is asking that mosques consider taking the following safety
measures:
* Build good relationships with neighbors of the mosque. Invite them to
visit your center.
* Try to have people attend the mosque as much as possible. Activity
deters
perpetrators.
* Make an appointment with the community relations officer of your
local
police department to tour your center and make suggestions on improving
mosque security.
* Request additional police patrols in the vicinity of your center.
Special
attention should be paid to times of darkness and during prayers.
* Consider creating a security committee at your mosque.
* Post mosque members at entrances and parking areas during prayer
times.
* Report suspicious packages to police. Do not touch them.
* Install perimeter floodlights outside the mosque.
* Install fire and burglar alarm systems.
* Replace hollow core doors with more secure solid doors.
* Install burglarproof bars on screens and large vents. (Note -
Research
local ordinances before beginning security renovations. For example,
window
bars should not limit evacuation in case of fire.)
* Trim shrubs and vines to reduce areas of concealment.
* Participate in neighborhood watch programs.
* Document descriptions of suspicious people or vehicles.
* Make duplicates of all important papers, computer disks and records.
* Remove potential fire hazards, such as trash and debris.
* Consider installing security cameras.
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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
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-----
- PLEASE POST, COPY AND DISTRIBUTE -
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 3/12/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: A GOOD CONSCIENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* GROUP CALLS DISNEY'S ARABIAN HORSE RACE A 'HOAX'
* RESOURCES: CIVIL LIBERTIES ERODED BY CHANGES TO U.S. LAW (LCHR)
* INCITEMENT WATCH: "ISLAM IS A FALSE RELIGION"
* FBI WARNS OF MORE HATE CRIMES IF WAR WITH IRAQ (Reuters)
- TX Minister to Protest in Front of Mosque (Tribune Herald)
- N. Liberty to Fight Muslim Camp Plan (Des Moines Register)
* WHOSE WAR? (American Conservative)
- The Iraq Crisis as the War of the Jews (Ha'aretz)
- Moran's Remarks on Jews Stoke Debate (Washington Times)
* 'LIBERATING' THE MIDEAST: WHY DO WE NEVER LEARN? (Arab News)
- Grapes of Wrath (NY Times)
- War Would Step Up FBI Questioning (Charlotte Observer)
- Why Muslims Are Angry (Toronto Globe and Mail)
- I Vant to Be Alone (NY Times)
* DETAINEES ARE DENIED ACCESS TO U.S. COURTS (Washington Post)
- Forsaken At Guantánamo (NY Times)
- Washington Sees Itself "Above the Law" (Reuters)
- Judge Says Padilla May See Lawyers (AP)
* ANALYSTS WORRY ABOUT PATRIOT ACT II (Washington Times)
- Right Joins Left to Criticize Patriot Act (ABC)
- Court Of Appeals Overturns License Rules (AP)
* JEWISH EXTREMISTS WORRY DEFENSE HEADS (Ha'aretz)
- Israeli Settlers Receive Three Times More Subsidies (AFP)
* LEARNING ISLAMIC FINANCE (Wall Street Journal)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A GOOD CONSCIENCE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "When something weighs
on
your conscience, give it up."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 8
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
GROUP CALLS DISNEY'S ARABIAN HORSE RACE A 'HOAX'
http://www.thelongridersguild.com/hopkins.htm
Then urban myth passed into political reality when The Long Riders'
Guild
discovered that "Hidalgo" had put out a casting call for Arab suicide
riders!
"According to insiders with the film, they are looking to audition two
actors for additional roles being worked into the script. The first is
described as a 35 to 40ish "Bedouin rider". This role calls for the
actor
to fall from his injured horse mid-race, and, in this particular
contest,
the rule requires that he must first kill the horse, then himself -
which
he does, using his scimitar. If you feel you are right for this role,
please feel free to have your agent contact either the production
company
or the casting director, Nancy Foy."
There was no justification for such a violent scene, especially in such
politically unstable times. With Fusco's definition of artistic
integrity
now understood, The Guild began gathering new evidence that the movie
was
an artistic and historical sham.
To view the film's website, go to
http://www.startedbyamouse.com/happenings/Hidalgo.html
-----
RESOURCES: CIVIL LIBERTIES ERODED BY CHANGES TO U.S. LAW
http://www.lchr.org/media/2003_alerts/0311.htm
Basic human rights protections and civil liberties have steadily eroded
since the Sept. 11 attacks, LCHR said in a new report - called
"Imbalance
of Powers" - released on the 18-month anniversary of the attacks.
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: "ISLAM A FALSE RELIGION"
Larry King Live, CNN, 3/11/03
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0303/11/lkl.00.html
Partial transcript:
LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Tonight, what would Jesus do about war with Iraq?
Here to debate that issue, Conservative Christian leader Bob Jones II,
president Bob Jones University.
Max Lucado, minister of the Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio.
Father Michael Manning, Roman Catholic priest, host of the
international TV
show "The Word in the World."
Pastor John MacArthur of the Grace Community Church in Sun Valley,
California, also a syndicated radio host.
And Bishop Melvin Talbert, ecumenical officer of the United Methodist
Church. President Bush is a Methodist, but Bishop Talbert, who went to
Iraq
a few months ago, opposes the war...
MACARTHUR: You could believe that you did fly and jump off a five-story
building. It doesn't make it real. Unfortunately, false religion is the
ultimate deception...
KING: Is the Muslim world all false?
MACARTHUR: Well, the theology of Islam is false. It's the wrong God.
It's
the wrong view of Christ.
KING: When they hear that, don't they get that as an anti- American
thoughts...
KING: John MacArthur, you believe that Muslim people, the Islamic
people
are wrong. Their beliefs are wrong.
MACARTHUR: That's right. And this is not some personal belief of mine.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life..."
ACTION REQUESTED: Ask that show producers invite a panel of Muslim
scholars
to discuss the possible war with Iraq and to dispel myths regarding
Islam.
Go to the show's website and click on "Contact Us - Larry King Live"
link:
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/larry.king.live/
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
FBI WARNS OF MORE HATE CRIMES IF WAR WITH IRAQ
Reuters, 3/12/03
WASHINGTON - The FBI warned U.S. law enforcement officials on Wednesday
that hate crimes against Arab-Americans could increase if the United
States
goes to war with Iraq or if there is another terror attack on America.
The bureau, in its weekly intelligence bulletin sent to law enforcement
officials across the country, noted the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked
airline
attacks on the United States sparked an increase in hate crimes against
Arab- and Muslim-Americans as well as Americans of Indian, Sikh and
other
ethnicities.
"War with Iraq or a terrorist incident is likely to precipitate a
similar
increase in hate crimes against Arab-Americans," the bulletin said.
Hate crimes in the past have included murders, attempted murders and
assaults and arson attacks against mosques, Islamic centers and
Arab-American-owned businesses...
SEE ALSO:
ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVIST PLANS TO DEMONSTRATE AGAINST WACO'S 'GATES OF
HELL'
Terri Jo Ryan, Waco Tribune-Herald, 3/12/03
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/newsfd/auto/feed/news/2003/03/10/1047358090.00353.6650.1844.html
The Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas, known for more than eight years in Waco as
an
anti-abortion activist, is branching out in his Christian crusading
against
what he said he sees as other evils swirling around him...
His selected sites are Baylor University, Waco High School, the ALICO
Building, Central Texas Metropolitan Community Church From the Heart,
Lake
Shore Baptist Church, the Islamic Center of Waco, Planned Parenthood,
Waco
City Hall, Waco Police Department and the adult video store off
Interstate
35 North on the way to Hillsboro...
Thomas said he must preach at the mosque because he is "concerned about
the
condition of (their) souls." Although he criticizes the Qu'ran, the
Muslim
holy book, he has never read it, he admitted. "It is not the word of
God..."
Demonstrations by Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals against
Texas
mosques have been on the increase since Sept. 11, 2001, said Mohamed
Elmougi, chairman of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations...
---
N. LIBERTY TO FIGHT MUSLIM CAMP PLAN
Mark Siebert, Des Moines Register, 3/12/03
http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4780934/20691905.html
North Liberty, IA. - Camp Daybreak fit the stereotypical image of an
American summer camp: a rustic lodge, fire rings and Girl Scouts hiking
the
shores of nearby Coralville Reservoir.
Today the former scout camp is the focus of a heated debate overlaid
with
starkly different stereotypes.
Muslim Youth Camps of America wants to lease the wooded 106 acres and
turn
it into Camp Heritage, the nation's first summer camp for Muslim youth.
The
Cedar Rapids-based nonprofit group envisions a conference center with
spectacular views, 10 cabins, a boat dock and a 36-foot prayer tower.
Some people hear the words "Muslim" and "camp" and envision terrorism.
One North Liberty resident fretted about the camp "developing into a
terrorist cell."
"How dare you, after September 11th, decide to build a terrorist camp
in
the middle of America," a man from California wrote in a profane e-mail
to
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Manzoor Ali, a Cedar Rapids engineer and chairman of the Muslim Youth
Camps
of America board, said he had not seen the correspondence, but was not
discouraged.
"No, not at all," Ali said last week. "Because we know we are doing it
for
the uplift or for the benefit of the youth, irrespective of their
culture,
heritage or religion."
MYCA's board is made up of residents from eastern Iowa. The group
formed
around the idea of starting such a camp.
Nearby Cedar Rapids already is home to the Mother Mosque of America,
built
in 1934 and believed to have been the first place of worship for
Muslims in
North America. It makes sense to have the first Muslim youth camp in
the
area as well, Ali said...
-----
WHOSE WAR?
Patrick J. Buchanan, American Conservative, 3/12/03
http://www.amconmag.com/03_24_03/cover.html
We charge that a cabal of polemicists and public officials seek to
ensnare
our country in a series of wars that are not in America's interests. We
charge them with colluding with Israel to ignite those wars and destroy
the
Oslo Accords. We charge them with deliberately damaging U.S. relations
with
every state in the Arab world that defies Israel or supports the
Palestinian people's right to a homeland of their own. We charge that
they
have alienated friends and allies all over the Islamic and Western
world
through their arrogance, hubris, and bellicosity.
Not in our lifetimes has America been so isolated from old friends. Far
worse, President Bush is being lured into a trap baited for him by
these
neocons that could cost him his office and cause America to forfeit
years
of peace won for us by the sacrifices of two generations in the Cold
War.
They charge us with anti-Semitism-i.e., a hatred of Jews for their
faith,
heritage, or ancestry. False. The truth is, those hurling these charges
harbor a "passionate attachment" to a nation not our own that causes
them
to subordinate the interests of their own country and to act on an
assumption that, somehow, what's good for Israel is good for America...
SEE ALSO:
THE IRAQ CRISIS AS THE WAR OF THE JEWS
Bradley Burston, Haaretz, 3/12/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=271599&displayTypeCd=1&sideCd=1&contrassID=2
The Iraq crisis has triggered the largest pre-emptive anti-war movement
in
history, with millions on the march against a war that has still yet to
begin. As the tide of opposition has grown, so has an undercurrent of
argument that Jewish influence in America and Israel is a crucial
factor
pushing Washington into battle, in turn spurring furious debate over
the
line between free expression and classic anti-Semitism.
The latest focus of the debate was a congressional district close to
Washington, where veteran Democratic Congressman James P. Moran Jr.
sparked
fiery condemnation by telling an anti-war gathering at a Virginia
church
why he believed mass opposition across the U.S. to an Iraq offensive
had
not done more to reverse the march to war...
Moran's remarks came amid a flood of commentary from analysts of both
the
American left and right suggesting that Bush administration was taking
advice - if not outright orders - from the Sharon government and the
Israeli defense establishment on handling Saddam Hussein.
The analysts' comments have intensified as top-ranking Israeli
officials
have gone on record predicting that the war could have a cure-all
effect
for many of the Jewish state's paralyzing economic and security ills...
---
MORAN'S REMARKS ON JEWS STOKE DEBATE
David R. Sands, Washington Times, 3/12/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20030312-76628071.htm
Rep. James P. Moran's remarks on the influence of American Jews on the
Bush
administration's hard line against Iraq have put a public face on a
bitter
and intensely personal debate among policy-makers and pundits over the
motivations of those pushing a new war in the Middle East.
Charges of "dual loyalty" and countercharges of anti-Semitism have
become
common in the feud, with some war opponents even asserting that Mr.
Bush's
most hawkish advisers - many of them Jewish - are putting Israel's
interests ahead of those of the United States in provoking a war with
Iraq
to topple Saddam Hussein.
"A stronger Israel is very much embedded in the rationale for war,"
said
Richard Stengel, a columnist with Time magazine's online edition. "It
is a
part of the argument that dare not speak its name, a fantasy quietly
cherished by the neoconservative faction in the Bush administration and
by
many leaders of the American Jewish community..."
-----
'LIBERATING' THE MIDEAST: WHY DO WE NEVER LEARN?
Robert Fisk, Independent UK, 3/12/03
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=23504
On March 8, 1917, Lt. Gen. Stanley Maude issued a "Proclamation to the
People of the Wilayat of Baghdad". Maude's Anglo-Indian Army of the
Tigres
had invaded and occupied Iraq - after storming up the country from
Basra -
to "free" its people from their dictators. "Our armies do not come into
your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators," the
British announced.
"People of Baghdad, remember for 26 generations you have suffered under
strange tyrants who have ever endeavoured to set one Arab house against
another in order that they might profit by your dissensions...
"This policy is abhorrent to Great Britain and her Allies for there can
be
neither peace nor prosperity where there is enmity or misgovernment."
Gen. Maude, of course, was the Gen. Tommy Franks of his day, and his
proclamation - so rich in irony now that President George Bush is
uttering
equally mendacious sentiments - was intended to persuade Iraqis that
they
should accept foreign occupation while Britain secured the country's
oil...
How many times has the West marched into the Middle East in so brazen a
fashion? Gen. Sir Edward Allenby "liberated" Palestine only a few
months
after Gen. Maude "liberated" Iraq. The French turned up to "liberate"
Lebanon and Syria a couple of years later, slaughtering the Syrian
forces
loyal to King Faisal who dared to suggest that French occupation was
not
the future they wanted...
SEE ALSO:
GRAPES OF WRATH
Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times, 3/12/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/12/opinion/12FRIE.html
Mr. President, I never felt more traumatized as an American than in the
days after 9/11. But despite the very real threats, I also never felt
more
optimistic -- because of the national unity we had, and you had, to
face
those threats. If whatever is left of that post-9/11 solidarity is
exploded
by a divisive, unilateral war in Iraq, we will not only be sacrificing
good
feelings, but also the key to managing this complex, dangerous world.
---
WAR WOULD STEP UP FBI QUESTIONING
Ken Garfield, Charlotte Observer, 3/12/03
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/local/5371217.htm
If the United States goes to war, the head of the FBI in North Carolina
said Tuesday that agents will step up the questioning of people who
might
know something about possible terrorist reprisals.
Speaking to 80 senior adults at Myers Park Presbyterian Church, Chris
Swecker said the FBI will work with other law enforcement groups to
single
out "a group of people we'd like to talk to."
"We've got some unanswered questions," he said after his speech.
"There's
going to be a proactive effort to go out and talk to people and say,
`What
do you know?'" Swecker, head of the N.C. FBI office based in Charlotte,
stopped short of saying Muslims or people with a Middle Eastern
background
will be singled out.
But Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations in Washington, said his office is getting calls from Muslims
nationwide who say, "I'm being approached by the FBI. What do I do?"
Told what Swecker said Tuesday in Charlotte, Hooper likened the plan to
"Round up the usual suspects."
"It seems to be getting worse day after day," Hooper said. "Who knows
where
it'll end up."
He said he encourages people to get a lawyer before talking to anyone
in
authority...
---
WHY MUSLIMS ARE ANGRY
Sheema Khan, Toronto Globe and Mail, 3/12/03
http://www.globeandmail.com/
Sheema Khan is chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
Canada.
Since 9/11, Muslims worldwide have heard influential American Christian
evangelical leaders demean Islam and the Prophet Mohammed, with nary a
disclaimer from the White House. Analysts attributed the silence to the
Republican Party's need to secure the "religious right" vote during
midterm
elections last November. Indeed, after electoral victory, the White
House
issued a public rebuke against religious anti-Islamic diatribe to show
Muslims that the U.S. was not at war with Islam.
But Muslims also are keenly aware of the security crackdown in the U.S.
that has targeted their community with secretive detentions, summary
deportations and the profiling of nationals from predominately Muslim
countries.
They have also seen the death of thousands of fellow Muslims in the
aftermath of the U.S. bombardment of Afghanistan, along with the
imposition
of a U.S.-backed leader for the maintenance of American interests in
the
region -- namely, regional security and the construction of an oil
pipeline
through the impoverished nation…
Many see double standards in the American justification for war on
Iraq. If
the goal is disarmament, what about North Korea, a nation with far more
dangerous capabilities? If it is the flouting of United Nations
resolutions, what about Israel, which has ignored some 64 resolutions
(and
counting) with U.S. approval...?
---
I VANT TO BE ALONE
Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 3/12/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/12/opinion/12DOWD.html
"These guys at the Pentagon - Wolfowitz, Perle, Doug Feith - when they
lie
in bed at night, they imagine a new book written by one of them or
about
them called, `Present at the Recreation,' " an American diplomat
said."They
want to banish the wimpy Europeanist traditional balance of power, and
use
the Iraq seedbed of democracy to impose America's will on the world..."
-----
DETAINEES ARE DENIED ACCESS TO U.S. COURTS
Neely Tucker, Washington Post, 3/12/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12728-2003Mar11.html
A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that the 650 suspected
terrorists
and Taliban fighters held at a U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,
have no legal rights in the United States and may not ask courts to
review
their detentions.
The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of
Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit, an important legal victory for
the
administration in its war on terrorism, means that the detainees can be
held indefinitely without access to lawyers or judges.
The attorneys for 16 detainees -- 12 Kuwaitis, two Britons and two
Australians -- sought to force the government to explain in court why
the
men are being held. That motion, known as a writ of habeas corpus,
establishes a court's authority over a person in custody.
But the court rejected those appeals, citing a World War II Supreme
Court
case about German prisoners as precedent and ruling that because Cuba
holds
ultimate sovereignty over the leased military base, U.S. courts have no
jurisdiction there...
SEE ALSO:
FORSAKEN AT GUANTÁNAMO
New York Times, 3/12/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/12/opinion/12WED1.html
It has been 14 months since the first prisoners from the Afghanistan
war
were taken to a naval base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. The Bush
administration says it can hold the detainees indefinitely, without
allowing them access to family or legal counsel. Yesterday, a federal
Court
of Appeals threw out a challenge by some of those detainees to their
confinement. The administration and the court are wrong. The detainees
may
not have the same rights as American citizens, but they are entitled to
more due process than they are being given.
The United States military is holding hundreds of prisoners accused of
Taliban or Al Qaeda ties at Guantánamo. Many were seized in the heat of
battle, but others were turned over in exchange for rewards or
bounties.
Advocates for the prisoners maintain that one-third or more are being
held
on the basis of bad intelligence, or simply for being in the wrong
place at
the wrong time...
The Guantánamo detainees are in legal limbo. The Bush administration
refuses to designate them prisoners of war, a label that would entitle
them
to immunity from prosecution for acts committed during a lawful war,
among
other things. Nor is the administration treating them as ordinary
criminal
defendants, entitled to know the charges against them and allowed to
contest their confinement in court. The government's position is that
the
detainees are "unlawful combatants" who can be held incommunicado
indefinitely...
---
WASHINGTON SEES ITSELF "ABOVE THE LAW" - RIGHTS GROUP
Richard Waddington, Reuters, 3/12/03
GENEVA, - A leading U.S. rights group accused the United States on
Wednesday of seeing itself above human rights law and hinted this could
put
its own troops at risk in any conflict with Iraq.
U.S. treatment of Taliban and alleged al Qaeda fighters held in the
Guantanamo naval base in Cuba and elsewhere was a "disaster" because of
a
refusal to give at least the Taliban the status of prisoners of war,
Human
Rights Watch said.
Washington had also maintained a "stunning silence" on accusations that
its
forces were using interrogation techniques in Afghanistan that violated
international conventions even if they fell short of outright torture,
the
U.S. group's executive director Kenneth Roth said.
"There is a view that is increasingly dominant in Washington that the
United States should be above international law," he told a news
conference…
SEE: "Big Powers Must Act on Human Rights"
http://www.hrwatch.org/press/2003/03/unchr2003.htm
---
JUDGE SAYS PADILLA MAY SEE LAWYERS
Associated Press, 3/12/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12757-2003Mar11.html
NEW YORK - The man accused of plotting to detonate a "dirty" bomb in
the
United States must be allowed access to his lawyers despite government
claims that such meetings might spoil attempts to prevent future
terrorist
attacks, a judge ruled today.
U.S. District Judge Michael B. Mukasey noted the heated rhetoric from
both
sides as he rejected a government plea to reverse his December decision
allowing defense lawyers to meet with Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen
accused
of plotting with the al Qaeda terrorist network to detonate a
radioactive
bomb in the United States.
The judge had granted Padilla, 31, access to counsel despite Padilla's
designation as an "enemy combatant" in June. But Padilla has not been
allowed to see a lawyer while the judge was reconsidering the ruling...
-----
ANALYSTS WORRY ABOUT PATRIOT ACT II
Christian Bourge, Washington Times, 3/10/03
http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20030310-074202-1742r.htm
WASHINGTON - Think tank experts are concerned about indications that
the
administration of President George W. Bush wants to broaden government
powers of domestic intelligence gathering, surveillance, and
prosecution
beyond the expanded powers granted last year by the USA Patriot Act.
Their worries about further restrictions being placed on
constitutionally
guaranteed rights in the name of national security were sparked by a
draft
bill leaked from the Justice Department last month, which detailed
plans
for a bold and sweeping expansion of the controversial law signed into
law
in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"I am appalled by the draft," Robert Higgs, a senior fellow in
political
economy at the Independent Institute told United Press International.
Higgs said the denaturalization and deportation provisions are the most
egregious components of the draft because they would allow the removal
of
citizenship without the individual being convicted of a crime, and
under
terms so broad that almost anything could be defined as an applicable
offense.
"In my mind, if that doesn't absolutely epitomize totalitarianism I
would
like to what does," said Higgs. "They can categorize the most innocent
action -- from signing a petition or making a chartable contribution --
as
an act of terrorism..."
SEE ALSO:
CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH
Dean Schabner, ABC News, 3/12/03
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/conservatives_patriot030312.html#
The opposite ends of the political spectrum are coming together over
the
war on terror, but not in the way Attorney General John Ashcroft may
have
wanted.
Some conservative groups are finding common ground with organizations
such
as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Bill of Rights Defense
Council, expressing concerns about the effect that the USA Patriot Act
and
a possible follow-up law, the Domestic Security Enhancement Act, could
have
on civil liberties.
Christopher Pyle, a former U.S. Army intelligence officer who served on
the
Church Committee, a Senate select committee that studied government
intelligence gathering, put it a bit more forcefully.
"I don't think the Fourth Amendment exists anymore," said Pyle, a
professor
of politics at Mount Holyoke College, referring to the amendment that
prohibits unreasonable search and seizure and requires probable cause
for a
search or arrest. "I think it's been buried by the Patriot Act and some
of
the court rulings that have been handed down. We need a requiem mass
for
the Fourth Amendment, because it's gone..."
---
COURT OF APPEALS OVERTURNS LICENSE RULES
Brian Bakst, Associated Press, 3/12/03
ST. PAUL - The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday struck down stricter
rules
for newcomers seeking a Minnesota driver's license, saying the process
for
enacting them was flawed. The rules - limiting the type of documents
needed
to get a license and requiring an unobscured, full-face photo on the
license - were among changes made in response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
But the decision by the three-judge panel apparently preserves the
ability
of the Department of Public Safety to track foreign visitors by putting
"status check" markings on their licenses, which was the most
controversial
change the department made last summer. Civil libertarians and
immigrant
advocacy groups still welcomed the ruling, disputing interpretations
from
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration on its impact...
-----
JEWISH EXTREMISTS WORRY DEFENSE HEADS
Amos Harel, Ha'aretz, 3/12/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=271647&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0
Defense officials are worried that right-wing extremists will start
armed
action against Palestinians, and a top concern is that they might
attack
Islamic holy sites.
After the killing of Staff Sergeant Tomer Ron in Hebron on Monday,
settler
leaders warned that the wave of terror attacks in the town could lead
to
revenge attacks by extremists.
Security officials are unaware of any specific group operating in
Hebron,
but they also know Hebron produced Baruch Goldstein, the Kiryat Arba
doctor
who massacred 29 Palestinians in the Tomb of the Patriarchs on Purim
1994.
The murders, a few months after the Oslo accords were signed, set in
motion
a series of Palestinian revenge attacks a month later...
---
ISRAELI SETTLERS RECEIVE THREE TIMES MORE SUBSIDIES
Agence France Press, 3/10/03
JERUSALEM - Jewish settlers in the Palestinian territories and on the
Golan
Heights receive three times more in housing subsidies from the
government
than other Israelis, according to a report published on Monday by the
country's regional councils.
Israel's 180 farming settlements, of which about 30 are in the Golan
Heights, have alone received 60 million dollars, or 54 percent of all
subsidies awarded by the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture to Jewish
farmers
over the past year, says the report...
-----
LEARNING ISLAMIC FINANCE
Phillip Day and S. Jayasankaran, Wall Street Journal, 3/12/03
www.wsj.com
Most investment bankers don't spend a lot of time worrying about the
religious implications of their work. But if you're a U.S. banker
trying to
tap a blossoming market for Islamic financial instruments, you'd better
brush up on religious law.
As revenues from traditional deal-making dwindle, Western investment
banks
-- including Citigroup Inc. in New York, London's HSBC Holdings PLC and
Standard Chartered PLC, and Frankfurt's Deutsche Bank AG -- are all
listening to religious scholars to help them reach a Muslim investing
market that some bankers expect to grow 12% to 15% a year over the next
few
years.
"You can't go wrong with over a billion" Muslims, says Zarir Cama, who
set
up HSBC's global Islamic department in Dubai and is now the bank's
chief
executive in Malaysia. Malaysia's central bank and some Western bankers
estimate that Muslims currently hold $180 billion in funds in banks
around
the world -- money that could be lured into Islamic financial products.
But
first Muslim scholars must decide what banks can offer and what Muslim
investors can buy. That's no small task considering that Islam
prohibits
some key elements of Western banking, notably interest payments. So big
Western banks that want to market Islamic mortgages or savings
accounts, or
set up mutual funds that invest in companies that comply with Islamic
law,
are hiring or consulting experts such as Mohamad Daud Bakar to guide
them.
"Religious law goes all the way; we have to make sure all the features
and
concepts involved in what the banks are trying to do are acceptable,"
says
Dr. Daud, deputy rector of Malaysia's International Islamic
University...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/13/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: PRAYER CAUSES SINS TO FALL AWAY
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4788 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
- The Truth about Islam (Newsday)
- Positive Feedback on Ad Campaign
* MUSLIM CHAPLAIN TO OPEN SESSION OF TEXAS LEGISLATURE
* MUSLIM LEADERS STATEWIDE PREPARE TO MEET WITH FBI (AP)
- To Be a Muslim - And a Marylander (Baltimore Sun)
* COPS INVESTIGATE ATTACK ON MOSQUE (Chicago Tribune
* OK COMMISSIONER BEING PRESSURED TO RESCIND HIJAB POLICY
- Student's Discreet Head Covering Triggers Protest (AP)
* BOMBS AND BLOOD (NY Times)
- FBI Probes Fake Evidence of Iraqi Nuke Plans (Wash. Post)
- Antiwar Activists Rally in Last-Ditch Effort (Wash. Post)
- DOS Report Disputes Bush Claim 'Domino Effect' (Forward)
- New York Passes Anti-War Resolution (Washington Times)
* HOLLYWOOD FILM OF LONE RIDER IN ARABIA RAISES DUST (Saudi Gazette)
* U.S. ARAB GROUPS LOBBY CONGRESS AGAINST AID TO ISRAEL (Ha'aretz)
- 18% of 1,945 Palestinians Killed Were Civilians (Ha'aretz)
- J'accuse, Sort of (Slate)
- Can Israel Teach Democracy? (Washington Times)
- The Americans Have Interests, Too (Ha'aretz)
* SECRECY WITHIN (Miami Daily Business Review)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PRAYER CAUSES SINS TO FALL AWAY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once went out when the leaves
were
falling from the trees. He took hold of a branch and said: "Verily,
when a
servant of God prays seeking only His pleasure, his sins fall away just
as
the leaves have fallen from this tree."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 199
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4788 SPONSORSHIPS
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
SEE ALSO:
THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM
Newsday, 3/13/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/letters/
I want to thank New York Newsday for its article regarding the Council
of
American-Islamic Relations ad campaign ["Move to Remove Muslim
Stereotypes," Business, March 3].
As an American Muslim, I am concerned about the misinformation and
ignorance of Islam that abounds in the United States. It is heartening
to
see the ad campaign and newspapers like New York Newsday making efforts
to
combat stereotypes and disseminate sound information about Islam.
Farah Haq
West Chester, Pa.
---
POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON AD CAMPAIGN
"I think you are doing a great service to Muslims all over the world by
demonstrating that American Muslims are involved, caring citizens of
the
country in which they live. This is a crucial time for the world to see
that American Muslims are in this country to stay and to be an active
part
of their communities." - Connecticut
-----
- MEDIA ADVISORY -
MUSLIM CHAPLAIN TO OPEN SESSION OF TEXAS LEGISLATURE
State's Muslims converge on Austin for day of political activism
WHAT: On Tuesday, March 18, a Muslim chaplain will for the first time
open
a session of the Texas legislature. The prayer is part of the Freedom
and
Justice Foundation's First Annual Muslim Legislative Day, which will
bring
Muslims from across the state to Austin for political workshops and
meetings with elected officials.
The Houston office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR-Houston) will send a delegation to take part in the event as a
demonstration of the group's support for political participation by
Texas
Muslims.
"This is an important event in terms of Muslim political participation
in
Texas. It is an opportunity for Muslims to present their concerns to
elected officials and to help influence policies that impact their
daily
lives," said CAIR Houston Executive Director Eesa Galloway.
WHEN: Tuesday March 18, 2003
WHERE: 6 a.m., morning prayer at Al-Farooq Mosque, 1207 Conrad Sauer,
Houston
6:15 a.m., loading onto bus and departure to Austin
9:30 a.m., arrival at Texas State Capitol, prayer offered followed by
lunch, workshops and meeting representatives
4 p.m., leave for Houston
CONTACT: Ms. Najat Elsayed, 713-838-2247
PHOTO/SOUND OPPORTUNITY: The First Annual Texas Muslim Legislative Day
will
include special gallery seating for the opening prayer.
- END -
Council on American-Islamic Relations - Houston
5821 Southwest Freeway, Suite 304
Houston, TX 77057
Tel: 713-838-2247
Fax: 713-838-2250
E-mail: cair@cairhouston.org
URL: http://www.cairhouston.org
-----
MUSLIM LEADERS STATEWIDE PREPARE TO MEET WITH FBI
Gretchen Parker, Associated Press, 3/13/03
BALTIMORE - Maryland Muslim leaders have agreed to meet with FBI agents
Thursday, despite concerns about a federal mandate to compile a list of
mosques and Islamic societies.
The FBI said agents want to meet in Frederick with Muslim leaders to
establish a liaison and to better protect the groups from hate crimes.
Imams and society presidents said they are concerned because of a
recent
FBI mandate ordering agents to compile a comprehensive list of every
mosque
in the United States.
Khalil Elshazly, president of the Islamic Society of Frederick, calls
the
FBI's policy racist and unconstitutional.
"The reason we're uneasy about it is they're not doing it with churches
or
synagogues or any other religious groups," Elshazly said. "So, in a
sense,
it's racial profiling..."
SEE ALSO:
TO BE A MUSLIM - AND A MARYLANDER
Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun, 3/13/03
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.muslims13mar13.story
HAGERSTOWN - The first time their mosque's sign was stolen, members of
the
Islamic Society of Western Maryland hoped and prayed it was only a
prank.
Now, they know better.
The sign - set in concrete - has been cut down on three occasions, the
final time at the end of January, apparently with a power saw. The
society
decided not to put it up anymore. And the group closed its 5-year-old
day
care center, which once tended to as many as 25 children, because of
lingering concerns by parents and staff about a telephoned threat last
year.
"They said, 'Is this the Arab-run day care center? That's the one that
is
going down today,'" said Dr. Shahab Z. Siddiqui, a Hagerstown physician
who
is on the society's board.
The incidents, under FBI investigation, have occurred as other Muslim
communities in the state have reported problems that they believe are
connected to terrorism fears after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
In Southern Maryland, Muslims have complained about rumors linking them
to
terrorist groups. "Somebody from al-Qaida gets arrested in Pakistan and
his
name is Mohammed, and everyone who has the last name Mohammed, which is
a
very common name, is asked, 'Are you related to him?'" said Dr. Abdul
Razaq, a Pakistani-born orthopedic surgeon in Waldorf...
The head of the Islamic Society of Frederick completed a recent Friday
prayer session by urging about 100 attendees not to talk to the FBI
without
first consulting lawyers or the Washington-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
"I received a call from the FBI today and they wanted to meet alone
with
me, which I would not do," President Khalil Elshazly, a Frederick
mechanical engineer, told the group, which meets in a hotel conference
room
because it doesn't own space large enough to accommodate worshippers.
"If you're ever contacted by the FBI, you don't have to talk to them,"
Elshazly advised. "Don't be afraid. Don't yield to their pressure..."
-----
COPS INVESTIGATE ATTACK ON SUBURBAN MOSQUE
Ted Gregory and Deborah Horan, Chicago Tribune, 3/13/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-030312mosque,1,3118042.story
Villa Park police today were investigating what appeared to be the
latest
act of vandalism at the Islamic Foundation, a mosque in the west
suburb.
About 150 people were finishing prayers at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday when they
heard two loud bangs and saw two indentations and a web of cracked
glass
appear on a window on the northwest side of the building, said Saqib
Qureshi, 25, who was among the worshippers.
Had the window shattered, Qureshi said, "people would have been shot
for
sure because people were standing right next to the glass."
Worshippers saw two men flee toward a car in the darkness, but no one
was
able to provide a description of the assailants or their vehicle, he
said.
Foundation Director Abdel Hameed Dogar said the attack appeared to be a
deliberate attempt to do harm, as people could be seen inside the
window at
the time. Dogar said security guards would be posted at night in the
aftermath of the attack...
-----
OK COMMISSIONER BEING PRESSURED TO RESCIND HIJAB POLICY
Following his order to permit photos with head-cover on Oklahoma driver
licenses, Commissioner of Public Safety Bob Ricks has received 150
messages
criticizing his decision and many are seeking reversal of his decision.
As
of Saturday, Ricks had received only 2 messages of support.
SEE: "Oklahoma to allow scarf for Muslim women"
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=31629&page=NB
Please send Commissioner Ricks a note of thanks & support at:
jhankins@dps.state.okc.us
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
or
Mr. Bob Ricks
Commissioner of Public Safety
3600 N. Martin Luther King Ave.
OKC, OK 73111
Kindly also thank Oklahoma State Attorney General Drew Edmondson for
recommending permission to reinstate the religious garb exception
clause.
Please send thanks to:
Attorney General W. A. Drew Edmondson
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Suite 112
OKC, OK 73105-4894
fax: (405)521-6246
SEE ALSO:
STUDENT'S DISCREET HEAD COVERING TRIGGERS NEW PROTEST OVER ISLAMIC
SCARVES
Alice Geraud, Associated Press, 3/13/03
LYON, France - About 100 striking teachers protested Thursday to press
school officials to take action against a Muslim high school student
who
has worn a bandanna to school for months to cover her hair in the
Islamic
tradition.
"If we don't set limits, we risk seeing students showing up for class
totally veiled," said Jean-Claude Santana, a spokesman for the teachers
at
La Martiniere-Duchere High School in this southeastern city.
The head of the local school system, Alain Morvan, set up a meeting for
Friday with teachers' representatives to try to calm the situation. The
conflict is the latest episode in the often heated debate over how to
uphold the secular nature of France's public education system. The
debate
has brought France's long tradition of separation of religion and state
into a clash with freedom of expression, most often over Islamic
headscarves. Islam is the second-largest religion in France, after
Roman
Catholicism...
-----
BOMBS AND BLOOD
Bob Herbert, New York Times, 3/13/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/13/opinion/13HERB.html
PHILADELPHIA - They seemed like very nice people, the men and women,
some
with children, who dropped by to see the Liberty Bell, which is housed
in a
one-story shedlike pavilion with large windows in the roof.
My mind wandering, I imagined the visitors as casualties of war. I
glanced
up at the sunlight streaming through the roof and could visualize an
incoming warhead, a missile that perhaps had strayed off course and was
heading toward us. It wasn't hard to imagine the damage. The pavilion
and
everyone in it would be obliterated.
This is the fate soon to be visited upon a certain number of innocent
Iraqi
civilians (no one knows how many) if the president goes ahead with the
war
he has pursued so relentlessly. We should outlaw the term collateral
damage. Above all else, the damage done by the weapons of war is to the
flesh, muscle, bone and psyches of real people, some of them children.
If
we're willing to inflict such terrible damage, we should acknowledge it
and
not hide behind euphemisms...
SEE ALSO:
FBI PROBES FAKE EVIDENCE OF IRAQI NUCLEAR PLANS
Dana Priest and Susan Schmidt, Washington Post, 3/13/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17888-2003Mar12.html
The FBI is looking into the forgery of a key piece of evidence linking
Iraq
to a nuclear weapons program, including the possibility that a foreign
government is using a deception campaign to foster support for military
action against Iraq.
"It's something we're just beginning to look at," a senior law
enforcement
official said yesterday. Officials are trying to determine whether the
documents were forged to try to influence U.S. policy, or whether they
may
have been created as part of a disinformation campaign directed by a
foreign intelligence service...
The phony documents -- a series of letters between Iraqi and Niger
officials showing Iraq's interest in equipment that could be used to
make
nuclear weapons -- came to British and U.S. intelligence officials from
a
third country. The identity of the third country could not be learned
yesterday...
---
ACTIVISTS RUSH TO RALLY AGAIN IN LAST-DITCH ANTIWAR EFFORT
Manny Fernandez, Washington Post, 3/13/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17562-2003Mar12.html
Antiwar activists are gearing up for a march on Washington on Saturday,
the
latest for a global peace movement that has mobilized with increasing
frequency as the nation prepares for a war with Iraq.
In Burke, psychologist Suzanne Doherty, 56, has worked to assemble a
squad
of grandmothers to join her on Saturday. "This is not exclusively a
young
person's movement," said Doherty, founder of the Northern Virginia
chapter
of Grandmothers for Peace.
In Philadelphia, Betsy Payet has taken an avalanche of calls from
protesters looking for seats on 20 charter buses. "The people in this
so-called democracy are being ignored," she said.
And in Princeton, N.J., the Rev. Robert Moore has helped fill a
five-bus
caravan of homemakers, students and retirees. "They realize that this
is
our last best chance to try to avert a war," said Moore, 52, pastor of
two
United Church of Christ congregations...
---
SECRET STATE DEPT. REPORT DISPUTING BUSH CLAIM ON ARAB 'DOMINO EFFECT'
Ori Nir, Forward, 3/13/03
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.03.14/news1a.html
WASHINGTON - The State Department is circulating a classified report
dismissing the White House claim that a regime change in Iraq would
trigger
a push for democracy throughout the Arab world.
The report strongly criticizes the controversial prediction of a
post-Saddam Hussein democratic "domino effect" in the Middle East, the
Forward has learned. It was put together by the State Department's
Bureau
of Intelligence and Research, an agency that produces independent
intelligence assessment reports. Officials at the State Department have
taken the unusual step of sending the secret report to a select group
of
legislators on Capitol Hill...
Administration supporters of a democratization campaign are getting
advice
from several respected scholars of Middle Eastern affairs, including
Bernard Lewis of Princeton University and Fuad Ajami of Johns Hopkins
University. Meanwhile, veteran diplomats and analysts at the State
Department are rejecting the idea of a democratization push as a risky
and
even misguided campaign, ideologically propelled by neo-conservatives
in
key positions at the White House and the Pentagon...
---
NEW YORK PASSES ANTI-WAR RESOLUTION
Liz Trotta, Washington Times, 3/13/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030313-68969941.htm
NEW YORK - Political leaders in this city devastated by the September
11
attacks have voted against war with Iraq except as a last resort,
joining
at least 125 municipalities nationwide that have passed some kind of
anti-war resolution.
New York's City Council voted by roll call 32-17 for the resolution,
which
says war is permissible only if "other options for achieving compliance
with United Nations resolutions calling for the elimination of weapons
of
mass destruction and the means of their development have failed."
Yvette Clarke, a Democrat who supported the resolution, said, "If we're
going to be looking for a fight, let's fight poverty, let's fight
firehouse
closures, let's fight racism and sexism..."
Since September, anti-war resolutions have been approved in such cities
as
Los Angeles; Chicago; Milwaukee; Kalamazoo, Mich.; and Portland, Maine.
-----
HOLLYWOOD FILM OF AMERICAN LONE RIDER IN ARABIA RAISES THE DUST
Peter Harrigan, Saudi Gazette, 3/12/03
http://www.okaz.com.sa/sgazette/Data/2003/3/13/default.xml?Section=0
An American who claimed to be the most famous dispatch rider in the Old
Wild West, associate of Buffalo Bill Cody, teacher of Billy the Kid and
the
victorious rider in a so-called historic 3,000 mile Arabian horse race
has
been denounced as a fraud just as an 80 million dollar Hollywood
'true-story' movie featuring the race counts down for release.
The film, "Hidalgo" due to be released by Touchstone Pictures is set to
unleash a barrage of objections and opposition from activists who
complain
of Hollywood's continuing stereotyping and vilification of Arabs whilst
the
elaborate hoax spun by Frank T. Hopkins has already enraged horse
enthusiasts around the world...
The Long Riders' Guild is now taking steps to pressure the film makers
over
the forthcoming release. "We are calling on Touchstone Pictures, and
its
parent company - the famed Walt Disney Corporation - to restore its
legacy
of corporate courtesy and proper behavior by labeling the film
"Hidalgo" a
fictional story. The Guild is also calling on the immediately
withdrawal of
the objectionable suicide scenes and horse killings..."
-----
U.S. ARAB GROUPS LOBBY CONGRESS AGAINST AID TO ISRAEL
Nathan Guttman, Haaretz, 3/13/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/272636.html
WASHINGTON - U.S. Arab and Muslim groups announced Wednesday a day of
activity against the special U.S. aid to Israel, which has requested $8
billion in loan guarantees and $4 billion in defense aid.
The U.S. administration has yet to approve the aid package, with
officials
in both Jerusalem and Washington saying that the administration will
not,
in any event, approve the entire $4 billion grant request.
Meanwhile, however, American-Arab groups are telling Congress that the
special aid encourages a government that has a pro-settlement policy
and
refuses to negotiate with the Palestinians.
The lobbying, which will include a grassroots letter-writing campaign
by
constituents to their representatives, says the aid will be used to buy
U.S. weapons and equipment that Israel will then use against the
Palestinians, in contravention of U.S. arms exports laws. The lobbying
will
also include a letter-writing campaign to the media.
Pro-Israeli organizations have already begun their lobbying on behalf
of
the aid, with the administration's request yet to reach the Congress.
SEE ALSO:
18% OF 1,945 PALESTINIANS KILLED IN INTIFADA WERE INNOCENT CIVILIANS
IDF SAYS
Amos Harel, Ha'aretz, 3/13/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=272310
Some 1,945 Palestinians have been killed since the intifada erupted on
September 29, 2000, according to a defense establishment report. These
include 365 people (18 percent) who had nothing to do with terrorist
activity: 130 (7 percent) children under the age of 16 and 235 (11
percent)
adults, many of them women and elderly people...
Commenting on the number of children killed, the sources said in some
cases
they were youths throwing fire bombs. A few children who died were
involved
in operating firearms. An IDF investigation regarding the death of an
11-year-old boy in Nablus some two months ago indicated the boy was
killed
when an improvised explosive charge he was about to throw on soldiers,
went
off in his hands.
In any case, a security source said, "there is no justification for the
death of Palestinians under the age of 16, even if they were throwing
Molotov cocktails. These cases require investigation."
---
J'ACCUSE, SORT OF
Michael Kinsley, Slate, 3/12/03
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080027/
It is my sad duty to report that this form of anti-Semitism seems to
have
infected one of the most prominent and respected-one might even say
influential-organizations in Washington. This organization claims that
"America's pro-Israel lobby"-and we all know what "pro-Israel" is a
euphemism for-has tentacles at every level of government and society.
On
its Web site, this organization paints a lurid picture of Zionists
spreading their party line and even indoctrinating children. And yes,
this
organization claims that the influence of the Zionist lobby is
essential to
explaining the pro-Israel tilt of U.S. policy in the Middle East. It
asserts that the top item on the Zionist "agenda" is curbing the power
of
Saddam Hussein...
According to this Web site, the Zionist lobby is, like most political
conspiracies, a set of concentric circles within circles. The two
innermost
circles are known as the "President's Cabinet" and the "Chairman's
Council." Members allegedly "take part in special events with members
of
Congress in elegant Washington locations," "participate in private
conference calls," and attend an annual "national summit." In the past
members of these groups have met "in a private setting" with President
Clinton, with Vice President Gore, and with the president of Turkey,
among
others. If this Web site is to be believed, these Zionist-lobby
insiders
have even enjoyed "a luncheon with renowned author and commentator
George
Will."
And who is behind this Web site? Who is spreading the anti-Semitic
canard
that Jews and Zionists influence American policy in the Middle East,
including Iraq? It is a group calling itself the America-Israel Public
Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, and claiming to be "pro-Israel." They all
claim that, of course. But in this case, AIPAC actually is considered
to be
the institutional expression of the amorphous Zionist lobby. All the
foregoing quotes and assertions about the huge Zionist influence with
the
U.S. government and the lengths to which Zionists go to protect and
expand
it actually refer to AIPAC itself...
Nevertheless, you shouldn't brag about how influential you are if you
want
to get hysterically indignant when someone suggests that government
policy
is affected by your influence.
---
CAN ISRAEL TEACH DEMOCRACY?
Washington Times, 3/13/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20030313-20036291.htm#5
I read with interest James Morrison's column on Arab democracy and the
crisis in the Middle East ("Embassy Row," World, Friday). I was
particularly bemused by the Slovak ambassador's comment on how Israel
can
play an important role by sharing experiences with neighboring nations
in
need of democracy.
Yet, what experience would Israel like to share with its neighbors? How
it
treats its citizens of Arab origins or how the Palestinians are
enjoying
life in the occupied territories? It is not a hidden fact that the
current
government of Israel has coalition partners that openly advocate the
"transfer" of Palestinians to Jordan...
I really can't imagine what sort of truly democratic experience Israel
has
to share with its Arab neighbors, as the ambassador proposed. The Arabs
are
serious in extending a peace initiative toward Israel. Can Israel share
this experience with us?
IMAD MOUSTAPHA
Chief of public diplomacy
Embassy of Syria
Washington
---
THE AMERICANS HAVE INTERESTS, TOO
Aluf Benn, Ha'aretz, 3/13/03
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=272329
Jerusalem and Washington's coupling looked perfect until the ongoing
discussions of the aid package to Israel came along and showed that
even
the most beautiful friendships have their limits. The Bush
administration
can be generous at the expense of the Palestinians and is happy to
furnish
Sharon with political gestures. In any case, Bush doesn't want to get
into
the sickbed as mediator in the endless dispute over the partition of
the
country. But when Israel asks for its piece of the American purse, the
loving declarations turned into difficult questions and the
administration
put its bureaucratic mechanisms into slow motion.
The end of the story is still not known. The aid package has yet to be
completed and hasn't even been discussed at the highest levels of the
administration. Israel has yet to employ all its resources of influence
in
the American capital. Jerusalem is divided on the matter. The Prime
Minister's Office is convinced the outcome will be positive, and Israel
will get all the loan guarantees it asked for, $8 billion, and half the
defense grant, about $2 billion
-----
SECRECY WITHIN
Dan Christensen, Miami Daily Business Review, 3/13/03
http://www.floridabiz.com/news.html?news_id=25916
With war in Iraq looming, the largely invisible U.S. campaign against
terror being waged in the nation's federal courts surfaced in
extraordinary
ways in Miami last week.
A published court calendar for the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
was
obliterated to omit the names of litigants in a sealed civil case
brought
by an Algerian man the Miami Daily Business Review has learned was
among
1,200 young Arab and Muslim men secretly detained in the post-Sept. 11
nationwide dragnet.
Later, the appellate court's computer records were altered to remove
from
public view any information about the case, No. 02-11060.
In between, a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit closed its
Courtroom
March 5 to the public and the press to hear arguments in the sealed
case.
Court records that were briefly public said the case is styled Mohamed
Kamel Bellahouel v. Monica S. Wetzel. Wetzel is a former warden at the
Federal Correctional Institution in South Miami-Dade County.
"That's very unusual," said one federal judge, referring to the closure
of
the appeals court...
Defense attorneys across the nation have complained about being
hamstrung
by the Justice Department's aggressive assertion of secrecy in both
criminal and civil court proceedings that have arisen from the
investigation of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and
the
Pentagon.
"There's been a concerted effort to cut defense lawyers out of the
process,
to make it impossible for people accused of terrorism offenses to mount
an
effective defense," said Neal R. Sonnett, a Miami attorney who chairs
the
American Bar Association's Task Force on the Treatment of Enemy
Combatants.
"Counsel can be deprived of access to evidence and of access to the
client.
So if there is a lawyer, the lawyer is basically fighting with both
hands
and both feet tied behind his back," he said Tuesday...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #371
FAMILY VALUES EXAMINED IN CAIR AD CAMPAIGN
Advertisement says national security depends on strength of families
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/14/03) - Family values in the American Muslim
community will be the focus in the fifth installment of a national
advertising campaign designed to foster greater understanding of Islam
and
to counter the rising tide of Islamophobic rhetoric in the United
States.
SEE: www.americanmuslims.info
CAIR launched the year-long "Islam in America" campaign February 16
with an
ad on the New York Times editorial page. The first four ads featured
examples of ethnic diversity in the American Muslim community, a Muslim
Girl Scout troop in California, a Muslim woman explaining why modest
Islamic attire is both liberating and empowering, and a condemnation of
religiously-motivated terrorism.
The text of the latest CAIR ad reads: "My name is Aminah Kapadia, and
I'm a
wife, a mom and a student. I'm studying for a Masters degree in
education,
and I volunteer at our children's school, where I'm also active in the
PTA.
I was born in Philadelphia, to Puerto Rican parents, and have lived in
the
United States my entire life.
"My husband, Zubin, is from India, but has called America home for more
than thirty years. He's an attorney and former economic officer for the
U.S. Department of State. Now he spends his time running a consulting
firm
and coaching our sons' T-ball and soccer teams.
"Like many Americans, my husband and I face the challenge of raising
our
children in an unpredictable world. That's why the basic principles of
our
religion, like tolerance, justice and devotion to family, are a central
part of our lives. As the Prophet Muhammad told us, 'The best of you is
he
who is best to his family. None of you will have faith until he wants
for
his brother what he wishes for himself.'
"We believe the security of our nation is dependent upon the strength
of
our families, and Islam teaches us the values that provide that
strength."
The weekly CAIR ads, each explaining one aspect of Islam, are being
distributed to Muslim communities around America for placement in local
newspapers. All the advertisements previously published in the New York
Times are available at: http://www.americanmuslims.info/archive.asp
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
ACTION REQUESTED:
1. Publish each weekly ad in your local community's newspaper. (They
can
also be downloaded and used as posters, hand-outs, billboards, etc.)
This
is a year-long campaign, so you can get more favorable rates by
agreeing to
publish a series of ads instead of just one. For a step-by-step guide
to
publishing the "Islam in America" ads in your local newspaper, go to:
http://www.americanmuslims.info/instructions.asp
2. Donate to support the campaign. To send a contribution, fill out the
form below or go to:
https://secure42.softcomca.com/americanmuslims_info/donate.asp
- PLEASE POST, COPY AND DISTRIBUTE -
--- CLIP AND MAIL/FAX/E-MAIL ---
YES, I would like to support CAIR's "Islam in America" ad campaign by
donating $___________. Enclosed is my check, payable to CAIR.
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
TEL:
FAX:
E-MAIL:
Payment: ___Check ___VISA ___MasterCard ___Discover ___Money Order
Credit Card Number:
Exp. Date:
Name as on Card:
Signature: ________________________________________________
SEND TO: CAIR, 453 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003
FAX: 202-488-0833 E-MAIL: membership@cair-net.org
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/14/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: TENDER FEELINGS
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4795 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* FLORIDA SCHOOL BOARD TO PROTECT MUSLIM STUDENTS
* POWELL FAULTS PALESTINIANS IN MIDEAST (AP)
- Powell: U.S. Policy Not Israeli Motivated (AP)
* INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ANTIWAR PROTEST IN CANADA
* WHICH NATION FORGED 'EVIDENCE' OF IRAQI NUKES? (Antiwar.com)
- Senator Seeks FBI Probe of Iraq Documents (AP)
* THE IMPACT OF BUSH LINKING 9/11 AND IRAQ (CS Monitor)
- MTV Refuses Antiwar Commercial (NY Times)
- Fear of a Backlash Grows (Philadelphia Inquirer)
* PEACEFUL PROTEST GREETS PIPES' SPEECH (Montreal Gazette)
- Who is Daniel Pipes?
* 2 SCHOOLS BACK MUSLIM LEADER ON ACADEMIC DEGREES (Chicago Tribune)
* FBI REACHES OUT TO MD. MUSLIM LEADERS (Washington Post)
* MY BIG FAT MUSLIM MOVIE (Prairie Dog)
* RATIONAL TALK BY 2 FAITHS ACROSS DIVIDE (NY Times)
* DETROIT-AREA SHIITES REMEMBER MUSLIM MARTYR (AP)
* NY MUSLIM DOCTOR WINS PRESTIGIOUS RESEARCH AWARD
* EQUESTRIAN GUILD BLASTS DIS' 'HIDALGO' (Hollywood Reporter)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: TENDER FEELINGS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who is deprived of
tender feelings is in fact deprived of goodness."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1185
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4795 SPONSORSHIPS
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
FLORIDA SCHOOL BOARD TO PROTECT MUSLIM STUDENTS
(MIAMI, FLORIDA, 3/14/03) - The Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today thanked the School Board of
Broward County for a new "zero tolerance" policy against harassment of
Muslim students.
In a letter addressed to all principals, the board urged Diversity and
Cultural Outreach Departments to take seriously any issues relating to
harassment of Muslim students. Superintendent Frank Till wrote: "in
view
of the growing crisis in the Middle East, I am requesting that you
prepare
to take proactive steps at your school to address possible hate
backlash
against innocent student representatives of the Muslim community".
To view the full text of the letter go to:
http://www.cair-florida.org/ViewArticle.asp?Code=PR&ArticleID=73
"We urge other Florida school boards to follow this example and take
proactive measures to protect the rights of Muslim children. All
children
must be able to learn in a safe and secure environment without any
intimidation, harassment or name calling," CAIR-FL Board Chairman Dr.
Parvez Ahmed.
"At a time when our nation is preparing to go to war in Iraq, we
believe
American-Muslims may once again be stereotyped, racially profiled and
harassed," said Ahmed.
A recent FBI bulletin stated: "...hate crimes against (Muslim) Arab
Americans could increase if the United States goes to war with Iraq..."
CAIR-FL took part in the production of a video reminding school
administrators and students about the fundamental right of every
student to
learn in a safe and secure environment. This video will be aired in all
Broward Public Schools on March 27.
CAIR-FL will also provide diversity training to school personnel,
complimenting the ongoing training provided by The National Conference
for
Community and Justice.
"A proactive stance by the school board can avert potentially dangerous
situations. In out multicultural society, it is important that we all
take
the time to understand each other," added CAIR-FL Director of Outreach
and
Education Dr. Yasmeen Qadri.
- END -
CONTACT: Mr. Altaf Ali, Executive Director, 954-298-8214, E-MAIL:
altaf@cair-florida.org; Mr. Ahmed Bedier, Communications Director,
813-731-9506 - EMAIL abedier@cair-florida.org
-----
POWELL FAULTS PALESTINIANS IN MIDEAST
Barry Schweid, Associated Press, 3/14/03
WASHINGTON - Palestinian attacks on Israel and a lack of Palestinian
proposals for peacemaking are to blame for the lack of progress toward
a
Mideast settlement, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday.
Testifying at a House hearing, Powell spoke sympathetically of Israel's
refusal to negotiate while under attack. "Nevertheless, we are deeply
engaged," Powell said under questioning by Reps. Jesse L. Jackson Jr.,
D-Ill., and David R. Obey, D-Wis...
He offered no criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has
ruled out concessions to the Palestinians while terrorist acts
continue.
"The principal problem has been the continuing violence and terrorism
that
has come from the Palestinian side directed against the state of
Israel,"
Powell said, leaving Israel unable "to do some of the things that I
would
have liked to see Israel do to move the process along..."
SEE ALSO:
POWELL: U.S. POLICY NOT ISRAELI MOTIVATED
Associated Press, 3/13/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2477476,00.html
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell flatly rejected on
Thursday
any suggestion that the Bush administration's confrontation with Iraq
was
engineered by Israel or American Jews.
Powell told a House Appropriations Subcommittee that the drive to
compel
Iraq to disarm stretches back over two administrations and 12 years of
United Nations resolutions.
"It is driven by our own national interest," Powell said under
questioning
by the subcommittee chairman, Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., who said he
wanted
to clear up media suggestions that American supporters of Israel - and
Israel itself - were driving U.S. strategy...
-----
ACTION ALERT # 98
JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST AGAINST WAR
Attend a March 15th rally in your town
(OTTAWA, CANADA 3/14/2003) The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) is urging Canadian Muslims to
participate in the 'International Day of Action' against a war on Iraq.
The
day of action is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2003, and includes
rallies in many cities across Canada.
"Canadian Muslims must join together with their fellow citizens, stand
for
justice and send a strong, unified signal to our government not to
participate in any upcoming violence against Iraq" said CAIR-CAN
Director
of Operations Naeem Saloojee.
ACTION REQUESTED:
REMEMBER the innocent people of Iraq in your du'a (supplication).
ATTEND the rally in your city. Bring your friends and family. (For
other
cities, see: http://www.canesi.org/Engl/xDemo15Mar.html or contact your
local social action groups).
CHARLOTTETOWN: March 15, 2003
When and where: Province House @ 2 pm (Richmond Street)
Contact: http://www.peipc.com
HALIFAX: March 15, 2003
Where and when: U.S. Consulate @ 1pm (Purdy's Wharf Tower II, Upper
Water St.)
Contact: http://hfxpeace.chebucto.org
QUÉBEC CITY: March 15, 2003
When are where: Musée du Québec @ 1pm (Plaine d'Abraham)
Contact: www.coalitionsquecbec.org, www.oqp2001.org/forumsocial
sbouchard@alternatives.ca or 514-521-4000.
MONTREAL: March 15, 2003
Where and when: Crescent et René-Levesque (Metro Peel, Guy ou Lucien
L'Allier) or René-Levesque devant Radio Canada (Metro Beaudry ou
Papineau)
@ 1 pm
Contact: teamiraq@montrealmuslims.ca
LONDON: March 15, 2003
Where and when: Victoria Park @ 1 pm (Corner of Richmond and Central)
Contact: Rebecca Coulter coulter@uwo.ca.
Bring signs, noisemakers, drums, puppets, stilts, and other creative
expressions of resistance to war.
NIAGARA AREA: March 15, 2003
When and where: Oakes Garden Theatre @ 11 am (Victoria Park, corner of
Clifton Hill and Niagara Parkway)
Contact: Steve 905-988-1527, trkspk@sympatico.ca; Susan Howard-Azzeh,
905-984-6515, susanha103@yahoo.ca.
Bring pots and pans, whistles, street puppets, flags, peace symbols,
banners, placards.
TORONTO: March 15, 2003
Where and when: Meet at the U.S. Consulate @ 12 pm (360 University Ave)
Contact: stopwar@sympatico.ca or 416-588-5555for details
OTTAWA: March 15, 2003
Where and when: Maisonneuve and St-Laurent @ 12:30 pm
Contact: cailes1@yahoo.com.
WINDSOR: March 15, 2003
Where and when: Wyandotte and Goyeau Streets @ 12 pm (Across from the
entrance to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel
WINNIPEG: March 15, 2003
Where and when: Details pending
Contact: 204- 453-3994 rnknfile@mb.sympatico.ca
REGINA: March 15, 2003
When and where: Cenotaph in Victoria Park @ 12 pm noon
Contact: Sarah at 306-522-5657, or sarahmc@altern.org; Catherine at
306-569-7699, or reginapeace2003@yahoo.ca
Bring signs, banners, puppets, balloons! Bring pots & pans, drums,
whistles
and other noisemakers.
VANCOUVER: March 15th, 2003
Where and when: Library Square @ 12 pm
Contact: iremac@shaw.ca or phone 604-737-1299 or 604-687 3223,
http://www.stopwar.ca
Speakers include David Suzuki
VICTORIA: March 15, 2003
Where and when: Centennial Square @ 1 pm. Rally at the legislature @
2:15 pm
Contact: http://www.vcawsi.org/mar-15.htm
-----
A FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE FORGED PHONY
'EVIDENCE' OF IRAQI NUKES - GUESS WHICH ONE...
Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 3/14/03
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
In the midst of a furious debate over the key role of pro-Israel
ideologues
in pushing us into war, the FBI has announced it is looking into the
possibility that "a foreign government is using a deception campaign to
foster support for military action against Iraq." Remember the forged
"evidence" the U.S. submitted to the UN to support their contention
that
Iraq sought fissionable materials...?
Unless it's the African nation of Niger - where Iraq was supposedly
trying
to buy uranium to develop nukes - that is desperately trying to drag us
into war, for obscure reasons of its own, the identity of this
mysterious
"third country" is no mystery.
"By way of deception, thou shalt do war" - the Mossad, Israel's
legendary
intelligence agency, have more than lived up to their motto in the
past,
and, in this instance, seem to have surpassed themselves. To feed the
U.S.
such a crude forgery - the fake letters were rife with fairly obvious
and
easily checkable errors - and have Colin Powell take it to the UN as
"proof" of Iraqi perfidy was a calculated insult, and soon had the
desired
result...
SEE ALSO:
SENATOR SEEKS FBI PROBE OF IRAQ DOCUMENTS
KEN GUGGENHEIM, Associated Press, 3/14/03
WASHINGTON (AP) - The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee
asked the FBI on Friday to investigate forged documents the Bush
administration used as evidence against Saddam Hussein and his military
ambitions in Iraq.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia said he was uneasy about a
possible
campaign to deceive the public about the status of Iraq's nuclear
program.
An investigation should "at a minimum help to allay any concerns" that
the
government was involved in the creation of the documents to build
support
for administration policies, Rockefeller wrote in a letter to FBI
Director
Robert Mueller.
Secretary of State Colin Powell has denied the U.S. government had any
hand
in creating the false documents.
``It came from other sources," Powell told a House committee Thursday.
``We
were aware of this piece of evidence, and it was provided in good faith
to
the inspectors."
Rockefeller asked the FBI to determine the source of the documents, the
sophistication of the forgeries, the motivation of those responsible,
why
intelligence agencies didn't recognize them as forgeries and whether
they
are part of a larger disinformation campaign...
-----
THE IMPACT OF BUSH LINKING 9/11 AND IRAQ
Linda Feldmann, Christian Science Monitor, 3/14/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0314/p02s01-woiq.html
WASHINGTON - In his prime-time press conference last week, which
focused
almost solely on Iraq, President Bush mentioned Sept. 11 eight times.
He
referred to Saddam Hussein many more times than that, often in the same
breath with Sept. 11.
Bush never pinned blame for the attacks directly on the Iraqi
president.
Still, the overall effect was to reinforce an impression that persists
among much of the American public: that the Iraqi dictator did play a
direct role in the attacks. A New York Times/CBS poll this week shows
that
45 percent of Americans believe Mr. Hussein was "personally involved"
in
Sept. 11, about the same figure as a month ago.
Sources knowledgeable about US intelligence say there is no evidence
that
Hussein played a role in the Sept. 11 attacks, nor that he has been or
is
currently aiding Al Qaeda. Yet the White House appears to be
encouraging
this false impression, as it seeks to maintain American support for a
possible war against Iraq and demonstrate seriousness of purpose to
Hussein's regime...
SEE ALSO:
MTV REFUSES ANTIWAR COMMERCIAL
Nat Ives, New York Times, 3/14/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/13/business/media/13ADCO.html
MTV has refused to accept a commercial opposing a war in Iraq, citing a
policy against advocacy spots that it says protects the channel from
having
to run ads from any cash-rich interest group whose cause may be
loathsome.
Nonetheless, viewers in New York and Los Angeles will be able to see
the
rejected spot from Not in Our Name starting today on MTV's "Total
Request
Live" and "Direct Effect," because its backers did an end-run around
the
channel by buying time on local cable providers...
---
AS WAR LOOMS, FEAR OF A BACKLASH GROWS
Thomas Ginsberg, Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/14/03
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/religion/5387818.htm
Call it an Arab American version of duct tape: Speak only English in
public, don't go out alone, consider reinforcing the doors of the
mosque.
Alarming, perhaps extreme, precautions are being suggested informally
in
some Arab and South Asian communities because of rising fears of
further
backlash in this country in the event of a U.S. war on Iraq.
Trying to straddle the line between reassurance and alarm, community
leaders and officials said an increase in hate crimes against
"Arab-looking" people and their homes, businesses or mosques because of
an
invasion actually was unlikely.
"We have taken precautions already since Sept. 11 and I don't think it
will
be worse this time," said Samir Salah, 49, a Jerusalem-born Palestinian
and
owner of a car dealership on Roosevelt Boulevard.
Still, concern is so palpable that some groups, officials and
individuals
are bracing for the worst.
"My wife, I think she won't go out to the market or the mall... if war
starts," said Raad Saleh, 50, of Downingtown, an Iraqi-born businessman
whose wife wears a head-covering hijab in public. "After Sept. 11, she
wouldn't leave the house for three days. When she walked into the Acme
[grocery] store, people said things and she was very frightened..."
At least one national organization, the Council on American Islamic
Relations, said it was planning to issue an "action alert" this week
proposing safety measures, such as reinforcing mosque doors with metal
and
stockpiling three days' worth of food and water in case people feel
unsafe
going outside.
"We're not telling people to hide in their basements, but they should
be
cautious," said Ibrahim Hooper, the group's spokesman...
-----
PEACEFUL PROTEST GREETS PIPES' SPEECH AT MCGILL
Angus Loten, Montreal Gazette, 3/14/03
http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/
About two dozen students held a peaceful protest in front of a McGill
University lecture hall last night to denounce a speech by a
controversial
pro-Israeli journalist.
Daniel Pipes, a columnist for the New York Post and an outspoken critic
of
"militant Islam," spoke at the school as part of a two-day event called
24
Hours for Israel.
The event was organized by the Jewish Student Centre and McGill Hillel,
among other groups.
"Pipes considers the existence of Muslims in North America a danger to
Israel. That's an extremely racist idea," said Isam Faik, president of
the
Muslim Students Association of McGill.
Faik and others handed out pamphlets to those entering the building
last
night, but did not block anyone from attending the 7 p.m. lecture...
"We're not against freedom of speech. It's just that the kind of ideas
Pipes will be delivering tonight infringes on the freedom of others,"
Faik
said.
SEE ALSO: WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
-----
2 SCHOOLS BACK MUSLIM LEADER ON ACADEMIC DEGREES
Laurie Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 3/14/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0303140161mar14,1,4305709.story
Sabri Samirah, a local Muslim leader who has been barred from
re-entering
the United States for national security reasons, received graduate
degrees
at two Chicago universities, contrary to suggestions in a government
filing
earlier this week.
Government lawyers raised the issue of Samirah's academic credentials
in
response to a lawsuit he filed to force immigration officials to allow
him
back into the country.
In its response, the government didn't detail the security reasons for
keeping Samirah out of the U.S.
Justice Department lawyers accused Samirah of lying on an immigration
application to get permission to leave the country and suggested that
he
had stayed in the country for years on a student visa without earning
academic degrees.
However, both schools where Samirah studied said Thursday that he
obtained
the degrees listed on his resume and reported in his filings with
immigration officials. Samirah received a master's degree in economics
at
DePaul University in 1991 and a PhD in public policy from the
University of
Illinois at Chicago in late 2001...
Mark Flessner, Samirah's attorney, took the government to task for
suggesting that Samirah didn't earn the degrees. "It is disappointing
that
the government feels the need to disparage Dr. Samirah's reputation
instead
of addressing the legal issue in the case, which is that they denied
him a
proper hearing," Flessner said...
-----
FBI REACHES OUT TO MD. MUSLIM LEADERS
Nurith C. Aizenman and Elizabeth Williamson, Washington Post, 3/14/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23031-2003Mar13.html
FBI officials met with leaders of Maryland's Muslim community in
Frederick
yesterday as part of a broader agency effort to combat terrorism by
accounting for and building relationships with mosques and Islamic
societies.
"If they have information about possible [terrorism], they need to know
who
to contact," said FBI spokesman Barry Maddox. "We're seeking their
help."
Maddox added that the meeting, which included representatives from
Montgomery County and Baltimore, was also intended to ease concerns
among
many Muslims that the agency is singling them out for scrutiny. The
meeting
was not open to the media.
Indeed one of the participants, Khalil Elshazly, who is president of
the
Islamic Society of Frederick, said he was greatly alarmed when the FBI
contacted him about arranging a meeting last month. In particular,
Elshazly
said, he feared that field agents were building a database of area
Muslims.
"If these meetings had just been intended to find out where we are in
case
the attorney general decides to put us in concentration camps, we would
have had a problem with that," Elshazly said...
-----
MY BIG FAT MUSLIM MOVIE
Greg Beatty, Prairie Dog Magazine, 3/14/03
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15348
There's no shortage of comically inclined filmmakers for whom ethnicity
plays a major role in their creativity. A recent successful example is
Nia
Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" fame (and interestingly, another
Canadian from the prairies.) But Zarqa Nawaz, a Muslim, thinks she can
break new ground. Through her production company FUNdamentalist Films
(motto: putting the fun back in fundamentalism), she's already made two
short comedies - "BBQ Muslims" and "Death Threat," both of which
counter
North American apprehension over all things Islamic with wit and
warmth.
Nawaz is currently seeking financing for her first feature, "Real
Terrorists Don't Bellydance..."
It's through her films that Nawaz feels she has the most power to
counter
negative stereotypes about Muslims. "I think people are surprised that
someone would make a comedy [about such serious issues]. But that's
what I
like doing. Instead of hitting people over the head with something..."
-----
RATIONAL TALK BY 2 FAITHS ACROSS DIVIDE
Clyde Haberman, New York Times, 3/14/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/14/nyregion/14NYC.html
The setting was the Jewish Theological Seminary, where Seyyed Hossein
Nasr,
a leading Islamic scholar, spoke for an hour about his religion's past,
present and future. Given the time constraints, you could think of his
lecture as "Islam: the CliffsNotes Version." About 400 people attended,
nearly all Jews and quite a few of them observant, judging from the
many
yarmulkes.
Now, it isn't as if a dialogue between Jews and Muslims is unheard of.
Professor Nasr's appearance at a Jewish institution of higher learning
was
not remotely equivalent to Daniel entering the lion's den...
War and terrorism, conspicuously terrorism by Islamic radicals, are
part of
that world. Professor Nasr, who was born in Iran, did not minimize the
problem. But he pleaded for perspective.
Historically, he said, "Islamic civilization provided a haven" for
religious minorities, Jews included. Its record in this regard was
better
than Christian Europe's. "There were no 1492's in Islamic history," he
said, referring to Spain's expulsion of its Jews. "No Holocaust in
Islamic
history. And the horrible things that are being done now are very, very
recent events."
There is no question, the professor acknowledged, that among Muslims
today
"the trend, unfortunately, is exactly towards extremism." But he said
the
numbers of those ready to take up arms in the name of Islam were "very,
very small..."
-----
DETROIT-AREA SHIITES REMEMBER MUSLIM MARTYR
Associated Press, 3/14/03
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - Black satin covers every inch of the walls at
the
Karbala Islamic Center and signs with Arabic script in fluorescent pink
and
green remind worshippers to think of God.
`
Just after 9 p.m., a man dressed in a black robe and turban enters the
room
and begins to tell the story of Imam Hussein, a 7th-centrury Muslim
martyr
- the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
For 10 days known as Ashura, which ended Friday, the same commemoration
of
Hussein's death took place in Shiite mosques across Michigan, the
Detroit
Free Press reported.
Shiites say Hussein saved Islam from the tyranny of a 7th-century Iraqi
ruler named Yazid. The Karbala Center was named after the city in Iraq
where Hussein was killed in 680 AD.
Many local Shiites draw parallels between the story and Iraq's current
situation.
"The Yazid of this era is Saddam Hussein," said 38-year-old Baker Al
Baaj.
Like many of the about 25,000 Iraqi Shiites that live in the Detroit
area,
Al Baaj fled Iraq in 1991 after the government squashed an uprising.
"During this time, we're thinking of our families in Iraq," Al Baaj
said.
"They're suffering..."
-----
NY MUSLIM DOCTOR WINS PRESTIGIOUS RESEARCH AWARD
Dr. Hina Chaudhry, Assistant Professor of Cardiology at Columbia
University
has been awarded the prestigious 2003 Irving Scholar Award to carry out
clinical research for three years. Dr. Chaudhry is a graduate of
Harvard
Medical School with a Fellowship in Cardiology from University of
Pennsylvania Medical School. She has received this award after only
six
years of completing her fellowship.
The Irving Scholar award is the highest honor bestowed on an Assistant
Professor at Columbia and is designed to encourage young researchers
with
promise to continue their research with financial assistance from an
endowment.
Below is the link for the Irving Center at Columbia that describes the
program and the award criteria:
http://gcrcweb.cpmc.columbia.edu/re_history.html
To view Dr. Chaudhry's research work in cardiovascular disease, please
visit: http://www.wolgemuth.org and click on "lab members"
-----
EQUESTRIAN GUILD BLASTS DIS' 'HIDALGO'
Hollywood Reporter, 3/13/03
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/
The Long Riders' Guild, an international association of equestrian
explorers and long-distance travelers, has claimed that the Walt Disney
Co.'s upcoming historical horse-racing film "Hidalgo" falsely depicts
the
life of Frank T. Hopkins, on whom it is based. John Fusco, the film's
writer and recent winner of his second Western Heritage Research Award,
disputed the claims. "I've been researching Hopkins life for more than
12
years now and compiled research from more than 15 well-respected
historians
that verify this story," Fusco said. "Their comments sound like saloon
tales to me."
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/16/2003
HEADLINES:
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP FOR MUSLIM STUDENTS
* FBI TO MUSLIMS: LET'S HELP EACH OTHER (Los Angeles Times)
- FBI Casts Wide Net to Battle Terrorism (LA Times)
-'Nightstalkers' Track Terror Suspects (AP)
- Chicago Police Warn Against Bigotry (Chicago Tribune)
- Bay Area Muslims Dialogue with FBI (CAIR)
* ON TERROR, SPYING AND GUNS, ASHCROFT EXPANDS REACH (NY Times)
* MUSLIMS HOPE OPEN FAIR OPENS SOME EYES (Sacramento Bee)
* PAKISTANIS FLEEING U.S. SEEK REFUGE IN CANADA (LA Times)
* JEWISH GROUPS WORRY ABOUT BACKLASH FOR IRAQ WAR (Wash. Post)
- US to Stay in Iraq '20-25 years' - US Envoy (Malaysiakini)
- U.S. Lacks Specifics on Banned Arms (Washington Post)
- Maureen Dowd: Mashing Our Monster (New York Times)
- Ex-CIA Officers Questioning Iraq Data (AP)
* EDITORIAL: ANSWERS ABOUT TORTURE (Washington Post)
* WIFE OF TURKISH PM MAKES HEADSCARF STYLISH (AFP)
- Workers Complain of Religious Bias (Charlotte Observer)
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP FOR MUSLIM STUDENTS
ANAHEIM, CA - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is
pleased
to announce a one-time Journalism & Communications Scholarship Award
for
Muslim students.
Eight scholarship awardees in eight major cities in the United States
will
receive a one-time scholarship stipend of $5,000 for pursuing education
in
the journalism and communications field.
CAIR will award scholarships to Muslim students in their junior year of
college who demonstrate a willingness to pursue journalism or
communications. Selection criteria includes a required minimum Grade
Point
Average of 3.0 and Muslim community activism. Awardees selected would
be
required to keep in good standing with their respective colleges and
complete 200 hours of Muslim community volunteer service in the field
of
journalism and communications under the supervision of CAIR.
Applicants must reside near a CAIR Chapter and attend a certified U.S.
college or university.
The postmark deadline for fall 2003 applications is May 31, 2003.
For more information, please contact CAIR-LA Development and Programs
coordinator, Maryam Dadabhoy at Maryam@cair.com or 714-776-1847.
-----
FBI TO MUSLIMS: LET'S HELP EACH OTHER
H.G. Reza, Los Angeles Times, 3/16/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mosques16mar16,1,3458465.story
FBI officials are meeting privately with Muslim leaders in Southern
California, assuring them that hate crimes resulting from a possible
war
with Iraq will be vigorously investigated, and at the same time asking
for
help in the campaign against terrorism.
The agency's effort to forge a partnership with Muslim and other Middle
Eastern communities is also intended to quell fears in the Iraqi
American
community, where FBI agents are questioning people to identify possible
terrorists or sympathizers of Saddam Hussein as the United States
inches
closer to war with Iraq.
The meetings are a welcome change from the way the FBI went about its
investigation after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Hussam
Ayloush, head of the Anaheim-based Southern California chapter of the
Council on American Islamic Relations.
"In 2001, the FBI looked at every one of us as suspects. They've made
it
clear to us that they want to view us as partners in our country's war
against terrorism," Ayloush said.
"Prior to Sept. 11 there was a lot of misunderstanding on both sides. I
think we've succeeded in clearing up these clouds of misunderstanding,"
said Ron Iden, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles division. He
requires agents to attend seminars to learn "about the cultural
differences
that we need to understand to do our jobs."
Arab American leaders welcomed the FBI's offer to work together, but
some
still have sharp differences with the agency as it continues to knock
on
doors of Muslim families. Critics are still fuming over what they say
is
the FBI's practice of racial profiling.
Salam Almarayati, spokesman for the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public
Affairs
Council, said his organization has been willing to work with the FBI,
but
members remain angry by "the FBI's policy of targeting people because
of
their race and religion."
"That's what they've been doing since the attacks, and we don't know of
any
case that has resulted in the arrest, indictment or prosecution of a
terrorist," he said…
Overall, Arab American leaders credit the FBI for its efforts.
Ayloush cites the sensitivity seminars that his group and others have
conducted for the FBI. Complaints about the agency are down from a year
ago, he said.
"We're glad the government is concerned about a backlash against Arab
Americans if there is a war with Iraq. There is a segment in the larger
community who thinks it's their patriotic duty to open another front
here
at home," said Ayloush.
SEE ALSO:
FBI CASTS WIDE NET TO BATTLE TERRORISM
Richard B. Schmitt, Greg Krikorian, Josh Meyer and H.G. Reza
Los Angeles Time, 3/16/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-terror16mar16001453,1,2361700.story
Fuat is just one of the untold numbers of citizens being questioned by
government agents looking to root out would-be terrorists. In testimony
before Congress this month, Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft said law
enforcement
officials have been tracking "hundreds and hundreds of suspected
terrorists" in the United States in recent months. In some cases, the
focus
of the government's attention has become clear -- from the conviction
of
shoe bomber Richard Reid in Boston last year to the arrests and pending
trials of alleged cell leaders in cities from Buffalo, N.Y., to
Portland, Ore.
But who are the others? Is the country really infiltrated by legions of
terrorists? If so, why isn't the government arresting more of them?
Interviews with law enforcement officials, federal prosecutors, defense
lawyers and civil liberties groups reveal the breadth of the
government's
efforts…
Prosecutors, often without direct evidence of terrorism-related crimes,
are
having to dig up novel theories of law, like their mob-busting brethren
of
the 1960s and '70s, employing wire and mail fraud statutes in some
instances.
What is also clear is that in a post-Sept. 11 world, where the Justice
Department and the FBI are focused on preventing future terrorist acts,
and
not just prosecuting past crimes, the government is adopting an
unusually
broad view of who should be monitored.
Historically, terrorists were considered people who engaged in
politically
motivated violence against civilians. Now, for every Khalid Shaikh
Mohammed, the Al Qaeda leader recently arrested in Pakistan, there are
scores of far less menacing figures who are being questioned, and in
many
instances deported or put on trial. Last year, federal prosecutors in
New
Jersey took credit for handling more than 60 "international terrorism"
cases, although the majority involved allegations that Arab American
students were cheating on a standardized English language test.
"There has been a fundamental shift in proving whether someone is
involved
in terrorism," said Laura K. Donohue, an acting assistant political
science
professor at Stanford University and a visiting fellow at its Center
for
International Security and Cooperation. "We have started to name people
as
terrorists without them having to have engaged in terrorism or even
conspired to have engaged in terrorism…"
---
'NIGHTSTALKERS' TRACK TERROR SUSPECTS
Associated Press, 3/14/03
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/03/14/fbi.spy.planes.ap/
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The FBI has a fleet of aircraft, some equipped with
night surveillance and eavesdropping equipment, flying America's skies
to
track and collect intelligence from suspected terrorists.
The FBI will not provide exact figures on the planes and helicopters,
but
more than 80 are in the skies. There are several planes, known as
"Nightstalkers," equipped with infrared devices that allow agents to
track
people and vehicles in the dark.
Other aircraft are outfitted with electronic surveillance equipment so
agents can pursue listening devices placed in cars, in buildings and
even
along streets, or listen to cell phone calls. Still others fly
photography
missions, although officials would not describe precise capabilities.
The FBI, which has made counterterror its top priority since Sept. 11,
2001, has sharply increased its use of aircraft…
---
CITY'S POLICE WARN AGAINST BIGOTRY
David Heinzmann, Chicago Tribune, 3/15/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0303160400mar16,1,4174637.story
In anticipation of a spate of hate crimes against Muslims if the United
States goes to war with Iraq, Chicago police Friday called for
tolerance
and said bigotry would not be accepted.
"Targeting our neighbors with acts of hate is ignorant, misdirected and
illegal," said Police Supt. Terry Hillard, who was flanked by leaders
of
the Muslim community.
Hillard pledged police would aggressively pursue allegations of hate
crimes, and he urged Muslims and Arabs to not fear coming forward if
they
are victims.
Members of the Islamic community praised the city and Hillard for being
outspoken about not tolerating hate crimes directed at Muslims.
Community leaders have urged Muslims not to be afraid of the Chicago
police, said Kareem Irfan, chairman of the Council of Islamic
Organizations.
In the year and a half since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Muslim
and
Arab communities in the U.S. have had a "highly stressed and charged
atmosphere," Irfan said.
Fed by reports of Muslims being deported or detained for months without
charges, many people fear the authorities, Irfan said. But he pointed
out
that Muslims and Arabs need to draw a distinction between local police
and
federal authorities…
---
BAY AREA MUSLIM LEADERS DIALOGUE WITH FBI
(SANTA CLARA, CA) On March 12, 2003, more than 30 leaders of Bay Area
Muslim community, representing 27 organizations, met with top officials
of
the FBI Northern California command at the MCA center in Santa Clara.
The
purpose of the meeting was to establish open communications between the
FBI
and the Muslim community.
At that meeting, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Board
Chairman Omar Ahmad emphasized that American Muslims are just as
concerned
about the security of our country as any other minority community. He
pointed out that the Muslim community suffered not only from the
terrorist
attacks of September 11, but subsequently continues to suffer from
backlash
and attacks on Islam. He further stated that the leaders of the Muslim
community are ready to work with law enforcement authorities for the
safety
and security of our nation.
FBI Hate Crimes Division Coordinator Catherine Mannherd said both the
FBI
and the Muslim community should do "whatever it takes to break down
barriers."
-----
ON TERROR, SPYING AND GUNS, ASHCROFT EXPANDS REACH
ERIC LICHTBLAU with ADAM LIPTAK, New York Times, 3/15/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/15/politics/15ASHC.html
WASHINGTON, In the bureaucratic reshuffling over domestic security,
Attorney General John Ashcroft came out a winner. Mr. Ashcroft grabbed
control of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and with it an
issue
dear to his conservative agenda, guns. And he shucked responsibility
for
two areas of law enforcement that had brought ridicule to the Justice
Department, the color-coded threat alert system and immigration…
With the addition of nearly 5,000 law enforcement officials from the
firearms bureau, Mr. Ashcroft has again expanded the policing authority
of
the Justice Department, a hallmark of his tenure as attorney general.
And
with the fight against terrorism as his soapbox, he has pushed the
powers
of federal law enforcement in directions few thought possible before
the
Sept. 11 attacks. His reach extends not only to counterterrorism, but
also
to issues like the death penalty and gun policy, which he attacks with
equal aggressiveness. Despite a years-long effort as a senator from
Missouri to shrink government, Mr. Ashcroft has significantly broadened
the
reach of the attorney general, legal scholars and law enforcement
officials
agree.
All of which has left his many critics increasingly worried.
Even some of his conservative peers complain that Mr. Ashcroft may have
grown too powerful. To his critics, Mr. Ashcroft is a Big Brother
figure:
an attorney general whose expanding scope has allowed the Justice
Department to use wiretaps, backroom decisions, and an expanded street
presence to spy on ordinary Americans, read their e-mail messages, or
monitor their library checkouts, all in the name of fighting terrorism.
And
the department's consideration of proposals that could give it still
greater, secret counterterrorism authority has provoked a fresh round
of
concerns.
The former Republican congressman Dick Armey, on his way out the door
last
year as House majority leader, said he thought Mr. Ashcroft and the
Justice
Department were "out of control."
And Representative Jose E. Serrano, Democrat of New York, told Mr.
Ashcroft
at a hearing last week: "I fear some officials are so intent on
fighting
against terror that they forget what we are fighting for. People across
the
spectrum fear for our civil liberties…"
While the president has visited mosques to deliver a message of respect
for
Muslims, for instance, it was left to Mr. Ashcroft to orchestrate an
unpopular program to register Middle Eastern immigrants. And after Mr.
Bush
last year announced that he wanted to enlist workers for a terrorist
"tips"
program, Mr. Ashcroft was dispatched to Capitol Hill to defend the
unpopular idea…
In Mr. Ashcroft's seven months on the job before the attacks, some
associates said he seemed adrift, almost bored. "He was still trying to
find his niche," an aide said. There was even speculation -- vigorously
dismissed by his advisers -- that he might try another run for the
Senate.
But the Sept. 11 attacks energized him, some aides said.
Within days, he dispatched a top adviser, Viet D. Dinh, to develop a
package of legislative proposals to give the F.B.I. broadened powers to
wiretap suspects, use intelligence information in criminal cases and
trace
dirty money, among many other long-sought changes. After a brief but
spirited tussle with some members of Congress who succeeded in putting
in
"sunset" provisions that capped the life of the changes, the package
became
the historic and controversial U.S.A. Patriot Act.
In the months that followed, Mr. Ashcroft would become a fixture at the
F.B.I.'s terrorism command center and briefed the president almost
daily as
the Justice Department sought to deter the possibility of future
attacks.
Terrorism has so dominated his schedule that he even suspended his
morning
prayer meetings at the Justice Department -- a practice challenged by
some
critics as improper -- because they conflicted with his White House
terror
briefings…
Black civil rights leaders were once the group most critical of Mr.
Ashcroft's record, and they have accused him of adopting a less
aggressive
posture toward issues like police misconduct, housing discrimination
and
workplace bias. But for all the criticism from blacks, Mr. Ashcroft's
newfound pursuit of terrorists has now created a new and even more
vigilant
foe -- Arab-Americans -- and it has recast the debate over civil
liberties
to include a larger universe of immigrants and visiting foreigners.
"Since he's been in office, American Muslims have lost many of their
civil
rights," Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations, said in an interview.
"All Muslims are now suspects. We have to assume that every mosque in
America is being bugged by the F.B.I., with the attitude that's
prevalent
today at the Justice Department."
Mr. Ashcroft's actions have created an odd alliance of opponents, as
conservative civil libertarians have joined forces with Arab-American
groups, human rights advocates and some members of Congress who say the
department's counterterrorism tactics have threatened the civil
liberties
and due process rights of many thousands of people…
-----
MUSLIMS HOPE OPEN FAIR OPENS SOME EYES
Stephen Magagnini Sacramento Bee, 3/14/03
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/6271004p-7224953c.html
This Saturday, the many worlds of Islam will be on display at Masjid
Annur
Islamic Center across from Florin Mall.
American Muslims of Pakistani, Egyptian, Saudi, Jordanian, Palestinian,
Malaysian, Libyan and Moroccan descent, among others, will re-create an
international bazaar with an array of unique clothes, artwork, videos
and
foods.
Organizers of the free fair hope that each sweet bite of baklava (a
honey-pistachio pastry) will serve as an antidote to the bitterness and
mistrust that sometimes flare up in times of war and crisis.
There also will be food for thought: Two Muslim scholars will give
brief
lectures on Islam at noon and 3 p.m.
"Please come with an open mind, and realize that Muslims are like the
rest
of Americans," said organizer Tamer Ahmed.
"We basically want to live a peaceful life, raise our kids and co-exist
with our American neighbors. We're inviting people to learn the basics
of a
great religion that is basically a continuation of the messages of
Abraham,
Moses and Jesus."
The FBI has warned American Muslims, including the 30,000 in the
Sacramento
area, that if America goes to war with Iraq, there is likely to be a
surge
in hate crimes against people perceived to be Muslim or Arab.
Rashid Ahmad, chair of the Sacramento Valley chapter of CAIR (Council
on
American-Islamic Relations), said that recent incidents "make it look
like
the war has already started."
On Feb. 22, a group of about 20 people in Yorba Linda in Orange County
nearly beat a Muslim teenager to death with baseball bats and golf
clubs,
Ahmad said. About a week later, a Santa Clara Muslim woman in
traditional
dress reported she was punched in the face while doing laundry in her
apartment building…
-----
PAKISTANIS FLEEING U.S. SEEK REFUGE IN CANADA
Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 3/15/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-me-immig15mar15001445,1,1065881.story
BURLINGTON, Vt. An exodus of Pakistanis seeking to leave the United
States
has overwhelmed Canadian immigration authorities and swamped shelters,
mosques, churches and aid agencies along the northern border.
The surge of people seeking safe haven is the latest result of
Washington's
new mandate that men from 25 mostly Muslim nations register their
whereabouts with federal officials and be photographed, fingerprinted
and
submit to questioning.
On Friday, the major immigrant-aid group in northern Vermont ceased
direct
relief to new arrivals denied entry to Canada and warned of a "human
calamity" if the Canadian government did not take action to relieve the
backup of asylum seekers on the border, many of whom have been detained
by
U.S. immigration authorities.
"It's not unfair to call this an immigration earthquake," said Asad
Hayauddin, spokesman at Pakistan's embassy in Washington. The embassy
estimates that the registration plan could affect more than 20,000
Pakistanis in the United States -- by far the largest group impacted.
"These people are really shook up…"
Resignation, not bitterness, seems the predominant mood among the
Pakistanis, many still dazed at how their lives have come asunder.
Their
ranks include shopkeepers, cabdrivers, menial laborers and others
concentrated in low-wage jobs. All have pulled up stakes, their
families in
tow.
"What can we do? They don't want us any more," said a sad-faced
Chaudhry
Roouf, who held his 20-month-old daughter, Rukhna, in his arms as he
sat in
a dining room at the Salvation Army here contemplating the end of his
five-year sojourn as a convenience store clerk in suburban Atlanta.
"We all love America. But we can't stay anymore. It's over."
-----
JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS WORRIED ABOUT BACKLASH FOR IRAQ WAR
Alan Cooperman, Washington Post, 3/15/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27256-2003Mar14.html
American Jewish organizations, deeply divided over the wisdom of
invading
Iraq, are increasingly worried about an anti-Semitic backlash blaming
Jewish officials in the Bush administration for any U.S. casualties.
Jewish groups voiced outrage yesterday over an article by conservative
commentator and former presidential candidate Patrick J. Buchanan that
says
Jewish "neoconservatives" in the White House and the Defense Department
are
driving the United States toward war.
Buchanan's article, coming on the heels of similar remarks by Rep.
James P.
Moran Jr. (D-Va.), indicates that "it has now become in vogue to blame
the
war on Iraq on Jews," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon
Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles…
Buchanan denies that his views are anti-Semitic and has not apologized
for
them. "We charge that a cabal of polemicists and public officials seek
to
ensnare our country in a series of wars that are not in America's
interests…What these neoconservatives seek is to conscript American
blood
to make the world safe for Israel," Buchanan wrote in the March 24
issue of
the magazine he edits, the American Conservative…
Among the officials that Buchanan cites by name are Deputy Secretary of
Defense Paul Wolfowitz; Douglas J. Feith, the undersecretary of defense
for
policy; Elliott Abrams, director for Middle East affairs at the
National
Security Council; and Richard Perle, chairman of the Pentagon's
advisory
Defense Policy Board.
Perle said in an interview that he sees a "sotto voce anti-Semitism"
underlying "the assertion that those of us who hold the position I do
about
the right way to deal with Saddam Hussein are acting not in the best
interest of the United States, but in the best interest of Israel."
"It is false, it is a vicious smear, and my public record -- and I
think
this is true of the others who are under similar attack -- is an open
book
and people can judge it for themselves," Perle said. "You will notice
that
when this charge is made, there are never any specifics. There is never
a
careful argument that the positions I have taken are out of character
with
my overall views and distorted for the purpose of somehow benefiting
Israel."
Buchanan responded that, "Like a squid, Mr. Perle is emitting this inky
fluid of alleged anti-Semitism to cover up his own tracks of
warmongering.
Let one and all read my 5,000-word article . . . and judge for
themselves
whether the charge against me is valid or Mr. Perle is an agent of
influence of a foreign power."
SEE ALSO:
US TO STAY IN IRAQ '20-25 YEARS': US ENVOY
Malaysiakini, 3/14/03
http://www.malaysiakini.com/foreignnews/200303140111046662921.php
ISTANBUL - The US ambassador to Turkey hosted an elegant dinner party
for
Turkish lawmakers reluctant to approve US military cooperation in an
Iraq war.
There was classical Turkish music and salmon, costly and difficult to
obtain here. Also on the menu - some diplomatic fence-mending and words
that Washington intends to reorganize the region and remain in Iraq for
20
to 25 years.
Ambassador Robert Pearson invited the justice minister and six members
of
parliament, which may vote again next week to permit 62,000 US combat
troops on Turkish soil, opening a northern front in an Iraq war.
The Turkish population is overwhelmingly opposed to war and opposition
politicians have called the government a slave to US interests.
---
U.S. LACKS SPECIFICS ON BANNED ARMS
Walter Pincus, Washington Post, 3/16/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30601-2003Mar15.html
Despite the Bush administration's claims about Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction, U.S. intelligence agencies have been unable to give
Congress
or the Pentagon specific information about the amounts of banned
weapons or
where they are hidden, according to administration officials and
members of
Congress.
Senior intelligence analysts say they feel caught between the demands
from
White House, Pentagon and other government policymakers for
intelligence
that would make the administration's case "and what they say is a lack
of
hard facts," one official said.
"They have only circumstantial evidence…nothing that proves this amount
or
that," said an individual who has regularly been briefed by the CIA.
The assertions, coming on the eve of a possible decision by President
Bush
to go to war against Iraq, have raised concerns among some members of
the
intelligence community about whether administration officials have
exaggerated intelligence in a desire to convince the American public
and
foreign governments that Iraq is violating United Nations prohibitions
against chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons and long-range missile
systems…
---
MASHING OUR MONSTER
MAUREEN DOWD, New York Times, 3/15/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/16/opinion/16DOWD.html
The Bush hawks never intended to give peace a chance. They intended to
give
pre-emption a chance.
They never wanted to merely disarm the slimy Saddam. They wanted to
dislodge and dispose of him.
The president's slapped-together Azores summit is not meant to "go the
last
mile" on diplomacy, as Ari Fleischer put it.
If Mr. Bush really wanted to do that, he'd try to persuade some leaders
who
disagree with him; he'd confront the antiwar throngs in London, Paris
or
Berlin and not leave poor, exhausted Tony Blair to always make the
case.
The hidden huddle in the Azores is trompe l'oeil diplomacy, giving Mr.
Blair a little cover, making Poppy Bush a little happy. Just three pals
feigning sitting around the campfire singing "Kumbaya," as the final
U.S.
troops and matériel move into place in the Persian Gulf and the
president's
"Interim Iraqi Authority" postwar occupation plan is collated.
The hawks despise the U.N. and if they'd gotten its support, they never
would have been able to establish the principle that the U.S. can act
wherever and whenever it wants to - a Lone Ranger, no Tontos.
Cheney, Rummy, Wolfy, etc. never wanted Colin Powell to find a
diplomatic
solution. They hate diplomatic solutions. That's why they gleefully
junked
so many international treaties, multilateral exercises and
trans-Atlantic
engagements.
---
EX-CIA OFFICERS QUESTIONING IRAQ DATA
JOHN J. LUMPKIN, Associated Press, 3/14/03
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/5393854.htm
WASHINGTON - A small group composed mostly of retired CIA officers is
appealing to colleagues still inside to go public with any evidence the
Bush administration is slanting intelligence to support its case for
war
with Iraq.
Members of the group contend the Bush administration has released
information on Iraq that meets only its ends - while ignoring or
withholding contrary reporting.
They also say the administration's public evidence about the immediacy
of
Iraq's threat to the United States and its alleged ties to al-Qaida is
unconvincing, and accuse policy-makers of pushing out some information
that
does not meet an intelligence professional's standards of proof...
-----
EDITORIAL: ANSWERS ABOUT TORTURE
Washington Post, 3/16/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31111-2003Mar15.html
The use of torture carries deep dangers for American society. Its use
corrodes democratic values and governance. The administration's failure
to
instill confidence that it is not using torture augments the perception
of
American hypocrisy abroad: How can this country urge democratization in
the
Arab world if it simultaneously uses abusive Arab security services to
manhandle its prisoners? Torturing enemy combatants also threatens
American
troops abroad by eroding the international norms of treatment for
captured
enemy soldiers.
It would be naive to expect that intelligence interrogations overseas
will
comport with the rules that govern law enforcement here at home. But
the
United States has signed international treaties forbidding torture, and
forswearing such brutality is as fundamental a commitment of civilized
government as exists. It is incumbent on the administration to clarify
that
the war on terrorism is not inducing barbarism of its own.
-----
WIFE OF TURKISH PM TRIES TO MAKE ISLAMIST HEADSCARF STYLISH
Thomas Seibert, Agence France-Presse, 3/16/03
ANKARA, March 16 (AFP) - Emine Erdogan would not dream of taking off
her
headscarf just because her husband, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has become
the
prime minister of Turkey.
But neither does she intend moving around Ankara with a demurely
lowered
head, seeking an impossible balance between her Islamic faith and the
state's strong defence of its secular principles.
Ever since her husband's Justice and Development Party (AKP), a
movement
with Islamist roots, won the general elections in November, Emine
Erdogan
has drawn attention to herself with her individual style of dressing.
Her taste might not be to everybody's liking, but it is new for Turkey
where headscarves are viewed either as part of traditional rural
clothing
or as a statement of support for political Islam.
By wearing elegant headscarves, strong colours and intricately- cut
long
dresses, Mrs. Erdogan, who at 54 is five years older than her husband,
shows that religiously-influenced clothes are not necessarily
unattractive…
So far it is still unclear how she will handle protocol problems which
will
undoubtedly occur as it is forbidden to wear the head cover, considered
as
challenge to the secular state, in public offices in Turkey.
Shortly after the elections, the wife of parliamentary speaker Bulent
Arinc
created a scandal by wearing a headscarf to an official function...
SEE ALSO:
MORE WORKERS COMPLAIN OF RELIGIOUS BIAS
AMBER VEVERKA, Charlotte Observer (NC), 3/16/03
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/5404616.htm
More than a year after the terrorist attacks, the federal agency that
monitors workplace discrimination says more workers are claiming bias
and
harassment based on their national origin or religion.
The jump in Carolinas charges follows the national pattern. What's
more,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission officials say the number of
workplace discrimination charges could grow as the Carolinas become
home to
increasing numbers of immigrants -- or if America goes to war.
"The (discrimination charge) numbers have traditionally been quite low
and
they're expanding rapidly," said Mindy Weinstein, EEOC regional
attorney in
charge of Carolinas litigation.
Weinstein blames two things for what she's calling "a huge jump" in
charge
filings: the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the Carolinas' rapidly
changing
demographics. The attacks, she said, have spurred complaints by
Muslims.
Population changes in the Carolinas, she believes, are responsible for
more
claims by Latinos.''
None of the 2002 Carolinas charges in either category have yet wound up
in
court. It's early in the process, Weinstein said, and besides, most
cases
are settled without litigation.
That's what happened in the case of Karen Crisco. Crisco, 40, won a
$35,000
settlement from her former employer, a Wilmington medical clinic she
said
fired her because she converted to Islam and wore a head scarf to work.
Crisco was a nurse for three years in a Wilmington medical practice
that
treats kidney disease patients. On Sept. 8, 2001, she converted to
Islam.
On Sept. 11, she watched along with her co-workers, horrified, as the
terrorist attacks unfolded on television. In the following days, she
said,
colleagues began talking negatively about Islam and Crisco stayed
silent.
Then she decided to go public with her faith.
Crisco said she told her supervisor she wanted to begin wearing a
long-sleeved lab coat instead of a scrub top, and a head scarf to cover
her
hair. Supervisors gave the OK, she said, and so she wore the new
outfit.The
day didn't go well. One patient reacted badly to Crisco's appearance,
she
said, and a doctor told her it was offensive. The next day, she said,
two
supervisors called her into an office and told her the scarf had to go.
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
DENY ISRAELI AID REQUEST AFTER BULLDOZER DEATH SAY MUSLIMS
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/16/03) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) tonight called for the denial of a new Israeli aid request
following
the death Sunday of an Olympia, Wash., woman crushed to death by an
Israeli
bulldozer as she protested the destruction of a Palestinian home.
[NEWS CONFERENCE: CAIR's Seattle office will take part in a news
conference
dealing with this incident at noon (Pacific) on Monday outside
Evergreen
State College's Daniel Evans Library, 2700 Evergreen Parkway N.W., in
Olympia. Contact CAIR-Seattle representative Samia El-Moslimany at
206-409-3407. The news conference is sponsored by Olympians for Peace
in
the Middle East and Students Educating Students About the Middle East.
ACTION REQUESTED: Go to http://capwiz.com/cair/home/ to e-mail
President
Bush and/or your elected representatives about this attack on an
American
citizen.]
Medical officials and witnesses say 23-year-old Rachel Corrie was lying
on
the ground in front of an Israeli army bulldozer demolishing a house in
the
Gaza Strip when she was crushed to death. Corrie, who was a member of
the
International Solidarity Movement, was taken to a local hospital where
doctors said she died from severe skull and chest fractures.
"The bulldozer put sand on her and kept crushing her," said Nicholas
Dure,
a fellow member of the protest group in an interview with Reuters news
agency. Another member of the group, Greg Schnabel of Chicago, told
Associated Press, "She waved for the bulldozer to stop and waved. She
fell
down and the bulldozer kept going. We yelled, 'Stop, stop,' and the
bulldozer didn't stop at all. It had completely run over her and then
it
reversed and ran back over her."
Another witness told Agence France Presse: "The bulldozer saw her and
ran
over her. She ended up completely underneath it. He [the driver]
absolutely
knew she was there." The State Department declined to condemn the
incident,
but called for an "investigation."
"In the next few days we may begin a war that proponents say is
motivated
by a desire to 'liberate' the Iraqi people from oppression. Yet today,
an
Israeli bulldozer subsidized by our taxpayer dollars crushes an
American
citizen to death with little or no repercussions," said CAIR Executive
Director Nihad Awad. Awad suggested that a new $12 billion Israeli aid
request be turned down as a result of the woman's death. He also
reiterated
his group's condemnation of attacks on innocent civilians by either
side in
the Mideast conflict.
Witnesses said Corrie was wearing a brightly colored jacket when the
bulldozer ran over her. She had been a student at Evergreen State
College
in Olympia and would have graduated this year.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-Seattle, Samia El-Moslimany, 206-409-3407, E-MAIL:
samiaelmo@yahoo.com; CAIR-National, Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787
or
703-861-7294, E-MAIL: hhassan@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 Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #372
CAIR MUSLIM COMMUNITY SAFETY KIT
Step-by-step guide to community safety if America attacks Iraq
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/17/03) - As it becomes increasingly clear that
America
will attack Iraq in the next few days, CAIR has put together a "Muslim
Community Safety Kit" for Muslims, Arab-Americans and those perceived
to be
"Middle Eastern" who may be targeted by religious or ethnic profiling
or
bias-related hate crimes. According to the FBI: "A U.S. war with Iraq
or
another terrorist attack could trigger a wave of hate crimes against
Muslims and Arab-Americans in the United States." (Associated Press,
3/12/03)
Dear Imam, activist, community leader, brother or sister:
As-salaamu alaykum. Peace be to you. This "Muslim Community Safety Kit"
has
been developed to assist you and your community in the event of a war
against Iraq and any resulting anti-Muslim backlash. The 9-page kit is
designed to better equip you with the knowledge necessary to protect
against anti-Muslim or anti-Arab bigotry or attacks, and to secure your
basic legal rights. Below are suggestions for pro-active steps you can
take.
HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE KIT:
1. Read this kit carefully.
2. Circulate to your friends and family.
3. Photocopy relevant portions and post in your local mosque, Islamic
center or organization.
4. Contact CAIR if you have any questions, or if you do not understand
any
part of this kit.
MUSLIM COMMUNITY SAFETY KIT TABLE OF CONTENTS:
* Report Suspicious Activity in Your Community
* Develop a Legal Contact List
* Developing Positive Relationships with Law Enforcement Agencies
* Meet with Elected Representatives to Discuss Community Concerns
* Building Coalitions with Interfaith and Minority Groups
* Meet with Local School Principals to Discuss Student Safety
* Building an Emergency Contact List
* Hold a Community Meeting to Inform Others of Safety Guidelines
* Build a Community Support Network
* Reacting to Incidents of Anti-Muslim Hate
* Reacting to Acts of Discrimination
* Your Rights as an Employee
* Your Rights as an Airline Passenger
* Your Rights as a Student
* Mosque Safety Guidelines
* Responding to Bomb Threats
* Bomb Threat Check List
* Suspect Letters and Packages
* Know Your Rights if Contacted by the FBI
* CAIR Local Chapters
REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Muslims must do their part to ensure the safety and security of our
nation.
If anyone notes suspicious persons or activities in their community,
they
should report it immediately to the local Field Office of the FBI. SEE:
http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm
DEVELOP A LEGAL CONTACT LIST
Develop a list of attorneys who are willing to be consulted by the
Muslim
community in response to backlash incidents. Ask Muslim attorneys to
volunteer their services to community members during this time of
crisis.
DEVELOPING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
Community leaders should immediately coordinate meetings between
representatives of the Muslim community and local state and national
law
enforcement agencies. These meetings should focus on ways in which the
community can help national security and on how authorities can protect
Muslims and Arab-Americans from harassment and discrimination.
MEET WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY CONCERNS
Delegations of Muslim representatives should schedule meetings with
local,
state and national elected representatives or their key staff to
discuss
community concerns. To find out who represents your area on the
national
level, go to: http://www.capwiz.com/cair/home/
BUILDING COALITIONS WITH INTERFAITH AND MINORITY GROUPS
Similar meetings should be coordinated with representatives of local
interfaith and minority groups. These meetings should focus on building
lines of communication and support, and hearing from these groups how
they
deal with discrimination and bigotry.
MEET WITH LOCAL SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO DISCUSS STUDENT SAFETY
Representatives of the Muslim community should meet with local school
administrators to discuss safety plans for students and to sensitize
the
administrators to harassment of Muslim students.
Ask for a "zero tolerance" policy for harassment of Muslim students. An
example of a letter that a school board might send to local school
administrators may be found at:
http://www.cair-florida.org/ViewArticle.asp?Code=PR&ArticleID=73
Obtain copies of CAIR's "Educator's Guide to Islamic Religious
Practices"
by contacting CAIR or e-mailing: publications@cair-net.org
BUILDING AN EMERGENCY CONTACT LIST
Community leaders should develop emergency e-mail and phone contact
lists
to be used in case of an incident that threatens the community's
safety.
Local imams, Islamic center board members, and Muslim activists should
be
on the lists.
A second list should be developed containing contact information for
all
local law enforcement agencies.
HOLD A COMMUNITY MEETING TO INFORM OTHERS OF SAFETY GUIDELINES
Call for a meeting of the local Muslim community to discuss the
information
outlined in this kit. The meeting should take place at a local mosque
or
Islamic center and should be advertised using the emergency contact
list.
ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY SUPPORT NETWORK
Establish a network of community members who can offer emotional and
material support to those who may be the victims of hate crimes or
discrimination. Victims should not be left alone to deal with the
negative
impact of such incidents.
REACTING TO INCIDENTS OF ANTI-MUSLIM HATE
If you believe you have been the victim of an anti-Muslim hate crime or
discrimination, you should:
1. Report the incident to your local police station and FBI office
IMMEDIATELY. Ask that the incident be treated as a hate crime. Ask
witnesses to give you their name and contact information.
2. Inform CAIR even if you believe it is a "small" incident. Incidents
may
be reported online at: http://www.cair-net.org/ireport/ or TEL:
202-488-8787, FAX: 202-488-0833, E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org
3. Document the incident. Write down exactly what was said and/or done
by
the offender. Save evidence. Take photographs.
4. Act quickly. Each incident must be dealt with when it happens, not
when
convenient.
5. Decide on the appropriate action to be taken. Consider issuing a
statement from community leaders, holding a news conference, organizing
a
protest, meeting with officials, or starting a letter writing campaign.
6. Mobilize community support. Contact CAIR and a local mosque or
organization.
7. Stay on top of the situation.
8. Announce results. When the incident is resolved, make an
announcement to
the same people and organizations originally contacted.
REACTING TO ACTS OF DISCRIMINATION
1. Remain calm.
2. Report the discrimination to the appropriate authorities and to
CAIR.
3. Document the discrimination. Save memos. Keep a detailed journal.
Note
the presence of witnesses. Keep copies of all correspondence. Create a
"paper trail."
4. Ask witnesses to give you their name and contact information.
5. Consider contacting a lawyer.
Take steps to increase security of your local mosque, Islamic center or
school.
YOUR RIGHTS AS AN EMPLOYEE
Federal law makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against an
employee on the basis of religion, race, or national origin. Title VII
of
the 1964 Civil Rights Act guarantees your right to:
1) Reasonable religious accommodation. The failure of an employer to
reasonably accommodate your religious practices constitutes
discrimination.
"Religious practices" includes wearing a beard, hijab, prayer on the
job,
and going to Jumah prayer.
2) Fairness in hiring, firing, and promotions. Your employer is
prohibited
from considering religion when making decisions affecting your
employment
status.
3) A non-hostile work environment. Your employer must ensure that you
are
not subjected to anti-Muslim insults, harassment or unwelcome,
excessive
proselytizing.
4) Complain about discrimination without fear of retaliation. Federal
law
guarantees your right to report an act of alleged discrimination. It is
illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for your complaint.
WHEN FACED WITH DISCRIMINATION ON THE JOB
1) Remain calm.
2) Inform the offending party that you believe his/her actions are
discriminatory.
3) Report the discriminatory action in writing to company management.
4) Begin documenting the discrimination by saving memos, keeping a
detailed
journal, noting the presence of witnesses, and making written
complaints
(keep copies). Create a "paper trail."
5) Contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and local
county or state civil rights agencies to educate yourself about legal
options.
6) Contact an attorney to discuss your case.
7) DO NOT sign any documents or resign without an attorney's advice.
8) Ask to be transferred to another department or job site.
9) Ask for mediation.
10) Contact CAIR to file a report.
YOUR RIGHTS AS AN AIRLINE PASSENGER
As an airline passenger, you are entitled to courteous, respectful and
non-stigmatizing treatment by airline and security personnel. You have
the
right to complain about treatment that you believe is discriminatory.
If
you believe you have been treated in a discriminatory manner,
immediately:
1) Ask to speak to a supervisor.
2) Ask if you have been singled out because of your looks, dress, race,
ethnicity, faith, or national origin.
3) Ask for the names and ID numbers of all persons involved in the
incident.
4) Ask witnesses to give you their names and contact information.
5) Write down a statement of facts immediately after the incident. Be
sure
to include the flight number, the flight date, and the name of the
airline.
6) Contact CAIR to file a report.
YOUR RIGHTS AS A STUDENT
1. You have the right to inform others about your religion. You have
the
right to pass out literature or speak to others about Islam, as long as
it
is not done in a disruptive manner.
2. You have the right to wear religious clothing. You also have the
right
to wear clothing with a religious message, as long as other clothes
with
messages are allowed.
3. You have the right to organize student-led prayer on campus, as long
as
the service is not disruptive.
4. You may have the right to attend Friday prayer. The Supreme Court
has
upheld the right of states to allow students "release time" to attend
religious classes or services.
5. You have the right to be excused from school for religious holidays.
You
should inform the school that you will be absent.
6. You have the right to be excused from class discussions or
activities
that you find religiously objectionable.
7. You have the right to form an extracurricular Muslim student group.
CAIR MOSQUE SECURITY GUIDELINES
Areas of Vulnerability:
* Mosques located in isolated areas.
* Mosques left unattended for extended periods of time.
* Mosques with unsecured doors and/or windows.
* Absence of a burglar alarm system.
* Heavy exterior vegetation (shrubs, etc.) in which criminals may hide.
* Absence of exterior lighting.
Take the following safety measures:
* Build good relationships with neighbors of the mosque. Invite them to
visit your center.
* Try to have people attend the mosque as much as possible. Activity
deters
perpetrators.
* Make an appointment with the community relations officer of your
local
police department to tour your center and make suggestions on improving
mosque security.
* Request additional police patrols in the vicinity of your center.
Special
attention should be paid to times of darkness and during prayers.
* Consider creating a security committee at your mosque.
* Post mosque members at entrances and parking areas during prayer
times.
* Report suspicious packages to police. Do not touch them.
* Install perimeter floodlights outside the mosque.
* Install fire and burglar alarm systems.
* Replace hollow core doors with more secure solid doors.
* Install burglarproof bars on screens and large vents. (Note -
Research
local ordinances before beginning security renovations. For example,
window
bars should not limit evacuation in case of fire.)
* Trim shrubs and vines to reduce areas of concealment.
* Participate in neighborhood watch programs.
* Document descriptions of suspicious people or vehicles.
* Make duplicates of all important papers, computer disks and records.
* Remove potential fire hazards, such as trash and debris.
* Consider installing security cameras.
RESPONDING TO BOMB THREATS
1. Distribute written instructions on handling bomb threats.
2. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible. Ask that the
message be
repeated. Record or write down everything that is said.
3. Ask for the location of the bomb.
4. Inform the caller that the detonation of a bomb could hurt many
innocent
people.
5. Pay attention to background noises such as music, which may give a
clue
to the caller's location.
6. Listen closely to the caller's voice. Make note of accents, voice
quality (calm, excited) or speech impediments.
7. Report the threat immediately to the local police, ATF and FBI. Have
appropriate phone numbers listed in written instructions.
8. If the threat comes in the form of a letter, save all materials,
including the envelope. Handle the letter as little as possible.
9. Search the interior and exterior of the mosque. Evacuate the
building if
a suspicious package or device is found.
Cautionary Notes
A. Do not approach or challenge a suspicious person or vehicle.
B. Do not pursue vehicles or suspects.
C. Observe and report. You have no police powers.
D. Conduct watch patrols in pairs.
E. Conduct watches in a random fashion.
BOMB THREAT CHECK LIST (Keep near phone in case of threatening calls.)
Time of call:
Date:
Exact words of caller:
Person receiving call:
Call Reported to:
Questions to Ask
When is the bomb going to explode?
Where is the bomb?
What kind of bomb is it?
What will cause it to explode?
Why did you place the bomb?
What is your name?
Caller's Voice
adult male female child
calm disguised nasal angry stutter
slow sincere lisp rapid giggling
deep crying loud squeaky excited
stressed accent slurred normal
What were the background noises, if any?
SUSPECT LETTERS AND PACKAGES
* What to look for:
* Name and title of addressee are not accurate.
* No return address, or the sender is not known to the addressee.
* Handwriting is distorted.
* Unprofessionally wrapped, uneven, bulky, lopsided.
* Contains bulges or soft spots.
* Poorly wrapped package is marked "Fragile-Handle With Care," "Rush,"
or
has unusual restrictions such as "Personal" or "Private."
* Excess amount of postage.
* Protruding wires or tin foil.
* Package makes a buzzing or ticking noise, a sloshing sound, or emits
an odor.
What to do:
DON'T open the package or letter.
DON'T put it in water or in a confined space such as a drawer.
DO isolate the article and secure the immediate area.
DO open windows if possible to help vent potential explosive gases.
DO contact your local police department and Postal Inspector.
Suspect Description
Sex:
Race:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Hair:
Glasses:
Complexion:
Scars/Marks/Tattoos:
Hat:
Clothing:
Shoes:
Auto type:
Auto color:
Auto license:
Direction of travel:
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS IF CONTACTED BY THE FBI
American Muslims support strong law enforcement. We also treasure civil
rights. Your right to be politically active or to hold different
beliefs/views is protected by the Constitution. If you are visited by
the
FBI, remember:
1. Never lie or provide false information to the FBI. Lying to an FBI
agent is a crime.
2. You have no obligation to talk to the FBI, even if you are not a
citizen. Refusing to answer questions cannot be held against you. It
does
not imply that you have something to hide.
3. You do not have to permit them to enter your home. FBI agents must
possess a search warrant in order to enter your home. If they say they
have
a warrant, demand to see it before allowing them to enter. Even if they
have a warrant, you are under no obligation to answer questions. ALWAYS
have an attorney present when answering questions.
4. Contact CAIR and an attorney for advice.
CAIR LOCAL CHAPTERS
CAIR National, (202) 488-8787
E-Mail: cair@cair-net.org
CAIR Arizona, (602) 262-2247
E-Mail: director@cairaz.org
CAIR N. California, (408) 986-9874
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 3/17/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE JUST WILL BE NEAR GOD
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4796 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* RESOURCES: LATINO MUSLIM CONFERENCE
* ISLAMIC CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS TO ISSUE SAFETY RESOURCE KIT (AP)
- Online Link to Community Safety Kit
* FBI HAS WAR PLANS TO MOBILIZE AGENTS (Washington Post)
- War May Fill Jail Coffers (York Sunday News)
- Trial Set to Begin For Four Men Accused of Terror (NY Times)
- Terror Plots, Not Actions, Go On Trial (LA Times)
* LOCAL PROTESTER DIES IN GAZA (Seattle PI)
- No Independent Palestine, Sharon Insists (Guardian)
- Israelis Join 'Secret Front' In Jordan (London Times)
- Eleven Palestinians Killed In Gaza Violence (Reuters)
* BUSH HAS AUDACIOUS PLAN TO REBUILD IRAQ WITHIN YEAR (WS Journal)
- Hawks Circling For New Targets (Sacramento Bee)
- Senior British Official Resigns Over Iraq Policy (NY Times)
- The War of Misinformation Has Begun (Independent)
- Put Up or Shut Up, Richard Perle (Slate.com)
* IMMIGRANTS ON THE RUN HEAD FOR LIMBO AGAIN (Detroit Free Press)
- Diplomats Protest Possible Deporting of Ally (Wash. Post)
- Pakistani Deportations Continue (NCPA)
* DANIEL PIPES IS A LIGHTNING ROD IN POST-9/11 WORLD (Newhouse)
- Who is Daniel Pipes?
* NY GROUP OF WOMEN ARE WORKING TO CHANGE THE WORLD (NY Times)
* HOMEFRONT CONFIDENTIAL (RCPF)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE JUST WILL BE NEAR GOD
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Dispensers of justice
will
be seated on pulpits of light beside God... (They are) those who do
justice
in their rulings, in matters relating to their families and in all that
they undertake to do."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 844
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4796 SPONSORSHIPS
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
RESOURCES: LATINO MUSLIM CONFERENCE
http://www.latinodawah.org/latino_conference.html
-----
ISLAMIC CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS TO ISSUE SAFETY RESOURCE KIT ONLINE
Rachel La Corte, Associated Press, 3/17/03
TAMPA, Fla. - A national Islamic civil rights group will e-mail safety
information to mosques, community centers and others Monday in
anticipation
of anti-Muslim backlash from the impending war against Iraq. The
Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations said the
information
includes tips on how to handle bomb threats, violence and how to secure
mosques.
"To the average American, they don't know the difference between Saddam
Hussein or Osama bin Laden or American Muslims," said Ahmed Bedier, a
spokesman for CAIR's Florida office. "They think that all Muslims are
the
enemy, and that's really unfortunate."
The information was to be e-mailed across the country and posted on its
Web
site hours before President Bush was expected to address the nation at
8
p.m. EST on the situation with Iraq…
SEE ALSO: ONLINE LINK TO COMMUNITY SAFETY KIT
http://www.cair-net.org/safetykit
-----
FBI HAS WAR PLANS TO MOBILIZE AGENTS AGAINST TERRORISTS
Dan Eggen, Washington Post, 3/17/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35147-2003Mar16.html
If U.S. forces invade Iraq, the FBI has plans to mobilize as many as
5,000
agents to guard against terrorist attacks, monitor or arrest suspected
militants and interview thousands of Iraqis living in the United
States,
according to officials familiar with the effort.
The FBI operation, which would approach the scale of the investigation
into
the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is a reflection of widespread
fears
among counterterrorism officials that the risk of attack will increase
dramatically in the event of war. Although authorities said that most
Iraqis living in the United States are not a threat, they are concerned
Muslim extremists will retaliate for war with suicide bombings and
other
attacks, the sources said.
Many of the FBI's criminal surveillance operations would be temporarily
suspended in order to focus on potential terrorism or espionage
suspects,
one top law enforcement official said. Any immigration violators found
during interviews and sweeps would be detained, several officials
said...
Working from an initial list of about 50,000 Iraqi nationals living in
the
United States, the FBI has winnowed that number down to about 11,000
who
would be targeted for interviews in the event of a war, a senior FBI
official said...
SEE ALSO:
WAR MAY FILL JAIL COFFERS
Wendi Himmelright, York Sunday News, 2/16/03
http://www.yorksundaynews.com/
A war with Iraq could cost the federal government millions of dollars
and
cause the price of oil to skyrocket -- but it might be good business
for
York County, commissioners said this week.
County Commissioner James Donahue said he expects the government to
detain
more foreigners, especially Iraqis, if war is declared. That could
result
in more Immigration and Naturalization Service detainees at the York
County
Prison, he said.
"If we go to war with Iraq, there might well be a lot of Iraqi people
brought in for questioning," Donahue said.
500 detainees: There are currently about 500 INS detainees at the
county
prison. That is 300 fewer than before a dispute arose over the daily
rate
the county charges the federal government.
The INS has agreed to keep at least 500 detainees at the prison through
next month while negotiations continue. The agency can send more if
there's
a need, Donahue said, and he thinks a war with Iraq could create that
need...
County Commissioner Shirley Glass also said there's been some
discussion
that a war in Iraq could result in a financial benefit to York County.
But
she hasn't given it a lot of thought.
"I hate to think of things like that, making money on the backs of
people,"
Glass said. "It's kind of, I don't know, ironic."
Glass said detaining Iraqis wouldn't be the county's decision, "but if
they
have to be detained, I think they are taken care of extremely well in
York
County and it certainly helps with the revenue situation..."
---
TRIAL SET TO BEGIN FOR FOUR MEN ACCUSED OF BEING IN TERROR CELL
Danny Hakim, New York Times, 3/17/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/17/national/17DETR.html
DETROIT - The government will try to convince a jury here this week
that
four Arab men were operating what it has called a "sleeper operational
combat cell" from Chicago and Detroit.
Though other terrorism suspects, like Zacarias Moussaoui, have drawn
more
attention, the Detroit trial, beginning on Tuesday, will be the first
significant courtroom test for the Justice Department in the wake of
the
Sept. 11 attacks...
Arab-American leaders here express reservations about the trial, which
is
expected to last as long as two months. And a lawyer who once
represented
one of the men said the case was based largely on the testimony of a
man
who had made a deal in exchange for favorable treatment on unrelated
fraud
charges.
"Based on what I saw, it was the thinnest of circumstantial evidence
and
guilt by association," said the lawyer, Kevin Ernst, who represented
Farouk
Ali-Haimoud, a 22-year-old Algerian, until last September when Mr.
Haimoud
switched to a public defender...
Haaris Ahmad, the executive director of the Michigan branch of the
Council
on American Islamic Relations, is skeptical that the men found at the
apartment are terrorists.
"The community really thinks this is a setup," Mr. Ahmad said. "They
think
this is a case of railroading these guys to get P.R..."
---
TERROR PLOTS, NOT ACTIONS, GO ON TRIAL
Richard A. Serrano, Los Angeles Times, 3/17/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cells17mar17004429,1,117333.story
DETROIT - The ruins of the World Trade Center were still smoldering
when
armed federal agents knocked at a second-floor apartment in the middle
of
the night. They were looking for Nabil al-Marabh, a Syrian long
suspected
of fomenting terrorism.
He was not there. Instead, the FBI found three other men, along with a
trove of suspicious material about Los Angeles International Airport,
Disneyland and other potential terrorist targets.
Now, 18 months later, the raid in southwest Detroit has developed into
the
first showcase trial in which the U.S. government will seek to prove
that
terrorists have indeed been afoot in America.
The trial is set to begin Tuesday in a federal courthouse in downtown
Detroit. It is the first of four terrorism cases -- similar trials are
upcoming in Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Buffalo, N.Y. -- in which the
defendants are charged with plotting terrorist acts, rather than
committing
them...
All four center on disaffected young Americans or recent immigrants
drawn
to the angry rhetoric of radical Islam, typical characteristics of Al
Qaeda
recruits. The government has presented evidence that all engaged in
activity which, with the hindsight of Sept. 11, 2001, seems alarming...
Critics contend the government has indiscriminately arrested Arab
Americans
and Muslims without regard for the protections of the U.S.
Constitution, or
without distinguishing between serious terrorists and people who pose
little threat...
The gravel road three miles east of town is chained off now, with two
"No
Trespassing" signs posted out front. Here, according to federal
prosecutors, is where Earnest James Ujaama planned to build a terrorism
training camp.
To many of the 500 people who live around Bly in southern Oregon, that
claim seems preposterous.
"If all this crap was going to happen like the government says it was
going
to happen, somebody would have seen something. But nobody I talked to
ever
did," said Dean Lawrence, who runs the local Chevron station.
Jack Patzke, who inspects utility poles around Bly, added, "We tested
all
the poles out there. We didn't see anything there that remotely looked
like
training targets or target shooting..."
-----
LOCAL PROTESTER DIES IN GAZA
Heath Foster, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 3/17/03
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/112840_protestor17.shtml
OLYMPIA -- Evergreen State College senior Rachel Corrie arrived in the
Gaza
Strip in January determined to find pen pals among the Palestinian
schoolchildren she had come to protect.
The 23-year-old peace activist believed that if children in her
hometown
elementary school learned what life was really like for kids in the
war-torn town of Rafah, peace in the Middle East would stand a better
chance.
Instead, Corrie became another victim of that intractable conflict
yesterday, crushed as she tried to prevent an Israeli bulldozer from
tearing down the home of a Palestinian pharmacist and his family...
"She tried to get up and get away in clear view of the driver, and she
was
carried under the blade of the bulldozer," activist Will Hewitt, 25,
said
in an interview from the International Solidarity Movement office in
Rafah.
"The bulldozer stopped, and then backed up over her..."
About two weeks after she arrived, she wrote home to friends and family
members.
"I don't know if many of the children here have ever existed without
tank-shell holes in their walls and the towers of an occupying army
surveying them constantly from the near horizons," she wrote in the
Feb. 7
e-mail...
Yesterday evening, there was an impromptu candlelight memorial in
Olympia
for Corrie. Several hundred mourners, some weeping openly, held
photocopied
pictures of her and hand-lettered banners urging the United States to
discontinue aid to Israel and avoid war with Iraq.
"Rachel shouldered the responsibility that her government would not
bear,"
said Krissy Johnson, 24, a friend of Corrie's. "She was killed by a
bulldozer paid for by U.S. tax dollars. In her name, we say: Stop the
killing."
SEE ALSO:
To view photos of Rachel Corrie's last moments before her death and her
last email to her family and friends, go to
http://www.palsolidarity.org/
---
NO INDEPENDENT PALESTINE, SHARON INSISTS
Chris McGreal, Guardian, 3/17/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,915690,00.html
Israel is to press George Bush to eliminate all reference to an
"independent" Palestinian state from the US "road map" to a political
settlement, which he promised on Friday to release soon.
Ariel Sharon's government has drawn up a list of amendments it wants
made.
They include the replacement of independence by "certain attributes of
sovereignty".
It is not immediately clear what these are, but Mr Sharon has said what
they do not include.
Israel, he says, will retain control of the Palestinian state's
external
security, borders, airspace, and underground water resources, and will
have
a veto over treaties with other countries.
Its security forces would be limited to a lightly armed police force.
The Israelis argue that Mr Bush made no mention of an independent
country
in the speech last June which has provided the working basis for the
road
map setting out the steps to achieving a Palestinian state within three
years...
---
ISRAELI SPECIAL FORCES JOIN 'SECRET FRONT' IN JORDAN
Ian Cobain and Stephen Farrellas, London Times, 3/17/03
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-613382,00.html
As hundreds of thousands of men and machines mass in Kuwait, a highly
secretive military build-up is also under way on President Saddam
Hussein's
western flank.
Special forces from the United States and Britain have begun to conduct
long-range reconnaissance missions from their bases along the 113-mile
border between Iraq and Jordan, military sources have told The Times.
Remarkably, Israeli forces are also said to be involved.
Jordan is highly sensitive about military activity in a swath of land
50
miles deep along its border with Iraq, where residents talk of the
rumble
of transport aircraft landing at remote airstrips...
---
ELEVEN PALESTINIANS KILLED IN GAZA VIOLENCE
Dan Williams and Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters, 3/17/03
NUSEIRAT, Gaza Strip - Eleven Palestinians including a four-year-old
girl
were killed in the Gaza Strip on Monday, most of them during Israeli
swoops
that touched off fierce battles with gunmen, witnesses said.
The bloodshed that killed 10 in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza
and
the town of Beit Lehiya in the north was a fresh blow to U.S. and
British
attempts to promote the prospect of Israeli-Palestinian peace as
possible
war in Iraq approaches.
Palestinian witnesses and hospital officials said six other
Palestinians
were killed in the fighting, including a 13-year-old boy and a
four-year-old girl, whose age medical officials initially put at two.
At
least 12 people were wounded.
"We were all squeezed into one room, hiding, because of the heavy
fighting
outside. Israeli tanks were near our house," said a relative of
four-year-old Elham al-Assar.
"Elham stood inside the house with her brothers and cousins. A single
bullet penetrated the house and hit her in the chest..."
-----
BUSH HAS AUDACIOUS PLAN TO REBUILD IRAQ WITHIN YEAR
Wall Street Journal, 3/17/03
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=808&ncid=808&e=5&u=/dowjones/20030317/bs_dowjones/200303170030000012
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's audacious plan to rebuild Iraq
(news - web sites) envisions a sweeping overhaul of Iraqi society
within a
year of a war's end, but leaves much of the work to private U.S.
companies,
Monday's Wall Street Journal reported.
The Bush plan, as detailed in more than 100 pages of confidential
contract
documents, would sideline United Nations development agencies and other
multilateral organizations that have long directed reconstruction
efforts
in places such as Afghanistan and Kosovo. The plan also would leave big
nongovernmental organizations largely in the lurch: With more than $1.5
billion in Iraq work being offered to private U.S. companies under the
plan, just $50 million is so far earmarked for a small number of groups
such as CARE and Save the Children...
SEE ALSO:
HAWKS CIRCLING FOR NEW TARGETS
David Westphal, Sacramento Bee, 3/17/03
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/6284906p-7238632c.html
WASHINGTON - Even as President Bush struggles against robust
international
opposition to launch a regime-toppling invasion of Iraq, some of the
strongest and earliest supporters of military action against Saddam
Hussein
are already looking ahead to the next target.
Some hawks outside the government are beginning to turn up the
rhetorical
heat against Iran and Syria, both of whom are Iraq's neighbors, and
both
known to be funneling aid to Middle East terrorist groups. Others are
focusing on North Korea and its rapidly mobilized nuclear weapons
program,
or the North African country of Libya.
"Even after Mr. Hussein is gone, other tyrannies, such as North Korea
and
Iran, will continue to threaten world peace," said Max Boot, a scholar
at
the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
Such tough talk reflects the fact that, despite Bush's rocky road
toward
his goal of regime change in Iraq, and despite the many questions about
how
it will proceed, some in Washington believe the Iraq conflict will mark
only the beginning of U.S. resolve to exercise its military muscle...
---
SENIOR BRITISH OFFICIAL RESIGNS OVER IRAQ POLICY
Warren Hoge, New York Times, 3/17/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/17/international/europe/17CND-BLAIR.html
LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair suffered the first political
casualty of
his hardline stance on Iraq today with the resignation from his cabinet
of
Robin Cook, the leader of the Commons and former foreign secretary.
Mr. Cook disclosed his decision to quit in a letter made public shortly
before Mr. Blair held an emergency meeting of his cabinet to plot
strategy
to gain the public's backing for a war against Iraq. The British public
is
deeply skeptical over today's decision to call time on its diplomatic
campaign and to join United States-led military intervention in Iraq...
---
THE WAR OF MISINFORMATION HAS BEGUN
Robert Fisk, Independent, 3/17/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=387592
Here's a few guesses about our coverage of the war to come. American
and
British forces use thousands of depleted uranium (DU) shells - widely
regarded by 1991 veterans as the cause of Gulf War syndrome as well as
thousands of child cancers in present day Iraq - to batter their way
across
the Kuwaiti-Iraqi frontier. Within hours, they will enter the city of
Basra, to be greeted by its Shia Muslim inhabitants as liberators. US
and
British troops will be given roses and pelted with rice - a traditional
Arab greeting - as they drive "victoriously" through the streets. The
first
news pictures of the war will warm the hearts of Messrs Bush and Blair.
There will be virtually no mention by reporters of the use of DU
munitions.
But in Baghdad, reporters will be covering the bombing raids that are
killing civilians by the score and then by the hundred. These
journalists,
as usual, will be accused of giving "comfort to the enemy while British
troops are fighting for their lives". By now, in Basra and other
"liberated" cities south of the capital, Iraqis are taking their
fearful
revenge on Saddam Hussein's Baath party officials. Men are hanged from
lamp-posts. Much television footage of these scenes will have to be cut
to
sanitise the extent of the violence...
---
PUT UP OR SHUT UP, RICHARD PERLE
Jack Shafer, Slate, 3/14/03
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080100/
"I'm gonna punch you in the nose" is a serious threat. "I'm gonna punch
you
in the nose tomorrow … or the day after" carries much less urgency. But
the
stipulative warning "I'm gonna punch you in the nose next week in
England,
where I'm looking to hire a professional nose-puncher to inflict the
punishment" is the sort of statement only a grandstanding pantywaist
would
make.
A grandstanding pantywaist like Richard N. Perle.
Perle threatened yesterday to sue investigative reporter Seymour M.
Hersh
for libel-specifically, for things Hersh wrote about him in this week's
New
Yorker. The article examines the potential conflict of interest posed
by
Perle's dual roles as official Bush adviser (in the form of non-paid
chair
of the Defense Policy Board) and as managing partner at Trireme
Partners, a
venture capital firm. Trireme appears to invest in businesses that deal
in
enterprises "that are of value to homeland security and defense,"
according
to Hersh's piece. As a special government employee, Perle is subject to
a
federal Code of Conduct, Hersh writes, and "[t]hose rules bar a special
employee from participating in an official capacity in any matter in
which
he has a financial interest..."
-----
IMMIGRANTS ON THE RUN HEAD FOR LIMBO AGAIN
Tamara Audi, Detroit Free Press, 3/17/03
http://www.freep.com/news/metro/flee17_20030317.htm
It was a strange place to abandon a dream, but Zulfiqar Ahmed had no
choice. This is where it was ending, the American life he had imagined,
in
an icy Dearborn parking lot with Friday morning traffic rushing along
Michigan Avenue.
His 12-year-old son -- the one who was supposed to become the rich and
famous New York heart surgeon -- put the last suitcase in the big white
Ford van that would take them to Canada. His daughters -- whose own
children would have been born U.S. citizens and one day vote for the
most
powerful man in the world -- already had their seat belts buckled.
His wife -- the future mistress of a proper home with a yard and big
kitchen -- was moving her lips in constant, silent prayer, her eyes red
from crying all night...
Like millions of immigrants, the Ahmeds had lived and worked in the
United
States illegally -- but undisturbed -- for years. That changed this
year,
when Pakistan became the latest country whose citizens are required to
register with immigration officials in the United States, or face
detention
or deportation...
SEE ALSO:
FORMER SOMALI GENERAL TOLD TO LEAVE U.S.
George Lardner Jr., Washington Post, 3/17/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35146-2003Mar16.html
To the many U.S. diplomats who have worked with him, 76-year-old Gen.
Mohamed Abshir Musse is a courageous Muslim ally who was kept in
solitary
confinement for nine years by a Soviet-backed dictator and later helped
save American lives during the vicious fighting in Somalia in the early
1990s.
But to the Bush administration, he is one of thousands of foreign
visitors
to the United States who hail from 25 countries suspected of being
havens
for terrorism, a man who faces deportation because officials refused to
extend his visa...
"People should go to bat for their friends," said Washington lawyer
Martin
R. Ganzglass, who worked for Abshir as a Peace Corps volunteer in the
1960s
and remains a close friend. "The United States has made friends around
the
world for decades. It's not good policy to write them off."
"He helped save American lives, but he's just one more [Muslim],
right?"
said Robert B. Oakley, the U.S. ambassador to Somalia from 1982 to 1984
and
a special envoy there from 1992 to 1994, after President George H.W.
Bush
sent U.S. troops to protect United Nations relief supplies in the
war-torn
country...
---
PAKISTANIS LEFT US WITH HONOR AND DIGNITY
Press Release, National Council of Pakistani Americans, 3/17/03
(WASHINGTON, DC, 3/17/03) - A spokesman of the Embassy of Pakistan in
Washington said that 103 Pakistani detainees returned from various
detention centers in the US to their homes with honor and dignity on
March
13, 2003.
The Embassy, as follow up to the Foreign Minister's meetings in
Washington
during his last visit, was seeking the return of detainees who had
exhausted all judicial appeals and had approached the Embassy to
facilitate
their early return to Pakistan. The Embassy was also repeatedly
approached
by the friends and relatives of the detainees requesting their speedy
departure for Pakistan.
The spokesman said that it has always been the endeavor of the Embassy
and
the Government to repatriate such nationals to Pakistan. It is
important
that they are reunited with their families who are waiting anxiously
for
their return. Since commercial airlines have placed new restrictions on
travel of detainees, the return of the detainees was arranged through a
chartered flight.
The spokesman said that the average time a Pakistani detainee spent in
the
US prisons was about four months. It is significantly less then the
average
time spent by detainees from other Asian and African countries, which
in
most cases is 14 to 18 months. The spokesman said this fact alone
showed
the concern the
Government of Pakistan had for its citizens and is one of the positive
outcomes of the Foreign Minister's visit to the United States. He said
the
Embassy continued to follow up on the Foreign Minster's meetings with
the
senior US officials which were largely focused on the issues of welfare
of
Pakistani citizens in the US...
For more information: 721-R 2nd Street NE, Suite 216, Washington, DC
20002
Tel: 202-210-7514 e-mail: media@ncpa.info Website: www.ncpa.info
-----
WRITER DANIEL PIPES IS A LIGHTNING ROD IN THE POST-9/11 WORLD
Mark O'Keefe, Newhouse News, 3/14/03
http://www.newhouse.com/archive/okeefe031403.html
He has been called an Islamophobe, an attack dog for the New
Inquisition
and a voice the Western world ignores at its peril. Author Daniel Pipes
has
become a lightning rod in America's struggle to contend with the
post-9/11
world...
"Pipes is the premier Muslim basher," said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim
Hooper.
"I hate to use that term, but for him it really fits. It's basically
his
job to smear an entire community and to create fear, apprehension and
suspicion toward a religious minority in the United States for his own
political, and apparently religious, agenda."
"An Islamist is someone who says whatever the problem, Islam is the
solution," Pipes said. "In America, it would be someone who wants to
replace the Constitution with the Quran. Islamism is a radical, utopian
movement that has much in common with fascism and Marxism-Leninism."
CAIR devotes an expanding page of its Web site to quotes from Pipes'
critics, who characterize him as an agenda-driven polemicist. CAIR also
posts contentious comments from Pipes, including:
-- A call for religious profiling of Muslim government employees
because of
potential "connections to terrorism."
-- A worry that "the presence, and increased stature, and affluence,
and
enfranchisement of American Muslims" will "present true dangers to
American
Jews."
-- A question whether Western European societies are ready to accept
Islamic immigrants because "Muslim customs are more troublesome than
most..."
While the CAIR-Pipes feud has gone on for years, Pipes took on new foes
when the Middle East Forum established "Campus Watch" last September.
According to its Web site, Campus Watch "reviews and critiques Middle
East
studies in North America with an aim to improving them." Initially,
that
included "dossiers" on individual professors, based on reports by
students.
One target was Douglas Card of the University of Oregon, whom Pipes
accused
of calling Israel "a terrorist state" and Israelis "baby-killers." He
also
alleged that on Card's sociology exam, students had to agree with the
view
that Israel "stole land."
Card said he was not contacted before the allegations were published,
and a
university spokesman said a school investigation found nothing to
substantiate the claims.
"I'm 67," Card said in a telephone interview. "I know what McCarthyism
is
like and this is the worst thing I've ever seen since the 1950s..."
SEE ALSO: WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
-----
IN SYRACUSE, A DIVERSE GROUP OF WOMEN ARE WORKING TO CHANGE THE WORLD
New York Times, 3/17/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/17/nyregion/17WOME.html
SYRACUSE - The 40 Christian, Muslim and Jewish women meeting here
recently
had been scheduled to talk about death and dying. But after three local
Arab-American men were charged with illegally funneling money to Iraq,
the
topic changed from the hereafter to the here and now.
The women, members of a group set up after the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks
to promote friendships between Muslim and non-Muslim women, shared
their
feelings about the Feb. 26 arrests and about another potentially
divisive
topic, the brewing threat of war with Iraq.
"We wanted a format that would allow each woman to share what was most
important to her in a safe and respectful setting," said Nancy Riffer,
a
Quaker and one of the group's members.
The women's group was formed about a week after Sept. 11, when Ms.
Wiggins,
an Episcopalian, found herself worrying that local Muslim women would
be
harassed in the wake of the attacks. She called the city's main mosque,
the
Islamic Society of Central New York, to see if there was anything she
could do.
The imam there put her in touch with Danya Wellmon, an American who
converted to Islam from Christianity 10 years earlier. The two met at
Ms.
Wiggins's home and spent the next several hours discussing their
faiths,
families and visions for a safer world...
"If you're Muslim, you're guilty by association, guilty by religion,"
she
said. "It's frustrating. When I advocate for children with
disabilities, I
don't ask, 'Are they Jewish or Christian or Muslim?' I just want to
make
sure those kids have the best education ever..."
-----
HOMEFRONT CONFIDENTIAL
"How the War on Terrorism Affects Access to Information and the
Public's
Right to Know" - a report by the Reporters' Committee for Freedom of
the
Press is available at http://www.rcfp.org/homefrontconfidential/
-----
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-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
ASYLUM DETENTION POLICY NEEDS CLARIFICATION SAY MUSLIMS
Policy seems to call for indefinite detention of legal asylum seekers
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/18/03) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) today asked the Department of Homeland Security to clarify a
government policy revealed this morning that would seem to call for the
indefinite detention of legal asylum seekers in the United States.
The policy is part of "Liberty Shield," a national plan announced by
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and designed to "increase
protections
for America's citizens and infrastructure." The part of Liberty Shield
relating to asylum seekers states:
"Asylum applicants from nations where al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda sympathizers,
and
other terrorist groups are known to have operated will be detained for
the
duration of their processing period. This reasonable and prudent
temporary
action allows authorities to maintain contact with asylum seekers while
we
determine the validity of their claim. DHS and the Department of State
will
coordinate exceptions to this policy."
SEE:
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0115.xml
"This policy announcement raises several important legal and moral
questions. Will all asylum seekers who are in this country legally now
be
detained indefinitely? Will their families, including children, be
detained
as well? Will only Muslim and Arab asylum seekers be detained? If this
policy only applies to new asylum applicants, will it result in the
elimination of asylum requests from Muslim countries? These are
questions
that must be answered before the policy can be implemented without
violating long-standing American values of equal justice and openness
to
those fleeing oppression," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Awad said the policy is eerily similar to Australia's "Pacific
Solution"
program, which relegated seaborne asylum seekers to impoverished
Pacific
islands while their claims were processed. That policy has been widely
condemned by human rights groups.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 703-861-7294,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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 - 3/18/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: SEEK REFUGE WITH GOD
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* INCITEMENT WATCH: MD PAPER MOCKS BULLDOZER DEATH OF AMERICAN
* REGISTER NOW FOR CAIR-FLORIDA FUNDRAISING BANQUET
* CAIR-CAN COMMENDS CANADA'S DECISION TO SAY NO TO WAR
* ATTACKS ON U.S. MUSLIMS RISING AHEAD OF WAR -GROUP (Reuters)
- Many Worried--But Ready For War (Chicago Tribune)
- Fla. Man Sentenced For Mosque Sign Fire (AP)
* BAY AREA FBI AGENTS ASK MUSLIM COMMUNITY FOR HELP (Mercury News)
* GUILT BY ASSOCIATION (St. Petersburg Times)
* WAR IN THE RUINS OF DIPLOMACY (NY Times
- War Is Not In U.S. Interest (USA Today)
- Arab World Sees the Conflict in Religious Terms (LA Times)
- Floridians Watch President Deliver Ultimatum (AP)
* ROLE OF RELIGION IN BUSH'S POLICIES (Christian Science Monitor)
* FRIENDS SAY ACTIVIST'S DEATH MAKE HER A MARTYR FOR PEACE (AP)
- Activists Say Protester Killed Deliberately (Independent)
- Rachel's War (Guardian)
- Send Condolences to Rachel Corrie's Parents
* JURY GETS DOCTOR'S BIAS CASE (Newsday)
* RESOURCES ON UNITED STATES VISA REQUIREMENTS
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SEEK REFUGE WITH GOD
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to say: "O God! I seek
refuge
with You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from
cowardice
and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered
by
(other) men."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 38:
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT:
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: MD PAPER MOCKS BULLDOZER DEATH OF AMERICAN
http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/03/18/cartoon.html
SEND POLITE COMMENTS TO: newsroom@dbk.umd.edu, parsons@dbk.umd.edu,
managing-ed@dbk.umd.edu, melanie@dbk.umd.edu, opinion@dbk.umd.edu,
ombudsman@dbk.umd.edu
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
For background, see articles at the end of this news brief.
-----
REGISTER NOW FOR CAIR-FLORIDA FUNDRAISING BANQUET
WHAT: CAIR Florida's Annual Banquet: A Vision For Our Future
Confirmed Speakers:
Omar Ahmed, Chairman of Board, Keynote Speaker, CAIR-National
Jason Erb, Governmental Affairs Director, CAIR-National
Derrick Daniels, Director, Florida Commission on Human Relations
Imam Musri, Islamic Society of Central Florida
Mark Schlakman, Program Director, Center for Advancement of Human
Rights,
Florida State University
Bonus Attraction: Concert by Zain Bikha, Recorded over 30 Islamic songs
including those with his mentor Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
WHEN: Saturday, April 19 at 5 PM
WHERE: Hyatt Orlando at Walt Disney World
6375 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway
Kissimmee, Florida 34747
Tel: 407 396 1234
To Register Online go to: http://www.cair-florida.org/banquet/ or call:
954-916-5661
-----
CAIR-CAN COMMENDS CANADA'S DECISION TO SAY NO TO WAR
Muslims urge Canada to "continue to exercise moral leverage"
(OTTAWA, CANADA) A prominent Canadian Islamic advocacy organization
today
praised Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's announcement that Canada will
not
support a US-led attack on Iraq in the absence of a United Nations
Security
Council authorization.
In a statement released today, the Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) wrote:
"Canadian Muslims commend Canada for its courageous decision not to
join a
unilateral attack on Iraq, especially when such a decision comes in the
face of tremendous pressure from the United States.
"The Prime Minister's decision is a victory of the Canadian democratic
process. Polls indicate that most Canadians oppose a war on Iraq in
the
absence of clear authorization by the United Nations.
"We urge Canada to continue to exercise its moral leverage in calling
for a
mediated settlement to the current crises."
-END-
CONTACT: Riad Saloojee at 613.254.9704; E-mail: Canada@cair-net.org
-----
ATTACKS ON U.S. MUSLIMS RISING AHEAD OF WAR -GROUP
Reuters, 3/18/03
WASHINGTON - Hate crimes against Arab-Americans have increased in the
run-up to a possible war with Iraq, said a group that has begun
distributing to Muslim communities across the country safety lists that
include tips on how to deal with bomb threats.
"People are scared out there," Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations, said on Tuesday. "There have already
been a
number of attacks on Muslims and Islamic centers."
Among other incidents, projectiles were shot at a mosque in Chicago,
shattering a window while people were praying, and a Muslim father and
his
sons were attacked in New Jersey by people who shouted, "go home
terrorist," Hooper said.
"We've really seen an increase in these kind of things since the
pro-war
rhetoric has really heated up," he said. "Add to that the existing
anti-Muslim rhetoric and the combination is really volatile."
The FBI last week warned U.S. law enforcement officials that hate
crimes
against Arab-Americans could increase if the U.S. went to war with Iraq
or
if there was another attack on the United States...
SEE ALSO:
MANY WORRIED--BUT READY FOR WAR
Deborah Horan and Stephen Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 3/18/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0303180328mar18,1,1123212.story
Across the Chicago area's large and sprawling Arab and Muslim
communities,
Bush's ultimatum to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein drew mixed reactions.
From Iraqis opposed to Hussein's rule, there was satisfaction that his
days in power may be numbered.
But also from those familiar with the difficulties faced by Iraqis
during
Hussein's years in power, there was concern that average Iraqis will
pay
the price with their blood for his misdeeds.
Many felt that the president had not clearly laid down the reasons for
taking the U.S. to the brink of war. And many feared that Arabs and
Muslims
will again feel the sting of an angry backlash as Americans see their
troops bloodied in Iraq.
"Clearly our president has made a decision that a war will go on and as
Americans we fully support our troops and our president. That goes
without
saying," said Kareem Irfan, head of the Council of Islamic
Organizations of
Greater Chicago...
---
FLA. MAN SENTENCED FOR MOSQUE SIGN FIRE
Associated Press, 3/18/03
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A judge sentenced a man to 20 days in jail for
setting fire to a sign announcing construction of a mosque.
George Aboujawdeh, 46, pleaded guilty to the anti-Islamic hate crime
and
was also sentenced to nine months probation and 100 hours of community
service, at least half to be performed with a non-Christian religious
group. Aboujawdeh, a native of Lebanon, is a Christian.
He also must pay restitution for the sign, write a letter of apology,
attend an anger-management course and watch an anti-discrimination
video...
-----
BAY AREA FBI AGENTS ASK MUSLIM COMMUNITY FOR HELP
Sean Webby, San Jose Mercury News, 3/18/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5418922.htm
On the verge of a likely war against Iraq, FBI agents in the Bay Area
are
engaged in a delicate task. Like their counterparts around the country,
they are interviewing hundreds of Iraqis to harvest information that
could
help the U.S. during war and fight terrorism.
At the same time, they're trying to ease the worries of Arab-American
groups who fear being victimized by authorities and others because of
who
they are.
So when FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Mershon and his command staff
met
privately last week with 30 Muslim-American leaders at the Muslim
Community
Association Center in Santa Clara, he put it plainly to them: we can
help
you and you can help us.
"We are actually going out with hat in hand saying, 'Please can you
help
us?'" Mershon told the Mercury News. "We are asking, not demanding,
assistance. I don't think it's an abuse whatsoever."
The Muslims, in turn, made a few requests of their own.
They asked agents to protect them from hate crimes; to avoid visiting
them
on Fridays at their mosques, and to arrange to speak with them at their
homes -- not at work.
"Look, this is Silicon Valley," said Helal Omeira, executive director
of
the Northern Californian branch of Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
"You don't need a reason to lose your job these days."
Bureau agents were receptive, Omeira said...
However, critics of the interviews, such as the American Civil
Liberties
Union, have likened the effort to racial profiling and point out that
some
Iraqis contacted by the FBI were being detained for immigration
violations...
-----
GUILT BY ASSOCIATION
St. Petersburg Times, 3/18/03
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/03/18/Opinion/Time_has_come_for_Ame.shtml
(Scroll down.)
Mary Jacoby's poorly researched and wholly one-sided piece Friends in
High
Places (March 11) begs clarification and correction. Among her numerous
and
clumsy attempts at assigning guilt by association, Jacoby claims that
"conservatives were suspicious" of my service with the administration
because my late father was an "imam" at a mosque in California where
"Osama
bin Laden's second in command" was once allegedly hosted.
If Jacoby had bothered to contact me and check her facts, she would
have
learned that my late father was neither an imam nor did he ever know or
host any such terrorists. The fact is some individuals on the fringe,
who
have largely been ignored by the mainstream, have viciously attempted
to
vilify the vast majority of American Muslims making a host of false and
inaccurate claims. They truly believe that Americans of the Muslim
faith
are a threat to our nation, and some have gone as far as to question
the
loyalty of American Muslims and to even call for the barring of all
American Muslims from public service. This is only giving in to the
terrorists - demonstrating to our enemies that we are willing to
respond to
hate with hate, and to succumb to fear and prejudice with our own. Like
the
terrorists, these voices twist the truth to perpetuate their own
hateful
political agenda. Their bigotry, like the hate of the terrorists, must
together be defeated.
Suhail A. Khan,
Washington, DC
-----
WAR IN THE RUINS OF DIPLOMACY
New York Times, 3/18/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/18/opinion/18TUE1.html
America is on its way to war. President Bush has told Saddam Hussein to
depart or face attack. For Mr. Hussein, getting rid of weapons of mass
destruction is no longer an option. Diplomacy has been dismissed. Arms
inspectors, journalists and other civilians have been advised to leave
Iraq.
The country now stands at a decisive turning point, not just in regard
to
the Iraq crisis, but in how it means to define its role in the
post-cold-war world. President Bush's father and then Bill Clinton
worked
hard to infuse that role with America's traditions of idealism,
internationalism and multilateralism. Under George W. Bush, however,
Washington has charted a very different course. Allies have been
devalued
and military force overvalued...
This war crowns a period of terrible diplomatic failure, Washington's
worst
in at least a generation. The Bush administration now presides over
unprecedented American military might. What it risks squandering is not
America's power, but an essential part of its glory...
SEE ALSO:
WAR IS NOT IN U.S. INTEREST
Justin Raimondo, USA Today, 3/18/03
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2003-03-17-oppose_x.htm
President Bush hasn't done a good job of selling this war because he
has
tried to sell us a pig in a poke. But when the truth comes out, as it
will,
Americans are going to start asking the following questions:
* Where does it end? Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has laid out
the
road map, with Iran, Libya and Syria next on the list: "These are
irresponsible states, which must be disarmed of weapons mass
destruction,"
he told visiting U.S. congressmen, "and a successful American move in
Iraq
as a model will make that easier to achieve..."
* How does this war serve America's vital interests? The president says
Iraq "threatens its neighbors," but only one of those neighbors wants
war.
As Patrick Buchanan succinctly put it: "For whose benefit are these
endless
wars in a region that holds nothing vital to America save oil, which
the
Arabs must sell us to survive? Who would benefit from a war of
civilizations between the West and Islam? Answer: one nation, one
leader,
one party. Israel, Sharon, Likud."
Our troops will be fighting a proxy war in Iraq, and beyond, not to
protect
U.S. citizens from terrorist attacks, but to make the world safe for
Israel. When the dead are buried, let the following be inscribed on
their
tombstones: They died for Ariel Sharon...
---
ARAB WORLD SEES THE CONFLICT IN RELIGIOUS TERMS
Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 3/18/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-crusade18mar18001438,1,5598229.story
DOHA, Qatar - The caller to one of the Arab world's most popular
phone-in
television programs was angry.
"How can the umma [Islamic nation] not answer back to this peacock?" he
asked, referring to President Bush with a commonly used image of
arrogance.
"He is an aggressor who has aggressed the umma and Muslims around the
world..."
Across the Arab world, from U.S. allies like Qatar and Saudi Arabia to
the
militant refugee camps of the Gaza Strip, cries for jihad, holy war in
all
its forms, are growing in response to the Bush administration's likely
invasion of Iraq. A volatile overtone, however, has been the religious
cast
given this impending war by both sides.
Bush's use of religious rhetoric and the evocation of his Christian
faith
to attempt to justify a widely unpopular war has played into the hands
of
Muslim fundamentalists who see the looming battle as a "crusade"
against
Islam...
---
FLORIDIANS ACROSS STATE WATCH PRESIDENT DELIVER ULTIMATUM
Alex Veiga, Associated Press, 3/17/03
MIAMI - Floridians crowded around television sets Monday evening to
watch
President Bush tell the nation that a U.S.-led military invasion of
Iraq
would begin unless Saddam Hussein and his sons relinquish power...
Ryan Amundson, 25, of Springfield, Mo., was in Miami for an antiwar
rally
held over the weekend and watched Bush's speech from Sports Cafe on
trendy
South Beach. He said he listened with an open mind, but came away with
his
opinion unchanged.
"I can't tell you how much I wanted to agree with my country," said
Amundson, whose brother, Army Spc. Craig Amundson, died at the Pentagon
during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "I liked what Bush said
about the war not being against the people of Iraq, but against their
leader. But the reality is that it's the Iraq people who will suffer
the
most."
Altaf Ali, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations for Florida, said he found nothing new in Bush's remarks,
which
he said were simply a reiteration of past contentions regarding Iraq,
Hussein and disarmament.
"The only thing I thought was different was his message to the Iraqi
people," Ali said. "I guess what my concern is at this point is the
amount
of lives that are going to be lost on both sides..."
-----
NEW SCRUTINY OF ROLE OF RELIGION IN BUSH'S POLICIES
Jane Lampman, Christian Science Monitor, 3/17/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0317/p01s01-uspo.html
President Bush has never been shy about injecting his faith into the
public
arena - his campaign remark that Jesus Christ was his "favorite
political
philosopher" was an early signal. But his rising use of religious
language
and imagery in recent months, especially with regard to the US role in
the
world, has stirred concern both at home and abroad...
Yet among those who share his evangelical Christianity, the
satisfaction of
having a born-again believer in the White House doesn't necessarily
preclude an uneasiness with some of his rhetoric and policies.
Forty evangelical leaders, for instance, wrote the president last
summer
seeking an "evenhanded US policy" toward Israel and the Palestinians
and
rejecting "the way some have distorted biblical passages as their
rationale
for uncritical support" for Israel. Some evangelical groups are close
allies of the Sharon government and work in the US to build support...
-----
FRIENDS SAY ACTIVIST'S GAZA DEATH MAKE HER A MARTYR FOR PEACE
David Ammons, Associated Press, 3/18/03
OLYMPIA, Wash. - American peace activist Rachel Corrie's death in a
Palestinian refugee camp could be a catalyst for change in U.S. policy
toward Israel, friends and professors on Corrie's college campus say.
Corrie, 23, was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer on Sunday
while
protesting the destruction of Palestinian homes. Her death makes her a
martyr to the cause of justice, acquaintances and fellow activists said
Monday.
"She was the heart and soul of the local resistance (movement) and a
light
of inspiration in an unjust world," said Therese Saliba, a professor at
The
Evergreen State College and a fellow activist in Olympians for Peace in
the
Middle East.
"She was killed by a bulldozer paid for by U.S. tax dollars. We will
not
let her sacrifice be swept away. In our sadness over Rachel's death, we
need to continue her work."
Corrie's parents headed to the Gaza Strip to bring back her body to
Olympia, said Colin Reese, 23, who read a sorrowful letter from the
parents
and a recent e-mail from Corrie about her "peacekeeper" work in the
troubled region...
SEE ALSO:
PEACE ACTIVISTS SAY PROTESTER WAS KILLED DELIBERATELY
Ibrahim Barzak, Independent, 3/18/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=388278
A group of international peace activists has disputed a claim by Israel
that an American who was trying to block the path of an Israeli
bulldozer
in a Gaza refugee camp was crushed accidentally.
The International Solidarity Movement said yesterday that Rachel Corrie
was
in the line of vision of the bulldozer's driver on Sunday as she stood
in
his path to try to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home in the
Rafah camp.
"When the bulldozer refused to stop or turn aside she climbed up on to
the
mound of dirt and rubble being gathered in front of it ... to look
directly
at the driver who kept on advancing," the group said in a statement...
Ms Corrie's parents are travelling to Rafah, where she will be
cremated,
said Charles Smith, a member of the International Solidarity Movement.
Her
father, Craig Corrie said: "Rachel was proud, and we are proud of
Rachel
that she was able to live with her convictions. Rachel was filled with
a
love and sense of duty to our fellow man, wherever they lived, and she
gave
her life trying to protect those that could not protect themselves..."
---
RACHEL'S WAR
Guardian, 3/18/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,916299,00.html
This weekend 23-year-old American peace activist Rachel Corrie was
crushed
to death by a bulldozer as she tried to prevent the Israeli army
destroying
homes in the Gaza Strip. In a remarkable series of emails to her
family,
she explained why she was risking her life...
---
SEND CONDOLENCES TO RACHEL CORRIE'S PARENTS
Send condolences to Craig and Cindy Corrie, parents of Rachel Corrie,
by
writing to cbc1flute@aol.com
-----
JURY GETS DOCTOR'S BIAS CASE
Robin Topping, Newsday, 3/18/03
http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-likahn183178955mar18.story
Citing testimony of a former hospital official who said a listing of
medical residents at what was then-Nassau County Medical Center "looked
like a Karachi phonebook," the attorney for fired Dr. Faroque Khan
asked a
jury yesterday to find that his client was a victim of discrimination.
In summations in U.S. District Court in Central Islip, attorney Charles
Bach of Manhattan said members of the board of managers of the
hospital,
now known as Nassau University Medical Center, dismissed Khan, a
department
chairman, in 1999 because they were concerned he was attracting too
many
international medical school graduates. Bach cited the termination of
four
other foreign doctors around the same time as evidence that the
hospital
was trying to change the ethnic makeup of its staff.
Khan, 60, a Muslim from Kashmir, was dismissed after serving 12 years
as
chairman of the Department of Medicine and is asking for $3 million in
economic damages in addition to other damages based on a claim of
racial,
religious and ethnic discrimination...
-----
RESOURCES ON UNITED STATES VISA REQUIREMENTS
The State Department has created an official source of information
about
U.S. visa policy and procedures. On the site is information about the
visa
application process, current requirements, and updates on recent
developments.
Go to: http://unitedstatesvisas.gov/
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
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To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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
Limited Seating, Sold Out Last Year!
CAIR ACTION ALERT #373
DEVELOP KEY SKILLS AT CAIR'S APRIL 25-27 TRAINING CONFERENCE
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/19/03) - Online registration is now available for
CAIR's Fourth Annual Leadership Training Conference scheduled for
Friday,
April 25, to Sunday, April 27 in Washington, D.C. SEE:
https://www.cair-net.org/conference
This year's conference, headlined "A ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS: VISION AND
ACTION," is designed to address the social and political situation
currently facing American Muslims in this time of crisis and conflict.
The
conference features intensive workshops on media relations, lobbying,
civil
rights advocacy, defending Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, coalition
building, and political empowerment.
Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers, professional
leadership trainers, representatives of national civil liberties
advocacy
organizations, media representatives, and CAIR experts. One
not-to-be-missed workshop will offer a critical assessment of Muslim
groups, leaders and institutions based on their reaction to the 9/11
terrorist attacks.
Examples of other conference workshops include:
* ADVANCED MEDIA RELATIONS
This session will focus on how to prepare for a crisis before it hits,
how
to write a news release, how to conduct a news conference, and learning
the
"dos and don'ts" of interviewing.
* REPEALING THE PATRIOT ACT; PREVENTING PATRIOT ACT II
Many organizations have developed tools to help local communities
introduce
and pass resolutions opposing civil liberties violations resulting from
implementation of the USA Patriot Act and from the anticipated Patriot
Act
II. This workshop will offer guidance on how to introduce a resolution
supporting civil rights in your community.
* GRANT WRITING
Many communities miss opportunities to start or expand projects due to
lack
of funding. Learn how to approach and get funds from different
corporations
and institutions.
* RESPONDING TO ATTACKS ON ISLAM AND THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
Learn how to defend Islam and the Prophet Muhammad from the rising tide
of
Islamophobic rhetoric in our society. The workshop will examine the
most
common attacks and the best responses to offer.
Other workshops and lectures will focus on:
* CREATING A MUSLIM VOTER BLOC FOR THE 2004 ELECTIONS
* NEW POST 9-11 REALITIES FOR THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY
* CIVIL RIGHTS LESSONS FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT
The conference will also include a Saturday night banquet with national
Muslim leaders.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (Seating is limited. Last year's conference
was
sold out.)
1) Go to https://www.cair-net.org/conference to register online.
2) Registration materials may also be requested by emailing
register@cair-net.org.
Conference cost: $129/person for 3 days, $119/person for 2-5
individuals in
a group for 3 days, $99/person for Sat. & Sun. programs only. Fees
cover 3
meals per day and conference materials.
3) Become a conference volunteer by emailing irahman@cair-net.org.
CONFERENCE LOCATION: Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, 8661 Leesburg
Pike, Vienna, VA 22182 Tel: 703-448-1234 . Hotel rates: $89/night
single/double occupancy. Make sure to ask for the "CAIR Conference
Rate."
(Limited vending available. Please contact irahman@cair-net.org.)
- PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE AT PRAYERS AND OTHER
ACTIVITIES -
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EVEN A QUICK WAR HAS NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES SAY MUSLIMS
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/19/2003) - A prominent national Islamic civil
rights
and advocacy group today said the impending attack on Iraq by the
United
States could result in long-term negative domestic and international
consequences, even if the conflict unfolds as planned.
The statement by the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) said: "As we approach the start of a war with Iraq, we should
all
pause to examine the potential negative and unintended consequences
that
may arise from even a quick and successful attack.
"In the international arena, any attack on Iraq will almost certainly
lead
to the unnecessary death of Iraqi civilians and American military
personnel, further destabilize an already unstable region, harm
long-standing international alliances and treaties, and set a dangerous
precedent for unilateral intervention in the affairs of other nations.
The
chaos caused by a war could also provide cover for even greater Israeli
oppression of the Palestinian people.
"An indefinite occupation of Iraq will fuel anti-American sentiment and
would thereby harm our nation's image and interests in the Middle East
and
around the world. Such an occupation could quickly turn into a
political
and military quagmire.
"On the domestic front, a war and occupation will drain much-needed
financial resources from our struggling economy and could fuel a
backlash
against innocent American Muslims, Arab-Americans and those perceived
to be
'Middle Eastern.' A conflict could also be used to justify further
erosions
of our civil and religious rights.
"No one in the American Muslim community supports the brutal
dictatorship
currently imposing itself on the long-suffering people of Iraq. But
distaste for the Iraqi regime's murderous policies is not sufficient
justification for an invasion of that country.
"Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons constitute a serious threat
to
humanity. The possible use of such weapons by Iraq, North Korea,
Israel,
and other nations is of great concern to all Americans. But the
elimination
of banned weapons possibly held by Iraq should be dealt with through
the
United Nations, not through precipitous unilateral action by the United
States.
"It is clear that America has decided how it will prosecute the war,
but it
is less clear that our nation has determined what policies will be
pursued
on the day after the conquest of Iraq. Real and lasting change in any
society can only come from within. Democracy cannot be imposed at the
point
of a gun."
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR-National, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726,
E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441,
E-MAIL: hhassan@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 CAIR-NET, go to: http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/19/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: REFRAIN FROM DOING EVIL
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4817 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* PARTICIPATE IN CAIR'S SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
* EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AT CAIR-NEW JERSEY
* MEDIA REQUEST: CONTACTS IN MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES
* TAMPA COALITION SEEKS LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR SAMI AL-ARIAN
* RIGHTS GROUPS BLAST POLICY TO DETAIN ASYLUM SEEKERS (LA Times)
- Plan to Detain Asylum-Seekers Draws Criticism (Star Telegram)
- Rights Groups Protest Jailing of Asylum Seekers (Wash. Post)
* BAY AREA MUSLIMS FEEL PRESSURE BUILD (Contra Costa Times)
- Muslim Communities Dread Next Few Weeks (Orlando Sentinel)
- Group Issues Safety Guide for Muslims (Miami Herald)
- Muslims in Metro Area Fear Backlash (Atlanta Journal)
* DANIEL PIPES: CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS SYNAGOGUE SPEAKER (Mercury News)
* US TO USE DEPLETED URANIUM (BBC)
- U.S.'S Image Fast Eroding with War Plans (AP)
- US Firms Get $1.5bn Deal to Rebuild Iraq (Guardian)
- Potential U.S.-Israel Rift After War (JTA)
- Floor Remarks by Rep. Gregory W. Meeks on Iraq (U.S. Newswire)
* RACHEL CORRIE PUT A LOCAL FACE ON FARAWAY SUFFERING (Seattle PI)
- Editorial Cartoon Insensitive (Diamondback)
* SENSITIVITY TRAINING AT AIRPORT UNLIKELY DURING WAR (SF Chronicle)
* PAKISTANIS FIND COOL RECEPTION IN CANADA (Washington Post)
* FRENCH MUSLIM LAW STUDENT IN HEADSCARF ROW (Reuters)
* MUSLIM STEEL WORKERS WIN SETTLEMENT IN DISCRIMINATION CASE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: REFRAIN FROM DOING EVIL
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "For every Muslim there
is
(compulsory charity)." The people then asked the Prophet: "What if
someone
has nothing (to give)?" He replied: "(Then) he should work with his
hands
so he may benefit himself and give in charity." The people said: "What
if
he cannot work or does not work?" The Prophet replied: "Then he should
help
an oppressed person (by word or action or both)." They again asked:
"And if
he does not do that?" The Prophet said: "Then he should enjoin what is
good." They asked finally: "If he does not do that?" The Prophet
replied:
"Then he should refrain from doing evil, for that will be considered
for
Him as (charity)."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 51
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4817 SPONSORSHIPS
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
CAIR is seeking applicants for its summer internship program. The
program
is open to Muslim College or University Students age 18 and older who
have
legal status in US to receive monthly stipend. CAIR's internship
program
provides first hand experience and training in Community Outreach and
Chapter Development, Governmental Relations, Lobbying, Public and Media
Relations, Legal and Civil Rights, Research and Leadership Training.
Activities included research, organizing grassroots activities, writing
information guides and pamphlets, and learning the art of effective
media
and public relations.
The application deadline is April 28, 2003. Interested and qualified
applicants should go to our website at
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/internship.asp to download the application
and
information package or call 202 488 8787 or email
internship@cair-net.org
-----
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AT CAIR NEW JERSEY
CAIR New Jersey is currently accepting applications for the following
position:
Job Title - Executive Director
Location - Woodbridge/Edison area
Job description: This person will be responsible for all
communications,
activities, and programs emanating from the CAIR-NJ regional office.
Duties shall include but are not limited to the following:
Interaction with the local Muslim community on an ongoing and regular
basis.
Media watch and dealing with the media on an ongoing basis.
Meetings with corporate and government officials as needed.
Communication/coordination with CAIR National.
Day to day operation of the office including supervising staff.
Fund raising for the chapter.
Qualifications: The candidate must be a US citizen or legal resident.
It
is desirable for the candidate to have the following:
- University degree.
- Superior communication skills in both verbal and writing.
- Good organizational, leadership and interpersonal skills.
- Computer literacy.
- Solid understanding of Islamic issues; and an outgoing and proactive
disposition.
- Two-year of working experience in a related field with NGOs.
Training: CAIR National will provide a two-week training period at
National
office, and also some on-the-job training at the NJ chapter office.
Please send resume as an application to jobs@cair-nj.org by 4/30/2003
-----
MEDIA REQUEST: CONTACTS IN MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES
A national newspaper is looking for individuals in Northern Iraq, Syria
and
Jordan who can give first person accounts of how the war is affecting
their
lives. This would include mood on the street, is there concern about
food
or water supplies, influx of refugees, are they able to keep in contact
with relatives and friends, etc. This would be a great chance to have
another perspective and to let folks know how war affects people who
are
living in the shadow or in the midst of conflict.
CONTACT: spoole@ajc.com or call (404)526 -5414.
-----
TBCJP: SEND LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF DR. SAMI AL-ARIAN TO JUDGE MARK PIZZO
Pres release, Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
IMMEDIATE ACTION ALERT:
The bail hearing for Dr. Sami Al-Arian will be held on March 20, 2003.
In
the meantime, we ask all justice-seeking individuals to write letters
urging the judge to release Dr. Al-Arian on bail. We must explain that,
as
a leader, academic, father, etc. in our community, he poses absolutely
no
risk to Tampa or to the American public. Do not be afraid to be
specific in
your letters, the more detailed and personal they are, the more impact
they
will have on the judge's decision.
It is important to note that he does not pose a flight risk, and so it
is
only right that he is freed on bail in order to assist his lawyers in
his
defense. We cannot underestimate the importance of these letters. The
judge
will be encouraged to release him because of your letters. Please urge
others to do so as well.
Below are talking points and the address to mail your letter. Thank
you!
Talking points:
1. Dr. Sami Al-Arian is not a threat to the community.
2. Dr. Al-Arian is not a flight risk.
3. If he is free on bail, he will be much more capable of defending
himself. This is an integral part of the constitutional right of due
process of law.
Please letters address to:
Honorable Mark A. Pizzo
United States Magistrate Judge
U.S. District Court
Middle District of Florida
Please mail your letter to Dr. Al-Arian's attorney,
Mr. Nick Matassini at 2811 West Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, Florida 33609.
Questions? Email tampabayjustice@yahoo.com
-----
RIGHTS GROUPS BLAST POLICY TO DETAIN ASYLUM SEEKERS
Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times, 3/19/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/homefront/la-war-homeland19mar19,1,1028248.story
WASHINGTON -- Human rights and immigrant advocates Tuesday condemned a
new
policy from the Department of Homeland Security that calls for extended
detention of individuals from mainly Muslim countries who are seeking
political asylum in the United States.
Amnesty International called the policy "Orwellian."
The detention order is part of Operation Liberty Shield, a series of
domestic security measures announced Monday by the Department of
Homeland
Security intended to make it harder for terrorists to strike here in
reprisal for any U.S. attack on Iraq.
"Operation Liberty Shield denies liberty to the victims of human rights
abuse who come to our country seeking freedom," said William F. Schulz,
executive director of Amnesty International USA. "To name an operation
that
denies liberty to asylum seekers 'Liberty Shield' is Orwellian..."
"Programs that single out particular population groups -- based on
their
religion, ethnicity or national origin -- are wrong, shortsighted and
only
provide the illusion of security," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy
(D-Mass.).
"Targeting asylum seekers who are fleeing human rights abuses betrays
our
tradition as a protector of the oppressed..."
"At the same time our president is announcing liberty and freedom for
the
Iraqi people, we're going to be jailing them here," said Wendy Young of
the
Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children.
Young said she had obtained a list of some of the places affected and
they
include the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank,
Afghanistan,
Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq,
Iran, Lebanon, Kuwait, Libya, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Oman, Morocco,
Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Uzbekistan
and
Yemen...
SEE ALSO:
U.S. PLAN TO HOLD ASYLUM-SEEKERS IN CUSTODY DRAWS CRITICISM
Diane Smith and Jack Douglas Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3/19/03
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/nation/5427715.htm
FORT WORTH, Texas - People seeking asylum in the United States after
fleeing Iraq, Iran and other countries known to harbor terrorism will
be
held in government custody as part of new security measures announced
on
Tuesday.
The asylum measure was mentioned in a description of Operation Liberty
Shield released by the Department of Homeland Security this week and
discussed by Secretary Tom Ridge on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the measure evolved into an area of deep concern for civil
rights and Muslim groups...
One national group - the Lawyers Committee for Human Right's Asylum
program
- said the latest effort makes a mockery of shielding liberty.
"The human consequence of this detention plan will be severe," said
Eleanor
Aver, director of the committee. "Asylum seekers from the countries
that
are singled out will be jailed for months, and in some cases years..."
---
RIGHTS GROUPS PROTEST JAILING OF ASYLUM SEEKERS
John Mintz, Washington Post, 3/19/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47098-2003Mar18.html
Civil-rights groups and immigration advocacy organizations are
protesting
one element in the government's security procedures announced yesterday
in
anticipation of war in Iraq--a decision to jail asylum seekers from
dozens
of mostly Muslim nations while officials check out their claims of
persecution in their home countries.
"It's a shocking development," Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the
Council on
American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil-rights group, said of the
asylum
policy. "Many asylum applications can take years. It seems unfair to
put
people in jail who are escaping persecution and who have done nothing
wrong
just because they are from certain countries..."
-----
BAY AREA MUSLIMS FEEL PRESSURE BUILD
Jack Chang, Contra Costa Times, 3/19/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/5427525.htm
The bad news keeps coming for Agha Saeed and millions of other
Muslim-Americans.
From Chicago arrive reports that unknown assailants fired shots into a
mosque while worshippers prayed inside. Conservative pundits and
religious
leaders daily label Islam a religion of terror. Pakistanis, Saudis and
other Middle-Easterners are required to report to government
authorities or
face deportation.
To Muslim-Americans, the message is clear, said Saeed who heads the
East
Bay-based American Muslim Alliance: All Muslims are suspect, and an
impending U.S. attack on Iraq will only heighten tensions.
"The whole sense of America being a land of laws is gone," Saeed said.
"We
believe that giving a person the right to say 'He's my enemy' without
any
proof and to deny him rights is to flush all of democracy down the
toilet..."
"How we act toward Muslim-Americans will tell a lot about what kind of
country we are," said Laurence Michalak, past vice chairman of the
Center
for Middle Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley. "It'll determine whether
equality and tolerance are just lip service or whether they really
reflect
American values."
-----
MUSLIM COMMUNITIES DREAD NEXT FEW WEEKS
Kelly Brewington, Orlando Sentinel, 3/19/03
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/orl-asecsafety19031903mar19.story
As the Department of Homeland Security ratcheted up the terror alert
this
week, a Muslim civil-rights group warned Muslims, Arab-Americans and
anyone
"perceived to be Middle Eastern" to prepare for another kind of attack
--
hate crimes.
For Muslim and Arab-American communities nationwide, the impending war
with
Iraq and the increased terror threat has only raised the fear of a
backlash. It's a worry many Muslims have felt since the Sept. 11
terrorist
attacks.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has issued a "Muslim
Community
Safety Kit" advising American Muslims to seek attorneys and to meet
with
local law enforcement and school principals in case of a backlash. The
kit,
an eight-page list of precautions and resources, is available on the
organization's Web site at www.cair-net.org.
"It's like two different realities," said Hodan Hassan, a spokeswoman
for
the council. "There are steps that people need to take to protect
themselves from a terrorist attack, and Muslims need to take those same
steps. But unfortunately, a possible backlash is something in addition
that
people have to worry about. We hope for the best but prepare for the
worst..."
---
GROUP ISSUES A SAFETY GUIDE FOR MUSLIMS TO FACE BACKLASH
Michael A.W. Ottey, Miami Herald, 3/19/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/5424800.htm
America's looming war with Iraq has prompted a national Islamic
organization to issue a "Muslim community safety kit" for "Muslims,
Arab
Americans and those perceived to be Middle Eastern," in anticipation of
a
new wave of hate crimes against those individuals.
Muslims and Arab Americans have been the targets of sporadic harassment
since the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks, but the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations in Washington, D.C., expects there will be an increase once
war
in Iraq starts.
The organization's website, www.cair-net.org
Altaf Ali, executive director of the organization's Florida chapter,
said
in the past couple of days Muslims and Arab-Americans have been the
victims
of hate crimes around the country, including Florida...
Ali expressed pessimism that hate crimes against Muslims and Arab
Americans
will drop to pre-Sept. 11 numbers anytime soon. "The future looks very
bleak," he said. "We're not only being attacked by lay people, but
we're
being targeted by religious leaders and talk-show hosts that have made
it
part of their daily agenda to bash Muslims..."
---
MUSLIMS IN METRO AREA FEAR BACKLASH
Shelia M. Poole, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 3/19/03
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/
For six months, Fasal Khan has been planning a voter registration drive
and
picnic at Lake Lanier for metro-area Muslims.
But with the United States apparently just days from war, Khan decided
to
postpone the event for a few weeks. "Hopefully things will calm down,"
he said.
Like many Muslims in the area, Khan is worried that when the bombs
start
falling in Iraq and U.S. casualties mount, there could be a backlash
against the Islamic community in America...
Such incidents may be on the rise, according to the Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The organization recently began distributing a "Community Safety Kit"
for
Muslims, Arab-Americans and anyone else who may be targeted for
religious
or ethnic reasons...
But concerns are not limited to physical safety. Many Muslims,
particularly
Iraqis, fear increased scrutiny by law enforcement. The FBI has said
that
if war breaks out it will monitor any Iraqis it feels may be agents of
Saddam Hussein.
At the same time, agents are asking Iraqis whether they know of people
still in Iraq who would be "willing to help . . . in the event of
hostilities," said Ed Cogswell, an FBI spokesman in Washington...
-----
DANIEL PIPES: CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS SYNAGOGUE SPEAKER
Matthai Chakko Kuruvila, San Jose Mercury News, 3/19/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5427382.htm
Daniel Pipes, whose prolific and controversial writings on Middle East
issues have been embraced by Jewish leaders and attacked by Muslim
leaders,
is coming to the Bay Area to speak Thursday in Saratoga.
Pipes will speak at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Beth David, 19700
Prospect
Road, about "Jewish Responses to the Growth of Muslim anti-Semitism."
Muslim leaders say they are confounded and appalled that a man they say
espouses hatred for Muslims is given any legitimacy when talking about
their community.
What has drawn their ire are Pipes' views, such as his statements that
15
percent of Muslims are "killers" and "barbarians" because of their
fundamentalist beliefs and that Danish Muslims rape non-Muslim women
and
"consume" welfare at a higher rate than the rest of the Danish
population.
But Pipes is not a fringe extremist. He writes for publications such as
the
National Review and serves on a Pentagon task force.
Nonetheless, some Muslims say his remarks are reminiscent of what Nazis
said about Jews before World War II.
"He has played a considerable role in attacking Islam and begetting
intolerance in this country," said Agha Saeed, president of the
American
Muslim Alliance, based in Newark...
Ibrahim Hooper, director of communications for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said Pipes "is the point man for the
pro-Israel
lobby in their attempts to marginalize the American Muslim community
and to
keep it from having any influence either now or in the future on the
debate
about the conflict in the Middle East…"
-----
US TO USE DEPLETED URANIUM
BBC News, 3/19/03
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/2860759.stm
A United States defence official has said moves to ban depleted uranium
ammunition are just an attempt by America's enemies to blunt its
military
might.
Colonel James Naughton of US Army Materiel Command said Iraqi
complaints
about depleted uranium (DU) shells had no medical basis.
"They want it to go away because we kicked the crap out of them," he
told a
Pentagon briefing.
If war starts, tonnes of depleted uranium (DU) weapons are likely to be
used by British and American tanks and by ground attack aircraft...
Cancer surgeons in the southern Iraqi port of Basra report a marked
increase in cancers which they suspect were caused by DU contamination
from
tank battles on the farmland to the west of the city...
SEE ALSO:
U.S.'S IMAGE FAST ERODING WITH WAR PLANS
Associated Press, 3/18/03
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20030318_1784.html
Dan Vlasin, a 23-year-old teacher in Romania, has no doubts that the
world
would be better off without Saddam Hussein. But he's just as certain
that
America doesn't have the right to overthrow the Iraqi leader.
"America is acting as if it were God," says Vlasin, from the city of
Cluj
in Transylvania. "Saddam Hussein is a paid assassin, but it's up to the
Iraqi people to get rid of him."
Donna Wright, a massage therapist in London, is sensing more
anti-American
feeling these days. "I'm not anti-American people, I'm anti-American
administration," she says. "I don't agree with what they're doing."
Both Romania and of course Britain, America's staunchest ally, support
a
U.S.-led war against Iraq. Vlasin and Wright disagree with their
governments, and they're not alone.
From a legal consultant in Rome to a housewife in Hungary to a
businessman
in Madrid, the message is the same: The image of America is fast
eroding,
and people are concerned about the way the world's lone superpower is
throwing around its weight...
For much of the world, "the issue is not so much about disarming Saddam
as
about how the United States is using its power," says Gideon Rose, an
analyst at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations...
---
US FIRMS GET $1.5BN DEAL TO REBUILD IRAQ
Oliver Burkeman, Guardian, 3/18/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,916508,00.html
The United States plans to transform the infrastructure of Iraq within
a
year of a war ending, but has sidelined aid agencies by allocating
almost
all the funds available to private American firms.
Non-governmental organisations and the UN would get just $50m, a tiny
fraction of the $1.5bn being offered to private companies, according to
more than 100 pages of confidential contract documents leaked to the
Wall
Street Journal.
In the Azores at the weekend, President George Bush emphasised the need
for
a significant UN role in a postwar Iraq, a stance the administration
considers essential to maintaining some degree of multilateral backing
for
military action and its aftermath.
But Washington's plan - backed by a request for cash that the White
House
is expected to submit to Congress soon - envisages a rapid
reconstruction
process led by US corporations, repairing Iraq's infrastructure and
reforming its educational, healthcare and financial systems, with many
results evident before a year has passed.
US administration officials would act as "shadow ministers", keeping a
close eye on Iraq's new government...
---
DIFFERENCES ON 'ROAD MAP' PRESAGE POTENTIAL U.S.-ISRAEL RIFT AFTER WAR
Leslie Susser, JTA,
3/19/03
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=%26%238216%3BRoad+map%26%238217%3B+%3D+roadblock+for+Israel+and+U%2ES%2E%3F&intcategoryid=1
JERUSALEM - As soon as the dust settles in Baghdad, President George
Bush
and his good friend, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, could be
heading
for a showdown.
The looming bone of contention is the "road map" toward
Israeli-Palestinian
peace prepared by the diplomatic quartet of the United States, United
Nations, European Union and Russia.
Bush wants to use the road map to break the current impasse between
Israel
and the Palestinians, but Sharon fears the plan may offer the
Palestinians
rewards without ensuring real change in their approach to Israel...
---
FLOOR REMARKS BY REP. GREGORY W. MEEKS ON IRAQ
U.S. Newswire, 3/19/03
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.) a member of the
International Relations Committee released today his written remarks
from
last night on the House Floor regarding Iraq:
"Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus for his leadership in bringing us to the
House
floor to speak to the American people tonight about the Bush
administration's decision to choose war as the best way to make the
American people safe. It is a choice which I believe is wrong...
As our President prepares to unilaterally and preemptively use military
force against a nation which is not an imminent threat to us, we may be
on
the verge of threatening the very international laws and norms which
are
the foundation of global stability. Many of the consequences of such
actions have already become known. America is more isolated than ever
and
anti-American sentiment is rising globally. However, it is the unknown
consequences of this administration's choice for war which will likely
be
even more dangerous. My single greatest fear is that this war will
jeopardize the help we receive from moderate Muslim nations in
successfully
bringing to justice those who directly attacked us on 9-11 and prevent
attacks against Americans at home and abroad against known imminent
terrorist threats...
Contact: Mike McKay, 202-225-3461 or Candace Sandy, 718-949-5600 or
917-714-3275, both of the office of U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks
-----
RACHEL CORRIE PUT A LOCAL FACE ON FARAWAY SUFFERING
Robert L. Jamieson Jr., Seattle Post Intelligencer, 3/19/03
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/jamieson/113128_robert19xx.shtml
The real terrorist was an Israeli.
His weapon was not a bomb, but an army bulldozer.
And Rachel Corrie of Olympia, just 23, was the victim, run over and
killed
by bone-crushing steel, made in the USA.
You could certainly sum up Sunday's tragedy in the Gaza Strip that way.
That's in sharp contrast to how Israel is often portrayed in this
unending
Middle East conflict: As the bigger victim of an inexcusable
Palestinian
terror.
Try telling that to Rachel's family and friends.
Tell that to her colleagues in the International Solidarity Movement,
who
believe in non-violent opposition to the Israeli occupation of the West
Bank and Gaza Strip.
Tell it to the Palestinians who suffer brutality and injustice at the
hands
of Israel's government...
The relative silence of the United States government on Rachel's death
is
appalling, especially since American tax money cascades into coffers of
the
Israeli government and allows the military to obtain bullets, and
Caterpillar bulldozers...
SEE ALSO:
EDITORIAL CARTOON INSENSITIVE TO MEMORY OF AMERICAN STUDENT ACTIVIST
Diamondback (University of Maryland), 3/19/03
http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/03/19/commentary2.html
Tuesday's editorial cartoon by Daniel Friedman was both factually
inaccurate and morally reprehensible. The cartoon, which mocks the
death of
an American college student crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer
March
16, distorts facts and insults the memory of a woman who fought for
justice
and equality.
The woman, Rachel Corrie, was a 23-year-old activist with the
International
Solidarity Movement, an organization that engages in non-violent civil
disobedience to oppose the illegal military occupation of Palestinian
territories. Corrie and other international activists were attempting
to
block the demolition of Palestinian homes. She was dressed in a
fluorescent
jacket and had been communicating with the driver of the bulldozer with
a
bullhorn. Despite her repeated attempts to signal the driver to stop,
he
deliberately ran over Corrie. Corrie now joins thousands of
Palestinians
who have died fighting for their basic human rights...
Shane Dillingham
Junior
Government and politics and history
-----
SENSITIVITY TRAINING AT AIRPORT UNLIKELY DURING WAR
Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/19/03
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/03/19/BA40623.DTL
With the likelihood of war raising fears of an anti-Muslim backlash in
the
Bay Area, you might think it would be a good time for some sensitivity
training out at the airport.
No way. Not this time around.
They did it once -- and it blew up big time, sending shock waves all
the
way to the mayor's office...
The class -- which was put on with the help of the Arab Cultural Center
--
began with a slide show juxtaposing shots of heavily armed Israelis
with
photos of the bullet-riddled bodies of young Palestinians.
The handout also took aim at U.S. involvement in Iraq, pointing out
that
during the Gulf War, "U.S. aircraft alone dropped 88,500 tons of
explosives
on Iraq, the equivalent of 7.5 Hiroshima nuclear blasts..."
In fairness, we should point out that much of the Arab Cultural
Center's
booklet is devoted to the positive teachings and contributions of the
Arab
world and Muslim culture. The authors also distinguish between the
Zionist
movement they oppose and the "rich moral and scholarly tradition" of
Judaism...
It wasn't long before high-powered delegates from the Jewish Community
Relations Council (including Cissie Swig, Don Friend, Amy Friedkin,
Natalie
Berg and Rabbi Doug Kahn) were delivering their opinions to Mayor
Willie
Brown at a meeting...
Bottom line -- the mayor's office has since sent out a letter calling
for
all copies of the guide to be rounded up and destroyed, and asking that
any
mention of the city's financial contribution be stricken from any
future or
revised booklets that might be printed...
-----
PAKISTANIS FIND COOL RECEPTION IN CANADA
DeNeen L. Brown, Washington Post, 3/19/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49923-2003Mar18.html
TORONTO - Two years of working a minimum-wage job in Brooklyn, sharing
a
one-bedroom apartment, carrying an expired visa and an order from the
U.S.
government to register, be fingerprinted and photographed has brought
Waseem Ahmed to this place: a cold street in Toronto's Little India
neighborhood.
Here he sits in a restaurant with a document from the Canadian
government
that confirms he has applied for refugee status and must report for a
hearing. "I destroyed everything I had in New York. I threw out all the
things," Ahmed said. "You live two years in one place, you make stuff
for
your baby. I don't carry -- if you come on bus, you carry one bag..."
When applicants do finally get an appointment with an immigration
office,
Canadian officials document their identity, take photographs and
fingerprints, and cross-reference photos and fingerprints with the FBI.
Claimants are interviewed quickly. They must convince border officials
that
they have a well-founded fear of persecution or face cruel and unusual
punishment at home...
-----
FRENCH MUSLIM LAW STUDENT IN HEADSCARF ROW
Reuters, 3/19/03
PARIS - A trainee lawyer of Muslim faith may be barred from continuing
her
studies in France after she refused, during an oath-taking ceremony, to
swap her headscarf for the traditional black cap worn on such
occasions.
In the latest of a string of rows over Muslim headgear in the public
domain
of what is a strictly secular state, a court in the northeastern town
of
Nancy ruled this week the student could not take the obligatory secrecy
vow
wearing her scarf.
"(France) is a secular state. Its motto is to avoid any discrimination
between citizens," Nancy public prosecutor Gilles Lucazeau was quoted
as
saying by Le Figaro daily on Wednesday.
"This student lawyer wants to appear different. And it is not a good
thing
to show those on trial the presence of a person who could show signs of
affiliation or allegiance."
Countries like France, a mainly Roman Catholic nation that is home to
five
million Muslims, have shown less tolerance for Islamic customs since
the
September 11, 2001, attacks which led some people to associate ordinary
Muslims with extremist groups...
-----
STOCKTON STEEL TO PAY $1.1 MILLION TO PAKISTANI-AMERICAN WORKERS IN
HARASSMENT SETTLEMENT WITH EEOC
Press release, EEOC, 3/19/03
San Francisco, California - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) today announced the $1.11 million settlement of a
harassment lawsuit against Stockton Steel, a subsidiary of Herrick
Corporation. This resolves a EEOC lawsuit filed in federal court in
January
2000, charging that Pakistani-American employees were repeatedly
harassed
due to their national origin and Muslim religion, at Herrick's steel
plant
in Stockton, California. The workers alleged harassment that included
being
ridiculed during their daily Muslim prayer obligations and derogatory
name-calling such as "camel jockey" and "raghead".
Through an interpreter, former machine operator Abdul Rehman stated, "I
felt that we were humiliated and given the worst assignments simply
because
of where we were born and our religious beliefs. But we are Americans,
and
with the assistance of the EEOC, I have found that the American laws
[against discrimination] protect us too..."
CONTACT: William R. Tamayo, Regional Attorney (415) 356-5084
Jonathan T. Peck, Supervisory Trial Attorney (415) 356-5085
Linda Ordonio-Dixon, Senior Trial Attorney (415) 356-5056
-----
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https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
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To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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
ANTI-MUSLIM INCIDENTS IN CALIFORNIA, MICHIGAN AND ILLINOIS
Women verbally assaulted, father and son refused service, mosque
threatened
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/20/2003) - A prominent national Islamic civil
rights
group announced today that several anti-Muslim incidents have been
reported
recently in California, Michigan and Illinois. The Washington-based
Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) attributes these incidents to the
pro-war rhetoric leading up to last night's attack on Iraq and called
on
President Bush to once again speak to the issue of anti-Muslim bias.
In California, four Muslim women from the northern part of that state
visiting a Venice restaurant on Sunday say they were verbally assaulted
by
another patron who made references to raping Muslim women and
threatened
them with physical assault.
The women, all wearing Islamic head scarves, say a white male began
playing
a guitar and singing after they entered the restaurant. His song
allegedly
contained lyrics such as: "Those goddamn Muslim terrorists attack our
country....They wear ugly robes that are so stinky...And they rape
their
women all the time...but since their women like it, they don't need to
get
it over there, we can give it to them here."
After the Muslim women reported the man's actions to the restaurant
manager, he became even more upset and threatened the women with
physical
harm. The man was later arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department.
CAIR
and the women's civil rights attorney are calling on local law
enforcement
and the FBI to treat the incident as a hate crime and to prosecute the
alleged perpetrator to the full extent of the law.
In Michigan, a Muslim father and son report that they were refused
service
at a Meijer store in Fraser, Mich. The store's cashier allegedly
refused to
accept credit card payment for gas, saying, "We don't take credit
cards…We
closed the machines," and shouted, "You Arabs get out of here…We don't
want
to serve you guys…Go back to your country…Dirty Arabs." Another
customer
also joined in the abuse. The victims' attorney is considering a
lawsuit
against Meijer. (There is a surveillance camera videotape of the
incident.)
In Illinois, a Glendale Heights Islamic center received a phoned bomb
threat Tuesday and was burglarized Saturday. The center has called for
increased police protection and is in the process of installing
security
cameras and window grills. Local FBI agents are working with the center
on
the case.
"There should be zero tolerance for anti-Muslim bigotry in our society.
We
urge swift apprehension and vigorous prosecution of anyone who targets
other Americans base on their religion, ethnicity or national origin.
At
this time of crisis, our nation should be unified in standing against
the
forces of division," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Awad
noted
that his group recently distributed a "Community Safety Kit" to help
protect Muslims in North America. SEE:
http://www.cair-net.org/safetykit He
also called on President Bush to once again condemn anti-Muslim hate.
Awad noted that just last week, projectiles were fired at another
Chicago-area mosque and death threats were made against Muslim students
at
San Jose State University in California. Other anti-Muslim incidents
were
reported to CAIR within the past month. Physical assaults against
Muslims
have been reported in Northern California, Southern California,
Georgia,
New Jersey, and South Carolina. One incident in Yorba Linda, Calif.,
left a
Muslim teenager badly beaten by a group that allegedly included white
supremacists.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-N. California, Helal Omeira, 408-476-7843; CAIR-LA,
714-776-1847; Banafsheh Akhlaghi, attorney in Venice case,
415-553-7100;
CAIR-Michigan, Haaris Ahmad, 248-569-2203; Majed Moughni, attorney in
Michigan case, 313-581-0800; CAIR-Chicago, Omar Haydar, 312-922-4720,
312-735-3662; CAIR-National, Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726,
E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441,
E-MAIL: hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/20/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: DO NOT DELAY CHARITY
* REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4817 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* PRO-ISRAEL GENERAL TO OVERSEE IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION (Forward)
- U.S. To Give Israel $9b in Loan Guarantees (Ha'aretz)
- Acting with Impunity (BBC)
* FBI GETS POWER OVER IMMIGRATION CHARGES (AP)
- CAIR Official Discusses FBI Policy on CNN
- Immigration Advocates Protest Registration (AP)
- War Means Rights May Be Scaled Back (AP)
- Sign-Up, Asylum Rules Worry Muslims (Orlando Sentinel)
- Iraqis Being Voluntarily Questioned (Post-Gazette)
- Registration Program Problems Cited (Washington Post)
- Rules on Detention Widened (Washington Post)
- Some Nations Getting Fewer Visas (Miami Herald)
* AMERICAN MUSLIMS PREPARE FOR BACKLASH (Newhouse)
- Muslims Prepare For Increase in Discrimination (AP)
- Muslim Institutions Focus on Legal Matters (Wash. Post)
- Justice Dept Resources on Civil Rights
* IRAQ WAR PROMPTS CONCERNS AMONG FLORIDIANS (AP)
- Anti-War Protests Sweep Globe (AFP)
- Muslim-American Anti-War Activists Face Challenges (AP)
- Heads in the Sand (NY Times)
- Ready for the Peace? (NY Times)
- Religious Leaders to Discuss War and Peace in NYC
* UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND STUDENTS PROTEST CONTROVERSIAL CARTOON
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: DO NOT DELAY CHARITY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Give charity without
delay,
for it stands in the way of calamity."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 589
-----
REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action" at www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4817 SPONSORSHIPS
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
PRO-ISRAEL GENERAL WILL OVERSEE RECONSTRUCTION OF POSTWAR IRAQ
Alana Newhouse, Forward, 3/20/03
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.03.21/news8.html
With the United States poised to invade Iraq, attention has turned to
retired army Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, the man set to govern the country in
the
event of an American military victory.
Garner is said to maintain ties with the Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening
American foreign and defense policy. In 1998, he visited Israel for the
first time on a trip sponsored by JINSA...
In October 2000, shortly after the outbreak of the intifada, Garner was
one
of 26 American military leaders to sign a staunchly pro-Israel
statement
released by JINSA condemning the escalating violence. The statement,
titled
"Friends Don't Leave Friends on the Battlefield," lauded the Israeli
army
for exercising "remarkable restraint in the face of lethal violence
orchestrated by the leadership of a Palestinian Authority," and called
into
question the Palestinian commitment to peace...
SEE ALSO:
U.S. TO GIVE ISRAEL $9B IN LOAN GUARANTEES, $1B IN MILITARY AID
Aluf Benn and Nathan Guttman, Ha'aretz, 3/20/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/274731.html
The United States will give Israel $9 billion in loan guarantees over
four
years and $1 billion in military aid, the American administration
decided
Wednesday. The aid package still requires congressional approval...
Pro-Israel lobbyists in Washington managed to muster the support of
leaders
of both parties in Congress for the aid request. A joint letter written
by
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Minority Leader Tom
Daschle
stated that Israel is facing severe challenges in both the economic and
security spheres, and that, given the decline in the Israeli economy
over
recent years, the United States should provide support.
---
ACTING WITH IMPUNITY
BBC, 3/20/03
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/correspondent/2841377.stm
Israel never confirms or denies claims that it has nuclear, chemical
and
biological weapons. The country positions itself outside international
treaties, which would make it subject to inspection. For 40 years, most
Israelis have been content with this policy - known as "nuclear
ambiguity"...
-----
FBI GETS POWER OVER IMMIGRATION CHARGES
Curt Anderson, Associated Press, 3/20/03
WASHINGTON - Several dozen Iraqis in the United States believed to pose
a
wartime threat will be detained by the FBI using new powers to arrest
people on immigration violations ordered by Attorney General John
Ashcroft.
The order took effect Feb. 28, the last day the Immigration and
Naturalization Service and its enforcement laws fell under Justice
Department jurisdiction. The INS ceased to exist the next day, when it
was
folded into the Homeland Security Department...
The ACLU and Muslim groups have been highly critical of several
government
antiterrorism efforts. These include the forced registration of
thousands
of mostly Muslim men and boys with U.S. immigration authorities and the
FBI's tallying of mosques as one way to determine investigative
priorities
in local areas.
In addition, the U.S. government will detain anyone from 33 countries
where
terrorism has a presence, including Iraq, who seek to claim asylum in
the
United States on grounds of political persecution. Those people
previously
were freed pending the outcome of their asylum claims...
SEE ALSO:
IRAQ STANDS DEFIANT IN FACE OF U.S. DEADLINE
Wolf Blitzer Reports, CNN, 3/19/03
Partial transcript:
BLITZER: Charles Feldman -- thanks very much, Charles, for that report.
The government is also planning to detain several dozen Iraqis in the
United States whom it says may have ties to Iraqi intelligence. And the
FBI
wants to question thousands more Iraqi nationals.
Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, has details.
KELLI ARENA: CNN has confirmed the FBI this week will detain about
three
dozen Iraqis in the United States who are said to be sympathetic to
Saddam
Hussein. Officials say they are all guilty of visa violations. There is
some concern these individuals may have a connection to the Iraqi
intelligence service, an outfit, according to an FBI advisory, capable
of
assassinations, hijackings and bombings.
But the advisory also describes Iraqi agents as -- quote --
"inconsistently
competent." And the FBI says al Qaeda remains the bigger threat...
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Knowing that
you've
done nothing wrong, that you're not connected to terrorism in any way,
yet
having the FBI come to your place of work, go to your neighbors, do all
of
these things, it's a very intimidating process.
ARENA (on camera): FBI officials say they've done a lot to reach out to
the
Arab-American community to try to build a better relationship, but they
say
they will continue to use every means possible to protect Americans.
---
IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES PROTEST REGISTRATION OF MALE ALIENS
Tara Burghart, Associated Press, 3/19/03
NEW YORK - Two days before a deadline for male visitors from Pakistan
and
Saudi Arabia to register with U.S. immigration authorities, a group of
immigrant advocates called the practice discriminatory and a waste of
money.
About 15,000 males age 16 or older from the two countries have until
Friday
to be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed at local immigration
offices.
"Why would anyone who was a genuine terrorist show up?" Margie McHugh,
executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said
Wednesday.
"Time that could be spent processing visas and citizenship applications
is
instead going into this black pit of special registration."
The registrations will harm relations with immigrant communities and
make
anyone who knows anything about terrorist activity less likely to
report it
to authorities for fear of being deported, said Kevin James, director
of
governmental relations for the New York chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations...
---
WAR MEANS RIGHTS MAY BE SCALED BACK
Associated Press, 3/20/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-scalia-rights.story
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The government has room to scale back
individual rights during wartime without violating the Constitution,
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said Tuesday.
"The Constitution just sets minimums," Scalia said after a speech at
John
Carroll University in suburban Cleveland. "Most of the rights that you
enjoy go way beyond what the Constitution requires."
Scalia, one of the court's most conservative judges, was responding to
a
question about the Justice Department's pursuit of terrorism suspects
and
whether their rights are being violated...
---
SIGN-UP, ASYLUM RULES WORRY MUSLIMS
Kelly Brewington, Orlando Sentinel, 3/20/03
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/orl-asecmuslimfears20032003mar20214518.story
As the United States went to war in the Middle East, Muslims throughout
the
country worried about increased scrutiny prompted by two federal
policies.
These policies come at a time when many Muslims are bracing themselves
for
a possible backlash in the wake of war with Iraq.
Friday is the deadline for males 16 and older from Pakistan and Saudi
Arabia to register with the federal government. It's part of an
antiterror
mandate from the Justice Department requiring visitors and nationals
from
25 countries to be fingerprinted, photographed and interrogated. That
policy has incited fear and confusion, while more than 1,000 have been
detained and some deported for infractions that civil-rights advocates
say
are minor.
The Department of Homeland Security announced this week Operation
Liberty
Shield, a policy to detain asylum-seekers from Iraq and 33 other
countries
with ties to al-Qaeda. Typically upon entry, asylum-seekers are
interviewed
and allowed to apply for refuge at the discretion of an immigration
officer. This policy, however, would mean automatic detention.
Civil-liberties groups criticized the policy, saying it would hurt only
those seeking refuge from persecution.
Civil libertarians and Muslim community advocates said these policies
couldn't come at a worse time for Muslims in America as well as for the
nation's war on terrorism...
---
IRAQIS BEING VOLUNTARILY QUESTIONED
Lillian Thomas, Pittsburg Post-Gazette, 3/20/03
http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030320warlocaliraqis2.asp
FBI agents today will begin questioning 397 Iraqis in Western
Pennsylvania
and West Virginia about conditions in Iraq and fellow countrymen here,
part
of a nationwide effort to gather information about the country and
potential terrorists in the United States.
On Tuesday, the special agent in charge, Kenneth T. McCabe, and others
from
the local FBI office met with members of the Islamic Council of Greater
Pittsburgh to discuss their plans.
The FBI said it will ask U.S. citizens and non-citizens of Iraqi
descent to
submit to voluntary questioning. Agents also will step up efforts to
protect Muslims, particularly Iraqis, against possible hate crimes in
the
wake of armed conflict in Iraq...
The American Civil Liberties Union said the Ashcroft order will further
the
impression among many U.S. Muslims and Arab-Americans that the
government
is singling them out...
---
REGISTRATION PROGRAM PROBLEMS CITED
George Lardner Jr., Washington Post, 3/20/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55994-2003Mar19.html
With a Friday deadline looming for thousands of Pakistani and Saudi men
to
appear for registration and questioning by immigration officials,
critics
of the controversial government program said yesterday they are
encountering repeated instances of lawyers being barred from
investigative
interviews.
The American Civil Liberties Union protested that top immigration
officials
in Washington have not issued a nationwide directive to local offices
to
cease interfering with the legal representation of immigrants who must
submit to questioning.
"The failure to provide clear and explicit directions to local
immigration
officials is inexcusable given the absolute right to legal counsel,"
said
Lucas Guttentag, director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project. He
charged that the "foot-dragging" could be explained only by a
reluctance to
dig into the matter before the registration deadlines have passed...
But Tampa immigration lawyer Myra Kallo said "what they call booking is
much more than that." She said three clients, two from Tunisia and one
from
Morocco, were subjected to routine questioning in her presence in late
January and early February, but then were called into another room. On
each
occasion, she said, she was prohibited by the adjudication official
from
accompanying them.
"Each time, I said, 'My client has a right to counsel,' and each time
the
officer said, 'Not here he doesn't,'" Kallo recounted yesterday.
She said her clients later told her they were closely questioned in an
apparent search for intelligence information. "Basically it was, 'Do
you go
to a mosque? What mosque?' and so forth," Kallo said. One of her
clients,
who did attend a mosque, was asked "whether he knew this person or that
person and whether so-and-so spoke at the mosque..."
---
RULES ON DETENTION WIDENED
Dan Eggen, Washington Post, 3/20/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56948-2003Mar19.html
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft has issued orders that allow FBI
agents
and U.S. marshals to detain foreign nationals for alleged immigration
violations in cases where there is not enough evidence to hold them on
criminal charges, according to Justice Department officials and a copy
of
the rules.
The regulations, issued in December but not announced publicly,
significantly breach the wall that has long separated federal law
enforcement agents from immigration officers, who previously were the
only
personnel authorized in most circumstances to detain people in the
country
illegally.
Several immigration advocates condemned the change as the latest in a
series of federal counterterrorism tactics that have unfairly targeted
immigrants. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Justice Department
has
conducted a dragnet that ensnared hundreds of immigrants, launched an
effort to arrest more than 300,000 who have ignored deportation orders,
and
is photographing and fingerprinting visitors from 25 countries, almost
all
of them predominantly Muslim.
"It's part of a pattern that we're seeing in which what may be minor
violations of immigration law are used as a pretext for preventive
detention," said Bill Frelick, an immigration policy expert at Amnesty
International...
---
SOME NATIONS GETTING FEWER VISAS
Alfonso Chardy, Miami Herald, 3/20/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/5424784.htm
Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the number of visas issued to
nationals from five Middle Eastern and Asian nations, including Saudi
Arabia, Pakistan and the Philippines, where al Qaeda or its
sympathizers
are believed to operate has dropped significantly, according to State
Department figures released this week.
U.S. officials say the decline is partly due to more rigorous
background
checks that have led to many more visa applicants being rejected as
security risks or because they might stay in the United States after
their
visa expires...
But many nationals from those countries say that's because new U.S.
immigration policies intended to better protect the country make them
afraid to come. They say the United States is unfairly scapegoating
everyone from countries viewed as terrorist hotbeds.
"The hidden agenda must be 'let's get everybody from the Middle East
out of
here,'" said Mazen Sukkar, a South Florida immigration attorney.
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIMS PREPARE FOR BACKLASH
Mark O'Keefe, Newhouse News, 3/20/03
http://www.newhouse.com/archive/okeefe031903.html
American Muslims are bracing for an Iraq war, deeply concerned that
fellow
Muslims will be killed overseas and that they could become victims of
harassment at home.
"If it's a quick war where not a lot of people get killed, we may be
all
right; but if it goes badly and lots of people are dying on both sides,
all
bets are off regarding an anti-Muslim backlash," said Ibrahim Hooper, a
spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
While a majority of the American public supports military action
against
Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein, Hooper said, "there's almost universal
opposition to this war in the American Muslim community..."
Pramila Jayapal, who after the Sept. 11 attacks founded the
Seattle-based
Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington, said the mood is similar in the
Pacific Northwest...
"In addition to worrying about hate crimes, there's a real fear in this
community of whether they're going to be targeted by the government,"
said
Jayapal. "This is their home, but they don't feel safe here. There's a
tremendous amount of anxiety. People are basically retreating, going
into
hiding. They don't want to be noticed at a time when they have so many
emotions to express. So this is a difficult time..."
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE INCREASE IN DISCRIMINATION
Gene Johnson, Associated Press, 3/19/03
SEATTLE - If the bombs start falling, Samia El-Moslimany doesn't expect
the
backlash to be far behind.
El-Moslimany is vice chairwoman of the local chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, an organization that this week began
sending
e-mails warning mosques and Muslim community leaders about possible
discrimination or hate crimes in the event of a U.S.-led war with Iraq.
"There are things we expect to come from the uninformed and the
ignorant,"
El-Moslimany said Tuesday. "This has happened before."
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, a man poured gasoline
on
cars parked at the Idris Mosque in north Seattle. Cab drivers in
Seattle
and SeaTac were assaulted by passengers who accused them of being
terrorists. Muslim women were harassed as they walked down the street
or
waited for a bus.
The Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations has
issued
a nine-page guide for dealing with ethnic profiling. It says mosques
should
develop a list of lawyers willing to consult with them if problems
arise
and meet with local principals to make sure schools have zero-tolerance
policies when it comes to discrimination...
---
MUSLIM INSTITUTIONS FOCUS ON LEGAL MATTERS
Nurith C. Aizenman, Washington Post, 3/20/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42809-2003Mar17.html
Friday prayer services at the Prince George's Muslim Association
Community
Center in Lanham have always been followed by a series of cheerful
public
announcements -- the start of a new Arabic class, an upcoming feast to
celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan, another sale at a local
halal grocery store.
But recently, the list is just as likely to include a more serious type
of
event -- the latest seminar on how to stand up for your rights as a
Muslim
in America.
There have been many to choose from. Faced with several new immigration
and
security laws that the government maintains are needed to prevent
terrorism
but that critics charge unfairly target thousands of innocent Muslims,
Arab
and South Asian residents, mosques and community groups across Prince
George's County are increasingly expanding their mission...
"A lot of families in our community are feeling very apprehensive . . .
and
immigration lawyers tell us it's only going to get worse," said Minhaj
Hasan, editor of Muslim Link, a monthly newsletter published by the
Dar-us-Salaam mosque in College Park...
---
JUSTICE DEPT RESOURCES ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Press Release, 3/20/03
Since the September 11th attacks, some houses of worship and other
high-profile community institutions have been the targets of
bias-motivated
arson, vandalism, and other attacks. With the onset of war with Iraq,
religious and community institutions may wish to consider enhancing
security. For guidance, please consult the National Church Arson Task
Force's Threat Assessment Guide for Houses of Worship, which can be
found
at www.atf.treas.gov/pub/threat/index.htm or
www.atf.treas.gov/pub/gen_pub/report2000/threat.pdf. You may wish to
contact your local law enforcement agency for further guidance.
Responding to hate crimes:
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a hate crime, you
should
contact your local police department and your local FBI field office as
soon as possible (see the following website to locate your local FBI
field
office: www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm). You should provide the name(s)
of
the victim(s), any witnesses, and the perpetrator(s) (if known); a
description of the events; and whether any physical injuries or
physical
damage were incurred. For more information on responding to hate
crimes
and other incidents of discrimination, please see the website of the
Initiative to Combat the Post-9/11 Discriminatory Backlash:
www.usdoj.gov/crt/nordwg.html.
-----
IRAQ WAR PROMPTS CONCERNS AMONG FLORIDIANS, SUPPORT FOR TROOPS
Coralie Carlson, Associated Press, 3/20/03
MIAMI - The first U.S. military strikes against Iraq in the latest Gulf
War
prompted concern among Florida's political leaders and some residents
about
the possible repercussions...
Ahmed Bedier, a spokesman for Council on American-Islamic Relations in
Florida, said Muslims have a particularly high level of anxiety over
action
in Iraq.
"The Muslim community feels anxiety due to the backlash and the feeling
that they're being targeted by the government," he said...
SEE ALSO:
ANTI-WAR PROTESTS SWEEP GLOBE FOLLOWING LAUNCH OF STRIKES IN IRAQ
Agence Presse France, 3/20/03
ATHENS - Anti-war protests erupted across the globe Thursday following
the
start of the US-led war against Iraq, with hundreds of thousands
expected
to march to demand a quick end to air strikes on Baghdad.
Between 80,000 and 100,000 demonstrators thronged central Athens in
response to the launch of targetted strikes against Iraqi targets,
according to initial police estimates, but organizers put the figure at
least 200,000.
"It's unprecedented. People continue coming," said Vera Michailidou of
the
leftist anti-globalization group Action 2003, as protestors marched
past
the British embassy to the US mission, both heavily guarded by riot
police...
In Australia, thousands took to the streets just hours after the first
air
strikes against Iraqi targets, with more than 10,000 protesting in
central
Sydney and 20,000 in the country's second city Melbourne...
---
ARAB, MUSLIM-AMERICAN ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS FACE SPECIAL CHALLENGES
Deborah Kong, Associated Press, 3/20/03
SAN FRANCISCO - With America at war against Iraq, many anti-war
activists
feel a sense of frustration. But few have faced the difficulties that
Arab
and Muslim activists say they've encountered in making their voices
heard.
Though their reasons for opposing the war are generally the same as
those
of other activists, many say they're viewed with suspicion because of
their
ethnicity and faith.
"Our motives are questioned to a certain degree because of our
connection
with that part of the world," said Obeidat, a member of American
Muslims
Intent on Learning and Activism, a Northern California advocacy group.
"Somebody might look at us and say, 'Well you're unpatriotic,' but
also,
'You're Muslim. You're Arab. You're suspect. Somehow maybe you're a
fifth
column in this country, maybe you're actually doing this with sinister
motives..."'
---
HEADS IN THE SAND
New York Times, 3/20/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/20/opinion/20THU2.html
The biggest wartime secret fiercely kept by the White House seems to be
the
estimated dollar cost to the nation's taxpayers of invading, pacifying
and
rebuilding Iraq, from first shot to last. Congress is now flailing
through
a budget debate without this vital chunk of information on the public
books...
Wartime patriotism, not rational disclosure, is being invoked as a
motive
for blindly approving a budget plan that even without the war costs
factored in, will slash critical domestic programs, allow upper-bracket
Americans another big tax break and greatly compound Bush deficits that
already stretch across the next decade...
---
READY FOR THE PEACE?
Bob Herbert, New York Times, 3/20/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/20/opinion/20HERB.html
But the fact that a war may be quick does not mean that it is wise.
Against
the wishes of most of the world, we have plunged not just into war, but
toward a peace that is potentially more problematic than the war
itself.
Are Americans ready to pay the cost in lives and dollars of a long-term
military occupation of Iraq? To what end?
Will an occupation of Iraq increase or decrease our security here at
home?
Do most Americans understand that even as we are launching one of the
most
devastating air assaults in the history of warfare, private companies
are
lining up to reap the riches of rebuilding the very structures we're in
the
process of destroying...?
---
RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO DISCUSS WAR AND PEACE IN NYC
WHAT: "From Winning the War to Winning the Peace: Jewish, Christian,
and
Muslim leaders discuss conflict with Iraq." A panel discussion at the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine with networking opportunities to
follow.
Speakers include:
Dr. Robert Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches
&
former U.S. Congressman
* The Right Reverend Mark Sisk, XVth Bishop of the Episcopal
Diocese of New York
* Sheikh Tosun Bayrak, The Jerrahi Order of America
This event is free to the public.
Contact: cbreyer@cathedralnyc.org or (212)316.7474
-----
CARTOON INCITES ALL-NIGHT PROTEST
Jason Flanagan, Diamondback, 3/20/03
http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/03/20/news1.html
More than 60 students rallied against The Diamondback yesterday and
staged
a sit-in protest planned to last into today in front of the newspaper's
office, demanding a public apology for a controversial editorial
cartoon
about the death of pro-Palestinian activist Rachel Corrie.
The group, which included members of the Peace Forum and the Muslim
Student
Association, protested the March 18 editorial cartoon by Daniel J.
Friedman
that labeled Corrie as having "stupidity" for "sitting in front of a
bulldozer to protect a gang of terrorists." Corrie was killed while
trying
to avert an Israeli Army bulldozer from razing a house in Gaza.
The protesters listed three demands: a formal apology printed in the
newspaper, an article honoring Corrie's life and a statement detailing
The
Diamondback's editorial procedure.
Diamondback Editor in Chief Jay Parsons addressed the crowd, which at
times
became unruly and loud despite MSA public relations officer Raef
Haggag's
effort to quell them. Flanked by two University Police officers,
Parsons
read a statement defending Friedman's cartoon as an expression of free
speech and described the editorial process...
The cartoon has sparked global outrage, as close to 2,000 e-mails and
hundreds of phone calls have flooded The Diamondback, most condemning
the
cartoon and the newspaper, though a few were supportive of the
newspaper...
-----
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-----
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To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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 - 3/21/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: TIMES OF DISTRESS
* REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* PENN. MUSLIM RECEIVES SETTLEMENT OVER HARASSMENT
* RESOURCES: SCHOOL PROGRAM TO PREVENT HATE
* MUSLIMS BRACE FOR FALLOUT AFTER U.S. ATTACK (Wash. Post)
- Muslims Work with Authorities (NY Times)
- Arizona Muslims Fear Backlash, Take Precautions (AP)
- Bay Area Muslims Call for Prayer, Peace (Mercury News)
- At North Jersey Mosques, Mood is Somber (Bergen Record)
- Boston Muslims Face Fear of Backlash (AP)
- Muslims, Sikhs Fear Another Wave of Backlash (AP)
- Muslims Say War Has Not Increased Discrimination (Tampa Trib)
- Texas Muslims Express Concerns (Star-Telegram)
* MOSQUE HELPS FBI AS INTERVIEWS OF IRAQIS BEGIN (Phil. Daily News)
- FBI Interviews Raise Hackles of ACLU (Tampa Tribune)
- Feds Prepare to Arrest Iraqis in U.S. Illegally (Miami Herald)
* AN EMPTY PLEDGE TO CIVILIANS? (New York Times)
* MD UNIVERSITY BLASTS BULLDOZER DEATH CARTOON (Diamondback)
- Response to Controversy Over Editorial Cartoon
- Diamondback Needs a Higher Standard of Decency, Says Provost
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: TIMES OF DISTRESS
WHAT THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) SAID DURING TIMES OF DISTRESS:
1) "If anyone continually asks pardon, God will appoint for him a way
out
of every distress, and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide
for
him from where he did not reckon." Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 599
2) "May I not teach you phrases which you utter in distress? (These
are),
"God is my Lord, I do not associate anything as partner with Him."
Sunan of
Abu-Dawood, Hadith 603
3) "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor
distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a
thorn, but that God expiates some of his sins for that." Sahih
Al-Bukhari,
Volume 7, Hadith 545
4) The Prophet also used to invoke God at times of distress, saying:
"None
has the right to be worshipped except God, the Forbearing. None has the
right to be worshipped except God, Lord of the Throne. None has the
right
to be worshipped except God, Lord of the Heavens." Sahih Al-Bukhari,
Volume
8, Hadith 357
-----
REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action" at www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to, inshallah, send accurate and
objective
information about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
GOOD NEWS: PENN. MUSLIM EMPLOYEE RECEIVES SETTLEMENT OVER HARASSMENT
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/21/03) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) reported today that a Muslim employee of Judge Scientific
working on
an assignment at a Merck & Co. facility in West Point, Penn., received
a
monetary settlement over allegations of harassment by fellow workers
following the 9/11 attacks.
The alleged harassment included Merck employees telling the Muslim
worker
he looked like Osama Bin Laden and asking to him let them know when he
will
declare "Jihad." The African-American Muslim worker's patriotism was
also
questioned when he was asked which side he was on, "American or
Muslim,"
and was advised to go to Canada if he could not make up his mind.
"It is important, particularly at times of crisis, for employees to
report
harassment or discrimination based on religion, ethnicity or national
origin," said CAIR Civil Rights Advisor Khadija Athman.
TO REPORT ANTI-MUSLIM INCIDENTS, E-MAIL: jsalaam@cair-net.org
-----
RESOURCES: SCHOOL PROGRAM TO PREVENT HATE
http://www.ing.org/prevent_hate/default.asp
-----
REGION'S MUSLIMS BRACE FOR FALLOUT AFTER U.S. ATTACK
Caryle Murphy, Washington Post, 3/21/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1348-2003Mar20.html
As U.S. bombs fell on Baghdad more than 6,000 miles away, Washington
area
Muslims watched the long-distance drama with a sense of dread,
expressing
sorrow about expected casualties in Iraq, fear of an anti-Muslim
backlash
here and skepticism about the U.S. government's rationale for the war.
"It's a very stressful situation for us because we feel this is
creating a
rift between the United States and its allies, the people of the Middle
East and the people of the world," said Nabeel Yousef, president of the
Muslim Student Association at Georgetown University, where he is a
sophomore. "As Muslims, we're praying for the people of Iraq and hoping
for
a quick, painless war; we're praying that not many people get killed…"
Muslim advocacy groups are concerned about what they see as growing
anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States, partly because of outspoken
remarks against Islam by some political and religious leaders and
partly
because of the increased focus on Muslims in the U.S. war against
terrorism.
"We hope that President Bush would come out with some kind of statement
challenging the rise in anti-Muslim incidents we've seen in the run-up
to
the war," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based
Council
on American-Islamic Relations. The advocacy group recently sent mosques
and
Islamic centers a list of suggested precautions they should take…
SEE ALSO:
RESENTFUL OF TREATMENT, MUSLIMS STILL WORK WITH AUTHORITIES
LAURIE GOODSTEIN, New York Times, 3/21/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/21/international/worldspecial/21MUSL.html
PITTSBURGH, Wednesday night, moments after he watched television
coverage
of the first bombs striking Baghdad, Clifton Omar Slater, the president
of
the Islamic Council of Pittsburgh, received a call on his cellphone
that he
did not expect.
It was an F.B.I. official, calling to invite local Muslim leaders to
appear
with law enforcement officials at a news conference at the bureau's
regional headquarters the next morning to demonstrate the fledgling
efforts
at cooperation between Muslims and the F.B.I.
Mr. Slater accepted, and so this morning he and the president of a
local
mosque stood shoulder to shoulder with Federal Bureau of Investigation
and
police officials here as the government announced plans to interview
the
397 Iraqis identified as living in Western Pennsylvania.
In return, bureau officials have pledged to protect American Muslims
and
their mosques from the type of hate crimes and bias attacks that both
sides
expect now that the United States is at war with a predominantly Muslim
nation.
"The Muslim community has cooperated to the max with the F.B.I.," Mr.
Slater said in an interview.
While many prominent Muslims resent the government's focus on Muslims
and
Arabs and regard it as religious and ethnic profiling, they have agreed
to
act as a bridge between their communities and law enforcement
officials…
The Muslims here, and elsewhere, have other reasons to feel under
suspicion. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (now known as the
Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has for months required
tens
of thousands of men from predominantly Muslim countries to register
with
their local I.N.S. office or face possible arrest and deportation. Some
here have been detained on immigration violations, though no one in law
enforcement could say how many. No Muslim in this region has been
arrested
on terrorism charges, F.B.I. officials said…
There were reports from around the country of a recent increase in
anti-Muslim incidents, according to the Council on American Islamic
Relations, a Washington advocacy group. A mosque in Glendale Heights,
Ill.,
received a death threat and was burglarized…
---
ARIZONA MUSLIMS FEAR BACKLASH, TAKE PRECAUTIONS
MICHELLE BEAVER, Associated Press, 3/21/03
TEMPE, Ariz. - For 13-year-old Huthaifa Shquirat, it seems like ages
since
the last time he played outside and felt safe.
"My mom, she lets us invite kids over but we all have to stay inside or
in
the backyard," Huthaifa said. "If the ball goes out of the yard, we
can't
go get it. My dad has to get it."
Shquirat's family, like other Muslims in Arizona, is taking
precautions.
They and others worry about a possible backlash from people who may
blame
Muslims for the war in Iraq.
"All the emotion that stems from Sept. 11 makes us feel very
threatened,
especially now that we're at war," said Deedra Abboud, executive
director
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Arizona.
Arizona Muslims have already seen the consequences of the anger that
can be
directed against immigrants and minorities in times like these.
In the days after the Sept. 11 attacks, a Sikh gas station owner was
killed
in suburban Mesa by a gunman who according to police later said that
"all
Arabs had to be shot" and that he wanted to "slit some Iranians'
throats."
Balbir Singh Sodhi was neither Muslim nor from the Middle East, but
authorities say he was singled out by the gunman because Sodhi wore a
turban as part of his faith…
"We all remember what happened to Sodhi," said Abboud. "We definitely
have
fear in our community, but not just because of that killing."
Because of the concerns, Abboud's group is launching a program called
Operation Safe Haven. They are working in conjunction with churches and
synagogues to make certain that Muslims have a place to stay if they
feel
threatened.
Abboud and other Muslim leaders in Arizona recommend that Muslims not
walk
alone, that they always tell someone where they are going and carry a
cell
phone…
---
BAY AREA MUSLIMS CALL FOR PRAYER, PEACE
Jessie Mangaliman, Karen de Sa and Nerissa Pacio, San Jose Mercury
News,
3/20/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/5441815.htm
A day after the bombs started falling on Baghdad, Bay Area Muslims
gathered
in prayer, some moved to tears, while at the same time expressing fears
about possible hate crimes as a backlash of war.
Muslims have already been on edge since the Sept. 11 attacks, and the
start
of the U.S.-led campaign against Iraq brought new concerns.
"We pray for the safety of innocent Iraqis and our troops," said Helal
Omeira, executive director of the Northern California chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, as the noonday call to prayer
sounded in the background.
Omeira joined about a dozen religious and civic leaders Thursday
morning
during a news conference at the Muslim Community Association in Santa
Clara, in view of the worship room…
Omeira said mosques, Islamic centers and schools, and other places
where
Muslims gather, are proceeding with their normal schedule, but like the
rest of country, are on a heightened alert.
---
AT NORTH JERSEY MOSQUES, MOOD IS SOMBER
JOHN CHADWICK, Bergen Record, 3/20/03
http://www.bergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkyJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MzU2Mjgy
The mood in North Jersey mosques was somber Wednesday as Muslims braced
for
a military strike against Iraq.
Fearing a war could destabilize the Mideast or spark a backlash against
foreigners in America, Muslims said they are making special prayers for
peace and hoping for a quick end to the violence.
"We are holding our breath," said Nabil Abbassi, president of the
Islamic
Center of Passaic County, a Paterson mosque. "The outcome could be much
uglier than we perceive."
A national Muslim group is distributing "community safety kits" - a
nine-page bulletin informing Muslims of their civil rights, and also
urging
them to report suspicious activity in their community to the
authorities.
The Council on American Islamic Relations said it began distributing
the
kits after recent attacks on Muslims in the United States.
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for CAIR, said his organization has
received
about six reports of assaults or threats against Muslims over the last
month.
"The only thing we could figure is that it was the pro-war rhetoric
getting
people fired up," Hooper said. "The kits give people something to do
rather
than just wait for events to overtake them."
For American Muslims - who number an estimated 5 million to 7 million,
and
include a broad range of nationalities - opposition to the war is
"almost
universal," Hooper said…
---
AREA MUSLIMS FACE FEAR OF BACKLASH AS AMERICA ATTACKS IRAQ
BIPASHA RAY, Associated Press, 3/21/03
BOSTON - Jasmina Delic's sense of security has been shattered - again.
The 22-year-old Bosnian Muslim escaped war and devastation in her
homeland
10 years ago and came to America hoping to live in peace. But as U.S.
troops advance into Iraq, she says her old nightmares and hellish
memories
are returning.
"Every time I hear airplanes, my first instinct is to run to the
basement,
even now," the Northeastern University junior said. "I guess there
isn't a
real threat of bomber planes here, but when you have lived through war,
the
paranoia sets in right away.
"You start looking at people a different way," she said. "You wonder if
the
water's been contaminated, you wonder how many people are going to
die."
Even among area Muslims who haven't lived through the terror of war
like
Delic, the fear of hate crimes and civil rights violations is
ever-present.
Imam Abdullah Faaruuq, president of the Islamic Council of New England
in
Quincy, says many members of his congregation have been feeling anxious
and
tense…
He says many fear a backlash in Arab and Muslim communities, much like
they
saw after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Some in his congregation have been stopped, frisked and had their bank
accounts shut down in the past two years, he said. Next week, the FBI
plans
to interview Iraqi expatriates from his congregation in hopes of
gaining
intelligence information about possible terrorist activity…
---
MUSLIMS, SIKHS FEAR ANOTHER WAVE OF BACKLASH
MATT VOLZ, Associated Press, 3/21/03
JACKSON, Miss. - An increase in hate crimes against people of Arab
descent
has Muslims and Arabs in Mississippi hoping outreach programs help them
avoid local backlash as the nation wages war against Iraq.
"Possible retaliation taking place on some of them here in the country
-
that's the major fear," said Imam Yusuf Sadiq of Masjid Muhammad in
Jackson.
After the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the FBI
recorded a
jump in the number hate crimes against Arabs, Muslims and others who
might
have been mistaken as being of Arab descent.
Last week, the FBI sent a bulletin to 18,000 state and local law
enforcement agencies that said a U.S. war with Iraq or another
terrorist
attack could trigger a wave of hate crimes against Muslims and
Arab-Americans.
Like they did after the terrorist attacks of 2001, the Jackson mosque
and
its members will hold outreach programs with different religious groups
to
remind others "who we are and what we stand for," Sadiq said.
There are about 2,000 Muslims in Mississippi. After Sept. 11, there
were
reports of harassing phone calls, Muslims being pelted with food and
one
Pakistani student beaten in a Wiggins jail by inmates…
Sikhs, who are of Indian origin, were also harassed and threatened
after
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In one incident, a Sikh man was shot
and
killed outside his Mesa, Arizona, gas station. Prosecutors said his
killer
shot him because of his turban and beard...
---
MUSLIMS PREPARE, BUT SAY WAR HAS NOT INCREASED DISCRIMINATION
MICHELLE BEARDEN, Tampa Tribune, 3/21/03
http://tampatrib.com/News/MGA3RVXQJDD.html
An anticipated anti-Muslim backlash to the U.S. invasion of Iraq has
yet to
materialize, a national Islamic organization reported Thursday. And Bay
area Muslims say they are going about their business with no
disruption.
"We haven't seen an outbreak yet. The anxiety is not as high as the
days
after 9/11,' says Hodan Hassan, a spokesman for the Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil-rights organization.
"But
that depends on a lot of variables, like if the war drags on or whether
we
suffer terrorist attacks in this country…"
---
TEXAS MUSLIMS EXPRESS CONCERNS AS THE WAR BEGINS
By Patrick McGee and John Gutierrez-Mier, Star-Telegram, 3/21/03
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/local/5446951.htm
Local Muslims said the war to oust Saddam Hussein has them worried
about
innocent civilians in Iraq -- and in the United States.
Some Muslims are cautiously expressing disagreement with the war.
Others
decline to comment, and many say they fear that war overseas will spawn
hate crimes at home.
About 30 Muslim leaders from Fort Worth-Dallas met Sunday with FBI
agent
Guadalupe Gonzalez, who heads the Dallas field office.
"We talked about our security and our security concerns from
backlashes,
and what measures the government is taking to protect their American
Muslim
citizens," said Jamal A. Qaddura, a member of Dar El Eman, a south
Arlington mosque.
Participants in the meeting said they were satisfied with Gonzalez's
assurances that the FBI will prosecute hate crime offenders to the full
extent of the law.
Nonetheless, many Muslims are keeping a low profile. The few who
expressed
opinions about the war said they oppose Saddam and support the United
States.
"I think we should have given more time to diplomacy and the
inspections,"
said Rashid Khan, a Colleyville resident and native of Pakistan. "I
care
and worry about innocent people…"
-----
MOSQUE HELPS FBI AS INTERVIEWS OF IRAQIS BEGIN
RON GOLDWYN, Philadelphia Daily News, 3/21/03
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/5445029.htm
The FBI has begun interviewing members of the Philadelphia-area's small
Iraqi community, with an unusual assist from an Arab-American mosque.
The agents are carrying a letter - in Arabic and English, on the
letterhead
of Al Aqsa Islamic Society - which spells out ground rules, advises
interviewees of their rights and where to get help.
The interviews began yesterday, said Marwan Kreidie, spokesman for Al
Aqsa
and head of the Philadelphia Arab-American Association. He said the
first
of about 90 such interview subjects turned out to be a Palestinian,
whose
name he would not disclose.
Kreidie praised the FBI for agreeing to carry the letter. But he said
the
chance of agents getting useful information about terrorism or the
Iraqi
regime was "zero. Anyone who's Iraqi here, it's because they fled
Saddam."
FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi would not discuss the sessions, citing
"respect
for the individuals we are interviewing." But the bureau announced
Monday
it would soon start voluntary interviews and that none of the subjects
are
"considered to be terrorists..."
SEE ALSO:
FBI INTERVIEWS OF IRAQIS IN U.S. RAISES HACKLES OF ACLU
CASSIO FURTADO, Tampa Tribune, 3/21/03
http://www.tampatrib.com
TAMPA - The FBI is interviewing thousands of Iraqis who live in the
United
States, hoping they will provide leads to prevent terrorist attacks on
American soil.
Nationwide, the FBI will interview as many as 10,000 Iraqi-born
nationals
out of the estimated 50,000 living in the United States, according to
reports in The Philadelphia Inquirer and Chicago Tribune quoting agency
officials.
The interviews are part of Operation Liberty Shield, an antiterrorism
plan
announced Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.
Tampa FBI spokeswoman Sara Oates declined to say how many of the Iraqis
to
be questioned live in Florida and Tampa.
Oates said the interviews would not be interrogations, but attempts to
gather information to help prevent terrorist attacks on U.S. soil as
the
war in Iraq takes place…
Ahmed Bedir, a spokesman for the Council on American- Islamic Relations
in
Florida, said the operation was "singling out people because of their
religion and ethnicity" while providing "an illusion of security."
Oates said the FBI wants the Muslim community to feel at ease with the
interviews.
"By no means do we want this community to feel targeted," Oates said.
Heads of FBI field offices across the country will meet with Muslim
leaders
and assure them that the effort isn't singling out Muslims…
---
FEDS PREPARE TO ARREST IRAQIS ILLEGALLY IN U.S.
ALFONSO CHARDY, Miami Herald, 3/21/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/5444018.htm
Citing wartime security concerns, teams of federal agents fanned out
Thursday across the United States to arrest Iraqis who are in the
country
illegally.
Between 3,000 and 7,000 Iraqis nationwide, including an unknown number
in
South Florida, are targeted for arrest, according to a federal
government
source.
About 300,000 Iraqis live in the United States, mostly in California
and
Michigan. South Florida is home to a few thousand Iraqis, according to
local immigration attorneys.
There were no immediate reports of arrests in Miami-Dade or Broward
counties, but Tammy Fox-Isicoff, a prominent immigration attorney, said
FBI
agents showed up at a Broward County legal aid office Thursday
afternoon
demanding an Iraqi national's South Florida address.
The announcement of the roundup came hours after the U.S. Department of
Justice confirmed that Attorney General John Ashcroft has given FBI
agents
and U.S. marshals power to arrest foreign nationals on immigration
violations.
The order significantly broadens their authority; previously, only
immigration officers had arrest powers in immigration cases.
It is the latest in a string of federal policies the administration
says is
needed to protect Americans but many civil libertarians say are sowing
fear
and anger among Muslims.
"This is just the latest…put forward by this administration and
Ashcroft
that single out Muslims and Arab Americans for special treatment," said
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations
in
Washington, D.C…
In November, the Justice Department ordered immigration offices around
the
country to fingerprint, photograph and interview male Iraqis and male
visitors from more than 20 Asian countries.
Since then, hundreds of nationals have been arrested on immigration
violations when they showed up to register and are facing deportation.
The
deadline for male Pakistanis and Saudis to register expires today.
Earlier this week, the Homeland Security Department announced that
people
who request asylum from countries where al Qaeda and other terrorist
groups
operate will be detained until their case is decided.
On Thursday, the department said it would begin arresting Iraqis
identified
using a range of intelligence information.
-----
AN EMPTY PLEDGE TO CIVILIANS?
SARAH SEWALL, New York Times, 3/21/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/21/opinion/21SEWA.html
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - In an effort to assuage public concern over civilian
casualties in Iraq, President Bush has pledged that America will do its
utmost to "spare innocent lives."
The military has shown similar concern, publicly detailing for the
first
time its significant efforts to limit what it calls "collateral
damage."
Officials are briefing reporters about collateral damage simulations,
ordnance and delivery options and stressing their intentions to avoid
harming noncombatants.
Despite these reassuring statements, and the fact that the United
States
has the technology and the sensibility to fight the cleanest war in
town,
the Pentagon does not study how military force actually affects
civilians.
For all of its computer simulations and painstaking planning, the
Department of Defense has never undertaken a systemic evaluation to
determine whether its efforts to spare lives succeed or fail - or what
might be done to improve them…
A complete collateral damage assessment would include fully
investigating
serious incidents during the conflict and following up with a public
postwar survey of the campaign's impact on civilians. The Department of
Defense should integrate civilian collateral damage into the formal
"lessons learned" process, so that it can refine planning, training and
weapons requirements - something that it has never done before.
Civilian
casualties are not just a political issue, they are an operational
challenge.
We can't claim good intentions and leave it at that. If humanitarian
groups
exaggerate civilian deaths, the Pentagon needs to answer them with the
facts. If the military is serious about limiting civilian casualties,
it
needs to dissect the causes and develop new tools and policies to
protect
noncombatants. When it does that, the United States may be able to
claim
the humanitarian high ground in its conduct, if not always its choice,
of war.
-----
ADMINISTRATION BLASTS DIAMONDBACK CARTOON
Jason Flanagan, Diamondback, 3/21/03
http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/03/21/news3.html
University officials, student leaders and a U.S. congressman blasted
The
Diamondback yesterday for publishing an editorial cartoon about the
death
of American pro-Palestinian activist Rachel Corrie, calling the cartoon
tasteless and the newspaper an embarrassment to the university.
Officials were outraged by the March 18 editorial cartoon, which
depicted
Corrie, who was killed Sunday in Gaza after a bulldozer ran her over,
as
showing "stupidity" for protecting a "gang of terrorists."
Their opinions reflect most of the approximately 2,000 e-mails and
hundreds
of phone calls The Diamondback received in the last three days.
Students
staged an overnight sit-in protest Wednesday and returned yesterday to
demand a printed apology, as well as an article honoring Corrie, before
they moved to Washington to protest the war in Iraq…
SEE ALSO:
RESPONSE TO CONTROVERSY OVER YESTERDAY'S EDITORIAL CARTOON
http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/03/19/news0.html
First, I want to thank all of you who showed up outside our offices
today
and the thousands of you who e-mailed comments. Our campus lacks enough
people of your courage and values. In our staff editorials, we've
repeatedly begged students to take stands on this generally apathetic
campus, but to little avail. I've received close to 2,000 e-mails and
hundreds of phone calls, most of which expressed outrage -- a few
making
threats -- at our decision to publish the editorial cartoon. I've also
received requests from other papers to reprint the cartoon, requests I
have
denied.
OUR POLICY
The Diamondback employs two editorial cartoonists. At the end of last
semester, we had one opening and one applicant. That applicant was
Daniel
J. Friedman. Our policy on editorial cartoonists is to allow them a
rectangular box on page 4 to express their views, so long as those
views do
not threaten individuals and the content is not libelous. I have
discussed
the cartoon with The Diamondback's lawyer, who assured me no legal
issues,
including libel, arise from the drawing.
WHY WE PUBLISHED IT
Friedman's cartoons are often jarring and controversial, but clearly
this
one went further than any other. When he submitted his cartoon Tuesday
evening, several editors and I had a brief discussion and some voiced
disagreement with Mr. Friedman's viewpoint. But ultimately, this
decision
was not about a viewpoint. The decision was about freedom of speech,
and
that made the decision easy. Though the cartoon represents a radical
view,
The Diamondback's editorial board believes whole-heartedly in freedom
of
speech. We would be hypocritical to revoke any speech on the grounds of
radicalism. Neither this cartoon or any other represents the opinions
of
myself, the editorial board or The Diamondback staff. As a newspaper,
we
are beneficiaries and guardians of the First Amendment -- the very same
First Amendment that guarantees anyone the right to protest in front of
our
offices and question our judgment. As many of you know, we have largely
steered clear of the Middle East conflict, focusing instead on our
campus
and leaving international issues to the major media. The Diamondback
has
not taken a stance on the conflict, nor do I plan to during my tenure
as
editor in chief.
---
THE DIAMONDBACK NEEDS A HIGHER STANDARD OF DECENCY, SAYS PROVOST
http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/03/21/commentary2.html
The Diamondback committed a serious error of editorial judgment by
publishing the offensive cartoon about the death of Rachel Corrie in
the
March 18 issue. I share the disgust of many at this callous, tasteless
and
crude pretense of political satire, which I assume was the cartoonist's
intent.
The editors of The Diamondback have proclaimed their right under the
First
Amendment to publish whatever they want as long as it is not libelous.
The
paper's constitutional right to publish this cartoon is not at all in
question. Nor is the cartoonist's right to hold and express his
opinion.
Our judicial system has correctly ruled time and again that these
rights
are virtually absolute, and I agree.
The editor of The Diamondback stated in an online column on March 20
that
the paper will publish any cartoon "so long as [the cartoonists'] views
do
not threaten individuals and the content is not libelous." That is a
dangerously low standard, which is precisely what led to the
publication of
this offensive, insensitive and hurtful cartoon. Are editors not also
responsible for ensuring a degree of fairness, good taste and
sensitivity?
Indeed, publications that have endured and earned respect over the
years
are those that enforce a higher standard for publication, not only in
their
news columns but also on their opinion pages. An editor's job, at least
at
a publication that wishes to be considered high quality, must include
more
than the lowest goal of protecting the paper against libel or
individuals
against harm.
The editors of The Diamondback insist that blocking publication would
have
been an act of hypocrisy and censorship. On the contrary, rejecting
that
cartoon would have been an act of editorial responsibility. One must
hope
that The Diamondback's editors will adopt a higher standard for
publication
and apologize publicly for this result of the existing low standard.
Until
they do, The Diamondback will continue to shame itself.
William Destler
Provost and senior vice president for academic affairs
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/23/2003
HEADLINES:
* REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* FLORIDA OFFICIALS SAY ANTI-MUSLIM HATE NOT TOLERATED
* COMMENTARY: BRACING FOR A BACKLASH (Washington Post)
- Family Says Arab heritage Led to Search (Boston Herald)
- Arabs, Muslims Protect Themselves from Backlash (AP)
- U.S. Muslims Benefit From Ties With Neighbors (LA Times)
- An Age of Discrimination? (Newsday)
- Plans for Muslim Camp Reveal Iowa Town's Fears (Wash. Post)
* WHERE ARE IRAQ'S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION? (Washington Post)
* THIS IS THE REALITY OF WAR. WE BOMB. THEY SUFFER (Independent)
* VOICES FROM THE MUSLIM WORLD
- Al-Jazeera Images of Iraqi Civilian Casualties
- Pork to be Fed to Iraqi POW's (Arab News)
* DEMOCRACY BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR (Washington Post)
* RELIGIOUS LEADERS SPEAK OUT ON THE WAR (Los Angeles Times)
* PERLE'S PLUNDER BLUNDER (New York Times)
* EDITORIAL: WHOSE NATIONAL INTEREST? (Toledo Blade)
* PEACE ACTIVIST RACHEL CORRIE REMEMBERED ON HOME CAMPUS (AP)
-----
REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action" at www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
FLORIDA OFFICIALS SAY ANTI-MUSLIM HATE NOT TOLERATED
(MIAMI, FL) - Florida's office of the Washington-based Council on
American
Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) has thanked state officials for challenging
anti-Muslim hate and offering protection to the Islamic community.
CAIR-FL received a letter from Florida Department of Law Enforcement
(FDLE)
Commissioner James T. Moore stating that law enforcement authorities
will
not tolerate hate crimes against Muslims.
In his letter to CAIR, Moore wrote: "FDLE will not tolerate hate crimes
of
any nature. We will continue, as we have done in the past, to work
aggressively to investigate and prosecute all individuals who commit
hate
crimes…FDLE is committed to protecting Muslims and Arab-Americans…We
want
to continue to make Florida a safe place for both its citizens and
visitors, and your help is vital."
To view a full text of Commissioner Moore's letter visit:
http://www.cair-florida.org/fdle_letter.htm
Earlier, Florida Governor Jeb Bush announced: "We have assured Islamic
leaders that any actions against them because of who they are or what
their
religion is will absolutely not be tolerated."
The Florida Commission of Human Relations (FCHR) also notified CAIR-FL
that
his office is in the process of releasing radio public service
announcements (PSA) reinforcing Governor Bush's call for
"zero-tolerance"
of hate crimes.
In a March 18, 2003, to Governor Bush, Commissioner Moore and Derick
Daniels of the FCHR, CAIR-FL Executive Director Altaf Ali had urged
Florida's leaders to speak out clearly against any backlash on Muslims.
"It is certainly refreshing to see our state's leaders initiate
pro-active
steps to prevent any anti-Muslim incidents," said CAIR-FL Board
Chairman
Parvez Ahmed.
- END -
CONTACT: Altaf Ali TEL: 954-298-8214, EMAIL: altaf@cair-florida.org;
Ahmed
Bedier, Communications Director, CAIR-FL, TEL: 813-731-9506 EMAIL:
abedier@cair-florida.org;
-----
COMMENTARY: BRACING FOR A BACKLASH
Mona Eltahawy, Washington Post, 3/23/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8068-2003Mar21.html
Two days before the war against Iraq began, I printed out the "Muslim
Community Safety Kit" that arrived in my e-mail in box.
The nine-page kit is designed for Muslims, Arab Americans and those
perceived to be Middle Eastern for use if there is a backlash resulting
from the war against Iraq. It comes from the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) and includes advice on developing a legal contact
list,
reacting to anti-Muslim hate and bomb threats, and reporting suspicious
behavior to the FBI.
CAIR's examples of several recent anti-Muslim assaults show how handy
the
kit can be. Three days before the first volley in this war was fired,
the
organization reports, four Muslim women in California said another
patron
at a restaurant they were visiting in Venice made references to raping
Muslim women and threatened them with physical assault.
In Michigan, a Muslim father and son reported that they were refused
service at a store in Fraser. "You Arabs get out of here. . . . We
don't
want to serve you guys. . . . Go back to your country. . . . Dirty
Arabs,"
they reported the store's cashier as saying. Another customer also
joined
in the abuse.
The day before the war began, an Islamic center in Glendale Heights,
Ill.,
received a phoned bomb threat. Local FBI agents are working with the
center
on the case.
In the six weeks before the start of the war, death threats were made
against Muslim students at San Jose State University in California, and
physical assaults against Muslims were reported in California, Georgia,
New
Jersey and South Carolina. In Yorba Linda, Calif., a Muslim teenager
was
badly beaten by a group that allegedly included white supremacists.
It is no wonder the FBI has said, "A U.S. war with Iraq or another
terrorist attack could trigger a wave of hate crimes against Muslims
and
Arab Americans in the United States…"
We pray there isn't another terrorist attack here or anywhere else.
Besides
obvious fears for safety, many Muslims worry that we will be rounded up
en
masse in the case of such an attack.
A Muslim woman told me recently: "After September 11th, I started
thinking
if anything like this ever happens again and we're rounded up, at least
my
son will be okay. He has blond hair and can call himself Zak instead of
Zaki. He'll pass for white and no one will ever suspect otherwise."
In the face of these worries, how do we hold on to the
life-affirming?...
SEE ALSO:
FAMILY SAYS ARAB HERITAGE LED TO SEARCH
LAUREL J. SWEET, Boston Herald, 3/22/03
http://www.bostonherald.com
Restaurateurs Ali and Najah Ali are renowned for their steak bombs, but
the
more than half-dozen people with badges who searched their Everett home
Thursday morning were not looking to eat, said the elderly couple.
"We're Muslim," Ali Ali, 76, pointed out, "and they're after Muslim
people…"
The affable grandparents, in business for nearly half a century, are
native
Palestinians, but have been U.S. citizens for decades - Ali Ali since
1952
and Najah Ali, 65, since 1963.
But at 7 a.m. Thursday, they and their son, Hisham, 26, were awakened
by
pounding on their front door and an incessantly ringing bell.
Ali Ali said he padded downstairs in his pajamas and slippers thinking
the
caller was a neighbor who needed him to move his car. Instead, he found
himself face to face with a badge and a man who said he was "from
immigration" - what is now Homeland Security.
Ali Ali said he invited at least "seven or eight men" and one woman
into
his house, whereupon they demanded to see his family's passports and
proof
of citizenship.
Najah Ali said she was still in bed when four men presented themselves
to her.
"I said, 'What's this?' They said, 'Get up. We're from immigration.
Just
get us the passport.' I didn't say anything. I was shocked…"
"They told me, 'You have to get dressed and come downstairs.' I was in
my
underwear and they stood there and watched me get dressed."
The family said they were never shown a search warrant, yet the
intruders
wandered through their house peeking in closets.
"I just kept on asking them, 'What's the reason for this?'" Hisham Ali
said. He said he was told his father wasn't "in the computer," but no
further explanation was given…
---
ARABS, MUSLIMS TRY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM BACKLASH
DEBORAH KONG, Associated Press, 3/22/03
Feeling singled out in a nation at war, Arab- and Muslim-Americans are
taking steps large and small to prevent a feared backlash against their
communities.
Security was beefed up around mosques for prayers Friday; lawyers are
being
recruited to help those questioned by the FBI; and some with family
roots
in the Middle East are watching what they say in public.
Many feel the mistrust cast on Arabs and Muslims since the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks has worsened with the start of the war, and there's
widespread anxiety about backlash violence. In the year that followed
the
attacks on New York and Washington, the Council on American-Islamic
Relations received hundreds of complaints of violence and
discrimination
against Muslims.
"The American public sees the policies and practices of this
administration
that target and criminalize Arabs, Muslims and South Asians and it
sends a
strong message to the average American that these people are criminals,
these people are suspect," said Dalia Hashad, an advocate for the
American
Civil Liberties Union.
The ACLU has been drafting volunteer attorneys to assist people
interviewed
by the FBI for a massive, nationwide effort to prevent terrorist
attacks by
Iraqi operatives or sympathizers.
Meanwhile, some mosques increased security on Friday, the Muslim day of
congregational prayers. At the Manassas Mosque in Virginia, four
volunteer
"worship watchers," members of the congregation, were on the lookout
for
unfamiliar faces among the crowd.
Most major mosques in the Detroit area posted volunteers outside, said
Haaris Ahmad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations in Michigan. The Wayne County Sheriff's Department stationed
deputies outside four large mosques...
---
U.S. MUSLIMS BENEFIT FROM STRONGER TIES WITH NEIGHBORS
Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 3/22/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-war-lamuslim22mar22,1,7681585.story
With a beard and black turban marking his Islamic faith, Imam Moustafa
Al-Qazwini made a conspicuous target for harassment after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks. Then, the Islamic leader says, people routinely
called
him a "terrorist," made vulgar gestures and once tried to attack him
while
he spoke in a church.
Since U.S. forces opened war with his native Iraq this week, however,
Al-Qazwini says he has not encountered a single act of hostility.
"It was hysterical then," Al-Qazwini said Friday. "This time, it's much
more peaceful. People have been educated about American Muslims and
understand the difference between the perpetrators and the innocent…"
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has dispensed "safety kits"
to
mosques around the country with instructions on reporting suspicious
activity and asserting one's rights as an airline passenger, as well as
tips on increasing security and improving lighting around mosques.
The council's Anaheim chapter also met with local FBI officials Monday
to
discuss its concerns about hate crimes.
The meeting exemplified the closer ties that Muslim community leaders
have
forged with public officials since the terrorist attacks.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, the Islamic council received complaints
about
FBI behavior: agents making predawn visits, for instance, or treating
people as suspects, according to Hussam Ayloush, executive director of
the
council's Anaheim office.
As a result of the widespread complaints, the Islamic council asked to
meet
with FBI agents. They were subsequently invited to conduct a
"sensitivity
training" seminar with 150 agents in Orange and San Bernardino
counties.
Agents were also invited to mosques and town hall meetings to meet
American
Muslims, Ayloush said.
"That really helped," Ayloush said. "It humanized the community as
people
who care and worry about the same things they do…"
---
AN AGE OF DISCRIMINATION?
Carrie Mason-Draffen, Newsday, 3/23/03
http://www.newsday.com/business/printedition/ny-bzcov233186011mar23,0,1747690.story
The backlash against Muslims was so intense after Sept. 11 that the
EEOC
conducted outreach workshops with civil-rights groups to inform them of
their rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which
prohibits religious discrimination in the workplace.
One of the groups, the Manhattan office of the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations, had received a wide range of complaints from Muslims after
Sept.11.
For example, three women were fired because they refused to remove
their
traditional Muslim head scarves, said Noera Ayaz, CAIR's civil rights
coordinator. Others were harassed about praying, which devout Muslims
do
five times a day. Still other Muslims were hauled into their bosses'
offices and peppered with questions about their beliefs…
---
PLANS FOR MUSLIM CAMP REVEAL IOWA TOWN'S FEARS
Alan Cooperman, Washington Post, 3/23/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12067-2003Mar22.html
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa -- A bald eagle circles overhead as Jalel Aossey
makes
his way through a sloping cedar grove toward the water's edge, pointing
out
the places where he envisions a cluster of cabins, a sandy beach and
lots
of kids clambering into canoes.
He describes a summer camp much like any other, with swimming and
hiking,
marshmallows and singing, but with one difference. Most of the kids
would
be Muslims.
So far, nothing exists of the Muslim Youth Camps of America except the
name
and some preliminary sketches of a main lodge with a domed prayer hall.
Yet, the proposal to build a $2 million Islamic summer camp in Iowa has
become a kind of Rorschach test -- a hazy picture in which supporters
and
opponents see all their hopes and fears for future generations of
Muslims
in the American heartland.
The camp is the brainchild of a handful of families in Cedar Rapids,
home
to one of the oldest mosques in the United States and a small Muslim
community that dates back more than a century. They may soon gain a
powerful backer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is
considering
whether to lease a former Girl Scout campground to the nonprofit group
for
$1 a year.
As the United States invades Iraq and mounts a worldwide campaign
against
al Qaeda terrorists, however, the Corps of Engineers has been deluged
with
angry letters, e-mails and phone calls. Many imagine a terrorist
training
camp -- on federal property in the small town of North Liberty, no
less.
"The mood of the residents in this area, and the people of the U.S. in
general, is not too fond of Muslims right now," one North Liberty
resident
said in a letter to the Corps. "Many Muslims hate us and I don't trust
them
to have a camp with easy access to our water supply," another wrote.
Such virulence may be familiar to new immigrants from Islamic
countries,
but it came as a shock to the camp's would-be founders…
-----
WHERE ARE IRAQ'S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION?
Mike Allen and Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 3/23/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12217-2003Mar22.html
Bush administration officials were peppered yesterday with questions
about
why allied forces in Iraq have not found any of the chemical or
biological
weapons that were President Bush's central justification for forcibly
disarming Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's government.
Officials said they are certain such weapons of mass destruction will
be
located. But the officials warned that the weapons may have been
dispersed
in small batches and could be hard to find.
The Iraqi government has not used gas or germs to try to repel invading
forces, or loaded such weapons of mass destruction onto missiles that
have
been fired into Kuwait, raising questions about the size and
functionality
of Hussein's arsenal.
Gen. Tommy R. Franks, the war's commander, opened his news conference
in
Qatar yesterday by saying that the location and destruction of weapons
of
mass destruction, and the collection of information about them were
among
the administration's eight objectives in Iraq. But during questioning,
Franks acknowledged that finding them "is work that lies in front of us
rather than work we have already accomplished…"
A scarcity of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons in Iraq would
have
the potential to create both relief and concern for the administration.
Though it is unmitigated good news that such weapons have not been used
against U.S. troops, the absence of such weapons would raise questions
about the rationale for war.
-----
THIS IS THE REALITY OF WAR. WE BOMB. THEY SUFFER
Robert Fisk, Independent, 3/23/03
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=389918
Donald Rumsfeld says the American attack on Baghdad is "as targeted an
air
campaign as has ever existed" but he should not try telling that to
five-year-old Doha Suheil. She looked at me yesterday morning, drip
feed
attached to her nose, a deep frown over her small face as she tried
vainly
to move the left side of her body. The cruise missile that exploded
close
to her home in the Radwaniyeh suburb of Baghdad blasted shrapnel into
her
tiny legs they were bound up with gauze and, far more seriously,
into
her spine. Now she has lost all movement in her left leg.
Her mother bends over the bed and straightens her right leg which the
little girl thrashes around outside the blanket. Somehow, Doha's mother
thinks that if her child's two legs lie straight beside each other, her
daughter will recover from her paralysis. She was the first of 101
patients
brought to the Al-Mustansaniya College Hospital after America's blitz
on
the city began on Friday night. Seven other members of her family were
wounded in the same cruise missile bombardment; the youngest, a
one-year-old baby, was being breastfed by her mother at the time.
There is something sick, obscene about these hospital visits. We bomb.
They
suffer. Then we turn up and take pictures of their wounded children.
The
Iraqi minister of health decides to hold an insufferable press
conference
outside the wards to emphasise the "bestial" nature of the American
attack.
The Americans say that they don't intend to hurt children. And Doha
Suheil
looks at me and the doctors for reassurance, as if she will awake from
this
nightmare and move her left leg and feel no more pain.
So let's forget, for a moment, the cheap propaganda of the regime and
the
equally cheap moralising of Messrs Rumsfeld and Bush, and take a trip
around the Al-Mustansaniya College Hospital. For the reality of war is
ultimately not about military victory and defeat, or the lies about
"coalition forces" which our "embedded" journalists are now peddling
about
an invasion involving only the Americans, the British and a handful of
Australians. War, even when it has international legitimacy which
this
war does not is primarily about suffering…
-----
VOICES FROM THE MUSLIM WORLD
AL-JAZEERA SHOWS IMAGES OF IRAQI CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
http://www.aljazeera.net/news/arabic/2003/3/3-22-26.htm
Jazeera says 50 dead in Basra, shows casualties
KUWAIT, March 22 (Reuters) - Al-Jazeera television, quoting Iraqi
medics,
said on Saturday that 50 people had been killed in U.S. bombing around
the
southern Iraqi city of Basra and it aired grisly footage of dead and
wounded civilians.
Among the scenes, beamed across the Arab the world by the Qatar-based
satellite channel, were a child with the back of its head blown off --
it
was unclear if it was a boy or a girl -- and bloodied people being
treated
on the floor of a hospital.
"It's a huge mass of civilians," one angry woman told al-Jazeera,
standing
among the wounded. "It was a massacre…"
Jazeera quoted hospital sources as saying a total of 50 people were
killed
-- including one entire family and a Russian citizen -- when U.S. F-16
warplanes planes bombed the city.
The station's images of wounded men, women and children lying bleeding
in
the seemingly poorly equipped Jumhuriya hospital and what appeared to
be
bodies wrapped in blankets, were beamed into the homes of millions of
viewers, many of whom are already angry at the U.S.-led war on fellow
Arabs.
---
PORK TO BE FED TO IRAQI POW'S
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=24074
In a disturbing revelation a US newspaper has quoted an army captain as
saying that Iraqi prisoners of war will be fed on meals containing
pork.
The Kansas City Star in a March 11, 2003 report quoted US Capt. Jeff
Searl
of Camp Virginia in Kuwait as saying that "prisoners will eat what US
soldiers do. That could mean meals-ready-to eat, the vacuum sealed food
packs that often include some form of pork, which observant Muslims
aren't
supposed to eat."
"We found in the Gulf War they ate them anyway. They were glad to have
the
ham slices," he added.
In another report published in The Scotsman a US soldier based in Camp
Matilda in Kuwaiti desert talked about what to do when prisoners or
refugees turn aggressive when offered foods containing pork. "We've
learnt
that if we give a ration pack containing pork to an enemy prisoner of
war
or refugee they may become aggressive. If that happens we are to make
conciliatory gestures and say 'Salaam'," said Lance Corporal Chris
Lucio.
-----
DEMOCRACY BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
Youssef M. Ibrahim, Washington Post, 3/23/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8222-2003Mar21.html
There were two striking results in an opinion survey conducted earlier
this
month by Zogby International in six Arab countries -- Saudi Arabia,
Egypt,
Jordan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.
One was that a huge majority of people in those countries said that, if
given the choice, they would like their Islamic clergy to play roles
bigger
than the subservient ones currently prescribed by most Arab
governments.
Equally impressive, less than 6 percent of those polled believed that
the
United States was waging its campaign in Iraq to create a more
democratic
Arab or Muslim world. Close to 95 percent were convinced that the
United
States was after control of Arab oil and the subjugation of the
Palestinians to Israel's will. The survey, commissioned by University
of
Maryland professor Shibley Telhami, also showed that overwhelming
margins
said that terrorism was going to increase, rather than decrease, as a
result of the U.S.-led invasion.
President Bush has said that the invasion of Iraq, and the
establishment of
a new government there, would be a "catalyst" for change in the region.
But
what kind of change? Rather than leading to liberal, pro-Western
democracy,
as Bush suggests, the war in Iraq is likely to bring only more radical
Islamic fundamentalism. After all, the Islamic fundamentalist parties,
grouped under the big tent of the Muslim Brotherhood, are the only
forces
with the organization, capability and ambition to take power if
democracy
were to become an option in the Arab world…
-----
RELIGIOUS LEADERS SPEAK OUT ON THE WAR
Prayers go out for civilians and for the U.S. troops in Iraq. But some
from
various denominations oppose Bush's actions.
Los Angeles Times, 3/22/30
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-religreact22mar22,1,1448777.story
With the onset of war between the United States and Iraq, numerous
American
religious organizations have stated positions on the fighting. What
follows
is a selection of statements from across the nation representing
various
religious and ideological positions.
Council on American-Islamic Relations, Washington:
In the international arena, any attack on Iraq will almost certainly
lead
to the unnecessary death of Iraqi civilians and American military
personnel, further destabilize an already unstable region, harm
long-standing international alliances and treaties and set a dangerous
precedent for unilateral intervention in the affairs of other nations.
The
chaos caused by a war could also provide cover for even greater Israeli
oppression of the Palestinian people. On the domestic front, a war and
occupation will drain much-needed financial resources from our
struggling
economy and could fuel a backlash against innocent American Muslims,
Arab
Americans and those perceived to be "Middle Eastern." A conflict could
also
be used to justify further erosions of our civil and religious rights.
No
one in the American Muslim community supports the brutal dictatorship
currently imposing itself on the long-suffering people of Iraq. But
distaste for the Iraqi regime's murderous policies is not sufficient
justification for an invasion of that country.
-----
PERLE'S PLUNDER BLUNDER
MAUREEN DOWD, New York Times, 3/23/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/23/opinion/23DOWD.html
It's Richard Perle's world. We're just fighting in it.
The Prince of Darkness, a man who whips up revelatory soufflés and
revolutionary pre-emption doctrines with equal ease, took a victory lap
at
the American Enterprise Institute on Friday morning.
The critical battle for Baghdad was yet to come and "Shock and Awe" was
still a few hours away. (The hawks, who are trying to send a message to
the
world not to mess with America, might have preferred an even more
intimidating bombing campaign title, like "Operation Who's Your
Daddy?")
Yet Mr. Perle, an adviser to Donald Rumsfeld, could not resist a little
pre-emptive crowing about pre-emption, predicting "a general
recognition
that high moral purpose has been achieved here. Millions of people have
been liberated."
His conservative audience at the Reagan shrine's "black coffee
briefing"
(they're too macho for milk and sugar) was buzzed that their cherished
dream of saving Iraq by bombing it was under way.
The chesty "you repent, we decide" Bush doctrine was cooked up
pre-Bush,
fashioned over the last 12 years by conservatives like Mr. Perle, Mr.
Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Scooter Libby, Douglas Feith and
Bill Kristol.
Now Mr. Perle, who urged America to war with moral certitude, finds
himself
subject to questions about his own standards of right and wrong.
Stephen Labaton wrote in The Times on Friday that Mr. Perle was
advising
the Pentagon on war even as he was retained by Global Crossing, the
bankrupt telecommunications company, to help overcome Pentagon
resistance
to its proposed sale to a joint venture involving a Hong Kong
billionaire.
The confidant of Rummy and Wolfy serves as the chairman of the Defense
Policy Board, an influential Pentagon advisory panel. That's why Global
Crossing agreed to pay Mr. Perle a fat fee: $725,000. The fee structure
is
especially smelly because $600,000 of the windfall is contingent on
government approval of the sale. (In his original agreement, Mr. Perle
also
asked the company to shell out for "working meals," which could add up,
given his status as a gourmand from the Potomac to Provence, where he
keeps
a vacation home among the feckless French.)..
-----
EDITORIAL: WHOSE NATIONAL INTEREST?
Toledo Blade, 3/18/03
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Site=TO&Date=20030318&Category=OPINION02&ArtNo=103180065
For half a century there has been a wrongheaded effort to label
anti-Semitic any criticism of anyone or anything Jewish, including
Israel.
Fear of the hateful tag inhibits open discussion, minimizes honest
criticism, and blocks informed decisions...
Stanley Heller, American and Jewish, has tried to keep his
co-religionists
honest for 20-odd years. In a Feb. 20 article at www.antiwar.com, he
cited
"rabid neocons" - some of whom, "like Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, and
David Wurmser, actually worked for Israeli think tanks writing grand
papers
for (Likud) Prime Minister Netanyahu on how the U.S. and Israel should
take
apart and reconstruct the Middle East," and who now hold key roles in
shaping U.S. foreign policy
Though Mr. Heller ascribes most war zeal to oil, empire dreams, and
weapons
testing, he says "We owe it to Americans to tell them the whole truth,
that
part of the war drive is being fueled by a wacko militarist clique from
Israel and its interlocking bands of American Jewish and Christian
supporters."
He's not alone. In the Feb. 23 (London) Observer Ed Vulliamy, and in
the
March 3 San Diego Union-Tribune, James O, Goldsborough, speak in the
same
vein - of America's first religious war and proponents' visions of
empire.
Mr. Vulliamy takes on the empire theme. In 1992, he says Paul Wolfowitz
wrote a blueprint for America's 21st century foreign policy that seems
a
play book for this administration. It talks of using "nuclear,
biological,
and chemical weaponry, pre-emptively 'even in conflicts that do not
directly engage U.S. interests.'"
Is this what Americans want? Does Israel have too strong a hand in our
foreign policy, or do its interests merely coincide with ours?
Americans
won't know without open discussions free of political repercussions and
stifling accusations.
-----
PEACE ACTIVIST RACHEL CORRIE REMEMBERED ON HOME CAMPUS
DAVID AMMONS, Associated Press, 3/23/03
OLYMPIA, Washington (AP) - Mourners said prayers in the Muslim, Jewish
and
Christian fashion as they remembered an American student and peace
activist
who was killed last week in a Palestinian refugee camp.
More than 1,800 family, friends and faculty attended the memorial for
Rachel Corrie at The Evergreen State College, from which the
23-year-old
senior had been on leave.
Corrie was an international observer and activist for the International
Solidarity Movement, a Palestinan-led group that uses nonviolent
methods to
challenge the Israeli occupation.
She died March 16 when a bulldozer driven by an Israeli soldier ran
over
her as she protested in front of a Palestinian home he was demolishing…
At a news conference, Cindy and her husband, Craig, displayed photos
they
described as 286 children who have died in Israel and the disputed
occupied
territory in the past two years. They deserve as much notice as Corrie
on
the morning news, she said.
Evergreen President Les Purce spoke of a world divided, a nation at war
and
a woman who will be remembered.
"For people all over the world, Rachel's loss has become a powerful
symbol,
spiritually, politically and emotionally," said Purce. "Rachel's loss,
Rachel's life, were personal to many of us. It was an extraordinary
life."
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
- NEWS CONFERENCE -
EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DESTROYS ILLINOIS MUSLIM FAMILY'S VAN
CAIR offers reward for info about possible war-related hate crime
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/24/2003) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) will hold a news conference today to call on federal authorities
to
treat an explosion in a Chicago-area Muslim family's van as a possible
war-related hate crime. The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and
advocacy group will also announce the offer of a reward for information
leading to the apprehension and conviction of the perpetrators.
WHEN: Monday, March 24, 2:30 p.m. (Central)
WHERE: Outside the Burbank Police Department, 5650 West 75th Place,
Burbank, Illinois
CAIR has learned that a "Class B" explosive device was thrown into the
van
of the Burbank, Ill., Palestinian Muslim family at about 11 p.m. on
Saturday, March 22. (Class B explosives are used in commercial-grade
fireworks.) According to the family, the van's door was blown off,
shattered glass was thrown up to 30 feet away and a hole was punched in
the
vehicle's floor. They believe the incident is related to the ongoing
war
with Iraq. Family members say they also experienced hostility from
neighbors following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"This incident could have resulted in serious injury or even loss of
life.
Local and national law enforcement authorities must treat this crime
with
the seriousness that it deserves in order to reassure the American
Muslim
community that these types of attacks will not be tolerated.
International
events should never be allowed to divide our nation along religious or
ethnic lines," said CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Omar Haydar.
He said CAIR is offering a $2000 reward for information that results in
the
perpetrators being brought to justice. Haydar noted that his group
recently
distributed a "Community Safety Kit" to help protect Muslims in North
America during the war with Iraq. SEE:
http://www.cair-net.org/safetykit
A number of similar incidents have been reported recently across the
United
States. CAIR attributes these incidents to the pro-war rhetoric leading
up
to the attack on Iraq, coupled with existing levels of anti-Muslim bias
in
American society.
In other Illinois incidents, an Evanston resident received a mailed
death
threat, a Glendale Heights Islamic center received a phoned bomb threat
and
projectiles were fired at a mosque in Villa Park. In California, four
Muslim women from the northern part of that state visiting a Venice
restaurant on Sunday say they were verbally assaulted by another patron
who
made references to raping Muslim women and threatened them with
physical
assault. Death threats were made against Muslim students at San Jose
State
University in Northern California. In Michigan, a Muslim father and son
report that they were refused service at a Meijer store in Fraser,
Mich.
Physical assaults against Muslims have been reported in Northern
California, Southern California, Georgia, New Jersey, and South
Carolina.
One incident in Yorba Linda, Calif., left a Muslim teenager badly
beaten by
a group that allegedly included white supremacists.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago, Omar Haydar, 312-922-4720, 312-735-3662;
CAIR-National, Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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.
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/24/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KIND TREATMENT OF PRISONERS
* REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 4853 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT CAIR-DFW
* U.S. STEPS UP SECRET SURVEILLANCE (Washington Post)
- How "Patriot II" Would Erode Checks on Gov. Power (ACLU)
* AREA MUSLIMS REPORT DEATH THREATS (Chicago Sun-Times)
- FBI Tries to Reassure Muslim Children (Star-Telegram)
- Teenagers Charged in Firebombing of MO Temple (AP)
- War Stirs Worries Among Area Muslims (Pioneer Press)
- Wyoming Muslims Say U.S. Lost Credibility (Tribune-Eagle)
- Arab Community Braces for Backlash (Chicago Tribune)
* THE WAR ON IRAQ
- Forces Leave Instability in Wake (Washington Post)
- Border Town Seethes As Bombs Fall (Toronto Star)
- Air Raids Wreck Civilian Homes in Baghdad (Reuters)
- ICRC Warns Both Sides in Iraq War on Prisoners (Reuters)
- Iraqis Express Hostility Towards Coalition Forces (ABC)
- Bush to Ask Congress for $80 Billion (Washington Post)
- Hypocrites of America Crying Foul (Mirror)
* RICHARD PERLE'S CONFLICT (NY Times)
- Ideologues Reshape World Over Breakfast (Financial Times)
* ISRAELI LOAN DEAL CLAIM IRRITATES U.S. (Guardian)
- Israel Stalls Over New 'Roadmap' (Independent)
- Timing of AIPAC Conference Raises Concern (JTA)
* D.C. MUSLIM STUDENTS TO HOLD TOWNHALL ON WAR BACKLASH
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KIND TREATMENT OF PRISONERS
A prisoner of war without a shirt was brought to the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). The Prophet looked for a shirt to give him. It was
discovered that the shirt of one of the Prophet's companions would fit
the
prisoner, so the Prophet let him wear it. The Prophet then took off his
own
shirt and gave it to his companion [to replace the one given to the
prisoner].
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 252
-----
REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action" at www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
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Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT CAIR-DFW
CAIR-DFW is currently accepting applications for the following
position:
Job Title - Executive Director Location - Dallas/Fort Worth area
Job description: This person will be responsible for all
communications,
activities, and programs emanating from the CAIR-DFW regional office.
Qualifications: The candidate must be a US citizen or legal resident.
It is
desirable for the candidate to have the following: - University degree
-
Superior communication skills in both verbal and writing - Good
organizational, leadership and interpersonal skills - Computer literacy
-
Solid understanding of Islamic issues; and an outgoing and proactive
disposition - Two years of working experience in a related field with
NGOs.
Please send resume as an application to info@cairdfw.org or call
CAIR-DFW
at 972.462.9630 for more information.
-----
U.S. STEPS UP SECRET SURVEILLANCE
Dan Eggen and Robert O'Harrow Jr., Washington Post, 3/24/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16287-2003Mar23.html
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Justice Department and FBI have
dramatically increased the use of two little-known powers that allow
authorities to tap telephones, seize bank and telephone records and
obtain
other information in counterterrorism investigations with no immediate
court oversight, according to officials and newly disclosed documents.
The FBI, for example, has issued scores of "national security letters"
that
require businesses to turn over electronic records about finances,
telephone calls, e-mail and other personal information, according to
officials and documents. The letters, a type of administrative
subpoena,
may be issued independently by FBI field offices and are not subject to
judicial review unless a case comes to court, officials said.
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft has also personally signed more than
170
"emergency foreign intelligence warrants," three times the number
authorized in the preceding 23 years, according to recent congressional
testimony...
But some civil liberties and privacy advocates say they are troubled by
the
increasing use of the tactics, primarily because there is little or no
oversight by courts or other outside parties. In both cases, the target
of
the investigation never has to be informed that the government has
obtained
his personal records or put him under surveillance.
"When this kind of power is used in the regular criminal justice
system,
there are some built-in checks and balances," said David Sobel, general
counsel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), which is
suing
the Justice Department for information about its secretive
anti-terrorism
strategies. "The intelligence context provides no such protection.
That's
the main problem with these kinds of secretive procedures..."
SEE ALSO:
HOW "PATRIOT ACT 2" WOULD FURTHER ERODE THE
BASIC CHECKS ON GOVERNMENT POWER
http://www.cair-nj.org/PatriotActII/aclu-3-20-03.html
-----
AREA MUSLIMS REPORT DEATH THREATS
Cathleen Falsani, Chicago Sun Times, 3/24/03
http://www.suntimes.com/output/iraq/cst-nws-relreax24.html
As war rages on in Iraq, the Chicago area Muslim community and its
approximately 80 mosques and Islamic centers are bracing for more
anti-Muslim backlash.
In the days leading up to the U.S. military attack on Iraq last week,
members of the Muslim community received two death threats, one by
mail,
one by phone, said Kareem Irfan, chairman of the Council of Islamic
Organizations of Greater Chicago.
An Evanston resident who is a Muslim received a death threat in the
mail on
March 18, Irfan said.
''We're working with the police and the FBI in terms of the
investigation
and there's no room for complaint," he said. "We feel the law
enforcement
agencies are cooperating and particularly understand the significance
of
these times."
The Muslim Society Inc. in Glendale Heights, a mosque and Islamic
center,
received a telephone death threat March 17, a few days after an attempt
to
break into the mosque, Irfan said.
''We're telling member organizations to be extra vigilant, to add
security,
better lighting and to use more care in dealing with prayer services
when
they come in early in the morning and leave late at night," he said...
SEE ALSO:
FBI TRIES TO REASSURE MUSLIM CHILDREN
Darren Barbee, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3/24/03
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/5468577.htm
It had all the banter of a playground tiff but with ugly undertones.
"Are you a Muslim?" the boy asked.
"Yes," the 10-year-old girl replied.
"Muslims will probably kill Christians."
"No they won't, because I'm Muslim," the girl said.
At the Islamic Association of the Mid Cities on Sunday, FBI special
agent
Stan Strauss apologized to the girl, who wore a white abaya, a head
covering.
"There's a lot of fear running through this country right now," Strauss
said. "In your heart of hearts, know they don't speak for everyone."
More than three dozen children heard from Strauss, who investigates
hate
crimes for the Dallas office of the FBI. As the war in Iraq continues,
some
Muslims are concerned that they could become victims of harassment and
hate
crimes similar to ones that occurred during the first gulf war…
For about an hour Sunday, Strauss and Dallas police officer Truly
Holmes
told the children to inform parents and teachers if they are victims of
harassments by other students. Strauss said the police should be called
first if a crime is committed.
In 1991, leading up to the first U.S. action in the Persian Gulf,
Muslims
at a Fort Worth mosque reported having rocks thrown at them, and a
woman's
car was rammed at a Mesquite shopping mall…
---
TWO TEENAGERS CHARGED IN FIREBOMBINGS OF HINDU TEMPLE
Associated Press, 3/24/03
CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) - Two teenagers are charged with firebombing attacks
at a
Hindu temple in suburban St. Louis, investigators said Monday.
Both of the 17-year-old suspects, Paul Laird and Nathaniel Conner, both
of
Ballwin, live near the temple in a well-to-do area of west St. Louis
County. They face two charges each of second-degree arson and criminal
possession of a weapon. Both were being held in the St. Louis County
jail
on $75,000 bond.
A news release from St. Louis County police did not specify a motive.
Officials at the temple had wondered if the attacks were crimes were
committed by ill-informed people who thought they were attacking a
Muslim
mosque.
A police spokesman would say only that the case would be the subject of
a 2
p.m. news conference. County police, the FBI and the federal Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms worked together in the investigation.
No one was hurt in either pre-dawn firebombing, both of which involved
Molotov cocktails - crude bombs made of bottles filled with a flammable
liquid, often gasoline, and ignited.
In the first attack that occurred either late Feb. 22 or early Feb. 23,
the
firebomb struck a massive metal door and caused little damage.
In the second, the Molotov cocktail was thrown through a window, but
flame-retardant carpeting limited damage to the window, the window
frame
and the carpet. A surveillance camera showed the firebomb coming
through a
window shattered moments earlier by a brick, setting off the temple's
security alarms. Then, a large fireball ensued…
---
WAR STIRS WORRIES AMONG AREA MUSLIMS
Mara H. Gottfried, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, 3/24/03
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/special_packages/iraq/5466517.htm
Aida Wazwaz moved to America from Jerusalem when she was 5. She's
always
felt blessed to be here, but since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks --
and especially since the war in Iraq began last week -- she and others
in
the Muslim community are afraid.
There are people who fear uttering simple religious sayings in Arabic
out
loud or taking out a prayer rug in a public place or walking down the
street, the Fridley woman said.
More than 100 people gathered Sunday to talk about the fear of physical
harm, verbal attacks and other discrimination against Muslims and
Arab-Americans as war is waged in Iraq.
"A lot of people I know are scared out of their mind," Wazwaz said.
"This
is not the America I know. I cry at night, I cry at night because I
think,
'God, what happened to this country?' "
Local police departments, FBI, U.S. attorney's office and faith
community
representatives, along with elected officials, came to the Islamic
Center
of Minnesota in Fridley to urge the people there to report hate crimes
so
action can be taken.
"I can't take your fear away," said Deborah Pierce, special agent in
charge
of the FBI's Minneapolis office. "I can do the best I can ... to ensure
your freedoms are protected."
The Twin Cities metro area is home to an estimated 20,700 people whose
country of origin is predominantly Muslim, according to one analysis of
census data, although some estimates put the figure at 60,000 or
more...
---
MUSLIM-AMERICAN SAYS U.S. LOST ITS WORLD CREDIBILITY
Michael Zamora, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, 3/24/03
http://www.wyomingnews.com/more.asp?StoryID=6210
CHEYENNE -- As the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq continues, local
Muslim-Americans are speaking out against the war and bracing for
possible
shock waves at home.
"I did not see any reason for this war," Dr. Mohammed Mazhar, president
of
the Islamic Center of Cheyenne, said. "I did not see any reason to
hurry
into it now. Even before it began I thought it was unjustified..."
Arshi Nisley, a Pakistan-born Muslim-American, said people should pray
for
a peaceful resolution for the sake of all of those involved. She said
while
Iraqis may be labeled the enemy, they are human and have families too.
"I know I personally am very respectful of troops. I think they do a
tremendous job," she said. "They're working hard. So are Iraqi troops.
If
they don't follow their leaders they're not going to be
court-marshaled,
they're going to be killed, and their families are going to be killed."
But while fighting intensifies, the possibility of retaliation against
Muslims in the United States grows as well...
Nisley has heard first-hand how churches can misuse information. She
recently attended a local Christian service when she heard Islam would
be
discussed, and she was surprised to hear how her religion was
characterized.
"Islam was portrayed in the worst light possible," she said.
She said verses of the Quran were picked out and presented in a way
where
fighting and violence seemed to be encouraged.
"It was very negative, and I was the only Muslim there," she said. "I
didn't want to argue and fight, that's not our way. We don't all just
strap
bombs to ourselves. For the most part we are very peaceful..."
---
ARAB-AMERICAN COMMUNITY BRACES FOR FEARED BACKLASH
Tim Jones, Chicago Tribune, 3/24/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0303240211mar24,1,2372982.story
DEARBORN, Mich. -- The sense of dread had been building for months, and
even before the attack against Iraq began, residents in this
more-than-century-old Arab-American community hunkered down last week
for a
political siege, an unwelcome return to the weeks and months following
Sept. 11.
First came the FBI, which started the week by interviewing more than
300
Iraqi immigrants in hopes of gathering information about possible
terrorist
attacks. Then came the targeting of hundreds of Iraqi men in Michigan
who
are considered threats to national security. By week's end, immigration
agents had arrested about a dozen men and were searching for more.
Once again the fabric of blue-collar Dearborn, home of the nation's
largest
concentrated Arab-American community, is being tested.
"We feel more comfortable here than in other communities, but the war
is a
setback. There is a state of fear," said Muthanna Hanooti, an
Iraqi-American and president of Focus on American and Arab Interests
and
Relations.
-----
FORCES LEAVE INSTABILITY IN WAKE
Susan B. Glasser and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Washington Post, 3/22/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11924-2003Mar22.html
SAFWAN, Iraq, March 22 -- Screams echoed even before the two white
pickups
pulled up. In the first truck, an Iraqi woman lay bleeding with a
shrapnel
wound in her leg. In the second were two dead bodies and a sobbing
woman
who said the bodies were those of her father and brother.
"The Americans did it," said an angry Iraqi from the crowd of onlookers
in
Safwan, a U.S.-controlled town just north of the Kuwaiti border. A
British
military policeman dressed the woman's wound. Amid the shrieks, it was
impossible to determine what had happened to the Iraqis before they
drove up.
U.S. military convoys rumbled by, meanwhile: truckloads of Patriot
anti-missile batteries, supplies for the invasion force charging north,
mini-Humvee convoys off to the Basra front. They did not pause to
contemplate the scene playing out here as they hurried on to military
objectives farther forward. They did not stop to meet the sullen stares
of
the Iraqi men standing on the roadside in clusters of threes and
fours...
SEE ALSO:
BORDER TOWN SEETHES AS BOMBS FALL
Mitch Potter, Toronto Star, 3/24/03
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1035779709692
ABU KAMAL ON THE IRAQ-SYRIA BORDER - The people on this particular edge
of
the war in Iraq fumed in silent fury last night as the final prayer of
the
Muslim holy day was answered with an unprecedented bombardment of their
beloved Baghdad.
By nightfall, as the ferocity of the air strikes beyond the eastern
horizon
mounted with each passing minute, residents of this frontier town were
glued to televisions and radios, each taking the attack as a personal
tragedy.
"Why? Why is this happening?" asked Khalil Mohammed, 32, a lawyer, as
he
sat transfixed with a dozen men watching the devastation on Al-Jazeera
TV.
"When the Americans hit Baghdad, they are hitting us. In this part of
Syria, we think of ourselves as Iraqis. Because we once were - until
the
Sykes-Picot Line was drawn on the map, we were Iraq," he said,
referring to
the 1916 agreement that divided the Middle East into areas of influence
for, among others, Britain and France...
Amid the rage, paradoxically, a lesson in breathtaking hospitality. The
entire town seems now to know the nationalities of the two foreigners
in
its midst, and refuses to allow them to spend money. Whether for sweet
chai
tea, thick Arabic coffee or restaurant meals, offers of payment are
firmly
refused. "You are our guest. We cannot take your money."
That hospitality did not fade with last night's salvo over Baghdad, but
the
mood of the town grew darker still...
---
AIR RAIDS WRECK CIVILIAN HOMES IN BAGHDAD
Hassan Hafidh, Reuters, 3/23/03
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2430905
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - When Shafa Hussein returned from taking her sick
son to
a Baghdad hospital, she found her home in ruins, destroyed in
U.S.-British
air strikes.
Her house in the Qadissiya residential area of central Baghdad was
reduced
to rubble and all her belongings, including money, food and furniture,
were
buried under heaps of concrete.
"Thank God that my husband, my child and myself were not hurt," said
the
distraught 39-year-old woman.
Five other houses were demolished and 12 damaged in the raid, which
residents said took place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. They said several
people had been wounded and taken to the nearby Yarmouk hospital, but
no
one had been killed...
---
ICRC WARNS BOTH SIDES IN IRAQ WAR ON POW TREATMENT
Reuters, 3/24/03
KUWAIT - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on
Monday
all parties to the war in Iraq were obliged under international
humanitarian law not to allow pictures of prisoners to be broadcast.
An ICRC spokeswoman in Kuwait said pictures shown on television
networks
and in newspapers of Iraqi prisoners surrendering to U.S. and British
forces and of U.S. soldiers captured by Iraqis were both prohibited by
the
convention.
The ICRC has started approaching relevant authorities to seek access to
all
those taken prisoner.
"The Geneva convention completely prohibits publishing pictures of
prisoners of war, as has been happening," Tamara al-Rifai, told
Reuters.
"It applies to all parties. For us, the law is clear, and all the
parties
involved in this war were signatories..."
---
IRAQIS IN THE TOWN OF SAFWAN EXPRESSED HOSTILITY TOWARD THE COALITION
FORCES, THE UNITED STATES AND PRESIDENT BUSH
John Donvan, ABC News, 3/24/03
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/iraq_safwan030322.html
Safwan, Iraq, - They were unforgettable images: Residents of this
southern
Iraqi town openly welcoming coalition forces. They danced in the
streets as
a picture of Saddam Hussein was torn down.
That was yesterday. Traveling unescorted into Safwan today, I got a far
different picture. Rather than affection and appreciation, I saw a lot
of
hostility toward the coalition forces, the United States and President
Bush.
Some were even directed towards the media. (It was the first time I
heard
somebody refer to me as a "Satan.")
To be sure, conversations with people on the street here begin
relatively
calmly. But the more they talked, the angrier they got.
In part, much of their discontent stems from the unknown. In speaking
with
them, the newly-liberated Iraqis ask the same questions that seem to
nag
many outside Iraq.
Why are you here in this country? Are you trying to take over? Are you
going to take our country forever? Are the Israelis coming next? Are
you
here to steal our oil? When are you going to get out...?
---
BUSH TO ASK CONGRESS FOR $80 BILLION
Dana Milbank and Mike Allen, Washington Post, 3/24/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12214-2003Mar22.html
WASHINGT0N - President Bush plans to tell congressional leaders on
Monday
that the war in Iraq will cost about $80 billion, administration
officials
said, three days after both chambers of Congress passed budget plans
and
authorized tax cuts without an estimate of the war's cost from the
administration.
For weeks, White House officials refused to provide a cost estimate,
saying
they could not account for the various war scenarios. But officials
said
yesterday that on Monday, Bush plans to tell congressional leaders he
will
ask for additional funding of about $80 billion. The figure, which has
ranged between $70 billion and $90 billion in last-minute
deliberations,
includes about $60 billion for combat and the first months of
reconstruction, with the rest going to foreign aid, homeland security
and
humanitarian relief...
---
HYPOCRITES OF AMERICA CRYING FOUL
Paul Routledge, Mirror (UK), 3/24/03
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12770615&method=full&siteid=50143
Nothing more clearly illustrates the cruel hypocrisy of America's war
against Iraq than Washington's reaction to the news that GIs have been
captured.
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld screamed "Geneva Convention! Geneva
Convention!" at the Iraqis for showing footage of US soldiers taken on
the
battlefield.
He thundered that the film was "video propaganda" which violated their
rights as prisoners of war under international law.
How two-faced can you get?
Rumsfeld is the warmonger who ignored international legalities when the
UN
refused to back the invasion of Iraq.
And he ruled that PoWs captured by the Americans in Afghanistan more
than a
year ago have NO rights, and can be caged like animals at Camp X-Ray in
Guantanamo, Cuba.
Footage of 300 PoWs airlifted out of Kabul - with bags over their heads
and
chains on every conceivable part of their body - was jubilantly shown
on
American TV. The pictures were posted on the Pentagon's website...
-----
RICHARD PERLE'S CONFLICT
New York Times, 3/24/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/24/opinion/24MON3.html
As chairman of the Defense Policy Board, Richard Perle has been an
influential architect of the Bush administration's Iraq policy and war
plans. At the same time, it turns out, he has signed on to represent a
major telecommunications company that has a strong financial interest
in
lobbying the Defense Department. This is a conflict pure and simple,
and
Mr. Perle should immediately drop one of his two roles.
Mr. Perle, who served as an assistant defense secretary under President
Reagan, is indisputably an important part of the current Defense
Department. His position as chairman of the policy board, to which he
was
appointed by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, is unpaid. But he is
nevertheless considered a "special government employee" and is subject
to
federal ethics rules...
SEE ALSO:
IDEOLOGUES RESHAPE WORLD OVER BREAKFAST
Guy Dinmore, Financial Times, 3/22/03
http://search.ft.com/search/article.html?id=030322001128
Billed as a "black coffee briefing on the war on Iraq", yesterday's
breakfast for the influential hawks of the American Enterprise
Institute
was more of a victory celebration.
With a few words of caution - that the war to oust Saddam Hussein was
not
yet over - the panel of speakers, part of the Bush administration's
ideological vanguard, set out their bold vision of the postwar agenda:
radical reform of the UN, regime change in Iran and Syria, and
"containment" of France and Germany...
The war was going well, said Richard Perle, chairman of the Pentagon's
Defence Advisory Board. There were more anti-war demonstrators in San
Francisco than Iraqis willing to defend their leader. The "coalition of
the
willing" was growing.
The fall of Mr Hussein would be an "inspiration" for Iranians seeking
to be
free of their dictatorial mullahs, Mr Perle said...
Michael Ledeen, a former Reagan administration official and author of
The
War Against the Terror Masters, said this conflict was part of a
"longer
war" and such terrorist-sponsors as Iran and Syria knew that. France
and
Germany insisted on "shoring up tyrannical regimes". Anti-war
demonstrators
had reached "new lows of disgustingness".
-----
ISRAELI LOAN DEAL CLAIM IRRITATES U.S.
Chris McGreal, Guardian, 3/22/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,919563,00.html
Israel has irritated the US by revealing private assurances from
Condoleezza Rice to Benjamin Netanyahu that the White House has
approved
$10bn (£6.4bn) in aid before it was formally announced in Washington.
In a phone conversation on Wednesday, Ms Rice, the US national security
adviser, told Mr Netanyahu, Israel's finance minister, that the White
House
was willing to provide $9bn in loan guarantees to prop up Israel's
sinking
economy and another $1bn in military aid.
Mr Netanyahu announced the deal to the Israeli press...
SEE ALSO:
ISRAEL STALLS OVER NEW 'ROADMAP'
Justin Huggler, Independent, 3/23/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=389806
The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has scheduled talks with the
Israeli Foreign Minister amid mounting concern that international
pressure
to push forward the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians
is
faltering.
With all eyes on the US and British invasion of Iraq, the fact that the
"road map" international peace plan has not been released, as President
Bush promised it would be by now, has gone largely unnoticed.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government has thrown up new objections to the
peace
plan, calling for all references to an "independent" Palestinian state
to
be dropped. Some European diplomatic sources are already raising fears
that
the "two-state solution" promised by George Bush may be in danger...
---
TIMING OF AIPAC CONFERENCE RAISES CONCERN OF HOW TO FRAME MESSAGE
Matthew E. Berger, JTA, 3/23/03
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=AIPAC+refining+message+ahead+of+conference&intcategoryid=3
WASHINGTON, March 23 (JTA) - For months, Jewish groups have been
working
tirelessly to separate the Iraq issue from Israel, lowering their
voices of
support for the war.
But next week, close to 5,000 pro-Israel activists - many of whom
strongly
support the U.S.-led war on Iraq and its benefits to Israel's security
-
will meet in the nation's capital for the annual policy conference of
the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
It's likely that they won't want to keep quiet any longer. But the fact
that the March 30-April 1 conference is taking place in wartime
presents
uncomfortable dilemmas about how to discuss aspects of the Bush
administration's Middle East policy...
Some figures have suggested that American Jews, and especially Jewish
neoconservatives in the Bush administration, were pushing the country
toward war.
As a result, many in the Jewish world have been trying to keep their
support for the Bush administration's agenda, in Iraq and in Israel, to
a
whisper...
-----
MSA GW HOLDS TOWN HALL MEETING TO ADDRESS BACKLASH
(Washington, D.C.) The Muslim Students' Association (MSA) of the George
Washington University, along with many other student organizations,
will
hold an emergency town hall meeting on Tuesday, March 25th at 8 PM in
the
Marvin Center Amphitheatre (tentative).
In light of the growing crisis in the Middle East and the current
United
States war against Iraq, the Arab and Muslim-American communities at
GWU
are requesting the university to be prepared to take proactive steps to
address possible hate backlash against innocent students on campus.
This
request is because of the historic pattern of hate crimes, abuse and
discrimination faced by the Arab and Muslim-American communities during
the
1991 Gulf War and in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks.
This event is an opportunity for students to share their concerns with
members of the University Police Department, university administration,
faculty and the student body. Each panelist will be given five minutes
to
speak. This will be followed by a question and answer question.
This event is NOT to debate the war on Iraq. Rather, it is a forum for
students to get their questions answered and their concerns about
campus
safety assuaged.
CONTACT: Amna Arshad, President, MSA: 703-431-9169, amna@gwu.edu
Tarek Elgawhary, MSA: albasha@gwu.edu
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/25/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE PROVISION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
* CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: ADVANCED MEDIA RELATIONS
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 333 NEW SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* MAN PLEADS NO CONTEST TO ANTI-MUSLIM HATE CRIME (AP)
- Hate-Crime Probe Under Way (Chicago Sun-Tribune)
- War Doesn't Justify Bigotry (LA Times)
- Muslim Kids' War Anxiety Compounded (SF Chronicle)
- Zero-Tolerance on Hate Crimes (Mercury News)
- Police Investigate Complaints of Harassment (AP)
- War Changes Doubters' To-Do Lists (Atlanta Journal)
* FBI, ARABS MEET IN ACCORD (Miami Herald)
- Arab Leaders Urge Public to Assist FBI with Manhunt (Orlando
Sentinel)
- FBI Seeks Help Locating Terrorism Suspect (Sun-Sentinel)
- FBI: 5,000 Iraqis in U.S. Interviewed (AP)
- Oppose the New Airline Passenger Profiling System (ACLU)
* MARINES LOSING THE BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS (Guardian)
- Australian Pilot Refuses U.S. Bombing Order (NZ Herald)
- Search at Najaf Yields No Sign of Chemical Weapons (FT)
- Troops Fail To Create Corridor for AID (Guardian)
- Seymour Hersh: Who Lied To Whom? (New Yorker)
- The Misplaced Patriotism of Richard Perle (Antiwar.com)
- Pat Buchanan Takes Columnist to Task (Washington Times)
- Conservatives' Uncivil War Over Iraq (Washington Post)
- Boycott of US Goods Over Iraq War Gains Pace (Reuters)
- U.S. Is Assembling A Civilian Team to Run Iraq (NY Times)
- Pro-Israel General to Oversee Iraq Reconstruction (Forward)
- Israeli Weapons Part of Iraq Attack (JTA)
- The Middle East: Imperial Dreams (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
* REAPING A RELIGIOUS WHIRLWIND (Sun-Sentinel)
* NYSE REVOKES CREDENTIALS FOR AL-JAZEERA (AP)
- Al-Jazeera Launches Site In English (Wall Street Journal)
* LAYING DOWN 'THE WHITE WOMAN'S BURDEN' (Fox News)
* D.C. FILM SCREENING ON GUJARAT DOCUMENTARY
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE PROVISION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told a person about to leave
on a journey: "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
-----
CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: ADVANCED MEDIA RELATIONS
Now than more than ever, local community organizations and activists
need to develop basic media relations skills. At CAIR's 4th Annual
Leadership Conference, "A Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," there will
be several sessions devoted media relations such as:
ADVANCED MEDIA RELATIONS SKILLS: Improving the media skills you already
have is a high-yield investment. Learn about news release success
factors, advanced interview skills, developing talking points, and dealing
with tough questions while on the air.
You can now register online for the conference at:
www.cair-net.org/conference
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 333 NEW SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5191 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information
about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
MAN PLEADS NO CONTEST IN LA TO HATE CRIME TARGETING MUSLIMS
Associated Press, 3/25/03
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A man accused of singing about the rape of Muslim
women has pleaded no contest to a hate crime charge.
Murray Gurfein, 54, of Marina del Rey was sentenced to 36 months
probation and ordered to serve 60 days in county jail or perform 60 days of
Caltrans work.
"This conviction sends a powerful message that hate crimes in the city
of Los Angeles will not be tolerated," City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo
said Monday.
Gurfein was charged with one misdemeanor count of a hate crime stemming
from the incident outside a cafe in Venice on March 16, three days
before the war began with Iraq. He pleaded no contest on March 21 and was
immediately sentenced, Delgadillo said…
Deputy City Attorney Michele Anderson said a group of women of Middle
Eastern descent became uncomfortable after they overheard the song.
"After the management requested Gurfein stop singing, he became
belligerent, pointing out the women, calling them terrorists and threatening
to 'cut off their fingers' and have 'snipers shoot them when they
leave,"' Anderson said.
SEE ALSO:
HATE-CRIME CASE PROBE UNDER WAY
Deborah Horan, Chicago Tribune, 3/25/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/chi-0303250175mar25,1,5557936.story
Federal authorities are investigating as possible hate crimes an
explosion in a van parked outside the Burbank home of a Palestinian Muslim
family and several other incidents in recent weeks, an FBI agent said
Monday.
The explosion, which shattered the van's windows and blew out a door
but caused no injuries, occurred about 11:30 p.m. Friday. It was the
latest of what community leaders insist are crimes linked to the war with
Iraq.
"In Chicago in the past couple of weeks, we've seen an increase in
these types of crimes," said FBI Special Agent William H. Billings, who
attended a news conference Monday outside the Burbank Police Department.
At the end of February, rocks were thrown through the window of a
Tinley Park home where a man lived who had been charged with allegedly
belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The FBI has investigated a March 11 glass-breaking incident at a mosque
in Villa Park and a March 19 shooting at a car driven by a Muslim in
Chicago near Diversey and Austin Avenues. No one was injured in either
incident.
This week, authorities added two more cases to the list: a letter
containing death threats mailed to a home in Evanston and a bomb threat in
Glendale Heights. Both happened last week.
"[We] attribute these incidents to the pro-war rhetoric leading up to
the attack on Iraq, coupled with existing levels of anti-Muslim bias in
American society," said Omar Haydar, executive director of the Chicago
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy
group...
---
WAR DOESN'T JUSTIFY BIGOTRY
Los Angeles Times, 3/25/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-hate25mar25,1,2243441.story
As the war in Iraq began last week, state and local leaders put police
forces and emergency workers on alert against terrorist attacks. In Los
Angeles, they also announced they would beef up their investigation and
prosecution of hate crimes, a clear message that homeland security
extends to Muslims and Arab Americans.
The Los Angeles area has the largest population of Arab Americans in
the country, a demographic feature that went little noticed in this
polyglot region until the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Then, hate crimes
against Arab Americans or people merely thought to be Arab soared from
three incidents in California in 2000 to 73 in 2001.
Most recently, police are investigating as a hate crime the Feb. 22
beating of an 18-year-old Arab American by a pack of 30 young men in Yorba
Linda. And earlier this month a man allegedly verbally assaulted three
Muslim women in a Venice restaurant, threatening them when they
complained...
Californians, to their credit, began fighting the anti-Muslim backlash
almost as soon as it began. A week after Sept. 11, nearly 200 people of
all faiths and from throughout Los Angeles gathered at the Omar Ibn
Al-Khattab mosque near USC to talk about religion and racism, the first in
a series of such meetings. In Pomona, non-Muslim neighbors turned out
to help protect students at a Muslim school closed in the wake of the
attacks because of threats. Last week, the neighbors showed up again.
Just in case.
Such bonds, forged from the fires of Sept. 11, are the best line of
attack against bigotry.
---
MUSLIM KIDS' WAR ANXIETY COMPOUNDED BY HARASSMENT
Tyche Hendricks, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/25/03
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/03/25/MN42319.DTL
Hosai Mojaddidi, 27, who came to the United States from her native
Afghanistan at the age of 3, recalled taunts while a high school student
during the Gulf War. The Fremont resident said that one time as she was
exiting the freeway, another driver had cut in front of her and then
stopped in the middle of the exit ramp. He got out of his car and began
yelling anti-Muslim epithets and threatening to kill her.
With these painful memories fresh in their minds, Abdelgawad and
Mojaddidi are determined to prevent violence and harassment from affecting
other Muslim or Arab children now that the United States is again at war
with Iraq.
The two are working with the San Jose-based Islamic Networks Group,
which was joined on Monday by school and law enforcement officials,
primarily from the South Bay, in announcing a "zero tolerance" for hate
violence. Hate crimes increased after the Sept. 11 attacks, and officials
hope to avoid a recurrence.
"We have a commitment to vigorously prosecute hate crimes," said Aaron
Persky of the Santa Clara County district attorney's office. "But the
only way we can do our job effectively is if there is quick reporting of
any hate incidents."
Because children and teenagers can be especially cruel, but often don't
have the coping skills to handle bigotry and conflict, the Islamic
Networks Group has been particularly focused on preventing harassment in
schools...
---
SAN JOSE SCHOOL OFFICIALS REAFFIRM ZERO-TOLERANCE HATE CRIME POLICY
Jessie Mangaliman, San Jose Mercury News, 3/25/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/5472099.htm
Worried about rising tensions from the war in Iraq, San Jose and Santa
Clara school officials joined with law enforcement chiefs, prosecutors
and community leaders Monday to reaffirm a zero-tolerance policy on
hate crimes and incidents at local schools.
“I've seen the heightened anxiety resulting from the war, and we want
to make sure that these feelings do not focus on who looks
different,†said Rich Garcia, a San Jose school board member.
The goal is to prevent a rash of hate-related bias crimes similar to
those after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against students who
are Muslim, Arab or of Middle Eastern descent.
“These issues also affect other children who may be confused with
being Arab or Muslim, or who may be targeted because it presents an
opportunity to those who harbor feelings of hatred toward certain groups,â€
said Ameena Jandali, co-founder of Islamic Networks Group, a San Jose
non-profit group that provides educational training on Islam to students
and teachers...
---
CHICAGO-AREA POLICE INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS OF HARASSMENT OF MUSLIMS
Maura Kelly, Associated Press, 3/25/03
CHICAGO - Police in the Chicago area are investigating several
complaints of harassment of Muslims and damage to mosques and other property.
The incidents prompted the leader of an Islamic group on Monday to ask
police to warn the public against targeting Muslims.
"People need to see there are severe consequences in engaging in acts
of hatred based on religion and know this will not be tolerated," said
Omar Haydar, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations...
---
WAR CHANGES DOUBTERS' TO-DO LISTS
Martha Ezzard, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 3/25/03
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/opinion/ezzard/
So I will have to find small ways to support our troops and work for a
lasting peace, while sticking to my belief that pre-emptive war is a
wrong policy for America.
First on my list is to phone and take a meal to a family of six who has
just sent a father off to war. And to help tie those yellow ribbons on
trees all over our town.
Second is to join discussions with people of faith about how to enhance
cultural and religious understanding. Though I admire many aspects of
the Islam religion, I hear intolerance for Islam all around me. It is
born of ignorance.
Two recent callers told a National Public Radio host there is no way a
"Christian nation" can coexist with Islam. That is like saying Jews and
Christians can't live together, or Catholics and Protestants. Our
education system and our institutions have failed when so many have never
learned that America's strength is her mosaic of beliefs undergirded
with tolerance.
Our three grown children and their families are digging into books
about Islam and want to visit a mosque. I wonder why our family never did
that before; it ought not take crisis to pique our interest in
understanding diverse religions...
-----
FBI, ARABS MEET IN ACCORD
Andrea Robinson, Miami Herald, 3/25/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/5473053.htm
In a joint press conference that underscored the delicacy of their
relationship, the FBI and representatives of South Florida's Arab-American
community committed to cooperate as investigators pursue a Saudi
Arabian man from Broward County who may be linked to al Qaeda terrorists.
The FBI, acknowledging the worries of many Arab Americans, promised to
“aggressively prosecute hate crimes†against Muslims and Arab
Americans.
Local Arab leaders said they would help in the search for Adnan
Gulshair Muhammad El'Shukri-jumah, who is wanted for questioning by federal
agents who suspect he may be involved in planning terrorist activities...
But Arab Americans also asked for assurances that the FBI would protect
the privacy and civil rights of people who come forward with
information. Some people fear they would lose their jobs if their employer knew
they were talking to the FBI, said Parvez Ahmed, Florida chair of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Ahmed said he asked federal agents to uphold El'Shukri-jumah's civil
rights.
He said that any legal action should take place publicly, “so there
would be no suspicions about failure to follow due process...â€
SEE ALSO:
ARAB LEADERS URGE PUBLIC TO ASSIST FBI WITH MANHUNT
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-locterrorsearch25032503mar25,0,6070859.story
---
FBI SEEKS HELP LOCATING TERRORISM SUSPECT WHO LIVED IN MIRAMAR
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-sterror25mar25,0,2857503.story
---
FBI: 5,000 IRAQIS IN U.S. INTERVIEWED
Curt Anderson, Associated Press, 3/25/03
WASHINGTON - The FBI has interviewed more than 5,000 Iraqis who live in
the United States and has detained around 30 since war began with Iraq,
officials said Monday...
Although the FBI says it is not using the interviews to arrest large
numbers of Iraqis, two law enforcement officials speaking on condition of
anonymity said about 30 have been detained on immigration charges since
the program began last week.
Late last month, Attorney General John Ashcroft gave the FBI and U.S.
marshals authority to arrest people on immigration charges...
The interviews have received a mixed reception from Muslim communities
around the country. Many people say they want to help the United States
in its campaign against the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein but are
concerned about being singled out for scrutiny.
"You don't have to be mistreated to be intimidated," said Ibrahim
Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "If the FBI
shows up at your place of work or talks to your neighbors, that's very
intimidating."
---
OPPOSE THE NEW AIRLINE PASSENGER PROFILING SYSTEM
ACLU, 3/20/03
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=12108&c=206
A secretive new system for conducting background checks on all airline
passengers threatens to create a blacklist of Americans who cannot
travel freely. This new government program, called Computer-Assisted
Passenger Pre-Screening System or CAPPS II -- would search secret
intelligence and law enforcement databases and rate every airline passenger a
red-, yellow- or green-level threat.
Using easily falsified information such as name, home address, home
phone number and date of birth, this system would screen your name through
credit databases and then run your information through secret
government databases to make a judgment about your security risk. These secret
databases would probably be compiled using intelligence and law
enforcement records that could include personal information gleaned from
commercial data such as purchase history and banking records.
Based on all of this information, you may be allowed to travel, undergo
special security scrutiny, or be referred to law enforcement and
possibly detained. If you are branded a "risk" due to false information, the
process for correcting the error is unclear and could result in
significant delays or detention for many innocent people...
-----
MARINES LOSING THE BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS
James Meek, Guardian, 3/25/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,921393,00.html
Hopes of a joyful liberation of a grateful Iraq by US and British
armies are evaporating fast in the Euphrates valley as a sense of
bitterness, germinated from blood spilled and humiliations endured, begins to
grow in the hearts of invaded and invader alike.
Attempts by US marines to take bridges over the river Euphrates, which
passes through Nassiriya, have become bogged down in casualties and
troops taken prisoner. The marines, in turn, have responded harshly.
Out in the plain west of the city, marines shepherding a gigantic
series of convoys north towards Baghdad have reacted to ragged sniping with
an aggressive series of house searches and arrests.
A surgical assistant at the Saddam hospital in Nassiriya, interviewed
at a marine check point outside the city, said that on Sunday, half an
hour after two dead marines were brought into the hospital, US aircraft
dropped what he described as three or four cluster bombs on civilian
areas, killing 10 and wounding 200...
---
AUSTRALIAN PILOT GIVES THUMBS DOWN TO US BOMBING ORDER
Greg Ansley, New Zealand Herald, 3/24/03
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3251554
CANBERRA - An Australian FA/18 Hornet pilot has refused an American
command to bomb a target in Iraq in the first conflict between the
different rules governing the way the two allies make war.
Although Prime Minister John Howard said the incident during the
coalition's drive towards Baghdad was not evidence of tension between the two
commands, the prospect of a clash of rules was clear from the start.
Australia operates under a tougher set of rules of engagement than the
US because Canberra has ratified more international agreements than
Washington...
The decision of the RAAF pilot not to attack an Iraqi target was taken
when his Hornet, armed with a range of strike weapons, was ordered away
from the round-the-clock escort missions the Australians have been
flying since war started.
"However, the crew chose not to complete the mission because they could
not positively identify the target," Defence Force spokesman Brigadier
Mike Hannan said.
"The crew's decision reflects the ADF's strong commitment to the laws
of armed conflict and its support of the Government's targeting policy,
right down to the lowest levels..."
---
SEARCH AT NAJAF YIELDS NO SIGN OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Mark Huband, Financial Times, 3/25/03
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1048313098973
Department of Defense officials said on Monday that no evidence of
chemical weapons production had been found at a facility close to the
southern Iraqi town of Najaf occupied by US forces on Sunday.
Forces from the US 3rd Infantry Division occupied the 100-acre site.
According to military officials, the site is surrounded by an electric
fence and the buildings within it are camouflaged, raising suspicion that
it was still in use. However, a Pentagon official said on Monday that
the site had probably been abandoned some time ago...
---
CRISIS IN BASRA AS TROOPS FAIL TO CREATE CORRIDOR FOR AID
Ewen MacAskill, Guardian, 3/25/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,921349,00.html
The US and British governments are facing a worsening humanitarian
crisis in besieged Basra, Iraq's second city, where electricity and water
supplies have been severely disrupted.
The coalition forces are still encountering pockets of resistance in
and around Basra, and have been unable to establish a safe corridor for
aid.
Large parts of the city have been without water since Friday.
Unicef and the International Committee of the Red Cross said yesterday
that the people had resorted to drinking from the river, which is also
used for sewage, which could result in disease spreading through a
population vulnerable after more than a decade of UN sanctions.
Unicef warned that 100,000 children under the age of five were at risk.
The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, appealed for urgent measures to
restore electricity and water.
"A city of that size cannot afford to go without electricity or water
for long," he said...
-----
SEYMOUR HERSH: WHO LIED TO WHOM?
Seymour M. Hersh, New Yorker, 3/25/03
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?030331fa_fact1
Last September 24th, as Congress prepared to vote on the resolution
authorizing President George W. Bush to wage war in Iraq, a group of
senior intelligence officials, including George Tenet, the Director of
Central Intelligence, briefed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on
Iraq’s weapons capability. It was an important presentation for the Bush
Administration. Some Democrats were publicly questioning the
President’s claim that Iraq still possessed weapons of mass destruction which
posed an immediate threat to the United States.
On the same day, in London, Tony Blair’s government made public a
dossier containing much of the information that the Senate committee was
being given in secret—that Iraq had sought to buy “significant
quantities of uranium†from an unnamed African country, “despite having
no active civil nuclear power programme that could require it.†The
allegation attracted immediate attention; a headline in the London
Guardian declared, “african gangs offer route to uranium.â€
Then the story fell apart. On March 7th, Mohamed ElBaradei, the
director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in Vienna, told
the U.N. Security Council that the documents involving the Niger-Iraq
uranium sale were fakes. “The I.A.E.A. has concluded, with the
concurrence of outside experts, that these documents . . . are in fact not
authentic,†ElBaradei said...
The I.A.E.A. had first sought the documents last fall, shortly after
the British government released its dossier. After months of pleading by
the I.A.E.A., the United States turned them over to Jacques Baute, who
is the director of the agency’s Iraq Nuclear Verification Office.
It took Baute’s team only a few hours to determine that the documents
were fake. The agency had been given about a half-dozen letters and
other communications between officials in Niger and Iraq, many of them
written on letterheads of the Niger government. The problems were glaring.
One letter, dated October 10, 2000, was signed with the name of Allele
Habibou, a Niger Minister of Foreign Affairs and Coöperation, who had
been out of office since 1989...
---
SUING IN ENGLAND, VACATIONING IN FRANCE: THE MISPLACED PATRIOTISM OF
RICHARD PERLE
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/deliso70.html
---
BUCHANAN TAKES COLUMNIST TO TASK
Pat Buchanan, Washington Times, 3/25/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20030325-23076911.htm#2
For those interested in what I did say and do believe, here is the gist
of my article: (SEE: “Whose War?â€
http://www.amconmag.com/03_24_03/cover.html)
There is a neocon War Party, some of whom were plotting with Israel for
war on Iraq as far back as 1996. These individuals urged Israel to
ditch the Oslo peace accords when support for Oslo was U.S. policy. Other
neocons who run the Weekly Standard, the New Republic and Commentary
have been shrieking for a "World War IV" against eight or nine Arab and
Islamic nations, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
In decrying their warmongering, my piece cites sources on the left and
right and names exactly who these two dozen neoconservatives are…
The "tools and dupes" President Washington warned against are the
Dennis Pragers who propagandize for endless wars, for other men's sons to
fight and for interests other than those of the United States of America.
PATRICK J. BUCHANAN
McLean, Va.
---
CONSERVATIVES' UNCIVIL WAR OVER IRAQ
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16764-2003Mar23.html
---
BOYCOTT OF AMERICAN GOODS OVER IRAQ WAR GAINS PACE
Erik Kirschbaum, Reuters, 3/25/03
BERLIN - No more Coca-Cola or Budweiser, no Marlboro, no American
whiskey or even American Express cards -- a growing number of restaurants in
Germany are taking everything American off their menus to protest the
Iraq war.
Although the protests are mainly symbolic, waiters in dozens of bars
and restaurants in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Bonn and other German cities
are telling patrons, "Sorry, Coca-Cola is not available any more due to
the current political situation."
The boycotts appear to be part of a nascent worldwide movement. One Web
site, www.consumers-against-war.de, calls for boycotts of 27 top
American firms from Microsoft to Kodak while another, www.adbusters.org,
urges the "millions of people against the war" to "Boycott Brand
America..."
A German bicycle manufacturer, Riese und Mueller GmbH, cancelled all
business deals with its American suppliers.
"Americans only pay attention when money is on the line," director
Heiko Mueller told Reuters, whose firm buys $300,000 worth of supplies from
half a dozen American firms each year.
"We wanted to make a statement against this war and told our American
partners that unless they renounce what their government is doing we
won't do any business with them anymore..."
---
U.S. IS ASSEMBLING A CIVILIAN TEAM TO RUN IRAQ
Elizabeth Becker, NY Times, 3/25/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/25/international/worldspecial/25POST.html
WASHINGTON, March 24 — The United States is preparing to establish
immediate sole control of postwar Iraq, initially without recourse to the
United Nations, with a civilian administration under the direct command
of the military, according to senior administration officials.
Even before American troops reach Baghdad, administration officials are
assembling a team of civilian officials, largely retired American
diplomats, to run Iraq as soon as the fighting is over...
Senior officials are quick to say this arrangement is only temporary
— lasting, they hope, no more than a few months — until an interim
Iraqi government is in place. They also said they were still debating how
to work with the United Nations when the time comes for that...
---
PRO-ISRAEL GENERAL WILL OVERSEE RECONSTRUCTION OF POSTWAR IRAQ
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.03.21/news8.html
ISRAELI WEAPONS PART OF IRAQ ATTACK
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Israeli+weapons+part+of+Iraq+attack&intcategoryid=1
---
THE MIDDLE EAST: IMPERIAL DREAMS
Henry W. Berger, St Louis Post Dispatch, 3/25/03
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/Editorial/532ECF6B10FC253986256CF40040A587
Between 1919 and 1922, Britain and France remade the Middle East. With
the sanction of the newly formed League of Nations, the two powers,
victorious in World War I, dismantled the Ottoman Empire. In wholesale
fashion they created nation states, including Iraq, selected rulers, drew
boundary lines in the sand, established zones of imperial control, and
divided up existing and potential oil fields. In effect, they reshaped
the region to serve European political and economic interests, ideas
and ideologies.
The Anglo-French Middle Eastern order, however, began to crumble 30
years later in the wake of the Cold War, a wave of energized revolutionary
nationalism, and a new generation of leaders and followers who
challenged the existing status quo.
We are now witnessing the "Second Coming" of intervention to redesign
and control the destinies of the Middle East. The Bush administration's
pre-emptive "war of liberation" is a project of ideologically epic
proportions not confined to the overthrow of the tyrannical regime of
Saddam Hussein...
The costs and consequences of America's exercise of imperial will may
be considerable; unpredictable at best, and destructive and
counterproductive at worst...
-----
REAPING A RELIGIOUS WHIRLWIND
Tim Collie, Sun-Sentinel, 3/25/03
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-aislam25mar25,0,2906839.story
Throughout the Middle East, a religious awakening based in traditional
Islam is running up against Western influences in a trend that could be
either the promise or pitfall of genuine democratic reform.
Women in far greater numbers are under the veil in relatively moderate
countries like Jordan and Egypt, and the leading political movements
are all firmly rooted in fundamentalist groups like the Moslem
Brotherhood.
It's a threat to U.S. prestige in the region, and it's a threat to many
governing regimes, which is why U.S. allies like Egypt keep a tight lid
on their Islamists despite the fact that they have publicly renounced
violence in recent years...
"I'm not so sure the United States would like the outcome of democracy
in the Middle East, but it's something they're going to have to deal
with, because Islamic democracy is coming," said Dr. Essam Elerian, a
leading Egyptian Islamist who until recently was jailed for his political
activities.
"It would certainly challenge the U.S. on Israel. It would not accept
U.S. policies that are hostile to Islam.
"But Islam is a very democratic religion -- it is rooted in
participatory democracy," said Elerian. "I think what is so challenging for many
Americans is that there is no separation between church and state in
Islam. The Koran offers a very solid plan for governing, and its law is
the basis for that democracy..."
-----
NYSE REVOKES CREDENTIALS FOR AL-JAZEERA
Teresa Agovino, Associated Press, 3/25/03
NEW YORK - The Arab TV network Al-Jazeera said Monday two of its
reporters covering the New York Stock Exchange have had their credentials
revoked because of the satellite station's coverage of the war in Iraq.
Exchange spokesman Ray Pellechia denied the station's war coverage was
the cause. Citing "security reasons," he said the exchange had chosen
to limit the number of broadcasters working at the lower Manhattan
exchange since the war began, giving access only to networks that focus "on
responsible business coverage."
Al-Jazeera said it got a letter from the exchange saying the number of
accredited TV stations needed to be reduced. It said reporters Ammar
al-Sankari and Ramzi Shiber had their credentials withdrawn.
The network said the reason was "Al-Jazeera's coverage of the war on
Iraq."
It said it has covered the exchange for years and believes it is the
only channel affected by the new curbs. Pellechia said other broadcasters
had been refused accreditation or permission to increase their staff,
but he declined to give examples.
U.S. military officials on Sunday criticized Al-Jazeera for carrying
Iraqi TV footage of U.S. prisoners of war...
Ghazi Khankan of the Council on American-Islamic Relations decried the
move, saying Al-Jazeera "is really one of the very few independent Arab
media, and to cut them off is a loss to the stock exchange."
He said he understood the sensitivity of the footage of U.S. captives,
"but I don't think this is the right thing to do in spite of the sad
pictures."
SEE ALSO:
AL-JAZEERA LAUNCHES SITE IN ENGLISH
Josef Federman, Wall Street Journal, 3/25/03
http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/030325/72/39chk.html
Al-Jazeera went live early yesterday with its English-language Web site
-- and the Qatar-based satellite network immediately assumed a posture
likely to provoke Western readers.
The site (english.aljazeera.net) has promised to offer a different
perspective than those of Western media and has stuck to its word. Its
graphic photos of dead U.S. soldiers, pointed headlines and opinionated
articles -- many of them without reporters' bylines -- will provide plenty
of fodder for critics of the Middle Eastern news organization. The
content is produced separately from its Arabic-language counterpart...
Managing Editor Joanne Tucker, a former BBC journalist who holds dual
U.S.-British citizenship and speaks Arabic, has promised Western-style
standards of journalism. She said she stands by all the articles but
conceded that the site has to do more to clarify what is news and what is
opinion...
-----
LAYING DOWN 'THE WHITE WOMAN'S BURDEN'
Wendy McElroy, Fox News, 3/22/03
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,82042,00.html
I try to look into the face of the long-suffering Muslim woman into
whose world Americans have entered as soldiers. But a common complaint
runs through the literature in which Muslim women describe themselves:
they accuse the West of misrepresenting them. If so, who are they? What is
the face of the Muslim woman?
A flood of stereotypes come to mind, from scantily-clad belly dancers
to burqa-shrouded women.
But no stereotype explains the Muslim women who have become heads of
contemporary nations: President Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia; Prime
Minister Tansu Ciller of Turkey; Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Sheik
Hasina Wazed of Bangladesh; Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan.
The list could scroll on.
Clearly, the characterization of Muslim women is flawed if only by
being incomplete...
I stare through a glass darkly at an exotic culture and my analysis may
be flawed. But one point I am certain. To understand the Arab-Muslim
woman, I must lay down "the white woman's burden."
This is the feminist version of the "white man's burden" — a theory
that was used to justify colonialism in the nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries. In essence, the theory said that white people had a moral
obligation to civilize brown people. The Rudyard Kipling poem in which
the term originated was written to justify the British colonization of
India.
Western feminists seem to believe they have a moral obligation to save
the Arab-Muslim woman by molding her into their own image. But if the
oppression of Arab-Muslim women results from local traditions and not
from religion or ethnicity, then it is possible to respect Islam and
Arabs without disrespecting her.
By abandoning the assumption of superiority, Western feminists can say
to the Arab-Muslim woman, "we don't disparage your religion or your
ethnic origins. We only want you to have choice."
-----
D.C. FILM SCREENING ON GUJARAT DOCUMENTARY
WHAT: South Asia Forum, Johns Hopkins University, and the Indian Muslim
Council-USA are sponsoring a film screening of “Gujarat Before the
Elections†with Director Suma Josson
This film is set in the post-Godhra violence which engulfed Gujarat
from March 2002. It examines the extent to which the ideologies of
communal hatred have gained ground amongst ordinary Gujaratis. Q&A with the
Director, Suma Josson, will follow the sixty-minute film.
WHEN: 7:30 - 9:30pm, Wednesday, March 26, 7:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M.
WHERE: Rome Auditorium, School of Advanced International Studies, 1619
Massachusetts Avenue, Washington DC (DuPont South Metro)
CONTACT: Surabhi Shah surabhi_shah@bellsouth.net, Zahir Janmohamed
zahir@hotmail.com, Bindi Patel patel_bindi@hotmail.com
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
INDIANA MUSLIM BURNED, MOTIVE SOUGHT
National Islamic group urges FBI to join investigation
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/26/2003) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) today called on federal authorities to aid the investigation of
an
incident in Indiana that left a Muslim businessman with burns over 60
percent of his body.
The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group says the
37-year-old Afghanistan native was injured Monday night at his
restaurant
in Indianapolis, Indiana. According to media reports, the man told
officials he was cleaning up in the kitchen when two people burst in
and
set him on fire. Fire and police investigators tell CAIR that there is
an
ongoing investigation and that no possible motive is being ruled out.
SEE: "MOTIVE SOUGHT IN RESTAURANT FIRE"
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/6/031692-2636-009.html
"While the motive in this case is not yet clear, local authorities
could
benefit greatly from the resources and expertise of the FBI. Federal
involvement would also help reassure the Muslim community in Indiana
that
their safety is a priority," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Awad
added that CAIR recently distributed a "Community Safety Kit" to help
protect Muslims in North America during the war with Iraq. SEE:
http://www.cair-net.org/safetykit
A number of anti-Muslim incidents have been reported recently across
the
United States. CAIR attributes these incidents to the pro-war rhetoric
leading up to the attack on Iraq, coupled with existing levels of
anti-Muslim bias in American society.
Just last Saturday, an explosive device destroyed an Illinois Muslim
family's van. In other Illinois incidents, an Evanston resident
received a
mailed death threat, a Glendale Heights Islamic center received a
phoned
bomb threat and projectiles were fired at a mosque in Villa Park. In
California, four Muslim women visiting a restaurant were verbally
assaulted
by another patron who made references to raping Muslim women and
threatened
them with physical assault. Death threats were made against Muslim
students
at San Jose State University in Northern California. In Michigan, a
Muslim
father and son report that they were refused service at a Meijer store
in
Fraser, Mich.
Physical assaults against Muslims have been reported in Northern
California, Southern California, Georgia, New Jersey, and South
Carolina.
One incident in Yorba Linda, Calif., left a Muslim teenager badly
beaten by
a group that allegedly included white supremacists.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/26/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: RULES OF WAR
* CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: PATRIOT ACTS I AND II
- Evanston Up in Arms Over Patriot Act (Chicago Tribune)
- Gov. Works to Broaden Anti-Terrorism Measures (KR)
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5191 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* OREGON LEADERS DECRY HATE IN WAKE OF INCIDENT
- Hate Crime: Preventive Measures (Newsweek)
- Islamic Group Distributes Safety Kits (AP)
- FBI Vows Tough Hate Crime Response (Chicago Tribune)
* INCITEMENT WATCH: "SCREW MUSLIMS!'(Minnesota Daily)
- Muslim Speaker Jeered (Pioneer Press)
* OHIO MUSLIMS OPEN DIALOGUE WITH FBI
* CAIR-CANADA OFFERS WORKSHOPS TO GOVERNMENT, POLICE
* AT FORT DIX, TROOPS LEARN ABOUT ISLAM, ARAB CULTURE (AP)
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: ISRAEL PICKS THE NEXT TARGETS
- US Iraq General Linked to Hardline Israelis (Independent)
* MUSLIM LEADER WINS IN COURT (Chicago Tribune)
* RETURNING AFGHANS TALK OF GUANTANAMO (Washington Post)
- Protecting Prisoners Of War (NY Times)
* U.S. FORCES PREPARE MARTIAL LAW FOR IRAQ (AP)
- In an Ominous Sky, a City Divines Its Fate (Wash. Post)
- Iraq: 14 Dead In Baghdad Missile Attack (Guardian)
- US Escalates War on Northern Iraq's Militants (CSM)
- U.S. Picks 30 Iraqi Exiles as 'Frontmen' (Wash. Times)
- Al-Jazeera TV Says No Signs of Basra Uprising (Reuters)
- Muslims Called To Jihad (LA Times)
- The Arrogant Empire (Newsweek)
- A Failed Iraq Policy Reincarnated (Union Tribune)
* RICHARD PERLE: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (In These Times)
* RADIO MOGUL HEADS U.S. ARABIC TV NETWORK (Wall Street Journal)
* DISCOVERY CHANNEL DOCUMENTARY TO EXPLORE ROOTS OF 9/11
* EEOC SETTLES DISCRIMINATION SUIT IN FAVOR OF MUSLIM WOMAN
* STUDY: U.S. ECONOMIC AID TO ISRAEL SPENT ON SETTLEMENTS
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: RULES OF WAR
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, a close companion and successor of the Prophet
Muhammad
(peace be upon him), told one of his military commanders: "I advise you
of
ten things [relating to the rules of war.] Do not kill women or
children or
an aged, infirm person. Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees. Do not
destroy
an inhabited place. Do not slaughter [animals] except for food. Do not
burn
bees and do not scatter them. Do not steal from the materials captured
in
combat, and do not be cowardly."
Al-Muwatta, Volume 21, Hadith 10
-----
CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: PATRIOT ACTS I AND II
At CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership Conference, "A Roadmap for Success:
Vision
and Action," there will be several sessions devoted to defending civil
liberties such as:
Repealing the USA Patriot Act, Preventing Patriot II: Many
organizations
have developed tools to help local communities introduce and pass
resolutions opposing civil liberties violations resulting from passage
of
the USA Patriot Act. This workshop will offer guidance on how to
introduce
a resolution in your community and how to prevent introduction and
passage
of the new Patriot Act II.
You can now register online for the conference at:
www.cair-net.org/conference
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
SEE ALSO:
EVANSTON UP IN ARMS OVER PATRIOT ACT
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-030326evanston,1,22924.story
---
GOVERNMENT WORKS ON BROADENING ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES
Shannon McCaffrey, Knight Ridder, 3/26/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/front/5482641.htm
WASHINGTON -- Stripping citizenship from native-born Americans thought
to
have terrorist ties. Secret arrests. And, if the nation is ever
attacked
again, the ability to plant wiretaps without a warrant.
These are among the proposals the government is eyeing as part of a
sweeping new anti-terrorism bill. Justice Department lawyers have been
secretly working for months on a sequel to the controversial USA
Patriot
Act, which was rushed through Congress in the scary weeks following the
Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon…
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5191 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5191 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
LOCAL LEADERS DECRY CRIMES OF HATE IN WAKE OF INCIDENT
Matt Cooper, Register-Guard, 3/26/03
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/03/26/a1.hatecrimes.0326.html
SPRINGFIELD - The week-old war in Iraq has pitted peace activists
against
military supporters, and has sparked fervid debates between
conservatives,
liberals - and nearly everyone in between. Now the conflict has spurred
a
war of words in Lane County about what constitutes a hate crime.
On Tuesday about 20 local officials representing schools, law
enforcement
and the religious community, as well as local politicians gathered for
a
news conference in Springfield City Hall to announce that acts of
ethnic
and religious intolerance would not be tolerated.
Their remarks were underscored by the arrest Monday of a Eugene man on
a
hate crime charge after he allegedly intimidated a woman who was
wearing a
turban.
Police charged Jeffrey Marc Cohen, 28, of harassment after he pulled up
next to the woman of Sikh faith. The man got out of his vehicle at 24th
Avenue and Hilyard Street, approached the woman's car, then pointed
both
index fingers at her, pretending to shoot, said police spokeswoman Pam
Olshanski…
According to Eugene police, when a victim believes that bias
precipitated
an incident, such as harassment or assault, officers may include bias
in
the charge, as they did with Cohen, Olshanski said. Bias brings a
stiffer
penalty…
Tammam Adi, director of the Eugene-based Islamic Cultural Center, said
there are more than 500 Arab-Americans and Muslims in the
Eugene-Springfield community, and their fears of war-related backlash
are
legitimate.
In the weeks before war was declared, the Washington, D.C.-based
Council on
American Islamic Relations observed a "real spike" in hate crimes and
harassment of Arab-Americans and Muslims across the country, spokesman
Ibrahim Hooper said Tuesday from the capital…
Hooper lauded local officials for standing together in solidarity
against
racially motivated intimidation. It "sets the tone in the general
community
that these things won't be tolerated," he said. "Often bigots operate
as if
they're reflecting the majority of the people in the society. When you
tell
them that's not true, they may think twice."
SEE ALSO:
HATE CRIME: PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Newsweek, 3/26/03
http://www.msnbc.com/news/889455.asp
It's not just foreign terrorists who scare Americans. As tensions over
war
with Iraq grew in recent weeks, so did reports of bias-related hate
crimes
directed at Muslim and Arab-Americans.
Earlier this month at San Jose State University in California, threats
to
shoot and kill Muslims were found graffitied in four campus bathrooms.
In
Staten Island, N.Y., a 13-year-old Hispanic girl wearing a head scarf
had
her nose broken and eyes blackened by a classmate who ridiculed her as
"Osama's daughter." "It's ironic that we're on a terror alert, yet some
terrorizing acts come from our own citizens," says Haaris Ahmad of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Fearing that war could lead to a wave of hate crimes similar to what
was
seen after 9-11, CAIR last week released a "Community Safety Kit" with
tips
for responding to discrimination at work or on the street. The written
guide urges community leaders to be proactive: develop relationships
with
law-enforcement and elected officials; meet with interfaith and other
minority groups for advice on handling bias; ask school principals to
adopt
a "zero tolerance" policy toward harassment of students, and invite
mosque
neighbors to visit...
---
ISLAMIC GROUP DISTRIBUTES SAFETY KITS
Betsy Taylor, Associated Press, 3/26/03
ST. LOUIS - With advice on how to handle possible bomb threats,
profiling
in airports or questioning from the FBI, the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations has assembled safety kits to help Muslims cope with potential
backlash from the war with Iraq...
"It was prompted by a rash of anti-Muslim incidents leading up to the
war,"
said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the organization based in
Washington,
D.C. Those crimes included some beatings, damage to mosques and threats
against Muslims, Arab-Americans or people perceived to be Middle
Eastern,
he said.
He said about 20,000 copies of the guide are being printed;
distribution
has already started by e-mail and fax.
"It gives them some actions they can take as opposed to sitting and
letting
actions overtake them," he said.
"If you're discriminated against, you don't have a whole lot of time to
respond," said Arsalan Iftikhar, the council's Midwest spokesman, based
in
St. Louis.
And, he said, the war can lead to new situations. He said, for
instance, if
agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed up to ask
voluntary
questions -a strategy the St. Louis office and others nationwide have
acknowledged as they seek information due to the war with Iraq and as
they
try to protect Muslim and Arab safety- many people were unsure of their
rights. The guide sets forth the basics…
Aftab Ahmad, 39, of St. Louis, said he's received a copy of the safety
kit.
He thinks it's a useful resource. Ahmad, who has served on the board of
the
Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis and is a member of the Islamic
Speakers Bureau, said, "It empowers the Muslim community to know how to
deal with a situation when it happens."
---
FBI VOWS AGGRESSIVE HATE CRIME RESPONSE
Deborah Horan, Chicago Tribune, 3/26/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0303260185mar26,1,3908826.story
With reports of hate crimes against Muslim Americans rising in the
region,
Chicago's top FBI agent vowed Tuesday to aggressively investigate
possible
race-related incidents even as the agency continues to pursue terror
suspects and question Iraqi immigrants.
"This is not a time for America to divide," said Thomas J. Kneir,
special
agent in charge of the FBI's Chicago office. "It's a time for us to
stand
together."
Kneir spoke at a news conference attended by eight local Muslim and
Arab-American organizations, some of which have been meeting with
federal
authorities in an effort to prevent and press for the prosecution of
hate
crimes that leaders say are linked to the war against Iraq...
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: "SCREW MUSLIMS!'
LEADERS FAILED TO ADDRESS RALLY'S VITRIOL
Minnesota Daily, 3/26/03
http://www.mndaily.com/article.php?id=5337&year=2002
"Screw the Quran!" "Screw Muslims!" "Go home!"
Such were the putrid shouts aimed at N. Ruby Zigrino, a U.S. Muslim,
during
her speech at the "Support Our Troops" rally held at the State Capitol
on
Saturday. In fact, the catcalls got so bad rally organizer Joe Repya
had to
step in to calm the crowd of 17,000 and asked all present to show
respect
for Zigrino.
Indignant chants of "USA!" and hissing interrupted Zigrino's speech
after
she called for a new Marshall Plan for Iraq. For some unknown reason,
some
people in the crowd decided to treat Zigrino - who is of Bangladeshi
descent and a war supporter - as Saddam Hussein's long lost daughter.
Meanwhile, some of Minnesota's most powerful politicians - Gov. Tim
Pawlenty, Sen. Norm Coleman and U.S. Reps. Gil Gutknecht, Jim Ramstad
and
John Kline - waited for their turns to speak, silently observing this
behavior. Once given their turns to speak, they remained silent on the
subject...
Distinctions must be made: Terrorists are about as representative of
the
Muslim community as Jeffrey Dahmer is of white American men. Not all
Muslims are terrorists. Not all terrorists are Muslims. Supporting
troops
does not necessarily mean supporting the war, just as support for the
war
is not necessarily support for troops.
Elected officials did not make any of those distinctions at the rally.
And
by declining to address the shouts directed at Zigrino, they failed as
leaders last Saturday. Racist and derogatory remarks aimed at religious
groups and singling out minority groups are wrong and un-American. The
elected officials should have made that clear.
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM SPEAKER JEERED
St. Paul Pioneer Press, 3/26/03
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/editorial/letters/5472385.ht
We are appalled at the reaction of some at Saturday's "support the
troops"
rally at the Capitol who shouted epithets when a Muslim woman spoke and
quoted from the Quran. They represent ignorance and racism.
What a sad statement it is that thousands of people support the troops,
but
are completely intolerant of another culture and religion. Those who
were
at the rally shouting such phrases should be ashamed of themselves, as
should Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Sen. Norm Coleman. The governor and
senator
should publicly denounce this blatant display of racism.
While we support the troops and hope and pray they come home soon, we
cannot and do not support the actions of those at the Capitol.
STEVE SCHWARZ
St. Paul, MN
-----
OHIO MUSLIMS OPEN DIALOGUE WITH FBI
(COLUMBUS, OH, 3/26/2003) - Leaders of the Central Ohio Muslim
community,
representing area Islamic and Arab-American organizations, met Monday
with
top officials of the FBI. The goal of the meeting, facilitated by the
Ohio
office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) was to
have
an open and informal discussion about topics of concern to the Muslim
community.
Issues addressed at the meeting included ways to prevent hate crimes
and
backlash attacks that may result from the war on Iraq and how the local
Muslim community can do its part in the defense against terrorism.
"Like all Americans, the Muslim community in Ohio is concerned about
America's national security," said CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Jad
Humeidan. "The leadership of our community is ready, willing and able
to
work with law enforcement authorities for the safety and security of
this
country," said Humeidan.
He added that CAIR-Ohio has received several complaints of harassment
by
FBI agents, and that agency supervisors need to ensure that agents in
the
field are not over-stepping their legal authority.
"The FBI is lacking when it comes to minority representation in their
force, which may contribute to some of the complaints that the Muslim
community has regarding issues of sensitivity and tactfulness as they
carry
out their investigations," said Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Jim
Casey.
Representatives of CAIR-Ohio, Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio,
Islamic
Society of Greater Columbus, Muslim Community Center/Masjid Al-Nour,
and
Somali Community Center of Ohio took part in the meeting.
There are some 150,000 Muslims in Ohio and an estimated seven million
in
America. CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END-
CONTACT: Jad Humeidan, CAIR-Ohio Executive Director, 614-451-3232 (cell
614-571-2770), e-mail: ExecDir@cair-ohio.com, ohio@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-CAN OFFERS WORKSHOPS TO GOVERNMENT AND POLICE
Latest workshop delivered to over 140 Ottawa police personnel
(Ottawa, Canada - 3/26/03) - CAIR-CAN has started offering
sensitization
workshops on Islamic practices to governmental agencies and law
enforcement
services.
CAIR-CAN recently delivered a workshop on 'An Employer's Guide to
Islamic
Religious Practices' to both Heritage Canada and the Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and also
offered
a workshop, 'What Police Officers Need to Know about Muslims,' to the
Ottawa Police.
CAIR-CAN's Director of Operations Naeem Saloojee presented the series
of
police workshops to over 140 law enforcement personnel in addition to
new
police recruits. In a letter to CAIR-CAN, Chief of Police Vince Bevan
praised the workshops and stated in part:
"I want to express my sincere appreciation to you regarding your
presentation to over 140 police personnel...
"The openness of your presentation has enhanced our ability to provide
our
members with the support necessary to do their job in these trying
times,
and is an excellent example of community and police working together to
find solutions."
Shahina Siddiqui, a CAIR-CAN Board member, stated: "Building on the
success
of our publication guides to journalists, healthcare providers,
educators
and employers, CAIR-CAN has now developed a series of professional
workshops to educate the service sector about Islam and Muslims.
Through
these workshops, CAIR-CAN hopes to further understanding regarding
Islamic
practices and offer easy and practical steps for accommodating
religious
needs."
CONTACT: canada@cair-net.org, 1-866-524-0004
-----
AT FORT DIX, TROOPS LEARN ABOUT ISLAM, ARAB CULTURE
JOHN CURRAN, Associated Press, 3/26/03
FORT DIX, N.J. (AP) - It isn't enough to learn how to salute, fire a
rifle
and crawl beneath enemy fire.
Today's soldier also has to know where Mecca is, what not to do around
Muslim women and how customs in the Arab world vary from those in the
United States.
For members of U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard units here awaiting
deployment the Persian Gulf, the training comes in a three-hour "Islam
Cultural Awareness" class given in a base theater.
It is mandatory for all units sent here, not just those headed to the
Iraq
war theater.
The point is to instill cultural sensitivity into soldiers so that they
don't offend locals in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq or other nations to
which
they're assigned.
"We try to give them a little bit of the religious background," said
Master
Sgt. Connie Penner, one of several instructors who gives the class.
"I think they do get something out of it. It depends on the
circumstances,
but this is important training. If they're in towns, there's always
people
we're not fighting against," she said...
Beginning with Islam, she told them that the Quran is to Muslims as the
Torah is to Jews and the Bible is to Christians. Ramadan, the ninth
month
in the Islam lunar calendar, is a time for soul cleansing and faith
deepening.
After further discussion about the religion, the subject matter turned
to
differences in customs between the Arab world and Western countries.
"In the West, youth is valued. In Arab culture, wisdom grows with age,"
Penner said.
Punctuality is another difference: "Arabs don't like to be hurried.
Punctuality isn't big to them. What we tell people is that if you have
a
meeting scheduled with an Arab, I wouldn't schedule another one too
close
after it."
When the presentation progressed to guidelines for dealing with Muslim
women, the overhead projector showed a photograph of an attractive
Western
woman, wearing a skirt.
This triggered a cascade of wolf whistles from the mostly male
audience.
Penner grinned, but continued on.
"In the West, we can be whatever we want and wear whatever we want,"
Penner
said. "In the Arab world, women are keepers of the family home," who
have
restrictions on behavior, dress and other personal displays…
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: ISRAEL PICKS THE NEXT TARGETS
CORRIDORS OF POWER
Uzi Benziman, Ha'aretz, 3/26/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=275282
(Scroll to bottom.)
After the war in Iraq, Israel will try to convince the U.S. to direct
its
war on terror at Iran, Damascus and Beirut. Senior defense
establishment
officials say that initial contacts in this direction have already been
made in recent months, and that there is a good chance that America
will be
swayed by the Israeli argument...
SEE ALSO:
US GENERAL WITH IRAQ ROLE LINKED TO HARDLINE ISRAELIS
Independent (UK), 3/26/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=390842
The retired general named as civilian governor of occupied Iraq has
visited
Israel on a trip paid for by a right-wing group that strongly backs an
American military presence in the Middle East.
Lieutenant-General Jay Garner, the co-ordinator for civilian
administration
in Iraq, put his name in October 2000 to a statement blaming
Palestinians
for the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian violence and saying that a
strong
Israel was an important security asset to the United States.
The statement was sponsored by the Jewish Institute for National
Security
Affairs (Jinsa), which pays for retired US military officers to visit
Israel for security briefings by Israeli officials and politicians.
Richard
Perle, one of the architects of the US invasion of Iraq, is a member of
the
institute's board of advisers, as was Vice-President Dick Cheney before
he
took office in 2001...
-----
MUSLIM LEADER WINS IN COURT
Matt O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 3/26/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0303260186mar26,1,4367579.story
A high-profile leader of Chicago's Muslim community scored a legal
victory
Tuesday when a federal judge ruled the government erred in blocking his
return to the United States after visiting his ailing mother in his
native
Jordan.
Even though he is not a naturalized U.S. citizen, Sabri Samirah enjoys
constitutional protections because he had lived here for 15 years,
ruled
U.S. District Judge James B. Moran, citing case law.
"These rights may not be deprived without due process," Moran said in
requiring that Samirah be given a hearing before he can be booted from
the
country.
The decision allows Samirah to return immediately to the U.S., though
government lawyers could try to stay the ruling as part of an emergency
appeal. On Tuesday night, Assistant U.S. Atty. Craig Oswald said a
decision
hadn't been made on whether an appeal would be quickly filed...
" . . . The government cannot short-circuit the rights of an alien who
has
long lived in the United States by revoking his [advance] parole and
then
treating him as if he had never been here at all," Moran said in his
ruling
from the bench.
"We note as well that what happened here has a kind of 'gotcha' quality
that I personally feel is somewhat demeaning to this country," Moran
said.
"The government in effect is saying that it made a mistake in granting
[advance] parole and that, subsequently realizing it had made a
mistake, it
should be able to use that mistake to its advantage to eliminate rights
that [Samirah] otherwise would have."
Mark Flessner, Samirah's lawyer, said the government's barring of
Samirah,
if left unchallenged, could have had broad implications for immigrants
who
want to leave the U.S. temporarily to visit relatives or for other
reasons...
-----
RETURNING AFGHANS TALK OF GUANTANAMO
Marc Kaufman and April Witt, Washington Post, 3/26/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29276-2003Mar25.html
KABUL, Afghanistan, March 25 -- Afghan men freed today after spending
months in legal limbo as U.S. prisoners in the war on terrorism said
they
were generally well-fed and given medical care, but housed in cramped
cells
and sometimes shackled, hit and humiliated...
The men, the largest single group of Afghans to be released after
months of
detainment at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, gave varying accounts of how
American
forces treated them during interrogation and detainment. Some displayed
medical records showing extensive care by American military doctors,
while
others complained that American soldiers insulted Islam by sitting on
the
Koran or dumping their sacred text into a toilet to taunt them…
SEE ALSO:
PROTECTING PRISONERS OF WAR
New York Times, 3/26/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/26/opinion/26WED3.html
America, as the world's most far-flung military power, has a strong
interest in how captured soldiers are treated. This means insisting
that
other governments honor the Geneva Convention's requirements, and
scrupulously following them itself. That applies not only to the
handling
of Iraqi captives in this war, but also to Washington's highly
irregular
treatment of battlefield captives from Afghanistan held in Guantánamo
Bay,
Cuba.
In this kind of conventional conflict it is easy for Washington to
grasp
its own self-interest in upholding the Geneva Convention. It has shown
far
less wisdom, however, in regard to the battlefield captives now being
held
in Guantánamo. The administration belatedly acknowledged that the
convention applied to Taliban prisoners held there, though not to Al
Qaeda
members. But then it failed to follow the convention's procedures for
determining prisoner of war status, arbitrarily declaring that no
Guantánamo captives qualified...
-----
U.S. FORCES PREPARE MARTIAL LAW FOR IRAQ
Denis D. Gray, Associated Press, 3/26/03
AN NASIRIYAH, Iraq - American lawyers and legal officials in military
uniform, toting weighty law books and ready to establish martial law,
are
traveling with U.S. and British troops surging into Iraq.
The legal experts are hoping, however, that the Iraqi justice system
won't
fall apart in the event of a coalition victory, and will be able to
maintain order once the shooting stops.
Iraqi civilians likely to be detained by the Americans include those
posing
perceived risks to U.S. troops, common criminals and people who may
provide
valuable intelligence, such as members of Iraq's ruling Baath Party.
"If we catch any terrorists we're going to whisk them off to
Guantanamo,"
Wherry said, referring to the U.S. interrogation center in Cuba where
suspected al-Qaida members from Afghanistan are being held...
SEE ALSO:
IN AN OMINOUS SKY, A CITY DIVINES ITS FATE
Anthony Shadid, Washington Post, 3/26/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28995-2003Mar25.html
BAGHDAD - During six days of war, Baghdadis looking to the heavens for
omens have had much to contemplate. A terrifying cascade of U.S. bombs
has
been followed by the apocalyptic smoke of oil fires lit by Iraqi
forces, so
dense that cars almost collided. The smoke was joined by today's storm,
which abruptly ended Baghdad's struggle to reclaim ordinary life. Shops
again were shuttered and streets were deserted as a sickly yellow
cloaked
the sun.
Weary residents spoke of divine intervention, and in the storm they saw
God's determination to aid Iraq. But beneath the surface were churning
impulses -- of fear and flight, of fatalism and bravado, of grief and
dread. With few exceptions, Iraqis still consider political discussions
taboo, especially with a foreign journalist shadowed by an official
escort.
But the storm seemed to draw out anxieties about a future that no one
seems
willing to predict.
Khaled Ibrahim, sipping sweet lemon tea inside the doorway, surveyed
the
commotion.
With dust suspended in the air and smoke from oil fires billowing, he
said
his neighbors were having trouble breathing. He worried that the blasts
of
bombs would rupture his children's eardrums. And he worried about
getting
medicine for his blood pressure.
Even more pronounced was his sense of pride, a sentiment wrapped up in
the
deeply held traditions here of honor and dignity. Iraq, he
acknowledged,
could never defeat the Americans and the British. It is a Third World
country, and the United States is a superpower. But a U.S. victory
would
have to come at a cost -- suicide perhaps, but with a sense of dignity.
It
was a sentiment, he said, that was wrapped up in his identity as an
Iraqi
and his faith as a Muslim. Not once did he mention President Saddam
Hussein's name...
---
IRAQ: 14 DEAD IN BAGHDAD MISSILE ATTACK
Guardian, 3/26/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-2511228,00.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Two cruise missiles struck a residential area in
Baghdad on Wednesday, killing 14 people, Iraqi defense officials said
in
the worst reported instance of civilian deaths since the U.S. bombing
campaign began a week ago.
Thirty others were reported injured in the attack, which occurred
around
midday in the heavily populated northern Baghdad neighborhood of
Al-Shaab.
The area consists of homes and about 30 shops, mostly cheap restaurants
and
auto repair shops.
Associated Press Television News video showed a large crater in the
street,
a smoldering building, demolished cars, and bodies wrapped in plastic
sheeting in the back of a pickup truck.
The streets were flooded after water pipes were ruptured. Street lights
fell down, trees were uprooted and some cars were overturned by the
blast.
Dozens of people standing amid the debris shook their fists in anger...
---
US ESCALATES WAR ON NORTHERN IRAQ'S MILITANTS
Cameron W. Barr, Christian Science Monitor, 3/26/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0326/p01s04-woiq.html
SULAYMANIYAH, IRAQ - US troops are increasingly engaged in an attempt
to
eliminate a militant group of several hundred Islamist fighters in
Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq...
Many of Saturday's cruise missiles struck areas controlled by Komala
Islami
Kurdistan (Islamic Group of Kurdistan), an armed but more moderate
Islamist
group that controls villages next to the Ansar enclave. Despite PUK
assertions to the contrary, Komala leader Sheikh Ali Bapir said in an
interview yesterday that his group received no warning that it would
come
under US attack.
The US strikes have killed 43 Komala fighters, says Mr. Bapir.
According to
Kamal Rahim, a senior member of the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan
(IMK), a
third Kurdish group that wants an Islamic government, just seven Ansar
fighters have died as a result of US air assaults.
Targeting Komala may be an instance of making a problem worse in order
to
make it better. The group has more fighters than Ansar and Bapir says
many
of them now want to attack the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK),
which
administers the eastern portion of the Kurdish zone...
---
U.S. PICKS 30 IRAQI EXILES AS 'FRONTMEN' OF NEW REGIME
Sharon Behn, Washington Times, 3/26/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20030326-28582064.htm
The State Department has named more than 30 Iraqi exiles, most of them
living in the United States, to head to Baghdad to serve as the
professional core of a new administration as soon as possible after the
fall of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime.
Ranging from professors to the chief executive officers of banks, the
exiles say they expect to serve as the "frontmen" of Baghdad's new
government, linking with Iraqi nationals on the ground to reconstruct
everything from the country's police force to its banking system...
Emanuel Kambar, a physics professor at Western Michigan University,
also is
on the State Department list of those ready to move back to Iraq and
help
rebuild the government, including rewriting the country's
constitution...
"I would like to see a democratic, secular, multiethnic Iraq," added
Mr.
Kambar, who is an Assyrian Christian and longtime Iraqi opposition
member...
---
AL-JAZEERA TV SAYS NO SIGNS OF BASRA UPRISING
Reuters, 3/26/03
KUWAIT - Al-Jazeera television said on Wednesday there were no signs of
unrest in the southern Iraqi city of Basra despite British reports that
an
uprising against President Saddam Hussein may have started there.
"The streets of Basra are very calm and there are no indications of
violence or riots," Jazeera's Basra correspondent Mohammed al-Abdallah
told
the Qatar-based network.
"There are no signs of the reported uprising. All we can hear are
distant
explosions in the southeast, and we believe fighting is going on
there."
Jazeera is one of few international networks with a correspondent in
Basra,
Iraq's second city where British forces on Tuesday attacked specific
targets and captured a top official of Saddam's Baath party...
---
MUSLIMS CALLED TO JIHAD
Fawaz A. Gerges, Los Angeles Times, 3/26/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-war-oegerges26mar26,1,2863240.story
The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has blurred the lines between mainstream,
liberal and radical politics in the world of Islam and has dissipated
much
of the empathy felt by Arabs toward the U.S. in the aftermath of the
9/11
attacks.
Perhaps most alarming, U.S. policy toward Iraq has alienated many of
the
important moderate voices, both secular and religious, which until now
had
been unwilling to join with militant anti-American forces...
Bin Laden must be laughing in either his grave or cave. His strategic
goal
was to mobilize Muslims worldwide to heed his call for jihad. But his
apocalyptic nightmare initially fell on deaf ears. Then, leading Muslim
clerics cautioned young men not to be swayed by the calls for jihad
from
fringe groups like Al Qaeda and said that only legitimate institutions
and
accredited scholars should be heeded. Yet what was unthinkable 18
months
ago has happened. The U.S. has alienated those in the Islamic community
who
were its best hope. The challenge now is to limit the damage.
---
THE ARROGANT EMPIRE
Fareed Zakaria, MSNBC, 3/24/03
http://www.msnbc.com/news/885222.asp
But in its campaign against Iraq, America is virtually alone. Never
will it
have waged a war in such isolation. Never have so many of its allies
been
so firmly opposed to its policies. Never has it provoked so much public
opposition, resentment and mistrust. And all this before the first shot
has
been fired.
Watching the tumult around the world, it's evident that what is
happening
goes well beyond this particular crisis. Many people, both abroad and
in
America, fear that we are at some kind of turning point, where
well-established mainstays of the global order-the Western Alliance,
European unity, the United Nations-seem to be cracking under stress.
These
strains go well beyond the matter of Iraq, which is not vital enough to
wreak such damage. In fact, the debate is not about Saddam anymore. It
is
about America and its role in the new world...
---
A FAILED IRAQ POLICY REINCARNATED
Issam Nashashibi and Abdelatif Rayan, San Diego Union Tribune, 3/26/03
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/wed/opinion/news_mz1e26failed.html
With Pentagon observers predicting a massive U.S. victory over Saddam
Hussein's rusty military machine, the Iraqi leader's days appear to be
numbered.
But will President Bush's Iraq policy bring a real victory to crown
America's hegemony in the Middle East and elsewhere? Could history be
our
guidance?
Bush's Iraq policy is reminiscent of the 1930s British "re-occupation"
of Iraq.
By March 1921, almost four years after they invaded Mesopotamia, the
British created Iraq as a new entity managed by "a suitable Arab" who
was a
member of the Hashemite clan, King Faisal I. In addition, the British
supported and promoted narrowly based groups - such as tribal leaders -
over the growing, urban-based nationalist movement...
Clearly, there is nothing new in the current U.S. military scenarios to
invade Iraq, especially what administration officials allude to in
their
post-Saddam plans. Such policies confirm the administration's intention
to
conquer and occupy Iraq. They also call for disarming Iraq and
downsizing
its armed forces while getting Iraq ready for a democratic transition
and
the removal of senior officials of the governing Baath Party. "Much of
the
bureaucracy would carry on under new management," a U.S. official
added.
Iraqi opposition groups have signed on to the administration's plans
and
are fully cooperating with their Washington handlers to create a
"federal,
non-Arab demilitarized Iraq" as Kanan Makiya, the group's ideologist,
envisioned post-Saddam Iraq in his speech at the American Enterprise
Institute symposium.
Makiya further detailed the thinking of "some Iraqi circles" that are
"working closely with some agencies of the [U.S.] government" in
planning
for post-Saddam rule. He argued for a federal Iraqi government, which
"cannot be thought of any longer, in any politically meaningful sense
of
the word, as an Arab entity." He went on to say that a democratic Iraq
has
to be a non-Arab Iraq.
That is, the Iraq that "can bring Western civilization" and "values"
into
the Middle East added Serif Egali, of the Turkish-U.S.A. Business
Council,
another participant of the AEI symposium...
-----
RICHARD PERLE: IT PAYS TO BE THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS
Frida Berrigan, In These Times, 3/26/03
http://www.inthesetimes.com/comments.php?id=126_0_7_0_C
Richard Perle is a busy guy these days, what with his long-desired war
against Iraq in full swing, plus a lucrative consulting business on the
side. As the chairman of the Defense Policy Board, Perle is a close
adviser
to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, with an insider's perspective on
the
Pentagon, the war in Iraq and the ongoing war on terrorism. As a major
investor in a number of defense companies, he stands to reap
considerable
benefits from war and homeland security contracts. Apparently his dual
roles as a major policy adviser to the Pentagon and a business
dealmaker
can be a bit confusing at times.
A few weeks ago, Perle was hired by Global Crossing, the bankrupt
telecommunications giant that is trying to sell itself to a Chinese
consortium. The Pentagon and FBI are against the sale because it would
put
the company's fiber optics network, which is used by the U.S.
government,
in Chinese hands. Perle's job is to change their minds. And if anyone
can,
it is the "Prince of Darkness," as Perle is known by friend and foe in
Washington...
-----
RADIO MOGUL HEADS U.S. ARABIC TV NETWORK
Vanessa O'Connell, Wall Street Journal, 3/26/03
Norman J. Pattiz, founder of the Westwood One radio network, helped
shape
modern commercial radio with popular shows from the likes of Casey
Kasem,
Don Imus, Larry King and Bill O'Reilly.
Now the U.S. government wants Mr. Pattiz to help win the hearts and
minds
of the Iraqi people.
The 60-year-old entertainment mogul is a driving force behind the
year-old
Arabic-language Radio Sawa network. His new job is to oversee the
launch of
a U.S.-owned Arabic-language TV network. The Middle East Television
Network
is meant to be an important cultural component in postwar Iraq,
promoting
"freedom, democracy and mutual understanding," according to the
network's
mission statement...
"There's a slim chance that U.S.-backed news will play a big role in
influencing public opinion," concurs Nihad Awad, executive director for
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington advocacy group.
"The
problem isn't what you say in the news. It is the position that the
U.S.
has taken in the Palestinian issue. If the approach doesn't take
reality
into consideration, it backfires."
-----
DISCOVERY CHANNEL DOCUMENTARY TO EXPLORE ROOTS OF 9/11
http://dsc.discovery.com/anthology/spotlight/ontv/ontv.html
Thomas L. Friedman Reporting: Searching for the Roots of 9/11 airs on
Wednesday, March 26, at 10 p.m. Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist, travels throughout the Muslim world to try
and
uncover some of the root causes of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
on
the United States.
SEND COMMENTS THROUGH: http://extweb.discovery.com/viewerrelations
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
EEOC SETTLES RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION SUIT AGAINST BLC OF TEXAS
EEOC Press Release, 3/25/03
AUSTIN, TEXAS - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
announced today that it has settled a religious discrimination lawsuit
against BLC of Texas-II, L.P., doing business as Heritage at Gaines
Ranch
Retirement Community, for $15,000 and remedial relief due to its
refusal to
hire a female applicant because of her Muslim religion...
-----
STUDY: OVER HALF OF U.S. ECONOMIC AID TO ISRAEL SPENT ON SETTLEMENTS
U.S. Newswire, 3/25/03
WASHINGTON - Israel will receive an additional $10 billion in military
and
economic aid as part of the $74.7 billion war supplemental, $9 billion
in
loan guarantees and $1 billion in military aid. Last fall, Israel
requested
more than $12 billion in military and economic supplemental aid. The
request was made to assist in Israel's increased military spending to
quell
the Palestinian popular uprising against the Israeli occupation and to
boost its sagging economy. 57 percent of the American people oppose
this
new aid package to boost Israel's economy while our own economy is in
shambles, according to a February, 2003 opinion poll by Zogby
International.
Annually, Israel receives close to $3 billion in military and economic
aid,
making it the single largest recipient of US foreign aid. In addition,
an
extra $200 million for anti-terrorism assistance to Israel was included
in
the 2003 U.S. foreign aid bill. Although it is unrelated to the war
bill,
Israel's new $10 billion aid package is now hidden from public scrutiny
by
being buried in the massive war spending bill.
A new study by the Israeli Peace Now movement found that Israel spends
over
half of US economic aid on settlers and settlements. Settlements are
illegal under international law and the US government has consistently
demanded that Israel cease its expensive settlement activity. A
complete
review of the study can be found at
http://www.peacenow.org.il/English.asp
"The additional aid to Israel being tucked into the war bill has
nothing to
do with the war in Iraq and a lot to do with Israel's subsidies for
settlements and propping up its economy" said Khalid Turaani, Executive
Director of American Muslims for Jerusalem. "Israel requested the
additional aid long before the certainty of a war in Iraq, and for very
specific reasons to boost Israel's sagging economy and to help fray
its
costly occupation of Palestinian territories." Mr. Turaani concluded.
American Muslims for Jerusalem is a Washington, DC-based advocacy
organization committed to the pursuit of balanced US policies that can
lead
to a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land.
Contact: Miryam Rashid of the American Muslims for Jerusalem,
202-256-2000;
e-mail: programs (At) amjerusalem.org web: http://www.amjerusalem.org
-----
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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 - 3/27/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: SIX GOOD QUALITIES
* CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: POST-9/11 REALITIES
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5191 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* MISSIONARIES TO FOLLOW IN WAKE OF IRAQ INVASION
- 'Poised and Ready' (BeliefNet)
- Plans Under Way for Christianizing the Enemy (Newhouse)
* CHARGES FILED IN MOSQUE DAMAGE (Chicago Tribune)
- Charges Expected Soon in Van-Bombing Probe (Chicago Tribune)
- Islamic Group Wants FBI to Probe Fire Injury (Indy Star)
* COUNTY LEADERS SEEK ALTERNATIVE SITE FOR CAMP (AP)
* APPEALS COURT BLOCKS MUSLIM LEADER'S RETURN FROM JORDAN (AP)
* GROUND LAID FOR HISTORIC PRESIDENTIAL POWERS PUSH (Village Voice)
* IRAQI IMMIGRANTS COMPLAIN WHEN FBI AGENTS VISIT WORK (AP)
- Interviews Cause Outrage (Newsday)
- Calif. Groups Open Civil Rights Hotline (AP)
* PRICE OF IRAQ OCCUPATION COULD DWARF WAR'S COST (Reuters)
- War Could Last Months, Officers Say (Washington Post)
- Jubilation Turns to Hate as Aid Arrives (Guardian)
- Preventive War Opens Way to New Rules (Reuters)
- Few in Safwan Want to Forgive, Forget (Globe and Mail)
- Why U.S. Getting A Wary Welcome (CS Monitor)
- 'It Was an Outrage, an Obscenity' (Independent)
- Anti-Hussein Officials Rebuke U.S. (Wash. Post)
- Banned Weapons Remain Unseen (Washington Post)
- U.S. Mongolian Diplomat Resigns over Iraq (AP)
- Only Non-Muslims Can Apply for US Base Job (Hindustan Times)
- India-Can't Bomb Iraq and Tell Us to Talk to Pak (Press Trust)
- Religious People Oppose the Iraq War (Providence Journal)
- Invasion Raises Criticism, Anxiety Across Region (Wash. Post)
* 'ROAD MAP' FOR COLIN POWELL (Washington Post)
- Israeli Security Fence Illegal-U.N. Investigator (Reuters)
* HARVARD SYMPOSIUM EXPLORES ARAB-U.S. UNDERSTANDING
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SIX GOOD QUALITIES
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "There are six good
qualities that one believer should display to another. He should visit
him
when he is ill, be present when he dies, accept his invitation when he
gives one, salute him when he meets him, say 'God have mercy on you'
when
he sneezes, and act sincerely toward him whether he is absent or
present."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1204
-----
CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: POST-9/11 REALITIES
At CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership Conference, "A Roadmap for Success:
Vision
and Action," there will be several sessions devoted to agenda-setting
for
the American Muslim community, such as:
NEW POST 9-11 REALITIES FOR THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY: "Everything has
changed
since 9/11." That is what everyone acknowledges. But what does it mean
for
the American Muslim community.
You can now register online for the conference at:
www.cair-net.org/conference
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5191 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5191 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
MISSIONARIES TO FOLLOW IN WAKE OF IRAQ INVASION
'POISED AND READY'
Deborah Caldwell, BeliefNet, 3/27/03
http://www.beliefnet.com/frameset.asp?pageLoc=/story/123/story_12365_1.html&storyID=12365&boardID=55473
Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham and one of the nation's
most
outspoken critics of Islam, said Wednesday he has relief workers
"poised
and ready" to roll into Iraq to provide for the population's post-war
physical and spiritual needs.
Graham, who has publicly called Islam a "wicked" religion, said the
relief
agency he runs, Samaritan's Purse, is in daily contact with U.S.
Government
agencies in Amman, Jordan, about its plans...
Graham didn't seem concerned that the public presence in Iraq of
Samaritan's Purse-which has put out a press release about its
activities-could prompt already-skeptical Muslims worldwide to view the
war
as a crusade against Islam…
Some Muslims were outraged that Graham would be allowed to help with
Iraq's
humanitarian effort.
"Franklin Graham obviously thinks it is a war against Islam," said
Ibrahim
Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "This
is a
guy who gave the invocation at President Bush's inauguration and
believes
Islam is a wicked faith. And he's going to go into Iraq in the wake of
an
invading army and convert people to Christianity? Nothing good is
coming of
that..."
On Wednesday, Graham was unusually guarded in his comments about Islam,
saying only that "when people ask, I let them know I don't believe in
their
God. But I respect their right to believe whatever they want to
believe."
Two months after September 11, however, he called Islam a "very evil
and
wicked religion…in an interview with Beliefnet, he reiterated his
opinion,
saying, "I believe the Qur'an teaches violence, not peace...""
SEE ALSO:
PLANS UNDER WAY FOR CHRISTIANIZING THE ENEMY
Mark O'Keefe, Newhouse News, 3/27/03
http://www.newhouse.com/archive/okeefe032603.html
Two leading evangelical Christian missionary organizations said Tuesday
that they have teams of workers poised to enter Iraq to address the
physical and spiritual needs of a large Muslim population.
The Southern Baptist Convention, the country's largest Protestant
denomination, and the Rev. Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse said
workers
are near the Iraq border in Jordan and are ready to go in as soon as it
is
safe. The relief and missionary work is certain to be closely watched
because both Graham and the Southern Baptist Convention have been at
the
heart of controversial evangelical denunciations of Islam, the world's
second largest religion...
On the eve of the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis last year,
the
Rev. Jerry Vines, a former denomination president, told several
thousand
delegates that Islam's Allah is not the same as the God worshipped by
Christians. "And I will tell you Allah is not Jehovah, either.
Jehovah's
not going to turn you into a terrorist," Vines said…
Bush, an evangelical Christian himself, has close ties to both Franklin
Graham, who gave a prayer at his inauguration, and Southern Baptists,
who
are among his most loyal political supporters…
-----
CHARGES FILED IN MOSQUE DAMAGE
Rick Jervis, Chicago Tribune, 3/27/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/west/chi-0303270271mar27,1,3927387.story
Two teenagers were charged Monday with using an aluminum baseball bat
to
damage a window of a Villa Park mosque earlier this month, an act
authorities are calling a hate crime.
Villa Park police said the youths--a 15-year-old from Villa Park and a
16-year-old from Lombard--are charged in juvenile petitions with a hate
crime and criminal damage to property at a place of worship. A third
juvenile from Lombard was not charged.
If convicted, a juvenile defendant faces penalties ranging from
probation
to a prison sentence ending with his or her 21st birthday.
The incident March 11 at the Islamic Foundation Mosque, 300 W.
Highridge
Rd., disturbed about 150 people finishing evening prayers inside and
made
mosque officials fearful of more Islamic-targeted crimes as the U.S.
war
with Iraq continued.
"We feel better and somewhat relieved that they've been arrested and
they'll be punished," mosque director Abdul Hameed Dogar said. "But we
are
still fearful and very cautious..."
"We're pleased by this coordination between agencies," said Omar
Haydar,
executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group.
"We hope similar effort and focus is put on other incidents taking
place."
SEE ALSO:
CHARGES EXPECTED SOON IN VAN-BOMBING PROBE
Chicago Tribune, 3/27/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0303270285mar27,1,3318083.story
BURBANK - A suspect in the bombing of a Palestinian Muslim family's van
last week in Burbank was in police custody and could be charged by
early
Thursday, said FBI agent Angela Haun.
Although several people were being questioned Wednesday night in
Burbank by
Burbank police and an FBI official, investigators were primarily
interested
in one suspect who could be charged soon, Haun said.
Haun said she did not have information on the suspect or what charges
were
being considered. Earlier this week, the FBI said it was treating the
case
as a possible hate crime.
The suspect was being questioned about a Friday night explosion that
shattered the windows and blew out a door of the family's van but
caused no
injuries.
---
ISLAMIC GROUP WANTS FBI TO PROBE FIRE INJURY
Tom Spalding, Indianapolis Star, 3/27/03
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/6/031758-3516-093.html
A Washington, D.C.-based Islamic civil rights group today called on
federal
authorities to aid the investigation of a restaurant fire in Franklin
Township that left a Muslim businessman with burns over 60 percent of
his body.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations made the announcement despite
the
fact that investigators aren't sure the motive.
Abdullah Naderi, 37, the owner of the Eastern Kitchen Buffet, who is
from
Afghanistan, was in the business when the fire broke out about 10:15
p.m.
Monday in a recently constructed strip mall at 6815 S. Emerson Ave.
Franklin Township Fire Chief Paul Bailey said Naderi told officials he
was
cleaning up in a kitchen area when two people burst in and set him on
fire.
He said investigators are trying to gather evidence at the scene to
confirm
Naderi's account. Some statements to firefighters were somewhat
contradictory.
"We're not going to change our procedures," said Bailey, who said he
spoke
to the advocacy group. "If they want to bring somebody in, that's their
prerogative. We're still investigating it as an arson ... if in fact
everything went down the way (Naderi) says it did, it's still an arson,
but
could be a hate crime."
Local authorities would benefit from the resources and expertise of the
FBI, CAIR officials say.
"Federal involvement would also help reassure the Muslim community in
Indiana that their safety is a priority," said CAIR Executive Director
Nihad Awad in a statement...
Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR communications director, said it isn't unusual for
a
prejudiced individual to act impulsively.
"This isn't an organized thing the way the KKK was," he said, "It's
just
somebody frustrated who sees the news..."
-----
COUNTY LEADERS SEEK ALTERNATIVE SITE FOR CAMP
Associated Press, 3/27/03
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Some Johnson County officials want the U.S. Army
Corps of
Engineers to consider alternative locations for a Muslim youth camp
planned
on land overlooking the Coralville Reservoir.
The Cedar Rapids-based Muslim Youth Camps of America has applied to
lease
106 acres of land managed by the corps to build a summer camp and
conference center. The property, about two miles northeast of North
Liberty, was once used as a summer retreat by Girl Scouts but has been
abandoned for several years.
The project has drawn sharp criticism from area residents and
government
officials who say it would create sewer, environmental, noise,
emergency
and traffic problems...
The summer camp for Muslim youth would be the first of its kind in the
United States, though organizers say it would not be exclusive for
Muslim
children.
The $2 million construction plan calls for building 10 overnight cabins
for
up to 136 campers, swimming and dock facilities, a paved parking lot
with
66 spaces, a caretaker's residence and a 17,500-square-foot lodge.
The lodge includes meeting rooms, restrooms and dining and kitchen
facilities that could be used year-round for conferences, weddings and
weekend retreats, but not for overnight stays.
-----
APPEALS COURT BLOCKS MUSLIM LEADER'S RETURN FROM JORDAN
Mike Robinson, Associated Press, 3/27/03
CHICAGO - An appeals court dealt a fresh setback Thursday to a
Chicago-area
Muslim leader who went on a visit to Jordan and found himself barred on
national security grounds from re-entering the United States. Sabri
Samirah, 36, had been planning to fly back to Chicago on Thursday after
winning approval Tuesday from federal Judge James B. Moran.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, however, granted a
motion by the government for a stay of Moran's order, forcing Samirah
to
remain outside the country while officials appeal Tuesday's ruling.
"The
government has represented to the court that a stay will cause only a
moderate delay," the appeals court said in an unsigned order.
Samirah, who has lived in the United States for 15 years and has three
children who are U.S. citizens, left for Jordan in January. He said he
was
going on a trip to visit his sick mother.
When he sought to return, however, he was stopped at the airport in
Shannon, Ireland, and told he would not be allowed to re-enter the
country.
The government gave as its reason as national security...
-----
GROUND LAID FOR HISTORIC PRESIDENTIAL POWERS PUSH
Chisun Lee, Village Voice, 3/27/03
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0313/lee.php
An ugly theory popped up in the nation's capital several weeks ago. The
Bush administration would wait until war began, and worry gripped the
homeland, to ram a staggering package of domestic security measures
through
a Congress silenced by fears of seeming unpatriotic. Such measures
would
radically expand the executive branch powers already inflated by the
2001
USA Patriot Act.
On Friday-as the U.S. began suffering combat fatalities, and the terror
alert on whitehouse.gov glared orange for "high"-Justice Department
spokesperson Mark Corallo confirmed to the Voice that such measures
were
coming soon. Exact details are confined to "internal deliberations," he
said, but the proposals "will be filling in the holes" of the Patriot
Act,
"refining things that will enable us to do our job..."
Yale Law School professor Jack Balkin was among the first
constitutional
experts to condemn Patriot Act II as "a new assault on our civil
liberties." Last week he told the Voice, "What we're really worried
about
here is something being proposed while all eyes are on Iraq. People are
whipped up into a frenzy. The executive will propose what, at a certain
time, it thinks it can get away with." That, he said, could be the
draft
bill "in its most virulent form..."
-----
IRAQI IMMIGRANTS COMPLAIN WHEN FBI AGENTS VISIT WORK
Carrie Spencer, Associated Press, 3/26/03
http://www.nbc4columbus.com/news/2066735/detail.html
COLUMBUS, Ohio - FBI agents did not intend to frighten or stigmatize
Iraqi-born people summoned for questioning at the start of the war,
officials said after an Islamic advocacy group complained that the
questioning may have caused problems for some interviewees on the job.
The council has received 16 harassment complaints from Iraqis around
Ohio
in the past two weeks, said Jad Humeidan, executive director of the
Ohio
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, on Wednesday. He
added that others interviewed may not know to call the council for
help.
"The FBI was coming to people's workplaces and identifying themselves
as
FBI agents," Humeidan said. "There's a stigma out there when the FBI
comes
to your workplace or comes to the home..."
"These agents have a duty to do their job, but at the same time we want
to
make sure they're not overstepping their bounds," Humeidan said.
Leaders of the Columbus-based chapter led a meeting this week between
Islamic groups and FBI officials in the Cincinnati field office, which
oversees all southern Ohio agents...
SEE ALSO:
INTERVIEWS CAUSE OUTRAGE
Bart Jones, Newsday, 3/27/03
http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-liiraq273193751mar27.story
Ikhlas Aljazani says she despises Saddam Hussein as much as anyone, and
escaped from the tyranny of his Iraq because her life was in danger.
So when FBI agents showed up at her apartment in Mineola last weekend
to
question her as part of the government's campaign against terrorism,
she
was not only mystified, but livid.
"We fled from Iraq to find a safe place to live and now we end up with
a
place where they're doing the same thing," with government agents
interrogating innocent people in their homes, Aljazani said.
After the FBI visit, Aljazani's rattled landlord told her to move out
in a
month. He later backed off after she said she was taking her story to
the
news media.
A veterinarian who grew up in Baghdad, survived the 1991 Gulf War
bombings
and came to the United States as a refugee after Hussein's government
targeted her, Aljazani is among 11,000 Iraqi natives the FBI is
questioning. Government officials say the interviews, which started
last
week, are aimed at heading off terrorist attacks by cultivating sources
of
information.
But the program, the latest focusing on immigrants from Muslim and Arab
nations, has provoked anger among newcomers who say it amounts to
profiling, does nothing to curb terrorism and unfairly taints
law-abiding
residents - in some cases refugees such as Aljazani.
"These people ran away from Saddam and here you treat them like
suspects,"
said Ghazi Khankan of the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury.
The
program is "a waste of taxpayers' money and a waste of time..."
---
CALIF. GROUPS OPEN CIVIL RIGHTS HOTLINE FOR IRAQI AMERICANS
WAR BRIEFS FROM CALIFORNIA
Associated Press, 3/27/03
LOS ANGELES - Civil rights groups opened a hot line Wednesday
specifically
for Iraqi-Americans who have been called by the FBI to be interviewed
about
their homeland.
"We understand the government's concern for public safety in this time
of
war and also the American Muslim community's concerns about civil
rights,"
Hussam Ayloush, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
in
Southern California, said Wednesday in a news release.
"This hot line provides the necessary protections to allow people to
feel
secure in the conversations with law enforcement agencies," he said.
The hot line, sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union of
Southern
California, Muslim Public Affairs Council, and the Progressive Jewish
Alliance, will provide callers with attorney referrals and general
legal
advice.
ACLU SoCal director Ramona Ripston said people in targeted communities
should know they are entitled to have a lawyer present during
questioning.
"Together with volunteer attorneys we will work to make sure that those
seeking legal assistance will not be left out in the cold," she said.
The federal government has announced that it will interview more than
10,000 Iraqis nationwide in an effort to gather information on Iraq.
Early reports on interviews have ranged from interviewees being
questioned
in a pleasant and courteous manner to persons being intimidated and
treated
rudely, Ripston said in a news release Wednesday.
Southern California hot line number (213) 977-5289
-----
PRICE OF IRAQ OCCUPATION COULD DWARF WAR'S COST
Jonathan Nicholson, Reuters, 3/27/03
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=VUXIEXDCHT3SUCRBAEOCFEY?type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2455198
WASHINGTON - The price of a post-war U.S. occupation of Iraq could be
so
big that some experts fear it would make the cost of combat alone pale
in
significance.
This is especially true because consideration of the war's ultimate
price
tag, and how to pay it, comes at a time the U.S. government is already
awash in red ink.
This week, the White House asked Congress for almost $75 billion in
extra
money to pay for a relatively short war in Iraq.
While Congress has yet to set aside funding for rebuilding in the
current
budget debate, worries over the war's eventual costs were cited in the
Senate's Tuesday vote to whack President Bush's proposed 10-year tax
cut of
$726 billion in half...
SEE ALSO:
WAR COULD LAST MONTHS, OFFICERS SAY
Thomas E. Ricks, Washington Post, 3/27/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33955-2003Mar26.html
Despite the rapid advance of Army and Marine forces across Iraq over
the
past week, some senior U.S. military officers are now convinced that
the
war is likely to last months and will require considerably more combat
power than is now on hand there and in Kuwait, senior defense officials
said yesterday.
The combination of wretched weather, long and insecure supply lines,
and an
enemy that has refused to be supine in the face of American military
might
has led to a broad reassessment by some top generals of U.S. military
expectations and timelines. Some of them see even the potential threat
of a
drawn-out fight that sucks in more and more U.S. forces. Both on the
battlefield in Iraq and in Pentagon conference rooms, military
commanders
were talking yesterday about a longer, harder war than had been
expected
just a week ago, the officials said...
---
JUBILATION TURNS TO HATE AS AID ARRIVES
Burhan Wazir, Guardian, 3/27/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,922723,00.html
Zubayr, Iraq - The young man wearing the brown shawl summed it up
succinctly: "We want you to go back home. We do not want your American
and
British aid," he said, his eyes flashing with anger.
If the British humanitarian taskforce had any doubts as to the
legitimacy
of his claims, the sudden burst of gunfire from a nearby building left
no
one in any doubt.
The first attempt to deliver aid to the Iraqi people was, in all
respects,
a practical and logistical disaster. A convoy of vehicles, including
two
water tankers and as many Warrior armoured vehicles, had set off from
the
abandoned Shaiba airfield earlier. The intent was to deliver food and
water
to win over the hearts and minds of the beleaguered Iraqis...
"We have had no water and no food," said Ali Abdullah, 50. He stood
away
from the crowd, stroking his beard and surveyed the scene intently as
crowds of young men fought over the water.
"For five days now, we have been without electricity. Have you brought
some
electricity...?"
---
PREVENTIVE WAR OPENS WAY TO NEW RULES ON CONFLICT
Jane Macartney, Reuters, 3/27/03
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=1EXX0PGWWGUQUCRBAEKSFEY?type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2456632
SINGAPORE - It sounds like an arcane debate among wordsmiths. But the
distinction between pre-emptive and preventive war, drawn by President
Bush
in ordering the U.S. invasion of Iraq, could change the face of war.
Galvanized since the September 11 attacks by a need to protect the
homeland, Bush has tossed aside, if not quite torn up, the U.N. Charter
on war.
Strict conditions exist to undertake pre-emptive war and Bush has
bypassed
those to launch a preventive war, analysts say.
In simple terms: imagine a row with your neighbor over an overhanging
branch. You see him advancing on the bough with his buzzsaw running.
You
may pre-empt his attack.
But if you just suspect he's been to the hardware store to buy a saw,
you
may not burn down his garden shed to prevent him taking a slice out of
the
disputed greenery.
Bush's preventive action is an innovation in contemporary history and
opens
the way for others to follow suit...
---
FEW IN SAFWAN WANT TO FORGIVE, FORGET
Toronto Globe and Mail, 3/27/03
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030326.usout0326/BNStory/International
Safwan, Iraq - The Iraqi teenager pointed to the stains on the chest of
his
robe. "See," he said. "They shot my brother, and this is his blood."
Few people in Safwan are willing to forgive and forget. As many as a
dozen
people were killed here at the start of the war, when U.S. and British
forces bombarded the town and headed northward toward Basra. The deaths
have provided an easy propaganda victory for the Saddam Hussein
loyalists,
who still hold considerable influence here.
"The British troops are shooting civilians," said Kathem Sajed, a man
who
heaped praise on Mr. Hussein for "spoiling" the town with a surplus of
food
rations over the past six months.
"They're killing women and children," he said. "This morning some
people
were trying to earn their living, and British troops started shooting
them."
His accusation could not be confirmed. The fact that he made it in
public,
without fear of contradiction - to the general approval of civilians,
and
only a couple of metres away from a British soldier who was watching -
showed that the U.S.-led coalition is failing to win the hearts and
minds
of the Iraqi people...
---
WHY US GETTING A WARY WELCOME
Peter Ford, Christian Science Monitor, 3/27/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0327/p01s04-woiq.html
AMMAN, JORDAN - Through the fog of war in Iraq, one conclusion is
emerging.
The "rose petal and rice" scenario, under which Washington optimists
envisaged a warm and immediate welcome for US and British troops, was
mistaken.
Reporters with combat troops have recounted scenes of happy Iraqi
civilians
fraternizing with the soldiers. But they have also broadcast TV
pictures of
sullen groups of men and neutral bystanders. And paramilitary Iraqi
"fedayeen," as well as regular troops, are putting up considerable
resistance.
Whether ordinary Iraqis turn out to be grateful for liberation or
resentful
at invasion will be crucial both to the success of the military
campaign
now under way, and to longer- term American plans for the country they
hope
to capture. But it may be too early to draw conclusions about which
sentiment - patriotic pride, fear, or hatred of President Hussein -
runs
deepest in Iraqi hearts...
---
'IT WAS AN OUTRAGE, AN OBSCENITY'
Robert Fisk, Independent, 3/27/03
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=391165
It was an outrage, an obscenity. The severed hand on the metal door,
the
swamp of blood and mud across the road, the human brains inside a
garage,
the incinerated, skeletal remains of an Iraqi mother and her three
small
children in their still-smouldering car.
Two missiles from an American jet killed them all by my estimate, more
than
20 Iraqi civilians, torn to pieces before they could be 'liberated' by
the
nation that destroyed their lives. Who dares, I ask myself, to call
this
'collateral damage'? Abu Taleb Street was packed with pedestrians and
motorists when the American pilot approached through the dense
sandstorm
that covered northern Baghdad in a cloak of red and yellow dust and
rain
yesterday morning...
For another question occurred to me as I walked through this place of
massacre yesterday. If this is what we are seeing in Baghdad, what is
happening in Basra and Nasiriyah and Kerbala? How many civilians are
dying
there too, anonymously, indeed unrecorded, because there are no
reporters
to be witness to their suffering...?
---
ANTI-HUSSEIN OFFICIALS REBUKE UNILATERAL U.S. BATTLE STRATEGY
Daniel Williams, Washington Post, 3/27/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34762-2003Mar26.html
SALAHUDDIN, Iraq - Iraq's U.S.-endorsed opposition has distanced itself
from the Bush administration's war strategy, suggesting the plan to
conquer
the country without involving the Iraqi public has opened the way for
military problems in the south.
Opposition organizations all desired direct Iraqi involvement in the
war.
Just how much popular resistance they could have mustered remains an
open
question. But from their offices here in the Kurdish-controlled area of
northern Iraq, the groups have expressed little surprise that Iraqi
civilians appear reluctant to greet allied forces, much less take up
arms
to expel government militias and soldiers from their midst...
"There is a difference between a war of liberation and a war of
conquest.
Liberation means Iraqis are at the forefront. Conquest means the
invaders
are in charge," said Hoshyar Zubari, an official of the Kurdistan
Democratic Party...
"There's a total lack of Iraqi involvement," said Zaab Sethna, an aide
to
Ahmed Chalabi, who heads the Iraqi National Congress, an opposition
group
based in London. "We have been surprised over the months the lack of
cooperation with the opposition..."
---
BANNED WEAPONS REMAIN UNSEEN
Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 3/27/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34232-2003Mar26.html
President Bush pledged again yesterday to rid Iraq of "weapons of
terror,"
but coalition forces have so far failed to find proof of Iraqi
biological
or chemical weapons a week after the start of the U.S.-led invasion.
Pentagon officials pointed to the discovery Tuesday of Iraqi chemical
protection suits at a hospital near Nasiriyah as evidence that Iraq's
military had prepared for a chemical attack. Yet, the absence of Iraqi
weapons of mass destruction -- either in the battlefield or in caches
uncovered by U.S. troops -- has remained a notable feature of the
military
campaign so far, intelligence officials and weapons experts say...
---
U.S. MONGOLIAN DIPLOMAT RESIGNS OVER IRAQ
Michael Kohn, Associated Press, 3/27/03
ULAN BATOR, Mongolia - A senior diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in
Mongolia
has resigned in protest over Washington's decision to wage war in Iraq
and
U.S. policy toward the Middle East and North Korea.
Ann Wright, who as deputy chief of mission was the embassy's
second-in-command, also criticized the "unnecessary curtailment of
civil
rights" in the United States since Sept. 11.
"I believe the administration's policies are making the world a more
dangerous, not a safer, place," she said in a resignation letter
addressed
to Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Wright said Thursday she sent the letter March 19, the day before the
U.S.-
and British-led attack on Iraq began. She planned to leave Mongolia in
early April.
---
CAN'T BOMB IRAQ AND TELL US TO TALK TO PAK, INDIA TELLS US
Press Trust of India, 3/25/03
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=20068
New Delhi - India on Tuesday countered the renewed call by the US for
resumption of talks with Pakistan, asking why military action was
resorted
to against Iraq and Afghanistan instead of dialogue to resolve the
crisis
confronting the two countries. "If dialogue per se is more critical
than
combating international terrorism with all necessary means, then one
can
legitimately ask why both in Afghanistan and Iraq military action
instead
of dialogue has been resorted to," External Affairs Ministry spokesman
told
reporters.
---
ONLY NON-MUSLIMS CAN APPLY FOR US BASE JOB
Srinivasa Prasad, Hindustan Times, 3/27/03
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_222087,0008.htm
Tucked in the classifieds of national Indian dailies on Wednesday was
an
advertisement that could further alienate the Muslim community from the
United States.
The advertisement calls for applications from "non-Muslims only" for
sundry
jobs at the US base in northern Kuwait.
The US base "urgently requires" lift operators, store keepers, clerks,
typists, security guards and drivers. The advertisement insists that
the
applicants, besides being non-Muslims, should speak English and be
below 35.
The advertisement was issued by Indian head-hunters Rehman Enterprises
and
Continental Mercantile.
Executives of these firms said they were representing a Kuwaiti
company,
Marafi, which has a "maintenance contract" with the US army.
"The Americans are strict that we should only process applications sent
in
by non-Muslims," Rehman Enterprises' head Abdul Rehman told the
Hindustan
Times on Wednesday...
---
RELIGIOUS PEOPLE OPPOSE THE IRAQ WAR
Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar, Providence Journal, 3/27/03
http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/projo_20030327_27ctarab
ST. LOUIS - Many religious leaders see the costs of this war
egregiously
outweighing any benefits. Pope John Paul II has worked tirelessly to
persuade decision-makers not to go to war; such war would be, in his
words,
"a defeat for humanity." Former President Jimmy Carter stated in a
recent
New York Times opinion piece: "As a Christian and as a president who
was
severely provoked by international crises, I became thoroughly familiar
with the principles of a just war, and it is clear that a substantially
unilateral attack on Iraq does not meet these standards."
And several prominent Jewish groups have raised a small yet visible
flag
against the war. The Shalom Center, based in Philadelphia, had several
rabbis demonstrating outside the United Nations; when asked about their
subsequent arrest, Rabbi Arthur Waskow said that they were "joyful and
determined..."
Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar is Midwest communications director of the
Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
---
INVASION RAISES CRITICISM, ANXIETY ACROSS REGION
Azizah Moore, Washington Post, 3/27/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29249-2003Mar25.html
The decision to go to war in Iraq has stirred strong and mixed feelings
in
the Muslim community. Azizah Moore, 18, a first-year student at
Montgomery
College's Takoma Park campus who is majoring in pre-medicine, opposes
the
war and worries about unfair attitudes toward Muslim Americans. Moore
lives
in Takoma Park.
I personally think that this war is throwing coals into a fire, a fire
that
already had the U.S. flag burning on it.
America is already seen as a rich country, but now also as a rich
country
that is heavy-handedly justifying a greedy grab for another country's
oil
supply...
I grew up in this country learning to be proud of the fact that we all
enjoy freedom of speech. But to be honest, the Arab and Muslim
community is
increasingly afraid to speak out against policies that we may believe
are
unjust without being viewed as "potential terrorists" by federal
agencies
and fellow Americans alike.
More and more, we must legitimize ourselves at our workplace or at
school
by disowning our beliefs. If we do not, then we are looked at as a
possible
threat because others view our religious beliefs as giving us a
propensity
toward terrorism.
If we subscribe to a more "Orthodox" form of Islam, as I do, we are
labeled
fundamentalists. An Orthodox Christian or Orthodox Jew could speak
about
his or her moral ideals of religious practice without invoking such a
label. This is part of the widespread misinformation about our
religion...
-----
'ROAD MAP' FOR COLIN POWELL
Richard Cohen, Washington Post, 3/27/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34661-2003Mar26.html
For a time this week I was "embedded" in Secretary of State Colin
Powell's
office at the State Department. I use the media-military term of the
moment
because as war is being waged in Iraq, Powell is planning some
campaigns of
his own. One of them -maybe the most important - is to take the
Israelis
and the Palestinians and knock their heads together. It's about time.
The Bush administration is already on record as favoring the creation
of a
Palestinian state. It is already on record as demanding that Israel
cease
building West Bank settlements -- and dismantle some existing ones. It
is
on record for doing all the right things. Trouble is, it has done none
of them.
The failure to deal forthrightly and, in the argot of Washington,
robustly
with Ariel Sharon and his right-wing government has cost America plenty
in
the Middle East. The United States is seen as unabashedly in Sharon's
corner, which in fact it has been. Only recently has the administration
said it is serious about getting -- "imposing" is probably the better
word
-- a plan to end the incessant violence between Israelis and
Palestinians.
Before the Israelis and the Palestinians can get their act together,
however, the Bush administration will have to do the same. At the
moment,
the State Department, which used to conduct American foreign policy,
has
been outgunned by the Pentagon, the National Security Council (now with
Elliott Abrams) and Dick Cheney, a vice president with very strong
views
about the Middle East. Suffice it to call them pro-Sharon...
SEE ALSO:
ISRAELI SECURITY FENCE ILLEGAL-U.N. INVESTIGATOR
Reuters, 3/27/03
GENEVA - A United Nations investigator said on Thursday a security wall
which Israel says is to protect its citizens from Palestinian gunmen
and
suicide bombers was an illegal "creeping annexation" of Palestinian
territory.
"The wall is being used as a way of expanding Israel's territory,"
special
rapporteur John Dugard said before presenting a report to the
Geneva-based
U.N. Commission on Human Rights. "It amounts to illegal territorial
gain."
Israel's Defence Ministry this week proposed extending the security
fence,
which roughly follows the frontier with the West Bank, deeper into the
West
Bank to protect the Jewish settlements of Ariel, Emmanuel and Keddumim.
"Israel responds that this is a temporary security measure, but I think
the
reality is that this is a form of creeping annexation of Palestinian
territory," Dugard said...
-----
HARVARD SYMPOSIUM EXPLORES ARAB-U.S. UNDERSTANDING
WHAT: The Harvard Arab Alumni Association and the Harvard Society of
Arab
Students are sponsoring a symposium titled: "Promoting Understanding
Between the Arab World and the US".
WHEN: Saturday, April 12 to Sunday, April 13
WHERE: Harvard University
For more info, visit: http://www.harvardarabalumni.org/symposium
-----
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-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
MUSLIM WOMAN HARASSED ON FLORIDA HIGHWAY
Men in van shout "terrorist," throw object at car
(MIAMI, FLORIDA, 3/28/2003) - Florida's office of the Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today called on
Attorney
General Charlie Crist to apply the full weight of the law to three men
accused of harassing a Muslim woman.
The harassment allegedly occurred March 6 as the woman, who was wearing
an
Islamic head scarf, drove her car along a Pinellas County highway.
According to the victim, a native of Guyana who is a U.S. citizen, the
men
repeatedly leaned out of their van's windows and shouted "terrorist" as
the
vehicle changed lanes several time in an intimidating manner. One of
the
perpetrators allegedly threw an object at the women's car. A juvenile
was
arrested and charged with "throwing a deadly missile into an occupied
vehicle," (Case #CRC0301979DL) but the driver and the other passenger
were
apparently not taken into custody.
"Without a strong statement from the attorney general's office,
followed by
equally strong action, we are concerned that such incidents will not be
treated with the seriousness they deserve. It is time that all
community
leaders work to end hate crimes," said CAIR-FL Executive Director Altaf
Ali.
In a March 18 letter to CAIR-FL, Florida Department of Law Enforcement
(FDLE) Commissioner James T. Moore stated that law enforcement
authorities
would not tolerate hate crimes against Muslims.
Moore wrote: "FDLE will not tolerate hate crimes of any nature. We will
continue, as we have done in the past, to work aggressively to
investigate
and prosecute all individuals who commit hate crimes…FDLE is committed
to
protecting Muslims and Arab-Americans…We want to continue to make
Florida a
safe place for both its citizens and visitors, and your help is vital."
Governor Bush also stated: "We have assured Islamic leaders that any
actions against them because of who they are or what their religion is
will
absolutely not be tolerated."
A number of anti-Muslim incidents have been reported recently across
the
United States. CAIR attributes these incidents to pro-war rhetoric,
coupled
with existing levels of anti-Muslim bias in American society.
On Monday, an Indianapolis, Ind., Muslim suffered burns over 60 percent
of
his body in what may have been a bias-related attack. Last Saturday, an
explosive device destroyed an Illinois Muslim family's van. In other
Illinois incidents, an Evanston resident received a mailed death
threat, a
Glendale Heights Islamic center received a phoned bomb threat and
projectiles were fired at a mosque in Villa Park.
In California, four Muslim women visiting a restaurant were verbally
assaulted by another patron. Death threats were made against Muslim
students at San Jose State University in Northern California. In
Michigan,
a Muslim father and son report that they were refused service at a
store.
Physical assaults against Muslims have been reported in Northern
California, Southern California, Georgia, New Jersey, and South
Carolina.
One incident in Yorba Linda, Calif., left a Muslim teenager badly
beaten by
a group that allegedly included white supremacists.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-FL, Altaf Ali, 954-298-8214, E-MAIL:
altaf@cair-florida.org;
Ahmed Bedier, 813-731-9506, EMAIL abedier@cair-florida.org;
CAIR-National,
Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org;
Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-MAIL:
hhassan@cair-net.org
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a journalist's 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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/28/2003
HEADLINES:
* REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5200 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* PHOENIX IRAQI-AMERICAN FAMILY ATTACKED (Arizona Republic)
- CAIR Letter to Arizona Governor (Arizona Republic)
- U.S. Arabs, Muslims Reporting Hate Crimes (AP)
- Immigrants on the Battlefront (Chicago Tribune)
* FBI NEARLY DONE TALKING TO IRAQIS (SF Chronicle)
- FBI Chief Defends Agents' Questioning Of Iraqis (LA Times)
- Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Homeland Security (LCHR)
* 'CIVILIANS KILLED' IN MOSUL RAID (Reuters)
- Air Raid Kills 55 in Baghdad Market (Reuters)
- Hawks on War Against Hussein Stay the Course (Wash. Post)
- History and Humiliation (Washington Post)
- Invoking International Law When It Suits U.S. (Slate.com)
- Arab-American Anger Could Weaken Bush in 2004 (Forward)
- U.S. Forces Detain Iraqi Men as Suspects (Reuters)
- Why Iraqis are Suspicious of Liberators (Independent)
* AID PLAN CRITICIZED AS EFFORT TO CONVERT (USA Today)
- 2 Christian Groups' Aid Effort Questioned (Wash. Post)
- Christians See Chance to Bring Jesus to Iraq (Denver Post)
* KEY RUMSFELD ADVISER RESIGNS (USA Today)
* ISRAELIS FEAR BLAIR'S INFLUENCE OVER BUSH (Guardian)
- Governors' Trip Cemented Bush's Bond with Sharon (Forward)
* TAMPA BAY GROUP: AL-ARIAN MOVED TO FL FEDERAL PENITENTIARY
-----
REGISTER FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action" at www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5200 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5200 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
PHOENIX FAMILY WITH IRAQI TIES IS ATTACKED
Hernán Rozemberg, Arizona Republic, 3/28/03
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0328muslimconcern.html
Explosives were hurled into the back yard of an Iraqi-American family
in
Phoenix on Wednesday, the same day a Muslim advocacy group called on
the
governor to take action to prevent hate crimes.
Four "dry ice explosives" were thrown at Basil Sayad's home shortly
before
5 p.m., Phoenix police Sgt. Randy Force said. The devices, concoctions
of
dry ice mixed with water in a bottle, did not injure the Sayads and
their
two teenage children. Force said that there was minor property damage
and
that the department's bomb squad was investigating the attack.
"This is unconscionable and won't be tolerated," Force said. "These are
American citizens and most definitely not the people we're at war
with."
Police ruled the attack a "possible bias incident," and the state
attorney
general's civil rights division and the Phoenix FBI office are also
looking
into it.
Hours before the incident, Deedra Abboud, executive director of the
Arizona
chapter of the Council of American Islamic Relations, sent a letter to
Gov.
Janet Napolitano calling for immediate action to prevent a growing
ethnic
backlash...
Napolitano repudiated the attack and understood Abboud's concerns,
spokesman Paul Allvin said.
"The governor intends to work closely with the Islamic community to
ensure
their concerns are taken care of," he said. "There is no room in this
or
any other community for hate crimes..."
Local Muslim leaders cautioned that war-related tensions are no reason
to
use others as a scapegoat.
Abboud said that until Wednesday, most instances of ethnic targeting
since
war broke out had not been physical. She said that her office has been
a
frequent recipient of hate mail and that Muslims reported getting long,
ugly stares on the streets and threatening crank calls at home.
That is similar to what happened after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks, when stares and name-calling escalated to assaults and, in at
least one case, murder. Balbir Singh Sodi, an immigrant from India, was
shot and killed while landscaping his Mesa gas station just four days
after
the attacks.
Jabir Algarawi, who fled Iraq a decade ago and now directs the Arizona
Refugee Community Center, applauded Abboud's effort.
As the tally of U.S. injuries and fatalities grows, he said, so grow
the
fears of violence against Muslims in the United States.
"We should target criminality, not faith," Algarawi said. "Ignorant
people
will try to accuse Muslims, so anything that will educate the public is
welcomed."
SEE ALSO:
LETTER FROM COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR
Arizona Republic, 3/27/03
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0327councilletter-ON.html
March 26, 2003
The Honorable Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona, 1700 West
Washington,
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Dear Governor Napolitano…
The war on Iraq has made our community (of over 45,000 people) very
nervous. Therefore, we are writing today to request you to take
proactive
measures and denounce all types of stereotyping, racial slurs,
discrimination, violence, loss of life, loss of property, hate crimes,
and
other forms of intimidation so that anyone considering such illegal
targeting of Muslims or other minorities will be put on notice…on
behalf of
the Muslim population in Arizona, CAIR calls on you to publicly
denounce
all types of stereotyping and hate crimes. We ask you to re-assure the
minorities in Arizona that that the government will protect them and
prosecute any hate crimes committed against them.
Sincerely,
Deedra Abboud
Executive Director,
CAIR-AZ
---
U.S. ARABS, MUSLIMS REPORTING HATE CRIMES
DEBORAH KONG, Associated Press, 3/28/03
Muslim, Arab and Sikh groups say reports of backlash crimes are
trickling
in, and they fear an increase if the war in Iraq drags on.
Advocates who track such incidents say they've heard about a dozen
potential hate crimes - most involving verbal harassment or property
damage
to Arabs, Muslims and Sikhs - since the war began last week…
In Burbank, Ill., an explosive device was thrown into a Muslim family's
van, destroying it. Police were investigating whether it was a hate
crime.
At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, someone scrawled ``Suicide
bomb
yourselves'' in permanent marker on a display board at the Muslim
Student
Association's offices. In Eugene, Ore., a man was charged with a hate
crime
after he approached a Sikh woman's car and pointed both index fingers
at
her, pretending to shoot.
The Sikh Coalition has placed ads in Punjabi-language media urging
people
to report incidents. After the Sept. 11 attacks, Sikhs were mistakenly
associated with Osama bin Laden because they wear turbans and grow
beards
as signs of their faith…
Earlier this week, two teenagers were charged with committing a hate
crime
for allegedly smashing a window at a Villa Park, Ill., mosque as about
100
people prayed inside on March 11.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has distributed "safety kits"
to
mosques, community leaders and others with tips on preventing hate
crimes,
developing relationships with law enforcement, safeguarding legal
rights
and responding to anti-Muslim incidents.
Some mosques have canceled activities and are carefully watching
newcomers,
said Omar Haydar, executive director of the council's Chicago chapter…
---
IMMIGRANTS ON THE BATTLEFRONT
Chicago Tribune, 3/28/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0303280201mar28,1,6395836.story
It's not widely known that of the 1.4 million people on active duty in
the
U.S. military, more than 60,000 are immigrants. About half of those
immigrant soldiers are not U.S. citizens. They are grateful to be here,
grateful for what America has done for them, and they have volunteered
to
serve on behalf of their adopted country.
The months since Sept. 11 have not been kind to many of the immigrants
in
the U.S. The terrorists were foreign-born and, as a result, public
suspicion and some legislative action has been targeted at the
immigrant
population. Some of the responses were overdue, such as tightening
border
security and the monitoring of immigrants who hold student visas in the
U.S.
Other responses have been vile. Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq last
week,
some Arab and Muslim immigrants, including some in the Midwest, have
been
the victims of hate crimes.
An Afghan immigrant suffered burns over 60 percent of his body when two
men
broke into his restaurant and set him on fire. A Muslim speaker at a
"Support Our Troops" rally Saturday on the steps of the Minnesota
capitol
was jeered with epithets about Muslims and the Koran. Most shameful,
the
speakers that followed her--including the governor and several
legislators--remained silent on the revolting spectacle...
-----
FBI NEARLY DONE TALKING TO IRAQIS
Stacy Finz, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/28/03
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/28/MN248904.DTL
A nationwide FBI program to interview 11,000 Iraqi immigrants is
winding
down in the Bay Area, where many of those questioned found the bureau's
agents poorly informed about Iraq, its history and its politics...
And while many found the agents to be polite, respectful and pleasant,
there were those who saw the voluntary program as an invasion of
privacy
and an act of racial profiling. A 28-year-old college student, who has
lived in the United States since he was 3, is believed to be the only
person in the Bay Area who refused to talk to the agents...
Helal Omeira, executive director of the Northern California division of
the
national Council on American-Islamic Relations, said his organization
offered dozens of resources to Iraqi immigrants who voiced concern
about
the interviews.
"These are people who came from an extremely repressive regime," he
said.
"They're not conditioned to trust the government. Some wanted
attorneys,
and some thought they'd try it alone..."
SEE ALSO:
FBI CHIEF DEFENDS AGENTS' QUESTIONING OF IRAQIS IN THE U.S.
Richard B. Schmitt, Los Angeles Times, 3/28/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-war-fbi28mar28,1,2141133.story
WASHINGTON - FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III on Thursday defended a
program in which agents have been questioning thousands of Iraqis in
the
United States, saying it has helped identify possible targets for U.S.
troops in Iraq.
The investigators have cast a wide net: An Iraqi-born imam in Orange
County
recently said an FBI agent showed up at his mosque one morning to ask
some
questions. In another instance, the FBI approached an Iraqi-born
cardiologist while he was at work at a Southern California hospital.
But the questioning has also left some in the Muslim community
disenchanted
and embittered. Many fled Iraq to escape atrocities under Saddam
Hussein,
and now they feel as if they are being victimized again. Agents had
already
questioned many of them in the weeks and months after the Sept. 11,
2001,
attacks.
"I don't think it is a productive use of our limited law enforcement
resources, just to round up a few aliens with visa problems," said
Ibrahim
Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations. The questioning may "alienate an entire community," he said,
by
singling out people based on race or ethnicity.
Hooper also questioned whether the people the FBI is interviewing, many
of
whom left Iraq years ago, have access to current or sensitive
information
that would be at all useful to the military...
---
RESOURCES: REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS AND HOMELAND SECURITY
"Refugees, Asylum Seekers and the New Department of Homeland Security",
a
new report by the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights (LCHR) is
available at:
http://www.lchr.org/refugees/refs_032503.pdf
-----
'CIVILIANS KILLED' IN MOSUL RAID
Herald Sun, 3/28/03
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,6200849%5E1702,00.html
A heavy air raid by US and British coalition forces has killed or
wounded
more than 50 civilians in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, al-Jazeera
television has reported from the scene. The station's correspondent
said
seven houses were destroyed in an unidentified district and that many
inhabitants were fleeing.
They were enraged because no military targets were in the vicinity, it
was
claimed.
One resident told the Arab station that "at least 50 children" were
hit,
along with an "incalculable" number of women. Footage from the area
showed
destroyed houses and trucks filled with bags and baggage leaving the
scene...
SEE ALSO:
AIR RAID KILLS 55 IN BAGHDAD MARKET - IRAQI DOCTOR
Reuters, 3/28/03
BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - At least 55 people were killed in an air raid
on
a popular Baghdad market Friday, an Iraqi doctor told Reuters.
Dr. Osama Sakhari at Baghdad's Al Noor Hospital said he had counted 55
people killed and more than 47 wounded from the attack at the market in
the
city's Shula neighborhood.
Reuters correspondent Hassan Hafidh said he had counted five bodies in
one
of the hospital's morgue units. Arabic language television stations
Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya said searchers were looking for more victims,
and
showed pictures of people carrying coffins out of the hospital which
was
surrounded by large crowds.
---
HAWKS ON WAR AGAINST HUSSEIN STAY THE COURSE
Thomas B. Edsall, Washington Post, 3/28/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40017-2003Mar27.html
Strong proponents of the war against Iraq yesterday dismissed fresh
concerns that the conflict could take much longer and produce more
casualties than generally anticipated, expressing continued optimism
about
the conflict's ultimate outcome...
"I think the American people are going to have great tolerance for the
war
taking longer, and they are going to have great tolerance for more
casualties," said William Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly
Standard. "The American people don't have tolerance for defeat or
equivocation."
Along similar lines, Michael A. Ledeen, author of "The War against the
Terror Masters" and a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute,
argued
at a forum on Iraq earlier the week:
"I think the level of casualties is secondary. I mean, it may sound
like an
odd thing to say, but all the great scholars who have studied American
character have come to the conclusion that we are a warlike people and
that
we love war..."
---
HISTORY AND HUMILIATION
Shibley Telhami, Washington Post, 3/28/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39903-2003Mar27.html
As the battle for Baghdad begins and public opinion in the Middle East
is
further inflamed, the prevailing view in Washington remains that
military
victory will fix everything in the end. Two notions drive this view:
that
the defeat of Saddam Hussein will put the militant forces in the Middle
East on the defensive and that the overwhelming exercise of American
power
will command respect, thus compliance, in the region, even if it
doesn't
win hearts. Neither is supported by historical trends...
Today militancy in the Middle East is fueled not by the military
prospects
of Iraq or any other state but by a pervasive sense of humiliation and
helplessness in the region. This collective feeling is driven by a
sense
that people remain helpless in affecting the most vital aspects of
their
lives, and it is exacerbated by pictures of Palestinian humiliation.
There
is much disgust with states and with international organizations.
The notion that the overwhelming exercise of power can achieve peace in
areas of protracted conflict is not supported by the modern history of
the
Middle East. To be sure, power can prevent one's defeat and inflict
significant pain on the enemy, but rarely can it ensure long-term
compliance. In its confrontation with Lebanon, Israel's overwhelming
military superiority over the weakest of neighbors has not translated
into
the power to compel the Lebanese to accept Israel's terms or eliminate
militancy...
---
INVOKING INTERNATIONAL LAW ONLY WHEN IT SUITS US
Michael Kinsley, Slate.com, 3/28/03
http://www.msnbc.com/news/891723.asp?0ql=c8p&cp1=1
We forgot international law once again. When the U.N. Security Council
would not play ball, we declared that our own invasion of Iraq was
justified as a sovereign act of long-term self-defense against
potential
weapons of mass destruction, by the human rights situation within Iraq,
and
by the hope that removing Saddam Hussein will start a chain reaction of
democracy and freedom in the Middle East. Don't bother us with your
petty
i-dotting and t-crossing: We're thinking big here...
But today our head's in a very different space and we're extremely
concerned about violations of international law. Concerned, alarmed,
and
outraged. Specifically, we're deeply offended by Iraq's violations of
the
Geneva Conventions by showing U.S. prisoners of war on television.
We're
also angry that some Iraqi soldiers are waving the white flag in fake
surrenders and violating the rules of war in other ways...
We, the United States, are pretty clearly violating the Geneva
Conventions
ourselves in our treatment of Afghan soldiers we've imprisoned at
Guantanamo, and we've justified this (to the extent we've bothered)
with
the same "don't be naive" arguments used for ignoring the Security
Council
about Iraq...
---
ARAB-AMERICAN ANGER OVER WAR IN IRAQ COULD WEAKEN BUSH IN 2004
Ori Nir, Forward, 3/28/03
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.03.28/news3b.html
The war against Iraq is dramatically eroding President Bush's support
among
Arab Americans and Muslim Americans and could weaken his 2004
reelection
prospects in states with sizeable Arab- and Muslim-American immigrant
populations, such as Michigan and Florida, some experts say.
"I have told the White House and people in the Republican Party that if
this president is their candidate next time, they might as well write
off
Muslims and most Arab Americans," said Khalil Jahshan, vice president
of
the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee...
---
U.S. FORCES DETAIN IRAQI MEN AS GUERRILLA SUSPECTS
Reuters, 3/28/03
As Sayliya Camp, Qatar - U.S. troops in Iraq are detaining unarmed men
in
civilian clothes, relying on their "intuition" to guess who might be a
guerrilla, a U.S. spokesman at war headquarters in Qatar said on
Friday. He
did not say how many Iraqi men were being held or for how long. Some
were
being moved to other locations for questioning.
"We've received some reports that the soldiers have observed suspicious
activity of Iraqis in civilian attire. They have been detained for
questioning," Captain Stuart Upton told Reuters. "The question is, how
do
you know that they could be paramilitary forces in civilian attire that
are
up to something?" he said.
He said it was up to the soldier or marine on the ground "to not only
trust
their experience and training, but their intuition as well..."
---
WHY THE IRAQIS ARE SUSPICIOUS OF THEIR LIBERATORS
Patrick Cockburn, Independent, 3/28/03
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=391429
In 1915 a British army led by Major General Charles Townsend advanced
north
from Basra in what he hoped would be an easy campaign to capture
Baghdad.
After initial victories he was forced to retreat. After suffering heavy
casualties in a battle outside Baghdad the army fell back to Kut, then
as
now an evil-smelling and tumbledown city on a bend in the Tigris...
But there is another, precise parallel between what happened south of
Baghdad in 1915 and in 2003. In both cases the invading army and its
political masters were grossly overconfident that they would win an
easy
victory. So far, this has not happened, though the Iraqi army might
cave in
under the terrible battering from US air power. The difficulties facing
London and Washington are not just important in the context of the
present
campaign, but they are an ominous foretaste of the dangers in
establishing
any post-war settlement...
Disliked though Saddam Hussein may be by most of the Iraqi population,
he
is appealing to Iraqi nationalism and patriotism. This is much bruised
after his disastrous years in power, but it can still resonate. One
long-standing opponent of his rule told me at the weekend that, much
though
he approved of the invasion, he still felt a frisson of anger when he
saw
American soldiers raising the Stars and Stripes near Umm Qasr...
-----
AID PLAN CRITICIZED AS EFFORT TO CONVERT
Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA Today, 3/28/03
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-27-graham-usat_x.htm
The prospect of relief workers preaching Christianity in war-torn Iraq
has
outraged Muslims and ignited new controversy for Franklin Graham, the
evangelist son of the Rev. Billy Graham.
Franklin Graham, who heads his ailing father's worldwide organization
as
well as a global humanitarian aid agency, Samaritan's Purse, has called
Islam a "very evil and wicked" religion. Now, the agency is "poised and
ready" with supplies and medicine for suffering Iraqis.
The purpose is to love and save them in "the name of Jesus Christ," he
said
in an interview published Thursday on Beliefnet, a multifaith Web site.
"God will always give us opportunities."
Muslims were outraged. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, called any plan to follow the invasion of
Iraq
with a conversion campaign "a public relations disaster" for Bush.
"They
are coming into a situation where vulnerable people don't have food,
shelter or clothing. They are using their position of power to try to
persuade people to leave their faith."
Franklin Graham has been making headlines since he prayed in Jesus'
name at
George W. Bush's inauguration. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, however,
Bush
has distanced himself publicly from evangelists who condemn Islam...
SEE ALSO:
2 CHRISTIAN GROUPS' AID EFFORT QUESTIONED
Alan Cooperman and Caryle Murphy, Washington Post, 3/28/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39600-2003Mar27.html
Two major evangelical Christian groups said yesterday that they have
amassed supplies in Jordan and are preparing to send relief workers
into
Iraq as soon as the military situation permits.
The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant
denomination, and Samaritan's Purse, run by the Rev. Franklin Graham,
said
they are ready to provide emergency shelter, food aid and medical care
to
Iraq's mostly Muslim population. The announcements raised concerns
among
U.S. Muslim leaders that the groups intend to proselytize in Iraq.
Graham, the son of the Rev. Billy Graham, has called Islam an "evil"
and
"wicked" religion that foments violence.
"I think it's a colossally bad move to have a group whose leader says
Islam
is 'evil' follow in the wake of U.S. troops in Iraq," said Ibrahim
Hooper,
spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim
advocacy
group in Washington. "It would seem to confirm every suspicion in the
Muslim world that the war on Iraq and the war on terrorism are really a
war
on Islam..."
---
CHRISTIANS SEE CHANCE TO BRING JESUS TO IRAQ
Eric Gorski, Denver Post, 3/27/03
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E6439%257E1273273,00.html
"We would see any crisis or tragedy as an opportunity to make God
known, to
make Jesus Christ known," said the Rev. Rick Lewis, senior associate
pastor
at Riverside, Colorado's largest Southern Baptist church.
Some evangelical groups are not waiting for the war to end to begin
their
work. The Southern Baptist Convention and the Rev. Franklin Graham's
Samaritan's Purse announced this week they've mobilized workers in
Jordan
who are waiting for a safe time to launch humanitarian and missionary
trips
into Iraq.
Those efforts, some say, could stir resentment in the Arab world, where
the
Bush administration is emphasizing the Iraq war has nothing to do with
religion.
To evangelical leaders, the idea is not to launch a new crusade, but to
promote the freedom for people to choose a faith. To Muslims, it's
another
attack on their religion and not the first time missionaries have come
with
bread in one hand and a Bible in the other…
The U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan opened the door for a
missionary
family from Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada to move rice and supplies into
the
country, said Roger Gerard, who coordinates the church's mission work.
About 23 families from the 4,000-member church are serving as
missionaries
in countries including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq would likely result in a
willing audience for Christian missionaries, said Cheryl Morrison,
director
of Faith Bible Chapel's women's and Israel ministries.
"People get so attuned to oppression, they don't really allow
themselves to
think outside that," she said. "When that's raised, that's fertile
ground
for the Gospel…"
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said mixing relief work and proselytizing
in
Iraq fits a long history of missionaries using deception.
"They go in under the guise of helping people, and what they really
want is
to help them leave their faith," Hooper said. "It's really a despicable
practice - going to people who are extremely vulnerable, in a very bad
situation, and using widely disproportionate power relationships to get
them to change their faith."
Hooper warned that if missionaries follow soldiers into the country,
U.S.
statements that the war is not against Islam are undermined…
-----
KEY RUMSFELD ADVISER RESIGNS
Associated Press, 3/28/03
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-03-27-perle_x.htm
WASHINGTON - Former Pentagon official Richard Perle resigned Thursday
as
chairman of a group that advises Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on policy
issues, saying he did not want a controversy over his business dealings
to
distract from Rumsfeld's management of the war in Iraq.
In a brief statement, Rumsfeld thanked Perle for his service and said
he
was grateful that the former Reagan administration official had agreed
to
remain a board member. Rumsfeld made no reference to a reason for Perle
giving up the chairmanship...
The controversy centers on Perle's deal with bankrupt Global Crossing
Ltd.
to win government approval of its purchase by a joint venture of two
Asian
firms. Perle would receive $725,000 for his work, including $600,000 if
the
government approves the deal, according to lawyers and others involved
in
the bankruptcy case.
-----
ISRAELIS FEAR BLAIR'S INFLUENCE OVER BUSH
Chris McGreal, Guardian, 3/28/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,924412,00.html
Israel protested to Tony Blair yesterday at what it called his
"worrying
and outrageous" comments linking the war in Iraq to a settlement of the
Palestinian conflict, and at Jack Straw's accusations of western double
standards over the enforcement of UN resolutions on Israel.
But the vehemence and timing of the protest, as the British prime
minister
met President George Bush to discuss the war and reaffirm their
commitment
to the "road map" to Middle East peace, reflected a growing Israeli
fear
that Mr Blair now exercises more influence than Ariel Sharon, the
Israeli
prime minister, over White House policy on the Jewish state....
SEE ALSO:
GOVERNORS' TRIP CEMENTED BUSH'S BOND WITH SHARON
Marc Perelman, Forward, 3/28/03
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.03.28/news3.html
Together with fellow governors Paul Celucci of Massachusetts, Mike
Leavitt
of Utah and Marc Racicot of Montana, all Republicans, Bush spent three
days
in Israel as a guest of the National Jewish Coalition, currently known
as
the Republican Jewish Coalition.
The trip, best remembered for Bush's helicopter ride along the edge of
the
West Bank with then-foreign minister Ariel Sharon, played a crucial if
little-understood role in one of defining transformations in recent
geopolitical history: the dramatic emergence of the 43rd president as
one
of the most pro-Israel figures in American political history.
The trip is legendary among Bush-watchers as the moment America's
current
president bonded with Israel's current prime minister.
Less noticed is the fact that the Bush-Israel bond was precisely the
purpose of the governors' mission. Although presented as a political
junket
by four Republican governors eager to burnish their pro-Israel bona
fides,
"Bush was clearly the objective," said an official who participated in
the
mission...
-----
DR. SAMI AL-ARIAN MOVED TO FEDERAL PENITENTIARY IN COLEMAN, FL
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace, 3/27/03
At approximately 6am this morning, Dr. Sami Al-Arian, Sameeh Hammoudeh,
Hatim Fariz, and Ghassan Balut who were arrested by federal authorities
on
February 20 were moved from the local Orient Road Jailhouse in Tampa to
the
maximum security wing of the Federal Penitentiary in Coleman, Florida,
about 75 miles north of Tampa. This unexpected move by federal
authorities
comes just after the conclusion of bond proceedings earlier this week.
Judge Mark Pizzo is set to issue his ruling regarding bail for the four
men
sometime next week.
This is clearly an attempt to influence the judge's decision and ensure
that the men are not given bail, though the law requires it. Peter
Erlinder, Professor of Constitutional Law said, "The only way the judge
could deny bail is if he completely ignored the law."
In addition, conditions at the Coleman Federal Prison are very severe
compared with those of an ordinary jail. As of today, Dr. Al-Arian is
only
allowed one telephone call per month, which he used to notify his
family. Additionally, the four men are being kept in solitary
confinement
for 23 hours a day and only allowed weekly visits from family members.
All
of this occurred in spite of the fact that none of the men have been
convicted of any crime...
Dr. Agha Saeed, National Chairman of the American Muslim Alliance,
said,
"We ask the federal authorities to reconsider this decision because it
will
seriously handicap his ability to defend himself as this move will
place
him at a considerable distance from his lawyers, family, consulting
experts
and potential witnesses..."
Contact tampabayjustice@yahoo.com for more information.
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
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to: http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 3/30/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: GOD FORGIVES THOSE WHO RESIST EVIL
* CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: ADVANCED MEDIA RELATIONS
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* MUSLIM CHILD NEEDS BONE MARROW DONORS
* MUSLIM WOMEN SHED STEREOTYPES (Orlando Sentinel)
* YOUTHS LEARN TO HANDLE ANTI-ISLAMIC SENTIMENT (Atlanta Journal)
- $500,000 Bond in Alleged Hate Attack (Chicago Trib)
- FBI, Arab Community Join Forces (Washington Post)
- Bloomberg Tries to Reassure Muslim Worshipers (NY Times)
- New Surge of Anxiety for Followers of Islam (NY Times)
* ISRAELIS TRAINED US TROOPS IN JENIN-STYLE WARFARE (Independent)
- 'So Much Blood Everywhere' (LA Times)
- Images of Iraqi Casualties (Al-Jazeera)
- Blood and Bandages for the Innocent (Independent)
* WHERE AL-JAZEERA & CO. ARE COMING FROM (Washington Post)
- Why Al Jazeera Matters (New York Times)
- U.S. News Criticized for Sterility (Contra Costa Times)
* SEARCH OPERATIONS YIELD NO BANNED WEAPONS (Wash. Post)
- Hit on Camp Finds No Chemical Weapons (ABC News)
* U.S. MISSILE HIT KUWAIT MALL? (New York Times)
* OUTRAGE SPREADS IN ARAB WORLD (Washington Post)
- U.S. Troops' Tough Approach Wins Few Friends (Reuters)
- As Bandits Rove, Allied Forces Blamed (Washington Post)
- Lessons of Lebanon: 'Don't Forget to Leave' (NY Times)
* ISRAELIS DETAINED IN IRAQ, ACCUSED OF ESPIONAGE (Haaretz)
* BUSH REPORTEDLY SHIELDED FROM DIRE FORECAST (Knight Ridder)
- The Chickenhawks' War Comes Home to Roost (MSNBC)
- Tambourines or booby traps? (Washington Times)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GOD FORGIVES THOSE WHO RESIST EVIL
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "God forgives my
followers
those (evil deeds) their souls may whisper or suggest to them as long
as
they do not act (on the suggestions) or speak (about them)."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 657
-----
CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for the conference at:
www.cair-net.org/conference
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
MUSLIM CHILD NEEDS BONE MARROW DONORS
Seven-year-old Ayman al-Juburi of Alexandria, Va., has leukemia and is
need
of a bone marrow transplant. Without it, his prognosis is not good.
Currently he is receiving aggressive and painful chemotherapy to keep
him
well while he waits a bone marrow match.
The boy's family and friends are requesting that as many people as
possible
are screened in the hopes of finding a match. The screening process is
simple and painless. It is a simple finger prick blood test.
BONE MARROW DRIVE FOR AYMAN AL-JUBURI
WHEN: SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2003
TIME: 12 to 4 p.m. (The Red Cross will stay as long as it takes to test
everyone.)
WHERE: BUSH HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 4916 FRANCONIA ROAD, ALEXANDRIA,
VA
QUESTIONS: Suzie Baird (703) 765-3243
CONTACT: NOHA BAKR, (703) 998-7672
-----
WOMEN SHED STEREOTYPES
Kelly Brewington, Orlando Sentinel, 3/30/03
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-locmuslimwomen30033003mar30,0,3130933.story
Lobna Ismail rattled off a list of stereotypes about women who wear the
traditional Muslim headscarf called a hijab.
"Oppressed. Subservient. Terrorist. Can't work. Can't drive."
About a dozen women, most of them wearing a hijab, nodded. They had
felt
the cold glares from co-workers and the suspicious questions of
neighbors
when their heads were covered. Though the hijab is worn as a symbol of
modesty and dignity, the women said they often feel misunderstood,
especially since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"I tell people I'm none of these things," Ismail said. "I am an
American
woman, I'm a Muslim, I'm a Southerner, I'm a soccer mom, I am
antiterror,
I'm a business owner."
Ismail, who owns a diversity training company, encouraged the women to
explain their religion to colleagues and to report discrimination by
employers when it occurs.
Such messages of empowerment were the theme of Saturday's program at
the
Islamic Society of Central Florida, 1089 N. Goldenrod Road in Orange
County, in celebration of Women's History Month. About 200 women --
Muslim
and non-Muslim, of a kaleidoscope of races and nationalities --
attended
workshops on everything from health and fitness to domestic violence
and
parenting.
One woman wanted to know if she could be prevented from becoming a
police
officer if she wears a hijab. Ismail responded "no," and she gave her a
Web
site for the American Muslim Law Enforcement Officers Association…
-----
YOUTHS HEAR WAYS TO HANDLE ANTI-ISLAMIC SENTIMENT AT SCHOOL
SHELIA M. POOLE, Atlanta Journal, 3/30/03
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/news_e368a948d6fdc1d410a0.html
Are you a terrorist? Why do you wear that scarf on your head? Go back
to
your country.
Young heads nod in agreement and laugh nervously as questions and
comments
are written on a large clipboard in the front of the room.
For 90 minutes, 20 boys and girls ranging from 12 to 18 discussed the
issues they face daily as Muslims in metro Atlanta schools --- from
mean-spirited taunts to questions about their religion and dress. The
workshop, held at the Islamic Community Center of Atlanta in
Fayetteville
on Saturday, was organized by Soumaya Khalifa, director of the Islamic
Speakers Bureau of Atlanta, to help the students learn constructive
ways to
diffuse unpleasant situations at school.
The workshop was held at a time when many Muslims fear heightened
anti-Islamic sentiment as a result of the U.S.-led war against Iraq,
particularly as casualties mount.
"I know kids are under a lot of pressure at school," Khalifa said. "You
hear horror stories all around..."
SEE ALSO:
$500,000 BOND IN ALLEGED HATE ATTACK
Stanley Ziemba, Chicago Tribune, 3/29/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0303290264mar29,1,4251309.story
A Burbank man who spent 30 days in jail for hurling a brick through the
window of a Muslim-owned business almost two years ago was ordered held
on
$500,000 bond Friday on charges of igniting a fireworks device in the
van
of a Palestinian Muslim family last week.
Eric K. Nix, of the 8600 block of South Austin Avenue, Burbank, is
charged
with arson, criminal property damage and committing a hate crime, all
felonies, according to Burbank Police Capt. Roger Alexander. The
charges,
filed against Nix on Thursday night, stem from an explosion of a
fireworks
device inside an unoccupied, parked van in the 7700 block of South
Mayfield
Avenue, shortly before midnight on March 21. The blast shattered the
windows and blew out the driver's-side door of the van, said Carrie
McCune,
an FBI spokeswoman in Chicago.
During Nix's bond hearing Friday, Assistant State's Atty. Nick Karas
said
Nix allegedly rode up to the van on a bicycle, opened the unlocked
driver's-side door, ignited the explosive and placed it inside the
vehicle.
The brick-throwing incident occurred two days after the Sept. 11
terrorist
attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Nix was convicted of criminal
damage to property and sentenced to 30 days in jail for hurling a brick
through the window of an Arab-owned furniture store in Burbank…
After the van explosion, the Council on American-Islamic Relations
offered
a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those
responsible
for the blast.
---
FBI, ARAB COMMUNITY JOIN FORCES
Allan Lengel and Caryle Murphy, Washington Post, 3/29/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44488-2003Mar28.html
The FBI's Washington field office has established an Arab American
Advisory
Committee aimed at strengthening relations between the law enforcement
agency and the Arab community, which has voiced concern about some of
the
tactics used by agents investigating possible terrorist activity.
The six-member committee of Arab Americans, all of whom were appointed
by
the FBI, will meet monthly with bureau officials to discuss such issues
as
hate crimes against Arabs and the agency's interviews of Arabs and
Muslims
at mosques and elsewhere. There are about 70,000 people of Arab descent
in
the Washington area…
In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the Council on American-Islamic Relations set
up
a liaison committee with the FBI three weeks ago. Altaf Ali, the
council's
executive director, said the committee is "drafting a list of
complaints
from our community where law enforcement has overstepped bounds,"
including
four instances in which he said the FBI or other agencies forcibly
entered
homes without search warrants.
"We don't want our community to be fearful," Ali said. "Unless the
trust is
developed, collaboration cannot be achieved."
Van Harp, head of the FBI's Washington field office, said he hopes the
formal meetings with the committee will provide "a better understanding
of
their concerns and productive communication so they can understand us
and
we can effectively do our job…"
"We welcome any step towards improved relationships between the FBI and
Arabs and Muslims," said Hodan Hassan, a spokeswoman for the D.C.-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations. "I think we have to remember
that we
are on the same team, we have the same goals [even if] we have
differences
on some tactics."
---
BLOOMBERG TRIES TO REASSURE MUSLIM WORSHIPERS
NICHOLE M. CHRISTIAN, New York Times, 3/29/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/29/nyregion/29MAYO.html
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg prayed and pleaded yesterday with dozens of
Muslim worshipers in Queens, urging them not to view the city's fight
against terrorism and the nation's war with Iraq as anti-Islamic.
"The United States is engaged in a war, but it is not a war against the
people of Iraq or the faith of Islam," Mr. Bloomberg said during Friday
prayer service at the Imam Al-Khoei Islamic Center in Jamaica, Queens.
"Nor
is our struggle against terrorism in New York City a war against our
Muslim
community."
Bringing what he called a message of peace, a sliver of which he tried
to
deliver in Arabic, Mr. Bloomberg set out to remind the city's more than
600,000 Muslims that they, too, are New Yorkers, whose voices and faith
are
as welcome as any other's.
"New York's greatest strength is that anyone from anywhere on the globe
can
find freedom and opportunity here," he told the crowd of men and
schoolchildren.
The mayor's visit was his second to a Muslim worship center since he
took
office.
Mr. Bloomberg said the visit also represented a broader outreach effort
that includes a citywide survey of Muslims and Arabs now under way to
help
the police and other authorities identify reports of discrimination and
harassment…
---
WAR BRINGS NEW SURGE OF ANXIETY FOR FOLLOWERS OF ISLAM
MICHAEL JANOFSKY, New York Times, 3/29/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/29/international/worldspecial/29MUSL.html
Hassan Elsaad, a civil engineer of Lebanese descent, used to take his
family to a public park here every weekend. Now he doesn't. Mannan
Mohammed, a software consultant from India, used to listen to the Koran
and
Middle Eastern music in his car. Now he doesn't. Aneesah Nadir, an
American-born teacher, never thought twice about walking from her
office to
the parking lot after work. Now she calls for an escort.
In ways large and small, many Muslim Americans say, the backlash they
have
felt since the attacks of Sept. 11 has intensified since the United
States
attacked Iraq. Other Americans, they say, are making them feel scared,
anxious and obligated to change their lifestyles and lower their
profiles.
Many say they have been made to feel like scapegoats, and the feelings
are
all too familiar...
"We've seen a real upswing of incidents in the last three weeks," said
Hodan Hassan, a spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations,
a nonprofit civil rights group in Washington. "But as the war goes on
and
doesn't go as expected, our concern is that it may ignite more people's
frustrations."
The council, which has 17 affiliates around the country, has taken some
steps to help alleviate problems by distributing a "Community Safety
Kit,"
which outlines steps American Muslims can take to protect against
anti-Arab
behavior. It suggests developing closer relations with law enforcement
agencies, meeting with elected officials and building coalitions with
members of other religious groups. And everyone knows to walk in pairs
and
carry a cellphone.
But Muslims in the Phoenix area said this week they are starting to
take
precautions well beyond what the council recommends -- and it
infuriates
them that they have to…
What Muslims here fear most, many say, is that a steady increase in the
number of American casualties in Iraq would spur more people to seek
out
scapegoats -- in the form of unfriendly stares, cutting remarks or
worse.
Women who wear a traditional scarf, known as a hijab, say they feel
especially vulnerable…
-----
ISRAELIS TRAINED US TROOPS IN JENIN-STYLE URBAN WARFARE
Justin Huggler, Independent, 3/29/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=391823
The American military has been asking the Israeli army for advice on
fighting inside cities, and studying fighting in the West Bank city of
Jenin last April, unnamed United States and Israeli sources have
confirmed.
Reports that US troops trained with Israeli forces for street-to-street
fighting have been denied.
If the US army believes the road to Baghdad lies through Jenin, there
is
reason for Iraqi civilians to be concerned. During fighting in the
Jenin
refugee camp last April, more than half the Palestinian dead were
civilians. There was compelling evidence that Israeli soldiers targeted
civilians, including Fadwa Jamma, a Palestinian nurse shot dead as she
tried to treat a wounded man. A 14-year-old boy was killed by Israeli
tank-fire in a crowded street after the curfew was lifted. A
Palestinian in
a wheelchair was shot dead, and his body was crushed by an Israeli
tank.
Israeli soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching the wounded and
refused
the Red Cross access. Using bulldozers, the Israeli army demolished an
entire neighbourhood - home to 800 Palestinian families - reducing it
to
dust and rubble.
Martin van Creveld, a professor of military history and strategy at
Jerusalem's internationally respected Hebrew University, has told
reporters
that, following his advice to US Marines, the American military bought
nine
of the converted bulldozers used in the Jenin demolitions from Israel.
Professor van Creveld said he gave advice to marines last year in Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina. He said he was questioned about Israeli
tactics in
Jenin, and told them the giant D9 bulldozers, manufactured for civilian
use
in the US but fitted with armour-plating in Israel, were among the most
useful weapons.
Israeli troops at first found they could not get their tanks and
armoured
vehicles into the narrow alleys of the refugee camp, so they bulldozed
wide
swaths through houses to get them in.
If the US military intends to use converted D9 bulldozers in Iraqi
cities,
there is cause for concern. When reporters got into the Jenin refugee
camp,
we found the fronts of houses neatly scythed off so the insides of the
houses were visible from the street, with personal belongings, sofas,
beds,
children's toys, hanging precariously from half-collapsed floors.
Israeli use of the bulldozers has not been limited to clearing the way
for
tanks. They have also been used in collective punishment, such as the
destruction of an entire neighbourhood in Jenin after the fighting
ended…
SEE ALSO:
'SO MUCH BLOOD EVERYWHERE'
John Daniszewski and Sergei L. Loiko, Los Angeles Times, 3/29/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-war-baghdad29mar29003427,1,3678088.story
Gafel Hamdani has lived 74 years and raised one daughter and eight
sons. On
Friday night, his three youngest sons were stretched out on the floor
of
his living room in simple caskets -- killed when a missile hit a
Baghdad
neighborhood.
"What can I tell you?" the old man said dejectedly as male neighbors
gathered around him and the women keened in the next room.
"Isn't the sight of them enough?" he asked, pointing to his sons, ages
12,
18 and 20.
Grief and shock seized the working-class Shualla district of
northwestern
Baghdad after a missile slammed into a crowded market area at dusk,
killing
more than 50 people and injuring about 50 others, hospital workers and
residents said.
"I don't remember so many injured people, so much blood everywhere, in
this
hospital before," said Dr. Haqqi Razouki of the nearby Nour Hospital.
"Even
doctors and nurses were shocked…"
---
IMAGES OF IRAQI CASUALTIES
http://www.aljazeera.net/news/arabic/2003/3/3-22-26.htm
---
IN BAGHDAD, BLOOD AND BANDAGES FOR THE INNOCENT
Robert Fisk, Independent, 3/30/03
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=392161
The piece of metal is only a foot high, but the numbers on it hold the
clue
to the latest atrocity in Baghdad.
At least 62 civilians had died by yesterday afternoon, and the coding
on
that hunk of metal contains the identity of the culprit. The Americans
and
British were doing their best yesterday to suggest that an Iraqi
anti-aircraft missile destroyed those dozens of lives, adding that they
were "still investigating" the carnage. But the coding is in Western
style,
not in Arabic. And many of the survivors heard the plane.
In the Al-Noor hospital yesterday morning, there were appalling scenes
of
pain and suffering. A two-year-old girl, Saida Jaffar, swaddled in
bandages, a tube into her nose, another into her stomach. All I could
see
of her was her forehead, two small eyes and a chin. Beside her, blood
and
flies covered a heap of old bandages and swabs. Not far away, lying on
a
dirty bed, was three-year-old Mohamed Amaid, his face, stomach, hands
and
feet all tied tightly in bandages. A great black mass of congealed
blood
lay at the bottom of his bed.
This is a hospital without computers, with only the most primitive of
X-ray
machines. But the missile was guided by computers and that vital shard
of
fuselage was computer-coded. It can be easily verified and checked by
the
Americans if they choose to do so. It reads: 30003-704ASB 7492. The
letter "B" is scratched and could be an "H". This is believed to be the
serial number. It is followed by a further code which arms
manufacturers
usually refer to as the weapon's "Lot" number. It reads: MFR 96214 09…
-----
PERCEPTIONS: WHERE AL-JAZEERA & CO. ARE COMING FROM
Mamoun Fandy, Washington Post, 3/30/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45183-2003Mar28.html
Some American commentators have dismissively attributed the violence of
Arab television coverage to the nature of the culture. The truth, of
course, is more complicated. To understand the coverage, one must take
into
account the narratives that have shaped the Arab worldview. As an
Egyptian
who has lived in this country for 18 years, and as a media critic with
an
eye on both worlds, I recognize the references that shape the Arab
coverage
of this war. They span historical events from the Crusades to the
Mongol
invasions of Baghdad to the colonial experience and the recent
Arab-Israeli
wars…
SEE ALSO:
WHY AL JAZEERA MATTERS
New York Times, 3/30/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/30/opinion/30SUN2.html
Al Jazeera is the only independent broadcasting voice in the Arab
world,
watched by 35 million people…As the only uncensored Arabic television
in
the world, Al Jazeera does indeed slant its debates and discussions in
a
way that can be hostile to the West. It is not Fox News. But if our
hope
for the Arab world is, as the Bush administration never ceases to
remind
us, for it to enjoy a free, democratic life, Al Jazeera is the kind of
television station we should encourage.
It is the only Arabic television station that regularly interviews
Israeli
officials. It is also an important forum for American officials. Last
week
alone, it interviewed three senior members of the American government,
including Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff…
If a free, uncensored press ever arrives in the Arab world, many
Americans
will be shocked by what it says. Then, the energetic if somewhat
tendentious broadcasts of Al Jazeera will seem, in comparison, like the
nuanced objectivity of the BBC. For right now, Al Jazeera deserves all
the
help and support it can get.
---
U.S. NEWS CRITICIZED FOR STERILITY
Jack Chang, Contra Costa Times, 3/29/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/5512120.htm
An Iraqi man sits up on a hospital bed to reveal the bloody wound he
has
received on his back, apparently caused by a U.S. bomb. A child
whimpers
and cries for his mother, in obvious pain. Several Iraqi women moan in
a
hospital hallway, one ceremoniously slapping her own face in grief.
Watching these scenes on the Qatar-based cable station Al-Jazeera
transmitted to her Walnut Creek home, Iraqi native Nibras Araim tears
up
and calls out uncontrollably, "Look at these people! My country is
being
destroyed!"
Then, her husband, Amer, switches to the U.S. news station Cable News
Network, which is showing grainy footage of buildings photographed from
far
up in the sky and then a missile attack engulfing the scene in flames.
"You see, the American media show buildings more than people," Nibras
Araim
said.
With the U.S. invasion of Iraq well into its second week, many East Bay
residents, especially Middle Easterners, have voiced similar complaints
about U.S. media.
They say television in particular has been purposely shying away from
pictures of civilian casualties and destruction in favor of prettified
video meant to rally support for the war…
Even the mention of CNN elicits an exasperated cry from Helal Omeira,
executive director of the Northern California chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
"Most informed people feel this way," he said. "It's not just a Muslim
thing. We're just asking they tell us the whole picture…"
-----
SPECIAL SEARCH OPERATIONS YIELD NO BANNED WEAPONS
Barton Gellman, Washington Post, 3/30/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49385-2003Mar29.html
Shortly before the first bombs fell on Baghdad earlier this month,
special
operations teams from the United States, Britain and Australia swept
low
over Iraq's western desert to seize four targets of highest priority to
the
U.S. Central Command. The teams set down at camouflaged structures
believed
to house chemical warheads, Scud missiles and eight-wheeled
transporter-erector launchers, known as TELs.
After short firefights, the teams secured the sites, according to
sources
briefed on the after-action reports. But the mission turned up nothing.
There were "no missiles, no TELs and no chemicals" where blueprints and
scale-model terrain tables had directed the teams to look, one
knowledgeable official said.
Ten days into a war fought under the flag of disarmament, U.S.-led
troops
have found no substantial sign of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction…
There are nearly 300 sites in the top tier of a much larger list that
the
Defense Intelligence Agency updated in the run-up to war, officials
said.
The 10 sites reached by Friday were among the most urgent. If equipped
as
suspected, they would have posed an immediate threat to U.S. forces.
"All
the searches have turned up negative," said a Joint Staff officer who
is
following field reports. "The munitions that have been found have all
been
conventional…"
SEE ALSO:
HIT ON ANSAR AL-ISLAM CAMP FINDS NO SIGNS OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Jim Sciutto, ABC News, 3/29/03
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/iraq_nochemweapons_030329.html
March 29 - U.S. Special Forces troops went on the hunt for weapons of
mass
destruction in northeastern Iraq today but came up empty handed.
The site they hit was identified by U.S. Secretary of State Colin
Powell,
in a high-profile address before the U.N. Security Council on February
5,
as a base for a radical group with possible ties to al Qaeda, the
terror
network run by Osama bin Laden.
Powell, who at the time showed a satellite photograph of what he said
was a
chemical weapons training center in Northern Iraq used by al Qaeda and
protected by Ansar al-Islam, called it evidence of a "sinister nexus
between Iraq and the al Qaeda terrorist network…"
-----
U.S. MISSILE HIT KUWAIT MALL?
Explosion, Said to Be From Missile, Rocks Empty Mall in Kuwait
CRAIG S. SMITH, New York Times, 3/29/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/29/international/worldspecial/29KUWA.html
KUWAIT, Saturday, March 29 - An explosion rocked an empty shopping mall
on
the waterfront early today in Kuwait City, the capital, sending a huge
plume of white smoke towering into the sky. Kuwaiti officials said a
missile that had landed in the water nearby was responsible…
Some Kuwaiti officials who examined the fragments said they believed an
errant American cruise missile had been fired from the Persian Gulf
toward
Iraq.
"It was an American cruise missile, we know from the markings and
writing
on it," said a Kuwaiti police colonel who did not give his name. "It
doesn't go up, it comes in low from the sea, and that's why there was
no
alert…"
-----
OUTRAGE SPREADS IN ARAB WORLD
Civilian Deaths in Baghdad Market Called a 'Massacre'
Emily Wax, Washington Post, 3/30/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48367-2003Mar29.html
CAIRO, March 29 -- A shuddering sense of outrage at President Bush and
the
United States fell over the Arab world today as television networks and
newspapers reported a U.S. air assault that Iraqi officials said killed
58
people at a vegetable market in Baghdad.
"Monstrous martyrdom in Baghdad," said a huge headline in al-Dustur, a
newspaper in Amman, Jordan.
"Dreadful massacre in Baghdad," read a banner headline in Egypt's mass
circulation Akhbar al-Yawm newspaper. Photos of two young victims of
the
blast covered half its front page.
"Yet another massacre by the coalition of invaders," read the main
headline
in Saudi Arabia's popular al-Riyadh daily.
"Mr. Bush has lost us. We are gone. Enough. That's the end," said Diaa
Rashwan, head of the comparative politics unit at the Al-Ahram Center
for
Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. "If America starts winning
tomorrow, there will be suicide bombing that will start in America the
next
day. It is a whole new level now."
The anger was a clear sign that U.S.-Arab relations, despite the Bush
administration's campaign to win hearts and minds, was at a low
point...
SEE ALSO:
U.S.TROOPS' TOUGH APPROACH WINS FEW IRAQI FRIENDS
David Fox, Reuters, 3/30/03
UMM QASR, Iraq, March 30 (Reuters) - Fresh graffiti on a building in
this
port town in southern Iraq reads "Down with USA" -- painted over the
original "Down with Iraq" slogan from before the U.S.-led invasion.
Residents here say the change, in the predominantly Shi'ite Muslim
south
noted for its opposition to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, has been
fuelled by U.S. troops' rough handling of civilians which now poses
problems for their British allies.
During the Vietnam war, a popular response to the mantra of winning
over
the civilian population was "grab them by the balls, and their hearts
and
minds will follow."
That appears to be the tactics of the forces leading the war in Iraq,
except it is U.S. forces who are attacking Iraq's underbelly and
British
troops being left to make friends after.
The southern Shi'ites also remember how the United States urged them in
1991 to rise up against Saddam's largely Sunni leadership only to
abandon
them to brutal suppression of their revolt.
The suspicions are not being allayed by the attitude of many of the
U.S.
troops here.
A regular complaint heard in the vast swathe of southern Iraq already
under
occupation is that U.S. forces -- mostly at the front of advances
through
the country -- are rude and hostile to civilians caught up in the
conflict.
"Are they fighting us or are they fighting Saddam?" asked teacher
Mohammed
Salik when questioned on what he thought of the U.S. servicemen he had
encountered…
---
AS BANDITS ROVE, ALLIED FORCES ARE BLAMED FOR NOT ENFORCING ORDER
Keith B. Richburg, Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44665-2003Mar28.html
BASRA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq, March 28 -- Banditry and lawlessness
appear to be spreading through some areas in southwestern Iraq as
British
troops sweep the countryside for remnants of Iraqi forces and remain at
a
stalemate with fighters in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city.
Villagers in this area now complain of roving bands of armed men who
steal
tractors, hijack trucks, loot factories and terrorize residents with
near
impunity...
Villagers in Mushirij gathered today outside the command post of the
Fusiliers' Zulu Company, complaining loudly that while the U.S.-led
invasion of Iraq, dubbed "Operation Iraqi Freedom," promised them a
better
life, after just one week they have seen only heightened insecurity.
The initial plan, at the start of the war, was for British military
police
to move into southern Iraq quickly and begin building a new Iraqi
police
force. "Our job is to work with the local police -- not to change all
their
practices, just to make sure they're not killing people. The plan is to
get
rid of the hierarchy and to work with the others," said a British
military
policeman.
But that plan has been made more difficult by guerrilla attacks. The
British say they are not budging on their "no weapons" policy and will
continue disarming the population. "They don't need them," McSporran
said.
"I've told them, if they believe there are thieves, come and tell me."
---
IRAQ AND THE LESSONS OF LEBANON: 'DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE'
By ETHAN BRONNER, New York Times, 3/30/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/30/opinion/30SUN3.html
The central aim of the military operation was to smash the looming
terrorist threat, but it was also a stab at refashioning the Middle
East by
installing a pro-Western government. The first troops in the south took
Shiite Muslim towns, where locals were relieved to be rid of an
oppressive
regime. Some cheered the foreign invaders.
That may sound like a description of the current war in Iraq, but the
military in question was Israel's, the invaded country was Lebanon and
the
date was 1982. It would be 18 years before the last weary, despised
Israeli
soldier left. And while there are never exact historical parallels,
Israel's experience in Lebanon - an ambitious invasion that turned into
a
draining quagmire - is a cautionary tale for the American war in Iraq…
-----
ISRAELI JOURNALISTS DETAINED BY U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ, ACCUSED OF
ESPIONAGE
Haaretz, 3/29/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/278175.html
U.S. troops in Iraq detained two Israeli journalists and Portuguese
colleague on suspicion of espionage and beat one of them, relatives
said
Friday. They were released after 48 hours.
The journalists, Dan Scemama, of Channel One Television and Boaz
Bismuth of
the Yedioth Aharonoth entered Iraq without proper accreditation.
Scemama
said earlier in the week that he had been denied accreditation because
he
represented Israeli television.
The two teamed up with the Portuguese TV reporter, rented a jeep, and
entered Iraq on their own, driving alongside American convoys. They
phoned
in reports based on conversations with U.S. troops and Iraqis.
Speaking to Channel One news from Kuwait, Dan Scemama said Friday that
the
Americans treated them as spies and terrorists for the 48 hours of
their
detention. "We were humiliated for many hours. They did not let is eat
and
they took all the means of communication we had on our persons…"
Early Wednesday, soldiers woke them up at gunpoint, and accused them of
espionage. The reporters were told to pick up their shirts and let down
their pants to prove they were not carrying bombs…
The Portuguese journalist asked to phone home and was beaten, the two
said.
His ribs were broken and he is now hospitalized.
He added that he had received the impression that the American army had
done everything it could to ensure that not one independent journalist
was
reporting from Iraq.
-----
BUSH REPORTEDLY SHIELDED FROM DIRE FORECAST
WARREN P. STROBEL, Knight Ridder, 3/30/03
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/5510092.htm
WASHINGTON - President Bush's aides did not forcefully present him with
dissenting views from CIA and State and Defense Department officials
who
warned that U.S.-led forces could face stiff resistance in Iraq,
according
to three senior administration officials.
Instead, Bush embraced predictions of top administration hawks,
beginning
with Vice President Dick Cheney, who predicted Iraqis would joyously
greet
coalition troops as liberators and that the entire conflict might be
over
in a matter of weeks, the officials said.
Dissenting views "were not fully or energetically communicated to the
president," said one top official, who, like the others, requested
anonymity. "As a result, almost every assumption the plan's based on
looks
to be wrong…"
SEE ALSO:
THE CHICKENHAWKS' WAR COMES HOME TO ROOST
http://www.msnbc.com/news/752664.asp?0dm=N13TO
The reason I, and others, are troubled by the fact that this war was
planned by and promoted by people who had, almost to a person, managed
to
avoid serving in the military, was not that such people do not have a
right
to a voice in the debate or a significant role to play in assessing
what
the military people claim. Obviously, that's silly. The point was that
they
lack the requisite experience to know what can go wrong in war and
allow
their own ideological obsessions to obscure the messy realities of the
battlefield.
It seems to me that U.S. soldiers will now be asked to die for the
Chickenhawks' arrogance…
Here's what the Neocons are saying today:
William Kristol: "In a certain way, the willingness to stick it out
would
be as impressive as" a quick victory, because such toughness would
dispute
the "core [Osama] bin Laden claim that America is a weak horse," that
after
suffering 19 casualties in Somalia, "they fled."
Michael A. Ledeen: "I think the level of casualties is secondary. I
mean,
it may sound like an odd thing to say, but all the great scholars who
have
studied American character have come to the conclusion that we are a
warlike people and that we love war."
Here's what they were saying, oh, the other day…
Ken Adelman, former U.N. ambassador, in an Op-Ed for the Washington
Post,
Feb. 13, 2002:
"I believe demolishing Hussein's military power and liberating Iraq
would
be a cakewalk. Let me give simple, responsible reasons: (1) It was a
cakewalk last time; (2) they've become much weaker; (3) we've become
much
stronger; and (4) now we're playing for keeps.
---
TAMBOURINES OR BOOBY TRAPS?
Arnaud de Borchgrave, Washington Times, 3/30/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20030330-79438498.htm
Some cakewalk. By now Washington's armchair commanders of the
"cakewalk"
brigade hopefully are digesting humble pie as they reassess where they
went
wrong.
For almost a year, the relentless rosy forecasts on the nightly
television
gabfests - Chris Matthews' "Hardball" was a notable exception - failed
to
prepare public opinion for stiff Iraqi resistance…
Ask any U.S. or British troopers as they fought their way north or
stayed
behind to clean up Umm Qasr or Basra how was their cakewalk, and they
would
probably deck you. The first week of the war was like a trick birthday
cake
whose candles are no sooner blown out than they light up again.
Veteran Mideast observers cannot remember such unanimity among Arab
public
opinions against their do-nothing, pro-Western governments. No one sees
the
U.S. as a liberating force. America is already being equated with
Israel as
the colonial occupier. In Britain's case, it is the "re-occupier."
Gulf TV stations - Abu Dhabi and Dubai - have already organized on-air
fund-raising campaigns for their Iraqi "brother heroes." And throughout
the
Arab world, from Rabat to Riyadh, radio and TV commentators are
condemning
the U.S.-British invasion of Iraq with varying degrees of vituperation.
Abu
Dhabi TV, outperforming Al-Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular,
praises
Iraqi "resistance fighters" while shelving its prior contempt for
Saddam…
A Harvard- and Cambridge University-educated Jordanian said, not for
attribution, that opinion has coalesced almost overnight against the
United
States. The general view of ranking Arab officials reached by telephone
is
that Iraqi resistance is not fighting for Saddam, but "for a concept
precious to all nations - defense of the homeland against a foreign
aggression…"
Paradoxically, war on Iraq will strengthen radical and fundamental
anti-U.S. forces. Resentment and hostility toward President Bush
(mercilessly ridiculed in media cartoons) and U.S. policies in the
Middle
East is so pervasive, wrote the Jordan Times' Hassan Barari, that
people
are "fed up with everything American, including democracy... the only
thing
the Americans can do to reduce the Arabs' bitterness is to show a firm
stand toward Israel over the roadmap.... A strong U.S. intervention is
a
prerequisite not only for putting an end to the plight of the
Palestinians,
but also for rehabilitating the disastrous American image in our
region.
Failing to do so means only that worst is yet to come…"
-----
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-----
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To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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 - 3/31/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS
* VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5208 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* BRILL-FBI PICKED MUSLIM NAMES FROM PHONE BOOK (Salon.com)
- Agents Pressured to Detain Muslims for 'PR Purposes'
- Al-Kidd: "I'm not a terrorist." (AP)
- U.S. Faulted on Detention of Asylum Seekers (NY Times)
- Mood Cautious at Muslim Fest (St. Petersburg Times)
* NY MAN TARGETED ARABS IN KILLINGS-POLICE (Reuters)
- Muslim communities Brace for Backlash from War (AP)
* NBC SEVERS TIES WITH JOURNALIST ARNETT (AP)
- False claims litter Iraq conflict (Reuters)
- Confusion Over Status of Geraldo Rivera (Reuters)
* BUSH CHOICE TO REBUILD IRAQ SEEN AS 'PRO-ISRAEL' (JTA)
- US Arms Trader to Run Iraq (Observer)
- Powell Issues Warning to Iran, Syria (AP)
- Activists Confirm Iraq Hospital Bombed (AP)
- 'Yank Had No Regard for Human Life' (Times)
- Pope Says War May Bring 'Religious Catastrophe' (Reuters)
- Some Detainees Could be Sent to Cuba (Washington Post)
- US Assassins 'Kill Iraqi Chiefs' in Baghdad (Scotsman)
- British Soldiers Protest Civilian Deaths (Guardian)
- A Boy Who was 'Like a Flower' (Washington Post)
- Hawks and Hornets (Washington Post)
- Turks Stone U.S. Military Convoy (Reuters)
- Cat Stevens Records for Iraqi Children (AP)
- War hawks Blinded by Hardened Hearts (Washington Post)
- Basra Residents Hold Out as Siege Drags On (Reuters)
* PRODUCER LIVING HIS MUSIC'S MESSAGE (AP)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "When I stand for
prayer, I
intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut it
short,
as I do not like to trouble the child's mother."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Hadith 675
The Prophet never criticized any food (presented to him), but he would
eat
it if he liked it; otherwise, he would leave it (without expressing his
dislike).
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 764
-----
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Volunteers are needed for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership and Training
Conference to be held April 25-27 in Tyson's Corner, Va. There will a
volunteer meeting on Tuesday, April 1, at ADAMS Center (46903 Sugarland
Rd., Sterling, VA) right after sunset prayers. For more info, please
call
Isra at (202) 488-8787, ext. 6050.
You can now register online for the conference, "A Roadmap for Success:
Vision and Action," at www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5208 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5208 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
BRILL-FBI PICKED MUSLIM NAMES FROM PHONE BOOK
AFTER: HOW AMERICA CONFRONTED THE SEPTEMBER 12 ERA
Steven Brill, Salon.com, 3/31/03
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/03/31/brillexcerpt1/index.html
(Access to this story is available on the Salon.com site with a one-day
free pass.)
In an excerpt from a riveting new book about post-9/11 America, GOP
strongman Tom DeLay and corporate lobbyists toast their legislative
clout,
while John Ashcroft's men get rough with Muslim immigrants...
The perspective the group started with was simple. The 19 men who had
hijacked the planes could not be the only ones who were living in
America
quietly waiting to attack. There could be hundreds, even thousands, of
others, and their job was to find them. The obvious target was young
Muslim
men, plain and simple. But they had no informants, really no contact at
all, in those communities. So they had to use what they had to check as
many of the target population as they could, as fast as they could.
Again,
the first goal wasn't to prosecute them but to prevent them, which
meant
that violating the kinds of rules pertaining to searches and
interrogation
that would get evidence thrown out of court wasn't that important.
There were three ways Muslim men could be identified and checked out:
First, if a Muslim name popped up in any context associated with the
hijackers, they were immediately sought out. For example, if an Arab
name
was found in a list of students at one of the hijacker's flight
training
schools, he would be tracked down. Even having gone to the same state
motor
vehicle office to obtain a license was connection enough.
The second category of people was those who came to the FBI's attention
because citizens (such as Jaffri's landlord in the Bronx), or state or
local police officials, notified the bureau about them. For example, a
Missouri man with a Muslim name who had been arrested for outstanding
traffic violations was turned over to the FBI in Kansas City when the
police noticed that he had a lot of checks in his wallet. Their
investigation produced an arrest for writing checks with insufficient
funds
in his account, a federal crime but one not typically resulting in
arrests,
let alone prolonged detention.
The third category was just plain names. FBI offices, aided initially
by
INS and sometimes even local police, who were not busy questioning
people
in the first two categories, were told to check names in their areas
from
among the hundreds of thousands provided by the INS of Muslims who had
come
into the country in the last few years. When these proved mostly
useless
because INS records are almost always inaccurate or incomplete, they
were
even told to look in the phone book.
How these people were treated depended on who was questioning them
(some
FBI offices had more polite agents than others, though the FBI was
generally more respectful than the INS agents), and, more so, on how
tenuous or direct their connection to the terrorists might have seemed.
A
professor at a college in Indiana, who thinks his name was simply
picked
from the phone book, says the agents who questioned him four times were
polite and respectful and even seemed embarrassed at the job they'd
been given.
People like the professor who seemed to check out after being
questioned
would be left alone; there was little the feds could do to hold them
anyway. But Ashcroft and his small group of deputies carefully mapped
out
how they could exert maximum pressure on everyone else -- which meant
all
noncitizens and any citizens who seemed the least bit suspicious.
If they were not citizens, the FBI and INS would look for something
that
they had done wrong in terms of their immigration status. Had they
taken
jobs, even though they had tourist visas? Had they overstayed their
visas?
Such violations usually were easy to find, especially since INS's
enforcement of these conditions over the years had been almost
nonexistent.
They would then be detained for immigration violations, if one could be
found, and questioned repeatedly. It didn't matter if the violations
were
minor transgressions for which immigrants of other nationalities are
rarely, if ever, held. Ostensibly, they were being held pending a
hearing
in which the government would move to deport them for the visa
violation.
But Chertoff had figured out that these hearings could not only be done
in
secret, but could also be delayed, and that even after the hearings
were
held and they were ordered deported, there was nothing in the law that
said
they absolutely had to be deported immediately. They could be held
still
longer, until the FBI decided they were of no use.
Better yet, because immigration detentions are civil, not criminal
proceedings, these people were not entitled to free lawyers. They could
hire one if they could afford it, which was not often. Under INS rules,
they were entitled to call a lawyer from jail, but the lists the INS
provided of available lawyers invariably had phone numbers that were
not in
service.
This was discussed at one of the Ashcroft meetings, and, according to
one
person who says he was there, someone in the room remarked that the
government should not try too hard to make sure these people could get
lawyers on the phone. "Let's not make it so they can get Johnnie
Cochran on
the phone," another lawyer added, according to one of the participants,
referring to O. J. Simpson's famed defense lawyer. (Ashcroft says he
does
not remember this conversation or any reference to Johnnie Cochran, and
that he had directed that all detainees be made aware of lawyers who
could
assist them.) The Justice officials were sure to a certainty that at
least
some of the men they were holding or were about to hold were people
bent on
killing more Americans if allowed to, or at least knew of people who
were
planning to do that.
According to two people who attended these meetings, and to INS
Commissioner James Ziglar, Chertoff was put in charge of all INS
detentions. He and his deputies would make all decisions on who was
released and even who was held in solitary. This was unprecedented;
Chertoff is the head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and
INS
detention proceedings were civil, not criminal, tribunals, held in
front of
INS judges. As for the detention conditions, no one at INS would be
ordered
in so many words to treat the inmates harshly. But the word would go
out
that these were suspected terrorists, or people who knew who the
terrorists
were -- and they needed to be encouraged in any way possible to
cooperate.
If the targets were citizens, or their immigration papers were in
order,
they would be held for minor crimes, such as lying to a federal agent
or
having fraudulent identification documents. The feds would then offer
leniency, or threaten to throw the book at them, depending on how much
information about terrorists they provided. In other cases, where not
even
minor crimes could be established, or where the government was worried
that
these people were so important that they did not want them to get
lawyers
quickly (as they would be entitled to if charged with any crime), the
targets were held as material witnesses.
The government can hold someone as a material witness if prosecutors
claim
to a judge that the person might have vital evidence in an
investigation
but might flee before being put before a jury or a grand jury to
testify.
The new twist Ashcroft's team now decided to add was that they would
control when, if ever, that person might be asked to testify -- meaning
they would seek to hold the person indefinitely so as to coerce him to
talk.
Chertoff reasoned that while they were being held they would be
discouraged
from calling lawyers, and could be questioned without lawyers present
because they were not being charged with any crime. The advantage of
using
this newly expanded material witness classification was that the feds
didn't have to prove anything criminal about the person being held, but
only that he might have material information about an investigation.
And as
a practical matter it, too, could be done in secret because these
material
witnesses were meant to testify before grand juries, and all grand jury
proceedings, including any hearings involving the status of a witness,
are,
by law, required to be secret. With a grand jury in New York empaneled
for
the foreseeable future to investigate the attacks and any plots for new
attacks, these material witnesses could be held indefinitely, Ashcroft
and
his small team reasoned.
The FBI, though, was another issue. FBI Director Robert Mueller was not
comfortable with a dragnet that simply held people on the hope that
some
might know something simply because they were Muslim men. He didn't
quite
put it that way to Ashcroft, but he did say on several occasions that
his
agents were not used to going after people about whom they had no real
evidence of criminal conduct. To which Ashcroft replied that that was
precisely the point he had been making about how the world had changed
--
how their job now was to prevent new crimes more than solve old ones.
And
the way to do that, Ashcroft literally said during one meeting at the
FBI
operations center, was to round up anyone who fit the profile.
SEE ALSO:
FBI AGENTS PRESSURED TO DETAIN MUSLIMS FOR 'PR PURPOSES'
Text of F.B.I. Agent's Letter to Director Mueller
New York Times, 3/5/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/05/politics/ROWLEY-LETTER.html
We have every right, of course, to deport those identified as illegal
aliens during the course of any investigation. But after 9-11,
Headquarters
encouraged more and more detentions for what seem to be essentially PR
purposes. Field offices were required to report daily the number of
detentions in order to supply grist for statements on our progress in
fighting terrorism…
---
AL-KIDD: "I'M NOT A TERRORIST."
Associated Press, 3/31/03
http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/126569
BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) - A former University of Idaho football player
said he
is not tied to terrorists and is shocked at the way he's been treated
by
federal agents the past two weeks.
Abdullah Al-Kidd was arrested as he prepared to board a jetliner at
Dulles
International Airport outside Washington, D.C. He is jailed in Boise,
Idaho, as a material witness in an investigation of an alleged
terrorist
group with links to the university.
"Basically, don't believe the hype," Al-Kidd told the King County
Journal
during a jailhouse interview on Sunday night. "I'm not a terrorist. I'm
as
American as apple pie."
The 30-year-old former track and football star graduated from Lindbergh
High in Renton, and was a running back for Idaho. He now lives in Kent.
On
his attorney's advice, he declined to discuss specifics of his case
with
the newspaper...
Al-Kidd, a convert to Islam formerly known as Lavoni Kidd, said he
doesn't
know why he was arrested. He hasn't been charged with a crime and is
not
accused of being a terrorist. He denied he was fleeing the country when
he
was arrested March 16 at Dulles.
"If I was fleeing, I had two visas and could have left the country in
January. But I had a job and an apartment and things to settle," he
said.
"I had no knowledge of a federal warrant. If I had known, I would've
turned
myself in..."
He was mortified when he was cuffed and led through the airport, while
other passengers stared.
"Everybody was looking at me like they just captured a terrorist right
there in Dulles airport," he said. "I mean, here I am, dressed in
Muslim
garb and I have my beard.
"Sometimes I break down in tears thinking about my mother and the
people
calling her, crying and wanting to know what's going on," he added.
---
IMMIGRATION GROUPS FAULT RULE ON AUTOMATIC DETENTION OF SOME ASYLUM
SEEKERS
Christopher Drew and Adam Liptak, New York Times, 3/31/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/31/international/worldspecial/31ASYL.html
The Bush administration's decision to detain people from Iraq and 32
other
countries who are seeking political asylum in the United States has
raised
concerns among United Nations officials and immigration groups, who say
such blanket detentions may violate international norms and could
undercut
America's traditional role as a beacon for the oppressed.
Homeland Security Department officials said that the decision, made
right
before the war in Iraq, was a precaution to keep terrorists from
slipping
into the United States, the latest in a series of steps to tighten
monitoring of foreigners since the Sept. 11 attacks...
But critics, including some former top immigration officials, say they
fear
that policies governing asylum in the United States, the world's most
powerful magnet for refugees, are being weakened in the
administration's
move to treat immigration as more of a national security issue than a
social and demographic one...
Civil rights groups have pieced together the list through informal
contacts
with government officials. They contend that even if only a relatively
few
people are affected directly, the change could send a chilling message
to
tens of thousands of refugees all over the world, some of whom have
been
fighting to come to the United States for years.
"It's clearly ironic that on the eve of a war to liberate the Iraqi
people,
we are telling people that those fleeing tyranny there will be deprived
of
their liberty for extended periods when they arrive here," said Eleanor
Acer, the director of the asylum program at the Lawyers Committee for
Human
Rights, in New York...
---
MOOD CAUTIOUS AT MUSLIM FEST
Babita Persaud, St. Petersburg Times, 3/31/03
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/03/31/TampaBay/Mood_cautious_at_Musl.shtml
TAMPA - The annual Islamic Charity Festival almost didn't happen.
After war broke out in Iraq, organizers discussed postponing the
festival,
which local Muslims hold to offer food and clothing to mostly
non-Muslim
needy residents.
Corporations could be counted on in past years to provide soft drinks
and
clothes.
But this year, "nothing," said festival vice chairman Rasheed "Sam"
Hakki,
a local Muslim and orthopedic surgeon.
"The corporations are afraid to donate," he said. "Afraid (Attorney
General
John) Ashcroft will knock on their door and call them terrorist(s)
because
they give to a Muslim charity."
Being Muslim in America right now can be difficult.
"You have to be more careful (about) what you say and who you say it
to,"
said Anu Ahmed, who goes to King High School and helped at the food
tent at
Sunday's festival at Riverfront Park.
But it's been that way since Sept. 11, many Muslims said...
Rubina Khan, 40, from Pakistan, woke at 5 a.m. to make rice for the
charity
festival. She said Muslims can't be fearful, as they were after Sept.
11.
"That's why I wanted to come out and do the festival," she said,
spooning
mixed vegetables from tin trays to a long line. "It is for a good
cause.
And this is what we Muslims are about..."
-----
NY MAN SAYS TARGETED ARABS IN KILLINGS-POLICE
Reuters, 3/31/03
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York man who confessed to shooting and
killing
four people he believed were Arabs to avenge the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks
was charged with murder Monday and could face the death penalty.
Although all of those killed execution-style during a six-week murder
spree
in Brooklyn and Queens were immigrants, only the last victim was from
the
Middle East, police said.
"I would get a bad vibe, and then a bad situation would happen,"
suspect
Larme Price, 30, told police. "I got bad vibes from Arabs. When they
spoke
Arabic, they were talking about me."
Price was charged with killing a Guyanese convenience store merchant
and an
Indian merchant on Feb. 8, a Ukrainian man in a laundromat on March 10
and
a Yemeni man on March 20. Another man was wounded in the fourth
shooting.
He faces charges of first-degree murder -- charges that make him
eligible
for the death penalty if convicted -- as well as attempted murder and
criminal possession of a weapon.
He was ordered held without bail until a hearing on April 11...
SEE ALSO:
ARAB, MUSLIM COMMUNITIES BRACE FOR BACKLASH FROM IRAQ WAR
By RICHARD C. LEWIS, Associated Press, 3/31/03
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - More than a week into the United States-led
conflict in Iraq, Arab and Muslim leaders in Rhode Island have
instructed
their communities to keep a low profile, out of fear of an ethnic
backlash
from the war.
Mohammed Sharif, a University of Rhode Island professor and founder of
the
Southern Rhode Island Islamic Society, said he's warned those in his
organization to go out in public only when necessary. He's urged Arab
or
Muslim business owners not to draw attention to themselves, for fear
their
establishments may be targeted.
Meanwhile, religious leaders are keeping their mosques aglow in light,
and
have asked congregants to patrol the grounds, according to Sharif.
"Those
are the things we can do," Sharif said…
On Feb. 18, the day before war broke out, a caller whom Woonsocket
police
would not identify accused an American citizen of Iraqi descent of
storing
guns in his car. Woonsocket sent five detectives to Ayid Alsultani's
apartment that day; they searched Alsultani's residence - including his
freezer - and his car but found only a hatchet and pop gun. The
department
then sent their report to the FBI, though Alsultani has no local
criminal
record.
Capt. Normand Crepeau, detective commander and one of the detectives
involved in the search, said police acted on the call as a
"precautionary
measure."
"The individual was an Iraqi national," he added.
Asked if police would have responded the same way if the suspect were
Anglo-Saxon, Crepeau replied: "Probably not," explaining the search was
justified because of the war and the nation being on a higher state of
alert…
Alsultani's fear is reflected nationwide: The Council on
American-Islamic
Relations posted a "Muslim Community Safety Kit" on its Web site
earlier
this month, after hearing of racially motivated beatings in some
states…
"We haven't seen these types of (hate crime) cases in a while," said
Hodan
Hassan, CAIR spokeswoman in Washington. "We can only surmise that this
may
be related to a heightened security alert" and war with Iraq...
-----
NBC SEVERS TIES WITH JOURNALIST ARNETT
DAVID BAUDER, Associated Press, 3/31/03
NBC fired journalist Peter Arnett on Monday, saying it was wrong for
him to
give an interview with state-run Iraqi TV in which he said the
American-led
coalition's initial plan for the war had failed because of Iraq's
resistance. Arnett called the interview a "misjudgment" and apologized.
Arnett, on NBC's "Today" show on Monday, said he was sorry for his
statement but added "I said over the weekend what we all know about the
war…"
NBC defended him Sunday, saying he had given the interview as a
professional courtesy and that his remarks were analytical in nature.
But
by Monday morning the network switched course and, after Arnett spoke
with
NBC News President Neal Shapiro, said it would no longer work with
Arnett.
"It was wrong for Mr. Arnett to grant an interview to state-controlled
Iraqi TV, especially at a time of war," NBC spokeswoman Allison Gollust
said. "And it was wrong for him to discuss his personal observations
and
opinions in that interview."
Arnett, who won a Pulitzer Prize reporting in Vietnam for The
Associated
Press, gained much of his prominence from covering the 1991 Gulf War
for
CNN. One of the few American television reporters left in Baghdad, his
reports were frequently aired on NBC and its cable sisters, MSNBC and
CNBC…
In the Iraqi TV interview, broadcast Sunday by Iraq's satellite
television
station and monitored by The Associated Press in Egypt, Arnett said his
Iraqi friends tell him there is a growing sense of nationalism and
resistance to what the United States and Britain are doing.
He said the United States is reappraising the battlefield and delaying
the
war, maybe for a week, "and rewriting the war plan. The first war plan
has
failed because of Iraqi resistance. Now they are trying to write
another
war plan."
"Clearly, the American war plans misjudged the determination of the
Iraqi
forces," Arnett said.
Arnett said it is clear that within the United States there is growing
opposition to the war and a growing challenge to President Bush about
the
war's conduct.
"Our reports about civilian casualties here, about the resistance of
the
Iraqi forces, are going back to the United States," he said. "It helps
those who oppose the war when you challenge the policy to develop their
arguments..."
Arnett went to Iraq this year not as an NBC News reporter but as an
employee of the MSNBC show "National Geographic Explorer." When other
NBC
reporters left Baghdad for safety reasons, the network began airing his
reports. NBC said Monday he wouldn't be reporting for "National
Geographic
Explorer," either.
SEND POLITE COMMENTS TO:
E-MAIL: neal.shapiro@nbc.com, newsdesk@nationalgeographic.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
Mr. Neal Shapiro
News President
NBC Television Network
30 Rockefeller Plz
New York, NY 10112-0036
FAX: (201) 583-5453
SEE ALSO:
FALSE CLAIMS LITTER IRAQ CONFLICT
Merissa Marr, Reuters, 3/31/03
LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - Almost every day, Britain and the United
States have rowed back from triumphal claims in Iraq after jumping the
gun
in the propaganda war.
Scrambling for positive news in the battle against President Saddam
Hussein, the two allies have announced a string of successes, only to
back
away from them later after realising they were inaccurate or even
outright
wrong.
In the latest example, on Monday, British forces retracted a claim that
they had captured an Iraqi general in clashes with paramilitaries in
southern Iraq on Sunday, saying they had misidentified an Iraqi
officer.
Just 12 days into the war, the list of inaccuracies ranges from Iraqi
uprisings to the premature fall of Iraq's second city of Basra, as
Britain
and the United States attempt to vindicate their controversial decision
to
go to war.
But why do they repeatedly fall into the same trap?
Part of the problem is Britain and America are under pressure
politically
to make the war a success but have an unclear strategy for
psychological
warfare, analysts said.
That comes against the backdrop of needing to keep up with the furious
pace
of media covering minute-by-minute developments in the conflict on
24-hour
television news.
"It's not that authorities are trying to create disinformation. In this
media-ubiquitous world, they have learned that doesn't work," said
Michael
Clarke, director of the International Policy Institute at Kings College
London.
"They are just trying to influence a fast-moving news agenda and they
are
moving faster than they can or should."
At a news conference with U.S. President George W. Bush last week,
British
premier Tony Blair said two dead British soldiers shown on Arab TV
network
al-Jazeera had been "executed" by Iraq.
The British government later backed away from the accusation after a
relative of one of the soldiers told a British newspaper that she had
been
told the soldier had died in action.
In what would have been a key breakthrough last week, various media
separately cited military sources as saying a mass uprising was taking
place in Basra.
Iraq dismissed the reports as "hallucinations" while Arab television
channels showed images of quiet Basra streets.
Blair later said there had only been a ..."limited uprising..."
Other claims that initially appeared to provide Britain and America
with
propaganda ammunition include the repeated fall of the Iraqi port city
of
Umm Qasr. U.S. officials also claimed an Iraqi commander had
surrendered,
but he later turned up on al-Jazeera television.
Bush separately made comments about a man being left to bleed to death
after having his tongue cut out by the Iraqi government. But the
comments
were never backed up…
---
CONFUSION OVER STATUS OF GERALDO RIVERA IN IRAQ
Charles Aldinger, Reuters, 3/31/03
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - Veteran reporter and former talk show
host
Geraldo Rivera, a correspondent for Fox News, was asked to be removed
from
Iraq by the U.S. military for reporting Western troop movements in the
war,
the Pentagon said on Monday.
But in a report from Iraq where he was about 60 miles (100 km) from
Baghdad
with the 101st Airborne Division, Rivera, known for his provocative
on-screen style, said all was well and suggested he wasn't being
ejected
from the country by the U.S. military for coverage of the war.
Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman later told Reuters, however,
that Fox News itself had agreed to remove Rivera after the military
commander where Rivera was reporting felt that he had "compromised
operational security…"
Rivera said in his televised report that he did not know where the
reports
about the alleged security violations came from but accused colleagues,
including former employer NBC, of perhaps "spreading some lies about
me."
He suggested all was well between him and the military...
"If you were to ask me on whether or not he had reported on things that
were of tactical value and compromised operational security, I would
have
to say yes. In the eyes of the commander on the ground, he did,"
Whitman
told Reuters.
"I would say that he is going to be leaving Iraq," added Whitman. "Fox
has
talked to us and they have indicated to us that they are going to
remove
him from the area of operations."
-----
BUSH CHOICE TO REBUILD IRAQ SEEN AS 'PRO-ISRAEL'
Matthew E. Berger, JTA, 3/25/03
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Bush+choice+to+rebuild+Iraq+too+%26%238216%3Bpro%2DIsrael%3F%26%238217%3B&intcategoryid=3
WASHINGTON - The mission of rebuilding Iraq after the war has fallen to
a
general who has visited Israel and is being portrayed in the Arab world
as
biased in favor of the Jewish state.
The Bush administration has selected retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner to
direct
the Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for
Post-War Iraq. He will coordinate the civil administration after Iraqi
leader Saddam Hussein is ousted, and will aid the transition to new
leadership.
A former assistant chief of staff in the Army, Garner, 64, traveled to
Israel in 1998 with the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.
Two years later he signed on to an October 2000 letter that praised
Israeli
restraint in the face of Palestinian violence and urged the United
States
not to let its role as a peace facilitator hamper its responsibilities
as a
friend to Israel.
"Friends don't leave friends on the battlefield," the statement read.
The appointment of Garner has enraged some Arab leaders, who claim that
putting a "pro-Israel" leader in charge of the reconstruction of Iraq
will
only feed accusations that the war is being fought for Israel's
benefit.
"People in the Arab world are completely amazed by the Iraq policy,
they
don't get it, and the view that Israel is behind it all is one that is
gaining strength," said Hussein Ibish, director of communications for
the
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee...
SEE ALSO:
US ARMS TRADER TO RUN IRAQ
Oliver Morgan, Observer (UK), 3/30/03
http://www.observer.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,925309,00.html
Jay Garner, the retired US general who will oversee humanitarian relief
and
reconstruction in postwar Iraq, is president of an arms company that
provides crucial technical support to missile systems vital to the US
invasion of the country.
Garner's business background is causing serious concerns at the United
Nations and among aid agencies, who are already opposed to US
administration of Iraq if it comes outside UN authority, and who say
appointment of an American linked to the arms trade is the 'worst case
scenario' for running the country after the war...
---
POWELL ISSUES WARNING TO IRAN, SYRIA
Barry Schweid, Associated Press, 3/31/03
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell says Iran must stop its
drive
for weapons of mass destruction and Syria must end its support for
terrorism.
In a strongly worded speech to a pro-Israel lobby, Powell bracketed
Iran
and Syria with Iraq as promoters of terrorism and suggested they faced
grave consequences...
Carrying the threat a step forward, Powell on Sunday demanded Iran
"stop
its support for terrorism against Israel" and said Tehran also "must
stop
its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and the ability to produce
them."
Turning to the regime in Damascus, Powell said "Syria now faces a
critical
choice" of whether to "continue its direct support for terrorism in the
dying days" of President Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq.
"Syria bears responsibility for its choices and consequences," Powell
said
sternly at the 44th annual policy conference of the American Israel
Public
Affairs Committee...
---
ACTIVISTS CONFIRM IRAQI HOSPITAL BOMBED
Charles J. Hanley, Associated Press, 3/31/03
AMMAN, Jordan - Bruised and bleeding, in need of medical care, the
Americans stranded in Iraq's western desert approached the mud-brick
town
and found the hospital destroyed by bombs.
"Why? Why?" a doctor demanded of them. "Why did you Americans bomb our
children's hospital?" Scores of Iraqi townspeople crowded around.
The American peace activists' account was the first confirmation of a
report last week that a hospital in Rutbah was bombed Wednesday, with
dead
and injured. The travelers said they saw no significant Iraqi military
presence near the hospital or elsewhere in Rutbah. The doctor did not
discuss casualties, the Americans said...
---
'THE YANK OPENED UP. HE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE.'
Patrick Barkham, Times UK, 3/31/03
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-629644,00.html
Three wounded British soldiers described yesterday how they survived a
terrifying attack by an American anti-tank aircraft that killed one of
their troop and destroyed two armoured vehicles.
One of the survivors criticised the American pilot for showing "no
regard
for human life" and accused him of being a cowboy who had gone out on a
jolly.
Another survivor said that he had stumbled out of the burning wreckage
of
his light tank and waved frantically to the pilot of the low-flying A10
to
try to halt his "friendly fire" as he returned to attack again.
The blunder, 35 miles north of Basra, left one soldier missing,
presumed
dead, and another in intensive care on the hospital ship RFA Argus. A
sixth
Household Cavalry soldier escaped without injury when the two Scimitar
light tanks were destroyed.
---
POPE WARNS THAT WAR COULD BRING 'RELIGIOUS CATASTROPHE'
Reuters, 3/29/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49390-2003Mar29.html
VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II said today he hoped that the human
tragedy
of the war in Iraq would not set Christians and Muslims against each
other
and spark "a religious catastrophe."
"War must never be allowed to divide world religions," he told visiting
Roman Catholic bishops from Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim
country. The pope said good inter-religious relations were important
"at
this moment of heightened tension in the entire world community."
"Let us not permit a human tragedy to become a religious catastrophe,"
he said.
-----
SOME DETAINEES MAY BE SENT TO CUBA
Peter Baker, Washington Post, 3/31/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55178-2003Mar30.html
MARINE COMBAT HEADQUARTERS, Iraq - U.S. forces have started rounding up
Iraqi men in civilian clothes suspected of being involved with
paramilitary
squads that have been attacking them in southern Iraq and may ship some
of
them to the detention center at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba, military officers said today.
Marines patrolling Nasiriyah and other areas of heavy fighting have
already
detained more than 300 men in civilian clothes, initiating roundups
intended to cope with the danger of an enemy that opens fire and then
melts
back into the population. "You round them up -- that way they're not a
threat," said a senior Marine officer.
The roundups are part of a shift to unconventional warfare by U.S.
commanders in response to the hit-and-run attacks launched by the
Saddam's
Fedayeen and Baath Party militias on overstretched U.S. supply lines.
The
Americans have decided to emulate the British, who have used commando
raids
to counter resistance in southeastern Iraq.
-----
US ASSASSINS 'KILL IRAQI CHIEFS' IN BAGHDAD
Ian Johnston, Scotsman, 3/31/03
http://www.news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=375832003
American special forces have assassinated several senior Iraqi
officials in
a series of bomb and sniper attacks in Baghdad and other cities, it was
revealed yesterday.
American government sources say that in the past week of covert
operations
"more than a handful" of Republican Guard commanders and Ba'ath Party
officials have been killed.
The ultimate aim of the undercover squads, according to sources, is to
kill
Saddam Hussein's closest associates and even the Iraqi president
himself.
A source said at least some of the explosions seen and heard in Baghdad
were not the result of air strikes, but bombs planted by special
forces.
-----
THREE BRITISH SOLDIERS SENT HOME AFTER PROTESTING AT CIVILIAN DEATHS
Richard Norton-Taylor, Guardian, 3/31/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,926135,00.html
Three British soldiers in Iraq have been ordered home after objecting
to
the conduct of the war. It is understood they have been sent home for
protesting that the war is killing innocent civilians.
The three soldiers - including a private and a technician - are from 16
Air
Assault Brigade which is deployed in southern Iraq. Its task has been
to
protect oilfields.
The brigade includes the Ist and 3rd battalions of the Parachute
Regiment,
the 1st battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, a Royal Horse Artillery
regiment, and a reconnaissance squadron of the Household Cavalry.
The three soldiers, based in Colchester, Essex, face court martial and
are
seeking legal advice, defence sources said yesterday.
-----
A BOY WHO WAS 'LIKE A FLOWER'
Anthony Shadid, Washington Post, 3/31/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55252-2003Mar30.html
BAGHDAD - On a cold, concrete slab, a mosque caretaker washed the body
of
14-year-old Arkan Daif for the last time.
With a cotton swab dipped in water, he ran his hand across Daif's olive
corpse, dead for three hours but still glowing with life. He blotted
the
rose-red shrapnel wounds on the soft skin of Daif's right arm and right
ankle with the poise of practice. Then he scrubbed his face scabbed
with
blood, left by a cavity torn in the back of Daif's skull.
The men in the Imam Ali mosque stood somberly waiting to bury a boy
who, in
the words of his father, was "like a flower." Haider Kathim, the
caretaker,
asked: "What's the sin of the children? What have they done...?"
The boys were killed at 11 a.m. today when, as another relative
recalled,
"the sky exploded." Daif had been digging a trench in front of the
family's
concrete shack that could serve as a shelter during the bombing
campaign
that continues day and night. He had been working with Sabah Hassan,
16,
and Jalal Talib, 14. The white-hot shrapnel cut down all three. Seven
other
boys were wounded.
-----
HAWKS AND HORNETS
William Raspberry, Washington Post, 3/31/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55394-2003Mar30.html
There is this interesting notion that while it is quintessentially
American
to debate matters of grave importance, once the decision is made, the
debate should be over...
There are, basically, two views regarding the source of anti-American
terrorism in the Arab world. The first was articulated by retired
Marine
Gen. Joseph P. Hoar in testimony last September before the Senate Armed
Services Committee.
The problem, he argued, is that the Muslim world does not trust us.
"They
believe the U.S. government has acted unilaterally, sometimes as a
bully,
sometimes has used other nations for its own interests and abandoned
them
when the objective has been achieved. And most important, they believe
the
U.S. has unjustly supported Israel over the legitimate aspirations of
the
Palestinian people.
"At the end of the day, the war on terrorism will be won only when we
convince 1 billion Muslims that we are, in fact, a just society; that
we do
support peace, justice, equality for all people; that in fact we really
are
the 'City on the Hill.' "
On the other hand, the administration's plan, says Marshall, is "to use
U.S. military force, or the threat of it, to reform or topple virtually
every regime in the region, from foes like Syria to friends like Egypt,
on
the theory that it is the undemocratic nature of these regimes that
ultimately breeds terrorism..."
---
TURKS STONE U.S. MILITARY CONVOY
Reuters, 3/30/03
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2473399
MARDIN, Turkey - Turks hurled stones at a convoy of trucks carrying
U.S.
military equipment on Sunday, in the second such attack on the U.S.
military in two days, the Anatolian news agency said.
The vast majority of Turks oppose the U.S.-led war in Iraq and
parliament
earlier this month refused permission for Washington to use Turkish
territory to launch its attack.
Witnesses saw around 40 trucks leave an industrial site rented by U.S.
forces near the southeastern town of Mardin on Sunday, heading away
from
the Iraqi border toward ports and airbases on the Mediterranean
coast...
---
CAT STEVENS RECORDS FOR IRAQ CHILDREN
Associated Press, 3/31/03
LONDON - The "Peace Train" rides again.
Former pop star Cat Stevens, a convert to Islam, has recorded his first
song in 25 years to raise money for children affected by the U.S.-led
war
in Iraq.
Stevens, who now uses the name Yusuf Islam, re-recorded his 1971 hit
song
"Peace Train" at studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.
It is among tracks on "Hope," an album produced for the War Child
charity
that helps children in war torn countries. Other contributors include
former Beatle Paul McCartney, David Bowie and George Michael.
"Peace Train is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to
breeze
thunderously through the hearts of millions of human beings, and there
is a
powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again,"
Islam
wrote in a statement posted Monday on his Web site.
"As a member of humanity and as a Muslim, this is my contribution to
the
call for a peaceful solution to the dangerous path some world leaders
today
seem to be taking..."
On the Net: Cat Stevens Web site: http://www.catstevens.com
-----
WAR HAWKS BLINDED BY HARDENED HEARTS
Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 3/31/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55427-2003Mar30.html
"I think the level of casualties is secondary," American Enterprise
Institute scholar Michael A. Ledeen told the gathering of war hawks. "I
mean, it may sound like an odd thing to say, but all the great scholars
who
have studied American character have come to the conclusion that we are
a
warlike people and that we love war. . . . What we hate is not
casualties,
but losing."
Odd, indeed, I thought upon reading Ledeen's remarks in news accounts
of a
so-called "black coffee briefing" held Thursday at the AEI. But, sure
enough, results of various opinion polls published a few days later
showed
Americans' support for the war on Iraq actually hardening, even though
most
respondents said they believe that there will be "a significant number
of
additional U.S. military casualties." At this point, dead Iraqi
civilians
didn't seem to matter at all...
About 589 Iraqi civilians had been reported killed and 4,500 reported
injured. Among the victims of errant missiles were Iraqi babies.
Exactly
where was this upbeat chant to bomb on, as indicated by the polls,
coming
from...?
---
BASRA RESIDENTS HOLD OUT AS SIEGE DRAGS ON
Michael Georgy, Reuters, 3/31/03
BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Shells pound Basra's crowded neighborhoods
every
night. British tanks rumble on the city's edge. Black smoke rises from
oil
pipelines as Iraqis watch their most precious commodity burn away.
But residents of Iraq's second city said they can withstand the
U.S.-British siege for months, raising questions over how long the
troops
will stay on the outskirts before launching an offensive.
"It is really no problem for us. Basra is functioning normally. We feel
some pressure but we can stay like this for a long time," said Ahmed,
one
city resident…
The siege has failed to break Basra residents, suggesting Iraqis are
not
about to capitalize on the presence of foreign troops and rise up
against
Saddam loyalists…
Hundreds of Iraqis drive through checkpoints to leave each day,
returning a
few hours later. But some who try to leave for pressing reasons such as
medical care are turned back, fueling anger over British and U.S.
troops,
who have tightened security.
"If you don't let me through I will hate the Americans and British,"
said
Adil Hussein as he pleaded with a British soldier to let him through to
get
treatment for an ulcer.
"We only treat victims of war wounds," he was told...
-----
PRODUCER WHO RECORDED 'LET'S CLEAN UP THE GHETTO,' LIVING HIS MUSIC'S
MESSAGE
David B. Caruso, Associated Press, 3/31/03
PHILADELPHIA - Kenny Gamble could have settled almost anywhere after a
songwriting career that earned him and partner Leon Huff 175 gold and
platinum records for producing hits like "Love Train" and "Me and Mrs.
Jones."
Instead, he went home to South Philadelphia.
Looking to give something back to the city that inspired his music,
Gamble
in 1990 shrugged off fear of crime and drug dealers and moved into a
rehabilitated brick row house in the blighted neighborhood where he
grew up.
Since then, the co-architect of the Philadelphia Sound has been on a
mission to rebuild the area, block by block.
The nonprofit firm he founded, Universal Companies, has purchased
hundreds
of abandoned houses, refurbished old storefronts, and is constructing
scores of tidy new townhouses to replace a demolished high-rise public
housing project...
Gamble, 59, converted to Islam in 1975 and said he takes his faith's
demand
of charitable works seriously. He also said he felt an obligation to do
more for the city's poor, black neighborhoods than write songs about
them...
Universal's president, Abdur-Rahim Islam, said the company plans to
develop
or rebuild between 1,500 and 2,000 homes in South Philadelphia over the
next seven years and destroy hundreds more that have deteriorated
beyond
repair.
The organization, which relies on a mix of private donations and public
grants, has already invested $200 million in a variety of projects,
Islam
said...
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/1/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: SERVE GUESTS GENEROUSLY
* VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5211 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* FLORIDA BILLS WOULD BLOCK AID TO MUSLIM STUDENTS
* MUSLIMS IN AMERICA FACE THE BACKLASH (SF Chronicle)
- Teacher Says FAU Showed Anti-Arab Bias (Sun-Sentinel)
* MUSLIMS FEEL PAIN FOR BOTH SIDES IN WAR (AP)
* 10 DEAD AFTER VEHICLE SHELLED AT CHECKPOINT (Wash. Post)
- Kids Became 'Human Torches' (News 24)
- U.S. Bombs Kill 11 Civilians Near Hilla (Reuters)
- Void between American and UK Soldiers (Scotsman)
- U.S. Precision Weapons Have Failure Rate (AP)
- This War Is Not Working (Daily Mirror)
- False Claims Litter Iraq Conflict (Reuters)
- US Secret Plan to Impose Regime on Iraq (Guardian)
- Marine Who Said No To Killing (Guardian)
- The Friendship Card (Toronto Star)
- Offense and Defense (New Yorker)
* SECULAR EGYPTIANS FIND SOLACE IN ISLAM (Washington Post)
* WATCHDOG GROUP ASKS FOR PERLE INVESTIGATION (Reuters)
* ISRAEL DREAMS OF IRAQI OIL (Ha'aretz)
- Israeli Soldiers Guard West Bank Settler (Ha'aretz)
* SENATOR: END AUTOMATIC CITIZENSHIP FOR U.S.-BORN (Wash. Times)
* SIKHS SAY MIRAMAX MOVIE PROMOTES HATE (Sikh Coalition)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SERVE GUESTS GENEROUSLY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever believes in God
and
the Last Day should not hurt his neighbor. Whoever believes in God and
the
Last Day should serve his guest generously. And whoever believes in God
and
the Last Day should say what is good or keep silent."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 158
-----
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Volunteers are needed for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership and Training
Conference to be held April 25-27 in Tyson's Corner, Va. There will a
volunteer meeting on Tuesday, April 1, at ADAMS Center (46903 Sugarland
Rd., Sterling, VA) right after sunset prayers. For more info, please
call
Isra at (202) 488-8787, ext. 6050.
You can now register online for the conference, "A Roadmap for Success:
Vision and Action," at www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5211 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5211 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
FLORIDA BILLS WOULD BLOCK AID TO MUSLIM STUDENTS
(MIAMI, 4/1/2003) - Florida's office of the Washington-based Council on
American Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL), along with other civil rights
groups,
today called for the withdrawal of proposed legislation that would
block
state financial aid to students from countries on the State
Department's
list of terrorism sponsors.
Florida House Bill 31 and Senate Bill 1760 target students from Iran,
Sudan, Libya, Iraq, and Syria, while specifically granting an exemption
to
students from Cuba, which is also on the State Department's list.
To view the proposed bills, go to:
www.leg.state.fl.us/data/session/2003/House/bills/billtext/pdf/h0031.pdf
www.leg.state.fl.us/data/session/2003/Senate/bills/billtext/pdf/s1760.pdf
On March 24, 2003, H 31 was approved by the Higher Education
Subcommittee
and was amended to clarify that Cuban students would be exempted and to
narrow the scope of the proposed legislation to students holding F-1
and
M-1 visas.
"This legislation discriminates against Muslim students based solely on
their national origin and would prevent opportunites for students from
these countries to learn about America. It is a form of guilt by
association," said CAIR-FL Board Chairman Parvez Ahmed.
- END -
CONTACT: Altaf Ali (Executive Director); 954-298-8214 EMAIL:
altaf@cair-florida.org, Shahid Shaheen (Director of State Affairs);
850-570-4929 EMAIL: shaheensa@cair-florida.org, Mark Schlakman, Program
Director, Center for Advancement of Human Rights (CAHR) at Florida
State
University, 850-644-4614, EMAIL: MSchlakman@admin.fsu.edu, Hadia
Mubarak,
President, Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Florida State
University,
850-443-9599, EMAIL: ada2d@hotmail.com, Cheryl Little, Executive
Director,
Florida Immigration Advocacy Center (FIAC), 305-573-1106, EMAIL:
clittle@fiacfla.org
-----
MUSLIMS IN AMERICA FACE THE BACKLASH
Annie Nakao, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/1/03
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/01/DD302750.DTL
As-salaamu alaykum. Peace be to you.
Those are the first words of a nine-page "Muslim Community Safety Kit"
sent
out to thousands of mosques and Arab American organizations a week
before
the war started...
These are trying times for Muslims in America, noted Soleiman Ghali,
president of the Islamic Society of San Francisco, the city's largest
mosque. Recently, the mosque was mailed a rambling hate letter, the
gist of
which was, "Muslims need to be gotten rid of..."
So Ghali was glad to download the safety kit from the Web site of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (www.cair-net.org)...
As a practical guide, it's amazingly complete, covering everything from
creating an emergency contact list and responding to bomb threats, to
having good relations with police and community groups and knowing
one's
rights as an airline passenger. Ghali has already made use of some of
the
kit's suggestions in securing the mosque...
SEE ALSO:
TEACHER SAYS FAU SHOWED ANTI-ARAB BIAS
Jennifer Peltz, Sun-Sentinel, 4/1/03
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/search/sfl-pfsugar01apr01.story
Mohammed Khalid Hamza, an educational technology researcher, saw his
star
rise steadily in his first five years at Florida Atlantic University.
But his fortunes took a sharp turn last year. After an
education-college
committee concluded he wasn't on course for tenure, he was told this
would
be his last year at FAU, according to Florida Commission on Human
Relations
documents.
Hamza, an advocate for Muslims on campus and in the community, thinks
he's
a victim of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias. So does the human relations
commission's executive director, who issued a finding last month
supporting
Hamza's allegations of employment discrimination.
"There is an abundance of evidence that Dr. Hamza's national origin and
religion played a major role in the decisions that the university
made,"
commission chief Derick Daniel wrote…
-----
MUSLIMS FEEL PAIN FOR BOTH SIDES IN WAR
Associated Press, 4/1/03
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - Fewer people are attending services at a mosque
that supports much of central and southern New Hampshire's Muslim
population, perhaps because of the war in Iraq, one member said.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, some local Muslims have
felt
uncomfortable going out into public at all. And with the world's
attention
turned toward the Middle East and the Muslim and Arab worlds once
again,
things haven't gotten any easier, said Salman Malik, a surgeon who grew
up
in Pakistan.
"Traditionally, many people are afraid to speak," he told the Concord
Monitor in a story published Tuesday. "With everything that's going on,
they're afraid of being targeted as unpatriotic."
Muslims gather on Friday nights at the Islamic Society of Greater
Manchester.
Some are very much against the war. "Saddam Hussein has to be removed
from
power, but to kill innocents is more horrible," said Mohammed Yasin, an
immigrant from Syria. "Millions around the world are rejecting and
refusing
the war. But what Allah has ordered, it is his will."
Maria Butt left Spain for New Hampshire nine years ago. She said when
she
watches news from Iraq on television, she grows sad and bitter.
"It makes me sick," she said. "I don't think the U.S. should attack a
country just because we don't like someone there. I don't like the term
'collateral damage.' I don't believe the people of Iraq should suffer
any
damage."
Butt says being an immigrant has made it difficult to express her views
on
the war.
"People don't like to hear that I am against the war," she said. "I
don't
think being against the war is un-American, and it has nothing to do
with
being Muslim..."
-----
10 DEAD AFTER VEHICLE SHELLED AT CHECKPOINT
William Branigin, Washington Post, 4/1/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61229-2003Mar31.html
NEAR KARBALA, Iraq - As an unidentified four-wheel-drive vehicle came
barreling toward an intersection held by troops of the Army's 3rd
Infantry
Division, Capt. Ronny Johnson grew increasingly alarmed. From his
position
at the intersection, he was heard radioing to one of his forward
platoons
of M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to alert it to what he described as a
potential threat.
"Fire a warning shot," he ordered as the vehicle kept coming. Then,
with
increasing urgency, he told the platoon to shoot a 7.62mm machine-gun
round
into its radiator. "Stop [messing] around!" Johnson yelled into the
company
radio network when he still saw no action being taken. Finally, he
shouted
at the top of his voice, "Stop him, Red 1, stop him!"
That order was immediately followed by the loud reports of 25mm cannon
fire
from one or more of the platoon's Bradleys. About half a dozen shots
were
heard in all.
"Cease fire!" Johnson yelled over the radio. Then, as he peered into
his
binoculars from the intersection on Highway 9, he roared at the platoon
leader, "You just [expletive] killed a family because you didn't fire a
warning shot soon enough!"
So it was that on a warm, hazy day in central Iraq, the fog of war
descended on Bravo Company.
Fifteen Iraqi civilians were packed inside the Toyota, officers said,
along
with as many of their possessions as the jammed vehicle could hold. Ten
of
them, including five children who appeared to be under 5 years old,
were
killed on the spot when the high-explosive rounds slammed into their
target, Johnson's company reported. Of the five others, one man was so
severely injured that medics said he was not expected to live.
"It was the most horrible thing I've ever seen, and I hope I never see
it
again," Sgt. Mario Manzano, 26, an Army medic with Bravo Company of the
division's 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, said later in an
interview. He said one of the wounded women sat in the vehicle holding
the
mangled bodies of two of her children. "She didn't want to get out of
the
car," he said...
To try to prevent a recurrence, Johnson ordered that signs be posted in
Arabic to warn people to stop well short of the Bradleys guarding the
eastern approach to the intersection. Before they could be erected, 10
people carrying white flags walked down the same road. They were seven
children, an old man, a woman and a boy in his teens.
"Tell them to go away," Johnson ordered. But he reconsidered when told
that
the family said their house had been blown up and that they were trying
to
reach the home of relatives in a safer area...
SEE ALSO:
KIDS BECAME 'HUMAN TORCHES'
News 24, 4/1/03
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,6119,2-10-1460_1341016,00.html
Janabiyah, Iraq - Bloodied school books and children's shoes lie amidst
animal carcasses on the road leading to the Ismails' farm in this
village
on the south eastern edge of Baghdad.
The main building of this hamlet, accessible via a checkpoint manned by
militiamen, has been levelled, the second burned out and the third
partially destroyed.
A neighbour told an AFP journalist that two missiles fired by coalition
warplanes on Saturday night caught five sleeping families living on the
farm.
The raid left 20 people dead - eleven of them children, seven women and
two
men. Ten others injured in the attack were taken to hospital.
The victims have already been buried according to Muslim tradition, but
the
smell of death still permeates the farm: the bombing also cost the life
of
several of the farm's animals...
"Five children were turned into human torches in this house because of
the
gas cylinders inside," one of the two survivors said, wondering how God
spared him while four other family members were wounded...
A neighbour, with missile debris in his hands, said: "That is Bush's
democracy. They want us to welcome them with flowers. Look what they've
done to our families..."
---
U.S. BOMBS KILL AT LEAST 11 CIVILIANS NEAR HILLA
Reuters, 4/1/03
HILLA, Iraq - At least 11 civilians, most of them children, were killed
when U.S. bombs hit a residential district in the town of Hilla in
central
Iraq overnight, Reuters reporters said on Tuesday.
The reporters, taken by the Iraqi authorities to a hospital in Hilla,
some
80 km (50 miles) south of Baghdad, saw a pick-up truck ferrying dead
people, mostly children.
"What has he done wrong, what has he done wrong?" the driver of the
truck
said as he held the body of an infant. Grieving relatives wept in the
open
as the bodies were taken inside.
One journalist counted 11 bodies of civilians and two of Iraqi
fighters.
A hospital employee said the death toll stood at 33 civilians, with
more
than 300 wounded.
"God take our revenge on America," a stunned man said repeatedly at the
hospital. Hospital staff said the man's whole family was wiped out.
Residents said U.S. forces had attacked the town on Monday but were
pushed
back by a combination of regular and irregular Iraqi forces. As the
Americans retreated, they shelled the town, the residents said...
---
THE VOID BETWEEN AMERICAN AND UK SOLDIERS
Karen McVeigh, Scotsman, 3/31/03
http://www.news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?id=378932003&tid=518
During the Vietnam war, a popular response to the mantra of winning
over
the civilian population was "grab them by the balls, and their hearts
and
minds will follow". It is not a tactic, however, employed by British
forces
and the difference in approach is apparently leading to tension among
troops.
US forces who took the port of Umm Qasr did little to win "hearts and
minds" among Iraqis and some British troops now charged with setting up
a
transitional authority complain they are having to undo damage.
One British officer being given an escort by marines to his
headquarters
expressed alarm when US soldiers let loose with a volley of rifle fire
at a
house on the outskirts of the town.
"They said they had been sniped at from there a few days ago so they
like
to give them a warning every now and then," he said. "That is something
we
would never condone. You really aren't going to make any friends doing
that..."
---
U.S. PRECISION WEAPONS HAVE FAILURE RATE
Jim Krane, Associated Press, 4/1/03
The U.S. military is fighting perhaps the most accurate air war in
history,
with most of the 8,000 precision-guided bombs and missiles loosed on
Iraq
blasting their intended targets.
But "precision" weapons also miss. Human and mechanical errors send 10
percent or more astray, Pentagon and civilian experts say - a
disastrous
percentage for civilians living near the intended targets...
A Canadian military assessment of laser-guided bomb accuracy during the
Kosovo campaign in 1999 showed that 60 to 70 percent hit their targets,
Hewson said. Since NATO faced tougher air defenses and weather in that
campaign, he said he figures the current combination of laser- and
satellite-guided bombs are hitting targets 75 to 80 percent of the
time.
"There's a significant gap between 100 percent and reality," he said.
"And
the more you drop, the greater your chances of a catastrophic
failure..."
---
THIS WAR IS NOT WORKING
Peter Arnett, Daily Mirror, 4/1/03
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12795678&method=full&siteid=50143
I am still in shock and awe at being fired. There is enormous
sensitivity
within the US government to reports coming out from Baghdad.
They don't want credible news organisations reporting from here because
it
presents them with enormous problems.
I reported on the original bombing for NBC and we were half a mile away
from those massive explosions. Now I am really shocked that I am no
longer
reporting this story for the US and awed by the fact that it actually
happened.
That overnight my successful NBC reporting career was turned to ashes.
And why?
Because I stated the obvious to Iraqi television; that the US war
timetable
has fallen by the wayside...
But it has made me a target for my critics in the States who accuse me
of
giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
I don't want to give aid and comfort to the enemy - I just want to be
able
to tell the truth...
---
FALSE CLAIMS LITTER IRAQ CONFLICT
Merissa Marr, Reuters, 3/31/03
LONDON - Almost every day, Britain and the United States have rowed
back
from triumphal claims in Iraq after jumping the gun in the propaganda
war.
Scrambling for positive news in the battle against President Saddam
Hussein, the two allies have announced a string of successes, only to
back
away from them later after realising they were inaccurate or even
outright
wrong.
In the latest example, on Monday, British forces retracted a claim that
they had captured an Iraqi general in clashes with paramilitaries in
southern Iraq on Sunday, saying they had misidentified an Iraqi
officer.
Just 12 days into the war, the list of inaccuracies ranges from Iraqi
uprisings to the premature fall of Iraq's second city of Basra, as
Britain
and the United States attempt to vindicate their controversial decision
to
go to war...
---
THE FRIENDSHIP CARD
Riad Salojee, Toronto Star, 4/1/03
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1035780183224
Among the tired rationales for the war against Iraq, none is so grating
than the argument that some Canadian public officials and notables have
been trotting out recently: we should support the Americans because
they
are our friends or because, as our traditional allies, we have
typically
supported them...
The idea of a friendship or allegiance that would self-servingly
justify a
war that lacks both international and moral legitimacy is not only
fallacious (a teen would call it "peer pressure") but perverse. Worse
still, is to frame opposition to the war as a sullying of the Canadian
élan
or to lambaste those with legitimate objections to the war with,
another
logical fallacy, anti-Americanism.
Can true friendship stand the litmus test of knowing that the military
campaign of your friend extends to a country where half of the
inhabitants
- some twelve million - are children? And that, no matter what
sanitized
military briefings tell us, the smart bombs, laser bombs, and other
bombs
cannot possibly distinguish on a ratio of one to two...
Riad Saloojee is a Toronto lawyer who is executive director of the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations, Canada.
-----
US DRAWS UP SECRET PLAN TO IMPOSE REGIME ON IRAQ
Brian Whitaker and Luke Harding, Guardian, 4/1/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,927055,00.html
A disagreement has broken out at a senior level within the Bush
administration over a new government that the US is secretly planning
in
Kuwait to rule Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the overthrow of
Saddam
Hussein.
Under the plan, the government will consist of 23 ministries, each
headed
by an American. Every ministry will also have four Iraqi advisers
appointed
by the Americans, the Guardian has learned.
The government will take over Iraq city by city. Areas declared
"liberated"
by General Tommy Franks will be transferred to the temporary government
under the overall control of Jay Garner, the former US general
appointed to
head a military occupation of Iraq...
---
MARINE WHO SAID NO TO KILLING ON HIS CONSCIENCE
Duncan Campbell, Guardian, 4/1/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,926965,00.html
The first American conscientious objector from the Iraq war will give
himself up at a marine base in California this morning. He said he
believed
the war was "immoral because of the deception involved by our leaders".
Stephen Eagle Funk, 20, a marine reserve who was due to be sent for
combat
duty, is currently on "unauthorised absence" from his unit. He faces a
possible court martial and time in military prison for his action.
"I know I have to be punished for going UA," Mr Funk told the Guardian
in
an interview before surrendering to authorities, "but I would rather
take
my punishment now than live with what I would have to do [in Iraq] for
the
rest of my life. I would be going in knowing that it was wrong and that
would be hypocritical..."
---
OFFENSE AND DEFENSE
Seymour M. Hersh, New Yorker, 4/1/03
http://www.newyorker.com/printable/?fact/030407fa_fact1
As the ground campaign against Saddam Hussein faltered last week, with
attenuated supply lines and a lack of immediate reinforcements, there
was
anger in the Pentagon. Several senior war planners complained to me in
interviews that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his inner
circle
of civilian advisers, who had been chiefly responsible for persuading
President Bush to lead the country into war, had insisted on
micromanaging
the war's operational details.
Rumsfeld's team took over crucial aspects of the day-to-day logistical
planning-traditionally, an area in which the uniformed military
excels-and
Rumsfeld repeatedly overruled the senior Pentagon planners on the Joint
Staff, the operating arm of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "He thought he
knew
better," one senior planner said. "He was the decision-maker at every
turn."
On at least six occasions, the planner told me, when Rumsfeld and his
deputies were presented with operational plans-the Iraqi assault was
designated Plan 1003-he insisted that the number of ground troops be
sharply reduced. Rumsfeld's faith in precision bombing and his
insistence
on streamlined military operations has had profound consequences for
the
ability of the armed forces to fight effectively overseas. "They've got
no
resources," a former high-level intelligence official said. "He was so
focussed on proving his point-that the Iraqis were going to fall
apart."
-----
SECULAR EGYPTIANS FIND SOLACE IN ISLAM
Emily Wax, Washington Post, 4/1/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62981-2003Mar31.html
Samah Tawa doesn't consider herself a devout Muslim. Nevertheless, she
wrapped a scarf over her freshly cut hair today, went to a local
community
center and prayed.
"I needed to do this," said Tawa, a marketing manager who wore a
pinstripe
suit and a cell phone hanging from her wrist. "I couldn't live through
this
war without God."
Next to her, Azza Ibrahim, in jeans and a black-and-white striped
sports
jacket, closed her eyes and bowed. Her mind grew still for the first
time
all day, she said...
Ibrahim had spent the morning at her kitchen table, distraught over the
images she had seen of children killed in the war.
She wept. She was losing sleep; she couldn't eat. Earlier in the week,
she
and friends tried watching Oprah on satellite television to take their
mind
off things. But the topic of the day was the U.S. war in Iraq.
That's when the middle class women in Cairo's upscale suburb of Maadi
turned to religion. They found themselves drawn to a lecture on such
topics
as "how to be a more pious Muslim," and "how to cope emotionally with
the
crisis..."
The women -- teachers, nurses, doctors and lawyers -- share an interest
in
deepening their faith. It is not unusual in Egypt, known both for
1,000-year-old mosques and a lively secular culture. But with the
violence
of the two-year Palestinian uprising and now the war in Iraq, even some
secular Egyptians say they look to religion to help them survive the
emotional pain.
"I feel calmer when I am here," said Mona Shaker, a 42-year-old
housewife,
who has started praying and volunteering in the community center. "I
cry at
night over the war. I worry. And then I come here and pray. It helps me
survive knowing that God can help us..."
-----
WATCHDOG GROUP ASKS FOR PERLE INVESTIGATION
Andy Sullivan, Reuters, 3/31/03
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=2480538
WASHINGTON - Government monitoring group Judicial Watch has asked for a
probe into whether military adviser Richard Perle violated ethics
guidelines when he agreed to help win U.S. approval for the sale of a
bankrupt telecommunications company.
Perle resigned last week as head of the Defense Policy Board amid
allegations that his position conflicted with a lucrative lobbying job
for
Global Crossing Ltd., which is currently seeking approval for its sale
to
Hong Kong's Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.
Perle also quit his consulting job with Global Crossing last week and
said
he would donate his earnings to charity.
In a complaint dated March 28, Judicial Watch asked Attorney General
John
Ashcroft, FBI chief Robert Mueller and three other officials to
investigate
whether Perle's arrangement violated ethics regulations and federal
laws
that prohibit conflicts of financial interests.
"Mr. Perle may have allowed his substantial personal financial
interests in
Global Crossing to affect his official actions as chairman of the
Defense
Advisory Board. At the least, Mr. Perle's actions have created apparent
conflicts of interest," the group wrote...
-----
INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTER PARITZKY DREAMS OF IRAQI OIL FLOWING TO HAIFA
Akiva Eldar, Ha'aretz, 4/1/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=278572
National Infrastructures Minister Joseph Paritzky has requested an
assessment of the condition of the old oil pipeline from Mosul to
Haifa,
with an eye toward renewing the flow of oil in the event of friendly
post-war regime in Iraq.
Paritzky explained to Haaretz yesterday that resurrecting the pipeline
to
Haifa could save Israel the high cost of shipping oil from Russia. He
is
certain that the Americans would respond favorably to the idea, since
the
pipeline would bring Iraqi oil directly to the Mediterranean...
SEE ALSO:
ISRAELI SOLDIERS GUARD WEST BANK SETTLER
Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press
JERUSALEM - Six Israeli soldiers are spending their reserve duty
guarding a
lone settler living illegally in a trailer on a West Bank hill, costing
the
country an estimated $43,000 a month, an Israeli legislator said
Tuesday.
Ran Cohen from the dovish Meretz party raised the issue with Prime
Minister
Ariel Sharon on Monday, at a meeting of parliament's Defense and
Foreign
Affairs Committee. Sharon said he would look into the case, according
to Cohen.
Dozens of tiny outposts have been set up by settlers in recent years on
West Bank hilltops to prevent the handover of land in a peace deal with
the
Palestinians. In most cases, just a few settlers live in the outposts,
which are guarded by troops...
Successive Israeli governments have moved more than 200,000 settlers
into
150 settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since capturing the
lands -
claimed by the Palestinians for a state - in the 1967 Mideast war...
-----
INSIDE THE BELTWAY
John McCaslin, Washington Times, 4/1/03
http://www.washtimes.com/national/inbeltway.htm
A U.S. congressman is seeking to rewrite U.S. citizenship requirements
in
order to protect Americans from future acts of terror.
Rep. Mark Foley, Florida Republican, yesterday introduced what promises
to
be a controversial amendment that would grant a person born on U.S.
soil
automatic citizenship only if one or both parents is an American
citizen or
legal permanent resident.
He points out that most other developed countries - Britain, France,
Australia, Germany and Italy included - do not confer automatic
birthright
citizenship.
"We are in different times with different threats than when our
Constitution was penned," Mr. Foley says. "The 14th Amendment was
conceived
after the Civil War to ensure citizenship to freed slaves, not to
ensure
citizenship to terrorists..."
-----
MIRAMAX MOVIE "DYSFUNKTIONAL FAMILY" PROMOTES HATE AGAINST SIKHS
Sikh Coalition, 4/1/03
http://www.sikhcoalition.org/miramax_background.asp
Miramax Film Corporation, a leading film producer and collaborator, is
planning to release Dysfunktional Family, on April 4, 2003.
Dysfunktional
Family, a comedy film starring Eddie Griffin, includes scenes in which
Mr.
Griffin points to a turbaned Sikh man walking on the street and shouts,
"bin Laden, I knew you was around here!"
The preview trailer, available online at the Miramax website, shows Mr.
Griffin in various scenes from the film, including the final clip in
which
he insults an anonymous Sikh man simply because of his physical
identity...
The makers of Dysfunktional Family failed to recognize the explicit
harm
that could occur as a result of Mr. Griffin's derogatory statements.
Furthermore, Miramax has failed to consider the indirect results that
further solidify a climate of intolerance, fear, and hate in today's
post
September 11th world.
Sikhs and all people in support of justice and equality around the
world
are shocked and dismayed that this film is being released with this
content
included...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #375
CAIR CONFERENCE DINNER TO FOCUS ON POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/2/03) - An array of national Islamic spiritual and
political leaders and public officials will discuss the importance of
Muslim political empowerment at CAIR's Fourth Annual Leadership
Training
Conference dinner. The banquet will be held on Saturday, April 26, at
the
Sheraton Premiere in Tysons Corner, Va. Online registration for both
the
conference and the dinner is now available.
GO TO: https://www.cair-net.org/conference (Dinner-only registration is
available. Click on "Register Online.") For more information, call
202-488-8787 or e-mail register@cair-net.org.
This year's conference, headlined "A ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS: VISION AND
ACTION," is designed to address the social and political situation
currently facing American Muslims in this time of crisis and conflict.
The
conference features intensive workshops on media relations, lobbying,
civil
rights advocacy, defending Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, coalition
building, and political empowerment.
On Friday, April 25, conference participants will spend the day
learning
effective lobbying techniques and meeting with elected officials or
their
key staff. A Friday dinner will focus on "CAIR's Vision for the
American
Muslim Community."
Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers, professional
leadership trainers, representatives of national civil liberties
advocacy
organizations, media representatives, and CAIR experts. One
not-to-be-missed workshop will offer a critical assessment of Muslim
groups, leaders and institutions based on their reaction to the 9/11
terrorist attacks.
Other examples of conference workshops include:
* ADVANCED MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
This session will focus on how to prepare for a crisis before it hits,
how
to write a news release, how to conduct a news conference, and learning
the
"dos and don'ts" of interviewing.
* REPEALING THE PATRIOT ACT; PREVENTING PATRIOT ACT II
Many organizations have developed tools to help local communities
introduce
and pass resolutions opposing civil liberties violations resulting from
implementation of the USA Patriot Act and from the anticipated Patriot
Act
II. This workshop will offer guidance on how to introduce a resolution
supporting civil rights in your community.
* RESPONDING TO ATTACKS ON ISLAM AND THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
Learn how to defend Islam and the Prophet Muhammad from the rising tide
of
Islamophobic rhetoric in our society. The workshop will examine the
most
common attacks and the best responses to offer.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (Seating is limited. Last year's conference
was
sold out.)
1) Go to https://www.cair-net.org/conference to register online.
2) Registration materials may also be requested by emailing
register@cair-net.org.
Banquet dinner: $40/person. Conference cost: $129/person for 3 days,
$119/person for 2-5 individuals in a group for 3 days, $99/person for
Sat.
& Sun. programs only. Fees cover 3 meals per day and conference
materials.
3) Become a conference volunteer by emailing irahman@cair-net.org.
CONFERENCE LOCATION: Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, 8661 Leesburg
Pike, Vienna, VA 22182 Tel: 703-448-1234 . Hotel rates: $89/night
single/double occupancy. Make sure to ask for the "CAIR Conference
Rate."
(Limited vending available. Please contact irahman@cair-net.org.)
- PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE AT PRAYERS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
-
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/2/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: TEACH GOODNESS
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5211 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* PARTICIPATE IN CAIR'S SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
* SUPPORT BILL DISAVOWING DOCTRINE OF PREEMPTION
- Support Bill Expressing Sympathy for American Killed In Palestine
* FAMILY SLAIN AT CHECKPOINT SOUGHT SAFETY (AP)
- Marketplace Deaths Were Caused By a US Missile
- As Bombs Fall, a Song Rises From the Mosques (LA Times)
- Pentagon Vetoes Task Force to Take Control of Baghdad (Independent)
- US Troops Accused Of Excess Force (Guardian)
- Congressman Calls for War's End in Speech (AP)
- Rows Dog General Waiting to Take Over (Guardian)
- Aid Groups Oppose Pentagon Control of Aid Effort (Reuters)
* MUSLIMS: GRAHAM'S AID AGENCY UNWELCOME (Charlotte Observer)
- Helping Hands That Could Hurt (MSNBC)
- Why Is Bush Afraid Of Franklin Graham? (BeliefNet)
* ILLINOIS OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST HATE CRIMES (AP)
- CAIR Official Discusses Community Safety Kit on CNN FN
- Citizen's Rights Trampled By FBI (Oregonian)
- Immigrants Fear Backlash and Alerting NYPD (Village Voice)
* FOLEY SEEKS CITIZENSHIP REVISION (Palm Beach Post)
* US WITHDRAWS COPIES OF RIGHTS REPORT DUE TO ISRAEL CRITICISM (AFP)
- Israel Holds 2,000 W.Bank Palestinians - Witnesses (Reuters)
- Candidates Seek Support at AIPAC Conference (JTA)
* NORTH CAROLINA RECEPTION TO HIGHLIGHT AZIZAH MAGAZINE
* NORTHERN VIRGINIA SEMINAR ON FAMILY VIOLENCE
* BERNARD LEWIS TO DISCUSS ISLAM ON C-SPAN
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: TEACH GOODNESS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "God and His angels, the
dwellers of the Heavens and of the Earth, even an ant in its hole and
fish
(in the depths of the sea), invoke blessings on (a scholar) who teaches
people goodness."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 70
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5211 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5211 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
CAIR is seeking applicants for its summer internship program. The
program
is open to Muslim College or University Students age 18 and older who
have
legal status in US to receive monthly stipend. CAIR's internship
program
provides first hand experience and training in Community Outreach and
Chapter Development, Governmental Relations, Lobbying, Public and Media
Relations, Legal and Civil Rights, Research and Leadership Training.
Activities included research, organizing grassroots activities, writing
information guides and pamphlets, and learning the art of effective
media
and public relations.
The application deadline is April 28, 2003. Interested and qualified
applicants should go to our website at
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/internship.asp to download the application
and
information package or call 202 488 8787 or email
internship@cair-net.org
-----
SUPPORT BILL DISAVOWING DOCTRINE OF PREEMPTION
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on
supporters
and people of conscience to contact their representatives to urge their
support for H.Res. 141, "Disavowing the doctrine of preemption."
H.Res. 141 was introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and currently
has
ten cosponsors. The resolution recognizes the right of states to defend
themselves from an imminent or actual attack, but disavows the use of
preemption in the absence of such imminent or actual attacks. It
further
notes that the doctrine of preemption is a threat to international law
and
the national security interests of the United States.
For talking points and addresses of your elected representatives, go to
http://www.cair-net.org/html/capwiz.html.
SEE ALSO:
SUPPORT BILL EXPRESSING SYMPATHY FOR AMERICAN ACTIVIST KILLED IN ISRAEL
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on its
supporters and people of conscience to contact members of the House of
Representatives to encourage their cosponsorship and support of
H.Con.Res
111, "Expressing sympathy for the loss of Rachel Corrie in the
Palestinian
village of Rafah."
Rachel Corrie died last month engaging in nonviolent resistance to the
demolition of a Palestinian doctor's home. Rachel was crushed by a
bulldozer. Photographs show that the driver of the bulldozer clearly
saw
Rachel, knowingly ran over her, and then again backed up with the metal
blade scraping the ground.
For talking points and addresses of your elected representatives, go to
http://www.cair-net.org/html/capwiz.html.
-----
FAMILY SLAIN AT CHECKPOINT SOUGHT SAFETY
Associated Press, 4/2/03
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=540&e=62&u=/ap/20030402/ap_on_re_mi_ea/war_civilians_killed_26
MIAMI - Surviving members of a family whose van was fired on by troops
in
Iraq said they were traveling toward allied lines because they thought
an
air-dropped leaflet had advised them to flee for safety.
In a report published Wednesday in the Miami Herald and other Knight
Ridder
newspapers, Bakhat Hassan said American soldiers had waved his family's
car
through a checkpoint as they left their village Monday. But at the next
checkpoint, the soldiers fired.
"We were thinking these Americans want us to be safe," Hassan, 35, said
through a translator.
Hassan, interviewed Tuesday by a Knight Ridder correspondent at the
Mobile
Army Surgical Hospital near Najaf, said 11 members of his family were
killed in the incident - his daughters, aged 2 and 5, his son, 3, his
parents, two older brothers, their wives and two nieces, ages 12 and
15.
His wife, Lamea, who is nine-months pregnant, said she saw her children
die.
"I saw the heads of my two little girls come off," said Lamea Hassan,
36.
"My girls - I watched their heads come off their bodies. My son is
dead..."
SEE ALSO:
THE PROOF: MARKETPLACE DEATHS WERE CAUSED BY A US MISSILE
Cahal Milmo, Independent, 4/2/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=393066
An American missile, identified from the remains of its serial number,
was
pinpointed yesterday as the cause of the explosion at a Baghdad market
on
Friday night that killed at least 62 Iraqis.
The codes on the foot-long shrapnel shard, seen by the Independent
correspondent Robert Fisk at the scene of the bombing in the Shu'ale
district, came from a weapon manufactured in Texas by Ray- theon, the
world's biggest producer of "smart" armaments.
The identification of the missile as American is an embarrassing blow
to
Washington and London as they try to match their promises of minimal
civilian casualties with the reality of precision bombing...
---
AS BOMBS FALL, A SONG RISES FROM THE MOSQUES
John Daniszewski, Los Angeles Times, 4/2/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-war-baghdad1apr01,0,2799261.story
BAGHDAD -- The idea came to him when the first cruise missiles of the
war
began striking just after the dawn call to prayer March 20.
Now, day or night, whenever he hears another bomb or missile landing on
his
city, or the rattle of antiaircraft fire filling the skies, 38-year-old
Mohammed Nasser rises from his quarters and walks into the ornate inner
sanctum of the Al Buniya Mosque.
Striding to the microphones in his long gray robe, perhaps with one of
his
young sons tagging along at his heels, he fills his lungs and sings out
in
his deep baritone voice, "Allahu akbar" - God is great - followed by
whatever prayers and verses from the Koran come to his mind.
The dirge lasts only a few minutes, but it is carried by loudspeakers
for
miles, soulfully steeling his compatriots in war...
---
PENTAGON VETOES NEW TASK FORCE TO TAKE CONTROL OF BAGHDAD
Rupert Cornwell, Independent, 4/2/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=393124
The parallel internal war in Washington over Iraq flared again
yesterday
when the Pentagon vetoed a list of senior officials proposed by the
State
Department to help to run the country once Saddam Hussein has been
overthrown.
The proposed team is understood to have included several present and
former
high-level diplomats, including ambassadors to Arab states, who would
have
joined what amounts to a cabinet under the retired General Jay Garner,
named by the Pentagon to head an interim administration.
But Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary, is understood to have
vetoed
the group as "too bureaucratic". Among those favoured by the Pentagon
is
said to be James Woolsey, the former CIA director and long-standing
proponent of military action against Iraq...
---
US TROOPS ACCUSED OF EXCESS FORCE
Steven Morris, Guardian, 4/1/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,926998,00.html
Correspondents in Iraq have come upon a number of incidents in which
the US
military, especially the marines, have appeared to act with excessive
force...
After suffering heavy losses in the southern city of Nassiriya, US
marines
were ordered to fire at any vehicle which drove at American positions,
Sunday Times reporter Mark Franchetti reported. He described how one
night
"we listened a dozen times as the machine guns opened fire, cutting
through
cars and trucks like paper".
Next morning he said he saw 15 vehicles, including a mini-van and two
lorries, riddled with bullet holes. He said he counted 12 dead
civilians
lying in the road or in nearby ditches.
One man's body was still on fire. A girl aged no more than five lay
dead in
a ditch beside the body of a man who may have been her father. On the
bridge an Iraqi civilian lay next to the carcass of a donkey. A father,
baby girl and boy had been buried in a shallow grave. Franchetti said
the
civilians had been trying to leave the town, probably for fear of being
killed by US helicopter attacks or heavy artillery. He wrote: "Their
mistake had been to flee over a bridge that is crucial to the
coalition's
supply lines and to run into a group of shell-shocked young American
marines with orders to shoot anything that moved..."
---
CONGRESSMAN CALLS FOR WAR'S END IN SPEECH
Associated Press, 4/2/03
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich
took
his anti-war campaign to the House floor Tuesday, calling for an end to
the
fighting in Iraq to allow weapons inspectors to return.
Kucinich, a congressman from Ohio, repeated the phrase, "Stop this war
now," 10 times in his brief speech. He said the U.S.-led military
campaign
was built on "falsehood."
"This war has been advanced on lie upon lie," he said. "Iraq was not
responsible for 9/11. Iraq was not responsible for any role al-Qaida
may
have had in 9/11. Iraq was not responsible for the anthrax attacks on
this
country."
"Rescue this nation from a war that is wrong, that is unjust, that is
immoral," Kucinich said.
---
ROWS DOG GENERAL WAITING TO TAKE OVER
Matthew Engel, Guardian, 4/2/03
http://search.guardian.co.uk/search97cgi/s97networkr_cgi?QueryText=Matthew+Engel&Action=Search&Collection=archive_artifact&ResultTemplate=Archive_Artifact.hts&SortSpec=VdkPublicationDate+Desc
It is probably most accurate to call him Iraq's president-elect. The
moment
Saddam Hussein falls, Jay Garner will take over, with the kind of
sweeping
power over the whole of Iraq that even President Saddam has been unable
to
exercise for the past few years.
But as the weeks have gone by, the choice looks to be yet another
misjudgment from a Pentagon leadership that has misjudged rather a lot.
Commentators across the Arab world, always on the lookout for slights,
are
aghast at the insensitivity involved in his appointment. "It sends
completely the wrong signal," said Ibrahim Hooper of the
Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"From the perspective of the Muslim and Arab world, it is inappropriate
to
have someone who has exhibited strong pro-Israel sentiments as the
veritable ruler of Iraq. It will be seen as confirming the sense that
it is
not a war of liberation but a war to promote the state of Israel."
It now seems incredible that any American could easily win the
confidence
of the Iraqis and win a reputation as a wise and generous ruler. UN
officials had a "not overwhelmingly satisfactory" meeting with Gen
Garner
before he left for Kuwait.
"A lot of us are quite astonished," one UN source said. "We would have
thought the US would have wanted to spread the responsibility around.
His
appointment seems to be part of the early thinking that they were going
to
be garlanded with rose petals."
---
AID GROUPS OPPOSE PENTAGON CONTROL OF AID EFFORT
Carol Giacomo, Reuters, 4/2/03
WASHINGTON - American humanitarian aid groups complained on Wednesday
that
attempts to force them to operate under the Pentagon in Iraq would
complicate their ability to help the Iraqi people and jeopardize aid
workers.
In an unusually tough statement, InterAction -- which with 160 members
is
the largest U.S. alliance of non-governmental relief groups --
expressed
deep concern about military-driven plans for bringing humanitarian aid
to Iraq.
"The Department of Defense's efforts to marginalize the State
Department
and force non-governmental organizations to operate under DOD
jurisdiction
complicates our ability to help the Iraqi people and multiplies the
dangers
faced by relief workers in the field," said InterAction CEO Mary
McClymont...
Aid groups fear that close association with the U.S. military in a
country
where the Americans have waged war would jeopardize the safety of
relief
workers and compromise their freedom to decide which communities
receive aid...
-----
MUSLIMS: GRAHAM'S AID AGENCY UNWELCOME
Ken Garfield, Charlotte Observer, 4/2/03
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/5537822.htm
A leading Muslim spokesman said Tuesday that evangelist Franklin
Graham's
Samaritan's Purse should stay out of Iraq, claiming the group's real
aim is
not to help people but to coerce them into accepting Christ.
"It's just a very deceitful practice," said Ibrahim Hooper of the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations in Washington. "There are enough
legitimate
organizations to handle these kinds of things. I think it's better that
they not participate in relief work in Iraq."
Hooper said he has no problem with Christian relief workers sharing
their
faith with people who might not be desperate for food and water. But to
evangelize in a war-torn nation where 97 percent of the people are
Muslim
and many are without basic necessities, he said, amounts to taking
advantage of the desperate and weak.
Hooper said Samaritan's Purse should focus on needy Christians in the
United States. "In Islam," he said, "we're taught the person to help
first
is your neighbor..."
SEE ALSO:
HELPING HANDS THAT COULD HURT
Ira Rifkin, MSNBC, 3/31/03
http://www.msnbc.com/news/893454.asp
Friendly fire is an unavoidable aspect of combat that is tragically
plaguing the American-led military effort in Iraq. Now, America's
political
game plan for securing the peace is threatened by friendly fire of
another
sort, albeit one that is entirely avoidable. The threat is the hubris
of
the Christian right...
So the last thing the Bush administration needs is the helping hand
offered
by the Southern Baptist Convention and the Rev. Franklin Graham,
through
his international aid group, Samaritan's Purse.
Both organizations claim to have workers ready to enter Iraq with other
non-governmental organizations, once such approval is given, to provide
food, shelter and other essentials to civilians caught in the
increasingly
nasty fray. The problem is the handouts will come with not-so-subtle
Christian proselytizing. In the Muslim world, that will only strengthen
the
belief there that the attack on Iraq is, above all else, an attack on
Islam...
"I think it's a colossally bad move to have a group whose leader says
Islam
is 'evil' follow in the wake of U.S. troops in Iraq," Ibrahim Hooper,
national spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations, told reporters. "It would seem to confirm every suspicion in
the
Muslim world that the war on Iraq and the war on terrorism are really a
war
on Islam."
---
WHY IS BUSH AFRAID OF FRANKLIN GRAHAM?
Steven Waldman, BeliefNet, 4/2/03
http://www.beliefnet.com/frameset.asp?pageLoc=/story/124/story_12422_1.html&storyID=12422&boardID=56008
President Bush and his aides have been willing to criticize just about
anyone in order to protect America's national interest. They've whacked
the
United Nations, the French, the Syrians, the French some more, all of
Old
Europe and even Bush's pal Vladimir Putin. So why is President Bush
hesitant to criticize a politically-influential American preacher named
Franklin Graham?
Graham, the son of Billy Graham and a leading evangelical figure in his
own
right, last week told Beliefnet that workers from his charitable group,
Samaritan's Purse, were "poised and ready" to enter Iraq after the war
to
help with humanitarian aid.
That's infuriated Muslim leaders because: First, Graham has been one of
the
most strident critics of Islam, calling it a "very evil and wicked
religion." Second, he made it clear that while converting Muslims
wasn't
the goal, "I believe as we work, God will always give us opportunities
to
tell others about his Son…We are there to reach out to love them and to
save them, and as a Christian I do this in the name of Jesus Christ."
Third, he's closely associated with President Bush, having delivered
the
invocation at the inauguration...
-----
STATE, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST HATE CRIMES
Maura Kelly, Associated Press, 4/2/03
CHICAGO - In a full court press, state, county and federal law
enforcement
officials issued a stern warning Tuesday that people who commit hate
crimes
will go to jail.
Their message comes after several reported incidents of violence or
vandalism against Muslims and Arab Americans in the Chicago area.
"Hate crimes simply will not be tolerated. Anyone who would think about
committing a hate crime against a fellow resident in his district or
anyone
in his country disowns and dishonors those brave men and women fighting
overseas," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald joined Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of
State Jesse White, Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine and
Federal
Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Thomas Kneir in asking
state residents to be tolerant of each other, especially during the war
in
Iraq.
Omar Haydar, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations, said there are fewer incidents of
harassment
against Muslims now than after the Sept. 11 attacks. But he said police
should continue to warn residents not to commit hate crimes.
"There is a heightened frenzy we're going through with the war," he
said.
"They want to lash out. Unfortunately, they're doing it in wrong
ways..."
SEE ALSO:
CAIR OFFICIAL DISCUSSES COMMUNITY SAFETY KIT ON CNN FN
Partial transcript:
RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNNfn ANCHOR, MARKET CALL: A man allegedly shot and
killed four people because he wanted revenge for the September 11
attacks,
has been arrested here in New York.
A small explosive damages a Muslim family's van outside Chicago, and in
Indiana, a Muslim businessman set on fire, 60 percent of his body
burned.
Some could call these isolated incidents, but FBI says it's not seen a
spike in hate crimes against Arabs or Muslims since the start of the
Iraq war.
But for many in those communities the threat is real. So much so that
one
organization has created a community safety kit. Hodan Hassan is the
spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations and joins us
to
talk a little bit about that.
Good to have you on the program.
HODAN HASSAN, SPOKESPERSON, CAIR: Thanks, Rhonda.
SCHAFFLER: Let's talk about what exactly the safety kit is.
HASSAN: Sure. The safety kit is a nine-page kit. It is basically a
proactive guide for people in the American-Muslim community to protect
themselves against the potential backlash... The first part urges
community
members to be proactive, to go out and get to know their local law
enforcement agencies, to develop channels of communication with elected
officials, to put together support groups for people who may suffer
hate
crimes. And also to reach out to other civil rights and community
groups,
sort of coalition work...
But we also give them safety tips. We experienced, before the war
started,
several attacks on mosques. So we provide tips, such as installing
surveillance cameras, making sure that they have proper materials to
protect against fire, installing flood lights. Those are just some of
the
safety tips that we've also included in the pack.
LAKSHMAN ACHUTHAN: Hodan, Lakshman here. How is your safety kit, this
proposal, being received by the Muslim community?
HASSAN: Actually, it's being well received. We've gotten a lot of
positive
feedback from community members. We really tried our best to make sure
this
particular kit was distributed as widely as possible. We sent it to our
faxed list of mosques around the country. We sent it to Muslim
community
organizations, to student groups. We also made it available on our
website
and it's downloadable.
And we've definitely got a lot of positive feedback from groups that
say
that these tips are important, even long after an emergency situation.
They're useful in terms of strengthening their ability to react in the
future.
---
CITIZEN'S RIGHTS TRAMPLED BY FBI
Oregonian, 3/25/03
http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/104859701879330.xml
I was shocked to read that Maher Mofied "Mike" Hawash, a friend who
worked
for me for many years at Intel Corp., was "detained" by the FBI and the
Joint Terrorism Task Force, apparently because of donations he made
more
than three years ago to what he believed was a completely legitimate
charity ("FBI, joint terrorism agents search home in Hillsboro," March
21).
I was equally shocked that The Oregonian chose to omit from its story
that
Hawash is a longtime U.S. citizen. I think many of your readers would
be
surprised to learn that our government can detain indefinitely a U.S.
citizen, especially one with a wife, three children, a job and deep
roots
in our community.
"Material witnesses" such as Hawash are being held in maximum-security
federal prisons, despite the fact that they are charged with no crime.
Americans are taught that the Constitution protects us against
arbitrary
arrest and imprisonment, and that our freedom and these constitutional
liberties are what we are fighting for in Iraq and elsewhere, yet one
of
our neighbors can be taken from his home or office and held without
charge
for weeks or months.
It is shameful that the Oregonian chose to report this as though Hawash
were a criminal, rather than as a citizen whose rights are being
trampled.
Steven McGeady
Northeast Portland
---
IMMIGRANTS BRACE FOR BACKLASH BUT FEAR ALERTING NYPD
Alisa Solomon, Village Voice, 4/2/03
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0314/solomon.php
"Why did you place the bomb?" "What will cause it to explode?" "Where
is
the bomb?" These are some of the questions on a "bomb threat checklist"
that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) recommends
mosques
and other Muslim, Arab, and South Asian community organizations keep
posted
near their phones in the increasingly likely case that someone rings up
with a threat. The idea is to keep the caller on the line as long as
possible, take down a detailed description of the voice, and quite
possibly
save some lives.
The checklist is part of a "safety kit" that CAIR began distributing to
mosques and Islamic centers across the country last week as the war on
Iraq
began producing the "collateral damage" of hate crimes at home. Panic
is
running high in communities that saw murders, arson, assaults, and
countless acts of violence after 9-11-and that are now hearing
anti-Muslim
vitriol spill out of right-wing radio as it cheers on the war.
CAIR has recorded more than a dozen serious new incidents in March
alone.
On Saturday, Larme Price, saying he was motivated by a desire to punish
people of Middle Eastern descent after the attacks of 9-11, confessed
to
killing four New York immigrants...
Worse, advocates say, the city has not done enough to assure immigrants
who
may be victims of attacks that they can approach the police without
fearing
they'll be turned over to immigration authorities. Reporting of hate
crimes
to law enforcement officials has long been fraught for these
communities.
Indeed, in the post-9-11 period in which the FBI counted 414 cases,
CAIR
clocked more than 1,700. But now the anxiety is at an all-time high.
Though
Cole says that it's NYPD policy not to inform on crime victims,
currently
no law prevents them from doing so. What's more, word is out in the
communities-justifiably or not-that cops are colluding in arrests of
visa
violators. And besides, over the last year and a half, immigrants from
Muslim, Arab, and South Asian backgrounds have had ample reason to
become
wary of anyone in a uniform...
-----
FOLEY SEEKS CITIZENSHIP REVISION
Larry Lipman, Palm Beach Post, 4/2/03
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/auto/epaper/editions/tuesday/news_e398926ce5abc02600c4.html
WASHINGTON -- A proposed constitutional amendment that would redefine
American citizenship requirements was introduced Monday by Rep. Mark
Foley,
R-West Palm Beach.
Under Foley's bill, which he also introduced in the last Congress, a
person
born in the United States would not automatically become a U.S. citizen
unless at least one parent was a citizen or a legal permanent resident
at
the time of the child's birth.
The amendment would revise the definition of citizenship as set forth
in
the 14th Amendment which was ratified in 1868. That amendment says "All
persons born... in the United States... are citizens of the United
States."
"The 14th Amendment was conceived after the Civil War to ensure
citizenship
to freed slaves -- not to ensure citizenship to terrorists," Foley
said...
-----
US WITHDRAWS COPIES OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT DUE TO ISRAEL CRITICISM
Matthew Lee, Agence France Presse, 4/2/03
WASHINGTON - The US State Department has quietly withdrawn all CD-ROM
copies of its annual human rights report due to a one-word error that
was
thought to overstate the extent of Israel's rights abuses, officials
said
Tuesday.
In the report on the CD-ROM Israel is cited for committing "numerous,
serious human rights abuses" in the Palestinian territories...
The revised, final version of the Israel section omits the word
"numerous" from the sentence.
Despite the removal of the word "numerous," both versions of the
report catalogue a number of Israeli human rights abuses including
the killings of civilians during military operations aimed at
Palestinian extremists...
SEE ALSO:
ISRAEL HOLDS 2,000 W.BANK PALESTINIANS - WITNESSES
Muin Shadeed, Reuters, 4/2/03
TULKARM, West Bank - Israeli troops rounded up around 2,000
Palestinians in
the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm on Wednesday in a fresh
crackdown on
suspected militants, local witnesses said.
Soldiers in tanks and armoured vehicles backed by helicopters imposed a
curfew and searched homes for militants before telling males aged 14-40
to
gather in the courtyard of a local school or face punishment, residents
told Reuters...
Israeli forces have arrested thousands of suspected militants during
the
conflict, many of them in citywide dragnets in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. Many have been released within hours but others remain in
detention
without charge...
---
AT AIPAC CONFERENCE, CANDIDATES SHAKE HANDS - AND HOPE FOR SUPPORT
Matthew E. Berger, JTA, 4/1/03
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Candidates+seek+AIPAC+backing&intcategoryid=5
WASHINGTON - While it is by no means a scientific survey, the crowds
and
enthusiasm at the receptions following the first day of the American
Israel
Public Affairs Committee's annual policy conference gave a clue as to
where
Jewish support is going in the primary election.
The fact that five presidential hopefuls attended the conference -
Sens.
John Edwards (D-N.C.) and Bob Graham (D-Fla.) were at Monday night's
banquet - showed how much influence the Jewish community is expected to
wield in the primary season...
Bush's support among the Jewish community has grown consistently over
the
last two years, as his rhetoric on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has
moved closer to the positions of Israel and AIPAC. That makes the
Jewish
money left for Democratic candidates all the more valuable this time
around.
-----
NORTH CAROLINA RECEPTION TO HIGHLIGHT AZIZAH MAGAZINE
WHAT: Reception for AZIZAH Magazine, a Muslim women's publication
WHEN: Saturday, April 5, 1 P.M. to 3 P.M.
WHERE: Vital Link School, 1214 E Lenoir St. Raleigh, North Carolina
27610
Free and Open to the Public
For more information call 404-815-0067 or logon to
http://www.azizahmagazine.com
-----
NORTHERN VIRGINIA SEMINAR ON FAMILY VIOLENCE
WHAT: The All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center is sponsoring a
seminar on the effects of family violence to be facilitated by local
social
service counselors.
WHEN: Saturday, April 5th, 10 A.M. to 12 P.M.
WHERE: ADAMS Center at 46903 Sugarland Rd., Sterling, VA
For more information, call (703) 433-1325
-----
BERNARD LEWIS TO DISCUSS ISLAM ON C-SPAN
Middle East scholar Bernard Lewis will be C-Span's "In Depth" on
Sunday,
April 6th, beginning at Noon ET.
His new book is titled, "The Crisis of Islam" (2003). The program will
be
live for three hours from Professor Lewis's home in Princeton, New
Jersey.
Call in with your questions or e-mail them to us at booktv@c-span.org.
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #376
PRESIDENT BUSH ASKED TO RESCIND NOMINATION OF 'ISLAMOPHOBE'
Nominee says 10 to 15 percent of Muslims are 'potential killers'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/3/2003) - CAIR is urging President Bush to rescind
his
nomination of an "Islamophobe," who claims 10 to 15 percent of Muslims
are
"potential killers," to the board of a government institution formed to
promote the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.
President Bush yesterday nominated pro-Israel commentator Daniel Pipes,
who
many American Muslims regard as the nation's leading Islamophobe, to
join
the board of the United States Institute of Peace, a federal
institution
created by Congress. The institute's board of directors is appointed by
the
president and confirmed by the Senate. (Pipes made the claim about
Muslims
being potential killers in the October 8, 2001, issue of the
Philadelphia
Daily News.)
SEE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/04/20030402-10.html,
http://www.usip.org/
"Pipes' nomination sends entirely the wrong message as America seeks to
convince Muslims worldwide that the war on terrorism and the war
against
Iraq are not attacks on Islam. His bigoted views are incompatible with
the
mission of the United States Institute of Peace. We respectfully urge
President Bush to rescind this ill-considered and poorly-timed
nomination,"
said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. He called on the Senate to
reject
Pipes' nomination if it is not rescinded by the president.
Awad added that Pipes also lacks the credentials required for service
on
the institute's board. All board members are required by law to "have
appropriate practical or academic experience in peace and conflict
resolution." "Pipes' anti-Muslim polemics have had the opposite impact
of
that sought by the institute. His views promote unending conflict, not
peace," said Awad.
Muslims say Pipes has a long history of advocating the political
disenfranchisement and marginalization of America's Islamic community.
In
an October 21, 2001, speech before the convention of the American
Jewish
Congress, Pipes stated: "I worry very much from the Jewish point of
view
that the presence, and increased stature, and affluence, and
enfranchisement of American Muslims...will present true dangers to
American
Jews."
He has decried any positive portrayal of Islamic history and beliefs in
public schools and termed the PBS documentary "Muhammad: Legacy of a
Prophet" an "outrage."
In the Jerusalem Post, Pipes called for increased surveillance of
ordinary
American Muslims. He wrote: "There is no escaping the unfortunate fact
that
Muslim government employees in law enforcement, the military, and the
diplomatic corps need to be watched for connections to terrorism, as do
Muslim chaplains in prisons and the armed forces. Muslim visitors and
immigrants must undergo additional background checks. Mosques require a
scrutiny beyond that applied to churches, synagogues and temples.
Muslim
schools require increased oversight to ascertain what is being taught
to
children…" (1/22/03)
Last year, Pipes faced a storm of criticism when he launched Campus
Watch,
a web site that included "dossiers" on professors and academic
institutions
thought to be too critical of Israel or too sympathetic to Islam and
Muslims. The web site also sought information from students about their
teachers' political opinions. Pipes has been quoted as saying: "The
Palestinians are a miserable people...and they deserve to be."
(Washington
Report on Middle East Affairs, July 2001) His personal web site is
maintained by an Israeli settler. He also claims Muslims have no real
religious attachments to the city of Jerusalem.
A central theme of Pipes' commentary is that American Muslims are a
threat
because they have the goal of "transforming [the United States] into a
Moslem country." (Jewish World Review, 11/16/2000) In fact, he even
claimed
to have a special mental "filter" with which he can detect those who
want
to "create a Muslim state in America." (Salon.com, 11/9/2001) He has
also
compared American Muslim voter registration drives to those of the
Communist Party USA.
Pipes goes so far as to recommend "vigilant application of social and
political pressure to ensure that Islam is not accorded special status
of
any kind in this country." (Commentary, November 2001) The "special
status"
Pipes refers to includes ordinary religious accommodations for Muslims
in
the workplace and "inclusion of Muslims in affirmative-action plans."
SEE: "Who is Daniel Pipes?"
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.)
Contact President Bush to respectfully request that he rescind Daniel
Pipes' nomination to the board of the United States Institute of Peace.
White House Phone Numbers:
COMMENTS: 202-456-1111
SWITCHBOARD: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
White House E-Mail Addresses:
President George W. Bush: president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Richard Cheney: vice.president@whitehouse.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
Mailing Address:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/3/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: A TRANQUIL HEART
* POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR-CAN PRESENTS MONTREAL 'KNOW YOUR RIGHTS' WORKSHOP
* U.S. EXERTS UNUSUAL PRESSURE NY TERROR SUSPECTS (WSJ)
- Arab-American Held Two Weeks without Charges (AP)
- Congressmen Seek Patriot Act Clarifications (Wash. Times)
* VIEWS DIFFER ON TRACKING SYSTEM OF FOREIGN STUDENTS (Wash. Post)
* IRAQI AMERICANS: 'WE LOVE THIS COUNTRY' (Newsweek)
* ISRAEL TRUE TO VALUES, ASHCROFT SAYS (Washington Post)
- Ties of Faith and Freedom (Washington Times)
- Israel Destroys Negev Bedouin Harvest (AFP)
- Israeli Forces Kill Seven (Reuters)
- Israel Advises Marines on Use of Bulldozers (Guardian)
- Israel, Activists Train Sights on Syria (Forward)
- Neocons Hold Pro-Israel Imperialist Views (Tribune-Review)
* IN IRAQI HOSPITALS, CHILD WAR CASUALTIES MOUNT (Reuters)
- A 'Terrible, Bloody' Miscalculation (OC Register)
- Wailing Children, the Wounded, the Dead (Independent)
- Jordan King Signals Pro-Iraq Public Shift (Reuters)
- U.S. Ends Program to Groom Dissidents (Chicago Tribune)
- VA Muslim Children Prepare Relief Kits for Iraq
- Detroit Rally against War in Iraq
* NO STRINGS ATTACHED (LA Times)
- Christian Groups Eager to Help In Iraq (AP)
* HINDU LEADER ADMITS INVOLVEMENT IN HINDU-MUSLIM VIOLENCE
* AZIZAH CELEBRATES MUSLIM AMERICAN WOMEN (Women's ENews)
* COMMUNITY CALENDAR
- NY Debut of Documentary on Muslim Converts
- Northern CA Conference on Islam in America
- Maryland Even Highlights Islamic Calligraphy
- CA Townhall Meeting and Fundraising Dinner
* THOUSANDS SIGN PETITION FILM THAT "PROMOTES" HATE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A TRANQUIL HEART
When a person asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about
righteousness and sin, he said: "Ask yourself for a decision, ask your
heart for a decision...Righteousness is that with which the soul is
tranquil and the heart is tranquil, but sin is that which rouses
suspicion
in the soul...even if people give you a decision in its favor."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 842
-----
POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
"I would like to thank you for the resource package of materials on
Islam.
This is a very popular subject right now and we are constantly trying
to
upgrade our collection in this area. Some of the items we received from
you
were already on our wish list...All 18 items will be cataloged and
added to
our circulating collection." - Fruit Cove, FL
Take part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective
information
about Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR-CANADA PRESENTS MONTREAL 'KNOW YOUR RIGHTS' WORKSHOP
WHAT: McGill University and UMSA are hosting a career planning
conference
in Montreal. CAIR-CAN will discuss careers in law and present a brief
'Know
Your Rights' workshop. Invited guests include other lawyers, teachers,
biochemists, NGO activists and more.
WHEN: Saturday April 5, 10 A.M. - 5 P.M.
WHERE: McGill University, Bronfman Bldg, 1001 Sherbrooke St. Ouest, 4th
Floor - Montreal
Cost: $5 for the day, including all lectures, breakfast and supper.
Tickets
are available at your local Montreal MSAs. For more information,
contact: Haissam Dahan at hdahan@hotmail.com.
-----
U.S. EXERTS UNUSUAL PRESSURE ON GROUP OF TERROR SUSPECTS
Scot J. Paltrow, Wall Street Journal, 4/2/03
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Justice Department has gone to unusual lengths to
pressure a group of Yemeni-Americans to plead guilty to terrorism
charges,
an instance of increasing use of hardball tactics to secure convictions
in
such cases, some legal scholars say.
In September, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested six men in
Lackawanna, N.Y., on charges of conspiracy and rendering material aid
to a
terrorist organization. All six had traveled to Afghanistan in the
spring
of 2001 to undergo military training in a camp run by al Qaeda, then
returned home. Two pleaded guilty last week to a charge of giving
support
to terrorists; another pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in January.
The
remaining three defendants are in negotiations and are likely to plead
guilty soon, according to defense lawyers.
Last week's guilty pleas came after the government threatened the
defendants with "enemy combatant" status -- which meant their cases
would
have been pulled out of court, and the men handed over to the military
for
indefinite incommunicado confinement, according to prosecutors and
defense
lawyers. Prosecutors also threatened to bring a new indictment that
would
have included treason charges, which carry a potential death penalty,
and
weapons charges which automatically would have added 30 years to prison
sentences, the lawyers said. The two defendants who pleaded guilty last
week face a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Several experts on criminal law said the threat of enemy-combatant
status
to extract a guilty plea amounts to an unfair threat, since if imposed
it
would leave defendants with little chance of mounting a defense. John
G.
Douglass, a former federal prosecutor and law professor at the
University
of Richmond in Virginia, said, "If the government is using that as a
tool
in plea bargaining, then we have in fact reached a troubling stage in
our
criminal-justice system."
In the Lackawanna case, there were indications that the government's
case
wasn't as strong as officials in Washington had characterized it after
the
arrests. The government had called the arrests a major victory in the
fight
against terrorism. But Michael A. Battle, the U.S. attorney in Buffalo,
confirmed the government has found no evidence the defendants were
involved
in any violent plot...
SEE ALSO:
ARAB-AMERICAN HELD TWO WEEKS WITHOUT CHARGES
Associated Press, 4/3/03
HILLISBORO, Ore., - Dressed in flak jackets and armed with assault
rifles,
FBI agents surrounded Maher "Mike" Hawash in an Intel Corp. parking lot
while another heavily armed FBI team swept through his suburban home.
Two weeks later, the Intel contractor sits in a federal prison in
solitary
confinement, strip-searched every time he leaves and re-enters his cell
for
an hour of exercise, his friends say.
The father of three has not been charged with any crime.
"They haven't even questioned him once in the entire two weeks," said
Steven McGeady, a former Intel executive who was Hawash's boss.
Hawash is being held as a "material witness" under a federal law that
allows the government to detain people expected to testify before a
grand jury.
Neither the FBI nor the U.S. attorney's office will say when a grand
jury
will convene, or when Hawash will appear...
The government refuses to say exactly why he is being held. Hawash's
attorneys can't discuss the case because they are bound by a federal
gag
order. Hawash's wife, Lisa, won't talk about it because she fears
repercussions...
Material witness laws were intended only to ensure testimony, not to
hold
people indefinitely, said Phil Heymann, a Harvard law professor.
"It was not meant to be used this way," Heymann said, noting that the
number of material witness detentions has increased since the Sept. 11,
2001, terrorist attack...
"Under this interpretation, any one of us could easily be treated as a
material witness - anybody who is suspected of anything, it could be
the
slightest of suspicion," Heymann said...
---
CONGRESSMEN SEEK CLARIFICATIONS OF PATRIOT ACT
Jerry Seper, Washington Times, 4/3/03
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20030403-51752403.htm
The chairman and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee have
asked
the Justice Department for more information on the government's use of
the
Patriot Act to track terrorists, seeking clarification on what
"tangible
things" the government can subpoena in investigations of U.S. citizens.
Reps. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Wisconsin Republican, and John
Conyers
Jr., Michigan Democrat, questioned the guidelines under which
investigators
can subpoena private books, records, papers, documents and other items
-
asking whether the investigations targeted only persons identified as
agents of a foreign power.
In a detailed 18-page letter Tuesday to Attorney General John Ashcroft,
the
two also challenged the Justice Department's increased use of "national
security letters" to require businesses to hand over electronic records
on
finances, telephone calls, e-mails and other personal information. They
asked Mr. Ashcroft to "identify the specific authority relied on for
issuing these letters..."
They also questioned the department's detention of persons as material
witnesses in terrorism investigations, asking for the number detained,
the
length of each detention, the number of detainees who sought a review
or
filed an appeal, and the results of those reviews or appeals...
-----
VIEWS DIFFER ON SYSTEM FOR TRACKING FOREIGN STUDENTS
George Lardner Jr., Washington Post, 4/3/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16229-2003Apr3.html
A top U.S. immigration official predicted yesterday that as many as 1.5
million foreign students will be signed up by August for a new but
beleaguered tracking system, despite numerous shortcomings that have
prompted a rash of complaints.
Johnny N. Williams, acting director of investigations in the Bureau of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, vowed to meet the "very aggressive
timetable" prescribed by law and to address the problems that stand in
the
way...
Williams told reporters that 300,000 foreigners attending schools and
universities in this country have already been registered in the
computerized Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
since
it was started in January. He estimated that 1.2 million more remain to
be
signed up by Congress's Aug. 1 deadline.
David Ward, president of the American Council on Education, said he did
not
understand how that could be done. He said SEVIS is technologically
flawed,
saddled with a complicated set of new rules and regulations that are
not
working well "at the present time," and unable to provide real-time
access
to data.
"Some [U.S.] embassies and consulates find that it takes a week or
longer
for them to access data entered in SEVIS," Ward said. "This means that
students arrive at an embassy -- sometimes after traveling a great
distance
-- only to be told, incorrectly, that their data have not been entered
into
SEVIS and that they may not apply for a visa. . . . These delays cause
confusion and frustration for embassies, students and schools..."
-----
IRAQI AMERICANS: 'WE LOVE THIS COUNTRY'
Lorraine Ali With Vanessa Juarez, Newsweek, 4/7/03
http://www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp
When the doorbell rang around 6 p.m. last Monday at Basam Al-
hussaini's
home in San Dimas, Calif., the 39-year-old Iraqi-born engineer and his
wife
had been half-expecting the visit. "We'd heard from other Iraqis who
were
interrogated, so we knew they'd be here sooner or later," says
Alhussaini,
a U.S. citizen whose wife emigrated from Iraq in 1996. "They flashed
their
badges and said they weren't there to interrogate. They said, 'We just
want
to get to know you and make sure you are OK in case of hate crimes.'
They
later asked questions like 'Do you know anyone who has weapons of mass
destruction?' I said, 'Yes, Saddam Hussein'."
The Alhussainis are just two of the 15,000 Iraqis in America whom the
FBI
plans to interview as part of the Homeland Security Department's
two-week-old Operation Liberty Shield. According to FBI Director Robert
Mueller, 6,700 Iraqis--most of them recent immigrants who fled after
the
first gulf war--have already been interviewed. "We hope to get
intelligence
information that might be beneficial to the war effort," says John
Iannarelli, special agent with the FBI's Press Office. "We are also
looking
for information on people who may want to carry out terrorist acts here
in
the United States." The FBI believes Saddam has intelligence officers
in
Canada who plan to cross the border and terrorize the United States.
"We
want to be helpful," says Ahmad Al-Akhras of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations. "In the end it's our country, too, and we
want
to make everyone safe."
But compliance can be risky: at least 30 people have been detained and
in
some cases deported as a result of the interviews. The unannounced FBI
visits to the homes and workplaces of U.S. Iraqis (a population
estimated
at between 300,000 to 500,000) are roiling communities and enraging
civil-liberties groups. The ACLU has been inundated with calls since
Operation Liberty Shield went into effect, and in Los Angeles it set up
a
hot line last week especially for Iraqis. "What's so terrible is that
these
people left their country because they were fearful of persecution,"
says
Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU's southern California
chapter. "Now in America, another form of persecution is taking place.
This
is a very frightened community…"
------
ISRAEL TRUE TO VALUES, ASHCROFT SAYS
Allan Cooperman, Washington Post, 4/3/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16079-2003Apr2.html
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft yesterday told a conference of
evangelical Christians and Jews who are united in support of Israel
that in
the face of almost daily terrorist threats, Israel has remained
"steadfastly true" to "the values our two nations share."
Ashcroft spoke in the afternoon to about 600 members of Stand for
Israel, a
fledgling group founded by Republican activist Ralph Reed and Rabbi
Yechiel
Eckstein, head of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
The organization presented its first "Friend of Israel" awards last
night
to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and Rep. Tom Lantos
(D-Calif.)
for their sponsorship of a House resolution backing Israel last year...
"When we experienced the horror of September 11th . . . Israel was
among
those countries most capable of understanding our national pain and our
national thirst for justice," Ashcroft told the gathering at the
Mayflower
Hotel.
In accepting his award, DeLay lambasted a State Department human rights
report that criticized Israel's treatment of Palestinians. The report
"compares the human rights record of a free, tolerant and pluralistic
nation with that of a terrorist network. There is no comparison, and to
assert one is ridiculous," he said.
SEE ALSO:
TIES OF FAITH AND FREEDOM
Tom DeLay, Washington Times, 4/3/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20030402-84000869.htm
The defense of Israel is a cause that cries for support from
freedom-loving
people everywhere. All free nations must understand that Israel's fight
is
their fight. It is our responsibility to uphold and defend the
principles
of social equality in the sole democracy in the Middle East. Now, more
than
ever, as the United States fights for the liberation of the Iraqi
people
from the crushing hand of a harsh dictator, we must stand with the
nations
that uphold our same principles and values...
---
ISRAEL DESTROYS NEGEV BEDOUIN HARVEST WITH CROP-DUSTERS
Agence France-Presse, 4/2/03
http://www.prolog.net/webnews/wed/cv/Qisrael-bedouin.Rq3u_DA2.html
JERUSALEM - Israeli authorities on Wednesday destroyed the harvest of a
Bedouin tribe in the Negev desert with crop-dusting planes, accusing
the
tribesmen of being squatters on state land, public radio said.
Planes sent by the Lands Authority sprayed chemicals on 600 hectares
(1,400
acres) of land farmed by the Abu Kaff tribe of Bedouin, a semi-nomadic
Arab
population that was herded off large tracts of the Negev after the
Jewish
state was created in 1948.
The area sprayed was in the west of the Negev, which occupies the
southern
third of Israel.
"This is a double criminal act: the Lands Authority acted without
waiting
for a court order and used chemical products," said Bedouin deputy
Taleb
al-Sanna on the radio...
---
ISRAELI FORCES KILL SEVEN IN GAZA AND WEST BANK
Matt Spetalnick, Reuters, 4/3/03
JERUSALEM - Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians in a fresh surge
of
violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Thursday as the United
States
vowed to press ahead with a long-delayed "road map" for Middle East
peace.
Palestinian officials accused Israel of intensifying a crackdown while
the
world's eyes were turned to Iraq. Israel said its actions were
justified by
security concerns.
Israeli forces backed by tanks and helicopter gunships killed four
Palestinians in a nine-hour raid on the Rafah refugee camp in the
southern
Gaza Strip early on Thursday, witnesses and hospital officials said.
Later on Thursday, troops shot dead a 26-year-old farmer in his fields
in
the northern Gaza Strip, residents said. An Israeli military source
said
soldiers had spotted two men in a prohibited area and shot them after
they
ignored warnings.
In the West Bank, troops shot dead a 14-year-old boy outside his home
in
the town of Qalqilya. Israeli military sources said forces trying to
capture a militant had seen the youth fleeing in the dark, and that he
had
ignored shouted orders to stop...
---
SEND IN THE BULLDOZERS: WHAT ISRAEL TOLD MARINES ABOUT URBAN BATTLES
Chris McGreal, Guardian, 4/3/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,927780,00.html
For months now, the Pentagon has been taking notes from the Israelis in
preparation for what looks increasingly likely to be an arduous house
by
house, street by street, fight for Baghdad. Pentagon strategists have
pored
over videos of the Israeli military's assault on Jenin a year ago, when
150
lightly armed but determined Palestinians kept the army at bay for 11
days
and killed 23 soldiers.
US officers watched Israeli tank raids into West Bank cities in
February,
and American soldiers have learned in the Israeli desert how to blow
their
way from house to house to avoid booby traps and street fighting. The
Israeli insights build on years of exchanges of military technology and
intelligence between the deeply intertwined armies. Among other things,
the
US is using Israeli-manufactured drones to scout across Iraqi lines...
Mr. Van Creveld told the Americans that for all the lessons learned
from
the West Bank, the fight for Baghdad was likely to be a lot tougher.
"The
Americans and Brits are taking measures very similar to the ones we've
being using for years in the [occupied] territories," he said. "But
whatever resistance we faced in Jenin and Gaza is nothing compared to
what
the Americans can expect.
"The Palestinians are empty handed compared to the weaponry the Iraqis
have. The Americans can expect heavier casualties. Baghdad will be
really
brutal..."
---
ISRAEL, ACTIVISTS TRAIN SIGHTS ON SYRIA
MARC PERELMAN, Forward, 4/3/03
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.04.04/news4.html
Openly pleased with the Bush administration's recent warnings to Syria
not
to aid Iraq, Israel and its supporters here have begun ratcheting up
their
accusations against its radical neighbor in apparent hopes of widening
the
rift between Damascus and Washington.
Senior officials with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee told
the
Forward that combating Syrian and Iranian involvement in terrorism and
their pursuit of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction was
likely to be a major focus of Aipac lobbying efforts in 2003.
Aipac's executive director, Howard Kohr, said the group intends to put
pressure on the Bush administration to take steps to stop the transfer
of
missile technology from Russia and North Korea to Iran and Syria...
---
NEOCONS LIKE GOLDBERG, REILAND ARE IMPERIALISTS
Bill Ravotti, Pittsburg Tribune-Review, 3/31/03
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/s_126234.html
National Review's Jonah Goldberg and his neoconservative allies have
not
been shy about criticizing those on the Left who resort to character
assassinations against their opponents in an effort to stifle debate.
Yet,
it is Goldberg & Co., whining like little schoolgirls, now are using
the
"anti-Semitic" card in an effort to intimidate those who dare question
the
influence of Israel on U.S. foreign policy....
Richard Perle is the most passionate inside the administration and his
ties
to Israel have been well known for over 20 years. However, engaging
Perle
does not equate to blaming all Jews or a hatred of another country;
rather,
it represents a sincere conviction to the sovereignty of one's own
country,
keeping the U.S. out of other peoples conflicts and putting the
national
interests of America First...
It is also well known that Israel's Ariel Sharon, for a variety of
reasons,
wanted this war with Iraq and wants the U.S. to disarm Iran, Syria, and
Libya next. Fair enough, I don't blame Sharon for wanting the U.S. to
fight
a war if he thinks it will benefit Israel. However, Sharon is not our
commander and chief and our leaders should not be using U.S. foreign
policy
or troops for the national security of a foreign state, especially when
it
could be detrimental to us in the long run...
-----
IN IRAQI HOSPITALS, CHILD WAR CASUALTIES MOUNT
Samia Nakhoul, Reuters, 4/3/03
BAGHDAD - The moaning of Aisha Ahmed, eight, fills the hospital's
emergency
ward.
One of hundreds of child victims in the 15-day-old U.S.-led war in
Iraq,
she lost one eye and her face and body are peppered with wounds from
what
must have been a storm of shrapnel.
"Mummy! I want my mummy. Where is my mummy?" Aisha kept muttering. Yet
neither the nurse nor the neighbour trying to comfort her dared to
answer.
Her four-year-old brother Mohammad died and her mother and other
brother
were in critical condition undergoing surgery for head and chest
injuries.
Her father and two sisters were all badly injured and in another
hospital.
A neighbour said he saw missiles crash into Radwaniyeh, a remote area
near
Baghdad's airport on Wednesday morning...
Doctor Ahmed Abdel Amir said children were bound to make up a large
number
of casualties because they are such a big proportion of Iraq's 26
million
population...
SEE ALSO:
WAILING CHILDREN, THE WOUNDED, THE DEAD
Robert Fisk, Independent, 4/3/03
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=393458
The wounds are vicious and deep, a rash of scarlet spots on the back
and
thighs or face, the shards of shrapnel from the cluster bombs buried an
inch or more in the flesh. The wards of the Hillah teaching hospital
are
proof that something illegal - something quite outside the Geneva
Conventions - occurred in the villages around the city once known as
Babylon.
The wailing children, the young women with breast and leg wounds, the
10
patients upon whom doctors had to perform brain surgery to remove metal
from their heads, talk of the days and nights when the explosives fell
"like grapes" from the sky. Cluster bombs, the doctors say - and the
detritus of the air raids around the hamlets of Nadr and Djifil and
Akramin
and Mahawil and Mohandesin and Hail Askeri shows that they are right.
Were they American or British aircraft that showered these villages
with
one of the most lethal weapons of modern warfare? The 61 dead who have
passed through the Hillah hospital since Saturday night cannot tell us.
Nor
can the survivors who, in many cases, were sitting in their homes when
the
white canisters opened high above their village, spilling thousands of
bomblets into the sky, exploding in the air, soaring through windows
and
doorways to burst indoors or bouncing off the roofs of the concrete
huts to
blow up later in the roadways...
---
A 'TERRIBLE, BLOODY' MISCALCULATION
Alan W. Bock, Orange County Register, 4/2/03
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=32901
Having talked to him on the phone a day or two before, I knew that
former
Ambassador to Iraq...Edward Peck would be provocative at the World
Affairs
Council last Thursday. He was.
Noting that George W. Bush's approval rating was 52 percent on Sept.
10,
2001, and 90 percent on Sept. 12 when he was a president under foreign
attack, Peck suggested a similar phenomenon might be at work for Saddam
Hussein, as despicable as he is. He said that when you invade a foreign
country, the people there just might view you as invaders rather than
liberators.
Peck thinks the United States will probably win this war eventually,
but it
will be harder than our leaders anticipated and will cost us dearly in
national morale, solidarity and international prestige. And we'll be
paying
a high price for a long time to come in increased Middle Eastern
instability and acts of terrorism.
The notion that Islamists hate us because of our freedom or "because
Britney Spears has a bellybutton" is "terribly stupid," Peck believes.
Most Americans don't want to face the fact that we've been killing
Iraqis
for 12 years, through sanctions and bombing, and that we're constantly
in
the world's face...
---
JORDAN KING SIGNALS PRO-IRAQ PUBLIC SHIFT
Suleiman al-Khalidi, Reuters, 4/3/03
AMMAN - Jordan's King Abdullah, an ally of Washington, has responded to
mounting domestic pressure by condemning the U.S.-led war on Iraq as an
"invasion" and describing Iraqi civilians killed in the war as
"martyrs."
"The Jordanian people, and I am one of them, strongly condemn the
killing
of children and women and we feel pain and sorrow as we see on our
television screens the growing number of martyrs from Iraqi innocent
civilians," he said in remarks published in Jordanian newspapers on
Thursday...
This week, a group of 99 prominent Jordanians, including former prime
ministers, politicians and leading dissidents normally at odds
politically,
united to urge the king in a petition to condemn outrightly the U.S.
war
against Iraq.
They told him the legitimacy of the Hashemite kingdom, which claims
descent
from Islam's prophet Mohammad, would be undermined if there was no
"position taken against the aggression..."
---
U.S. ENDS PROGRAM TO GROOM DISSIDENTS
Alex Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune, 4/3/03
MOSCOW - A U.S. project that was supposed to train 3,000 Iraqi
dissidents
to be liaisons between American troops and Iraqi civilians has been
shut
down indefinitely.
After months of preparation and publicity, the $90 million program at
an
air base in southwest Hungary managed to draw just 82 recruits.
U.S. military officials at the base near Taszar nevertheless said the
effort was successful and that Iraqi exiles who went through the
program
are helping U.S. troops deliver humanitarian aid to the Iraqi port of
Umm
Qasr...
A top official in the Hungarian government who spoke on condition of
anonymity said Wednesday that 82 Iraqi dissidents participated--56 in
the
first wave that arrived in late January and 26 in the group that
finished
training this week.
---
MUSLIM KIDS LEAD COMMUNITY IN ASSEMBLING RELIEF KITS FOR IRAQ
Press Release, 4/3/03
(April 2, 2003/Herndon, VA) Students from the Al Fatih Academy in
Herndon,
Virginia will lead an Iraq relief kit assembly party this Friday
evening,
April 4th, from 6pm to 9pm in the new ADAMS Center mosque in Sterling.
Under the campaign name of "Muslim Kids Giving Salaam (Peace)", the Al
Fatih Academy 2nd and 3rd graders are coordinating the efforts of area
Muslim students, teachers, and families to help bring relief to Iraqis.
Due
to sanctions and war, many Iraqi families have no basic hygiene
supplies
and live in desperate conditions. Relief kits contain hygiene items
intended to alleviate some of their suffering.
The campaign is part of Al Fatih Academy's overall strategy to teach
students about the situation in Iraq. "We hope it will empower our
children
by giving them something positive to do and contribute towards during
this
time of war," say Afeefa Syeed and Pervin Diveli, Co-Directors of the
school. Kids will also have the unique opportunity to send messages of
peace: Those kids involved in donating items for the relief kits are
encouraged to make drawings with traditional Muslim greetings of
"Salaam"
(which means peace) for distribution to Iraqi families who are relief
recipients.
There is another important dimension to the kid's campaign. It is part
of
an interfaith effort with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which is
organizing relief kits for distribution by Islamic Relief Agency and
Iraqi
Red Crescent Society as part of MCC's million-dollar humanitarian aid
package for the people of Iraq...
Anyone interested in donating one or more relief kits is encouraged to
bring items to the main entrance of the main ADAMS Center mosque this
Friday, between 6pm and 9pm. The mosque is located at 46903 Sugarland
Road,
Sterling, VA 20164.
Contacts: Afeefa Syeed 703-437-9382 and Deirdre Ritchie 703-323-6234
---
DETROIT RALLY AGAINST WAR IN IRAQ
WHAT: Congressman John Conyers calls for a major rally protesting the
war
in Iraq on the 35th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin
Luther
King Jr.
The event will also highlight civil liberties abuses in the post-9/11
period that has targeted Arabs, Muslims in this country.
WHEN: Saturday, April 5, 10 A.M.
WHERE: Old Tiger Stadium, Michigan Ave. and Trumble, Detroit
For more info, contact: Jerusalem Intercultural Services and Resources
Inc., JISR 5270 Schaefer Rd, Dearborn, MI 48126 USA or call (313)
717-9863
-----
MISSIONARIES INTENT ON "LIBERATING" IRAQ
"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them
to
Christianity." - Ann Coulter, 9/13/01
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Franklin Graham, LA Times, 4/3/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-war-oegraham3apr03,1,29085.story
Thirty years ago, I visited Baghdad for the first time. Today, our
Christian relief organization, Samaritan's Purse, has a team of
Americans,
Canadians, Iraqis, Jordanians and Lebanese positioned in Jordan, just a
few
hours' drive from the Iraqi border, waiting to provide aid to the
thousands
of victims, regardless of religion, race or politics...
I imagine those who may be starving or in need of emergency medical
attention in the coming days and weeks of this conflict in Iraq would
not
debate the appropriateness of faith-based relief assistance. For it
just
may be an ambassador of Christ, not of the United Nations, who holds
the
lifesaving hope for thousands of desperate Iraqis. We intend to be
there
with outstretched arms.
SEE ALSO:
CHRISTIAN GROUPS EAGER TO HELP IN IRAQ, BUT CRITICS WARY THEIR AIM IS
CONVERSION
Bobby Ross Jr., Associated Press, 4/3/03
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - In the aftermath of war, Iraq is expected to face a
massive humanitarian crisis, with hunger, homelessness and disease
threatening the nation's 24 million people.
U.S.-based Christian relief organizations, including a Nashville group
affiliated with the Churches of Christ, are prepared to help. Even
before
the war began, many started gathering medicine, food, blankets and
other
supplies for Iraqis in need.
Critics, however, already are raising concerns that evangelical relief
groups may try to use humanitarian aid to make inroads in Muslim
countries.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington advocacy group,
said it was especially upset to hear that the relief agency Samaritan's
Purse, run by the Rev. Franklin Graham, planned to work in Iraq. Graham
has
called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion."
"It's particularly disturbing that a group headed by a man who openly
states he believes the faith of Islam is evil would enter into a Muslim
country in the wake of an invading army," council spokesman Ibrahim
Hooper
said...
-----
HINDU LEADER ADMITS INVOLVEMENT IN HINDU-MUSLIM VIOLENCE
Associated Press, 4/3/03
NEW DELHI, India - A Hindu leader known for anti-Muslim rhetoric has
said
his group demolished a 16th century mosque in 1992 and was involved in
last
year's religious violence in western India which killed more than 1,000
people, a news report said Thursday.
Most victims of the religious violence in Gujarat state last year were
Muslims.
No one has ever been tried for the destruction of the Babri Mosque by a
Hindu mob on Dec. 6, 1992, which led to nationwide riots in which 2,000
people died.
The Indian Express said Praveen Togadia, international general
secretary of
the World Hindu Council, admitted during a rally of Hindu activists in
New
Delhi on Wednesday that his group, an affiliate of India's governing
party,
was responsible for destroying the mosque.
"We demolished the Babri Masjid," the newspaper quoted Togadia as
saying.
It also quoted him as saying, "We were the ones who came out on the
roads
in Gujarat." Journalists who were in Gujarat in February 2002 saw gangs
of
armed Hindus on the roads, stopping cars and beating up anyone they
suspected of being Muslim...
-----
AZIZAH CELEBRATES MUSLIM AMERICAN WOMEN
Rebecca G. Dorr, Women's E News, 4/3/03
http://www.womenenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/1278
As a Muslim woman of color, Tayyibah Taylor did not see herself
reflected
accurately in the magazines, newspapers, TV shows and films that
surround
her in North America. So, she started Azizah, a magazine for the modern
Muslim American woman.
Azizah, now entering its third year of quarterly publication, presents
the
diversity of contemporary Muslim women; Taylor, the founder and
visionary
behind the title, hopes it will counter stereotypes. Azizah loosely
translates from Arabic to English as "daringness, strength and
nobility..."
On the cover of each of the first seven issues are vibrant portraits of
successful Muslim women, wearing the traditional hijab headscarf.
Stories
have covered everything from feminism and Islam to how inclusive Muslim
communities are of the disabled...
Taylor incorporated WOW Publishing, Inc., a privately-owned company
that
publishes Azizah Magazine, in 1999. Ownership lies entirely with three
Muslim American women: Taylor, editor in chief; Saleemah Abdulghafur,
chief
operating officer; and Marlina Soerakoesoemah, head designer, who works
from Seattle. Taylor put up seed money for the venture, but all three
women
have made substantial financial investments.
"We pay ourselves a pittance," Abdulghafur laughed, but stressed that
money
doesn't motivate them.
Now 28, Abdulghafur received her undergraduate degree from Columbia
University in 1996. She originally worked as a consultant to Azizah,
but
began full-time work as chief operating officer in January. "It's
critically important that Muslim women in this country forge their own
identity, and have a voice in the mainstream media" she said from
Azizah's
Atlanta headquarters. "I'm tired of seeing the Afghan woman in a burqa,
who
is repressed. She is not the only image..."
-----
NY DEBUT OF DOCUMENTARY ON MUSLIM CONVERTS
WHAT: New York Spice Film Company presents "Becoming Muslim: Submitting
to
Allah in America", a feature-length documentary about American converts
to
Islam that will premiere at the New York International Independent Film
and
Video Festival.
Islam has been quoted as the fastest-growing religion in America.
Reportedly, one-third of America's six million Muslims are converts to
the
religion. This documentary explores the phenomenon of American Muslim
converts to understand why so many Americans are becoming Muslim.
WHEN: Friday, April 11 - 6 P.M.
WHERE: Village East Cinemas, Screen 7
181 Second Avenue @12th Street, New York City
Tickets are $10 and are available at: www.ticketweb.com or call (866)
468-7619
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Maherin Gangat/Sameer Butt
(212) 688-6329/Fax: (208) 275-7109
email: NYSpice@mac.com
http://homepage.mac.com/nyspice
-----
NORTHERN CA CONFERENCE ON ISLAM IN AMERICA
WHAT: "Islam and Muslims in America: History, Development and Future
Prospects" - a three-day conference exploring the history, development
and
future prospects of Islam and Muslim presence in the United States of
America. The conference features a multi-disciplinary agenda with
papers
reflecting a wide spectrum of scholarly interest in research pertaining
to
Islam and Muslims in America with attention to the post 9/11 and War on
Iraq.
WHEN: April 18-20th, 2003
WHERE: 155 Dwinelle Hall - University of California, Berkeley
Space is limited
Registration $25
For more information: Conference Chair: Hatem Bazian, Ph.D.
Near Eastern Studies Department
510-642-7792/hatemb@uclink4.berkeley.edy
-----
MARYLAND EVENT HIGHLIGHTS ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY
WHAT: Muslim Community Center presents "The Living Art of Islamic
Calligraphy" with Mohamed Zakariya, a widely acclaimed Islamic
calligrapher, artist, and maker of custom instruments. Zakariya
designed
the calligraphy for the "Eid
Greetings" U.S. Postal stamp, the first to commemorate the Muslim
holiday.
For more information on Mohamed Zakariya's work and his gallery please
visit: http://www.zakariya.net/
WHEN: Sunday, April 6, 11 A.M. to 1 P.M.
WHERE: Muslim Community Center, 15200 New Hampshire Ave., Silver
Spring, Md
20905 - (301)384-3454; http://mccmd.org; e-mail: mcc@mccmd.org
---
CA TOWNHALL MEETING AND FUNDRAISING DINNER
WHAT: Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) is sponsoring a townhall
meeting
community leaders, elected officials and law enforcement.
WHEN: Saturday, April 5, 6 PM to 9 P.M.
WHERE: Iranian Muslim Association of North America (IMAN)
3375 Motor Avenue in Los Angeles
RSVP to (213) 383-3443 ASAP
-----
BIGOTRY PROMOTED BY MIRAMAX AND DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY PROTESTED BY OVER
100
ORGANIZATIONS
U.S. Newswire, 4/3/03
NEW YORK - The Sikh Coalition and over 100 Sikh and non-Sikh
organizations
launched a campaign this week to protest bigotry in the Miramax movie
Dysfunctional Family. The protests come after attempts to settle the
matter
outside of the public domain failed. The film is scheduled to be
released
nationwide on April 4, 2003.
The movie depicts film's lead, comedian Eddie Griffin, pointing to a
Sikh
man and stating "bin Laden, I knew you was around here!"
Arabs, Muslims, Sikhs and South Asians were the victims of hundreds of
hate
crimes after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Sikh
Coalition
has documented over two hundred sometimes violent bias incidents
against
Sikhs -- including murder, assault and house of worship arson -- since
then. In many of these instances, the attacks consisted of or were
accompanied by "Osama" or "terrorist" epithets.
"This is like throwing a match in a tinderbox. Sikhs are already in
danger
of being attacked, this just makes matters worse. It is a shame that
Miramax and Eddie Griffin are profiting from our suffering," said
Harpreet
Singh, Director of Community Relations for the Sikh Coalition...
More than 7,000 people have signed a petition demanding the removal of
all
offensive content from the movie in the first two days of the
petition's
launch. The petition also demands an apology by Miramax to the Sikh,
Arab
and Muslim communities, as well as an educational initiative by Miramax
to
help undo the negative stereotypes promoted by this movie. The
petition
can be viewed at http://www.sikhcoalition.org/miramax-petition.asp...
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FLORIDA MUSLIMS DECRY LENIENCY FOR TERRORIST
(MIAMI, FLORIDA, 4/4/2003) - Florida's office of the Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today expressed deep
disappointment over the government's failure to charge as a "terrorist"
a
man who was actively plotting to bomb 50 Islamic centers and Muslim
schools
in that state.
Robert Goldstein, 38, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to violate
civil rights, attempting to damage religious property and a weapons
possession charge. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Goldstein was arrested last August when authorities found a large
arsenal
in his town house. That arsenal included more than 30 explosive
devices,
light-armor rockets, hand grenades, a 5-gallon gasoline bomb,
.50-caliber
machine guns, and sniper rifles.
Authorities also found a detailed plan that called for planting bombs
and
using automatic weapons to attack a local mosque and cultural center.
Goldstein had a list targeting 50 Muslim institutions in the Tampa
area.
According to court documents, Goldstein, who is Jewish, wanted to make
a
statement for "his people" following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
SEE: MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO BOMB PLOT
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/04/04/TampaBay/Man_pleads_guilty_to_.shtml
CAIR-FL is calling on the U.S. Attorney's office to explain why
Goldstein
was not charged as a terrorist under the USA Patriot Act of 2001, and
why
no effort was made to seek testimony from the intended Muslim victims.
"The fact that Goldstein was not charged as a terrorist demonstrates
that
the Patriot Act is a tool to be used solely against Muslims and Arabs,"
said CAIR-FL Executive Director Altaf Ali.
"The leniency shown in this case sends the wrong signal to Florida's
Muslim
community. It signals that the charges and sentencing for planned acts
of
terrorism now depend on the perpetrator's religion and ethnicity,"
added
CAIR-FL Communications Director Ahmed Bedier.
CAIR-FL is urging the sentencing judge and the probation department to
hear
from the Muslim community and issue a tougher sentence than the maximum
of
15 years agreed to in the plea bargain.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-FL, Altaf Ali, 954-298-8214, E-MAIL:
altaf@cair-florida.org;
Ahmed Bedier, 813-731-9506, EMAIL abedier@cair-florida.org;
CAIR-National,
Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org;
Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/4/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: TEACH GOODNESS
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5235 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR-NCA AND JUSTICE DEPT TO HOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
* INCITEMENT WATCH: ISLAM IS CHRISTIANITY'S PERPETUAL ENEMY
* PRO-ISRAEL HAWKS TO GOVERN IRAQ
- Hawkish Lawyer to Oversee Iraq Ministries (Guardian)
- Woolsey: U.S. Faces 'World War IV' (CNN)
- World War IV? (Antiwar.com)
- U.S. Plans for Regime Change in Middle East (Ha'aretz)
- U.S. Fumbling Postwar Plan (LA Times)
- On To Damascus (Mother Jones)
- White Man's Burden (Haaretz)
* CLUSTER BOMBS LIBERATE IRAQI CHILDREN (Asia Times)
- Secular Pakistanis Turn to Religious Parties (Wash. Post)
- Groups Critical of Islam Plan Take Aid to Iraq (NY Times)
* AKAMAI CANCELS A CONTRACT FOR ARABIC NETWORK'S SITE (NY Times)
- Al-Jazeera Shunned, Intimidated in West (Al Jazeera)
* FBI TO MUSLIMS: WE'RE HERE TO HELP, NOT HARASS (News-Post)
- FBI Agents Stir Old Fears (Columbus Dispatch)
- Tempe City Buildings Declared Havens (AP)
* STATES PUT A LEASH ON INFORMATION (USA Today)
* BUSH MEETS RESISTANCE ON MIDEAST PLAN (Washington Post)
- Death of Rachel Corrie Changed One Person (Dispatch)
* ILLINOIS PANEL REJECTS MOSQUE'S REQUEST (Chicago Tribune)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A HOUSE IN PARADISE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "I guarantee a house in
the
surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he is
in
the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying
even if he is joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a
man
who makes his character good."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 2235
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5235 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5235 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR-NCA AND JUSTICE DEPT TO HOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
WHAT: CAIR Northern California (CAIR-NCA) and The Department of Justice
invite community members to attend a forum designed to discuss fears,
concerns and issues relating to the current political climate in our
country. Panelists will be top officials from the FBI, the US
Attorney's
office and local law enforcement agencies.
Forum participants include:
· Assistant Special Agent in Charge Arthur Balizan, (FBI)
· Chief William Lansdowne, San Jose Police Department
· Interim Officer-in-Charge Alex Mack, Bureau of Immigration & Customs
Enforcement
· Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Miranda Kane
· Deputy District Attorney Aaron Persky, Santa Clara County
· Commander Dennis Bacon, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office
WHEN: Friday, April 4, 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.
WHERE: MCA Community Hall - 3003 Scott Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054
For more information, contact CAIR Northern California at 408-986-9874
or
email: nocal@cair.com
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: ISLAM IS CHRISTIANITY'S PERPETUAL ENEMY
POLITICAL COLUMNIST PREDICTS ONGOING FIGHTS BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM
Terri Jo Ryan, Waco Tribune-Herald, 4/4/03
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/newsfd/auto/feed/news/2003/04/04/1049436362.00353.5903.6682.html
Islam and Christianity have irreconcilable differences and are destined
to
continue to compete for the hearts and minds of the world, said a
political
columnist at a presentation Thursday at Baylor University.
David Warren, a conservative commentator for The Ottawa (Canada)
Citizen,
visited campus for a lecture on "Church & Mosque & State." His speech
was
co-sponsored by the Institute for Church State Studies and the Center
for
American and Jewish Studies. He will speak again at 4 p.m. today in
Morrison Hall, Room 120, in an appearance for the Honors College and
the
journalism department.
Muslims and Christians have been enemies since the first time Muhammad
declared "Allah is One!," denying the Holy Trinity, Warren said. He
made a
point of using the word "enemy" rather than "rival," he added, because
"I
will not pretend to be anything other than a Christian..."
Azhar "Sunny" Furqan, a Baylor University senior, is himself a native
of
Lahore, Pakistan. After leaving Warren's 90-minute lecture, he admitted
he
had been stunned by a presentation he found to be "quite biased, quite
exclusive and quite evangelistic."
The Canadian columnist's repeated use of the term "enemy" to describe
Islam
was particularly off-putting, he said. And calling Islam a "splendidly
false doctrine" was insulting...
Even after liberating Iraq from Saddam Hussein, the United States will
have
to fight other Middle Eastern opponents threatening the American way of
life, he said.
What does this war of worldviews bode for the future? Warren, a
self-proclaimed pessimist, says the West needs to prepare for the
worst.
"Self-preservation demands that we rededicate ourselves to the
Christian
faith, because ours is the only worldview that tolerates it," he said.
The
West must forge ahead and Christianize the region with democratic
institutions "and pray that it will take in an alien culture."
-----
PRO-ISREAL HAWKS TO GOVERN IRAQ
HAWKISH LAWYER TO OVERSEE IRAQI MINISTRIES
Brian Whitaker, Guardian, 4/4/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,929378,00.html
A Pentagon lawyer who sought to have US citizens imprisoned
indefinitely
without charge as part of the war on terrorism will supervise civil
administration in Iraq once Saddam Hussein is removed.
Michael Mobbs, 54, who will take charge of 11 of the 23 Iraqi
ministries,
is one of several controversial appointments to the Pentagon-controlled
government-in-waiting being assembled in a cluster of seaside villas in
Kuwait.
Other top-level appointees include James Woolsey, a former CIA director
with Israeli connections, who has long pursued a theory that Saddam
Hussein, rather than Islamic militants, was behind the 1993 bombing of
the
World Trade Centre in New York...
In his role as a legal consultant to the Pentagon, Mr Mobbs has been
working behind the scenes to help determine the legal fate of terror
suspects and other detainees held by the US military in Cuba and
Afghanistan.
He was also author of what has become known as the "Mobbs declaration",
a
document presented to the US courts on behalf of the Pentagon claiming
that
the US president has wide powers to detain American citizens alleged to
be
enemy combatants indefinitely.
The former CIA director James Woolsey is expected to be handed a senior
role in the post-Saddam government, according to sources close to the
planning process.
Mr Woolsey sits on the advisory board of the Jewish Institute for
National
Security Affairs, a connection likely to arouse hostility in Iraq...
SEE ALSO:
EX-CIA DIRECTOR: U.S. FACES 'WORLD WAR IV'
Charles Feldman and Stan Wilson, CNN, 4/3/04
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/04/03/sprj.irq.woolsey.world.war/index.html
LOS ANGELES, California - Former CIA Director James Woolsey said
Wednesday
the United States is engaged in World War IV, and that it could
continue
for years.
In the address to a group of college students, Woolsey described the
Cold
War as the third world war and said "This fourth world war, I think,
will
last considerably longer than either World Wars I or II did for us.
Hopefully not the full four-plus decades of the Cold War."
Woolsey has been named in news reports as a possible candidate for a
key
position in the reconstruction of a postwar Iraq.
He said the new war is actually against three enemies: the religious
rulers
of Iran, the "fascists" of Iraq and Syria, and Islamic extremists like
al
Qaeda...
"As we move toward a new Middle East," Woolsey said, "over the years
and, I
think, over the decades to come ... we will make a lot of people very
nervous..."
---
WORLD WAR IV?
Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 4/4/03
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
Even if the neoconservatives had been hired outright to promote the
interests of Israel over and above those of the U.S., they couldn't
have
done a better job of it. That is the real genesis of this war: it is
meant
as the opening act of World War IV. This is the goal the neocons have
been
energetically pursuing - a war pitting the U.S. and Israel against the
entire Muslim world - ever since 9/11, and, today, they are on the
brink of
success. The U.S. has yet to take Baghdad, and already they are
threatening
Syria and Iran. You can be sure that former spook Woolsey, once put in
charge of postwar Iraq, will do his best to provoke a border incident
that
will lead to the fulfillment of his prophecy...
---
U.S.: AFTER IRAQ, WE'LL DEAL WITH OTHER RADICAL MIDEAST REGIMES
Aluf Benn, Ha'aretz, 4/4/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=280483
A communique received in Jerusalem from the American administration
this
week says the United States is operating with strong resolution to
neutralize the Iraqi threat to Israel. After the war, the message
continued, the United States will deal with other radical regimes in
the
region - not necessarily by military means - to moderate their
activities
and fight terrorism.
These current and future U.S. operations will also serve Israel, the
American administration says, but have caused tensions between the
United
States and the Arab world. Israel, the American message says, must play
its
part to help ease these tensions by taking action with regard to
settlements in the territories...
---
U.S. FUMBLING POSTWAR PLAN
Hussein Ibish, Los Angeles Times, 4/4/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-war-oeibish4apr04,1,1930769.story
If concern is growing that ideological convictions at the Defense
Department resulted in costly miscalculations regarding the war in
Iraq,
even greater alarm is warranted by glaring missteps in the preparation
for
what comes after the war.
Take, for instance, the political profile of the man tapped to lead the
occupation, retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner.
Garner's stated opinions on Middle Eastern politics make him singularly
unsuitable for the indescribably sensitive task of being the first U.S.
administrator of a large Arab country. In 2000, Garner signed a
statement
backing Israel's hard-line tactics in enforcing the occupation of the
Palestinian territories of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza
Strip...
Anyone with the slightest knowledge of Arab politics knows that any
association between an American occupation of Iraq and Israel's
occupation
of Palestinian lands poses great danger. It is guaranteed to breed deep
resentment and bitter opposition, especially as U.S. checkpoints in
Iraq
begin to look increasingly like those in the West Bank.
Persistent reports in the British and American press suggest that
Garner
will be in charge of 23 ministries, each headed by an American with
Iraqi
advisors. Not only will this look and feel like a colonial
administration,
the identity of some of the Iraqi advisors rings alarms...
---
ON TO DAMASCUS
Mother Jones, 4/3/04
http://motherjones.com/news/warwatch/2003/14/we_345_04.html#one
While Bishop worries that the Americans' shoot-first approach is
undermining the effort to win hearts and minds, Jonathan Freedland is
concerned more by the ideals the war is undermining. Among other
things,
Freedland, writing in the British Guardian, is convinced that the war
is
threatening the very values that define America. While many outside the
US
seem to believe that this war is "all too American," Freedland argues
that
such thinking does an injustice to the US and its history.
"It assumes that the Bush administration represents all America, at all
times, when in fact the opposite is true. For this administration, and
this
war, are not typical of the US. On the contrary, on almost every
measure,
they are exceptions to the American rule. The US was, after all, a
country
founded in a rebellion against imperialism. Born in a war against a
hated
colonial oppressor, in the form of George III, it still sees itself as
the
instinctive friend of all who struggle to kick out a foreign occupier -
and
the last nation on earth to play the role of outside ruler."
For most of the last century, the US steered well clear of the
institutions
of formal empire (the Philipines was a lamentable exception).
Responsibility was thrust upon it after 1945 in Germany and Japan. But
as a
matter of deliberate intent, America sought neither viceroys ruling
over
faraway lands nor a world map coloured with the stars and stripes.
Influence, yes; puppets and proxies, yes. But formal imperial rule,
never.
Until now. George Bush has cast off the restraint which held back
America's
42 previous presidents - including his father. Now he is seeking, as an
unashamed objective, to get into the empire business..."
---
WHITE MAN'S BURDEN
Ari Shavit, Ha'aretz, 4/4/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=280279
The war in Iraq was conceived by 25 neoconservative intellectuals, most
of
them Jewish, who are pushing President Bush to change the course of
history. Two of them, journalists William Kristol and Charles
Krauthammer,
say it's possible. But another journalist, Thomas Friedman (not part of
the
group), is skeptical…
Is the Iraq war the great neoconservative war? It's the war the
neoconservatives wanted, Friedman says. It's the war the
neoconservatives
marketed. Those people had an idea to sell when September 11 came, and
they
sold it. Oh boy, did they sell it. So this is not a war that the masses
demanded. This is a war of an elite. Friedman laughs: I could give you
the
names of 25 people (all of whom are at this moment within a five-block
radius of this office) who, if you had exiled them to a desert island a
year and a half ago, the Iraq war would not have happened.
-----
CLUSTER BOMBS LIBERATE IRAQI CHILDREN
Pepe Escobar, Asia Times, 4/4/03
http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/ED04Ak07.html
AMMAN - Roland Huguenin-Benjamin, a spokesman for the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Iraq, describes what happened in
Hilla
as "a horror, dozens of severed bodies and scattered limbs". Initially,
Murtada Abbas, the director of Hilla hospital, was questioned about the
bombing only by Iraqi journalists - and only Arab cameramen working for
Reuters and Associated Press were allowed on site.
What they filmed is horror itself - the first images shot by Western
news
agencies of what is also happening on the Iraqi frontlines: babies cut
in
half, amputated limbs, kids with their faces a web of deep cuts caused
by
American shellfire and cluster bombs. Nobody in the West will ever see
these images because they were censored by editors in Baghdad: only a
"soft" version made it to worldwide TV distribution...
Widely used in Afghanistan, cluster bombs are vehemently denounced by
human
rights organizations: they compare their deadly effects to
anti-personnel
mines, which are outlawed by the Ottawa Convention (not signed,
incidentally, by either the US or Iraq). Cluster bombs are far from
being
smart. Most of its bomblets hit the ground without exploding. The small
yellow cylinders remain deadly weapons threatening civilians -
especially
children...
SEE ALSO:
SECULAR PAKISTANIS, UPSET BY WAR, TURN TO RELIGIOUS PARTIES
John Lancaster, Washington Post, 4/4/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23254-2003Apr3.html
KARACHI, Pakistan -- Shoaib Sheikh, 24, is no bearded zealot. He favors
Western dress over the traditional shalwar kameez, counts himself a fan
of
Madonna and Bon Jovi and can't wait to get his hands on a copy of the
Oscar-winning movie "Chicago," having recently seen the trailer on
cable
television...
But for all his secular inclinations, Sheikh, who is completing a
degree in
dental surgery, finds himself increasingly attracted to the coalition
of
six hard-line Islamic parties that constitute the main opposition bloc
in
Pakistan's parliament. The reason can be expressed in a single word:
Iraq.
While mainstream political parties waver over how to respond to the
U.S.-led assault on the Baghdad government, the religious coalition --
the
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) -- has shown no such reluctance. It has
organized large public protests, led the fight for a parliamentary
resolution condemning the war and openly challenged the military-backed
government of President Pervez Musharraf over its close ties to the
United
States...
"The way things are going, people are going to vote for them," Sheikh
said
as he celebrated the last day of final exams with fellow students at an
outdoor restaurant in Karachi's bustling Hasan Square. "I might..."
As elsewhere in the Muslim world, such attitudes are a potentially
serious
unintended consequence of the war in Iraq, one that could prove
troublesome
not only for Pakistan, where moderate forces are already on the
defensive,
but also for the United States, which considers Musharraf's government
a
key ally in the war on terrorism...
---
GROUPS CRITICAL OF ISLAM ARE NOW WAITING TO TAKE AID TO IRAQ
Laurie Goodstein, New York Times, 4/4/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/04/international/worldspecial/04MISS.html
Two evangelical Christian organizations whose leaders have outspokenly
denounced the Islamic faith are among the aid groups waiting at Iraq's
borders to take humanitarian relief -- and a Gospel message -- to a
nation
whose people are predominantly Muslim.
The situation presents a dilemma for the Bush administration, which
does
not want to alienate its strong Christian evangelical constituency but
cannot afford to have the war in Iraq perceived as a crusade to
Christianize a Muslim nation.
Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, said yesterday that it was
not
the administration's responsibility to determine which groups will
provide
aid in Iraq. But he distanced President Bush from the leaders' past
remarks...
Muslim leaders said yesterday that while Iraqis needed aid, the
American
government should limit the work of groups that express antipathy for
the
faith of the people they are purporting to serve.
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American Islamic
Relations
in Washington, said: "I think it would be inappropriate for these
people to
have any kind of American government support at a time when the entire
Muslim world suspects that there is currently a war against Islam. This
kind of activity could only be perceived as confirming those
suspicions..."
The overtly evangelical groups have caused concern for other Christian
groups that have not expressed hostility to Islam.
Donna Derr, associate director for international emergency response
with
Church World Service, the aid arm of the National Conference of
Churches,
said, "In some countries we've seen organizations very actively couple
their aid with proselytization, and that creates some very difficult
dynamics."
Ms. Derr said the activities of one group she would not identify led
the
government of Indonesia, a Muslim country, to evict all nongovernment
groups from one region.
-----
AKAMAI CANCELS A CONTRACT FOR ARABIC NETWORK'S SITE
Warren St. John, New York Times, 4/4/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/04/technology/04WEB.html
In a move sure to complicate the efforts of Al Jazeera, the Arabic news
network, to get its English-language Web site running, Akamai
Technologies
abruptly canceled a contract on Wednesday to provide Web services for
the site.
Employees at Al Jazeera headquarters in Doha, Qatar, said they were
frustrated by the decision, though not entirely surprised. "It has
nothing
to do with technical issues," said Joanne Tucker, the managing editor
of
the English-language site. "It's nonstop political pressure on these
companies not to deal with us."
Akamai, based in Cambridge, Mass., would not comment on the reason for
the
cancellation. But Jeff Young, a company spokesman, issued a statement
confirming that Akamai would no longer do business with Al Jazeera...
"Akamai worked briefly this week with Al Jazeera to understand the
issues
they are having distributing their Web sites," he said. "We ultimately
decided not to continue a customer relationship with Al Jazeera, and we
are
not going to be providing them our services."
The English version of Al Jazeera's Web site was shut by hackers
roughly 12
hours after it went online on March 25. For a time, Web users trying to
gain access were directed to a Web page bearing an American flag.
Akamai,
whose clients include MSNBC and CNN, maintains a broad network of
servers
that provide protection from hacking attempts. It was for that reason,
Ms.
Tucker said, that Al Jazeera hired the company.
"Basically this was our answer to the hacking that has been nonstop and
pretty aggressive," she said. "We had a done-and-dusted deal on March
28.
Then yesterday, we get a letter from them terminating the contract..."
SEE ALSO:
AL JAZEERA SHUNNED, INTIMIDATED IN WESTERN CAPITALS
Iason Athanasiadis, Al Jazeera, 4/4/03
http://english.aljazeera.net
With US-led troops running into fierce resistance on Iraq's
battlefields,
pressure is being brought by Western organisations and news media on Al
Jazeera.
Incidents have included the banning of Al Jazeera television's
financial
correspondents from the New York Stock Exchange, the summoning of the
channel's Paris bureau chief by France's broadcast watchdog and
discriminatory behaviour by several US-based Internet servers.
In the most extreme example so far, Ammar Sankari and Ramsey Shiber,
the
channel's finance correspondents in New York, were banned from
broadcasting
their daily market reports from the city's Stock Exchange and asked to
return their passes...
AOL, Yahoo and Reuters have all refused to run advertisements for
Al-Jazeera's new, English-language service citing different reasons.
Yahoo
put the decision down to 'war-related sensitivity', Reuters ruled the
decision out on the grounds that Al-Jazeera is a competitor, while AOL
offered no reason.
In France, the country's Higher Audiovisual Council (CSA) summoned
Michael
Kik, the Al Jazeera representative in Paris, to defend the decision to
broadcast the Iraqi pictures of dead and captured American servicemen.
Kik argued that the criticism smacked of double standards, saying "For
10
years, pictures of Palestinian prisoners have been shown all over the
world, and in the Gulf everyone has been watching images of Iraqi
prisoners
kneeling in humiliation," in reference to recent controversy over Al
Jazeera's coverage of the war...
-----
FBI TO MUSLIMS: WE'RE HERE TO HELP, NOT HARASS
Tara E. Buck, Frederick News-Post, 4/3/03
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/display.htm?StoryID=26039
Hate crimes against any group will not be tolerated, FBI special agent
John
Sylvester told area Muslims and other minorities at a special hate
crime
presentation Wednesday night.
Held at the Hampton Inn, where the Islamic Society of Frederick holds
its
religious services, the meeting was a productive one, Imam Yayha Hendi
said
at its conclusion.
"I hope it contributes to nurturing a good relationship between law
enforcement officials and all religious communities," he said. "I pray
this
will be the first and not the last (meeting) of its kind."
He said the American Muslim community also holds a responsibility to
"define who we are to the FBI" before they are defined by the acts of
overseas extremists.
"When the FBI does good, we will praise their work and be grateful.
When
they overstep their boundaries, we will stand up and say, 'No,'" and
fight
the problem by any means available within the law, he said...
Muslims present were encouraged to contact local representatives of the
American Civil Liberties Union or the Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) if they want legal representation in any conversation with
police
agencies or with assistance in reporting a crime or suspicious act.
"Protect yourself," CAIR's government relations director, Jason Erb,
said.
"Cooperate fully but protect yourself."
SEE ALSO:
FBI AGENTS STIR OLD FEARS AMONG IRAQI-AMERICANS
Barbara Carmen, Columbus Dispatch, 4/4/03
http://libpub.dispatch.com/cgi-bin/documentv1?DBLIST=cd03&DOCNUM=14673&TERMV=334:3:
When FBI agents began grilling cooks at pancake houses and probing
doctors
in medical offices, Jad Humeidan's phone rang. His callers were
terrified...
All had made the FBI's interview list for a singular reason: They could
trace their heritage to Iraq. As coalition troops invaded Iraq two
weeks
ago, the FBI launched its own offensive.
"Some of the tactics were just incredible," said Humeidan, executive
director of the Ohio office of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
"If you want people to talk, you'd think you'd try to win them over by
being nice. But people felt threatened. They were told, 'We'll go get a
warrant and arrest you and make you talk.'"
So much for voluntary interviews, as these were supposed to be.
Humeidan
said Iraqi-Americans were interviewed at work. Co-workers stared. It
reminded him of interviews with American Muslims shortly after the
Sept. 11
attack.
"In past rounds of interviews, we've had people lose their jobs a week
or
two later," Humeidan said.
"They asked, 'What is your life like here? Who do you know?' "Humeidan
said. "'If we wanted to look for weapons of mass destruction, where
should
we look?'"
These would be great questions for a former Republican Guard member.
Indeed, the FBI says some interviews across the country did turn up
such
sources. But why interrogate a waffle-maker who was born in
Reynoldsburg?
Many of our city's 800 Iraqi-Americans are second- or
third-generation...
So last week, the council and representatives from the Muslim, Somali
and
Iraqi communities met with the FBI. They requested a more sensitive
approach. And they offered to help...
SEE ALSO:
TEMPE CITY BUILDINGS DECLARED HAVENS FOR LOCAL THREAT VICTIMS
Associated Press, 4/4/03
PHOENIX - Tempe has declared its city buildings a haven for local
Muslims
who may face war-related harassment or threats, making it the first
Phoenix-area community to officially do so.
"City buildings have always been safe havens," Tempe's diversity
coordinator, Rosa Inchausti, said in a note to department heads last
week.
"People need to know that anyone can go into any city building if they
are
feeling harassed or threatened."
The Council on American Islamic Relations requested that Tempe and
other
area cities declare city offices havens.
"Tempe felt like it was important enough to expedite it," said Deedra
Abboud, executive director of the Arizona chapter of the council.
Abboud said she's discussing the matter with Phoenix, Arizona State
University, Gilbert and Mesa. The group aims to contact all
municipalities
in Maricopa County...
"The main thing is we're trying to make sure that an incident doesn't
happen," Abboud said. "We're trying to be proactive and remind the
state of
Arizona and the people of Arizona that backlash and hate crimes are not
acceptable things."
-----
STATES PUT A LEASH ON INFORMATION
Mimi Hall, USA Today, 4/4/03
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-04-02-info-exempt-usat_x.htm
Nearly half the states are closing meetings, sealing records and
restricting the flow of information to the public, all in the name of
homeland security.
Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, dozens of state
legislatures
have considered, and many have passed, exemptions to their
freedom-of-information laws. Most of the exemptions allow emergency and
evacuation plans to be kept secret. Some of them shield maps and
illustrations of government buildings, utility plants, bridges, water
and
sewer lines, and transportation routes.
A new report by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press found
that
nearly half the states and Washington, D.C., have passed exemptions to
their freedom-of-information laws or new confidentiality laws to
protect
homeland security. Some states have shelved changes in the face of
opposition. Still others are debating such changes...
The trend in the states matches a similar effort by the federal
government.
As part of legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security
last
year, Congress shielded information about possible private-sector
vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks. The law imposes criminal
penalties on
people who release such information.
Taken together, the measures passed in the states and in Washington
represent the biggest rollback of open-government laws since they were
passed in the 1960s and '70s...
Opponents say the exemptions are too broad. They say sealing
information
prevents the media and the public from assessing whether the government
is
adequately protecting citizens. Keeping information provided by
businesses
secret, they say, could help companies hide incriminating evidence
about
lax security or environmental contamination. "They're using the excuse
of
terrorism to shield information," says Timothy Edgar of the American
Civil
Liberties Union...
-----
BUSH MEETS RESISTANCE ON MIDEAST PLAN
Jim VandeHei, Washington Post, 4/4/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24354-2003Apr3.html
President Bush's latest bid for a Middle East peace deal is running
into
unexpected resistance from key allies in Congress. Republicans and
Democrats are pressing the White House to adopt a more staunchly
pro-Israel
stance, even if it feeds the perception the United States is too
closely
aligned with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government.
The plan envisions a three-stage process that would create Palestinian
institutions, establish provisional borders for a state by the end of
this
year and reach a final agreement with defined borders in 2005.
Completed in
December, the road map's release was delayed at Sharon's request until
after the January Israeli elections, and again until the Palestinian
legislature confirmed a new prime minister. That confirmation is to
occur
by the end of this month, and the imminent release of the plan has
brought
stepped-up concern...
In speeches this week and a letter scheduled for delivery later this
month,
GOP and Democratic congressional leaders -- who are competing for
Jewish
voters and donors -- make clear they will oppose any peace deal that
does
not first require the Palestinians to change their government and end
all
terrorist activities before imposing significant requirements on
Israel.
Several key Republicans said Bush has privately assured them that he
agrees
with them. But they expressed concern that Powell and British Prime
Minister Tony Blair might manage to soften his resolve...
SEE ALSO:
DEATH OF RACHEL CORRIE CHANGED ONE PERSON FOREVER
ISRAEL SHOULD EXIST, BUT ITS TACTICS ARE WRONG
The Columbus Dispatch, 4/4/03
http://www.dispatch.com
After years of arguing with Muslim friends about Israel, I have decided
that I was correct to support Israel's right to exist in peace but
wrong
about supporting its brutal occupation of the Palestinian territories.
I served onboard the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy during the Yom
Kippur
War of 1973. American and Israeli pilots used the ship to land and
refuel
fighter planes on their way to Israel. I am proud to have had a part in
ensuring Israel's survival.
Today, though, I ask myself: If I had to live and suffer under this
occupation, might I use any weapon at my disposal, including suicide
violence, to free my people and secure my land? Might Jewish young
people
resort to the same tactics if their roles were reversed?
The photo of activist Rachel Corrie dying in the dirt changed me
forever.
If these tactics aren't changed, the day may come when Americans will
stop
supporting Israel, to its peril. Israelis must abandon their dream of a
greater Isreal and get out of the territories now. If it takes U.S.
troops
to help these people disengage, so be it. President Bush would have
little
trouble forging a coalition for such a mission. We have to stop being
seen
by the Muslim world as backing this obliteration of a people.
I am still a friend of Israel; sometimes friends have to speak truth to
friends.
STEVEN McCAW
Columbus
-----
MORTON GROVE PANEL REJECTS MOSQUE'S REQUEST TO EXPAND
Dean Geroulis, Chicago Tribune, 4/4/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northshore/chi-0304040336apr04,1,6503010.story
MORTON GROVE - The leader of a Muslim group expressed disappointment
and
uncertainty about the fate of a proposed mosque and school expansion in
the
wake of a unanimous rejection by the Morton Grove Plan Commission.
"We worked closely with our neighbors and the commission to incorporate
their suggestions and provide an acceptable plan that is good for the
neighborhood," said Mohammed Kaiseruddin, president of the Muslim
Education
Center, a Morton Grove fixture for 13 years.
Dozens of Morton Grove residents expressing anger about traffic around
the
center--which draws about 450 people to Friday prayer sessions in the
gymnasium--attended Wednesday's Plan Commission meeting.
The center wants to build a two-story mosque and additional classrooms.
The
mosque would accommodate about 600 people...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
SCHOOL BUS BURNS OUTSIDE VIRGINIA MOSQUE
National Islamic group urges FBI to join investigation
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/5/2003) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) today called on the FBI to assist in the investigation of a fire
that destroyed a school bus outside a Northern Virginia Islamic center.
Officials with the Fairfax County Fire Department and representatives
of
Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Va., tell the
Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group that a fire
broke
out in one of the center's school buses at about 10 a.m. this morning.
Fire
investigators say they found a container of gasoline at the site and
another container some 200 feet away under a tree.
"This investigation must continue until we find out who is
responsible,"
said Dar Al-Hijrah Administrative Director Samir Abo-Issa. Abo-Issa
also
called for increased police protection in the area of the Islamic
center.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, with
headquarters
in Washington, D.C., and 16 regional offices nationwide and in Canada.
It
recently distributed a "Community Safety Kit" to help protect Muslims
in
North America. SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/safetykit
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #377
U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE ASKED TO REJECT DANIEL PIPES’ NOMINATION
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/7/2003) – CAIR today called on the United States
Institute of Peace (USIP) to reject the nomination of a ‘Muslim-basher’
to
its board of directors. (SEE: www.usip.org) In a letter faxed to USIP
President Dr. Richard Solomon CAIR explained why pro-Israel commentator
Daniel Pipes would be an inappropriate choice for the institute’s
board.
SEE: “MUSLIMS PROTEST BUSH NOMINEE”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42881-2003Apr6.html
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote:
“Unfortunately, no credible Muslim leader in the United States or
around
the world could cooperate with an organization in which Pipes has a
decision-making role. For example, it would be extremely difficult for
Muslim representatives to take part in USIP’s Special Initiative on the
Muslim World if Pipes joined the board. Instead of ‘increasing the
prospects for long-term understanding between the Western and Islamic
worlds,’ Pipes’ bigoted views have been instrumental in widening the
divide
between faiths and cultures.”
Awad also noted that because the institute’s board already has a
representative from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC),
it does not need another member with “extremist pro-Israel views.”
Pipes
has been quoted as saying: “The Palestinians are a miserable
people...and
they deserve to be.” His personal web site was built and is maintained
by
an Israeli settler.
Last week, CAIR urged President Bush to rescind Pipes’ nomination
because
of his “long history of advocating the political disenfranchisement and
marginalization of America’s Islamic community.” (The institute's board
of
directors is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.)
CAIR
cited an October 21, 2001, speech before the convention of the American
Jewish Congress, in which Pipes stated: “I worry very much from the
Jewish
point of view that the presence, and increased stature, and affluence,
and
enfranchisement of American Muslims...will present true dangers to
American
Jews.”
Pipes has called for increased surveillance of ordinary American
Muslims
and claims 10 to 15 percent of Muslims are “potential killers.” He has
also
decried any positive portrayal of Islamic history and beliefs in public
schools and termed the PBS documentary “Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet”
an
“outrage.” Last year, Pipes faced a storm of criticism when he launched
Campus Watch, a web site that included “dossiers” on professors and
academic institutions thought to be too critical of Israel or too
sympathetic to Islam and Muslims.
SEE: “WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?”
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.
Hostile
comments will harm the image of the Muslim community.)
1. Contact the United States Institute of Peace to respectfully request
that they maintain their independence, credibility and objectivity by
urging President Bush to withdraw Pipes’ nomination. (If you already
sent a
message to President Bush on this issue, just modify it and send it to
the
USIP.)
CONTACT:
Dr. Richard Solomon
President
United States Institute of Peace
1200 17th Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
TEL: 202-457-1700
FAX: 202-833-1778
E-MAIL: rsolomon@usip.org, jbrinkley@usip.org, wopperer@usip.org,
muslimworld@usip.org, religion@usip.org
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
2. Contact President Bush to respectfully request that he rescind
Daniel
Pipes’ nomination to the board of the United States Institute of Peace.
GO
TO: http://capwiz.com/cair/home/
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/7/2003
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: HIDDEN JOY
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5235 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR-FL OFFICIAL DISCUSSES GOLDSTEIN CASE ON LOCAL TV
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'THOUSANDS OF EXECUTIONS'
* AIPAC AND THE IRAQI OPPOSITION (Ha'aretz)
- 'Neocons' Espouse Preemption Policy (SP Times)
- Opposition Groups Reject Us Military Rule Plan (FT)
- Israel Sets Sights on Iraq War Gains (Reuters)
* RED CROSS: IRAQ WOUNDED TOO HIGH TO COUNT (AP)
- Pentagon Defends Use of Civilian Clothes (AP)
- Portrayal of War as Liberation Faltering (NY Times)
* AID, COMFORT AND PROSELYTIZATION (LA Times)
* COURT APPOINTS AL-ARIAN NEW LAWYERS (AP)
* FBI FIELDS QUESTIONS ABOUT VISITS TO IRAQI HOMES (AP)
* MUSLIMS FIND BUSH ACTIONS CONTRADICTORY (Dallas Morning News)
* GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN (CBS)
- Statute Becomes DOJ's Weapon of Choice (NY Times)
- Fla. Proposal Bans Aid for Some Students (AP)
* VA AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING FIRE THAT DESTROYED MOSQUE BUS (AP)
* MICH. ISLAMIC CENTER FIRE PROBABLY AN ACCIDENT (Wood TV)
* IOWA MUSLIM GROUP'S CAMPGROUND STRIKES A NERVE (Chicago Trib)
* BLAIR'S PEACE EFFORTS TOO EXTREME, SAYS ISRAEL (Times)
- American Peace Activist Shot In West Bank (AP)
- AIPAC Couldn't Have Asked For More (Ha'aretz)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: HIDDEN JOY
"No person knows what joy is kept hidden (in reserve) for them as a
reward
for their (good) deeds."
Holy Quran, Chapter 32, Verse 17
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5235 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5235 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Our
goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's
16,000 public libraries.
GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR-FL OFFICIAL DISCUSSES GOLDSTEIN CASE ON LOCAL TV
CAIR-FL Rep Ahmed Bedier appeared on NBC Tampa affiliate WFLA and
reacts to
the plea deal of convicted Criminal Robert Goldstein. To watch the
interview directly, please use the following link.
http://www.cair-florida.org/podiatrist_guilty.htm
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'THOUSANDS OF EXECUTIONS'
THE REAL WAR
Justin Raimondo, 4/7/03
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
Ms. Naamas, an Iraqi-American who met with the President and other top
government officials, hailed the invasion as a "liberation." Matthews
asked
her how many Saddam loyalists remained in Iraq:
"One-hundred thousand?"
"Yes," she said, nodding.
"And what should be done with all these people?"
"Executions."
"Thousands of executions?"
"Yes. Thousands."
-----
AIPAC AND THE IRAQI OPPOSITION
Nathan Guttman, Ha'aretz, 4/7/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=281270
WASHINGTON - An unusual visitor was invited to address the annual
conference held last week in Washington by AIPAC, the pro-Israeli lobby
in
the United States: the head of the Washington office of the Iraqi
National
Congress, Intifad Qanbar.
The INC is one of the main opposition groups outside Iraq, and its
leaders
consider themselves natural candidates for leadership positions in the
post-Saddam Hussein era. Qanbar's invitation to the conference reflects
a
first attempt to disclose the links between the American Jewish
community
and the Iraqi opposition, after years in which the two sides have taken
pains to conceal them.
The considerations against openly disclosing the extent of cooperation
are
obvious - revelation of overly close links with Jews will not serve the
interests of the organizations aspiring to lead the Iraqi people.
Currently, at the height of rivalry over future leadership of the
country
among opposition groups abroad, the domestic opposition and Iraqi
citizens,
it is most certainly undesirable for the Jewish lobby to forge - or
flaunt
- especially close links with any one of the groups, in a way that
would
cause its alienation from the others…
SEE ALSO:
'NEOCONS' ESPOUSE PREEMPTION POLICY
David Ballingrud, St. Petersburg Times, 4/7/03
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/04/06/Worldandnation/_Neocons__espouse_pre.shtml
With the resignation of Pentagon adviser Richard Perle a few days ago,
the
Bush administration lost one of its most visible, most vocal spokesmen
not
only for the war in Iraq, but for similar preemptive actions elsewhere
in
the world...
The neocons aren't going anywhere, though. A tough, preemptive foreign
policy remains a hallmark of the George W. Bush presidency despite an
ongoing war in Iraq, and despite worries that the Middle East may be
headed
more toward chaos than stability...
Some administration critics say preemption represents a major shift in
U.S.
policy, and that it was embraced without enough public discussion.
Others
say the policy too often and too predictably mirrors the policy of
Ariel
Sharon, leader of the right-wing Likud Party and prime minister of
Israel.
Sharon is a controversial figure worldwide and in his own country,
largely
because of a preemption policy of his own -- one that includes military
occupation and targeted assassinations in the West Bank and Gaza.
Sharon says he is simply fighting the war against terrorism -- the same
war, he argues, that the United States is waging. His critics say his
policies ensure a steady supply of new terrorists, no matter how many
he
can round up or kill...
"This is the best administration for Israel since Harry Truman (who
first
recognized an independent Israel)," Thomas Neumann, executive director
of
the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, told Robert G.
Kaiser
of the Washington Post...
---
OPPOSITION GROUPS REJECT US MILITARY RULE PLAN
Gareth Smyth, Financial Times, 4/7/03
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c
=StoryFT&cid=1048313518329
As the time arrives for decisions about running Iraq, both the main
Kurdish
and Shia opposition groups yesterday rejected US plans to put Jay
Garner, a
retired general, in charge.
"We are concerned that this looks more and more like an occupation,"
said
Hamid al-Bayati, a senior official of the Supreme Council for the
Islamic
Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), the most prominent Iranian-backed Shia
group.
"With this approach the Americans will face both security and
administrative problems."
Fawzi Hariri, an official in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP),
added:
"We will always be grateful to the Americans for overthrowing Saddam
Hussein, but they need to understand that military rule just won't
work..."
---
ISRAEL SETS SIGHTS ON IRAQ WAR STRATEGIC GAINS
Jeffrey Heller, Reuters, 4/7/03
JERUSALEM, April 7 (Reuters) - Ask Prime Minister Ariel Sharon about
the
U.S.-led military campaign in Iraq and the former general will quickly
shoot back it's not Israel's war.
But watching events unfold from the low-profile position it has staked
out
at the behest of its guardian U.S. ally, Israel quietly stands to reap
strategic benefits from the crushing of a long-time enemy.
They include, Israeli strategic analysts said on Monday, an end to any
future Iraqi nuclear threat and a possible move by other Arab enemies
to
avoid confrontation with Israel now that its best friend has muscled
its
way into the neighbourhood.
"The war will influence the behaviour of other potential rivals of
Israel,
especially Iran, Syria and (the Lebanese guerrilla group) Hizbollah,"
predicted retired general Shlomo Brom of the Jaffee Center for
Strategic
Studies in Tel Aviv.
"It is clear to them that if they do not behave, they could be the next
target of the United States," he told Reuters…
-----
RED CROSS: IRAQ WOUNDED TOO HIGH TO COUNT
Associated Press, 4/7/03
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20030406_446.html
The number of casualties in Baghdad is so high that hospitals have
stopped
counting the number of people treated, the International Committee of
the
Red Cross said Sunday.
"No one is able to keep accurate statistics of the admitted and
transferred
war wounded any longer as one emergency arrival follows the other in
the
hospitals of Baghdad," the ICRC said in a statement.
"Ambulances are picking up the wounded and running them to the triage
areas
and on to hospitals," it said. "Some of the wounded try to reach the
nearest hospitals by foot."
The neutral Swiss-run organization the main aid agency left in Iraq
gave no
estimates on the number of deaths and did not confirm U.S. Central
Command
estimates that between 2,000 and 3,000 Iraqi fighters were killed in
Saturday's foray into Baghdad by American armored vehicles...
SEE ALSO:
PENTAGON DEFENDS USE OF CIVILIAN CLOTHES
Pauline Jelinek, Associated Press, 4/4/03
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&slu
g=War%20Civilian%20Clothes
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon on Friday defended the use of some civilian
clothes by U.S. special operations forces, a tactic used to help them
blend
in with the local population.
Alleging war crimes, Bush administration officials complained bitterly
last
week that Iraqi paramilitary forces dressed as civilians, faked
surrenders
and used other battlefield ruses to kill American soldiers.
Asked at a Pentagon press conference why it is OK for American commando
troops to take off their uniforms, but a crime when the Iraqis did it,
Defense Department spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said she thought
American
forces wear something that distinguishes them from civilians, but
deferred
the question for a later answer...
---
THE AMERICAN PORTRAYAL OF A WAR OF LIBERATION
IS FALTERING ACROSS THE ARAB WORLD
Elizabeth Becker, New York Times, 4/5/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/05/international/worldspecial/05PROP.html
WASHINGTON - To win over the Islamic world in the war of public
relations,
the Bush administration's message masters devised a theme, "Iraq: From
Fear
to Freedom," that casts the war as a humanitarian venture to liberate
the
Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein.
The message is told in televised scenes of military doctors caring for
Iraqi civilians and stories of marines passing out relief. The images
are
aggressively promoted to Middle Eastern television outlets, newspapers
and
opinion makers.
But the administration's public relations drive has floundered because
the
relief effort is stalled in the southern tip of Iraq. And the message
does
not address what the Arab media view as the main story: the invasion of
Iraq by America troops...
"Every time a civilian gets killed in Iraq, it's another nail in the
coffin
in the grand cause to enlist Iraq in a democracy," said John R.
MacArthur,
author of "Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the Gulf War..."
Khaled Abdelkariem, a Washington-based correspondent for the Middle
East
News Agency who regularly attends briefings by the State Department,
said
the problem is that the administration's emphasis on soldiers
delivering
food and medicine rather than discussing why a foreign army is invading
Iraq has often seemed patronizing.
"The Arabs or Muslims are not 4-year-old kids who don't know what's
happening around them," he said. "I appreciate their efforts, but I'm
afraid it's not working. This feed-and-kill policy -- throwing bombs in
Baghdad and throwing food at the people -- is not winning hearts and
minds."
-----
AID, COMFORT AND PROSELYTIZATION
Los Angeles Times, 4/7/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-le-walden7apr07,1,545130
8.story
As the president of Operation USA, an international relief
organization, I
take strong exception to Franklin Graham's cheery description of
Samaritan's Purse, his evangelical relief group set up as an adjunct to
the
Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn. ("No Strings Attached," Commentary,
April
3). Graham raised more than a few eyebrows some months ago when he
opined
that Islam was a "very evil, wicked religion." That he would think
he'll
get a friendly reception in Iraq is sheer fantasy.
More telling is Nicaragua's experience with Samaritan's Purse, which
came
in 1999 after Hurricane Mitch. It organized a religious music festival
at
which Protestant churches were pressured to spend what few resources
they
had to rent buses to take up to 50,000 children to the national
baseball
stadium in Managua. The children were to hear Graham preach, listen to
religious music and be given a shoebox with candy, personal-care items,
school supplies and a Bible. This took place in an atmosphere in which
20%
of the population had been severely affected by the hurricane; the
Catholic
Church (80% of Nicaraguans are Catholic) was furious, and little of
material good was accomplished. Graham flew down on a private jet.
There is lots of work in Iraq. Iraqis don't need a sideshow with
fresh-faced American missionaries styling themselves as "ambassadors of
Christ."
Richard Walden
Los Angeles
---
Graham lost credibility on the subject of his Samaritan's Purse
organization distributing relief resources in Iraq in an impartial
manner
after he publicly insulted Islam. Moreover, as an evangelist, he is
dedicated to proselytizing, converting Muslims to fundamentalist
Christianity.
Islam regards proselytizing as a severe offense. Exporting "faith-based
charity" to Iraq could undermine the U.S. effort to win over the hearts
and
minds of the Iraqi people.
If born-again Christians want to help Muslims, they must first respect
the
authenticity of Islam and refrain from proselytizing, but since
proselytizing is what differentiates a born-again Christian from other
Christians, Graham cannot honestly keep any such promise.
Jean E. Rosenfeld
Pacific Palisades
-----
COURT APPOINTS AL-ARIAN NEW LAWYERS, ENTERS NOT GUILTY PLEA
RACHEL LA CORTE, Associated Press, 4/7/03
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A former Palestinian professor accused of leading a
terrorist organization's U.S. operations refused to enter a plea Monday
after a federal magistrate would not give him extra time to raise money
for
a private lawyer and assigned him two court-appointed attorneys
instead.
Sami Al-Arian then had an innocent plea entered on his behalf by U.S.
Magistrate Thomas B. McCoun III.
Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida computer engineering
professor, is accused of heading the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's U.S.
operations. The government says it is a terrorist group responsible for
100
murders in Israel and its territories.
Al-Arian read from a written statement Monday, decrying his recent move
from a local jail to Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter
County
more than 60 miles away.
Al-Arian said that the move has complicated his efforts to talk with
his
previous attorney, Nicholas Matassini, and that it stymied his attempt
to
raise the money necessary to put together a legal team. He said he was
an
"individual who may not have many rights left as a human being" and
that he
was being punished by being assigned attorneys rather than getting more
time to raise money…
Al-Arian's wife, Nahla, said that her husband would not receive justice
in
the courts.
"This is not the America I've come to love and respect," she said.
"This is
like a police state."
She said that her husband spends most of his time at the prison in
solitary
confinement and has had minimal access to lawyers…
Nahla Al-Arian said the family has had difficulty raising money for her
husband's defense because people are afraid to donate money for fear of
being targeted by the government as supporting terrorists…
-----
FBI FIELDS QUESTIONS ABOUT VISITS TO IRAQI HOMES IN US
Associated Press, 4/7/03
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. (AP) - FBI Special Agent Charlie Mandigo's
voice
was hoarse at his most recent meeting with area Muslims.
His mission: to ease anxieties and answer questions about agent visits
to
the homes of about 100 Iraqis across the state.
"We know it is very stressful when an FBI agent comes out and knocks on
people's doors," Mandigo told a gathering of about three dozen men
Friday
at Masjid Omar Al-Farooq, a mosque in this north Seattle suburb.
The purpose of the visits, he said, is to "identify people who might
have
information valuable to the United States for the war on Iraq."
Mandigo, special agent in charge of the FBI's Seattle field office,
made it
clear that he and the two agents with him weren't there to interrogate
anyone, and said no Iraqis in the state have been arrested after being
interviewed by agents…
"In today's society, Muslims keep their point of view to themselves
because
they are paranoid," one man told Mandigo. "If you are against the war,
you
draw all kinds of suspicions against you. Is that freedom and justice
for
all?"
"That's one reason I'm here tonight," Mandigo replied. "We've gone
through
it with the Japanese. But we've gotten better. We're not locking up
people
in internment camps.
"It's not perfect. Is it better than it is in other places? Yes. Could
it
be better yet? Yes."
Providing charity for the needy is one of the fundamental tenets of
Islam,
but some such contributions have come under scrutiny in the past year
and a
half as authorities try to ensure the money doesn't finance terrorism.
"Clearly we have concerns about money that ends up in the hands of
international terrorists. ... But you can't be held responsible for
what
you don't know," Mandigo said. Only people who know their contributions
are
going to terrorists can be prosecuted, he said…
-----
MUSLIMS FIND BUSH ACTIONS CONTRADICTORY
Michelle Mittelstadt, Dallas Morning News, 4/4/03
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/nation/stories/040403dnnatara
bopinion.91928.html
WASHINGTON - The U.S. government's post-9-11 campaign to "win the
hearts
and minds" of Muslims worldwide has been anything but successful,
particularly since the start of the war with Iraq.
Anti-American sentiment has surged throughout much of the Arab and
Muslim
world, even among moderate allies of the United States. The Arab
airwaves
crackle with statements of hatred and condemnation of America. And
protesters have flocked to the streets, by the hundreds of thousands,
to
denounce the war.
Yet the Bush administration has taken a series of recent actions that
will
only aggravate the situation, Arab-Americans and Middle East experts
say.
They point in particular to the Pentagon's decision to appoint a
retired
general with close ties to Israel to head reconstruction efforts in
Iraq.
Then there was Secretary of State Colin Powell's use of a weekend
speech to
a leading pro-Israel group to issue a tough caution warning Syria and
Iran
to stop trafficking with terrorists.
Attorney General John Ashcroft - criticized in some quarters for
detaining
or questioning thousands of Middle Eastern men since the 9-11 attacks -
appeared this week before an alliance of evangelical Christians and
Jewish
leaders to tout America's bond with Israel.
And this week the White House nominated Daniel Pipes, a commentator who
has
said that 15 percent of Muslims are "killers" and "barbarians," to the
U.S.
Institute of Peace.
"Each time that something like this occurs, it harms America's
interests
and image around the Muslim world," said Ibrahim Hooper of the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations. "It just confirms every suspicion in the
Muslim
and Arab world that the war on Iraq was not to liberate the people of
Iraq
but to reorder the Middle East to the benefit of the state of
Israel..."
-----
GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN
60 Minutes, CBS, 4/6/03
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/06/60minutes/main548023.shtml
More than a thousand people were detained as suspected terrorists after
9/11, and none has been charged with being a terrorist so far. Three
such
detainees tell correspondent Bob Simon their stories.
Hady Omar came to the United States from Egypt three and a half years
ago.
He lives in Arkansas with his wife Candy, an Arkansas native, and their
daughter Jasmine.
He's never been charged with any criminal offense, but he says he was
held
in custody in a maximum-security prison for 73 days because he is a
Muslim.
On September 12th, Omar just returned from a trip to Florida, where he
was
trying to start an antiques business. Minutes later, police and FBI
agents
pulled up in front of his house.
"They were running actually, toward me," remembers Omar. "They had
their
hands on their guns."
The agents told Omar that they just wanted to talk. He was taken into
custody and grilled for more than seven hours. Then he was taken in
handcuffs to the local jail and placed under arrest. He asked to see a
lawyer, but he was told that he couldn't use the phone. He says he even
passed a lie detector test, but still wasn't allowed to leave...
The government was able to hold Omar and hundreds of other Muslim
detainees
by charging them not as criminals but as visa violators. The law says
criminals, even murderers, must be charged with a crime quickly -
usually
within 48 hours - or released.
Immigration laws used to work the same way, but after 9/11, the justice
department rewrote the rules so that suspected visa violators could be
held
in jail as long as the government wants - without any charges filed
against
them...
SEE ALSO:
STATUTE BECOMES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S WEAPON OF CHOICE
Eric Lichtblau, New York Times, 4/6/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/06/international/worldspecial/06TERR.html
WASHINGTON, April 5 - The Justice Department, buoyed by a series of
court
victories, appears to be gaining traction in prosecuting Americans
linked
to terrorism by using a once-obscure law that predates the Sept. 11
attacks.
Federal prosecutors in recent weeks have secured their first
convictions
under the 1996 law, which makes it a crime to offer "material support"
to
any group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.
The
statute has become so useful that the Justice Department is exploring
ways
to cast an even wider legal net, despite objections from civil rights
groups.
In several dozen cases both high profile and little noticed, the law
has
become the Justice Department's main weapon in pursuing people it
contends
are linked to terrorists. Part of the appeal for prosecutors is that
they
do not have to prove that the defendants actually supported terrorist
attacks, only that they helped a group tied to terrorism.
Civil libertarians and defense lawyers, however, are increasing their
criticism of the law and the department's aggressive use of it, saying
the
prosecutions smack of a McCarthylike notion of guilt by association.
Critics say the law is so overly broad that people with no intention of
helping terrorists are being prosecuted. Moreover, they accuse
authorities
of using strong-arm tactics to force pleas...
---
FLA. PROPOSAL BANS AID FOR SOME STUDENTS
David Royse, Associated Press, 4/5/03
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A bill before the Florida Legislature would ban
state
aid to university and college students who are citizens of countries on
the
State Department's list of nations that sponsor terrorism.
The proposal was drafted by state Rep. Dick Kravitz, who said he
doesn't
like the idea that the United States is educating people who will
return to
regimes that oppose America.
"In these hard times we need to put as much taxpayer money as possible
into
programs for residents of the state of Florida who are citizens."
The bill would bar state aid from going to university students from six
of
the seven countries on the State Department list: Iran, Iraq, Syria,
Sudan,
Libya and North Korea.
Cuba is also on the list but was amended out of the bill. Florida, of
course, has a large Cuban population.
Muslim students say it unfairly targets them. Hadia Mubarak, the
president
of the Muslim Students Association at Florida State University, says it
is
discriminatory because most countries on the list are Islamic...
The Council on American-Islamic Relations calls students from the
affected
nations "innocent bystanders," said Ahmed Bedier, the group's spokesman
in
Tampa. "They have nothing to do with terrorism," he said...
-----
AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING FIRE THAT DESTROYED MOSQUE SCHOOL BUS
Associated Press, 4/5/03
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Federal and local authorities are investigating an
arson fire that destroyed a school bus belonging to an Islamic center
on
Saturday.
The fire started after 10 a.m. in the seating area of the 12-seater
bus,
which was parked in the rear of the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center,
Fairfax
County Fire and Rescue spokesman Lt. Raul Castillo said. He said
investigators determined the fire had been set.
Smoke was fire noticed by a child who was running to play on a
playground
in the center of the parking lot, said Imam Johari Abdul-Malik,
spokesman
for the center, but neither the boy nor other children on the
playground
saw anything suspicious.
When firefighters arrived, the bus was fully engulfed, Castillo said.
No one was injured.
The county fire marshal and police are investigating, along with the
Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Castillo said.
"I think they key thing that we're looking at now is who did it and
what
was the motivation," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based civil rights and
advocacy group.
"Hopefully we can rule out bias as the motivation," he said.
-----
ISLAMIC CENTER FIRE PROBABLY AN ACCIDENT, INVESTIGATORS SAY
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1219419&nav=0RcdF54J
(Grand Rapids, April 7, 2003, 11:15 a.m.) Fire investigators are almost
finished at the scene of Saturday's fire at the Islamic Community
Center in
Grand Rapids. The building's on South Division Avenue in Grand Rapids.
Fire
crews and federal investigators are investigating the fire.
Investigators tell 24 Hour News 8 they have not ruled out arson, but
they
think it was probably an accident since they are almost done with their
investigation and dogs found no evidence of an accelerant.
Doctor Ali Metwalli says the center, one of three mosques in Grand
Rapids,
was in good shape, but revenge and retaliation is always a concern,
especially with current world events. He questions the timing of it
all.
"These things come into mind, but we're hoping all of us that it's just
an
accident," said Dr. Metwalli.
Bill Cook, fire investigator, said, "We're going to look through the
whole
building, but we're concentrating on the back of the building where
firefighters first reported the fire."
As a precaution the remaining mosques in Grand Rapids are under tight
security. Doctor Ali Metwalli tells 24 Hour News 8 he wants the Grand
Rapids Police Department to get more involved in the Muslim community
to
help calm fears of violence and revenge.
-----
MUSLIM GROUP'S BID FOR CAMPGROUND STRIKES A NERVE IN IOWA
John McCormick, Chicago Tribune, 4/7/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0304070175apr07,1,2023082.story
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa - In a simpler time, no one was alarmed about the
youngsters and their adult leaders who hiked, paddled and camped along
the
shores of Coralville Lake at Camp Daybreak.
Now, though, the former Girl Scout summer camp--vacant for more than a
decade--is at the center of an emotional debate laced with stereotypes
and
fear, uncertainty and distrust.
Muslim Youth Camps of America, a nonprofit group in nearby Cedar
Rapids,
Iowa, wants to use the site to build a 17,500-square-foot conference
center, 10 cabins, a caretaker's residence and a 36-foot prayer tower.
But where the camp's promoters see a place for youth to play and learn
about Islam in a natural setting, some northeastern Iowa residents see
a
potential breeding ground for terrorism...
Distrust and fear of Muslims is palpable when paging through the more
than
100 letters and e-mail messages that have been sent to the corps as
part of
a recent public comment period on the potential environmental impact of
the
proposed camp.
"Granted, there are some good Muslims, but their track record of late
is
not all that good," a Cedar Rapids woman wrote in her letter opposing
the
camp. "They have taught their children to hate us..."
Organizers of the Muslim Youth Camps of America say they picked their
name
so that they could use the acronym MYCA, calling to mind the
well-established YMCA.
"It is not exclusively for Muslims, just like YMCA is not exclusive to
Christians," said Manzoor Ali, an engineer from nearby Cedar Rapids and
chairman of the group's board of directors. "Whoever wants to join,
irrespective of religion and faith, is most welcome."
Jalel Aossey, another board member from Cedar Rapids, said he envisions
the
camp as the first in a nationwide network. The proposed Camp Heritage,
he
said, would be the first Muslim camp in the United States to lease
federal
land. Muslim groups around the nation, including the Washington,
D.C.-based
Council on American-Islamic relations, are closely following the
group's
efforts...
-----
BLAIR'S PEACE EFFORTS TOO EXTREME, SAYS ISRAEL
Robert Tait, Times (UK), 4/7/03
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-637522,00.html
Israel has dismissed Tony Blair as "irrelevant" to the Middle East
peace
process after he said that progress towards a Palestinian state was as
important as toppling President Saddam Hussein.
In a sign of increasing tensions between the two sides, Ariel Sharon's
Government described Mr Blair's comments, made in a BBC interview, as
"inappropriate and unbalanced".
Interviewed by the BBC's Arabic service last Friday, Mr Blair said: "We
have got a situation now where the President of the United States of
America…has laid out a two-state vision - Israel, recognised by
everyone,
confident about its security; and a viable Palestinian state.
"I believe it is every bit as important that we make progress on that
as we
get rid of Saddam."
Dov Weissglass, Mr Sharon's chief adviser, responded angrily, telling
Israel radio: "We regret that Great Britain is pushing itself out of
involvement in the peace process as a result of extreme positions it
has
adopted. A country that adopts such unbalanced positions cannot expect
to
have its voice attended to seriously. We will not be able to bear
Blair's
statements and we will draw our conclusions..."
SEE ALSO:
AMERICAN PEACE ACTIVIST SHOT IN WEST BANK
Associated Press, 4/5/03
JERUSALEM - An American peace activist working as a human shield in the
West Bank was seriously wounded on Saturday when Israeli troops
allegedly
opened fire on him.
Brian Avery, 24, from Albuquerque, N.M., heard shots fired and came out
of
his apartment building to investigate just as an armored personnel
carrier
rounded a corner, said Tobias Karlsson, a fellow activist.
Both Avery and Karlsson are members of the International Solidarity
Movement, the Palestinian-backed group from Stockholm, Sweden.
"We had our hands up and we were wearing vests that clearly identified
us
as international workers when they began firing," Tobias said. "Brian
was
shot in the face, and it looks like he was hit by a heavy caliber
bullet
because of the extent of the wound."
Avery was taken to a Jenin hospital but will be transferred to an
Israeli
hospital. There was no immediate comment from the army...
---
AIPAC COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR MORE
Akiva Eldar, Ha'aretz, 4/6/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=280505
During his visit to Washington, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom could
have
taken a lesson about the war on the road map from Congressman Roy Blunt
- a
leader of the Republican faction who is close to President Bush. Blunt
has
joined forces with Tom Lantos, the Democratic minority leader on the
House
Foreign Affairs Committee, to stall the road map. Even AIPAC people,
who
have been pointing out the plan's flaws to members of Congress, could
not
have anticipated such solid support.
The two Congressmen have begun collecting their colleagues' signatures
on a
letter saying that, until further notice, Israel is exempt from any
responsibility for altering the situation in the territories. There is
no
mention of easing living conditions for the civilian population or of a
settlement freeze. They cite several principles that must be met before
"the Palestinian people begin to see some of their political
aspirations
realized" and before "we can expect Israel to respond with concrete
actions..."
The letter ignores the declarations of the American Secretary of State
and
National Security Adviser that the road map is not open to revision. It
asks the president to reject the basic principle of the road map - a
timeline for an IDF withdrawal from the territories, for the
establishment
of a provisional Palestinian state and for negotiations on a final
status
accord. The authors are adopting Ariel Sharon's position, which says
that
the transition from one stage of the road map to another will be made
solely on the basis of "performance reviews..."
-----
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 4/8/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE ROADS OF PARADISE
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5241 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* MONTREAL ISLAMIC SCHOOL VANDALIZED WITH RACIST GRAFFITI
* BUSH ANNOYS US MUSLIM GROUP WITH PIPES NOMINATION (Reuters)
- Who is Daniel Pipes?
* FEDS GIVEN DEADLINE IN ARAB-AMERICAN CASE (AP)
- Federal Agents Escalate Deportation Attempts (Free Press)
- Shuffled Off In Buffalo (Christian Science Monitor)
- Lost Liberties Difficult to Regain (Mercury News)
- FBI Designing Vast Terrorism Database (GovtExec.com)
- Librarians Use Shedder to Oppose Patriot Act (NY Times)
* US TROOPS FACE CHILDREN IN BATTLE (Reuters)
- Three Foreign Journalists Killed In Baghdad (AFP)
- Amid Coalition Force Jubilation, Carnage (Independent)
- For Some, Syria Looms As Next Goal (Washington Post)
- Preemptive Peace (Washington Post)
- Resources: http://www.stopjaygarner.com
- Basra Residents Say Looting Rampant (Reuters)
- Mustard Gas "False Alarm" In Iraq (AFP)
* ABDUL-WAHAD SPEAKING UP (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
* MR. MURDOCH'S WAR (NY Times)
- Fox in Step with Military Brass (Sydney Morning Herald)
* ON WEST BANK, FEAR OF 'DANGEROUS PRECEDENT' (CS Monitor)
- Israel Airstrike Kills At Least 5 in Gaza (AP)
- Jews Move into Palestinian Neighborhood (JTA)
- The Settlement Detour on the Road Map to Peace (Ha'aretz)
* FAMILY FINDS SAFETY IN THEIR MUSLIM FAITH (Dallas Morning News)
* GUERRILLAS FOR GOD (Colorado Springs Independent)
* MUSLIM DEMOCRATS? WHY NOT! (Wall Street Journal)
* DALLAS FUNDRAISER FOR MUSLIM CONJOINED TWINS
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE ROADS OF PARADISE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone travels on a
road
in search of knowledge, God will cause him to travel on one of the
roads of
Paradise."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 1631
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5241 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5241 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
MONTREAL ISLAMIC SCHOOL VANDALIZED WITH RACIST GRAFFITI
RCMP asked to investigate racist graffiti on school wall
(OTTAWA, CANADA, 4/8/2003) - The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today called on the RCMP to aid
in
the investigation of bias-related vandalism at a Montreal Islamic
school.
The Islamic civil rights and advocacy group says "Mort aux Arabes"
("Death
to Arabs") and a Nazi swastika were scrawled on the outside walls of
the
Muslim Schools of Montreal - Secondary Campus sometime this past
weekend,
and was discovered by school administrators Monday morning.
"We need to hear a clear message from local and national law
enforcement
authorities and elected officials that this type of intimidation will
not
be tolerated and that Canadian Muslims and their institutions will be
protected," said CAIR-CAN Executive Director Riad Saloojee. Saloojee
added
that CAIR-CAN recently distributed a "Community Safety Kit" to help
protect
Canadian Muslims during the war with Iraq. SEE: http://www.caircan.ca/
According to a recent survey released by CAIR-CAN, a majority (60
percent)
of Canadian Muslims say they experienced bias or discrimination since
the
9/11 terrorist attacks. The survey also noted that "a similar number
(61
percent) also experienced kindness or support from friends or
colleagues of
other faiths."
While there have been relatively few anti-Muslim incidents in Canada
recently, CAIR's Washington, D.C., office has received a number of
reports.
Just last month, explosive devices were thrown into an Illinois Muslim
family's van and into the yard of an Iraqi-American family in Arizona.
In
California, death threats were made against Muslim students at a
Northern
California university and physical assaults against Muslims have been
also
reported in California, Georgia, New Jersey, South Carolina, and other
states. Last week, a Florida man pleaded guilty to planning to bomb
some 50
Islamic institutions in that state and a New York man confessed to
shooting
and killing four people he believed were Arabs.
- END -
CONTACT: Riad Saloojee at 613-254-9704, 613-277-5307; E-mail:
canada@cair-net.org
-----
BUSH ANNOYS US MUSLIM GROUP WITH PIPES NOMINATION
Jonathan Wright, Reuters, 4/8/03
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=2524249
WASHINGTON - U.S. President George W. Bush has named controversial
Middle
East commentator Daniel Pipes to the board of the U.S. Institute of
Peace
to the dismay of a major American Muslim organization, which described
Pipes on Monday as a "Muslim-basher" with bigoted views.
Institute spokesman John Brinkley said on Monday that Bush had
nominated
Pipes to replace Zalmay Khalilzad, who left the institute in 2001 to
work
in the White House.
The nomination needs confirmation by the U.S. Senate because the
institute,
a Washington think tank set up to promote peace, relies on federal
government funds.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said it asked Bush
to
withdraw the nomination and the institute to reject it because Pipes
was an
"inappropriate choice."
"The Council ... called on the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
to
reject the nomination of a 'Muslim-basher' to its board of
directors…Pipes'
bigoted views have been instrumental in widening the divide between
faiths
and cultures," said Nihad Awad, the council's executive director.
Last year, Pipes aroused criticism when he launched Campus Watch, an
organization that collects complaints against professors and academic
institutions deemed to be biased in favor of Islam, Muslims and
Palestinians.
In a commentary in the New York Post on March 25, Pipes wrote that a
grenade attack on U.S. troops at a camp in Kuwait that killed two
soldiers
and for which an American Muslim has been charged, "fits into a
sustained
pattern of political violence by American Muslims."
"There is no escaping the unfortunate fact that Muslim government
employees
in law enforcement, the military and the diplomatic corps need to be
watched for connections to terrorism, as do Muslim chaplains in prisons
and
the armed forces. Muslim visitors and immigrants must undergo
additional
background checks," he added...
SEE ALSO: WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
-----
FEDS GIVEN DEADLINE IN ARAB-AMERICAN CASE
William McCall, Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A federal judge on Monday set a deadline later
this
month for prosecutors to take testimony from an Arab-American software
engineer detained as a material witness.
The order was the first public acknowledgment the government was
holding
Maher "Mike" Hawash since he was seized by armed FBI agents on March
20.
Friends and family say Hawash, 38, is being held in solitary
confinement at
a federal prison just south of Portland. But the FBI and the U.S.
attorney's office have repeatedly declined to comment.
In his order, U.S. District Judge Robert Jones confirmed Hawash is
being
detained. He said he could not reveal the reasons because they
`"concern
matters pending before the grand jury."
The judge's order requires prosecutors to take a deposition from Hawash
or
present him to the grand jury to testify no later than April 25...
Steve McGeady, Hawash's former boss at Intel Corp., has been acting as
a
family spokesman and helped organize the rally, which drew nearly 200
people.
"We all know Mike," McGeady said. "We know he's a great guy, he has a
job,
he has a family, and we want to be sure that's communicated and the
U.S.
attorney doesn't continue holding him for no good reason..."
SEE ALSO:
FEDERAL AGENTS ESCALATE DEPORTATION ATTEMPTS
Tamara Audi, Detroit Free Press, 4/8/03
http://www.freep.com/news/metro/nimmig8_20030408.htm
New teams of federal agents with orders to hunt and expel some illegal
immigrants are producing large numbers of deportations, according to
federal officials, government documents and immigrant advocates. The
teams
target illegal immigrants who have been ordered to leave the country
and
who have committed serious crimes or are from nations, mostly Muslim,
that
sponsor terrorism. The effort is underway in the Detroit area and other
large cities with significant immigrant populations and a backlog of
cases,
including Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles...
Locally, immigrant communities are just beginning to feel the
widespread
effects of the initiatives. Lawyers and government officials say they
believe hundreds of illegal immigrants, mostly Muslim, have been
deported
from the Detroit area under the new initiative.
The operation is broken into two parts: the Absconder Apprehension
Initiative Teams, which hunt illegal immigrants from nations that
sponsor
terrorism, and Fugitive Operation Teams, which target criminals.
In the Detroit area, federal agents have plucked immigrants from their
daily lives, usually taking them by surprise, those familiar with some
of
the raids said...
Dearborn immigration lawyer Nabih Ayad agrees that the government is
"extremely aggressive now" but said the tactics unfairly single out
Muslims.
Some immigrants with little understanding of the law plead guilty to a
crime without understanding that it can lead to deportation, Ayad said.
Once an immigrant is convicted of a serious crime, he or she is no
longer
eligible for citizenship...
---
SHUFFLED OFF IN BUFFALO
Christian Science Monitor, 4/7/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0407/p10s02-comv.html
Many critics believe the Bush administration has stepped out of bounds
in
its pursuit of terrorist suspects. Federal prosecutors' actions in
upstate
New York will strengthen the cries of "foul."
The FBI last fall arrested six Lackawanna, N.Y., men of Yemeni origin
and
charged them with conspiracy and aiding a terrorist organization. All
six
had been to Afghanistan in early 2001 for training by Al Qaeda.
But prosecutors used dubious tactics to force the men into a
plea-bargain
admitting guilt to lesser charges. According to The Wall Street
Journal,
they threatened the defendants with "enemy combatant" status - meaning
they
could have been turned over to the military, deprived of counsel, and
held
incommunicado indefinitely.
In other words, the government said, convict yourself or we will strip
you
of your rights and you can rot in jail. That doesn't sound like respect
for
due process and trial by jury...
The case is disturbing because it appears the evidence is weak. A
former
FBI official said surveillance showed no sign the men had hostile
intent.
The US attorney in Buffalo confirmed he has no evidence they were
involved
in a violent plot. Several of the men had quit the training, reportedly
disillusioned with Al Qaeda.
In passing sentence, the judge should consider the coercive pressure
brought on the men to plead guilty and mitigate their sentences.
---
WHY WE MAY NEVER REGAIN THE LIBERTIES THAT WE'VE LOST
Dan Gillmor, San Jose Mercury News, 4/6/03
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/5571471.htm
Liberties ebbed and flowed in America's past. Leaders curbed liberties,
with the public's often ignorant endorsement, in times of crisis. But
the
rights tended to come back when the crises ended.
The fabled pendulum of liberty may not swing back this time. Why?
For one thing, the damage that one evil or deranged person or group can
cause has grown. Even if America somehow persuades all Islamic radicals
that we are a good and just society, there will still be some evil and
deranged people who will try to wreck things and lives in spectacular
ways.
In other words, the "war on terrorism" can't possibly end...
Sure, Congress put a temporary halt to the notorious Total Information
Awareness project. That Pentagon-inspired operation would have let
government snoops scoop up all kinds of public and private data about
all
of us, then rummage through it with supercomputers to look for bad
tendencies.
No sooner had Total Information Awareness been slowed than ``CAPPS
II,'' a
plan by the Transportation Department to scoop up and analyze data on
everyone getting an airplane ticket (sound familiar?), hit the radar of
activists. The particulars of CAPPS II are still under review, but it's
blatantly obvious that the major purpose of this scheme is
surveillance,
not safety.
Meanwhile, under cover of a war that has caused the news media to
ignore
other important news, the Bush administration issued an order that will
guarantee the wrongful arrests or harassment of innocent people. The
Justice Department told the FBI it no longer needed to worry about the
accuracy of its National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database
containing 39 million criminal records, including some documents that
would
barely pass the gossip hurdle...
But the damage we will do to ourselves if we allow our liberty to
disappear
is incalculable. An entrepreneurial society can't exist if political
freedom disappears, and if Big Brothers, public and private, are
invading
our daily existence with impunity...
---
FBI DESIGNING VAST TERRORISM DATABASE
Shane Harris, GovExec.com, 4/3/03
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0403/040303h1.htm
As part of an ongoing technology upgrade, the FBI is building a massive
database to store case information, leads, intelligence and even
newspaper
and magazine articles related to terrorism. Articles, the names of
suspected terrorists on watch lists and terrorism-related message
traffic
from the Defense Department and the CIA have been placed into the
database,
which is being tested by some agents, according to Wilson Lowery, the
FBI
executive assistant director leading the project. Visa information from
the
State Department will be added to the database within 60 days, he said.
Lowery and a number of bureau officials briefed reporters on the new
database, known as TID, or Terrorism Intelligence and Data. If designed
as
envisioned, it would house information from a vast array of sources and
would be used in some capacity by the Terrorist Threat Integration
Center,
the government's new terrorism intelligence hub overseen by the CIA...
Those assurances may not appease civil liberties groups and privacy
advocates, which have assailed Ashcroft for loosening long-standing
restrictions on FBI agents' ability to collect information on people
suspected of involvement in terrorism.
Ashcroft told a Senate subcommittee Tuesday that in 2002, the Justice
Department made more than 1,000 applications to the Foreign
Intelligence
Surveillance Court, which authorizes law enforcement surveillance,
including wire taps, of suspected terrorists in the United States.
Also,
Ashcroft requested 170 "emergency" surveillance requests, three times
the
total number obtained in the 23 years prior to the Sept. 11 attacks.
The
emergency requests allow collection of information for 72 hours prior
to
court review, and are personally authorized by the attorney general...
---
LIBRARIANS USE SHREDDER TO SHOW OPPOSITION TO NEW F.B.I. POWERS
Dean E. Murphy, New York Times, 4/7/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/07/national/07LIBR.html
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - The humming noise from a back room of the central
library here today was the sound of Barbara Gail Snider, a librarian,
at
work. Her hands stuffed with wads of paper, Ms. Snider was feeding a
small
shredding machine mounted on a plastic wastebasket.
First to be sliced by the electronic teeth were several pink sheets
with
handwritten requests to the reference desk. One asked for the origin of
the
expression "to cost an arm and a leg." Another sought the address of a
collection agency.
Next to go were the logs of people who had signed up to use the
library's
Internet computer stations. Bill L., Mike B., Rolando, Steve and
Patrick
were all shredded into white paper spaghetti.
"The basic strategy now is to keep as little historical information as
possible," said Anne M. Turner, director of the library system.
The move was part of a campaign by the Santa Cruz libraries to
demonstrate
their opposition to the Patriot Act, the law passed in the wake of the
Sept. 11 attacks that broadened the federal authorities' powers in
fighting
terrorism.
Among provisions that have angered librarians nationwide is one that
allows
the Federal Bureau of Investigation to review certain business records
of
people under suspicion, which has been interpreted to include the
borrowing
or purchase of books and the use of the Internet at libraries,
bookstores
and cafes...
-----
US TROOPS FACE CHILDREN, AND HARD CALLS, IN BATTLE
Kieran Murray, Reuters, 4/8/03
KERBALA, Iraq - When a young Iraqi boy stooped to pick up a
rocket-propelled grenade off the body of a dead paramilitary, U.S. Army
Pvt. Nick Boggs made a tough call.
He unloaded machine-gun fire and the boy, whom he puts at about 10
years
old, fell dead on a garbage-strewn stretch of wasteland.
Boggs, a soft-spoken, 21-year-old former hunting guide from Alaska,
says he
knew when he joined the army 18 months ago he might have to make a
decision
like that someday...
"I did what I had to do. I don't have a big problem with it, but anyone
who
shoots a little kid has to feel something," he said after fierce
weekend
fighting in this Shi'ite Muslim holy city that left dozens of Iraqis
and
one American soldier dead.
As U.S. troops take the Iraq war out of the desert and into the main
cities, they are increasingly seeing children in their line of fire.
Many are innocent civilians in the wrong place at the wrong time and
military officers concede that some have may have been killed in
artillery
or mortar fire, or shot down by soldiers whose judgment is impaired in
the
"fog of war..."
"I think they thought we wouldn't shoot kids. But we showed them we
don't
care. We are going to do what we have to do to stay alive and keep
ourselves safe."
The boy he killed was with another child of around the same age when
they
reached for the rocket-propelled grenade and came under fire. Boggs
thinks
the second boy was also hit but other soldiers think he escaped and
that he
dragged his friend's dead body away...
SEE ALSO:
THREE FOREIGN JOURNALISTS KILLED IN BAGHDAD
Agence France Presse, 4/8/03
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=1503&ncid=1503&e=1&u=/afp/20030408/ts_afp/iraq_war_baghdad_media_030408165654
DUBAI - The foreign press in Baghdad, eyewitnesses to the battle to
oust
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, mourned their first dead and wounded of
the
war in a conflict which has already accounted for nine other media
casualties elsewhere in Iraq.
In two separate incidents, US attacks on the Iraqi capital killed three
television journalists from Al-Jazeera, Reuters and Telecinco. A US
missile
crashed into the offices of Al-Jazeera in downtown Baghdad, killing
Tareq
Ayub, a correspondent with the Arabic news channel, and wounding one of
its
cameramen.
Taras Protsyuk, a Ukranian cameraman with the Reuters news agency, and
Jose
Couso, who worked for Telecinco Spanish televison, died after a US tank
fired on the Palestine Hotel, where the foreign media are based. Three
other Reuter staffers were injured.
After the first incident, an Al-Jazeera presenter quickly accused US
forces
on live television of "intentionally targeting" the channel's offices,
recalling the US bombing of its Kabul bureau during the 2001 war in
Afghanistan.
On Monday, Al-Jazeera had already charged US forces with firing on one
of
its vehicles outside Baghdad, despite the fact that it was clearly
marked
with the channel's insignia...
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned the hotel
attack as a possible war crime.
"There is no doubt at all that these attacks could be targeting
journalists. If so, they are grave and serious violations of
international
law," said IFJ general secretary Aidan White.
"The bombing of hotels where journalists are staying and targeting of
Arab
media are particularly shocking events in a war which is being fought
in
the name of democracy," he said...
---
AMID ALLIED JUBILATION, A CHILD LIES IN AGONY, CLOTHES SOAKED IN BLOOD
Robert Fisk, Independent, 4/8/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=395117
They lay in lines, the car salesman who'd just lost his eye but whose
feet
were still dribbling blood, the motorcyclist who was shot by American
troops near the Rashid Hotel, the 50-year-old female civil servant, her
long dark hair spread over the towel she was lying on, her face,
breasts,
thighs, arms and feet pock-marked with shrapnel from an American
cluster
bomb. For the civilians of Baghdad, this is the real, immoral face of
war,
the direct result of America's clever little "probing missions" into
Baghdad.
It looks very neat on television, the American marines on the banks of
the
Tigris, the oh-so-funny visit to the presidential palace, the videotape
of
Saddam Hussein's golden loo. But the innocent are bleeding and
screaming
with pain to bring us our exciting television pictures and to provide
Messrs Bush and Blair with their boastful talk of victory. I watched
two-and-a-half-year-old Ali Najour lying in agony on the bed, his
clothes
soaked with blood, a tube through his nose, until a relative walked up
to me.
"I want to talk to you," he shouted, his voice rising in fury. "Why do
you
British want to kill this little boy? Why do you even want to look at
him?
You did this - you did it...!"
---
FOR SOME, SYRIA LOOMS AS NEXT GOAL
Walter Pincus, Washington Post, 4/8/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52483-2003Apr7.html
Conservatives within the Bush administration would like to see a change
of
government in Syria but want it to happen through peaceful means rather
that U.S. military action, according to current and former senior U.S.
officials.
On Sunday, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said, "There's
got to
be a change in Syria," which has been accused by Defense Secretary
Donald
H. Rumsfeld of allowing war materials and Islamic fighters to cross its
border to help the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "The
Syrians need to know . . . they'll be held accountable," he said on
NBC's
"Meet the Press..."
Rumsfeld's remarks, which included a warning to Iran to not permit
armed
Iraqi exiles in Iran to return to Iraq outside U.S. control, encouraged
other Bush administration supporters to speak out on the issue. R.
James
Woolsey, a former CIA director who has been considered for a post in
the
U.S. group that would help reestablish a new Iraqi government, told an
audience at UCLA last Wednesday that the "fascist" government in Syria
had
to be replaced...
---
PREEMPTIVE PEACE
Harold Meyerson, Washington Post, 4/8/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52729-2003Apr7.html
From the folks who brought us preemptive war, here comes preemptive
peace.
The Defense Department intellectuals who have emerged as the dominant
force
in U.S. foreign policy had it all mapped out. While the debate raged
over
whether to go to war in Iraq, they dispatched a couple of hundred
thousand
troops to the region, establishing a fact on the ground that ultimately
made the war unstoppable. Now, while the debate is just beginning over
the
nature of the interim government in postwar Iraq, they have dispatched
a
postwar government of their choosing to the Kuwait Hilton...
The most narrowly factional administration in modern American history
now
seeks to impose a narrowly factional authority on postwar Iraq. The
United
Nations is to be reduced to a bit player. State Department personnel
with
expertise in the region -- former ambassadors to other Arab nations,
for
instance, who can actually speak Arabic -- have been vetoed by Donald
Rumsfeld. The neoconservatives have their team in place, complete with
their opposition group of choice: the Iraqi National Congress.
Never mind that the Iraqi National Congress is one of six opposition
coalitions in exile. Never mind that its leader, Ahmed Chalabi, left
Iraq
the same year the Dodgers left Brooklyn. Never mind that Chalabi is
bitterly opposed by the other exile groups, and that his standing
in-country is all but undetectable. What matters is that he's a
longtime
friend and associate of such leading defense neocons as Richard Perle
and
James Woolsey, who apparently loom large in the Iraqi electoral college
being drawn up in the Pentagon...
---
RESOURCES: http://www.stopjaygarner.com
---
BASRA RESIDENTS SAY LOOTING RAMPANT, DEMAND ACTION
Michael Georgy, Reuters, 4/8/03
BASRA, Iraq - After enduring more than two weeks of fighting and air
strikes, the people of Basra are facing a new threat to their
neighbourhoods -- rampant looting.
Thieves armed with AK-47 assault rifles are breaking into homes, shops
and
ministries, walking away with everything from furniture to kerosene,
residents say.
"They are terrorising our neighbourhoods. At night, during the day,
they
steal everything," said Hussein Akil, standing with an angry crowd on
one
of Basra's main streets.
"What kind of liberation is this?"...
They have received a mixed reception from Iraqis, who say anarchy will
erupt unless British forces move to fully restore stability and basic
services such as water and electricity.
---
MUSTARD GAS "FALSE ALARM" AFTER FIVE SOLDIERS SUFFER BLISTERS
Agence France-Presse, 4/8/03
NEAR NAJAF, Iraq - The US military said Tuesday fears that five
soldiers,
who suffered blisters while on duty near the central Iraqi town of
Najaf,
had been exposed to mustard gas were believed to be a "false alarm".
Military officers had said the soldiers, from the 101st Airborne
Division's
1st Brigade, suffered nausea as well as the blisters after walking into
a
building that stored Iraqi ammunition on Monday afternoon.
"The division surgeon doesn't think it is mustard gas," 101st spokesman
Major Hugh Cate told AFP. "He thought it was a false alarm..."
---
ABDUL-WAHAD SPEAKING UP
Dwain Price, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4/08/03
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/basketball/5584505.htm
Tariq Abdul-Wahad, a proud man, doesn't hide his beliefs. About
basketball.
About life. About faith. About war.
"I don't like war, and I don't agree with war," Abdul-Wahad said. "I
think
the United States could have explored more diplomatic positions [before
going to war].
"But now innocent people are dying, the two sides are putting their
lives
on the line, and I just hope that it will be over soon and this
conflict
will be resolved as quick as possible, and that Saddam Hussein's regime
will be replaced by something much better for the Iraqi people."
Abdul-Wahad has joined teammate Steve Nash in voicing opposition to the
U.S.-led war in Iraq. Abdul-Wahad and Nash are among many who have used
their status as high-profile athletes as a platform to get the message
across that war does a disservice to everyone.
"I have a lot of respect for Steve Nash as a human being," Abdul-Wahad
said. 'I think it's a good thing what he did, because it provoked
people to
think and try to reflect on the situation, which is what I think he
wanted.
"He's an intelligent man, his position was clear, and I'm very happy he
voiced his opinion. This is America, and we have freedom of speech."
That freedom is what allowed Abdul-Wahad, born Oliver Saint-Jean in
France,
to join the Muslim faith and legally change his name on Nov. 10, 1997,
while he was a senior at San Jose State.
"I met a few Muslims, then I read about Islam as I was looking for some
answers," Abdul-Wahad said. "So after a year of studying about Islam, I
decided to become a Muslim."
Abdul-Wahad got some of his inspirations about Islam from Hakeem
Olajuwon,
who retired from the NBA early in this season. Olajuwon was always full
of
fire and energy, and always had some fireside chats and words of
enthusiasm
for Abdul-Wahad.
"Hakeem is a dear friend of mine, he's a great person, and he really
brought a better understanding of what Islam is to me," Abdul-Wahad
said.
"He left a terrific and beautiful legacy for us to follow -- the young
Muslims in the league -- because Islam really commands respect"...
-----
MR. MURDOCH'S WAR
David D. Kirkpatrick, New York Times, 4/7/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/07/business/media/07RUPE.html
On the first day of the war with Iraq, Rupert Murdoch watched the
explosions over Baghdad on a panel of seven television screens mounted
in
the wall of his Los Angeles office, telling friends and colleagues over
the
phone of his satisfaction that after weeks of hand-wringing the battle
had
finally begun.
The war has illuminated anew the exceptional power in the hands of Mr.
Murdoch, the 72-year-old chairman of the News Corporation. He was
already
well known for his willingness, rare among the chiefs of the biggest
media
companies, to personally shape the editorial policies of his
newspapers,
which include The New York Post, The Times of London and nearly a dozen
major English-language papers.
But in the last few years, Mr. Murdoch has become even more influential
with the newest additions to his media empire. The Weekly Standard, a
conservative magazine, has become closely read in the Bush White House,
while the Fox News Channel last year surpassed CNN to become the
top-rated
cable news network in the United States. And Mr. Murdoch is expanding
his
television news operations elsewhere in the world, including India,
China
and Italy...
And at a business conference last week, he reiterated his bellicose
position: "There is going to be collateral damage. And if you really
want
to be brutal about it, better we get it done now than spread it over
months."
Gene Kimmelman, a director of the Consumers Union, which is lobbying to
preserve ownership limits in the United States, said of Mr. Murdoch:
"He
has extended the most blatant editorializing in the entire world
through
his media properties, and that is exactly the example of what we need
to
worry about when any one entrepreneur owns and controls too many media
outlets..."
SEE ALSO:
BY THE RIGHT, FOX IN STEP WITH BRASS
Tom Allard, Sydney Morning Herald, 4/8/03
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/07/1049567628064.html
Not for the first time, the most spectacular images of the United
States
armoured advance to Baghdad have come from Rupert Murdoch's Fox
Network.
After scooping its cable news rivals CNN and MSNBC with footage of
troops
entering Baghdad and then later storming Saddam International Airport,
a
Fox reporter, Greg Kelly, and his cameraman had the dress circle view
yesterday as a column of US 3rd Infantry division tanks took a tour of
Baghdad landmarks.
Starting at Saddam Hussein's main presidential palace, viewers were
afforded footage of gold-plated wash basins and waterfalls, and a US
soldier hoisting a Georgia University pennant...
A US military spokesman, Max Blumenfeld, denied that Fox - with its
racy
but unashamedly patriotic and unquestioning coverage of the war - was
being
openly favoured. However, he did say enigmatically that public affairs
officers such as him were paid to "know your enemy".
"Fox may well have more access. They have good contacts and they asked
the
right questions in the pre-planning."
Fox is now the most watched cable news network, introducing a
right-wing
tabloid ethos to the staid 24-hour news industry.
-----
ON WEST BANK, FEAR OF 'DANGEROUS PRECEDENT'
Ben Lynfield, Christian Science Monitor, 4/8/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0407/p07s02-wome.html
TULKAREM, WEST BANK - Removed from the spotlight, the Middle East's
other
war has turned crueler. Last week saw the first mass expulsion of
Palestinian civilians since fighting with Israel broke out more than
two
years ago.
Many Palestinians have been worried Israel would take advantage of the
Iraq
war to take harsher actions in the occupied territories. Israeli peace
activists are calling this expulsion of between 1,000 and 2,000 males
from
the Tulkarem Refugee Camp an "extremely dangerous" precedent.
The army says the expulsion was largely for the good of the
Palestinians,
so they would not be harmed during operations, and stresses that it
lasted
only until the military activity in the camp was completed...
Tired, unshaven, and wearing dirty shirts and a fresh layer of
bitterness,
the men of Tulkarem Camp trickled back home Friday, two days after
being
forced onto a huge vehicle that, accompanied by jeeps, shuttled back
and
forth to another refugee camp, Nur al-Shams.
The Israeli government includes far-right ministers who espouse
"transfer,"
a euphemism for expulsions of Palestinians. The idea has never been
repudiated by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, though he said last year
that it
was "not practical" because of international constraints...
SEE ALSO:
ISRAEL AIRSTRIKE KILLS AT LEAST 5 IN GAZA
STEVE WEIZMAN, Associated Press, 4/8/03
JERUSALEM (AP) - A dispute over formation of the new Palestinian
Cabinet
could delay a U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan, officials said Tuesday,
while
an Israeli air strike in Gaza City killed five people, including a
Hamas
commander, and wounded 47.
It was the first Israeli air strike in Gaza since the beginning of the
war
in Iraq. Till now, Israel had scaled back its military operations
during
the fighting in the Gulf, apparently to avoid drawing attention to its
struggle with the Palestinians.
Witnesses said an F-16 warplane fired a missile at a car in Gaza City,
turning it into a mass of charred metal. The mangled bodies of the
people
inside were brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza. One of the dead was
identified as Saed Arabeed, 38, a senior Hamas commander.
Doctors said five people were killed and 47 wounded, eight critically.
They
said all of the wounded were civilians, ranging in age from 6 to 75
years
old...
---
BUCKING U.S. AND PEACE GROUPS, FIRST JEWS MOVE IN TO RAS AL-AMUD
Matthew Gutman, JTA, 4/8/03
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Jews+move+into+Arab+neighborhood&intcategoryid=1
TEL AVIV - The polished Jerusalem stone of the Ma'ale Hazeitim
apartment
block gleams. It is almost blinding on a sunny day. The stark white is
offset by the drab, exhaust-stained structures of the Arab neighborhood
surrounding it.
On April 2, when several Jewish families moved into this shiny new
apartment block in the Ras al-Amud neighborhood, built on the
Arab-dominated Mount of Olives, they raised the hackles of both the
Israeli
left and the U.S. government.
The Bush administration has told Jerusalem that the neighborhood, which
is
projected one day to have more than 130 housing units, could make the
division of Jerusalem nearly impossible, complicating any future peace
agreement with the Palestinians...
The father of the project, Arieh King, a 30-year-old former kibbutznik,
points out the strategic importance of the site.
For one thing, the mount provides an almost unparalleled view of the
Old
City. But more than that, "it's the geographical point that connects
the
Israeli settlement around the Old City," King says. "If we create a
strong
enough presence here, it makes the division of the city nearly
impossible..."
---
THE SETTLEMENT DETOUR ON THE ROAD MAP TO PEACE
Danny Rubinstein, Ha'aretz, 4/8/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=281244
Whatever the developments in Iraq may be, the diplomatic plan called
"the
road map" will soon top the Israeli-Palestinian agenda. Predictably,
the
government of Israel is even now pushing to the top of the agenda the
provision of the plan that talks about "the cessation of terror,
violence
and incitement..."
However, the road map also has an additional well-known provision that
talks about the government of Israel "freezing the Jewish settlements
in
the territories... including their natural increase," and the
implementation of this provision looks perhaps even more impossible
than
the implementation of the security provisions. The reason is that the
settlements have become an integral part of the Israeli reality...
It can clearly be stated that, for nearly 36 years, all of the
governments
of Israel have proven that they are unable to, or do not want to, stop
the
establishment, development and expansion of Jewish settlements in the
territories that were occupied in 1967. The evacuation of the Yamit
area in
Sinai after the peace agreement with Egypt in 1979 was the exception
that
proves the rule. And the rule is that there has always been found a way
to
maneuver, evade and avoid all the prohibitions and restrictions that
have
been imposed on the settlements - until, in the end, all the plans to
dry
out the settlements have in fact led to the opposite result: they have
expanded and become stronger, and the Jewish settlers in the West Bank
have
become the lords of the territory...
-----
FAMILY FINDS SAFETY IN THEIR MUSLIM FAITH
Bill Marvel, Dallas Morning News, 4/8/03
http://www.dallasnews.com/
Like any other American couple, Muhammad al-Amin and his wife, Afreen,
are
spending more time in front of the television set these days.
But the reality of war was brought home to the couple vividly even
before
the first shots were fired. Recently, Afreen al-Amin got a phone call
from
her mother in Bangladesh.
"She wanted us to come back," says Afreen al-Amin.
The al-Amins, who came from Bangladesh about 10 years ago, became U.S.
citizens last year. Muhammad al-Amin founded Ameriss, a Dallas-area
telecommunications and software company that last year was listed among
Inc
magazine's top 500 fastest-growing companies. He is active in the
Dallas
Central Mosque. His wife, a certified Montessori teacher, takes care of
the
couple's three children, Shabnam, 8, Yazan, 7, and 13-month-old Yaquin.
Muhammad al-Amin says that relatives back home hear about the
occasional
incidents of hatred directed against American Muslims and worry about
the
family's safety...
"They think that we are always a target," says Afreen al-Amin,
"especially
if we are wearing the hijab...
But the family has experienced nothing but courtesy from its non-Muslim
neighbors, Muhammad al-Amin says.
Nevertheless, among many Muslims there is a heightened sense of anxiety
and
even some anger about the war against Iraq...
-----
GUERRILLAS FOR GOD
John Dicker, Colorado Springs Independent, 4/3/03
http://www.csindy.com/csindy/current/cover.html
The air raid sirens, the steady ratt-a-tatt-tatt of machine gun fire,
the
swoosh of fighter planes and the occasional bomb have been constants
for
the last half-hour. The searchlights of a rebel foot patrol shines
around
the perimeter of the box and the group's whispering ceases...
Welcome to Mission Training International's hostage exercise, the
watershed
experience of a three-week missionary training program. Here, 800
missionaries a year from around the country are trained in language
skills
and cross-cultural preparedness to travel overseas to spread the word
of
Christ...
Mission Training International's president Steve Sweatman likens its
hostage exercise to a "Scared Straight" program for missionaries.
Currently, an estimated 41,000 Christian missionaries are working in
230
countries around the world, according to The Mission Handbook published
by
the Billy Graham Center...
Colorado Springs has long been recognized as a stronghold for
evangelical
Christians and their various political arms. And just as these
organizations have been vocal players in a domestic culture war,
they're
also agents in an international struggle, one waged peacefully, if not
forthrightly, for the souls of the world's least evangelized people:
the
predominantly Muslim population of the 10/40 window.
Long a buzzword in missionary circles, the 10/40 window denotes the
part of
the globe between the 10th and 40th parallels that includes southern
Asia
and northern Africa...
However, critics contend that evangelical missionaries are hardly the
innocent victims of theocratic repression. By proselytizing where it is
forbidden, missionaries like former Taliban-held hostages Dayna Curry
and
Heather Mercer break the laws of their host countries.
By entering as aid workers, English teachers or business people, they
carry
out their mission under false pretenses...
Other models involve "contextualization," where missionaries adapt
their
message in a culturally sensitive fashion, like praying on mats and
leaving
shoes off in a place of worship. Some missionaries like the
Arizona-based
Frontiers even claim to be Muslim, as the word literally means "one who
submits..."
-----
MUSLIM DEMOCRATS? WHY NOT!
Noah Feldman, Wall Street Journal, 4/8/03
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
How should the U.S., acting with or without the U.N. in the
reconstruction
of Iraq, respond to the aspirations of those Iraqis who look to Islam
for
political values? Excluding Islam-inspired politicians from government
would be disastrous. A crucial goal of establishing democracy in Iraq
is to
show Iraqis and the region that the U.S. is not waging war against
Islam,
but rather enabling Muslims to rule themselves.
One can hardly imagine a greater gift to the bin Ladens of this world
than
the U.S. telling Muslims that their religion cannot inform their
political
choices. If many in the West cannot imagine democracy without
separation of
church and state, many in the Muslim world find it impossible to
imagine
legitimate democracy with it.
Fortunately, democracy does not require an absolute divide between
religion
and political authority. Liberty of conscience is an indispensable
requirement of free government -- but an established religion that does
not
coerce religious belief and that treats religious minorities as equals
may
be perfectly compatible with democracy. The U.K. is a democracy
notwithstanding the Church of England.
Is Islamic democracy possible, whether in Iraq or elsewhere? A large
and
growing number of Muslims believe that it is. These Islamic democrats
read
the Quran to require the equality of all human beings before God and
the
protection of freedom of religion. They explain that Islam mandates the
rule of law, and they point to verses that call for consultative
government
as an inspiration for political pluralism and elections...
Islamic democrats won the Turkish elections last November and have been
governing ever since. Although the Turkish parliament's refusal to
approve
the use of military bases for the Iraq war did not serve American
interests, it also ironically proved the strength of Turkish
democracy...
-----
DALLAS FUNDRAISER FOR MUSLIM CONJOINED TWINS
WHAT: Ahmed and Mohamed are conjoined Muslim twins born attached at the
crown of their heads. They have been in Dallas for the last 10 months
undergoing preparations for surgery at Children's Medical center of
Dallas.
The separation will cost $2,000,000 and nearly all of it has been
covered
by generous donations from the World Craniofacial Foundation and local
Dallas hospitals and staff. People of all faiths have donated time and
money to this effort. Now the Dallas-Fort Worth community is being
asked to
help raise the remaining $125,000 for the surgery.
WHEN: Friday, April 18th at 8:30 P.M.
WHERE: Islamic Association of North Texas (IANT), 840 Abrams Road in
Richardson, TX (972) 231-5698
If you can't attend the fundraiser, please donate generously to IANT,
P.O
Box 833010, Dallas, TX 75083. (Write on the check memo "twins.")
For more information, contact CAIR Dallas/Fort Worth at (972) 462-9630
or
email: info@cairdfw.org
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
CAIR ACTION ALERT #378
IMAMS AND KHATIBS URGED TO ATTEND CAIR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/9/03) - North American Imams and Khatibs are being
urged to attend CAIR's Fourth Annual Leadership Training Conference
April
25th to 27th at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel in Tysons Corner, Va.
"At this critical time in our community's development, it is important
that
religious leaders have the skills necessary to help deal with the many
new
religious, social and political issues we face," said CAIR Board
Chairman
Omar Ahmad.
This year's conference, headlined "A ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS: VISION AND
ACTION," is designed to address the social and political situation
currently facing American Muslims in this time of crisis and conflict.
The
conference features intensive workshops on media relations, lobbying,
civil
rights advocacy, coalition building, and political empowerment.
OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO IMAMS AND KHATIBS ARE WORKSHOPS SUCH AS: 1)
Responding to Attacks on Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, 2) Your Rights
in
Light of New Laws and Policies, 3) Breaking New Ground, Working with
New
Groups, 4) Grant-Writing, 5) Presenting a Positive Image of Islam in
Your
Local Community, and 6) Community Safety and Creating a Working
Relationship with Local Law Enforcement.
On Friday, April 25, conference participants will spend the day
learning
effective lobbying techniques and meeting with elected officials or
their
key staff. A Friday dinner will focus on "A Vision for the American
Muslim
Community."
An array of national Islamic spiritual and political leaders and public
officials will discuss the importance of Muslim political empowerment
at a
banquet to be held on Saturday, April 26th. Online registration for
both
the conference and the dinner is now available. SEE:
https://www.cair-net.org/conference (Dinner-only registration is
available.
Click on "Register Online.")
Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers, professional
leadership trainers, representatives of national civil liberties
advocacy
organizations, media representatives, and CAIR experts. One
not-to-be-missed workshop will offer a critical assessment of Muslim
groups, leaders and institutions based on their reaction to the 9/11
terrorist attacks.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (Seating is limited. Last year's conference
was
sold out.)
1) Go to https://www.cair-net.org/conference to register online.
2) Registration materials may also be requested by emailing
register@cair-net.org. Banquet dinner: $40/person. Conference cost:
$129/person for 3 days, $119/person for 2-5 individuals in a group for
3
days, $99/person for Sat. & Sun. programs only. Fees cover 3 meals/day
and
conference materials.
3) Become a conference volunteer by emailing irahman@cair-net.org.
CONFERENCE LOCATION: Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, 8661 Leesburg
Pike, Vienna, VA 22182 Tel: 703-448-1234 . Hotel rates: $89/night
single/double occupancy. Make sure to ask for the "CAIR Conference
Rate."
(Limited vending is available. Please contact irahman@cair-net.org.)
- PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE -
--- CLIP AND MAIL/FAX/E-MAIL ---
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$___________. Enclosed is my check, payable to CAIR.
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Address:
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Zip:
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Name as on Card:
Signature: ________________________________________________
SEND TO: CAIR, 453 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003
FAX: 202-488-0833 E-MAIL: membership@cair-net.org
-----
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To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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 - 4/9/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: GOD'S GOOD PLEASURE
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR AND ADC DEBATE DANIEL PIPES ON 'DEMOCRACY NOW'
- NEW: The Truth About Daniel Pipes (MPAC)
- Same Pipes, Different Tune (Cornell Daily Sun)
* REPUBLICANS WANT TERROR LAW MADE PERMANENT (New York Times)
- Denver Men Ordered Released (Washington Post)
* HATEFUL MESSAGE CONFRONTS MUSLIM STUDENTS (Montreal Gazette)
* WATCH WOOLSEY (Asia Times)
- Iraq Occupation Head critical of Palestinians (AP)
- Dances With Wolfowitz (New York Times)
- In Search of Horror Weapons (New York Times)
- Foxa American (Ha'aretz)
- Bundling of Aid, Christianity Stirs Concerns (LA Times)
- Ali's Plight Touches Millions
- Mirror Launches Appeal for Ali (Mirror)
- In Basra, Growing Resentment, Little Aid (Wash. Post)
- Muslims in the Military Walk Fine Line (SF Chronicle)
* U.S. BOMB MISSES TARGET; KILLS 11 IN AFGHANISTAN (AP)
* JEWISH GROUP PROBED FOR BLAST AT PALESTINIAN SCHOOL (Reuters)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GOD'S GOOD PLEASURE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone seeks God's
good
pleasure at the cost of men's displeasure, God will keep from him the
trouble caused by men. But if anyone seeks men's good pleasure at the
cost
of God's displeasure, God will leave him in men's hands."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1326
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR AND ADC DEBATE DANIEL PIPES ON 'DEMOCRACY NOW'
Representatives from CAIR and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee debate Daniel Pipes on the Thursday, April 10, edition of the
"Democracy Now" radio program. In the pre-taped segment, Pipes hangs up
after being criticized for smearing Muslim and Arab-American groups. He
also refused to discuss opposition to his recent nomination to the
board of
the United States Institute of Peace.
TO FIND OUT WHEN THE PROGRAM AIRS IN YOUR AREA, GO TO:
http://www.democracynow.org/stations.htm
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE ASKED TO REJECT DANIEL PIPES' NOMINATION
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=141&page=AA
NEW: THE TRUTH ABOUT DANIEL PIPES
http://www.mpac.org/home_article_display.aspx?ITEM=491
SAME PIPES, DIFFERENT TUNE
http://www.cornelldailysun.com/articles/8344/
Pipes' nomination, is a small part of a larger conflict; whether or not
to
allow Muslims to participate in American politics. I witnessed the
first-hand effects of this while interning for the Mark Green's
campaign
for Mayor of New York in 2001. Mark Green was labeled as a terrorist
sympathizer after receiving an endorsement from Muslims. As a result,
Green
withdrew his acceptance from an endorsement he happily received just
days
earlier. Coincidentally, the New York Post broke the news, the same
paper
which on Monday endorsed Pipes. It should be noted that Pipes publishes
a
weekly column for the Post, creating a clear conflict of interest.
-----
REPUBLICANS WANT TERROR LAW MADE PERMANENT
ERIC LICHTBLAU, New York Times, 4/9/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/09/international/worldspecial/09TERR.html
WASHINGTON, April 8 - Working with the Bush administration,
Congressional
Republicans are maneuvering to make permanent the sweeping
antiterrorism
powers granted to federal law enforcement agents after the attacks of
Sept.
11, 2001, officials said today.
The move is likely to touch off strong objections from many Democrats
and
even some Republicans in Congress who believe that the Patriot Act, as
the
legislation that grew out of the attacks is known, has already given
the
government too much power to spy on Americans.
The landmark legislation expanded the government's power to use
eavesdropping, surveillance, access to financial and computer records
and
other tools to track terrorist suspects.
When it passed in October 2001, moderates and civil libertarians in
Congress agreed to support it only by making many critical provisions
temporary. Those provisions will expire, or "sunset," at the end of
2005
unless Congress re-authorizes them.
But Republicans in the Senate in recent days have discussed a proposal,
written by Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, that would
repeal
the sunset provisions and make the law's new powers permanent,
officials said…
SEE ALSO:
DENVER MEN ARE ORDERED RELEASED IN TERROR PROBE
T.R. Reid, Washington Post, 4/9/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60224-2003Apr8.html
DENVER, April 8 -- A federal judge rebuffed the government's Joint
Terrorism Task Force today and ordered the release of two Pakistanis
living
in Denver whom the FBI has described as potential terrorists eager to
wage
war against the United States.
After reviewing hours of FBI testimony, U.S. District Judge Lewis T.
Babcock ruled that "the government has failed to establish" that either
Irfan Kamran, 32, or Sajjad Naseer, 27, poses any danger. The judge
also
rejected the Justice Department's suggestion that the pair would flee
to
Pakistan if released from jail.
Babcock noted that much of the evidence that prosecutors cited in
arguing
that the defendants were involved with terrorism came from statements
the
two men made in voluntary interviews with the FBI. Babcock also
displayed
skepticism when the prosecution introduced information provided by "a
confidential source." When the judge asked from the bench whether the
source was reliable, an FBI witness replied that this, too, was
classified
information…
-----
HATEFUL MESSAGE CONFRONTS STUDENTS AT MUSLIM SCHOOL
SIDHARTHA BANERJEE, Montreal Gazette, 4/9/03
http://www.canada.com/montreal/story.asp?id=76A492A3-8A53-4938-8EB2-CAF82FF4667B
Students attending a local Muslim high school will have to look at a
hateful piece of graffiti scrawled on the front of their school for the
next few days.
The school will be removing the message "Mort aux Arabes" and an
accompanying swastika as soon as possible, principal Samer Majzoub said
yesterday.
But until then, the message serves as a constant reminder to a student
body
and a principal extremely upset by the act.
"This is a school and the students are all young children who are
already
terrified by what's going on abroad," Majzoub said. "Death to Arabs is
not
just swearing at people, it is a threat that is much more than that…"
The roughly 100 students who attend Muslim Schools of Montreal's
secondary
campus returned to classes Monday to find the spray-painted message.
While there was some concern the war in Iraq would cause a spike in the
number of anti-Arab acts, Riad Saloojee of the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations in Ottawa has not seen an increase in the reports they've
received since the number of reported hate crimes started to decline
about
six months after Sept. 11, 2001.
"As a precaution we sent out a community safety kit, which is a bunch
of
measures to educate the community, because we anticipated there might
be a
backlash after the war started," Saloojee said. "We have not fielded
anything substantial other than a number of cases of verbal abuse."
Saloojee, the Ottawa council's executive director, called for a
thorough
investigation and for law enforcement and elected officials to say
publicly
that intimidation will not be tolerated…
-----
WATCH WOOLSEY
Jim Lobe, Asia Times, 4/9/03
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/ED08Ak05.html
WASHINGTON - If you want to figure out whether the administration of
President George W Bush intends a crusade to remake the Middle East in
the
wake of Washington's presumed military victory in Iraq, watch what
happens
with R James Woolsey. A former director of the Central Intelligence
Agency
(CIA), Woolsey is being pushed hard by his fellow neoconservatives in
the
Pentagon to play a key role in the post-Saddam Hussein US occupation.
Less well-known than his long-time associates and close friends, Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and the former head of the Defense
Policy
Board (DPB) Richard Perle, Woolsey has long believed that Washington
has a
mission to use its overwhelming military power and its democratic
ideals to
transform the Arab world. And he has pushed for war with Iraq as hard
as
anyone, even before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
If he soon pops up in Baghdad, you can bet that the "clash of
civilizations" is imminent, if it has not begun already. To Woolsey's
mind,
the US is already engaged in what he and many of his fellow
neoconservatives call "World War IV", a struggle that pits the US and
Britain against Islamist and Wahhabi extremists like al-Qaeda's Osama
bin
Laden, Iranian theocrats, and Ba'ath Party "fascists" in Syria and
Iraq. In
their view, the Cold War was World War III…
"Iraq can be seen as the first battle of the fourth world war," Woolsey
declared in a NATO conference in Prague last November, in rhetoric that
he
has practiced and honed virtually since September 11. "After two hot
world
wars and one cold one that all began and were centered in Europe," he
said,
"the fourth world war is going to be for the Middle East…"
SEE ALSO:
EX-GENERAL OVERSEEING IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF
PALESTINIANS
PETE YOST, Associated Press, 4/9/03
WASHINGTON - The retired Army general who will oversee the rebuilding
of
Iraq signed a statement that accused Palestinians of filling their
children
with hate and that praised Israel - comments that could complicate his
new
job in the tinderbox Persian Gulf.
Arab and Muslim leaders say retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner's involvement
with
the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs - including the
document
he signed and a trip he took to Israel - raises questions about whether
he
is the right person to oversee Iraq's reconstruction...
Garner was one of more than 40 retired U.S. military leaders to sign
his
name to a letter 2 1/2 years ago amid renewed Mideast violence. The
letter
strongly supported Israel for exercising "remarkable restraint" and
blamed
the crisis on Palestinian leaders.
A Palestinian tactic to "use civilians as soldiers in a war is a
perversion
of military ethics," the statement said.
Palestinian leaders taught children the mechanics of war while "filling
their heads with hate," and Palestinian police and military commanders
were
"betting their children's lives on the capabilities and restraint" of
Israeli defense forces, the statement added.
The Palestinians are "callously using the inevitable casualties as
grist
for their propaganda mill," it said.
Garner, who 12 years ago oversaw U.S. efforts to aid Kurds in northern
Iraq
after the first Gulf War, is among more than 250 retired American
military
officers who have traveled to Israel with JINSA over the years…
Sarah Eltantawi, spokeswoman for the Muslim Public Affairs Council,
called
the choice of Garner "very unwise - it will not reinforce among the
Iraqis
the sentiment that their leadership is representative..."
Copy of JINSA letter:
http://www.jinsa.org/articles/articles.html/function/view/categoryid%20/122/documentid/1043/history/3,650,122,1043
SEE ALSO: http://www.stopjaygarner.org
---
DANCES WITH WOLFOWITZ
MAUREEN DOWD, New York Times, 4/9/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/09/opinion/09DOWD.html
Wolfowitz of Arabia and the other administration hawks are thrilled
with
U.S. hawkishness. When Mr. Wolfowitz was on "Meet the Press" on Sunday
his
aides sat in the green room watching the monitor and high-fiving their
boss's performance.
As American forces made their first armored thrusts into Baghdad,
visions
of a JDAM strike on Damascus danced in the hawks' heads.
The former C.I.A. director James Woolsey, a Wolfie pal and a
prospective
administrator in occupied Iraq, bluntly told U.C.L.A. students last
week
that to reshape the Middle East, the U.S. would have to spend years and
maybe decades waging World War IV. (He counted the cold war as World
War III.)
He identified America's enemies as the Islamist Shia who run Iran, the
Iranian-supported Hezbollah, the fascist Baathists in Iraq and Syria,
and
the Islamist Sunnis who run Al Qaeda and affiliated terrorist groups.
Mr. Wolfowitz, however, played the diplomat on Sunday, gliding past Tim
Russert's probing on whether the neo-cons' dreams of other campaigns in
Syria, Iran and North Korea would come true. Pressed, he said, "There's
got
to be change in Syria as well..."
The success of this war should not leave us infatuated with war.
Americans'
tolerance for these casualties should not be mistaken for a willingness
to
absorb endless American sacrifice on endless battlefields.
Victory in Iraq will be a truly historic event, but it will be
exceedingly
weird and dangerous if this administration turns America into Sparta...
---
IN SEARCH OF HORROR WEAPONS
New York Times, 4/9/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/09/opinion/09WED1.html
Almost every day brings new reports that advancing troops have found
indications of chemical weapons, but the evidence has been mostly
small-scale and circumstantial: gas masks, protective suits, nerve gas
antidotes, training manuals, a few barrels of suspicious chemicals, a
cache
of shells that look as if they are designed to be filled with
chemicals. No
actual chemical weapons have been clearly identified yet, and there is
no
conclusive proof that any suspicious chemicals are warfare agents and
not
pesticides. That judgment could change in the blink of a laboratory
technician's eye. Then the issue would become whether Iraq had
significant
quantities of lethal materials and the means to deliver them.
In making the case for the invasion, the administration suggested that
Iraq's arsenal might be quite large: up to 500 tons of nerve and
mustard
agents, and 30,000 munitions capable of delivering them; materials to
produce 25,000 liters of anthrax and 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin;
and
mobile or underground laboratories to make germ weapons. If so, it
should
be possible to find them with the help of Iraqi scientists and
officers.
But for any findings to be credible in the battle for global opinion,
neutral analysts - from the United Nations or technically proficient
nations like Finland or Switzerland - will be needed to verify the
laboratory results and ensure a strict chain of custody to avoid
charges of
tampering with the evidence.
---
FOXA AMERICANA
Rogel Alper, Ha'aretz, 4/9/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=282047
America's Fox News network has been demonstrating since the start of
the
war in Iraq an amazing lesson in media hypocrisy. The anchors,
reporters
and commentators unceasingly emphasize that the war's goal is to free
the
Iraqi people from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein. The frequency,
consistence
and passion with which they use that lame excuse, and the fact that
nearly
no other reasons are mentioned shows that this is the network's
editorial
policy. The American flag lies in the upper left-hand corner of the
screen,
while the logo accompanying the programming is Operation Iraqi Freedom,
the
official name given by the Pentagon. Fox journalists display what
appears
to be genuine happiness, innocent and sincere, brainwashed in nature,
in
the expectation for the wonderful day when the American army leads the
Iraqi people from slavery to freedom…
As far as the war's motives are concerned, Fox looks like part of the
propagandistic campaign of systematic disinformation by the Bush
administration, while it accuses the Iraqi regime of disseminating
false
information about the situation on the battlefield. The motives for the
war
and measure of its justice are at the heart of the current conflict
between
the United States and its European allies, and has ramifications over
its
relations with Russia, China and the Arab world as well as its position
as
the global superpower. Just as the Iraqi TV deceives its viewers about
the
situation on the battlefield, Fox misleads its American viewers about
the
reasons for the war. If only the issue of the human rights of the Iraqi
people was at stake, there never would have been a war…
---
BUNDLING OF AID, CHRISTIANITY STIRS CONCERNS
Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times, 4/9/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-war-evangelicals9apr09,1,620129.story
As soon as the war ends, Christian evangelical groups are poised to go
into
Iraq with offers of food, medicine, blankets -- and testimony about
their
religious beliefs.
The prospect of evangelicals moving into a country where 97% of the
population is Muslim could complicate an already dicey reconstruction
effort, intensifying feelings in the Arab world that the United States
is
waging a war not on terrorism but on Islam.
"We are entering a period where there are two big exclusionist,
monotheistic faiths -- Christianity and Islam," said James
Hudnut-Beumler,
dean of the divinity school at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. "The
way
in which people from the Christian West, in the midst of the conflict
or
its aftermath, engage Muslims will have long repercussions for the
shape of
that conflict and for postwar reconstruction in Iraq."
Evangelical groups that have said they plan to offer humanitarian aid
in
postwar Iraq include the Southern Baptist Convention; Samaritan's
Purse, a
relief operation headed by the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist
Billy Graham; and the Christian and Missionary Alliance. They have
stressed
their intention to give aid in the form of food and supplies. But they
also
want to spread the Gospel…
Some Muslim leaders are fuming. "It is very deceitful," said Ibrahim
Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations. "They come with food in one hand and Bibles in the other."
Hooper, who has made a study of evangelical practices over the years,
said
such efforts are even more disconcerting coming from someone like
Graham,
who has called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion." In a commentary
published recently in the Los Angeles Times, Graham said his group will
offer aid "with no strings attached." Sometimes, he added, "the best
preaching we can do is simply being there with a cup of cold water,
exhibiting Christ's spirit of serving others."
The Southern Baptist Convention, which sponsors about 5,000
missionaries in
153 nations, also is eager to send volunteers from the United States to
help distribute aid to Iraqis.
"If we get the word that the war ends on Tuesday, we'll be out the door
as
soon as we can schedule the travel," said Mark Kelly of the Southern
Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, based in Richmond,
Va.
"There is a tremendous amount of excitement about the opportunity..."
"American Christians in particular ought to think what it would be like
if
we had some catastrophic thing down in Texas," said Dean Hudnut-Beumler
of
Vanderbilt. "Imagine if Muslims said, 'We're going to help. The people
of
Texas really need us. We're going to bring them tools, and also bring
word"
about Islam…
---
ALI'S PLIGHT TOUCHES MILLIONS
Avril Stephens, CNN, 4/8/93
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/08/sprj.irq.ali/index.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Pictures of young Ali Ismaeel Abbas' tortured
body
have appeared in newspapers and on television screens across Europe.
His voice has been heard pleading for life to return to normal after
his
family was killed and his arms torn off and body burnt when a missile
landed on his Baghdad home.
"Can you help get my arms back? Do you think the doctors can get me
another
pair of hands?" he asked from his hospital bed.
"If I don't get a pair of hands, I will commit suicide."
The 12-year-old was asleep at the time of the attack in Diala Bridge
district east of Baghdad. His mother, five months pregnant, died, as
did
his father, brother and seven other members of his family…
---
MIRROR LAUNCHES APPEAL FOR ALI
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12825212&method=full&siteid=50143
---
IN BASRA, GROWING RESENTMENT, LITTLE AID
Keith B. Richburg, Washington Post, 4/9/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57762-2003Apr8.html
BASRA, Iraq, April 8 -- The day the Iraq war began, Abid Hassan
Hamoodi,
72, patriarch of one of Basra's most prominent families, gathered
everyone
into the storeroom of the nine-bedroom family home. Because it was away
from the street, he thought, that room was the safest place in the
house
for the children and grandchildren to sleep.
The room turned out to be a death trap.
In the early morning hours Saturday, while they slept, 10 members of
his
family were killed by two missiles fired from a warplane that destroyed
the
house, Hamoodi said. The victims, including seven children, were
crushed
when the back room of the house became a pile of cement rubble. Hamoodi
said he lost his wife, a daughter, a son and seven grandchildren. He
dug
out three other family members with his bare hands, he recalled today,
after hearing cries of "Baba! Baba!" -- "Father! Father!" -- from under
the
collapsed brick.
Hamoodi, a retired safety manager for South Oil Co., is not a political
man. His children are professionals -- mostly doctors, with some
engineers
-- and he has three sons living in Britain. As head of a respected
Shiite
Muslim family, he might have been expected to welcome the U.S.-British
invasion of Iraq to end the three-decade rule of President Saddam
Hussein.
But, instead, he is angry.
"What was the purpose of the American invasion of Iraq?" he asked
during a
Muslim ceremony marking three days of mourning for the dead. "Was it to
topple Saddam Hussein, or to kill innocent people?
"Why did this happen?" he asked. "Ten lives are gone. The house was
completely destroyed. . . . You came to save us, to protect us. That's
what
you said. It's now the contrary. Innocent people are killed."
The extent of Hamoodi's loss may be unusual, his rage fueled by grief.
But
the sentiment he expresses -- that the U.S.-British occupation has
produced
more harm than good -- is widely voiced here in Basra…
---
MUSLIMS IN THE MILITARY WALK FINE LINE
Don Lattin, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/9/03
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/09/MN188241.DTL
Jeff Hammad, an American Muslim in the U.S. Marines, noticed the shift
during the buildup to the last Gulf War.
"The military has a tendency to demonize the enemy, and Muslims are on
the
receiving end of that hostility," said Hammad, a Palestinian American
who
served in the Marines from 1990 to 1994.
Hammad heard his faith disparaged dozens of times during his four years
of
duty. There were battle cries like "Kill ragheads," and "Let's go
Muslim
hunting."
These are not easy times for U.S. military personnel of the Muslim
faith or
Middle Eastern heritage.
According to some Muslim soldiers and sailors, the invasions and
occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq -- along with the hostility many
Muslims have felt directed against them in the aftermath of the Sept.
11
terrorist attacks -- are taking their toll on Muslims in the military.
Hammad, who was born in the United States, has a younger brother now in
the
Marines and an older sibling in the Texas Air National Guard.
"Nobody wants to talk about it," Hammad said, "but it's getting
progressively worse."
In addition, he said, "It's getting harder and harder for Muslims in
the
service to morally justify being in a military that seems constantly
engaged against fellow Muslims."
Other Muslim servicemen disagree.
"All of my co-workers and commanders have been respectful," said Air
Force
Technical Sgt. Abdul-Basir Lipscomb, an African American convert to the
Muslim faith…
-----
U.S. BOMB MISSES TARGET; KILLS 11 IN AFGHANISTAN
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 4/9/03
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Afghan-Civilians-Killed.html
KABUL, Afghanistan - An American warplane mistakenly bombed a house,
killing 11 civilians near Afghanistan's eastern border with Pakistan,
the
U.S. military said Wednesday.
The killings in Shkin, 130 miles south of Kabul, happened after
unidentified assailants attacked a checkpoint of Afghan soldiers allied
with American forces near the town, the military said in a written
statement.
Two Harrier attack aircraft were called in and spotted two groups of
five
to 10 enemy fighters each. The jets attacked one of the groups with
their
cannons.
One of the planes then dropped a 1,000-pound laser-guided bomb, but it
missed its intended target, the military said…
Survivors said most of the dead were women and children who were
attending
a wedding in the town of Deh Rawood. They said the only gunfire from
the
area came from celebrants shooting their rifles into the air…
-----
JEWISH GROUP PROBED FOR BLAST AT PALESTINIAN SCHOOL
Reuters, 4/9/03
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1048313570322&p=1012571727088
JENIN, West Bank, April 9 (Reuters) - An explosion wounded 20 students
at a
Palestinian high school in the West Bank on Wednesday, and Israeli
police
said they were investigating whether it was the work of Jewish
vigilantes.
Lutfi Abu Oun, mayor of the village of Jaba'a, said two of the
teenagers
were seriously hurt and all of the wounded were taken to hospitals in
the
West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus.
School headmaster Ismail Salah said the explosion tore through a
classroom
for 16-year-old boys just as they returned from a midday recess.
Desks and chairs were thrown about and splintered, and pools of blood
and
glass shards littered the floor, witnesses said.
An unknown Jewish group calling itself "Revenge of the Infants" claimed
responsibility for the blast in a message sent to Israeli reporters'
pagers, police said…
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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 - 4/10/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: SHOW MERCY
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5244 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* PAT ROBERTSON APPEARANCE SPARKS IRE (Metro West Daily)
* STUDENT ALLEGES ANTI-MUSLIM HATE SPEECH (Yale Daily News)
- Shock, Surprise at News of Break-In (Yale Daily News)
- Rise in Hate Crimes Worries Arab-Americans (CS Monitor)
* FORMER CONGRESSMAN FILES SUIT TO BLOCK WAR (News Release)
* ARAB JOURNALIST COMMENTS ON PIPES NOMINATION
* PUNISHING FOREIGN STUDENTS: A BAD IDEA (Tallahassee Democrat)
* LIBRARIANS MAKE SOME NOISE OVER PATRIOT ACT (Washington Post)
* IRAQIS NOW WAITING FOR AMERICANS TO LEAVE (AP)
- US Hawks Set Sights on Iran, Syria (Reuters)
- Anger at 'Governor' Garner's Pro-Israel Stance
- Spoils of War (NY Times)
- U.S. Internal Battle on Rebuilding Iraq (Miami Herald)
- Reuters Photo of Strip Searched Iraqi POWS
* ISRAEL EYES IRAQI OIL (BBC)
- Israel to Palestinians: Learn Lesson Iraq (Reuters)
- Israel Comments Dog Va. Congressman (AP)
- Israel's Influence in America (Washington Post)
* CAIR-FL ANNUAL BANQUET APRIL 19
* DC FUNDRAISER FOR AL-ARIAN DEFENSE FUND
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SHOW MERCY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The Compassionate One
[God]
has mercy on those who are merciful. If you show mercy to those who are
on
the earth, He Who is in heaven will show mercy to you."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 2322
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5244 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5244 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
ROBERTSON APPEARANCE SPARKS IRE
Jeff Adair, Metro West Daily News, 4/10/03
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/local_regional/fram_robertson04102003.htm
FRAMINGHAM, MI - The Rev. Pat Robertson, a man who some accuse of
bigotry
based on his critical remarks about Muslims and other groups, will
speak at
a local synagogue on Sunday and some townspeople are up in arms.
"It's scary," said Renee Abramson, who lived in Israel before moving to
Framingham in the late 1980s. "I mean this guy uses his show to wage
war on
whomever he chooses..."
"Hey, this is free speech. Let's hear what he has to say," said Jack
Bushinsky, chairman of the Adult Education Committee, which is
sponsoring
the talk.
"We don't want to get into his other views. He's been a very strong
supporter of Israel. He's won all these awards from Zionist movements.
We
wanted to give him a chance to speak on those particular things....My
feeling is if you really don't want to hear what he has to say, don't
come."
That's not good enough for critics, who question the wisdom of bringing
Robertson to town, especially in this time of war when Muslims are
being
stereotyped.
He has called Islam a "violent religion" and stated that Muslims should
be
barred from serving in public office, according to news reports. Last
year,
on Fox TV's "Hannity & Colmes" he called the prophet Mohammed "an
absolute
wild-eyed fanatic. He was a robber and a brigand. This man was a
killer..."
Tahir Ali of the Islamic Center of Greater Worcester and the national
American Muslim Alliance said there are many other people the temple
could
invite who support Israel.
He said he would not ask the temple to cancel Robertson's appearance,
but
noted that "for a group to decide to invite someone like that sends a
wrong
signal."
-----
STUDENT ALLEGES ANTI-MUSLIM HATE SPEECH
Marlon S. Castillo, Yale Daily News, 4/9/03
http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=22491
Several male students, one wielding a wooden plank, broke into the
suite of
an anti-war activist in Calhoun College March 27 and wrote a hateful
note
on her bedroom message board, said the victim, Katherine Lo '05. Lo
said
the incident occurred a day after she hung an American flag upside-down
from her bedroom window to protest the war in Iraq.
Yale Police Lt. Michael Patten confirmed that a group of students
entered
Lo's suite, wrote a message on her whiteboard and left without
confrontation. Patten would not confirm additional details because the
incident is still under investigation.
After the group of students attempted several times to enter her
bedroom,
Lo said they wrote an inflammatory message on her whiteboard that was
aimed
at Muslims and anti-war protesters.
The message contained a violent call for the killing of Iraqis and
Muslims,
Lo said. She said the message ended with the words, "I hate you, GO
AMERICA." Police would not comment on the content of the message.
Dean of Student Affairs Betty Trachtenberg called the incident
"heinous."
"People have a right to express themselves," she said. "People do not
have
a right to break in and harass students where they live..."
SEE ALSO:
SHOCK, SURPRISE AT NEWS OF BREAK-IN
Marlon S. Castillo, Yale Daily News, 4/10/03
http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=22503
Students and administrators responded with disgust and surprise
Wednesday
following a report that several students entered the suite of an
anti-war
activist March 27 and left a message threatening Muslims on her door.
Some students said they were surprised Yale administrators had not made
a
public statement about the alleged incident.
"It is an incredibly disturbing affront to all Yale students, not to
mention Yale's Muslim community," said Sumeyya Ashraf '04, president of
the
Muslim Students' Association. "Not only are students furious over the
threat to freedom of expression this occurrence poses, but the Muslims
on
this campus feel physically threatened and vulnerable to attack..."
---
RISE IN HATE CRIMES WORRIES ARAB-AMERICANS
Amanda Paulson, Christian Science Monitor, 4/10/03
http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2003/0410/p01s03-ussc.html
NEW YORK - The murders had terrorized shopkeepers in Brooklyn's Crown
Heights neighborhood for more than a month.
They seemed to have no motive: No provocation had been given, no money
was
taken.
But when Larme Price confessed to the crime more than a week ago, he
said
his aim was to kill Middle Easterners, in retribution for Sept. 11.
In fact, only one of the four victims was from the Middle East. But
it's
the intent, say concerned residents, that counts...
Another, more immediate concern for many Arab-Americans is increased
surveillance and profiling. They worry about getting deported on a
technicality, or finding themselves unwitting terrorist suspects in a
nightmarish Kafkaesque scenario. "I'm afraid of giving out my number
and
having it put in someone's phone book," says Shaker Lashuel, a
soft-spoken
schoolteacher from Yemen who has lived in the US for 16 years. "It's
guilt
by association..."
While most Arab-Americans laud government officials for speaking out
against hate crimes and blanket accusations against Islam, they say
another, subtler message is sent by policies such as forced
registration,
deportation, and FBI interviews of Arab-Americans.
The increasing anti-Islam rhetoric from some right-wing websites and
radio
talk-show hosts also helps create an atmosphere in which hate and
prejudice
can thrive.
Popular websites like World Net Daily and FrontPage Magazine "have
articles
almost every day calling Muslims the fifth column," says Hodan Hassan
of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). A Chicago deejay,
"Mancow" Muller, recently parodied Elvis's "Burning Love" song with
"Burning Mosques," she adds. When CAIR gets hate mail and phone calls,
they
nearly always parrot, word for word, what is said on those sites and
shows.
Ms. Hassan and others are also concerned about the message sent by the
Bush
administration's ties to Christian evangelical leaders like Franklin
Graham
or Jerry Falwell - who has harshly portrayed the prophet Muhammad - and
the
fact that Bush recently nominated Daniel Pipes, seen as anti-Muslim by
many
in the Islamic community, to the board of the US Institute of Peace…
-----
NEWS RELEASE
FORMER CONGRESSMAN FILES SUIT TO BLOCK IRAQ WAR
LINCOLN, NE -- Former Representative Clair Callan under his case
4:03cv360
now before the US District Court for Nebraska, has filed a motion for a
temporary restraining order enjoining the President of the United
States to
cease all non-defensive actions against Iraq.
Congressman Callan will hold a press conference by telephone at 10:00
AM
Eastern Friday, April 11, to answer questions that the media may have.
The
call-in number can be obtained by calling 510-220-1414.
Callan said the evidence clearly shows that the President's actions are
in
violation of International law as defined by the Nuremberg Tribunal. A
hearing regarding crimes of war should be held post haste.
"The Iraqis are now at the mercy of the United States. The killing
should
stop. The war has been won. It is a technical knock-out," said Callan.
Callan said he is also asking the Congress to take an active interest
in
the peace process. "The Congress can stop the killing because it
controls
the purse. It will, of course, appropriate the funds to protect the
troops
and bring them home," he said.
"It would be a disastrous mistake to operate the peace and rebuild Iraq
outside the United Nations. The UN must be the lead agency. The United
States has veto power in the UN Security Council.
The young men and women who lost their lives will not have died in
vain. If
this war can be stopped without further bloodshed the brave and capable
people of our armed forces will have saved the life and future of
unknown
thousands of the world's citizens.
At the same time they will have ensured the world that for the first
and
last time the President, no President, will unilaterally declare war
preemptively."
Clare Callan, 83, was a member of the 89th Congress. He served as a
Lieutenant with the U.S. Naval Reserve in World War II aboard a
Destroyer
in the Pacific and on the aircraft carrier USS Rendova.
Contact: Farhan Memon, 510.220.1414
-----
ARAB JOURNALIST COMMENTS ON PIPES NOMINATION
Today: The Battle for Baghdad (7:00 AM ET) - NBC, April 9, 2003
Wednesday
Diplomatic correspondent Raghida Dergham discusses the leadership of
post-war Iraq
ANCHORS: KATIE COURIC; TOM BROKAW
REPORTERS: RAGHIDA DERGHAM
KATIE COURIC, co-host:
Raghida Dergham is a diplomat--a diplomatic correspondent for Al Hayat,
an
Arab language newspaper, and she's also an NBC News analyst. She
reported
on the first Gulf War for the United Nations.
DERGHAM: We read recently that President Bush wants to nominate Daniel
Pipes for a position in terms--one particular position that is meant to
be
really for more peaceful resolution, for more debate. Now Daniel Pipes
is
known clearly for his dislike and hate, actually, for Arabs, for
Muslims.
By appointing such a person, the president would be sending the wrong
message to the region. Just li--let--let this administration take a
good
look at all the options and what sort of message is going out there.
Details, important details.
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE ASKED TO REJECT DANIEL PIPES' NOMINATION
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=141&page=AA
NEW: THE TRUTH ABOUT DANIEL PIPES
http://www.mpac.org/home_article_display.aspx?ITEM=491
-----
PUNISHING FOREIGN STUDENTS: A BAD IDEA
Max Paul Friedman, Tallahassee Democrat, 4/9/03
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/opinion/5587499.htm
As Florida legislators consider a bill to cut off state assistance to
students from "terrorist countries," they should realize that they are
unlikely to harm any terrorists, but they will hurt Florida and the
United
States.
House Bill 31, introduced by Rep. Dick Kravitz, R-Jacksonville, would
ban
Florida funds from going to students from Iran, Iraq, Libya, North
Korea,
Sudan and Syria. "They are going back to countries whose regimes are
out to
get us," Kravitz says.
That is exactly the point. Foreign students who return home are
America's
secret weapon in the war for international public opinion. Many young
people from those countries, raised on a bewildering cocktail of
Hollywood
images and anti-American propaganda, think they know what the United
States
is: a land of artificial culture and degraded values, or an imperial
bully.
That is, unless they are able to come here and see for themselves...
When President Bush was in Florida in February, he said that he was
sending
U.S. forces to fight "the oppressors of Iraq, not the people of Iraq."
Indeed, the trend in international relations in recent years has been
to
try to develop "smart sanctions" that undermine outlaw regimes without
hurting ordinary people. House Bill 31 is rather in the category of a
"dumb
sanction," one that will do nothing to harm the regimes in question,
while
damaging potential allies and unintentionally injuring our own
interests...
-----
LIBRARIANS MAKE SOME NOISE OVER PATRIOT ACT
Rene Sanchez, Washington Post, 4/10/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1481-2003Apr9.html
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. - Every public computer inside this city's
library
has a new warning taped to its screen. Beware, the message says,
anything
you read is now subject to secret scrutiny by federal agents.
"We felt strongly that this had to be done," said librarian Linda
Wilson.
"The government has never had this kind of power before. It feels like
Big
Brother."
Wilson is not accustomed to protest. Her days are spent quietly tending
to
aisles of books in this immigrant community near Los Angeles. But now
she
is at the forefront of an unusual rebellion.
Across the country, in a movement that belies their staid image,
librarians
are rising up in anger and rallying against a law the Justice
Department
calls one of its most important new tools to help catch terrorists
before
they strike.
The USA Patriot Act, swiftly approved by Congress after the Sept. 11,
2001,
terrorist attacks, gives federal investigators greater authority to
examine
all book and computer records at libraries...
"This law is dangerous," said Emily Sheketoff, executive director of
the
ALA's Washington office. "I read murder mysteries -- does that make me
a
murderer? I read spy stories -- does that mean I'm a spy? There's no
clear
link between a person's intellectual pursuits and their actions..."
Last month, Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation to
exempt
library and bookstore records from the Patriot Act. Several dozen other
lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, have endorsed the measure.
It
also has the backing of the American Library Association and the
American
Booksellers Association.
"Obviously, we're aware of the dangers of terrorism," Sanders said.
"But we
don't want to see September 11 being used as an opportunity to take
away
basic constitutional rights..."
-----
IRAQIS NOW WAITING FOR AMERICANS TO LEAVE
Burt Herman, Associated Press, 4/10/03
AMARAH, Iraq - Local leaders were adamant when the U.S. Marines came
into
this eastern city: They didn't want to see U.S. flags, didn't want
Iraqi
flags torn down and didn't want soldiers interacting with their women
at
checkpoints.
"The Americans are not the best at knowing what's good for Iraq. The
Iraqis
are," a man identified as the leader of freedom fighters who liberated
this
Shiite town from government control told Brig. Gen. Rich Natonski,
commander of Task Force Tarawa, over tea at a local sheik's house.
Iraqis cheered U.S. troops who rolled tanks into Baghdad and knocked
over a
40-foot statue of President Saddam Hussein on Wednesday, happy to see
their
oppressive leader ousted. But they are also reluctant to give up too
much
control in the rapidly shifting political landscape - and already
wondering
how soon the Americans will go...
Foreign troops in other conflicts have often worn out an initial
welcome.
Shiite Muslims showered the Israeli army with rice when it entered
Lebanon
in 1982 to root out guerrillas. Many Roman Catholics welcomed British
troops into Northern Ireland in 1969.
"But when they began to put up checkpoints, barbed-wire perimeters and
limited population movements, attitudes began to change," said Sandra
Mitchell, an International Rescue Committee lawyer who has worked
missions
in Kosovo and Bosnia...
SEE ALSO:
US HAWKS SET SIGHTS ON IRAN, SYRIA AS BAGHDAD FALLS
Arshad Mohammed, Reuters, 4/10/03
WASHINGTON - Emboldened by the U.S. military's apparent quick rout of
Iraqi
forces, conservative hawks in America are setting their sights on
regime
change in Iran and Syria.
"It's time to bring down the other terror masters," Michael Ledeen of
the
American Enterprise Institute wrote on Monday -- two days before U.S.
troops swept into the heart of Baghdad -- in a piece entitled "Syria
and
Iran Must Get Their Turn."
"Iran, at least, offers Americans the possibility of a memorable
victory,
because the Iranian people openly loath the regime, and will
enthusiastically combat it, if only the United States supports them in
their just struggle," he added. "Syria cannot stand alone against a
successful democratic revolution that topples tyrannical regimes in
Kabul,
Tehran and Iraq..."
---
ANGER AT 'GOVERNOR' GARNER'S PRO-ISRAEL STANCE
Alex Massie, Scotsman, 4/10/03
http://www.news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=418322003
He is the man tasked with rebuilding Iraq and uniting the ethnic and
religious factions that divide the country. But before he has even
started,
General Jay Garner has come in for a storm of criticism from Arab and
Muslim groups who claim his pro-Israeli views make him the wrong man
for
the job.
Gen Garner has been involved with the Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs (JINSA), has visited Israel, and once signed a
statement
defending Israel and accusing Palestinians of filling their children
with
hate.
"I honestly think when Iraqis find out [about the statement] they are
going
to be genuinely appalled," said Hussein Ibish, a spokesman for the
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Gen Garner, who will run an interim Iraqi authority, was one of more
than
40 retired US military leaders to sign his name to a letter two years
ago
when the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, declared a new intifada
against
Israel.
The letter strongly supported Israel, praising Tel Aviv for exercising
"remarkable restraint" and placed the primary blame for the crisis on
Palestinian leaders...
Richard Murphy, the assistant secretary of state for Near East and
South
Asian relations, during Ronald Reagan's presidency, said: "The
assumption,
unfortunately in Iraq and in the region, is that we're in Iraq to seize
oil
and push it to sign a peace treaty with Israel..."
---
SPOILS OF WAR
Bob Herbert, New York Times, 4/10/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/10/opinion/10HERB.html
Follow the money.
Former Secretary of State George Shultz is on the board of directors of
the
Bechtel Group, the largest contractor in the U.S. and one of the
finalists
in the competition to land a fat contract to help in the rebuilding of
Iraq.
He is also the chairman of the advisory board of the Committee for the
Liberation of Iraq, a fiercely pro-war group with close ties to the
White
House. The committee, formed last year, made it clear from the
beginning
that it sought more than the ouster of Saddam's regime. It was
committed,
among other things, "to work beyond the liberation of Iraq to the
reconstruction of its economy."
War is a tragedy for some and a boon for others. I asked Mr. Shultz if
the
fact that he was an advocate of the war while sitting on the board of a
company that would benefit from it left him concerned about the
appearance
of a conflict of interest...
The Center for Public Integrity, a private watchdog group in
Washington,
recently disclosed that of the 30 members of the board, at least 9 are
linked to companies that have won more than $76 billion in defense
contracts in 2001 and 2002.
Richard Perle was the chairman of the board until just a few weeks ago,
when he resigned the chairmanship amid allegations of a conflict of
interest. He is still on the board...
The war against Iraq has become one of the clearest examples ever of
the
influence of the military-industrial complex that President Dwight
Eisenhower warned against so eloquently in his farewell address in
1961.
This iron web of relationships among powerful individuals inside and
outside the government operates with very little public scrutiny and is
saturated with conflicts of interest...
---
U.S. WAGING INTERNAL BATTLE ON HOW BEST TO REBUILD IRAQ
Warren P. Strobel, Miami Herald, 4/9/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/5590137.htm
WASHINGTON - Even before they're done fighting Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein's regime, U.S. officials are escalating their battle with one
another over how to rule and rebuild his shattered country.
On Sunday, U.S. military helicopters airlifted controversial Iraqi
exile
leader Ahmed Chalabi and 700 of his men to southern Iraq, despite the
strong objections of the State Department, according to several U.S.
officials.
State Department officials and their counterparts at the CIA question
both
Chalabi's honesty and his countrymen's eagerness to welcome him home. A
CIA
report recently distributed to policymakers says the London-based,
U.S.-educated exile has little backing among the Iraqi people,
according to
officials who have read it...
---
REUTERS PHOTO OF STRIP SEARCHED IRAQI POWS
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030409/170/3r5mi.html
Iraqi soldiers are rounded up, stripped and interrogated by the U.S.
Marine
Scouts of the Second Tank Battalion after a short fire fight northeast
of
Baghdad, April 9, 2003.
-----
ISRAEL EYES IRAQI OIL
Simon Wilson, BBC, 4/10/03
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2933557.stm
An Israeli minister says he wants to reopen a pipeline which has been
closed for more than fifty years to bring Iraqi oil through Jordan to
Israel's Mediterranean coast.
A spokesman for the infrastructure minister, Joseph Paritzky, said the
move
would cut fuel costs in Israel and help regenerate the port city of
Haifa.
There has been no official comment yet from Jordan, but any suggestion
that
Israel might benefit from the fall of Saddam Hussein is likely to
enrage
many people in Arab countries...
SEE ALSO:
ISRAEL TO PALESTINIANS LEARN LESSON OF IRAQ WAR
Matt Spetalnick, Reuters, 4/10/03
JERUSALEM - Israel said on Thursday it hoped the fall of Iraqi
President
Saddam Hussein would teach the Palestinians the lesson that they must
install new leaders and stop their uprising for independence.
But militant groups spearheading the 30-month-old revolt said they
would
not be cowed by the U.S. conquest of Baghdad and instead threatened to
intensify attacks on Israel.
Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz hammered home his government's
wish
that the U.S.-led war on Iraq would not only eliminate one of Israel's
sworn enemies but chasten Palestinian militants into laying down their
arms.
"I hope that in the era after the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime,
the
Palestinians will understand that the world has changed," he told
reporters...
Since the invasion began three weeks ago, Israel has stayed on the
sidelines and kept a low profile at the behest of Washington, its
guardian
and ally.
But an Israeli political source said there was little doubt that Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon was pleased that the rule of Saddam, one of
Israel's
fiercest foes, was coming to an end...
---
ISRAEL COMMENTS DOG VA. CONGRESSMAN
Associated Press, 4/10/03
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Rep. James P. Moran, who suggested last month that
American Jews had nudged the nation into war, has offended some Jews
again
by suggesting a pro-Israel lobbying group will finance an effort to
unseat him.
The Virginia Democrat suggested at a recent party meeting that the
lobbying
group will raise $2 million in an effort to defeat him next year.
Moran, a seven-term incumbent, said the American Israel Public Action
Committee (AIPAC) has begun organizing against him and will "direct a
campaign against me and take over the campaign of a Democratic
opponent,"
the Washington Post reported Thursday...
In an interview Wednesday, Moran said he was simply "relaying what I
had
heard" from a fellow House member about fund-raising activity against
him
by AIPAC members in Florida. He said he didn't know if it was true but
added, "It's conceivable."
"You'd have to be naive not to recognize that AIPAC is a very important
network of people organized around a cause .... But if I have to run
against a national network that I don't have the ability to communicate
with, it's going to be very difficult."
---
ISRAEL'S INFLUENCE IN AMERICA
Washington Post, 4/10/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1544-2003Apr9.html
In his April 5 op-ed column, "Scapegoat Syndrome," about concerns over
Jewish influence on U.S. foreign policy, Colbert I. King dismissed out
of
hand the idea that Israel's interests are being served at the expense
of
U.S. interests. Instead of addressing such concerns, he resorted to
name-calling and to the charge that is supposed to shut anyone up:
anti-Semitism.
Instead of discussing the data that Ed Kwiatkowski presented -- either
to
demolish it or to benignly interpret it -- Mr. King faulted Mr.
Kwiatkowski
simply for collecting the data.
This approach is not going to dispel concerns. This crucial issue needs
to
be dissected.
WAGUIH DRAZ
Cairo
---
Colbert I. King is sobered by "the realization that there are people in
this country who regard Jews as so dangerous that they bear watching
and
keeping tabs on their comings and goings in government and in other
positions of influence in society."
A fascinating observation. However, it is not Jews but Muslims and
Arabs
who are being watched by their own government. Muslim and Arab
countries
and charities are put on official lists as supporting terrorism, and
rumor,
innuendo and secret evidence are used to round up racially profiled
suspects, strip them of their rights and charge them with being
terrorists.
Recently, Robert J. Goldstein was arrested for allegedly plotting to
blow
up as many as 50 mosques in the Tampa area. Mr. Goldstein, who is
Jewish,
allegedly wanted to make a statement for "his people" after the Sept.
11,
2001, attacks. He had in his possession more than 30 explosive devices,
including light-armor rockets, hand grenades and a gasoline bomb. But
he
was not charged with being a terrorist. Apparently, that privilege is
reserved for Arabs and Muslims.
Perhaps if Israel did not receive such massive amounts of U.S. taxpayer
money, weapons and political support; perhaps if Israel were not waging
such a brutal and racist war against the Palestinians; perhaps if
Israel
didn't have such a loud voice in America's political process,
sidelining
politicians who show even an iota of sympathy for the Palestinians;
perhaps
if Israel weren't in the process of bulldozing Palestinian homes and
confiscating Palestinian land and building apartheid walls -- well,
perhaps
then the threat of anti-Semitism would not be rearing its ugly head.
Racism is wrong -- period. The United States' support of Israel has
ramifications worldwide, empowering sick lunatics such as Osama bin
Laden
and Saddam Hussein, who hijack the Palestinians' suffering and just
cause
for complaint.
ANNE SELDEN ANNAB
Mechanicsburg, Pa.
-----
CAIR-FL ANNUAL BANQUET APRIL 19
WHAT: CAIR Florida's Annual Banquet: A Vision For Our Future
Confirmed Speakers:
Omar Ahmed, Keynote Speaker, Chairman of Board, CAIR-National
Jason Erb, Governmental Affairs Director, CAIR-National
Derrick Daniel, Director, Florida Commission on Human Relations
Imam Musri, Islamic Society of Central Florida
Mark Schlakman, Program Director, Center for Advancement of Human
Rights,
Florida State University
Bonus Attraction: Concert by Zain Bikha, Recorded over 30 Islamic songs
including those with his mentor Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
WHEN: Saturday, April 19 at 5 PM
WHERE: Hyatt Orlando at Walt Disney World
6375 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway
Kissimmee, Florida 34747
Tel: 407 396 1234
To Register Online go to:
http://www.cair-florida.org/banquet or call: 954-916-5661 (Limited
number
of tickets available). Tickets $5 adults, $30 for Youth (under 16),
children under 6 FREE. Baby sitting available.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Any person with a current Student ID can purchase
Banquet
tickets at $30 - a 33% discount from the full price.
-----
DC FUNDRAISER FOR AL-ARIAN DEFENSE FUND
WHAT: Fundraiser for the defense fund of Dr. Sami Al Arian
WHEN: ICC Galleria, Georgetown University - 37th and O Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20057
WHERE: Friday, April 10 at 7:30 P.M.
Families: $50 (max. 4 members)
(Tickets will be sold at the door)
If you are interested in contributing to his legal defense fund:
Legal Defense Fund
First Union National Bank
Routing: 055003201
Account #: 2000007044261
Or make checks payable to Legal Defense Fund and mail to:
Legal Defense Fund
P.O. Box 22580
Alexandria, VA 22304
CASH DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
CAIR ACTION ALERT #379
ASK SENATE TO REJECT DANIEL PIPES NOMINATION
Nominee called PBS documentary on Prophet Muhammad an 'outrage'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/11/2003) - CAIR is urging people of conscience
nationwide to contact the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Committee to ask that committee members reject the nomination of
Muslim-basher Daniel Pipes to the board of the United States Institute
of
Peace (USIP).
The USIP is a federal taxpayer-funded institution created by Congress
to
promote the peaceful resolution of international conflicts. Its board
of
directors is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
(No
date for the Senate nomination hearing has been set.)
During a recent radio interview, Pipes supported the profiling of
Muslims
and Arabs, refused to condemn the internment of Japanese-Americans
during
World War II and justified his previous suggestion that Israel "raze"
Palestinian villages. In a post-9/11 interview, Pipes said: "What we
need
to do is snarl, not be nice. What we need to do is inspire fear, not
affection."
A recent article in today's Forward newspaper states: "[Pipes] espouses
a
theory of conflict resolution that rests on the assumption that peace
usually is achieved only by one side defeating the other with military
force or other pressure, and only rarely through reconciliation or
negotiation."
SEE: "Foreign Policy Scholars Criticize Pipes Nomination"
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.04.11/news5.html
Pipes, regarded by many Muslims as America's leading Islamophobe, has
called for increased surveillance of ordinary American Muslims and
claims
10 to 15 percent of Muslims are "potential killers." He has also
decried
any positive portrayal of Islamic history and beliefs in public schools
and
termed the PBS documentary "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet" an
"outrage."
In an October 21, 2001, speech before the convention of the American
Jewish
Congress, Pipes stated: "I worry very much from the Jewish point of
view
that the presence, and increased stature, and affluence, and
enfranchisement of American Muslims...will present true dangers to
American
Jews."
Last year, Pipes faced a storm of criticism when he launched Campus
Watch,
a web site that included "dossiers" on professors and academic
institutions
thought to be too critical of Israel or too sympathetic to Islam and
Muslims.
SEE: "Who is Daniel Pipes?"
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
"The Truth About Daniel Pipes"
http://www.mpac.org/home_article_display.aspx?ITEM=491
CAIR has urged President Bush to rescind Pipes' nomination because of
his
"long history of advocating the political disenfranchisement and
marginalization of America's Islamic community."
SEE: "Muslims Protest Bush Nominee"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42881-2003Apr6.html
"U.S. Institute of Peace Asked to Reject Daniel Pipes' Nomination"
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=141&page=AA
In his letter to the president, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad
wrote:
"Unfortunately, no credible Muslim leader in the United States or
around
the world could cooperate with an organization in which Pipes has a
decision-making role…Pipes' bigoted views have been instrumental in
widening the divide between faiths and cultures."
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.)
1) Contact the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
chairman to request that Daniel Pipes nomination be rejected.
Contact:
Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Chairman
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6300
TEL: (202) 224-5375, Majority Staff: (202) 224-6770, Minority Staff:
(202)
224-0767 FAX: (202) 228-5044
E-MAIL: greggstaff@labor.senate.gov
COPY TO: senator@kennedy.senate.gov, cair@cair-net.org
2) Contact the committee member who represents your state to ask that
Pipes' nomination be rejected. Send copies of correspondence to the
other
members of the committee.
LIST OF OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
http://health.senate.gov/committee_members.html
Ranking Member: Edward Kennedy (MA)
202-224-4543 Phone
202-224-2417 Fax
Republicans:
Bill Frist (TN)
202-224-3344 Phone
202-228-1264 Fax
Mike Enzi (WY)
202-224-3424 Phone
202-228-0359 Fax
Lamar Alexander (TN)
202-224-4944 Phone
202-228-3398 Fax
Christopher Bond (MO)
202-224-5721 Phone
202-224-8149 Fax
Mike DeWine (OH)
202-224-2315 Phone
202-224-6519 Fax
Pat Roberts (KS)
202-224-4774 Phone
202-224-3514 Fax
Jeff Sessions (AL)
202-224-4124 Phone
202-224-3149 Fax
John Ensign (NV)
202-224-6244 Phone
202-228-2193 Fax
Lindsey Graham (SC)
202-224-5972 Phone
202-224-1189 Fax
John Warner (VA)
202-224-2023 Phone
202-224-6295 Fax
Democrats:
Christopher Dodd (CT)
202-224-2823 Phone
202-224-1083 Fax
Tom Harkin (IA)
202-224-3254 Phone
202-224-9369 Fax
Barbara Mikulski (MD)
202-224-4654 Phone
202-224-8858 Fax
Patty Murray (WA)
202-224-2621 Phone
202-224-0238 Fax
Jeff Bingaman (NM)
202-224-5521 Phone
202-224-2852 Fax
Jack Reed (RI)
202-224-4642 Phone
202-224-4680 Fax
John Edwards (NC)
202-224-3154 Phone
202-228-1374 Fax
Hillary Clinton (NY)
202-224-4451 Phone
202-228-0282 Fax
Independent: James Jeffords (VT)
202-224-5141 Phone
202-228-0776 Fax
Contact Information for the committee:
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6300
(202) 224-5375 - voice
(202) 228-5044 - Fax
Majority Staff #: (202) 224-6770
Minority Staff #: (202) 224-0767
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/11/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE MOST EXCELLENT DEED
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5244 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* SEATTLE MUSLIM RECEIVES SUPPORT AFTER SLUR (Seattle PI)
* FOREIGN POLICY SCHOLARS CRITICIZE PIPES NOMINATION (Forward)
- Nomination Draws Fire From Muslim Groups (AP)
- Islamic Institute Calls for Pipes to Apologize
* MILITARY TO TAP INTERIM RULERS (LA Times)
- U.S. Plans to Run Iraqi Oil for a While (Reuters)
- Sheik's Appointment Triggers Protests (Wash. Post)
- US Discovered 'Found' Nuclear Materials (AP)
- Number of Iraqi Dead May Be Unknowable (NY Times)
- Baghdad's Fall Doesn't Lift U.S. Image Abroad (WSJ)
- Marrying Islam and Democracy (SF Chronicle)
- Decoding Iraq's Symbols of Celebration (BBC)
- US Lobby Could Threaten Iraqi Heritage (Guardian)
* ICNA SEEKS FUNDS FOR IRAQ RELIEF
* CANADIAN JEWISH GROUPS TRY BLOCK AL-JAZEERA (Globe and Mail)
* ISRAELI FIRE CRITICALLY WOUNDS BRITISH ACTIVIST (Reuters)
* HINDUS STOP CHRISTIANS FROM OPENING HOSPITAL IN INDIA (AP)
* U.S. ATTORNEY DEFENDS DETENTION OF WITNESS (NY Law Review)
* "NATIONAL LIBERTY FUND" FORMED
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE MOST EXCELLENT DEED
A person once asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was
best
among men. He replied: "Happy is he whose life is long and whose deeds
are
good." The man then asked what deed was most excellent. The Prophet
then
replied: "That you should leave the world with the mention of God fresh
on
your tongue."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 716
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5244 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5244 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
SEATTLE MUSLIM RECEIVES SUPPORT AFTER SLUR
STORE OWNER HOLDS HIS GROUND AGAINST UGLINESS
Robert L. Jamieson Jr., Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 4/11/03
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/jamieson/116946_robert11.html
Using his index finger, Yehya Omer Saleh traces the neon-green letters
someone spray-painted this week on the Dumpster behind Saleh's
Delicatessen, the Ballard-area store that he owns: "Towl Heads."
Saleh sighs.
Hate stings, even when it's just an anonymous dart tossed by a coward
-- a
spelling-challenged coward who likely knows little, if anything, about
the
travails of a business owner who is struggling to make it.
The coward may be unaware of the piercing glares people shoot daily,
poking
tiny, invisible holes in Saleh's soul, especially after 9/11 and the
war
with Iraq.
Some people glance at this man who looks like a grad student in his
rumpled
khakis and T-shirt, and they do not see the story of an immigrant from
Yemen. Nor do they see an all-American guy who loves the Buffalo Bills,
Rosa Parks and Philly cheese steaks, and tapes up handwritten notes as
reminders to "Call Mom."
They see a terrorist behind the counter. A towel head...
A few days before the Dumpster incident, Saleh had to deal with a
bizarre
case of apparent prejudice. A woman in a Range Rover roared into the
parking lot and stormed inside the store.
She was mad because a sign in front of the store said Support Troops --
Bring them Home. She blasted Saleh, lobbing piercing words that
questioned
his American-ness, his heritage. She threatened to call radio and TV
stations to start a boycott. She marched out into the parking lot,
pacing
and huffing into a cell phone before thundering back inside the store
--
and getting in Saleh's face...
After the slur appeared on the Dumpster, the lady who runs the day care
next door rushed over with open arms and tears in her eyes. Another
woman
dashed in and just silently held Saleh's hand.
A brute of a guy barged through the door and squeezed him in a bear
hug.
And the owner of Red Mill burgers dropped by with gift certificates.
Even a
Mr. and Mrs. Steele from the neighborhood brought over roses with a
note:
"Steven, we love you! Do not leave!!!"
Word got around town. Phone calls rolled in. From customers,
strangers...
-----
FOREIGN POLICY SCHOLARS CRITICIZE PIPES NOMINATION
Ori Nir, Forward, 4/11/03
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.04.11/news5.html
WASHINGTON - Foreign policy hands and Middle East pundits responded
with
surprise and disbelief this week to the presidential nomination of
Daniel
Pipes, an outspoken Middle East hawk, to the board of the United States
Institute of Peace, a federal institution dedicated to preventing,
managing
and peacefully resolving international conflicts.
Some scholars say that there is talk of organizing an effort among
academics to oppose the nomination, either through a letter-writing
campaign or congressional testimony...
"The U.S. Institute of Peace is a federally funded institution based on
American democratic values, which is known for treading the middle
ground,"
said Judith Kipper, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Pipes, Kipper
said,
"has very extreme views."
"They could definitely get a more objective person for the job," said
the
veteran Middle East scholar Don Peretz, professor emeritus of political
science at the State University of New York at Binghamton. "I don't
think
his views are conducive to the objectives of the U.S. Institute of
Peace,
which are to work toward peaceful resolution of conflicts..."
No less contrary to liberal convention are Pipes's views on conflict
resolution, the core mission of the U.S. Institute for Peace. Peace,
Pipes
explained to the Forward this week, is possible "when one side gives up
its
goals." And that, he argues, almost always comes as a result of utter
defeat...
SEE ALSO:
NOMINATION TO PEACE THINK TANK DRAWS FIRE FROM MUSLIM GROUPS
David B. Caruso, Associated Press, 4/11/03
PHILADELPHIA - Muslim groups were stunned last week when President Bush
nominated Daniel Pipes to the board of the United States Institute of
Peace, a federal think tank established to promote the resolution of
world
conflicts.
For years, the hawkish director of the Philadelphia-based Middle East
Forum
has been saying that when it comes to militant Islam, the time for
peace is
past...
"What we need to do is snarl, not be nice. What we need to do is
inspire
fear, not affection," he said in one post-Sept. 11 interview.
But the Harvard-trained scholar has also drawn the wrath of Muslim
groups
for declaring that there is a fifth column of Islamic extremists in the
United States conspiring to replace the U.S. Constitution with the
Koran.
Pipes insists, unflinchingly, that at least 1 in 10 of the Muslims in
the
United States are militants, and by definition a danger to the national
fabric...
His further suggestion that the government needs to monitor Muslims and
mosques has sparked accusations of bigotry from groups such as the
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Arab American
Institute.
"For someone like that to be nominated to the Institute of Peace is
astounding," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for The Council on American
Islamic Relations...
Ted Galen Carpenter, vice president for defense and foreign policy
studies
at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said that if
confirmed,
Pipes would mark a substantial swing to the right for the Institute of
Peace.
"He is perhaps the most extreme hawk that you could find," Carpenter
said.
"This is really a barometer of the neo-conservative mood of this
administration..."
---
ISLAMIC INSTITUTE CALLS FOR PIPES TO APOLOGIZE OR DECLINE NOMINATION
Press Release, 4/11/03
The Islamic Institute, a Washington, DC-based advocacy group today
called
on Daniel Pipes to retract his many offensive and bigoted statements
and to
apologize for his promotion of racial, religious, and ethnic
stereotyping
and hatred. Daniel Pipes, the founder of the Middle East Forum, was
nominated last week to the board of directors of the U.S. Institute for
Peace, a federally-funded think tank created by Congress to promote the
prevention and peaceful resolution of international conflicts.
Khaled Saffuri, Executive Director for the Islamic Institute, stated,
"If
Pipes fails to do apologize for his many bigoted statements and
writings,
he should withdraw his nomination from the US Institute for Peace.
Daniel
Pipes has made it his mission to promote hate and bigotry and to divide
people. The US Institute for Peace needs a person who brings the many
cultures, religions and ethnicities of our diverse world together, not
someone who seeks to divide people based on race or religion...."
Daniel Pipes has made a series of statements considered offensive by
Muslims, African-Americans, and immigrants. In some instances, Pipes
has
even attempted to "reeducate" Muslims about what he believes they
should
believe as followers of Islam.
SEE: www.islamicinstitute.org
-----
MILITARY TO TAP INTERIM RULERS
Robin Wright, Los Angeles Times, 4/11/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-war-powell10apr10011417,0,5057419.story
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said Wednesday that the
U.S. military will select emerging leaders in postwar Iraq to help
create a
new Interim Iraqi Authority to replace Saddam Hussein, but the United
Nations will not play a leading role in the political transformation.
The United States is scrambling to pull together the first of several
meetings of "free Iraqis," probably to be held next week at an airbase
outside Nasiriyah, to debate the form and makeup of the new local and
national governments, according to U.S. officials.
Despite strong warnings from European allies about the need for U.N.
involvement in all aspects of postwar Iraq, Powell forcefully rejected
the
prospects of a U.N. supervisory role in the political process during
the
transition...
In a move that could trigger a new confrontation, the United States
would
instead seek a new U.N. resolution to formally recognize that the
U.S.-led
coalition is the legitimate governing authority...
SEE ALSO:
U.S. PLANS TO RUN IRAQI OIL FOR A WHILE
Reuters, 4/11/03
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to run Iraq (news - web
sites)'s oil industry until an Iraqi interim authority can be formed to
take it over, sources familiar with the evolving plan said on Friday.
It is uncertain how long the United States would operate Iraq's oil
industry, the country's main source of revenue. U.S. officials say they
want to turn over Iraqi ministries to Iraqis as quickly as possible…
The Defense Department is considering putting in place an advisory
board of
former U.S. oil industry executives to help run Iraq's oil industry,
the
head of which is likely to be Philip Carroll, a former chief executive
of
Shell Oil Co., sources said…
---
SHEIK'S APPOINTMENT BY BRITISH TRIGGERS PROTESTS AND ACCUSATIONS
Susan B. Glasser, Washington Post, 4/11/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5294-2003Apr10.html
BASRA, Iraq, April 10 -- For several days, he was known here as "the
secret
sheik," revealed only as a high-ranking tribal leader tapped by the
British
military to begin restoring some semblance of a government to this
large
southern city.
Today, Sheik Muzahim Mustafa Kanan Tameemi went public, meeting with a
council of about 30 local leaders designated to start running Basra.
Tameemi, a former brigadier general in the army of Saddam Hussein and a
onetime member of Hussein's now-fallen Baath Party, was considered
sufficiently anti-Hussein by British officials for the post.
But the announcement of his appointment was greeted by political
tumult. A
rival tribe nearly rioted, throwing stones at Tameemi's home in the
suburb
of Zubair. In one slum neighborhood of the city, there was a protest
march
of Shiite Muslims sympathetic to Iran. It all suggested how difficult
it
will be to find prominent Iraqis to incorporate into a new
administration
to replace the Baathists...
---
EXPERTS SAY U.S. `DISCOVERY' OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS IN IRAQ WAS BREACH OF
U.N.-MONITORED SITE
William J. Kole, Associated Press, 4/11/03
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/100/world/Experts_say_U_S_discovery_of_n:.shtml
VIENNA, Austria - American troops who suggested they uncovered evidence
of
an active nuclear weapons program in Iraq unwittingly may have stumbled
across known stocks of low-grade uranium, officials said Thursday. They
said the U.S. troops may have broken U.N. seals meant to keep control
of
the radioactive material.
Leaders of a U.S. Marine Corps combat engineering unit claimed earlier
this
week to have found an underground network of laboratories, warehouses
and
bombproof offices beneath the closely monitored Tuwaitha nuclear
research
center just south of Baghdad...
But an expert familiar with U.N. nuclear inspections told The
Associated
Press that it was implausible to believe that U.S. forces had uncovered
anything new at the site. Instead, the official said, the Marines
apparently broke U.N. seals designed to ensure the materials aren't
diverted for weapons use or end up in the wrong hands...
---
NUMBER OF IRAQI DEAD MAY BE UNKNOWABLE
John M. Broder, New York Times, 4/11/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/10/international/worldspecial/10CASU.html
DOHA, Qatar, April 9 - The effort to number the dead on the Iraqi side
in
the war begins with a conundrum: who is a civilian and who is a
soldier?
In Basra, for example, ambulance drivers and hospital workers estimate
that
they have handled between 1,000 and 2,000 corpses in three weeks of
war.
Some were clearly military: they wore uniforms and military boots.
Others
were obviously civilians: women, children and older people. Some were
burned or blasted beyond recognition by bombs, artillery or grenades...
One military official here said the number of Iraqi dead was certainly
high
but ultimately unknowable.
"In the bombing of the different divisions, the destruction there was
terrifying," the official said, speaking on condition that he not be
named.
"Whole divisions were destroyed. Many went home, but many were killed.
It
won't be until after the war that we get a better accounting, if
then..."
The bombing campaign that accompanied ground actions to squeeze Iraqi
military units into ever-smaller "kill boxes" almost certainly left
thousands of soldiers dead, perhaps tens of thousands. But the world
will
probably never know how many, and no Iraqi authority is left to count
them
and notify their families.
---
BAGHDAD'S FALL DOESN'T LIFT U.S. IMAGE ABROAD
Wall Street Journal, 4/11/03
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Might still doesn't make right.
That was the global verdict yesterday on the fall of Baghdad and the
apparent U.S. victory in Iraq. Interviews with leaders and average
people
in a dozen countries indicated that the view of the U.S. as an arrogant
power acting alone was unchanged, despite pictures of joyous Iraqis
celebrating in the capital...
Though admiration of American military prowess was widespread, many
people
said they remained furious at the U.S. for launching a war without
broad
international support. They also expressed alarm that over the longer
term,
victory in Iraq would lead the U.S. to make "regime change" a pillar of
its
foreign policy -- with global stability taking a back seat...
Many people interviewed showed particular animus for President Bush and
his
policies. "I have lost the good image of the U.S., especially since
Bush
became president," said Masayuki Ishiwata, a 35-year-old salesman in
Japan.
"Bush forced his way into war. . . . [As long as] Bush remains
president,
the U.S. will lose the respect from the world."
"The U.S. will probably get more swaggering," said Bu Weibin, 33, an
insurance consultant for a U.S. company in Beijing. "I think President
Bush
would go on to eliminate other evil-axis countries, which are North
Korea
and Iran. China is also facing this threat. Remember the spy-plane and
embassy-bombing episodes? These are very dangerous signals..."
"America is now the only factor destabilizing world security," said
17-year-old Dmitri Lon. Mr. Lon said he had watched Fox News on
satellite
TV and was stunned by the station's "sheer propaganda..."
---
MARRYING ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY
Joan Ryan, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/11/03
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/11/ED187527.DTL
U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice assured reporters last
week
that the new government "will be broad-based, drawing from all of
Iraq's
religious and ethnic groups, including Iraqis inside and outside of
Iraq.
It will be a means for Iraqis to participate immediately in the
economic
and political reconstruction of their country."
In other words, they will decide for themselves who their leaders will
be
and what their government will look like. If you're a liberator, this
is
the one drawback to democracy. You cannot "install" a democracy. If you
did, of course, the resulting government would not be a democracy.
There
cannot be democracy without independence.
So the American public has to be prepared to accept that the Iraqis'
choice
of leaders -- indeed their very interpretation of democracy -- might
not be
what we had in mind. One aspect in particular might be especially
disturbing to Americans: Iraqis are not likely to leave Islam in a
drawer
at home as they gather to form their government.
The separation of church and state is alien to Islamic history. For
many --
if not most -- Muslims in the Arab world, the divine and the secular
are
one. They do not compartmentalize; for them, Islam predominates over
every
human activity.
"If we understand democracy as a form of government that is respective
of
and responsive to the wishes of the majority of the people, then some
form
of 'Islamicity' is going to be part of the new government," said Hamid
Algar, who has been a professor of Islamic studies at UC Berkeley for
more
than 30 years...
Islam is so interwoven into the daily lives of Muslims that banishing
it
from political life is not possible, Algar said...
There is no blueprint for Iraq to follow in rebuilding its government.
America has much guidance to offer, having sustained a thriving
democracy
for more than 200 years. But in the end, we must keep our word. The
Iraqis
must fashion a democracy for themselves, no matter how different from
our own.
---
DECODING IRAQ'S SYMBOLS OF CELEBRATION
BBC, 4/10/03
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2934011.stm
There was rich symbolism in the way Iraqis celebrated the fall of
Baghdad -
some hurled shoes while others brandished small clay discs. What do
these
actions and symbols represent?
The shoe equates the person with the dirt people step on
The whereabouts of the man himself may be a mystery, but locals vented
their anger at Saddam Hussein by attacking effigies of the man - with
their
shoes. The imagery is strong - shoes are a symbol of "dirt and
degradation"
in the Arab world, says Professor Faleh Jabar, a writer on Iraqi
culture...
Some of the most fervent celebrants were Baghdad's Shia Muslims, who
had
been oppressed by Saddam Hussein's regime. The clay discs they were
brandishing are called "turbas" and are made from the sacred soil of
Najaf,
where Imam Ali, the founder of the Shia movement, is buried.
A praying Shia will place the disc in front of him to stop his head
touching the ground as he bows to pray. Although turbas were not banned
from sight by the regime, "people did not show them because that would
be
tantamount to political provocation," says Mr Jabar...
---
US LOBBY COULD THREATEN IRAQI HERITAGE
Donald MacLeod, Guardian UK, 4/10/03
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,9830,933876,00.html
Apparent lobbying by American art dealers to dismantle Iraq's strict
export
laws has heightened fears about the looting of the country's
antiquities as
order breaks down in the last stages of the war.
After the last gulf war a lot of treasures disappeared onto the black
market and archaeologists in Britain and the US are concerned this will
be
repeated on a much larger scale in the power vacuum after the fall of
Saddam Hussein, as happened in Afghanistan. For poor Iraqis the
temptation
to sell stolen antiquities will be greatly increased if it is known
there
is a ready market in the west.
Iraq, which encompasses Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisation, is so
rich
in remains dating back 10,000 years that it has been described as one
vast
archaeological site.
Dominque Collon, assistant keeper in the department of the ancient near
east at the British Museum, said today that alarm bells had been set
ringing by reports of a meeting between a coalition of antiquities
collectors and arts lawyers, calling itself the American Council for
Cultural Policy (ACCP), with US defence and state department officials
before the start of the war. The group offered help in preserving
Iraq's
invaluable archaeological collections, but archaeologists fear there is
a
hidden agenda to ease the way for exports post-Saddam.
The ACCP's treasurer, William Pearlstein, has described Iraq's laws as
"retentionist", and the group includes influential dealers who favour a
relaxation of the current tight restrictions on the ownership and
export of
antiquities...
------
ICNA SEEKS FUNDS FOR IRAQ RELIEF
Islamic Circle of North America is requesting donations in order to
send
needed relief items to Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of families are in
immediate need of help for food, medicines, clean drinking water and
other
life saving supplies.
For online donation, visit www.ReliefOnLine.org
All donations are tax-exempt:
ICNA Relief
166-26, 89th Ave
Jamaica, NY 11432
Phone: 718 658 7028
Fax: 718 658 3434
e-mail: info@ReliefOnLine.org
Toll Free: 1 866 673 4357
-----
JEWISH GROUPS AIM TO BLOCK AL-JAZEERA IN CANADA
James Adams, Toronto Globe and Mail, 4/9/02
http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=itn&Story=211
Canada's two largest Jewish organizations say they plan to oppose an
attempt by the Canadian Cable Television Association to carry the
Al-Jazeera network on its members' digital-cable service.
Calling the Qatar-based network "anti-Semitic," the Canadian Jewish
Congress and B'nai Brith Canada will intervene in hearings against the
CCTA
plan. Last week, the association, as a prelude for licensing hearings,
asked that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications
Commission
include Al-Jazeera as part of a bundle of "ethnic" channels on the
CRTC's
list of eligible satellite services.
At the same time, the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations says it
will intervene in favour of Al-Jazeera, arguing "it would broaden the
horizon of the Canadian public" with respect to issues in the Middle
East
and Afghanistan...
-----
ISRAELI FIRE CRITICALLY WOUNDS BRITISH ACTIVIST
Reuters, 4/11/03
RAFAH, Gaza Strip - Israeli troops shot and critically wounded a
British
peace activist helping Palestinian children cross a street under
gunfire on
Friday, fellow activists and hospital officials said.
Tom Handoll was one of 12 members of the International Solidarity
Movement
(ISM) who on Thursday went to the Rafah refugee camp on the Egyptian
border
to protest at continued Israeli shooting in the area, said ISM member
Nick
Smith.
According to Smith the 21-year-old Handoll was shot in the head as he
tried
to help a group of children cross a street in an area under Israeli
gunfire.
Ali Musa, director of the Rafah hospital, said Handoll's brain had been
damaged and that he was "clinically dead..."
-----
HINDU HARD-LINERS STOP CHRISTIANS FROM OPENING HOSPITAL IN WESTERN
INDIA
RUPAK SANYAL, Associated Press, 4/11/03
AHMADABAD, India (AP) - Hindu hard-liners on Friday attacked a newly
built
health center in western India that was funded by a U.S.-based
Christian
group, preventing the clinic from holding its opening ceremony, police
said.
Supporters of the World Hindu Council smashed windows and damaged the
doors
of the health center in Limbdi, a village in Gujarat state, said K.
Nimama,
a police official.
"The health center was to be formally handed over to the villagers of
Limbdi this morning by AICC leaders," said Samson Christian, a
spokesman
for the All India Christian Council, which represents Christian groups
in
India.
"But when our teams reached Limbdi, they found all the banners and
decorations along the road approaching the new hospital had been
destroyed," he said...
Washington D.C.-based Operation Mobilization International donated the
money to build the health center through its India chapter, which has
worked on education and public health projects in India since the
mid-1970s.
The Gujarat government, ruled by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's
Bharatiya Janata Party, has been accused of failing to curb violence by
Hindu hard-line groups against Muslim and Christian minorities living
in
the state.
-----
U.S. ATTORNEY DEFENDS DETENTION OF MATERIAL WITNESS FOR 9/11 PROCEEDING
Mark Hamblett, New York Law Journal, 4/11/03
http://biz.yahoo.com/law/030411/b59be2d78e892b96705df26a88dac119_1.html
Southern District U.S. Attorney James B. Comey on Thursday defended the
arrest of material witnesses for grand jury proceedings, and said a
judge
was wrong to dismiss perjury charges against a witness who denied
knowing
Sept. 11 hijackers.
Arguing his first appeal before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
since
becoming U.S. Attorney, Comey also gave a spirited defense of an FBI
agent
who was criticized by Judge Shira Scheindlin of the Southern District
of
New York when she ruled in favor of San Diego college student Osama
Awadallah last April.
Comey told the three-judge panel Judge Scheindlin erred in finding that
the
material witness statute -- which allows a witness critical to a
criminal
proceeding to be detained until the witness's testimony can be secured
by
deposition -- does not apply to grand jury proceedings.
But the court surprised both Comey and his opponents, lawyers Robert
Boyle,
Leonard Stern and Diana Parker, by indicating it might not need to rule
on
the scope of the statute...
-----
"NATIONAL LIBERTY FUND" FORMED TO DEFEND CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS
Newly-formed NLF to Focus on Defense of Political and Constitutional
Cases
(Washington, DC, 4/10/03) - Several national and local Muslim leaders,
along with other local civil and human rights activists, announced
today
the formation of the National Liberty Fund to help coordinate community
efforts to defend our civil and political rights.
As a result of the government's failure to protect Americans from
actual
terrorist threats, the Justice Department has resorted more and more to
opportunistic and politically-motivated prosecutions and other
"counterterrorism" measures.
The NLF will focus its initial attention on the case of Dr. Sami
Al-Arian
and his co-defendants, who currently face a 43-count federal indictment
issued on February 20, 2003 in Tampa, Florida.
Due to the highly charged atmosphere surrounding the case, many have
been
intimidated from speaking out or contributing funds to help defend this
and
similar cases. The goal of the NLF is to educate the public on the
facts of
these cases, raise awareness among Muslims and other Americans about
the
dangers of inaction, and mobilize the community in defense of our
constitutional rights.
All those concerned with the protection of our rights are encouraged to
donate and respond.
1) DONATE to the National Liberty Fund to help defray the cost of the
family's legal expenses. Contributions may be made out to the NLF and
mailed to the following address:
National Liberty Fund (NLF)
P.O. Box 22580
Alexandria, VA 22304
info@nationallibertyfund.org
2) RESPOND to action alerts to be issued by NLF on a periodic basis.
NLF
will focus on mobilizing the community to educate the public about the
serious negative impact this type of case has on our nation.
For more information about NLF, or if you would like to organize a
fundraising event for this or a similar case in your area, please email
nlf@yahoo.com.
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
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-----
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 4/12/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: LOVE EACH OTHER
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* INCITEMENT WATCH: BLAME IT ON ISLAM (Orlando Weekly)
* SLUR SCRAWLED ON MUSLIM STUDENT'S DOOR IN ILLINOIS
* PENTAGON SPONSORS FRANKLIN GRAHAM (MPACnews)
* IRAQ NATIONAL MUSEUM TREASURES PLUNDERED (AP)
- US Troops Kill Merchant Defending Shop (AFP)
- Muslims Rescue Baghdad's Jewish Community Center (AFP)
- Perle warns Syria over Iraqi weapons (Reuters)
- G.I. Who Pulled Trigger Shares Anguish (NY Times)
- Legal Duties of U.S. Toward Iraqi Civilians (Reuters)
* YOUNG U.S. MUSLIMS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE (AP)
* PENN. MUSLIM HEADS ANTI-DRUG COALITION (Tribune-Review)
* STATE MUSLIMS BELIEVE SCRUTINY IS UNFAIR (Hartford Courant)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: LOVE EACH OTHER
"The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sent 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 with aversion (to good
deeds);
love each other, and don't disagree."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 275
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT
Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: BLAME IT ON ISLAM
Bob Whitby, Orlando Weekly, 4/10/03
http://www.orlandoweekly.com/slug/index.asp?navId=1031
So why the anti-Shannonism in Orlando? He's been doing his shtick for
better than a year and suddenly someone's paying attention.
That someone is Omar Dajani, a local software developer who has lived
in
Orlando for 20 years and happens to be Muslim. Dajani thinks Burke is
an
ignorant Islam basher, and he's started a website (www.stopshannon.com)
to
make his case. "I actually think he has a hatred against people who are
Muslims," he says. And he has a web page full of quotes from Burke's
show
to back him up.
Like this one, from March 19: "The ideals and tenets of Islam are
pretty
damn dirty." Or this one, from March 18: "The Palestinian people are
apes."
Or this one from March Feb. 27: "The Quran is incredibly violent and
incredibly evil…"
So what's wrong with a little free speech, even if it's hateful and
more
than a little kooky? Nothing, says Dajani. Opinions are like, well, you
know. "Even if he said that Islam was a bad religion, I don't have a
problem with that."
The problem, he says, comes when Burke calls Islam evil. "When
something is
evil, it falls in a special category," says Dajani. "Then you have the
right to annihilate." Especially when we are at war with an evil Muslim
dictator, two out of the three axis of evil countries are Islamic, and
the
evildoers of Sept. 11 were Islamic.
When I called Burke to talk about Dajani, he urged me to make sure the
quotes are accurate. They are. Dajani records virtually every one of
Burke's shows. I listened to the tapes.
Then Burke explained how careful he is to distinguish between
"terrorists"
and run-of-the-mill Muslims. The former are "pigs," "monkeys" and
"apes."
But the latter are his friends. If listeners don't make the
distinction,
hey, he's not going to spoon-feed them...
Ah, semantics. Muhammed Musri, Imam of the Masjid Al-Rahman mosque on
Goldenrod Road, has in fact been on Burke's show three or four times
since
Sept. 11. But he hardly considers the shock jock a friend.
"If he was attacking another religious group it wouldn't be tolerated,"
says Musri. "I haven't heard anything like this against Jews or
Baptists or
anybody. Muslims are bashed every day. America is going through the
growing
pains of understanding this faith..."
And, media savvy guy that he is, Musri suspects there might be another
motive for Burke's sudden interest in Islam. "I don't think [Burke] is
a
bigot or a racist or an Islamophobe. He is a talk-show host. He goes
for
the ratings…"
-----
SLUR SCRAWLED ON MUSLIM STUDENT'S DOOR IN ILLINOIS
CAIR has learned that on April 10, a Muslim student at Illinois State
University (http://www.ilstu.edu) returned to his resident hall to
find, "I
hate you. You terrorist," scrawled on the dry-erase board on his door.
The
student had recently received threatening phone calls, but it is not
clear
whether these calls are related to the hate graffiti.
Campus police officials tell CAIR they are investigating the incident,
and
that if caught, the perpetrator could be subject to Illinois' hate
crimes
statute.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726
-----
PENTAGON SPONSORS FRANKLIN GRAHAM
MPACnews, 4/12/03
http://www.mpac.org/home_article_display.aspx?ITEM=503
Religious members within the Department of Defense are protesting the
Pentagon Chaplain's group sponsorship of an appearance by Franklin
Graham
at a Good Friday Prayer service scheduled for April 18th. Graham, a
Christian fundamentalist, has repeatedly insulted Islam, calling it a
"wicked religion."
He is also planning to evangelize Iraqis under the cover of bringing
humanitarian aid into the country while Iraq is suffering from lack of
food
and water. By affiliating itself with such religious hate-mongering,
the
Bush Administration is sending the wrong message to the world and is
losing
any advantage gained when Iraqis were liberated from the tyranny of
Saddam
Hussein.
The Pentagon is also raising questions about its own motives in the
Middle
East when promoting figures like Graham.
The following is an excerpt of a letter from members of the Pentagon
Chaplain's group:
"...we are deeply dismayed and disappointed that the Pentagon
Chaplain's
Office has invited Mr. Franklin Graham, an extremely controversial and
divisive figure, to perform the Good Friday Services at the Pentagon on
April 18, 2003. Mr. Graham has made recent public statements that are
not
only insulting and offensive to Muslims but also to those who espouse
ecumenism among the faith groups. Mr. Graham's negative statements
concerning Islam and Muslims, which he has never recanted, fly in the
face
of what we stand for as Americans. By sponsoring and promoting a visit
to
the Pentagon by an extreme fundamentalist like Mr. Graham, the Pentagon
Chaplain's Office is sending a message that it and the Department of
Defense condone public displays of attitudes and thoughts that
contradict
not only Department of Defense regulations but also the American ideal
of
religious tolerance. We hope and pray that the Pentagon Chaplain's
Office
will reconsider its invitation to Mr. Graham and instead invite a more
inclusive and honorable Christian clergyman to perform the Good Friday
Services."
-----
IRAQ NATIONAL MUSEUM TREASURES PLUNDERED
HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press, 4/12/03
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The famed Iraq National Museum, home of
extraordinary
Babylonian, Sumerian and Assyrian collections and rare Islamic texts,
sat
empty Saturday - except for shattered glass display cases and cracked
pottery bowls that littered the floor.
In an unchecked frenzy of cultural theft, looters who pillaged
government
buildings and businesses after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime
also
targeted the museum. Gone were irreplaceable archaeological treasures
from
the Cradle of Civilization.
Everything that could be carried out has disappeared from the museum -
gold
bowls and drinking cups, ritual masks worn in funerals, elaborately
wrought
headdresses, lyres studded with jewels - priceless craftsmanship from
ancient Mesopotamia…
Gordon Newby, a historian and professor of Middle Eastern studies at
Emory
University in Atlanta, said the museum's most famous holding may have
been
tablets with Hammurabi's Code - one of mankind's earliest codes of law.
It
could not be determined whether the tablets were at the museum when the
war
broke out.
Other treasures believed to be housed at the museum - such as the Ram
in
the Thicket from Ur, a statue representing a deity from 2600 BC - are
no
doubt gone, perhaps forever, he said…
Koichiro Matsuura, head of the U.N.'s cultural agency, UNESCO, on
Saturday
urged American officials to send troops to protect what was left of the
museum's collection, and said the military should step in to stop
looting
and destruction at other key archaeological sites and museums.
The governments of Russia, Jordan and Greece also voiced deep concern
about
the looting. Jordan urged the United Nations to take steps to protect
Iraq's historic sites, a "national treasure for the Iraqi people and an
invaluable heritage for the Arab and Islamic worlds."
Some blamed the U.S. military, though coalition forces say they have
taken
great pains to avoid damage to cultural and historical sites.
A museum employee, reduced to tears after coming to the museum Saturday
and
finding her office and all administrative offices trashed by looters,
said:
"It is all the fault of the Americans. This is Iraq's civilization. And
it's all gone now." She refused to give her name.
McGuire Gibson, a University of Chicago professor and president of the
American Association for Research in Baghdad, was infuriated. He said
he
had been in frequent and frantic touch with U.S. military officials
since
Wednesday, imploring them to send troops "in there and protect that
building."
The Americans could have prevented the looting, agreed Patty
Gerstenblith,
a professor at DePaul School of Law in Chicago who helped circulate a
petition before the war, urging that care be taken to protect Iraqi
antiquities.
"It was completely inexcusable and avoidable," she said...
SEE ALSO:
US TROOPS KILL MERCHANT DEFENDING SHOP AGAINST LOOTERS
Agence France-Presse, 4/11/03
BAGHDAD (AFP) - US soldiers shot and killed a Baghdad shopkeeper who
was
defending his shop with a Kalashnikov assault rifle against looters,
neighbours told an AFP photographer.
The merchant pulled his rifle on the thieves when they began sacking
the
shop, neighbours said.
When US soldiers approached the area, the looters told them that the
shopkeeper was a member of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s Fedayeen
paramilitary force.
The American troops opened fire with heavy machine guns, killing the
man,
the neighbors said.
The photographer saw the covered body of Mohammad al-Barheini, 25,
lying on
a shelf of his shop, his head in a bag, on the Al-Rashid commercial
street
in the capital.
---
MUSLIMS RESCUE BAGHDAD'S JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER FROM LOOTERS
Sammy Ketz, Agence France-Presse 4/12/03
BAGHDAD, April 12 (AFP) - Iraqi Muslims came to the aid of Baghdad's
tiny
Jewish community Saturday, chasing out looters trying to sack its
cultural
center in the heart of the capital.
"At 3:00 am, I saw two men, one with a beard, on the roof of the Jewish
community house and I cried out to my friend, 'Hossam, bring the
Kalashnikovs!" said Hassam Kassam, 21.
Neither Hassan nor Hossam, who is the guard at the center, was armed at
the
time but the threat worked in scaring off the intruders.
Two hours later, the looters returned again and Hassan Kassem used the
trick once more…
On Saturday, Hossam the guard left to look for a real gun in case the
persistent thieves returned.
"The Jews have always lived here, in this house, and it is only normal
that
we should protect them," said Ibrahim Mohamad, 36, who works in a small
undergarments factory near the center of town…
---
U.S. ADVISER PERLE WARNS SYRIA OVER IRAQI WEAPONS
Reuters, 4/12/03
LONDON, April 12 (Reuters) - Pentagon adviser Richard Perle, a key
architect of the U.S.-led drive to topple Saddam Hussein, said in
remarks
published on Saturday Syria would be a possible military target if it
was
found harbouring Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.
In an interview with the International Herald Tribune newspaper, Perle
said
that if such weapons were found on Syrian soil "I'm quite sure we would
have to respond to that."
"It would be an act of such foolishness on Syria's part," Perle said.
"Our first approach would be to demand that the Syrians terminate that
threat by turning over anything they have come to possess and failing
that,
I don't think anyone would rule out the use of any of our full range of
capabilities."
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has accused Syria of
transporting
military equipment to its neighbour Iraq and described its support for
Saddam's rule as a "hostile act."
Washington launched its invasion of Iraq three weeks ago to uncover and
destroy alleged weapons of mass destruction, including biological and
chemical agents.
No firm evidence of such weapons has been found yet.
But Perle said he did not doubt Iraq possessed such weapons...
---
G.I. WHO PULLED THE TRIGGER SHARES ANGUISH OF 2 DEATHS
By JOHN F. BURNS, New York Times, 4/12/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/12/international/worldspecial/12SCEN.html
He learned, too, that incidents like the one at the overpass, in which
hundreds of Iraqi civilians have been killed, however inadvertently,
have
generated a wave of bitterness that is eroding some of the gratitude
that
has swept Iraq for the American forces' role in ending 24 years of
grimly
repressive government by Mr. Hussein. How such confrontations are
resolved
is critical to how the American presence in this country will be
viewed...
Today, as a group of men, mostly from the same neighborhood, returned
to
retrieve the bodies from their makeshift grave, Corporal Mager
dismounted
from his tank, and listened as a reporter told him what he had learned,
at
least as the crowd recounted it: that the victims were Wadhar Handi,
34,
and Bashar Handi, 28, and that they were driving to their family home
in
Harithiya, an upscale neighborhood about three miles north of the
overpass,
when they were hit by the tanks. The corporal was also told that one
surviving brother and a cousin of the two victims were among the men
working with the shovels, and that they, and many other men in the
crowd,
were seething with anger at America.
What the Iraqis were saying was that actions like these were proof of
the
"lies" told by President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain,
in
saying they intended the war to bring freedom and democracy to Iraq.
Ordinary Iraqis, the Handi family and the people in the Saidiya
neighborhood among them, loathed Saddam Hussein and wanted him
overthrown,
they said, but not by foreign troops that shoot indiscriminately at
civilians…
Corporal Mager had pulled his helmet up to listen, and his face
tightened.
He appeared to accept the recounting that the two men killed were
innocent.
No Iraqi made any move to approach him, and nobody shouted any abuse.
The
men at the grave went on digging, their white flags blowing in the
morning
breeze.
Corporal Mager watched, and appeared lost in thought. Then he looked
up,
with a sadness that was beyond affectation, and asked that a message be
passed to the Iraqis, a message for himself, and for America. "Tell
them
the fact that I pulled the trigger that killed some of these people
makes
me very unhappy," he said. "Tell them that America did not want things
to
happen this way. Tell them that I wish that Iraqis will live a better
life."
Then he clambered back on the tank, and it drove away.
---
LEGAL DUTIES OF U.S.-U.K. TOWARD IRAQI CIVILIANS
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2552223
LONDON (Reuters) - Aid groups and U.N. representatives say the United
States and Britain are "occupying powers" in Iraq, as defined by
international law, and have urged them to fulfil their duty to protect
civilians.
The Geneva Convention (IV) Relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons
in Time of War, adopted in 1949, spells out the obligations of an
occupying
power.
Following is a summary of key points:
ARTICLE 50 says the occupying power must "facilitate the proper working
of
all institutions devoted to the care and education of children."
ARTICLE 55 says the occupying power, as far as possible, "has the duty
of
ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population; it should, in
particular, bring in the necessary foodstuffs, medical stores and other
articles if the resources of the occupied territory are inadequate."
ARTICLE 56 says the occupying power "has the duty of ensuring and
maintaining, with the cooperation of national and local authorities,
the
medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and
hygiene
in the occupied territory... Medical personnel of all categories shall
be
allowed to carry out their duties."
ARTICLE 59 says the occupying power must facilitate relief schemes
where
supplies to the population are inadequate. Aid schemes may be
undertaken by
governments or humanitarian groups to provide food, medical supplies
and
clothing.
-----
YOUNG U.S. MUSLIMS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
MARTHA IRVINE, Associated Press, 4/12/03
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-War-Young-Muslims.html
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (AP) - The lunchtime chatter slowly fades as the
students
at an all-girl Muslim school remove their shoes and line up for
afternoon
prayers.
"O Allah, bring peace and tranquility to the world," says Deanna
Khalil, a
17-year-old junior, leading a prayer that she wrote. "O Allah, bless
those
who have died in Iraq and those who continue to suffer. O Allah, grant
them
paradise."
Many of the students had just heard the news that U.S. troops had
overtaken
Baghdad and that a huge statue of Saddam Hussein had fallen, bringing
about
a mix of emotions: sadness for those who've died, along with elation
and
relief.
Underpinning their emotions is fear and, for many students, questions
about
their future in a nation where many Muslims feel increasingly
unwelcome.
"Before, I wasn't scared of anything. This was a happy place - the
center
of my world," Deanna says, referring to the campus in this Chicago
suburb,
which includes the Aqsa School and the mosque that many have attended
since
they were little girls.
"Now it seems like everyone is scared - and you are scared of the
people
who are scared of you."
That was true even before the war, adds classmate Alaa Mukahhal, who
worries that the end of the Iraq campaign will not quell the bad
feelings.
"I feel like Sept. 11 was just an excuse to hate us," the soft-spoken
16-year-old says. "It's like it was there just under the surface
waiting to
come out."
"I have a lot of hope because I know there are a lot of open-minded
people," says 16-year-old Rahaf, a native of Syria who is now a U.S.
citizen. "I'm just so ready to let everyone know everything about me -
my
religion, everything. It's just such a beautiful religion."
"We want to break down the idea of us and them," Deanna says. "We are
all
Americans."
---
PENN. MUSLIM HEADS ANTI-DRUG COALITION
Drug czar praises prevention efforts in Monroeville
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 4/11/03
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/pmupdate/s_128757.html
White House drug czar John Walters today praised the efforts of a
Monroeville coalition whose goal is to help prevent drug use and drug
abuse
in the Monroeville area.
Walters had a breakfast meeting with members from the Coalition for
Human
Dignity at the Muslim Center of Greater Pittsburgh in Monroeville and
participated in a discussion about ways of reaching youths in the
Monroeville area.
"I thought it was an excellent example of the community coming
together,"
Walters said. "People of all faiths are coming together to address the
drug
problems in the community."
Participants included Dr. Safdar Chaudhary, executive director of the
coalition, Walters' staff members and Monroeville Mayor Jim Lomeo.
---
STATE MUSLIMS BELIEVE SCRUTINY IS UNFAIR
FRANCES GRANDY TAYLOR, Hartford Courant, 4/11/03
http://www.ctnow.com/hc-mosque0411.artapr11.story
A few months ago, in what was intended as an anti-terrorism measure,
the
FBI ordered field supervisors across the nation to count the number of
mosques and Muslims in their areas.
The outcry was instant. Religious and civil liberties groups complained
that the FBI order amounted to profiling and religious discrimination,
and
that it violated the First Amendment.
Although the FBI backtracked on mosque counting, some Muslim leaders
say
they still are exasperated by the level of official scrutiny of
Muslims. At
the same time, Muslim leaders in Connecticut say they have good
relationships with local law enforcement officials and appreciate the
authorities' concern about potential hate crimes.
"Muslims are going through a rough time right now," said Anais Shaikh,
president of the Masjid Medina in Windsor. The mosque is the largest in
the
state, with about 600 people attending during typical Jum'ah prayers on
Friday afternoons. Many members come from India, Pakistan or Somalia.
"They are being picked up randomly, being asked lots of questions,"
said
Shaikh. Some members also feel they have been singled out by
immigration
authorities.
Imam Zaid Shakir is leader of Masjid Al-Islam in New Haven, a mosque
whose
members are predominantly African American and second-generation
families
from Muslim countries.
"There is a perceived pattern of harassment that has affected the
Islamic
community disproportionately," Shakir said. "It unjustly stigmatizes
Muslims."
Shakir worries about the increase in hate crimes across the country and
met
with local police recently to discuss the matter. He is also drafting a
letter to the FBI to express his concerns. "There has clearly been an
upsurge in hate crimes and we would appreciate greater focus on
that..."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations recently issued a "Muslim
community safety kit," a set of guidelines that mosques can follow to
help
protect themselves against anti-Muslim sentiment and to inform members
of
their congregation of their civil rights as students, employees or
airline
passengers.
The kit includes suggestions on reporting suspicious activity, building
positive relationships with law enforcement and elected officials, and
interfaith outreach. The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued
the
guidelines in preparation for the war with Iraq and any backlash that
might
arise…
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations,
said, "Many of the policies of Attorney General John Ashcroft seem to
indicate that every Muslim in America is a suspect. That has been the
prevailing feeling for some time."
While the FBI appears to have publicly backed off the policy of
counting
mosques, Hooper said there's no way to know for sure.
"The trend now is for Muslim leaders to meet with representatives of
the
FBI," he said. "It's proactive…"
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/14/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: NO OBEDIENCE FOR EVIL DEEDS
* CONFERENCE LUNCHEON HIGHLIGHTS CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLES
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5250 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR-DC JOB OPENING: COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
* INCITEMENT WATCH: 'A FASCIST SYSTEM OF FILTH'
* VANISHING LIBERTIES (Village Voice)
* US TELLS SYRIA TO CO-OPERATE OR RISK CONFLICT (Times)
- Phase Two Begins (Antiwar.com)
- Israel to U.S.: Now Deal With Syria and Iran (Ha'aretz)
- Baghdad Seethes with Anger Toward U.S. (AP)
- Pentagon Was Told Of Risk to Museums (Washington Post)
- Where Are The Weapons Of Mass Destruction? (Independent)
- Baghdad's Fall No Berlin Wall (CS Monitor)
- Faith-Based Groups Key to Iraq's Rebuilding (Sun-Times)
* HUNDREDS ATTEND FUNDRAISER FOR AID TO IRAQ (Mercury News)
- A Show of Faith for Iraqi Refugees (Washington Post)
* FBI QUESTIONS RANKLE SOME U.S. IRAQIS (Chicago Tribune)
- FL Teens Find War Brings Harassment (Miami Herald)
- IL Student Targeted By Hate Crime (Pantagraph)
- Sikhs Mark New Year, Fight Post-9/11 Bias (LA Times)
* AFGHANISTAN MAKING DIPLOMATIC OVERTURES TO ISRAEL (AP)
* FRENCH ISLAM WINS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED VOICE (NY Times)
* DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE HELPS MUSLIM WOMEN (Mercury News)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: NO OBEDIENCE FOR EVIL DEEDS
A military commander appointed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him)
once issued an improper order to his troops. When the soldiers asked
the
Prophet about how they should have reacted to the order, he said:
"(There
is) no obedience (required) for evil deeds, obedience is required only
in
what is good."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Hadith 363
-----
CONFERENCE LUNCHEON HIGHLIGHTS PAST CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLES
One of the many interesting and dynamic sessions at CAIR's 4th Annual
Leadership and Training Conference is a luncheon, titled "Civil Rights
-
Learning from the Experiences of Other Minority Groups," that will held
on
Saturday, April 26th.
Speakers include:
Mr. Greg Nojeim, ACLU
Ms. Clarissa Martinez De Castro, La Raza
Ms. Kristine Minami, Policy Director, Japanese American Citizens League
Dr. Ihsan Bagby, University of Kentucky
The moderator will be Helal Omeira-Director, CAIR Northern California
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
The conference will take place Friday, April 25th to Sunday, April 27th
at
the Sheraton Premiere in Vienna, VA.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5250 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5250 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR-DC JOB OPENING: COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Job Description:
Assist Communications Director by:
* Drafting news releases and action alerts
* Monitoring news reports
* Compiling daily news briefs
* Conducting research as needed
* Representing CAIR at special events
* Communicating with the media
(Other duties as assigned.)
Qualifications
* University degree, preferably in the fields of political science or
communications
* Good computer skills, with working knowledge of Microsoft
applications
like Word, Excel, etc.
* 3 years of working experience directly working in the fields of
lobbying,
public relations or journalism
* Good computer-based and conventional research skills
* Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
Salary: Based on experience
Location: Washington, D.C.
This position reports to: Director of Communications
Send resume in the body of an e-mail message to: kiqbal@cair-net.org,
Copy
to: cair@cair-net.org (No attachments please. Indicate "Communications
Coordinator Position" in the subject line.) Fax a second copy to:
202-488-0833
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: 'A FASCIST SYSTEM OF FILTH'
ISLAMIC DISSIDENTS WARN HUMANISTS TO BEWARE RADICALS
Julia Duin, Washington Times, 4/14/03
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030413-152342.htm
Mr. Warraq was a participant at a "One Nation under God?" conference
and,
along with five other Muslim dissidents, spoke for three hours on "Will
Islam Come into the 21st Century?"
"Islamic fundamentalists are utopian visionaries who wish to replace
Western-style liberal democracies with Islamic theocracy, a fascist
system
of filth that aims to control every single act of every individual," he
said...
The Koran does not support, he added, assertions by liberal Muslims
that
feminism, human rights, egalitarianism and religious tolerance are
compatible with their religion.
The Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) disagreed with Mr.
Warraq's accusations.
"He's been a Muslim-basher for years," CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper
said.
"This is America, and he can do it and we are free to challenge him
when he
does. I just wish he'd use his real name so we could find out his
background and why he hates Islam. If you really believe that all
Muslims
are evil and dangerous and that Islam is intrinsically evil, what then?
But
they never answer that question..."
-----
VANISHING LIBERTIES
Nat Hentoff, Village Voice, 4/11/03
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0316/hentoff.php
If Americans win a war (not just against Saddam Hussein but the
longer-term
struggle) and lose the Constitution, they will have lost everything.
-Lance
Morrow, Time, March 17
On March 18, the Associated Press reported that at John Carroll
University,
in a Cleveland suburb, Justice Antonin Scalia said that "most of the
rights
you enjoy go way beyond what the Constitution requires" because "the
Constitution just sets minimums." Accordingly, in wartime, Scalia
emphasized, "the protections will be ratcheted down to the
constitutional
minimum..."
Most of the radical revisions of the Constitution that I and others
have
been writing about will ultimately be ruled on by the Supreme Court.
Scalia
indicates he will come down on the side of Bush and Ashcroft. A few
days
after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said that as a result, we would have to
give up
some of our liberties. That's two of nine justices we are not likely to
be
able to depend on…
How many Americans know that the FBI can get a warrant from the secret
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and go to a library or
bookstore to
find out what books you read or borrow if you are somehow, according to
the
FBI, connected to "terrorism"?...
How many of you know the answer Assistant Attorney General Daniel J.
Bryant
sent Democratic senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont about our expectation
of
privacy in bookstores and libraries?
"Any [such] right of privacy," says the Justice Department, "is
necessarily
and inherently limited since . . . the patron is reposing that
information
in the library or bookstore and assumes the risk that the entity may
disclose it to another."
Have you ever assumed that the librarian or bookstore owner has a right
to
bypass your First Amendment right to read what you choose by telling
"another" (the FBI) whether you read, for example, the Voice? Senator
Leahy's office made that Justice Department letter available to the
press.
Have you seen it before now?
-----
US TELLS SYRIA TO CO-OPERATE OR RISK CONFLICT
Tim Reid, Times (UK), 4/14/03
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-645911,00.html
President Bush yesterday accused Syria of having chemical weapons. In
the
clearest sign yet that Washington is turning its sights on Damascus'
links
to terrorism, two of his most senior Cabinet members also warned the
country against harbouring Iraqi officials.
Mr Bush told Syria that it "must co-operate" with Washington as it
continues its effort to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.
He also repeated earlier warnings from Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence
Secretary, and Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, that Damascus must
not
harbour fleeing members of Saddam's regime.
"We believe there are chemical weapons in Syria," Mr Bush said. "We
expect
co-operation and I'm hopeful that we will receive co-operation."
He did not threaten Syria with military action, but told it, along with
Iran and North Korea - who, with Iraq, form his "axis of evil" - that
the
example of Iraq shows "we're serious about stopping weapons of mass
destruction"...
SEE ALSO:
PHASE TWO BEGINS
Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 4/14/03
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
As the phony "liberation" of Iraq takes place against a backdrop of
frenzied looting and clueless gloating, any doubt as to the real
provenance
of this war should be erased for good. This was and is a proxy war
waged on
behalf of Israeli interests, and Washington's next target - clearly,
Syria
- ought to make that obvious to even the densest of the pro-war
conservatives and the "war for oil" crowd.
It didn't take long for the War Party to shift gears. Amid a barrage of
threats, Damascus is now in Washington's crosshairs - and military
action
could come sooner than anyone imagines. The pretext - Syria supposedly
shipped night goggles to the Iraqi military, is reportedly harboring
Ba'athist leaders, and is now alleged to be in possession of Iraq's
nonexistent "weapons of mass destruction" - doesn't matter...
But what's really bizarre is the manner in which Washington tries to
rationalize a peculiar madness that in no way benefits the United
States.
In order to appease Ariel Sharon into agreeing to a phony Palestinian
mini-state - one without an army, without control over its foreign
policy,
and without doubt a joke - the Americans are being blackmailed into
knocking off Israel's many enemies in the region. Then and only then
will
Tel Aviv deign to even consider a compromise...
The drumbeat is being sounded by Israel's amen corner in the U.S., and
has
been taken up by the Republican congressional leadership: the "Syria
Accountability Act" would freeze all trade relations and impose
draconian
sanctions, paving the way for war. There is no "Israel Accountability
Act".
But then, you knew that, didn't you?
---
ISRAEL TO U.S.: NOW DEAL WITH SYRIA AND IRAN
Aluf Benn, Ha'arez, 4/14/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=283271
Two of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's senior aides will go to Washington
for
separate talks this week. National Security Advisor Efraim Halevy will
discuss the regional implications of the Iraq war and the fall of the
Ba'ath regime, and the prime minister's bureau chief Dov Weisglass will
bring the White House Israel's comments on the "road map" plan for a
peace
settlement.
Israel will suggest that the United States also take care of Iran and
Syria
because of their support for terror and pursuit of weapons of mass
destruction. Israel will point out the support of Syria and Iran for
Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers an important target in the war
against
international terrorism...
---
BAGHDAD SEETHES WITH ANGER TOWARD U.S.
Niko Price, Associated Press, 4/14/03
BAGHDAD, Iraq - At first they cheered, smiled, offered hearty
thumbs-ups to
the U.S. soldiers newly in their midst. But across Iraq's lawless
capital,
that sentiment is evaporating as quickly as Saddam Hussein's government
melted away.
Baghdad was bursting with anti-American feeling Saturday as residents
saw
their city being stripped by its own citizens while U.S. forces stood
by,
rarely intervening and in some cases even motioning treasure-laden men
through checkpoints.
Some still agreed with the United States' assessment of itself as a
liberator. In the middle-class Zayuna neighborhood, friendly people
offered
American Marines baths, bread and buoyant greetings - and asked for
both
autographs and help against looters.
But for other Iraqis, in dozens of interviews conducted across Baghdad,
the
assessment was drastically different: America as conqueror...
"The army of America is like Genghis Khan," Fouad Abdullah Ahmed, 49,
snapped as U.S. tanks rumbled by without stopping. "America is not good
and
Saddam is not good. My people refused Saddam Hussein, and they will
refuse
the Americans..."
---
PENTAGON WAS TOLD OF RISK TO MUSEUMS
Guy Gugliotta, Washington Post, 4/14/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19691-2003Apr13.html
In the months leading up to the Iraq war, U.S. scholars repeatedly
urged
the Defense Department to protect Iraq's priceless archaeological
heritage
from looters, and warned specifically that the National Museum of
Antiquities was the single most important site in the country.
Late in January, a mix of scholars, museum directors, art collectors
and
antiquities dealers asked for and were granted a meeting at the
Pentagon to
discuss their misgivings. McGuire Gibson, an Iraq specialist at the
University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, said yesterday that he went
back twice more, and he and colleagues peppered Defense Department
officials with e-mail reminders in the weeks before the war began.
"I thought I was given assurances that sites and museums would be
protected," Gibson said. Instead, even with U.S. forces firmly in
control
of Baghdad last week, looters breached the museum, trashed its
galleries,
burned its records, invaded its vaults and smashed or carried off
thousands
of artifacts dating from the founding of ancient Sumer around 3,500
B.C. to
the end of Islam's Abbasid Caliphate in 1258 A.D...
---
AMERICA TARGETED 14,000 SITES. SO WHERE ARE THE WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION?
Andrew Gumbel, Independent, 4/13/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=396733
They were the reason the United States and Britain were in such a hurry
to
go to war, the threat the rank-and-file troops feared most.
And yet, after three weeks of war, after the capture of Baghdad and the
collapse of the Iraqi government, Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass
destruction - those weapons that President Bush, on the eve of
hostilities,
said were a direct threat to the people of the United States - have
still
to be identified.
This could be the first war in history that was justified largely by an
illusion.
Many influential people - disarmament experts, present and former
United
Nations arms inspectors, our own Robin Cook - have begun to wonder
aloud if
the weapons exist at all.
The public surrender of a senior Iraqi scientist could yet backfire
against
the US and Britain. Lieutenant-General Amer Hammoudi al-Saadi, who
handed
himself over to US forces yesterday, continued to proclaim that Iraq no
longer holds any chemical or biological weapons. He should know: the
British-educated chemical expert headed the Iraqi delegation at weapons
talks with the United Nations.
The few "discoveries" trumpeted in the media - the odd barrel here, a
few
dozen shells there - have not been on a scale that could reasonably
justify
the unprovoked military invasion of a sovereign country, and in most
cases
have been proven to been no more than rumor, or propaganda, or a
mixture of
the two...
The latest theory being touted in Washington by the usual unnamed
government sources is that the Iraqis have moved their weapons out of
the
country, very possibly into Syria. This claim appears to have
originated
with Israeli intelligence - which has every motivation for stirring up
trouble for its hostile Arab neighbors- and has been bolstered by
reports
of fighting between Iraqi Special Republican Guard units and US special
forces near the Syrian border...
---
WHY HUSSEIN'S FALL WON'T BE A BERLIN WALL FOR ARAB WORLD
Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 4/14/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0414/p03s01-woiq.html
WASHINGTON - When an American marine momentarily placed the Stars and
Stripes over a Baghdad statue of Saddam Hussein before it was pulled
from
its pedestal last week, the ebullient gesture inadvertently underscored
an
important reality of this toppling of a regime. It was planned and
carried
out by powers from outside Iraq, not from within.
For the Arab world, what is already being called the "Iraq earthquake"
is
not Algeria, which won its independence from France in a defining
national
struggle, or the Iranian revolution, which toppled the shah.
It is not Romania, where the people deposed the reviled Nicolae
Ceausescu,
or even arguably Afghanistan, where the Northern Alliance, hardened by
years of civil war, played a crucial home-grown role in the ouster of
the
Taliban regime...
And it could pose difficulties for the United States as it seeks to
improve
its relations with the Arab world. "If this is another Berlin Wall,
then it
is the Berlin Wall being torn down by an outside power, and that's
something very different," says Thomas Carothers, a specialist in
democracy-building at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in
Washington. "You don't have the sense of a society participating in its
emancipation or galvanized around a central idea or national
project..."
---
FAITH-BASED GROUPS KEY TO NATION'S REBUILDING
Cathleen Falsani, Chicago Sun Times, 4/14/03
http://www.suntimes.com/output/falsani/cst-nws-faith13.html
Long before the war in Iraq began, religious leaders argued
passionately
about what role religion should play in the conflict.
Now they're debating what kind of participation religious groups should
have in the rebuilding of Iraqi society.
One thing American religious leaders--most of whom vehemently opposed
the
war--agree on is that religion is essential to the rebirth of a nation.
"It would seem to me if you're talking about any society, you're
talking
about the value systems that form and shape that society, and clearly
for
the vast majority of people on planet Earth, it's shaped by religion,"
said
the Rev. Stanley Davis, executive director of the National Council for
Community and Justice in Chicago.
In Muslim countries in particular, religion is an integral part of
society,
said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, an Islamic civil rights and advocacy group in Washington,
D.C.
"In America, we're used to the strict separation of church and state,
and
that isn't the norm in Muslim countries," Hooper said. "That doesn't
mean
that the country will be governed by Islamic law, but usually Muslims
regard it as the cultural base of society. Any reconstruction of Iraq
will
have to take that into account."
He's concerned that post-9/11 stereotypes of Islamic religious fanatics
could color American efforts to restabilize Iraq.
"Those who are administering the reconstruction will have to put aside
their stereotypes against Islam," Hooper said, adding that American
Muslims
could help build bridges of understanding between U.S. forces and the
Iraqis.
"That's what we've always tried to do, and we're not often taken up on
our
offers," he said...
-----
HUNDREDS ATTEND FUNDRAISER FOR HUMANITARIAN AID TO IRAQ
Linda Goldston, San Jose Mercury News, 4/14/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5624239.htm
Worried about the growing humanitarian crisis in Iraq, hundreds of
people
gathered at the MCA Islamic Center in Santa Clara on Saturday night for
a
fundraising dinner.
"So many people feel helpless about what is happening," said Helal
Omeira,
executive director of the Northern California Council on American
Islamic
Relations (CAIR). "They can't help those afflicted by the war directly,
but
they can donate to help the civilians hurt by the war -- the women, the
children, the elderly."
Organizers expected the event to raise more than $10,000 from ticket
sales.
Between 800 and 1,000 people were expected to attend. Tickets were $20
for
adults, $15 for students.
Iraq "is a complete disaster," Omeira said. Anarchy has reigned for the
past two days in many Iraqi cities, as mobs looted homes, businesses,
government offices and even hospitals, leading to a collapse of the
medical
system in the country, according to the Red Cross.
The event was sponsored by the Muslim American Society and Life for
Relief
& Development, a private, non-profit agency that has been providing aid
in
Iraq since 1993...
SEE ALSO:
A SHOW OF FAITH FOR IRAQI REFUGEES
David Cho, Washington Post, 4/13/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15001-2003Apr12.html
While thousands of raucous antiwar demonstrators marched through the
streets of downtown Washington, a different kind of peace effort by a
small
group of Christians and Muslims was taking place in the parking lot of
an
aging brick church in Fairfax City.
Instead of carrying placards and shouting slogans, the interfaith
activists
were loading 325 boxes of soap, shampoo, toothpaste, towels and other
humanitarian aid into a 20-foot truck behind Northern Virginia
Mennonite
Church. The packages will be collected, along with others from across
the
country, by the Mennonite Central Committee in Akron, Pa., and then
flown
to Iraq to relieve refugees, organizers said.
Half of the aid kits were prepared by several hundred Muslim students
from
Al Fatih Academy, an Islamic elementary school in Herndon, and the All
Dulles Area Muslim Society. The rest were donated by area Mennonite,
Quaker
and Church of the Brethren congregations. A similar collaboration took
place across the country, organizers said.
The interfaith cooperation doesn't end when the packages reach the
Middle
East. The Mennonite Central Committee and Islamic relief agencies will
work
together to make sure that the packages get into the hands of refugees,
Maulden said.
Suhaib Albarzinji, whose wife was a principal organizer of the project
among the Muslim children, said his stance against the war was due to
more
personal reasons. He was born in Baghdad and has relatives living
there. He
doesn't know if they are dead or alive.
"Everyone would love to see Saddam [Hussein] go and are glad to see him
go,
but we've progressed enough as a civilization to solve these problems
without killing and destruction and dropping bombs on people," he said.
His wife, Afeefa Syeed, director of Al Fatih Academy, which has about
55
students in pre-kindergarten through third grade, said she joined with
the
pacifist Christian groups because many of her students asked if they
could
do something for the refugees...
-----
FBI QUESTIONS RANKLE SOME U.S. IRAQIS
Frank James, Chicago Tribune, 4/13/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0304130487apr13,1,1188748.story
WASHINGTON -- Bassam al-Hussaini, an engineer in California, is one of
a
number of Iraqi-Americans left angry and disillusioned by FBI visits
since
the start of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Critics say the questioning implicitly links Muslims and terrorism and
casts doubt on Iraqi-Americans' loyalty to their adopted country.
Al-Hussaini said the two young FBI agents who recently came to his home
to
conduct an interview were courteous and professional enough, yet their
questions offended him.
Do you know anyone who has weapons of mass destruction? they asked,
apologizing for what they acknowledged was a "stupid question,"
al-Hussaini
recalled. Do you know of anyone wanting to conduct terrorism against
the
United States?
"Saddam Hussein" and "Osama bin Laden," he answered sarcastically.
But the 39-year-old state employee, who fled Iraq 21 years ago to avoid
becoming cannon fodder in his homeland's war with Iran, got most angry
when
he and his wife were asked whether they practiced Islam. He threatened
to
kick the agents out.
"Is this about Sept. 11 and Muslims?" al-Hussaini said he asked them.
"This
is profiling. I don't appreciate the fact that you profile
Iraqi-Americans,
you profile Arabs, you profile Muslims just because of our ethnicity
and
background," he said.
"I escaped the Iraqi regime," he told the agents. "I'm a victim of the
Iraqi regime. I have two brothers who were killed in the Iraqi prisons.
And
I came here to seek education and freedom and civil liberty. And I
don't
see this here when you do this to Iraqi-Americans..."
SEE ALSO:
MIDDLE EASTERN TEENS FIND WAR BRINGS HARASSMENT FROM FELLOW STUDENTS
Nery Ynclan, Miami Herald, 4/14/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/5626809.htm
War is stressful and confusing to most children, experts say. The media
saturates programming with updates, and parents and teachers discuss
loaded
issues of war and peace. But for bicultural children who may have
relatives
in the region or who are made to feel like targets of criticism, the
war
has brought on intense feelings of insecurity, loss of control and
fear.
Dr. Ingrid Mattson, professor of Islamic Studies and Christian Muslim
Relations at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, says she has received
many
reports from across the country of name calling, profiling and hate
crimes.
She says parents are noticing behavioral problems, irritability and
falling
grades as international tensions heighten, casualties mount and talk of
the
war becomes inescapable...
Altaf Ali, executive director of the Florida chapter of the Council on
American Islamic Relations, says his office has received numerous
reports
of harassment -- even discriminatory comments from teachers.
He says his Broward-based group prepared as best it could by making a
tolerance video before the start of the war that was given to the
Broward
County School Board. The group also posted on its website,
www.cairflorida.org
"We knew this was going to happen because it happened after the Gulf
War
and after Sept. 11," Ali says. "Students are feeling very, very
intimated
by the whole situation. They have a lot of anxiety...
---
ISU STUDENT TARGETED BY HATE CRIME
Megan Hopper, Pantagraph, 4/14/03
http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/041303/new_20030413024.shtml
NORMAL -- An Illinois State University student was the victim of a hate
crime when he arrived home early Thursday morning to find a derogatory
message on his door in Hamilton Hall.
"There was a message on my dry-erase board that said, 'I hate you. You
terrorist,'" the student said Saturday.
The senior, double-majoring in health information management and
business
administration, is a native of India who moved to the United States
seven
years ago and now is a U.S. citizen.
The Pantagraph chose not to identify him while the investigation
continues.
After seeing the message, the student notified his residence hall
coordinator, who contacted ISU police and filed a report.
The student, who is a Muslim, also reported the incident to the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations in Washington, D.C.
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the council, said he confirmed the
report
with ISU police Capt. Don Knapp and made sure it will be investigated
as a
hate crime.
"At CAIR, we're known as a group that deals with discrimination and
defamation so it's common for people to report to us," Hooper added...
There was no further information available Saturday about the incident
from
the ISU police.
The ISU student said he never had been the victim of a hate crime
before
and never thought he would be. "I was just surprised," he said. "I was
shocked that this could happen here."
Since January, he has had four harassing phone calls, he said, but he
does
not know if they are related to message he found Thursday. "It feels
like
the phone calls are different, but I guess it could be related," he
said.
Hooper said his organization has received a number of hate crime
reports in
the last couple of months with the war going on in Iraq, Hooper said.
"We issued a Muslim community safety kit just prior to the outbreak of
war
to prepare people," he said. "The first thing we tell them is to report
it,
report it to the police or the FBI because a lot of people are
reluctant to
report these things..."
---
SIKHS MARK NEW YEAR, FIGHT POST-SEPT. 11 BIAS
Richard Fausset, Los Angeles Times, 4/14/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sikhs14apr14,1,1216420.story
Shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, Romi Singh's parents decided it would be
safer if he cut his hair.
Until then, Singh, a 15-year-old Sikh from West Los Angeles, had
followed
his religion's rules forbidding the shearing of any body hair.
Following
tradition, he used to knot his long black mane every morning and cover
it
with a patka, a small turban-like cloth.
But after the terror attacks, Singh found that the patka made him a
scapegoat. "Everywhere, people started calling me names, like Osama bin
Laden, and spitting on my clothes and stuff. Even people older than
high
school..."
For Singh and nearly 400,000 American adherents of Sikhism, these are
difficult and confusing times. The 500-year-old religion, which was
founded
on the Indian subcontinent and is the world's fifth-largest, is often
as
poorly understood as it is conspicuous. Because men are required to
wear
turbans and grow beards, they are often mistaken for Muslims in the
United
States.
After Sept. 11, the first American victim of a xenophobic revenge
killing
was not a Muslim, but a Sikh, Balbir Singh Sodhi, a 49-year-old gas
station
owner from Mesa, Ariz., who was apparently mistaken for a Muslim by his
attacker. Since then, the nonprofit Sikh Coalition has reported 298
other
hate crimes against Sikhs nationwide, including a stabbing attack on a
51-year-old woman in San Diego...
-----
AFGHAN'S TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT MAKING DIPLOMATIC OVERTURES TO ISRAEL
Steve Weizman, Associated Press, 4/14/03
JERUSALEM - Afghanistan's foreign minister has approached his Israeli
counterpart, expressing interest in normalizing relations between the
two
countries, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official said Monday. Ministry
spokesman Ron Prosor said the Afghan foreign minister, Abdullah
Abdullah,
informed Israeli Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom that Afghanistan was
interested in working together with all "peace-loving countries". He
could
not say when the message arrived or through what channels it was
delivered.
The two countries have never had diplomatic relations, but in informal
talks in Kazakhstan last June, interim Afghan President Hamid Karzai
told
then-Israeli Housing Minister Natan Sharansky that a formal dialogue
could
get under way after Afghan elections, which the international community
wants to see held next year...
-----
FRENCH ISLAM WINS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED VOICE
Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 4/13/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/14/international/europe/14FRAN.html
EVRY, France - For Karima Debza, an Algerian-born mother of three and a
volunteer in the local mosque, casting her vote today is a symbolic
step
toward promoting the rights of Muslim women in the workplace.
For Djiba Aboubacar, a Senegalese-born accountant, the election is a
flawed
but long overdue process that will eventually give voice to France's
diverse and divided Muslim community.
The two were among 137 delegates who voted in the modern city hall of
this
working-class suburb of Paris, not for a school board or town council,
but
for the first organization to represent the five million Muslims of
France.
It is part of an ambitious national project to create what Interior
Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has called "an official Islam of France." Mr.
Sarkozy, who has spent much time visiting mosques and Islamic centers
to
win support for the council, told worshipers at a Lyon mosque before
the
first round of voting a week ago that organizing France's Muslims is
the
way to fight "the Islam of cellars and garages that has fed extremism
and
the language of violence...
Muslim leaders say the council will also give them greater authority to
get
building permits and financing for mosques and designated space for
Muslims
in cemeteries. They also seek paid time off to celebrate Islamic
holidays...
Then there are the women's issues. Ms. Debza, for example, who covers
her
hair with two scarves, wants the council to press the government to
bend
its 1905 law separating church and state, which forbids any display of
religiosity in schools or the workplace.
"I can't find work here because of my head scarf," she said. "But my
head
scarf is a part of me. I won't take it off. We have to educate the
state
about why the scarf is so important and why there should be no fear of
it..."
-----
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE TO HELP MUSLIM WOMEN
Connie Skipitares, San Jose Mercury News, 4/13/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5624219.htm
In response to an increase in calls from Muslim women to Bay Area
battered
women's hotlines, the Islamic Society of North America is setting up
the
West Coast's first "help line" for domestic violence tailored to the
Muslim
community.
The help line, which starts Tuesday, is the Palo Alto organization's
first
step in creating an outlet for Bay Area Muslim women who are suffering
in
silence. A fundraising drive is also under way to establish a shelter
for
women who leave abusive men.
Local Muslim leaders, including Manzoor Ghori, who co-founded the group
NISA that's running the help line, said he had been hearing about
domestic
problems in his community and felt it was time to do something...
Other domestic violence agencies, such as Narika in Berkeley and Maitri
in
Sunnyvale, offer counseling and intervention to women from Muslim
backgrounds, but NISA -- which stands for North American Islamic
Shelter
for the Abused and also means women in Arabic -- will provide specific
guidance in line with cultural and religious principles. Many of the
abuse
situations involve immigrant wives, and abusers can include extended
members of the husband's family who usually live with a couple...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
HEADLINES:
* FLORIDA LAWMAKER APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIM GROUP
- Former Calif. GOP Leader Refers to 'Disease of Islam'
* MUSLIMS SUPPORT CHINESE-CANADIANS DURING SARS SCARE
-----
FLORIDA LAWMAKER APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIM GROUP
(MIAMI, FLORIDA, 4/14/2003) - Florida's office of the Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today expressed
appreciation for an apology from a state lawmaker over recent remarks
that
many Muslims viewed as insensitive.
During a hearing on a bill that would bar state financial aid to
students
from predominantly Muslim countries, Rep. Dick Kravitz (R-Orange Park)
said: "I spent two years with a Muslim family, I ate their food and
lived
with them. The only thing I regret is I didn't get to date one of their
women."
SEE: "Foreign Student Funding Targeted"
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/04/08/State/Foreign_student_fundi.shtml
In letter of apology to CAIR-FL, Rep. Kravitz said: "I am writing this
letter to offer my apology to anyone in the Moslem community I might
have
offended by the remarks I made at a recent committee meeting of the
Florida
House…I would like to thank you very much for giving me the opportunity
to
educate you on my positive feelings toward Moslem people and the Moslem
religion…"
"While continuing to disagree with Rep. Kravitz's proposed legislation,
we
appreciate the courage it took to admit that his remarks were perceived
as
insensitive," said CAIR-FL Executive Director Altaf Ali.
Ali said the fact that Kravitz's bill exempts students from Cuba, a
country
that is on the State Department's list of terrorist sponsors, indicates
the
legislation is designed to target Muslims.
SEE: "Student-Aid Measure Called 'Anti-Arab'"
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-locarabstudents14041403apr14,0,4239302.story
CAIR-FL's position on Bill H-31 may be viewed at:
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/041203/opl_12261264.shtml
(Scroll down to second letter.)
Florida House and Senate committees will review the legislation this
week.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-FL, Altaf Ali, 954-298-8214, E-MAIL:
altaf@cair-florida.org;
Ahmed Bedier, 813-731-9506, EMAIL abedier@cair-florida.org;
CAIR-National,
Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org;
Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-MAIL:
hhassan@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
FORMER CALIF. GOP LEADER SAYS 'DISEASE OF ISLAM MUST BE RECTIFIED'
http://www.dailytrojan.com/article.do?issue=/V148/N54&id=02-troop.54c.html
The crowd, wearing yellow ribbons in honor of soldier's families,
applauded
the efforts of U.S. forces in Iraq and students involved in the ROTC.
But
Steel, the primary speaker, also made inflammatory remarks about the
dangers Islam posed to the United States and Israel.
"The Islamic community has a cancer growing inside it, which hates
Jews,
hates freedom and hates western society," Steel said. "The disease of
Islam
must be rectified. It's kill or be killed."
-----
MUSLIMS SUPPORT CHINESE-CANADIANS DURING SARS SCARE
CAIR-CAN: SARS must not become a "pretext for discrimination"
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 4/14/03) - The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today affirmed its solidarity
with
the Chinese community in Toronto regarding discrimination faced by
Chinese-Canadians as a result of the outbreak of the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
In a letter to the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, CAIR-CAN
Executive Director Riad Saloojee wrote:
"We would like to extend our support to the members of the
Asian-Canadian
community during these difficult days. The ongoing Severe Acute
Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) emergency in Ontario is testing the Canadian public in
more
ways than one. Not only must we educate ourselves about SARS and take
the
necessary precautions, we must also take extra care not to allow this
emergency to become a pretext for discriminatory treatment.
"As a national Islamic advocacy organization that specializes in
anti-discrimination, CAIR-CAN is acutely aware of how such a public
emergency can expose members of a minority community to discrimination
and
prejudice. Tolerance and respect for the Asian-Canadian community must
not
falter and any stigmatization and differential treatment as a result of
the
SARS outbreak cannot be tolerated."
There are an estimated 600,000 Muslims in Canada and some 1.2 billion
worldwide.
-END-
CONTACT: Naeem Saloojee at 613-254-9704; E-mail: Canada@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
CALIF. GOP ASKED TO REPUDIATE ANTI-ISLAM REMARKS
Former state party chairman says 'disease of Islam must be rectified'
(LOS ANGELES, CA, 4/15/2003) - The California office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) today called on GOP leaders to
repudiate recent Islamophobic remarks made by the former chairman of
that
state's Republican Party.
At a pro-war rally on Friday sponsored by the University of Southern
California (USC) College Republicans, Shawn Steel said: "The Islamic
community has a cancer growing inside it, which hates Jews, hates
freedom
and hates western society...The disease of Islam must be rectified.
It's
kill or be killed." He also blamed peace activists and the Democratic
Party
for the Holocaust, the Ku Klux Klan and slavery. During an April 8
rally at
Loyola Marymount University, Steel referred to Islam as a "dangerous"
and
"diseased religion."
SEE: "TROOP-SUPPORT RALLY LOSES OBJECTIVE"
http://www.dailytrojan.com/article.do?issue=/V148/N54&id=02-troop.54c.html
"COLLEGE REPUBLICANS HOLD PRO-TROOP RALLY"
http://loyolan.lmu.edu/Headlines/story1.html
"The Republican Party can no longer remain silent in the face of the
anti-Muslim bigotry spewed by a minority of hate-mongers within its
ranks.
Republican leaders and elected officials must repudiate this latest
smear
of Islam and reassure Muslims in California that Steel's Islamophobic
views
do not reflect those of the party. Such incidents can only serve to
divide
our nation along religious lines, increase discrimination against
ordinary
Muslims and harm America's image worldwide," said CAIR-Southern
California
Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. He added that other Republicans
officials have recently been involved in similar incidents around the
nation.
Last month, two Republican lawmakers staged a walkout during a Muslim
prayer opening a session of the Washington State House of
Representatives.
One of those who left the floor said she refused to listen to the
Muslim
prayer because it was "an issue of patriotism." That legislator later
apologized for her remarks and said she would accept an invitation to
visit
a local Islamic center.
In January, CAIR urged Republican leaders to repudiate anti-Islam
paraphernalia being sold at a right-wing conference kicked off by Vice
President Cheney. That request came after it was learned that bumper
stickers with text such as, "No Muslims -- No Terrorism," were being
sold
from exhibition booths at the 30th annual Conservative Political Action
Conference in Washington, D.C. Another sticker offered for sale at the
conference replaced the letter "s" in "Islam" with a Nazi swastika.
In December of last year, public pressure forced a Republican group in
North Carolina to remove a link to anti-Islam rhetoric from its website
and
apologize to Muslims in that state. The website of the Greensboro-based
Guilford County Republican Party had a link to a site called "Islam
Exposed" that stated: "This website was designed with 1 (sic) objective
in
mind - to expose one of the greatest evils on our planet - Islam."
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-LA, Hussam Ayloush, 714-776-1847, 714-814-4444; CAIR-NCA,
Helal Omeira, 408-476-7843 or 408-986-9874; CAIR-Sacramento, Rashid
Ahmad,
916-825-0027; Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/15/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: ALLIEVIATE SUFFERING
* FRIDAY CONFERENCE SESSION SOLD OUT
- Hurry to Register for Weekend Workshops and Dinner!
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5283 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
* GRAHAM INVITATION IRKS MUSLIMS AT PENTAGON (Wash. Post)
- Muslims Angered By Graham Invitation (Reuters)
- A Faith-Based Initiative (Time)
- Evangelize Elsewhere (Washington Post)
- Onward Christian Soldiers (Salon)
* ANTI-AMERICAN PROTESTS INTENSIFY IN IRAQ (AFP)
- At Least 10 Killed in Mosul Shooting (AFP)
- Iraqi Protesters Block Marines in Kut (AP)
- Counting the Casualties (Time)
- Looters Ransack Iraq's National Library (AP)
- 'Cradle of Civilisation' Treasures Lost (Reuters)
- When Kids Are in the Cross Hairs (Time)
* BUSH VETOES SYRIA WAR PLAN (Guardian)
- Arabs Fear Syria Threats (Reuters)
* U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS BODY CRITICIZES ISRAEL (AP)
- Israel to Use Flechette Shells (News 24)
- 'Human Shields' Face Dangers in Israel (AP)
* CONSERVATIVES, LIBERALS UNITE AGAINST PATRIOT ACT (Reuters)
- An Un-Patriotic Second Act (Legal Times)
- The Canada We Want To Be (Toronto Star)
- Groups to Fight Local Pursuit of Immigrants (NY Times)
- Detention of Oregon Muslim Causes Concern
* LAWMAKER APOLOGIZES, EXPLAINS MUSLIM COMMENT (AP)
* MORE MUSLIMS CLAIM THEY SUFFER JOB BIAS (WSJ)
* MUSLIM DOCTORS GIVE BACK TO COMMUNITY (Chicago Tribune)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: ALLIEVIATE SUFFERING
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who alleviates the
suffering of a brother...God will ease his...suffering on the Day of
Resurrection. He who finds relief for one who is hard pressed, God will
make things easy for him in the Hereafter, and he who conceals (the
faults)
of a Muslim, God will conceal his faults in this world and in the
Hereafter."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1245
-----
FRIDAY SESSION AT CAIR CONFERENCE SOLD OUT
Hurry to reserve your place for the Saturday and Sunday Workshops and
dinner!
The Friday lobbying session at CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership and
Training
Conference has sold out. However, REGISTRATION IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR
SATURDAY, APRIL 26TH AND SUNDAY APRIL 27TH WORKSHOPS AND PANEL
DISCUSSIONS.
The two-day rate is only $99 and includes all conference materials and
five
meals.
You may register online at www.cair-net.org/conference. The conference
will
take place at the Sheraton Premiere in Vienna, VA. For more
information,
e-mail: registration@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5283 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5283 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package."
Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR HQ JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
JOB DESCRIPTION: Director of Governmental Affairs will be based in
Washington and will work with local CAIR offices and coalition partners
to
bring CAIR's civil rights concerns to the attention of policymakers at
the
federal, state and local levels. In addition to meeting regularly with
government officials, the Director will represent CAIR before coalition
partners. The Director will present the organization's research and
recommendations in a variety of fora, write opinion pieces for
publication,
policy briefs, action alerts and speak on behalf of CAIR to the press
and
general public. The Director's responsibilities also will include
monitoring policy developments related to the concerns of the American
Muslim community.
QUALIFICATIONS: The ideal candidate will be a creative, self-motivated,
strategic thinker with advocacy experience and familiarity with civil
rights issues in America. Direct experience in government or in
nongovernmental organizations working to influence government policy is
highly desirable.
The ideal candidate will possess excellent oral and written
communications
skills in English, proven initiative and follow-through, the ability to
work quickly and well under pressure, and a commitment to civil rights
and
international human rights. An advanced degree in law or the social
sciences is desirable.
SALARY AND BENEFITS: Negotiable, depending on experience. CAIR offers
an
excellent package of benefits, including employer-paid medical, dental
and
life insurance.
APPLY IMMEDIATELY by sending a resume, references, unedited writing
sample,
and cover letter (no calls, please) to: hr@cair-net.org
-----
GRAHAM INVITATION IRKS MUSLIMS AT PENTAGON
Alan Cooperman, Washington Post, 4/15/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26209-2003Apr14.html
Muslim employees of the Defense Department are protesting plans for the
Rev. Franklin Graham, who has called Islam an evil religion, to lead
Good
Friday prayers at the Pentagon.
In letters to the Pentagon chaplain's office, Muslim office workers
said
they were dismayed by the choice of Graham and urged officials to find
"a
more inclusive and honorable Christian clergyman" to lead the April 18
service.
Graham's statements about Islam "have been very controversial and
divisive," said Zadil Ansari, lay leader of the Muslim community at the
Pentagon...
Graham, who heads the evangelistic association founded by his father,
the
Rev. Billy Graham, delivered the benedictions at the Republican
National
Conventions in 1996 and 2000, as well as the invocation at President
Bush's
2001 inauguration.
He has long championed efforts to convert Muslims to Christianity.
During
the 1991 Persian Gulf War, he irked Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf by sending
30,000 Arabic-language bibles for U.S. troops to distribute in Muslim
countries...
SEE ALSO:
PENTAGON MUSLIMS ANGERED BY REV. GRAHAM INVITATION
Sue Pleming, Reuters, 4/15/03
WASHINGTON - Muslims at the Pentagon are incensed by what they say is
an
insensitive invitation to evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham, who has
called
Islam an "evil religion," to preach on Good Friday at the Defense
Department.
In letters to the Pentagon chaplain's office this week, Muslim office
workers complained strongly about Graham's plans to lead prayers on
Friday,
one of the most religious days in the Christian calendar.
The letters urged officials to find a "more inclusive and honorable"
religious leader to take his place...
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said inviting Graham to the Pentagon prayer
service "sends entirely the wrong message to the Muslim and Arab world
that
the Pentagon will host someone who has such Islamophobic views."
He added: "This kind of incident can undo any kind of bridges built by
a
hundred public affairs officers at the Pentagon. They need to think how
their actions are perceived not only in this country but worldwide..."
---
A FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE
Amanda Bower and Aparisim Ghosh, Time, 4/13/03
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030421/sochristianaid.html
Steve Weaver is a Christian aid worker. The Pennsylvania Mennonite is
an
emergency-management consultant for the Church World Service, with
which he
will shortly cross the border between Jordan and Iraq. But unlike some
of
his fellow believers in that great aid caravan, Weaver, 33, will not
preach
as he goes. "Mixing proselytizing with humanitarian work is not
appropriate
at any time," he says. And now "it will confirm people's suspicions
that
this [war] was about Christians vs. Muslims-and the Christians won..."
The Baptists will deliver thousands of 70-lb. food packages labeled-in
Arabic- with the biblical verse John 1:17: "For the law was given
through
Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ." Eight
hundred
volunteers have reportedly joined the effort. Samaritan's Purse, known
as a
highly efficient charity, will provide water systems, shelters, medical
kits for 100,000 people and probably, though its leaders decline to be
specific, a Gospel message. "We do not deny the name of Christ," a
spokesman said. "We'll be who we are."
Not everyone thinks the overt approach is the way to win friends or
converts. Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American Islamic Relations
says
the two groups are "seeking to exploit people in their moment of
vulnerability"...
---
EVANGELIZE ELSEWHERE
Washington Post, 4/15/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26646-2003Apr14.html
Mr. Graham runs an organization called Samaritan's Purse, which has a
stellar reputation for providing relief work efficiently in often
dangerous
situations. In some places it might even be worth allowing its relief
workers in at the risk of offending people's religious sensibilities.
But
postwar Iraq is not one of those places. Here is a delicate situation
where
the United States already faces suspicions of having launched an
imperialist crusade. And here is a man who has written in his latest
book
that Christianity and Islam are eternal enemies locked in a "classic
struggle that will end with the second coming of Christ," and that "the
war
against terrorism is just another conflict between evil and The Name,"
meaning Jesus Christ.
When a group of Muslims at the Pentagon found out that the chaplain's
office had invited Mr. Graham to lead the Good Friday service there
this
week, they wrote a letter saying that they were "deeply dismayed and
disappointed" and that they hoped the Pentagon might consider someone
more
"inclusive." Already his group's presence near the Iraqi border has
caused
a stir in the Arab and European press.
In the absence of a functioning Iraqi government to handle visa
matters,
the Treasury Department, consulting with the State Department, has been
granting work permits on a case-by-case basis to relief organizations
to go
to Iraq. Mr. Graham's group has not received money from any U.S.
government
agency, but it has received approval to operate in occupied Iraq. His
presence at a widely attended Christian service at the Pentagon
furthers
the unfortunate impression of official U.S. endorsement. The Pentagon
should rescind its invitation, and President Bush should withdraw the
approval for Samaritan's Purse to function in Iraq, or Mr. Graham
should
diplomatically offer to focus on some other needy country.
---
ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
Max Blumenthal, Salon.com, 4/15/03
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/04/15/in_touch/index_np.html
Even before victory has been formally declared, In Touch is just one
phalanx in an army of Christian soldiers who see Muslim Iraq as an
extraordinary new marketplace for their theology. Already, churches and
ministries on the religious right are poised to send in missionaries
and to
amp up broadcasts to the region. Like advance troops before the
invasion,
some U.S. military officials in Iraq have already staked out the
country as
a natural place to spread the Christian Gospel...
Chris Kimball, a Baptist minister and director of religious studies at
Wake
Forest University, is more blunt: Stanley and other luminaries of the
religious right who wrap God in an American flag are "whipping up a
kind of
Christian nationalism," he says, and that could severely complicate
America's credibility there and in the Muslim world at large.
Charles Kimball was in Israel and Lebanon to do interfaith work with
the
Mid East Council of Churches when METV started broadcasting evangelical
programs like Pat Robertson's "The 700 Club" in the area. Kimball
recalls
that Christians from Lebanon and the Galilee region of Northern Israel
bristled at Robertson's enthusiasm for the activities of the right-wing
Christian Phalangist militia and the Israeli Defense Forces in
Lebanon's
bloody civil war. And he says that METV's broadcasts inflamed tensions
between Lebanon's indigenous Christians and their Muslim countrymen,
who
became suspicious that their Christian neighbors might have actually
agreed
with Robertson's anti-Islamic vitriol...
-----
ANTI-AMERICAN PROTESTS INTENSIFY IN IRAQ
Peter Mackler, Agence France Presse, 4/15/03
BAGHDAD - Anti-American protests intensified here and in southern Iraq
on
Tuesday, as US forces struggled with the delicate task of rebuilding
the
country after toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Exasperated US military officials tried to hamper the media from
covering
new demonstrations in Baghdad while some 20,000 people in the Shiite
Muslim
bastion of Nasiriyah railed against a US-staged meeting on Iraq's
future.
The protests came as the Americans delivered a first progress report in
their effort to restore Iraq to normalcy and head off a chorus of
criticism
over continued lawlessness and a lack of basic services.
Some 200-300 Iraqis gathered Tuesday outside the Palestine Hotel, where
the
US marines have set up an operations base, for a third straight day of
protests against the US occupation.
For the first time, visibly angered US military officials sought to
distance the media from the protest, moving reporters and cameras about
30
meters (yards) from the barbed-wired entrance to the hotel.
"We want you to pull back to the back of the hotel because they (the
Iraqis) are only performing because the media are here," said a marine
colonel who wore the name Zarcone but would not give his first name or
title...
Hundreds of international reporters here have also become increasingly
frustrated with the lack of information on the reconstruction effort
and
the US failure to provide other than haphazard access to public affairs
officers...
SEE ALSO:
AT LEAST 10 KILLED IN MOSUL SHOOTING, US TROOPS BLAMED
Agence France Presse, 4/15/03
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=2&u=/afp/20030415/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_war_us_mosul_030415125129
MOSUL, Iraq - At least 10 people were killed and scores wounded in
shooting in Mosul, a hospital doctor said, as other witnesses alleged
US
troops had opened fire.
"There are perhaps 100 wounded and 10 to 12 dead" following the
shooting
near the local government offices in a central square, Dr Ayad
al-Ramadhani
said Tuesday at the emergency department of the city hospital.
Three witnesses questioned by AFP and casualties who spoke to hospital
staff said US troops had fired on the crowd which was becoming
increasingly
hostile towards the city's new governor, Mashaan al-Juburi, as he was
making a pro-US speech.
An AFP journalist saw a wrecked car in the square and ambulances
ferrying
wounded people to hospital, while a US aircraft flew over the northern
Iraqi city at very low altitude...
---
IRAQI PROTESTERS BLOCK MARINES IN KUT
Burt Herman, Associated Press, 4/15/03
KUT, Iraq - Hundreds of protesters blocked U.S. Marines from entering
Kut's
city hall Tuesday to meet a radical anti-American Shiite cleric who has
declared himself in control here, military officials said.
About 20 Marines from Task Force Tarawa decided against trying to enter
the
building after being confronted by 1,200 protesters, said Lt. Col. Jean
Malone, deputy operations officer for the 2nd Marine Expeditionary
Battalion.
The protesters were shouting ``No, No Chalabi!'' - referring to Ahmed
Chalabi, the leader of the Pentagon-backed Iraqi National Congress
opposition group.
Many Iraqi opposition leaders fear the United States is trying to force
Chalabi on them as leader of a new Iraqi administration.
---
COUNTING THE CASUALTIES
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 4/13/03
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030421/wcivilian.html
When it comes to American deaths in Gulf War II, U.S. officials are
quite
precise. In the first three weeks of fighting, 110 U.S. troops were
killed.
The Iraqi body count, by contrast, is a mystery. When American forces
first
pushed into Baghdad, for example, they boasted of killing as many as
3,000
enemy fighters. The release of that number may have been an effort to
rattle the Iraqis.
But the estimate was little more than what the military calls a WAG, a
wild-assed guess. The Iraqi side can't do much better. No longer does
an
authority exist to track casualties. Even if one did, the task would be
Herculean. In the Muslim world, the deceased are buried as quickly as
possible, and war deaths can thus go unrecorded. This is a war that may
never have a reliable body count...
Still, the overall numbers are unknown, and some experts are worried
that
if they're ever tallied, they could come as a nasty surprise. Says
William
Arkin, a former Army intelligence officer and a senior military adviser
for
Human Rights Watch: "I think we are going to be stunned by the level of
carnage caused by this war."
And highly touted smart weapons have turned out to be messier than
advertised. A 2,000-lb. bomb steered by a JDAM guidance device may
rarely
miss its mark by more than 13 ft.-the length of the steering system and
the
explosive-but when the bomb blows, it sends high-speed shrapnel flying
as
far as a mile. There may be a lot of uncounted innocents in such a big
footprint...
---
LOOTERS RANSACK IRAQ'S NATIONAL LIBRARY
CHARLES J. HANLEY, Associated Press, 4/15/03
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Looters and arsonists ransacked and gutted Iraq's
National Library, leaving a smoldering shell Tuesday of precious books
turned to ash and a nation's intellectual legacy gone up in smoke.
They also looted and burned Iraq's principal Islamic library nearby,
home
to priceless old Qurans; last week, thieves swept through the National
Museum and stole or smashed treasures that chronicled this region's
role as
the ``cradle of civilization.''
``Our national heritage is lost,'' an angry high school teacher,
Haithem
Aziz, said as he stood outside the National Library's blackened hulk.
``The
modern Mongols, the new Mongols did that. The Americans did that. Their
agents did that,'' he said as an explosion boomed in the distance as
the
war winds down.
The Mongols, led by Genghis Khan's grandson Hulegu, sacked Baghdad in
the
13th century. Today, the rumors on the lips of almost all Baghdadis is
that
the looting that has torn this city apart is led by U.S.-inspired
Kuwaitis
or other non-Iraqis bent on stripping the city of everything of value…
The destruction has drawn condemnation worldwide, with many criticizing
U.S.-led coalition forces for failing to prevent or stop the looting,
sometimes carried out by whole Iraqi families…
Among the National Museum's treasures were the tablets with Hammurabi's
Code - one of mankind's earliest codes of law. It could not be
immediately
determined whether the tablets were at the museum when war broke out…
Armored vehicles were positioned on the nearby street, manned by U.S.
Marines. They did nothing to stop Tuesday's continuing trickle of
looters.
---
'CRADLE OF CIVILISATION' TREASURES LOST IN IRAQ WAR
Rosalind Russell, Reuters, 4/15/03
BAGHDAD - Iraq's heritage has been stolen. Ancient and priceless
artifacts
documenting the development of mankind are missing, rare manuscripts
set
alight and artwork snatched.
Baghdad's museums, galleries and libraries are empty shells, looted and
torched almost overnight by gangs operating in the security vacuum
which
accompanied last week's invasion of the city by U.S. forces and the
fall of
Saddam Hussein.
Iraq sits on the land of ancient Mesopotamia, the "land between two
rivers," home to prehistoric man and the cradle of civilisation. On the
banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, the Mesopotamians were the first
people
to study the stars, develop the written word and enforce a legal code.
Standing among shards of glass outside the Iraqi National Museum, Dr
Moayad
Damerji said the objects and artefacts which bore witness to mankind's
development had vanished, their loss immeasurable.
"The Iraqi National Museum is the only museum in the world which shows
all
the steps in the history of mankind," said the professor of archaeology
at
Baghdad University, and the former director general of the Iraqi
Department
of Antiquities...
"This has been organised. It is not just theft, the aim is bigger than
this," said Haidari, dressed neatly and almost in tears. "This is to
undermine us, our heritage, our identity, our pride..."
---
WHEN KIDS ARE IN THE CROSS HAIRS
Alex Perry, Time, 4/13/03
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030421/wperry.html
The image of the children is impossible to forget. When the fire fight
in
Karbala first broke out, all they could think of was their first
casualty,
Brown-his side open, his eyes lulling-being carried out past them. But
Specialist Larry Brown was a man of 20, and he was a professional
infantryman. The kids, boys, were maybe 7 or 8 and had no place there.
Bravo Company wasted them. Had to.
Right when the fire fight was at its hottest, when maybe 100 guys were
popping up across the rooftops firing AK-47s and rocket-propelled
grenades,
the boys bounced into the courtyard below the building where Bravo was
spread out and attempted to retrieve an RPG dropped by a dead Iraqi.
"It
sounds terrible when you hear about this cold, away from the fight,"
says
commander Lieut. Colonel Chris Holden. "We shot and killed children.
But I
accept full responsibility for that. That's the kind of fight it
was."...
-----
BUSH VETOES SYRIA WAR PLAN
Julian Borger, Guardian, 4/15/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,937105,00.html
The White House has privately ruled out suggestions that the US should
go
to war against Syria following its military success in Iraq, and has
blocked preliminary planning for such a campaign in the Pentagon, the
Guardian learned yesterday.
In the past few weeks, the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld,
ordered
contingency plans for a war on Syria to be reviewed following the fall
of
Baghdad...
Mr Feith and other conservatives now playing important roles in the
Bush
administration, advised the Israeli government in 1996 that it could
"shape
its strategic environment... by weakening, containing and even rolling
back
Syria".
However, President George Bush, who faces re-election next year with
two
perilous nation-building projects, in Afghanistan and Iraq, on his
hands,
is said to have cut off discussion among his advisers about the
possibility
of taking the "war on terror" to Syria.
"The talk about Syria didn't go anywhere. Basically, the White House
shut
down the discussion," an intelligence source in Washington told the
Guardian...
SEE ALSO:
ARABS FEAR SYRIA THREATS SIGNAL WIDER US TARGETS
Caroline Drees, Reuters, 4/15/03
CAIRO - Arabs are unnerved and insulted by U.S. accusations that Syria
is a
"rogue nation" developing chemical weapons and fear Washington's stream
of
broadsides mean the war on Iraq could extend to other Arab states.
"Who the hell do the Americans think they are? They are so predictable.
Before the war, we all said the U.S. would start in Iraq and then
target
other Arabs. And here we have it," Egyptian doctor Noha said. "Who's
next
after they destroy Syria? Egypt?"
Damascus denies charges it is harbouring Iraqi leaders, seeking
chemical
weapons and sponsoring terrorism. A cabinet statement on Tuesday said
U.S.
"threats and falsifications" were prompted by neighbouring Israel's
"goals
and expansive greed..."
Some Arabs also believe the charges are part of a U.S. plot to control
the
region and say Israel may be the main beneficiary of Washington's
policies...
"What is even more worrying is that Israel has entered into this
situation.
This is like throwing oil on a fire and makes the situation even more
tense
and precarious," he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in remarks published on Tuesday,
repeated charges that Baghdad had moved military equipment to Syria on
the
eve of the conflict. But he did not say whether that included weapons
of
mass destruction.
His comments are sure to anger Arabs, who believe Washington is biased
towards Israel, which Arabs accuse of possessing its own weapons of
mass
destruction...
-----
U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS BODY CRITICIZES ISRAEL
Clare Nullis, Associated Press, 4/15/03
GENEVA (AP) - The United Nations' top human rights body overwhelmingly
condemned Israel's human rights record on Tuesday, accusing the country
of
"mass killings of Palestinians" and a host of other violations.
The United States, Israel's main ally, was alone in voting against all
four
resolutions. The American delegate said the criticism was one-sided and
unfair...
By a 50-1 vote, the commission passed a resolution put forward by
European
countries voicing "grave concern" because Israel has not halted
settlements
of Palestinian territory. It criticized restrictions on the movements
of
Palestinians and a barrier Israel is building to separate it from the
Palestinian territories.
SEE ALSO:
ISRAEL TO USE FLECHETTE SHELLS
News 24, 4/14/03
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,6119,2-10-1462_1347525,00.html
Jerusalem - Israel's Supreme Court has given the army the green light
to
use controversial flechette tanks shells which spray thousands of darts
over hundreds of metres, ripping apart anyone in the killing zone.
Physicians for Human Rights, an Israeli advocacy group, said the use of
such shells was in contravention of the Geneva Convention covering the
rules of warfare and should be banned.
It said the shells had killed 10 innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip
since
the start of the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, in September
2000...
---
'HUMAN SHIELDS' FACE DANGERS IN ISRAEL
Paisley Dodds, Associated Press, 4/15/03
JENIN, West Bank - On a narrow dirt road separating this West Bank town
from a Jewish settlement, a Swede named Tobias Karlsson and four
comrades
wedge themselves between a moving Israeli tank and a family of
Palestinians
seeking passage on the road.
In volunteering as human shields, these and other visitors, mostly from
the
United States and Europe, are taking enormous risks - and confronting
the
Israeli government with a public relations nightmare.
Last week, Israeli troops critically wounded a British man trying to
save
two children from Israeli fire. Days before, Karlsson's friend,
American
Brian Avery, was shot in the face in Jenin. Another American, Rachel
Corrie, died March 16 trying to block an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza.
"If we're able to save just one Palestinian from Israeli gunfire, our
work
will have been worth all the risks and sacrifices," said Karlsson, 30,
from
Stockholm, his sandals covered in dust kicked up by the tank...
Palestinians have long complained that Israeli troops use excessive
force
against civilians, and mounting casualties among foreigners are likely
to
draw renewed attention to the charge. In 30 months of fighting, more
than
2,200 Palestinians have been killed - most by Israeli troops.
The International Solidarity Movement, a group of Palestinians and
foreigners based in the Palestinian areas, says more volunteers have
been
signing up since Corrie was killed. "Before Rachel's death, we had one
or
two people filling out registrations each day," said George Rishmawi, a
founder of the group. "Now we get about eight per day..."
Friday's shooting of 21-year-old Tom Hurndall from Manchester, England
was
witnessed by a photographer on assignment for The Associated Press.
A dozen activists walked toward Israeli tanks on the outskirts of the
Rafah
refugee camp, near the border with Egypt. They wanted to set up a tent
in
an attempt to block Israeli military incursions and were joined by
several
children, said photographer Khalil Hamra. The Israelis troops were
firing
toward a group of people and children, Hamra said. When Hurndall was
tried
to get two children out of the line of fire a tank opened fire and shot
him
in the head, Hamra said...
-----
CONSERVATIVES, LIBERALS UNITE AGAINST PUSH TO BROADEN PATRIOT ACT
Michelle Mittelstadt, Knight Ridder, 4/13/03
http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/041303dnnatpatriot.41aa0.html
WASHINGTON - Fearful that the Bush administration is poised to ask
Congress
for greater anti-terrorism powers, including the right to strip
Americans
of their citizenship, liberals and conservatives are joining forces to
block what they view as dangerous encroachments on civil liberties.
The loose-knit coalition was on display last week when conservative
activists who otherwise are close administration allies joined the
American
Civil Liberties Union to decry the Justice Department's impending push
for
powers that could reach well beyond the USA Patriot Act that Congress
raced
to adopt in the dark, chaotic weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks...
"Everyone is concerned with protecting our people and our society and
our
homeland," said American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene. "But
everyone should be equally concerned at the potential costs to our
society
and its very nature if we adopt measures that in retrospect would be
viewed
as unwise..."
SEE ALSO:
AN UN-PATRIOTIC SECOND ACT
John Conyers, Jr., Legal Times, 4/14/03
www.legaltimes.com
James Madison, founding father and architect of the United States
Constitution, warned, "The essence of government is power, and power,
lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse."
His words, uttered more than 200 years ago, are proving to be prophetic
today. In the days after the 9-11 attacks, the Bush Administration
rushed
through Congress the USA PATRIOT Act - a sweeping bill that gave the
government unprecedented authority to search, wiretap, arrest, and
detain
American citizens and residents not just for suspected terrorist
activity,
but for every type of federal investigation...
Now that the invasion of Iraq is underway, and with the nation's
terrorist
threat level again raised to "high," I fear the Administration is
poised to
unleash a so-called "PATRIOT II" bill, drafted in secret, that would
constitute the most sweeping and broad based attack on civil liberties
in
our nation's history...
Under this Orwellian proposal, for the first time in our history, our
laws
would authorize secret arrests and detentions. People could literally
disappear off the street, thrown in jail, and their families will have
no
idea what happened to them. Such clandestine tactics are routinely
practiced by dictatorships, not democracies, and certainly not by a
nation
that has long prided itself as being the most freedom loving on
earth...
---
THE CANADA WE WANT TO BE
Mubashir Rizvi, Toronto Star, 4/15/03
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1035780915243&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795
Riyaz and Rida, a Canadian couple, decided to take their kids to Disney
World in Florida. They arranged for their vacations, got the paperwork
completed and arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, 2.5
hours
prior to departure time.
At the airport, their flight was on time and they had plenty of time to
go
through security and U.S. customs. The officials asked a few questions,
took their Canadian passports and told them to wait while they ran
their
passports through a routine security check.
As the wait was getting longer, they politely reminded the officials of
the
departure time of their flight. They were told to keep waiting.
Finally, 10 minutes after their flight had taken off, they got the
verdict
that the checkup was complete and they were free to travel to the U.S.
This is not an isolated incident.
A number of Canadians travelling to the U.S. are facing these
discriminatory tactics. Many of these Canadians are either Muslims or
those
who may be considered by a U.S. customs official to be a Muslim, such
Sikhs
or immigrants with unfamiliar names from Indian the subcontinent or the
Middle East...
The fundamental issue at stake here is not the treatment of some
Canadians
by American customs officials or confinements of some others.
The issue is discrimination against Canadian citizens. Though the
community
being directly affected is made up of Canadians who are either Muslims
or
visible minorities, the issue is a fundamental one of determining what
kind
of society we are - and, more importantly, what kind of society we
would
like to be.
---
ADVOCATES' GROUPS TO FIGHT LOCAL PURSUIT OF IMMIGRANTS
Rachel L. Swarns, New York Times, 4/14/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/14/international/worldspecial/14IMMI.html
WASHINGTON - A coalition of immigration advocacy groups is challenging
the
Justice Department's decision to allow state and local police
departments
to pursue illegal immigrants as part of the war on terror.
Taking on a job traditionally done by federal agents, a small number of
police departments has begun arresting people accused of civil
violations
of immigration law, like overstaying visas, since the Justice
Department
announced its new interpretation of existing laws last year, officials
say...
Police chiefs in states including Texas, California, Florida and
Colorado
have warned that allowing local officials to make immigration arrests
would
jeopardize relations with immigrants, who might be less willing to
report
crimes. On Monday, a coalition of immigrant groups plans to file a
lawsuit
in federal court in New York to force the Justice Department to turn
over
its records.
"There are serious legal questions about this," said Cecilia Muñoz, a
vice
president of the National Council of La Raza, one of seven advocacy
groups
suing the government. "But it is difficult to raise those concerns in a
meaningful way if you can't hold up the policy and describe what it
is..."
---
FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE'S
ABUSE OF
MATERIAL WITNESS STATUTE IN HAWASH CASE
(Portland, Oregon, April 14, 2003) - Friends and co-workers of former
Intel
software engineer Maher (Mike) Hawash are deeply concerned by U.S.
District
Judge Robert Jones' order permitting his continued detention as a
material
witness. Hawash was arrested on March 20 in the parking lot Intel
Corp's
Hillsboro offices, and his house was searched by an estimated 30 armed
officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). He already has spent
three weeks in solitary confinement in federal prison in Sheridan,
Oregon,
without being deposed or charged.
Judge Jones' order requires federal prosecutors to either take his
deposition or present Hawash before a grand jury for testimony no later
than April 25. His detention hearing is scheduled for April 29. As a
result, Hawash likely will be held in solitary confinement for nearly
six
weeks without being charged. His friends and co-workers believe that
this
is an outrage.
"I believe Mike is the latest victim of the U.S. Justice Department's
war
on civil liberties," stated Zaha Hassan, a Portland attorney and friend
of
Mike's. "It seems that first they came for the undocumented workers,
then
they came for the immigrants and legal residents, and now they have
come
for the U.S. citizens who are Muslim or of Middle Eastern descent. This
cannot be allowed to stand..."
Since his arrest, friends and co-workers have set up a Web site
(www.FreeMikeHawash.com) to raise funds for his defense and build
awareness
about his arrest and detainment...
For more information on the Free Mike Hawash campaign contact Steven
McGeady at (503) 284-1882 or visit www.freemikehawash.org.
-----
LAWMAKER APOLOGIZES, EXPLAINS MUSLIM COMMENT
David Royse, Associated Press, 4/15/03
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - State Rep. Dick Kravitz apologized to Muslims
Monday
for a comment he made last week when he explained his appreciation for
Muslim culture - and added that he regretted not dating "one of their
women."
In a letter to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Kravitz said
he
wanted to apologize to anyone offended by the remark and said he was
cut
off at the committee meeting before being able to explain it.
Kravitz, a Jacksonville Republican, was presenting a bill to the House
Education K-20 Committee on April 7 that would have barred state
financial
aid to students from six countries on a list of nations the State
Department considers sponsors of terrorism. The measure passed that
committee but was defeated Monday in the House Judiciary Committee...
Altaf Ali, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations'
Florida branch accepted the apology.
"While continuing to disagree with Rep. Kravitz's proposed legislation,
we
appreciate the courage it took to admit that his remarks were perceived
as
insensitive," Ali said.
-----
MORE MUSLIMS CLAIM THEY SUFFER JOB BIAS
Marjorie Valbrun, Wall Street Journal, 4/15/03
www.wsj.com
When the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced a $1.11
million
settlement against Stockton Steel of California last month, it was one
of
the largest ever for workplace discrimination against Muslims. In the
case,
four Pakistani machine operators who said they were routinely given the
worst jobs, ridiculed during their daily prayers and called "camel
jockey"
and "raghead," shared in the settlement award.
Stockton, a unit of Herrick Corp. of Pleasanton, Calif., denied the
charges
but said it settled them to avoid costly litigation.
The settlement "was a welcome surprise that energized people in the
Arab
and Muslim community," says Hodan Hassan, a spokeswoman for the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations. "It gave people the sense that it was
possible
to have a company pay a penalty for discriminating."
While the case against Stockton was filed months before Sept. 11, 2001,
other cases have been directly linked to backlash from the terrorist
attacks. Last fall, the agency reached a $35,000 settlement with a
North
Carolina medical clinic that ordered a nurse not to wear her religious
head
scarf just days after the attacks. The 40-year-old nurse had worked at
the
clinic for three years and was a new convert to Islam. She said she was
let
go after a patient and doctor reacted negatively to her scarf and she
refused to stop wearing it as supervisors requested. She is now a nurse
in
Raleigh, N.C.
EEOC Commissioner Paul Steven Miller says that such cases help
sensitize
employers to the issues "and the business community that we work with
is
interested in doing the right thing and avoiding litigation..."
-----
MUSLIM DOCTORS GIVE BACK TO COMMUNITY
Jon Anderson, Chicago Tribune, 4/15/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/health/chi-0304150279apr15,1,4550573.story
The health clinic, in a predominantly Arab neighborhood on the
Southwest
Side, is free. It is open Sundays. The doctors, all Muslim, are
volunteers.
No one, of any background, is turned away.
"It's pretty simple, really," one doctor explained. "All of us went
into
medicine hoping to help people."
Yet, life being what it is, especially these days, nothing is ever that
simple, he quickly added. Idealism can be sidetracked by the delivery
structure of modern American medicine. Doctors can develop what they
call
"clinical lives," carefully kept schedules that keep them away from
patients who lack health insurance.
But the work of the Inner City Muslim Action Network's Health Clinic
Initiative, as the storefront operation at 6248 S. Spaulding Ave. is
known,
does depend on a couple of maxims known to most of the world's
peoples...
For the past year, Ahsan Arozullah has spent many of his weekends with
a
troupe of medical volunteers, drawn from Provident Hospital,
Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center and Northwestern
University.
"We're not only here for the Arab community. We are diverse. We have
African-American and Hispanic patients," said clinic administrator
Sharene
Fakhran. "We're trying to provide something for everyone in the
area..."
"We want to improve the public image of Arabs, to break stereotypes,"
Ahsan
Arozullah said. "Islam is not a warlike religion. The average Joe
Muslim is
actually peaceful, competent and very concerned about other people.
-----
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-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/16/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: REPENTANCE
* CONFERENCE SESSION TO FOCUS ON CHRISTIAN RIGHT
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5342 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* KEY REPUBLICAN NOT SURE ON PATRIOT ACT (AP)
- Review of Patriot Act Needed (Palm Beach Post)
- Credit Card Companies Cancel on Muslims (City Limits)
- Libraries Concerned with Invasion of Privacy (Chronicle)
* PIPES NOMINATION TO USIP POSITIVELY ORWELLIAN (Antiwar)
- Muslims Demand Pentagon Rescind Graham Invitation (KR)
* FREE TO PROTEST, IRAQIS COMPLAIN ABOUT AMERICANS (NY Times)
- Iraqi Shia Fear U.S. Occupation (Independent)
- Q&A on International Law, Occupation (AP)
- Tests Rule Out Suspect Bio-Labs (CNN)
- Lost In the Rubble (Village Voice)
- History Up In Smoke (NY Times)
- Sacking of Baghdad's Treasures (Independent)
- Mixed Emotions on U.S. Role (Mercury News)
- Black Press War Skepticism Runs High (Boston Globe)
* ISRAEL DETAINS PALESTINIAN MINORS (Ha'aretz)
* FRANCE THREATENS TO EXPEL EXTREMIST ISLAMIC LEADERS (AP)
* HATE CRIME VICTIM'S FAMILY EXPECTED TO GET PERMITS (AP)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: REPENTANCE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who repents of a sin
is
like someone who has committed no sin."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 754
-----
CONFERENCE SESSION TO FOCUS ON CHRISTIAN RIGHT
At CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership Conference, "A Roadmap for Success:
Vision
and Action," there will be several sessions exploring challenges facing
the
American Muslim community, such as:
MUSLIMS, THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT AND ITS ALLIANCE WITH THE PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY
The Christian right and the pro-Israel lobby have formed an alliance
that
has negative implications for the American Muslim community. Hear what
can
be done to counter attempts at political disenfranchisement and
marginalization.
Panel speakers include Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar, Secretary General of the
National Council of Churches and well-known author on interfaith
relations
William Baker.
You can now register online at www.cair-net.org/conference. The
conference
will take place Friday, April 25th to Sunday, April 27th at the
Sheraton
Premiere in Vienna, VA.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5342 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5342 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
KEY REPUBLICAN NOT SURE ON PATRIOT ACT
Jesse J. Holland, Associated Press, 4/16/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-anti-terrorism-law,0,251085.story
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration's plans to expand a post-Sept. 11
anti-terrorism law face resistance from a powerful House Republican who
says he's not even sure he wants the government to keep its new powers.
James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, the House Judiciary Committee
chairman,
complains that the Justice Department isn't sharing enough information
for
lawmakers to make a judgment on how well or poorly the USA Patriot Act
is
working.
"I can't answer that because the Justice Department has classified as
top-secret most of what it's doing under the Patriot Act,"
Sensenbrenner
said when asked about the future of the anti-terrorism law in a recent
interview.
Sensenbrenner maintains that because the department refuses to be
forthcoming, it is losing the public relation battle needed to extend
the
law beyond its October 2005 expiration, much less expand it.
"The burden will be on the Justice Department and whomever is attorney
general at that time to convince Congress and the president to extend
the
Patriot Act or modify it," he said. "But because of the fact that
everything has been classified as top-secret, the public debate is
centering on (the act's) onerousness..."
SEE ALSO:
EXPAND THE PATRIOT ACT? INSTEAD, ORDER A REVIEW
Palm Beach Post, 4/15/03
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/auto/epaper/editions/tuesday/opinion_e3b963a9034452211001.html
Politicians can exploit times of national fear or euphoria. With
national
emotion running high after the invasion and relatively easy occupation
of
Iraq, the proposed expansion of the controversial USA Patriot Act could
seem less dangerous than it is...
The so-called Patriot II, however, would unnecessarily erode civil
liberties by further decreasing judicial review and congressional
oversight
while limiting public access to information. Some of the new powers the
expansion would give the executive branch -- such as to sample and
catalog
citizens' genetic information without court order or consent -- are
absurd.
Much of the measure is so open to interpretation that no real patriot
could
support it...
The framers of the Constitution enacted the Bill of Rights because they
worried about such actions. Given the evidence that the FBI failed to
use
existing powers and information that could have averted the 9/11
attacks,
the government has not shown that it needed as much more power and as
much
less oversight as Patriot I allowed...
---
CREDIT CARD COMPANIES CANCEL ON MUSLIM NEW YORKERS
Hilary Russ, City Limits, May 2003
http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/articleView.cfm?articlenumber=988
Say that you are one of those fortunate people who manage to pay off
most
of their credit cards every month. Then imagine your surprise when one
of
your cards is cancelled for no apparent reason. You'd be outraged,
especially if you found out this was only happening to you and your
friends.
That's exactly what Farooq Firdous experienced. Last summer, Firdous, a
Pakistani who got his green card in 1997 after 11 years of legal
residence
in the U.S., received a phone call from an American Express
representative
regarding a credit card he held. The rep requested that he send the
company
a mountain of paperwork: three years of tax returns, six months of bank
statements and a job verification letter...
The government's post-9/11 infringements on civil liberties have been
well
documented and debated. But what happens when private companies take
the
fight against terrorism into their own hands? If you're Pakistani, or
Muslim, or both, you might just find your credit cards cancelled,
despite
the good credit you've worked hard to build.
City Limits has found 12 cases in which Muslims, nearly all
Pakistani-Americans, with good credit, all of whom claim they made no
unusual or exorbitant charges or late payments, had their American
Express
credit cards cancelled. We found no cases of non-Muslims' credit cards
being cancelled outright, or even non-Muslims who were asked to send in
paperwork for existing accounts...
Joshua Salaam of the civil rights department of the Council for
American-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that
conducts public education and advocacy about Islam, says the lists "are
powerful, infiltrating Muslims' daily lives, affecting them more than
they
know and more than the general public knows..."
---
LIBRARIES VOICE CONCERN OF ACT'S PRIVACY INVASION
Preston Sparks, Augusta Chronicle, 4/15/03
http://www.augustachronicle.com/stories/041503/met_045-5996.000.shtml
Keeping quiet is what libraries are all about. But lately, there has
been a
lot of talk at Augusta-area libraries concerning the Patriot Act.
"We're not trying to protect the terrorists or any criminal," said Gary
Swint, the director of the East Central Georgia Regional Libraries,
which
services six counties including Richmond and Columbia. "It's just that
we
do need to make sure we follow the law so someone won't turn around and
sue
us for infringing on their privacy."
The worry is that requests for records through the new antiterrorism
law
could clash with the duty of a librarian to protect a patron's privacy.
Mr. Swint said local libraries will continue to require court order
documents for FBI requests of a patron's Internet or book use.
Documents
such as Internet sign-in sheets also will continue to be shredded daily
at
Augusta libraries as part of state privacy laws...
"The Patriot Act has lowered the legal standard on how the FBI can
obtain
library records," said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the deputy director of
the
Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association.
"It's
not gotten under probable cause. It's gotten under a much lower level."
The law also prevents librarians from telling someone a subpoena has
been
issued seeking their records.
Mr. Swint said Augusta libraries want to help law enforcement. But
conflict
occurred with at least two verbal requests for information from the
FBI,
once before and once soon after the Sept. 11 attacks, he said.
"He would not give me any specifics," Mr. Swint said of the agent's
request, adding that the agent became agitated when he was denied
records
because he didn't have a court order.
"He told the staff downstairs that he was going to arrest me and take
me to
the FBI headquarters in Savannah."
Mr. Swint said the agent left, and since then, the FBI hasn't
returned...
-----
NESTING HABITS OF WASHINGTON'S WAR BIRDS
Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 4/16/03
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength - and Daniel
Pipes,
the nation's leading Islamophobe and a stalwart of the War Party, has
been
named to the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace
(USIP). While the Institute - a U.S. government agency first proposed
in
the 1970s by President Jimmy Carter - is dedicated to "promoting the
peaceful resolution of international conflict," Ha'aretz aptly
describes
the Pipes credo as follows:
"He espouses a theory of conflict resolution that rests on the
assumption
that peace usually is achieved only by one side defeating the other
with
military force or other pressure, and only rarely through
reconciliation or
negotiation."
The Pipes view that "Islamists" - i.e. American Muslims - all "have the
same ambition, which is what they call "the Islamization of America,"
hardly seems conducive to the USIP's "can't we all get along?" message.
This weird anomaly - can you believe a Jewish version of David Duke? -
avers that the goal of America's Muslims in their millions is "no less
than
saving the U.S. through transforming it into a Muslim country..."
Listening to Pipes and reading his works one is reminded of nothing so
much
as the anti-Semitic literature of the neo-Nazi movement, which posits a
devil theory similarly based on ethnicity and religion. In the realm of
foreign policy, his hateful views were vented in a call for the razing
of
Palestinian villages - a logical extension of his declaration that "the
Palestinians are a miserable people...and they deserve to be..."
ACTION REQUESTED:
GO TO "ASK SENATE TO REJECT DANIEL PIPES NOMINATION"
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=142&page=AA
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS DEMAND PENTAGON RESCIND GRAHAM INVITATION
Tosin Sulaiman and Sumana Chatterjee, Knight Ridder, 4/16/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/5644806.htm
WASHINGTON - Outraged American Muslims are urging the Pentagon to
rescind
an invitation for a prominent Christian evangelist who has harshly
criticized Islam to appear at a prayer service Friday.
Franklin Graham, the son of the Rev. Billy Graham, will deliver a
homily at
a Good Friday prayer service at the Pentagon, a spokesperson said.
Franklin
Graham called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion" after the Sept.
11,
2001, terrorist attacks, a comment he has refused to recant.
Graham heads Samaritan's Purse, a fundamentalist Christian organization
with a $194 million budget for humanitarian aid and ministry. The
group,
known for its active proselytizing, has workers in Jordan and is poised
to
deliver aid in Iraq.
Critics contend that Graham's appearance at the Pentagon will only
reinforce perceptions among Muslims that the U.S. war in Iraq is a
crusade
against Islam.
"It sends a completely horrible message to the Muslim world," said
Sarah
Eltantawi of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, a policy-oriented and
grassroots lobbying organization. "I can't think of a worse idea than
inviting him to speak at this time."
"We're concerned that a man who repeatedly states that Islam is
intrinsically evil would be invited to the Pentagon for any reason,"
said
Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which aims
to
educate non-Muslims about Islam. Hooper and other Muslim-American
leaders
insist that the Pentagon rescind Graham's invitation and invite a less
divisive Christian minister instead...
Samaritan's Purse's assistance for Iraqis has also raised eyebrows.
One aid worker for a secular group said some Muslims near the
Jordan-Iraq
border accepted help from Samaritan's Purse without knowing its
Christian
agenda. The aid worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said
the
Muslims stopped taking the food and water once they realized the
group's
proselytizing agenda. Tying aid to religious conversion is "not going
to be
very effective. Whether it is morally right is a further question," he
said...
-----
NOW FREE TO PROTEST, IRAQIS COMPLAIN ABOUT AMERICANS
Ian Fisher, New York Times, 4/16/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/16/international/worldspecial/16BAGH.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 15 - Protests against the American forces here are
rising by the day as Iraqis exercise their new right to complain -
something that often landed them in prison or worse during President
Saddam
Hussein's rule.
But no one here is in the mood to note that paradox, as Iraqis confront
with greater clarity their complicated reactions to the week-old
American
military presence here: anger at the looting; frustration at the
ongoing
lack of everything from electricity to a firm sense of order; fear of
long-term United States military occupation.
"Down, down U.S.A. - don't stay, go away!" chanted Ahmed Osman, 30, a
teacher among the several hundred Iraqis protesting today in front of
the
Palestine Hotel downtown, which the marines are both guarding and using
as
their headquarters to recruit civil servants to reconstruct Iraq's
central
authority. "Bush is the same as Saddam," he said.
The protest was small compared with the 20,000 who marched today in
Nasiriya against the American presence in Iraq, but it was the largest
such
demonstration in Baghdad yet, prompting the marines to seal off the
hotel,
and the Sheraton next door, for several hours and to beef up security.
There is no sense that these complaints - in which ordinary Iraqis have
begun insistently buttonholing any Westerner who wanders by - are
degenerating into violence or an unwillingness to cooperate with the
Americans.
But individual protest has almost reached a fever pitch, as scores of
Iraqis around the city asked reporters if it was true that Mr. Hussein
was
now in the United States (the evidence: that Baghdad fell so quickly, a
deal must have been struck). They are also, in greater numbers,
beginning
to blame American soldiers for the looting that has stripped the
nation's
property bare, from desk chairs to ancient Sumerian artifacts.
SEE ALSO:
THE SHIA OF NAJAF SEETHE OMINOUSLY, FEARING THE YOKE OF US OCCUPATION
Phil Reeves, Independent, 4/16/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=397634
Bearded men drawn by the sight of a foreigner who, for once, was
without an
Iraqi government snoop and who had not swept into Najaf with the US
tanks,
crowded around yesterday, desperate for these views to be heard.
As we sat in the sun and the swirling dust, their theme was the same,
time
and again. They were delighted the Americans had got rid of Saddam
Hussein,
whose thugs had oppressed the Shias, killing clerics and closing
mosques,
and whose social engineering had left them in profound poverty.
The US and Britain must fulfil their obligations under Geneva
Conventions
as occupiers, they said. The Allies must establish order, end the
looting
and provide power, medicine, and food supplies. Then they must leave.
"Iraq has to be run by people from Iraq, people who lived in Iraq and
not
from the outside," said one of the crowd, Favel Mohammed Roda, a
fiery-eyed
man in a white robe. "Then Americans must get out." The others shouted
agreement...
---
Q&A ON INTERNATIONAL LAW, OCCUPATION
NAOMI KOPPEL, Associated Press, 4/16/03
GENEVA (AP) - The United States contends it is a "liberating force" in
Iraq, but the International Committee of the Red Cross - the world's
chief
authority on the conduct of warfare - says the coalition forces are an
"occupying power," with wide-ranging responsibilities to look after the
Iraqi people.
Some questions and answers on how international law relates to
occupation
of foreign territory.
Q: What is the source of the law?
A: The rules are set out in the 1907 Hague Convention Respecting the
Laws
and Customs of War on Land, and in the Geneva Conventions, adopted in
1949
to prevent a return to the atrocities of World War II.
Q: What is the definition of an occupying power?
A: The Hague Convention says: "Territory is considered occupied when it
is
actually placed under the authority of the hostile army. The occupation
extends only to the territory where such authority has been established
and
can be exercised."
Q: What duties are imposed?
A: The Hague Convention requires the occupier to "restore and ensure,
as
far as possible, public order and safety."
The Geneva Conventions go further. Occupiers are required to ensure
that
the population has access to food and medical supplies. If these are
not
available in the country, the occupying power must bring them in. They
also
are responsible for maintaining health services and hygiene and,
eventually, law enforcement, government services and tax collection…
Q: So what does the United States say?
A: Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, deputy operations director at U.S.
Central
Command, told reporters: "Right now we're still a liberating force, and
that's how we're approaching our operations…"
The British international aid minister, Clare Short, disagreed and
insisted
U.S. troops must do more to combat looting in Baghdad. "An occupying
power
has a duty to make sure that civilians are cared for, to keep order and
to
keep civilian administration ticking over," said Short, who opposed
British
participation in the war.
Q: Do the international conventions make provision for a "liberating
force"?
A: No.
Q: Many U.N. agencies and charities are moving into Iraq to provide aid
to
the population. Aren't the coalition forces responsible for that under
the
Geneva Conventions?
---
TESTS RULE OUT SUSPECT BIO-LABS
CNN, 4/16/03
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/15/sprj.irq.no.labs/index.html
KARBALA, Iraq - The buried labs U.S. troops found last week were not
the
mobile chemical and biological weapons labs one U.S. Army general
suspected, according to the head of an expert team brought in to
examine them.
The 11 cargo containers were filled with new laboratory equipment
apparently intended to make conventional weapons, said team leader
Chief
Warrant Officer 2 Monte Gonzalez.
"Based on what we've seen, the containers are full of millions of
dollars
worth of high-tech equipment," he said. "It possibly has a dual use.
But it
does not appear to be weapons of mass destruction..."
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told a U.N. Security Council
meeting
that Iraq had biological weapons labs on at least 18 flatbed trucks.
Iraq denied having mobile weapons labs. U.N. weapons inspectors said
they
had found that Iraq used mobile labs to test food but had come across
no
evidence of banned weapons production...
---
LOST IN THE RUBBLE
James Ridgeway, Village Voice, 4/16/03
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0316/mondo4.php
Anthrax, biological weapons, and other smoking guns we never found in
Iraq:
o "25,000 liters of anthrax"
o "38,000 liters of botulinum toxin"
o "500 tons of sarin, mustard [gas] and
o "VX nerve agent"
o "Several mobile biological weapons labs"
o "An advanced nuclear weapons development program"
- George W. Bush, State of the Union speech, January 28, 2003
---
HISTORY UP IN SMOKE
Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 4/16/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/16/opinion/16DOWD.html
Whether the tacky tyrant is MOAB dust or has a new face, he's gone. And
we
now own his country for the bargain down payment of $79 billion.
America
broke away from the British empire, and now it's building its own
British-style empire. We are, as Niall Ferguson, the author of
"Empire,"
put it, "an empire in denial."
We obviously have some things to learn from the British. When they
carted
off the treasures of the nations they conquered to the British Museum,
they
at least preserved them for future generations to fight over who should
own
them.
The coalition forces were guarding the Iraqi Oil Ministry building
while
hundreds of Iraqis ransacked and ran off with precious heirlooms and
artifacts from a 7,000-year-old civilization. Rummy blew off the
repeated
requests of scholars and archaeologists that the soldiers must protect
Iraqi history in the museum as zealously as they protected Iraqi wealth
in
the oil wells...
The government should have taken 20 seconds, when it was awarding the
Halliburton contract, to protect the art, the books and the hospital
supplies.
Even when they had the museum as an awful example, the war planners let
more of Iraq's priceless intellectual history be destroyed, as looters
and
arsonists ransacked and gutted the National Library...
---
LIBRARY BOOKS, LETTERS AND PRICELESS DOCUMENTS ARE SET ABLAZE IN FINAL
CHAPTER OF THE SACKING OF BAGHDAD
Robert Fisk, Independent, 4/15/03
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=397350
So yesterday was the burning of books. First came the looters, then the
arsonists. It was the final chapter in the sacking of Baghdad. The
National
Library and Archives a priceless treasure of Ottoman historical
documents, including the old royal archives of Iraq were turned to
ashes
in 3,000 degrees of heat. Then the library of Korans at the Ministry of
Religious Endowment was set ablaze.
I saw the looters. One of them cursed me when I tried to reclaim a book
of
Islamic law from a boy of no more than 10. Amid the ashes of Iraqi
history,
I found a file blowing in the wind outside: pages of handwritten
letters
between the court of Sharif Hussein of Mecca, who started the Arab
revolt
against the Turks for Lawrence of Arabia, and the Ottoman rulers of
Baghdad.
And the Americans did nothing. All over the filthy yard they blew,
letters
of recommendation to the courts of Arabia, demands for ammunition for
troops, reports on the theft of camels and attacks on pilgrims, all in
delicate hand-written Arabic script. I was holding in my hands the last
Baghdad vestiges of Iraq's written history. But for Iraq, this is Year
Zero; with the destruction of the antiquities in the Museum of
Archaeology
on Saturday and the burning of the National Archives and then the
Koranic
library, the cultural identity of Iraq is being erased...
---
MIXED EMOTIONS ON U.S. ROLE
Matthai Chakko Kuruvila, San Jose Mercury News, 4/16/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/5644840.htm
As another war in Iraq appears to near its end, Ghori and fellow Bay
Area
Muslims worry about the future of Iraq -- a country made up almost
entirely
of Muslims. They are concerned about America's relations with the
world,
both Muslim and not, after the conclusion of a war waged without
international approval. They question whether Iraq's infrastructure
will be
rebuilt, as well as whether American and British troops will truly
liberate
or merely occupy the country. They also fear other Muslim countries
will be
targeted.
Many are reluctant to voice their views, fearing retribution if they
publicly criticize the government. They also have conflicting feelings
about the freedoms that have allowed them to thrive in the United
States
and the plight of Muslims abroad, who they believe have suffered as a
result of American foreign policy...
"Right now, the way the atmosphere is in the United States, anything
less
than unqualified support for the military is viewed as being
unpatriotic,"
said Agha Saeed, Pakistani-born president of the Newark-based American
Muslim Alliance, which aims to get Muslims more involved in American
politics. "The democratic space of dialogue has been shunned to a
single
solitary point"...
---
IN BLACK PRESS, WAR SKEPTICISM RUNS HIGH
Mark Jurkowitz, Boston Globe, 4/16/03
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/106/living/In_black_press_war_skepticism_runs_high+.shtml
While much of the nation's media treated the destruction of the Saddam
Hussein statue in Baghdad as a moment of liberation and vindication, a
report on the website of The New York Beacon, an African-American
newspaper, offered a different perspective.
"A dismayed hush" fell on the crowd as a US serviceman placed an
American
flag over the head of the statue, the story noted. That "was exactly
the
image most likely to offend the Muslim world."
And on BlackAmericaWeb.com, Deborah Mathis, a syndicated columnist,
cast a
critical eye on the US administration's motives for going to war. She
voiced distrust of a "corporate cavalry, handpicked by the Bush
innermost
circle, to take control of Iraq's affairs, when the shooting stops."
Tonyaa
Weathersbee, a columnist for The Florida Times-Union, wrote that the
war in
which many African-Americans are fighting is "about serving a political
agenda that's fueled by deception and spin."
BlackAmericaWeb.com, a forum for black writers, promises: "We will give
you
a view of the `truth' behind the facts of this war that others may well
miss."
Although there has been debate in the mainstream media over the wisdom
and
tactics of the fighting in Iraq, many black journalists and
commentators -
reflecting a black America that, polls said, was overwhelmingly opposed
to
going to war - have been considerably more outspoken and skeptical
about
the decision that put US troops onto a Middle East battlefield...
-----
IDF HOLDING PALESTINIAN MINORS IN ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION
Amira Hass, Ha'aretz, 4/16/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=284151
Over the past few months, the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet
security service have been placing Palestinian under the age of 18 in
administrative detention. In some cases, even minors under 16 have been
detained. (The IDF considers minors in the territories to be those
under
the age of 16).
There is as yet no orderly list of minors under the age of 18 who have
been
detained under administrative orders, but the Palestinian branch of
Defense
for Children International estimates that more than 20 have been
apprehended.
Administrative detention is carried out by order of a major general
when
the Shin Bet cannot provide evidence that will serve as the basis of an
indictment. The warrant for the detention of A.T., born in May 1986,
for
example, states that he must be held "because he is a danger to
security in
the area."
During the first intifada, the administrative detention of minors was
virtually non-existent. Lawyers recall perhaps one or two cases. Over
the
past few months, Tamar Peleg from Hamoked: Center for the Defense of
the
Individual, has represented at least three minors under the age of 16
and
has appealed against their detention...
-----
FRANCE THREATENS TO EXPEL EXTREMIST ISLAMIC LEADERS
Kim Housego, Associated Press, 4/16/03
PARIS - Worried by the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in France, the
country's interior minister has threatened to expel any foreign Muslim
religious leader who disseminates extremist propaganda.
Nicolas Sarkozy issued the warning after the unexpectedly strong
showing of
a Muslim fundamentalist party in weekend elections for a new council to
represent France's various Islamic factions and serve as a link to the
government.
The Union of Islamic Organizations of France - inspired by Egypt's
banned
fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood - took 19 seats in the 58-seat
council in
a vote Sunday. The moderate, Algerian-backed Mosque of Paris, which had
been considered a favorite, won just 15 seats.
"We want to say very simply: imams who propagate views that run counter
to
French values will be expelled," he told Europe-1 radio on Tuesday. A
majority of Muslim leaders in France are of foreign nationality,
according
to the Interior Ministry.
-----
HATE CRIME VICTIM'S FAMILY EXPECTED TO GET PERMITS
Associated Press, 4/14/03
http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=68263&SecID=2
NEWARK, NJ - The widow and children of a Pakistani national killed in a
post-Sept. 11 hate crime in Dallas are expected to get permits allowing
them to work in the United States for another year. That's according to
Rep. Rush Holt, D-New Jersey.
Durreshahwar Hasan and her four daughters are to appear in Newark, NJ,
tomorrow with Holt before their work permit interviews with the Bureau
of
Citizenship and Immigration Services, formerly called the Immigration
and
Naturalization Service. That's what Holt's office said Monday.
Waqar Hasan, 46, was shot to death September 15, 2001, in a convenience
store he owned in Dallas. He had lived with his family in Milltown, NJ,
before heading to Texas. At the time of his death, he was looking for a
house so that his family could join him.
The man police charged with killing Hasan, Mark Stroman, is on death
row
for another killing. A Texas jury convicted Stroman in April of killing
Vasudev Patel, an immigrant from India in October 2001.
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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 - 4/17/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: NEIGHBORLINESS
* FORMER AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ SPEAKS AT CAIR CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5346 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* TERRORISM OR HATE CRIME? (Salon)
- Hate Crimes Target Arabs & Muslims (Daily News)
- Arson at Restaurant Not a Hate Crime (Indy Star)
* ONLINE HARASSMENT: MESSAGES SENT UNDER GUISE OF ACTIVISTS (AP)
* MUSLIMS HESITATING ON GIFTS (NY Times)
- Muslims Call for Understanding (Lumberjack Online)
- Islamic Education (Houston Chronicle)
* SHARON ASKS U.S. TO PRESSURE SYRIA (Washington Post)
- Pressuring Syria (Creator's Syndicate)
* THE SMOKING GUN'S CHARRED TRAIL (ABC News)
- Chalabi to Head Baghdad Council (Reuters)
- Pentagon's Proteges Go Home To Mixed Welcome (Wash. Post)
- I Saw Marines Kill Civilians" (Le Monde)
- Bush Advisers Quit Over Iraq Museum Theft (Wash. Post)
- Beginnings of Colonialism Seen in Baghdad (Independent)
- Surrender of Iranian Group Creates Dilemma (Knight Ridder)
* WHO COVERED THE WAR BEST? TRY AL-JAZEERA (Newsday)
- "Fox Effect" Has Big Impact on Cable TV News (NY Times)
* INDIAN AUTHOR WARNS OF HINDU FUNDAMENTALISM (Washington Post)
* A CRUSADE AFTER ALL? (Christian Science Monitor)
* GROUP: HUMAN RIGHTS IS ANTI-TERROR VICTIM (AP)
- Panel Oks Patriot Act Resolution (Juneau Empire)
* DRINKS FLOW AT BAR IN KABUL (AP)
* L.A. GROUP BLASTS VIOLENCE OF UPN HIP-HOP DRAMA (Reuters)
* COLUMNIST DROPPED OVER 'JENIN' COMMENTARY (Express-News)
* NORTH CAROLINA MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR AMERICAN KILLED IN ISRAEL
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: NEIGHBORLINESS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "By God, he does not
believe! (The Prophet repeated this three times.) When his companions
asked
who he was referring to, the Prophet replied: "That person whose
neighbor
does not feel safe from his evil."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadtih 45
-----
FORMER AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ SPEAKS AT CAIR CONFERENCE
At CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership Conference, "A Roadmap for Success:
Vision
and Action," there will be several sessions focusing on international
events and their impact on Muslims in this country and worldwide,
including:
THE IMPACT OF THE WAR IN IRAQ ON U.S.-MUSLIM RELATIONS
Speakers include:
David Blankenhorn, Institute for American Values
Ambassador Edward Peck, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq
Nihad Awad, CAIR
You may register online at www.cair-net.org/conference. The conference
will
take place Friday, April 25th to Sunday, April 27th at the Sheraton
Premiere in Vienna, VA.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5342 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5342 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
TERRORISM OR HATE CRIME?
Eric Boehlert, Salon.com, 4/17/03
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/04/17/terrorist_act/index_np.html
On Independence Day last summer, a depressed 41-year-old Muslim
immigrant
by the name of Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, whose views on the Arab-Israeli
conflict had become increasingly extreme, approached the ticket counter
of
the Israeli-run El Al airline at Los Angeles International Airport.
Loaded
down with a recently purchased .45-caliber semiautomatic Glock pistol,
a 9
mm handgun and a 6-inch knife, he opened fire. During a 30-second
rampage,
Hadayet emptied the 10-round revolver, killing two people and injuring
scores more, before an El Al security guard shot him dead.
Six weeks later, in Tampa, Fla., a depressed Jewish podiatrist by the
name
of Dr. Robert Goldstein, 38, who wanted to send a message on behalf of
"his
people" following the attacks of Sept. 11, and to express his anger
over
the continuing Arab-Israeli conflict, was arrested after police raided
his
home. There they discovered a detailed plan to blow up 50 local mosques
and
Islamic centers, "kill all 'rags,'" and "liquidate" Muslims during the
attacks if necessary...
Ultimately, law enforcement authorities would label one man a
terrorist,
and the other a dangerous but deluded perpetrator of hate crimes. How
do
two crimes with similarities that seem highly relevant in the midst of
a
war on terrorism come to be defined so differently?...
"There's a political will to charge terrorism on certain cases and not
on
others," says Khurrum Wahid, a criminal defense attorney and legal
advisor
to CAIR, the nation's largest Arab-American advocacy group. "And it's
being
used against anyone that's consistent with who we're going after for
the
9/11 attacks..."
Adds Cannistraro, "The government seemed to be giving in to political
pressure. It's unfortunate, but everything connected to terrorism is
politicized these days."
SEE ALSO:
HATE CRIMES TARGET ARABS & MUSLIMS
Albor Ruiz, New York Daily News, 4/17/03
http://www.nydailynews.com/04-16-2003/boroughs/story/75758p-69977c.html
Zakir H., a young Muslim immigrant, was walking home in Midwood in
January
when five men assaulted and stabbed him. The reason? His Middle Eastern
looks.
Some Pakistani friends took him to the hospital, but mindful that
police
could report to immigration that his visa had expired, Zakir did not
tell
the truth. He said that his wound was self-inflicted and, to this day,
has
not filed a crime report.
Zakir's case is not unique. Violence against Arab and Muslim immigrants
increased after 9/11, and the war on Iraq seems to have exacerbated it.
Besides, many immigrants believe the NYPD is now more involved in
immigration enforcement. Consequently, they think twice about going to
the
police for help or to report a crime.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations reports more than a dozen
serious
new incidents in March alone. Because victims do not dare go to the
authorities, most of the crimes go unpunished.
That's why a group of diverse immigrant community leaders and civil
rights
advocates have come together to condemn violence and find ways to end
it.
They cite the case of Larme Price. This is the deranged Brooklyn man
who,
blinded by ethnic hatred, allegedly killed four immigrant merchants in
Queens and Brooklyn, in a six-week killing spree that ended with his
March
28 arrest. It was one of the worst series of hate crimes against
immigrants
in recent history.
"This is not about a single deranged killer. This is about a climate of
hatred against Arabs and Muslims," said Patrick Young, a lawyer with
the
Central American Refugee Center and board chairman of the New York
Immigration Coalition...
---
ARSON AT RESTAURANT NOT A HATE CRIME, OFFICIALS SAY
Tom Spalding, Indianapolis Star, 4/17/03
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/1/036592-3741-092.html
Investigators today said last month's fire at a Southeastside
restaurant
that badly burned its owner was not a hate crime.
The owner of the Eastern Kitchen Buffet, Abdullah Naderi, 37, who is
from
Afghanistan, was in the business when the fire broke out in the strip
mall
at 6815 S. Emerson Ave.
The March 24 blaze caused more than $150,000 in damages.
A Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group had urged
federal authorities to investigate the fire, saying it was a possible
hate
crime. The Council on American-Islamic Relations made the request even
though investigators weren't sure of the motive behind the arson.
"This has been eliminated as a hate crime. We're looking at it strictly
as
an arson fire," said Franklin Township Fire Chief Paul Bailey…
-----
NEW ONLINE HARASSMENT INVOLVES PROVOCATIVE MESSAGES SENT UNDER GUISE OF
ACTIVISTS
ANICK JESDANUN, Associated Press, 4/17/03
DATELINE: NEW YORK
Arab-American activist Nawar Shora checked his e-mail one day and found
scores of angry messages asking why he hated Americans and Jews. The
messages were responding to e-mails marked as coming from him.
Only one big problem: Shora never sent the hate mail.
Shora, a legal adviser to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee,
was the victim of a new form of harassment in which fake e-mail is sent
using real addresses.
By exploiting the simplicity and openness of the Internet's mail
protocols,
unidentified provocateurs have been sending incendiary messages posing
as
Shora and other Arab-Americans.
The tactic, known as e-mail spoofing, requires little technical
know-how
and no illegal computer break-ins. Yet it has caused a lot of trouble -
wasting time, damaging reputations and even leading to the suspension
of
e-mail accounts…
Though messages carry an electronic version of the postmark, which can
sometimes betray a spoof, few bother or know how to check.
Instead, they assume the message is genuine.
The purported senders then get angry replies - along with e-mails
returned
as undeliverable because they went to bad addresses or full mailboxes.
These returns are how individuals and groups learn they've been
spoofed.
As if that weren't bad enough, someone who used Francis Boyle's address
requested return receipts for each message, leaving the University of
Illinois law professor with 55,000 items when he returned from a
three-week
vacation last August...
The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights organization, says it
has
not been the victim of spoofing. But it stepped in to help clear a
private
company, International Information Systems Security Certification
Consortium Inc., which found anti-Semitic remarks circulating under its
name in September…
"The Internet is a pretty rough-and-tumble place," said Ibrahim Hooper,
spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "If you're
going
to take advantage of the things that it can do for you in terms of
advocacy
and outreach, you have to be prepared to deal with these situations and
work around them."
-----
MUSLIMS HESITATING ON GIFTS AS U.S. SCRUTINIZES CHARITIES
Laurie Goodstein, New York Times, 4/17/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/international/worldspecial/17CHAR.html
A large mosque in Santa Clara, Calif., held a fund-raising event last
Saturday for an Islamic charity that is raising money for food and
medical
supplies to send to Iraq. Attendance was strong, bolstered by American
Muslims who watched the war on Middle Eastern satellite channels that
replayed scenes of wounded Iraqis, thirsty children and looted
hospitals.
But organizers of the event said several wealthy donors privately told
them
that they were writing smaller checks than they would have liked, or
were
too afraid to contribute anything at all.
With four American Muslim charities shut down by the government over
accusations of ties to terrorist groups, and several prominent Muslim
donors now indicted or detained, American Muslims say they are scared
to do
anything that might bring scrutiny from the Federal Bureau of
Investigation
-- and that includes donating to Islamic charities.
"I have children to raise, I have a business to run, and I don't want
to
take any chances," said a California entrepreneur named Hasan, who did
not
want his last name used for fear of attracting attention. He gave
$2,000,
but says he would otherwise have given $20,000. "I want to do something
to
help innocent civilians, but how am I going to fight the system here if
the
F.B.I. comes to me and accuses me of something?"...
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS CALL FOR UNDERSTANDING
John Bianchini, Lumberjack Online, 4/17/03
http://www.lumberjackonline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/04/17/3e9e1faeefd19
Muslims under pressure in these times are asking why Americans can so
easily form opinions of them based on non-Muslim media instead of
getting
to know them and their religion more personally.
Muslims in Flagstaff and at NAU are distraught because their cultures
have
become scapegoats for fear, misunderstanding and war.
"Man is an enemy to what he ignores," said Mohammed, a Syrian exchange
student who wished to be referred to by his middle name. "The media is
selective in what they present and Americans seem to be satisfied with
what
the media's decision is on what is important for people to know."
He said Islam teaches its followers to use reason and logic to discover
truths, but when he gets into debates with people in America, he said
they
sometimes get hostile with him because they think he is being too
confrontational...
NAU Applied Indigenous Studies Professor Peter McCormick speaks to his
AIS
101 class about the troubles United States and British colonialism
introduced to the Middle East following World War I...
"The irony of the current situation is that the media does not focus on
the
fact that Saddam Hussein was helped into power by CIA and it was U.S.
companies that sold him the weapons of mass destruction," McCormick
said...
---
ISLAMIC EDUCATION
Edward Hegstrom, Houston Chronicle, 4/17/03
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1871484
The idea was to put a human face on Islam. To show local police
officers
that not all Muslims are like Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein.
So organizers of a Houston Police Department cultural awareness program
called in Hakeem Olajuwon.
In brief remarks to about 40 officers Wednesday, the former Houston
Rockets
star said most Muslims are peaceful, law-abiding people who need not be
feared.
"This type of program is so important in today's world, where Islam has
been so misunderstood by so many people," Olajuwon, a native of
Nigeria,
told the officers.
Olajuwon -- who funded the conversion of a grand and capacious old
downtown
bank building into a mosque and Islamic education center -- said he
plans
to continue using his money and fame to promote the virtues of Islam.
Muslim leaders welcome the support of the NBA star center, particularly
in
these times when, they say, nightly television shows images that equate
Islam with terror and violence.
Aziz A. Siddiqi, representative of the Islamic Society of Greater
Houston,
recalls a conversation he had with a police officer. When Siddiqi asked
what the officer thought of when he thought of Muslims, he responded,
"Bin
Laden."
"I said: What about Hakeem? What about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? These are
Muslims..."
-----
SHARON ASKS U.S. TO PRESSURE SYRIA ON MILITANTS
Molly Moore, Washington Post, 4/17/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41900-2003Apr16.html
JERUSALEM, April 16 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has urged
the
United States to exert "very heavy" pressure on neighboring Syria to
dislodge militant organizations supported by Damascus, but stopped
short of
advocating military action that analysts warn could put Israel in far
more
imminent danger from missile attacks than ever posed by Iraq.
Sharon and his defense minister, in parallel interviews published today
in
Israel's two most influential Hebrew daily newspapers, outlined
"precise
and specific" demands they suggested the United States impose on Syria.
Sharon recommended "very heavy" U.S. pressure against Syria that would
entail "not necessarily going to war, but diplomatic and economic
pressure," in an interview published in Yedioth Aharonoth...
SEE ALSO:
PRESSURING SYRIA
Robert Novak, Creators Syndicate, 4/17/03
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20030417.shtml
WASHINGTON - Coinciding with the Bush administration's tough talk about
Syria, a senior Israeli official Monday exposed a smoking gun. Defense
Minister Shaul Mofaz told the Tel Aviv newspaper Maariv: "We have a
long
list of issues we are thinking of demanding of the Syrians, and it
would be
best done through the Americans."
Mofaz's Hebrew-language interview was not widely distributed in
Washington,
but a few members of Congress who learned of it were stunned by its
audacity. With Prime Minister Ariel Sharon long having urged changing
Iraq's regime by force of U.S. arms, his government now hopes to ride
the
emerging American imperium to regional reconstruction along Israeli
lines.
That is the goal of prominent Pentagon civilian officials who see
virtual
identity between U.S. and Israeli interests. Sharon's hopes for his
agenda
are buoyed by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's emergence. Vindicated
by
the spectacular success of American arms, Rumsfeld is the strongman of
the
Bush Cabinet who is directing the postwar transformation of the Middle
East...
Nothing has so demonstrated to Arabs their political impotence than
Rumsfeld's selection of retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner as Iraq's interim
military governor. Now a defense contractor, he helped develop the
Arrow
missile-defense system for Israel. After the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks,
Garner visited Israel as guest of the hard-line Jewish Institute for
National Security Affairs and signed that organization's letter
praising
Sharon's treatment of Palestinians...
"Out of the 270 million Americans," said Syrian Deputy Ambassador Imad
Moustapha on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, "you choose a military
ruler to
rule Iraq who is closely related to the extremist factions in
Israel..."
-----
THE SMOKING GUN'S CHARRED TRAIL
Bryan Robinson, ABC News, 4/17/03
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/Primetime/iraq_WMD030416.html
The White House's primary reason for going to war against Saddam
Hussein
seems to have shifted back and forth between the liberation of the
Iraqi
people and the disarmament of the regime. Iraq always insisted that it
had
no weapons of mass destruction. Now that Saddam is gone, the U.S.
administration is under pressure to back up its allegations with proof.
On Monday, Pentagon officials said the end to major combat operations
would
make it easier for troops to find chemical and biological weapons and
that
the quest - which would include visits to lab sites and recovering and
inspecting documents - could take time. Last week, National Security
Adviser Condoleezza Rice told ABCNEWS Radio that documents from the
deposed
regime could be the key to the weapons hunt...
However, this paper chase also could give U.S. officials an excuse for
failure. Coalition airstrikes - and newly liberated, vengeance-minded
looters - in Baghdad targeted government buildings that may have held
records the U.S. military is trying to find...
Still, U.S. officials will need a better excuse if military forces are
unable to find a smoking gun...
SEE ALSO:
CHALABI AIDE SAYS CHOSEN TO HEAD BAGHDAD COUNCIL
Reuters, 4/17/03
BAGHDAD - Mohammed Mohsen Zubaidi, an official in Ahmad Chalabi's Iraqi
National Congress party, said on Thursday he had been chosen to head an
interim council to run Baghdad in the wake of the collapse of Saddam
Hussein's rule.
Speaking through an interpreter to reporters in the Iraqi capital,
Zubaidi
said he had been elected vizier, or chief, of a Baghdad executive
council
by people representing clerics, academics, Muslim Shi'ites and Sunnis,
Christians and writers.
He added that his council, in cooperation with the U.S. military, was
working to switch power back on, resume supplies of fuel and cooking
gas,
and set up a Baghdad radio station.
---
PENTAGON'S IRAQI PROTEGES GO HOME TO MIXED WELCOME
Peter Finn, Washington Post, 4/17/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42322-2003Apr16.html
BAGHDAD, April 16 -- A Pentagon-backed Iraqi militia composed mostly of
exiles rumbled into town today on the back of U.S. military trucks.
Wearing U.S.-issued uniforms, the fighters waved their weapons. They
pumped
their arms. They chanted joyfully of their return.
And they were greeted with a cold-eyed indifference that finally
silenced them.
As Baghdad showed itself -- revealing blackened streets littered with
the
debris of lawlessness, dead zones of shuttered stores and, most
starkly, a
suspicious populace -- the buoyant mood of the 120-man Baghdad Company
of
the Free Iraqi Forces wilted...
The Free Iraqi Forces (FIF) is the military wing of the Iraqi National
Congress, an exile group that elicits both admiration and loathing in
Washington.
With this deployment, the Pentagon risks incurring the disapproval of
other
opposition groups who fear that the United States is favoring one
faction
over another before the mechanism to create an interim authority is in
place...
---
EMBEDDED PHOTOGRAPHER: "I SAW MARINES KILL CIVILIANS"
MICHEL GUERRIN, Le Monde, 4/16/03
http://www.counterpunch.org/guerrin04162003.html
Marines are conditioned to reach their target at any cost, by staying
alive
and facing any type of enemy. They abusively make use of
disproportionate
firepower. These hardened troops, followed by tons of equipment,
supported
by extraordinary artillery power, protected by fighter jets and
cutting-edge helicopters, were shooting on local inhabitants who
understood
absolutely nothing of what was going on.
With my own eyes I saw about fifteen civilians killed in two days. I've
gone through enough wars to know that it's always dirty, that civilians
are
always the first victims. But the way it was happening here, it was
insane.
At the roughest moment, the most humane of the troops was called Doug.
He
gave real warning shots. From 800 yards he could hit a tire and, if
that
wasn't enough, then the motor. He saved ten lives in two hours by
driving
back civilians who were coming towards us.
Distraught soldiers were saying: 'I ain't prepared for this, I didn't
come
here to shoot civilians.' The colonel countered that the Iraqis were
using
inhabitants to kill marines, that 'soldiers were being disguised as
civilians, and that ambulances were perpetrating terrorist attacks.'
I drove away a girl who had had her humerus pierced by a bullet. Enrico
was
holding her in his arms. In the rear, the girl's father was protecting
his
young son, wounded in the torso and losing consciousness. The man spoke
in
gestures to the doctor at the back of the lines, pleading: "I don't
understand, I was walking and holding my children's hands. Why didn't
you
shoot in the air? Or at least shoot me...?"
---
BUSH CULTURAL ADVISERS QUIT OVER IRAQ MUSEUM THEFT
Reuters, 4/17/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45938-2003Apr17.html
WASHINGTON - The head of a U.S. presidential panel on cultural property
has
resigned in protest at the failure of U.S. forces to prevent the
wholesale
looting of priceless treasures from Baghdad's antiquities museum.
"It didn't have to happen," Martin Sullivan said of the objects that
were
destroyed or stolen from the Iraqi National Museum in a wave of looting
that erupted as U.S.-led forces ended President Saddam Hussein's rule
last
week.
Sullivan, who chaired the President's Advisory Committee on Cultural
Property for eight years, said he wrote a letter of resignation to the
White House this week in part to make a statement but also because "you
can't speak freely" as a special government-appointed employee...
"Our priorities had a big gap," Sullivan told Reuters on Thursday. "In
a
pre-emptive war that's the kind of thing you should have planned for."
The National Museum held rare artifacts documenting the early
civilizations
of ancient Mesopotamia, and leading archeologists were meeting in Paris
on
Thursday to seek ways to rescue Iraq's cultural heritage.
Earlier this week, antiquities experts said they had been given
assurances
from U.S. military planners that Iraq's historic artifacts and sites
would
be protected by occupying forces...
---
FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS, THIS IS NOT LIBERATION BUT A
NEW COLONIAL OPPRESSION
Robert Fisk, Independent, 4/17/03
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=397925
It's going wrong, faster than anyone could have imagined. The army of
"liberation" has already turned into the army of occupation. The Shias
are
threatening to fight the Americans, to create their own war of
"liberation"...
The Americans have now issued a "Message to the Citizens of Baghdad", a
document as colonial in spirit as it is insensitive in tone. "Please
avoid
leaving your homes during the night hours after evening prayers and
before
the call to morning prayers," it tells the people of the city.
"During this time, terrorist forces associated with the former regime
of
Saddam Hussein, as well as various criminal elements, are known to move
through the area ... please do not leave your homes during this time.
During all hours, please approach Coalition military positions with
extreme
caution ..."
So now with neither electricity nor running water the millions of
Iraqis here are ordered to stay in their homes from dusk to dawn.
Lockdown.
It's a form of imprisonment. In their own country. Written by the
command
of the 1st US Marine Division, it's a curfew in all but name...
Everywhere are the signs of collapse. And everywhere the signs that
America's promises of "freedom" and "democracy" are not to be honoured.
Why, Iraqis are asking, did the United States allow the entire Iraqi
cabinet to escape? And they're right. Not just the Beast of Baghdad and
his
two sons, Qusay and Uday, but the Vice-President, Taha Yassin Ramadan,
the
Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, Saddam's personal adviser, Dr A K
Hashimi, the ministers of defence, health, the economy, trade, even
Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the Minister of Information...
---
SURRENDER OF IRANIAN GROUP CREATES DILEMMA FOR U.S.
Juan O. Tamayo, Knight Ridder, 4/17/03
MARINE COMBAT HEADQUARTERS, Iraq - An Iranian exile group long
protected by
Saddam Hussein's regime has agreed to surrender to U.S. forces, raising
a
difficult question about whether its members will be sent back to Iran.
The Mujahedeen Khalq did not fight U.S. troops during the recent war.
But
members did kill several U.S. military personnel in Iran in the 1970s
and
later staged terrorist attacks on the Islamic regime there. The State
Department has placed the group on the list of international terrorist
organizations.
The surrender raises tricky questions. Under the Geneva Conventions, if
the
fighters are treated as enemy prisoners of war, they are supposed to be
returned to their home countries at the end of hostilities. But that
could
mean certain death for this group.
"It's going to take the State Department to sort out their status,
because
repatriation to Iran is something they will not want," said Marine Maj.
Michael Lindemann, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force's intelligence
expert
on the Mujahedeen Khalq.
The situation could be further complicated because the group and its
political arm, the National Council of Resistance, have had wide
support in
the U.S. Congress as a leading group opposing the anti-U.S. clerics who
have ruled Iran since 1979...
-----
WHO COVERED THE WAR BEST? TRY AL-JAZEERA
Frances S. Hasso, Newsday, 4/17/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vphas173240721apr17,0,716213.story
Al-Jazeera's extended, uncensored, on-the-ground coverage of the
invasion
has demonstrated, contrary to U.S. and British claims, that this has
not
been a bloodless, costless and clean war. The coverage has reflected
the
Arab recognition that the Saddam Hussein dictatorship was a tragedy,
but it
has also questioned the claim that the war has been motivated by
interest
in regional democracy and liberation.
In addition to showing images largely censored by the U.S. media of the
death, destruction and pain of war on all sides, al-Jazeera has
conducted
interviews with Kurdish leaders who have explained their alliance with
the
United States and Britain on the basis of the historic violence of
Baathist
Arabism, visited a small town in Iran that is the haven of Iraqi Shia
refugees who fled Hussein's rule and shown the anger, as well as
political
sophistication, of anti-war demonstrators in the region...
Al-Jazeera viewers have also received live, full coverage of press
statements and conferences held by U.S., Iraqi, United Nations, Arab
League, European Union, French, British, Egyptian, Saudi and other
officials, thus always reflecting multiple realities throughout the war
that are once again not covered routinely by the U.S. news networks...
Charges of al-Jazeera Arab and Muslim bias ring untrue given the U.S.
television media's crass nationalist apologetics, best demonstrated by
Fox
News and CNN, and their heavy reliance on superficial sound bites,
interviews with current or former government officials, and expertise
from
a narrow ideological range...
SEE ALSO:
CABLE'S WAR COVERAGE SUGGESTS A NEW 'FOX EFFECT' ON TELEVISION
Jim Rutenberg, New York Times, 4/17/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/16/international/worldspecial/16FOX.html
This was supposed to be CNN's war, a chance for the network, which is
owned
by AOL Time Warner, to reassert its ratings lead using its
international
perspective and straightforward approach.
Instead, it has been the Fox News Channel, owned by the News
Corporation,
that has emerged as the most-watched source of cable news by far, with
anchors and commentators who skewer the mainstream media, disparage the
French and flay anybody else who questions President Bush's war effort.
Fox's formula had already proved there were huge ratings in opinionated
news with an America-first flair. But with 46 of the top 50 cable shows
last week alone, Fox has brought prominence to a new sort of TV
journalism
that casts aside traditional notions of objectivity, holds contempt for
dissent and eschews the skepticism of government at mainstream
journalism's
core.
News executives at other networks are keeping a wary eye on Fox News,
trying to figure out what, if anything, its progress will mean to them.
"I certainly think that all news people are watching the success of
Fox,"
said Andrew Heyward, president of CBS News. "There is a long-standing
tradition in the mainstream press of middle-of-the-road journalism that
is
objective and fair. I would hate to see that fall victim to a panic
about
the Fox effect..."
-----
LITERARY GIANT STIRS UP A HORNET'S NEST IN INDIA
John Lancaster, Washington Post, 4/17/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42350-2003Apr16.html
NEW DELHI -- Last year, after a half-century in India's literary
limelight,
author and journalist Khushwant Singh announced that he was retiring
from
public life "on my own terms, with creature comforts and Scotch..."
In a controversial new book that may turn out to be his last, Singh
argues
that the rise of right-wing Hindu nationalism -- as manifested in
discrimination and sometimes violence against the country's large
Muslim
minority -- poses a grave and perhaps irreversible threat to India's
future
as a secular, pluralistic democracy. The book's apocalyptic title: "The
End
of India..."
The villain of Singh's narrative is the Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh,
or
RSS, the Hindu-nationalist organization that drew partial inspiration
from
the Fascist movements of Europe between the world wars -- and whose
many
offshoots include India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. "It could be
dismissed as a lunatic group as long as it remained on the fringes of
mainstream politics," Singh writes. "Not anymore."
Sipping his Scotch the other day while reflecting on the themes he
outlined
in his book, he compared the situation in India today to that of
Germany in
the waning days of the Weimar Republic. When Hindu nationalists speak
of
restoring the country's lost honor, he said, "the targets are really
the
Muslims. They're the Jews, what the Jews were to the Nazis..."
-----
A CRUSADE AFTER ALL?
Jane Lampman, Christian Science Monitor, 4/17/03
http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2003/0417/p14s01-lire.html
When President Bush called his war on terrorism a "crusade," he
backtracked
quickly in the face of intense reaction at home and abroad. Now many
people
are worried that, in the case of Iraq, that inopportune choice of words
may
turn out to hold more than a modicum of truth.
As Christian relief agencies prepare to enter Iraq, some have announced
their intent to combine aid with evangelization. They include groups
whose
leaders have proclaimed harshly negative views of Islam. They are also
friends of the president. The White House has shrugged its shoulders,
saying it can't tell private groups what to do, though legal experts
disagree.
Yet to many Muslims and Christians alike, proselytizing at this highly
volatile moment in the newly liberated country, with Muslims worldwide
questioning US motives, could only spur outrage and undermine US policy
in
the region as well as in Iraq.
"Coming in the wake of a military conquest of an Arab country, and of
openly hostile statements by [the Rev. Franklin] Graham and others,
it's
going to backfire in the worst way for US plans to be seen as a
liberator,"
says Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic studies at George
Washington
University...
-----
GROUP: HUMAN RIGHTS IS ANTI-TERROR VICTIM
Susanna Loof, Associated Press, 4/17/03
VIENNA, Austria - Anti-terrorism measures introduced since the Sept. 11
attacks are severely curtailing human rights and civil liberties in
much of
the world, a prominent watchdog group said Wednesday.
The measures often threaten freedoms because they are too broad, too
vague
and applied too arbitrarily, the International Helsinki Federation for
Human Rights contended in its report.
"We are accomplishing the goal that (terrorists) are allegedly
pursuing,"
said Aaron Rhodes, director of the Vienna-based federation.
Limited breaches of human rights would be expected in an emergency
situation, such as the period immediately following the terrorist
attacks
in New York and Washington, Rhodes said. But governments in the
post-Sept.
11 era have failed to "minimize the erosion of rights," he added...
Britain has introduced new powers that allow terrorist suspects to be
detained indefinitely without charge or trial, while Germany has
weakened
privacy safeguards and carried out nationwide computer profiling of
thousands of men of Muslim or Arab descent, the report says...
SEE ALSO:
PANEL OKS PATRIOT ACT RESOLUTION
Joanna Markell, Juneau Empire, 4/15/03
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/041503/loc_patriotact.shtml
The Juneau Assembly's Human Resources Committee on Monday approved a
resolution that asks Congress to review the USA Patriot Act and related
counterterrorism legislation for consistency with fundamental civil
liberties.
The resolution, requested by Juneau Citizens for the Defense of the
U.S.
Constitution and the Bill of Rights, will go to the full Assembly on
April 28.
Group members have argued the USA Patriot Act gives the federal
government
expanded powers to wiretap phones and secretly search homes. It also
gives
the government more access to business, educational, medical and
library
records, they said...
-----
DRINKS FLOW AT BAR IN KABUL
Todd Pitman, Associated Press, 4/17/03
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-aafghanpub17apr17,0,1206454.story
KABUL, Afghanistan -- In Taliban times, it would have been
unimaginable: a
fully stocked Irish pub serving whiskey and cold beer in the heart of
Afghanistan's ultra-Islamic capital.
In the post-Taliban era, Kabul's new Irish Club, the country's only
bar, is
still unthinkable, at least for Afghans. But it's a huge success with
the
many foreigners who are desperate for a little bit of nightlife.
"Walk in that front door and you'll find a very different world in
here,"
says Allan Ferguson, 57 an Australian businessman sitting on a barstool
as
Irish folk tunes blare from speakers overhead. "You could be anywhere,
Ireland, Australia, America. But walk outside, and you'll be back in
Afghanistan."
The Irish Club opened on a secluded side street in central Kabul last
month
on, St. Patrick's Day...
In a mock-Tudor style house behind the blank outer wall, immaculate
Afghan
waiters in black pants, white shirts and black bow ties serve up beer
for
$2 and cocktails for $3. Customers, mostly aid workers, diplomats and
journalists, crowd around a wooden bar topped off with green marble
imported from Ireland...
"I'm sad we can't let them in, but this is a Muslim country and it's
the
government's wish that we don't encourage their sons and daughters to
participate," Quade says, before taking a swig from a tall glass of
Foster's lager...
-----
L.A. GROUP BLASTS VIOLENCE OF UPN HIP-HOP DRAMA
Gina Keating, Reuters, 4/17/03
LOS ANGELES - Activists in Los Angeles Wednesday called on the creators
of
UPN's new hit drama "Platinum" to stop glorifying the "brutality and
thug
life" of the hip-hop world.
"Platinum," a prime-time soap opera about two brothers who run a rap
recording label called Sweetback Entertainment, debuted Monday to
strong
ratings and critical approval.
But Project Islamic HOPE said the show's "violent and misogynist" plot
lines were undermining efforts to forestall an escalating feud pitting
rap
stars Eminem and 50 Cent against hip-hop rival Ja Rule.
"In their efforts to keep it real, what they are keeping real is the
glorification of violence and brutality and thug life that hip hop
needs to
move away from," Najee Ali, national director for Project Islamic HOPE
said Wednesday.
The activists hope to keep real-life rappers from killing each other to
settle scores.
In a statement, UPN defended the show as "edgy, sexy, ... at times
violent"
but "a very honest behind-the-scenes look at aspects of the hip-hop
industry..."
-----
MORE PROGRESSIVE VOICES ARE NEEDED
Julio Noboa, San Antonio Express-News, 4/6/03
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=1160&xlc=974385
During my nine years as a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, I
have covered a wide variety of topics related to issues of justice,
peace
and equity, especially as they impact people of color here and abroad.
My
column, I've been recently informed, has been discontinued.
It was just over a year ago that a heated controversy erupted over my
columns, mostly those critical of U.S. and Israeli policy toward
Palestinians. A prominent rabbi accused me of anti-semitism and
disparaged
my writings in a sermon, demanding I be terminated for, among other
reasons, suggesting that certain constituencies have more media power
than
others in our nation.
At that time, the Express-News to their credit, refused to terminate my
column, citing not only freedom of the press, but also explaining that
to
do so would prove that constituency does indeed have more media power.
Now, as a response to my last two articles, "Jenin survivors ending the
silence" (March 1); and "Israel gets billions while Americans tighten
belts" (March 15), the editors confronted me with the charge that I
relied
too heavily on one source.
That, according to them, is grounds for terminating my column. It's
important to note that there were few or no questions regarding the
truth
or the facts as I presented them, nor about the credibility of the
source
itself. Neither were there any charges of plagiarism.
In response I submitted copies to the editors of the various sources I
had
consulted for both articles, including the Christian Science Monitor,
the
Washington Times, Human Rights Watch, the U.N. Report on Jenin, as well
as
The Independent, a respected British newspaper.
-----
NORTH CAROLINA MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR AMERICAN KILLED IN ISRAEL
WHAT: Interfaith memorial service for Rachel Corrie, an American killed
in
the Occupied territories by an Israeli bulldozer. A reception for
family
friends, and the public will follow the memorial service.
WHERE: Wedgewood Baptist Church, 4800 Wedgewood Dr., Charlotte, NC
28210
WHEN: Saturday, April 19th at 3:00 P.M.
CONTACT: Jibril Hough with the Islamic Center of Charlotte and the
Coalition for Peace and Justice at (704) 258-0304
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/18/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: ENDURANCE
* CAIR CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHT: GRANT-WRITING WORKSHOP
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5346 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* MEDIA REQUEST: RECENT MUSLIM CONVERTS
* AMSS STATEMENT ON USIP NOMINATION OF DANIEL PIPES
- Daniel Pipes Walks Off Al-Jazeerah Talk Show
- CAIR: In the Mainstream (Washington Post)
* INCITEMENT WATCH: WORLDNETDAILY.COM
* MUSLIMS OBJECT TO GRAHAM (NY Times)
- Good Friday at the Pentagon (Washington Post)
- Onward Christian Soldiers in Iraq? (Orlando Sentinel)
* DENVER TO HALT 'SPY FILES' ON PEACEFUL PROTESTERS (Reuters)
- Civil Libertarians Question Patriot Act (Infoworld)
* THOUSANDS AT BAGHDAD MOSQUE DEMAND U.S. LEAVE IRAQ (Reuters)
- Kurdish Land Grab Leaves Arabs Homeless (CS Monitor)
- British Aid Plane Prevented From Entering Iraq (Reuters)
- U.S. Actions Questioned After Killing (Washington Post)
- So Who Really Did Save Private Jessica? (Guardian)
- "Precision Warfare" Breaks Down in Counting Dead (Reuters)
* HOLLYWOOD'S VILIFICATION OF ARABS (Guardian)
- At the Movies: `Malibu's Most Wanted' (AP)
- ABC Talk Show Denigrates Iraqi Shia
* JENIN STRUGGLES TO REBUILD IN GRIP OF ISRAELI ARMY (Reuters)
- Afghanistan Will Not Normalize Relations with Israel (AP)
* ISLAM TREATS WOMEN WITH RESPECT, EQUALITY (Morning News)
* MUSLIM WOMAN'S BODY DESECRATED IN BRITISH HOSPITAL (Reuters)
* MUSLIM KIDS GIVING SALAAM IS NOW A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
* D.C. BENEFIT CONCERT FOR IRAQ THIS WEEKEND
* TEXAS RECEPTION TO HIGHLIGHT AZIZAH MAGAZINE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: ENDURANCE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "...enjoin one another
to do
what is good and forbid one another to do what is evil. But when you
see
miserliness being obeyed, passion being followed, worldly interests
being
preferred, everyone being charmed with his opinion, then care for
yourself,
and leave alone what people in general are doing; for ahead of you are
days
which will require endurance, in which showing endurance will be like
grasping live coals. The one who acts rightly during that period will
have
the reward of fifty men who act as he does."
Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith 2037
-----
CAIR CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHT: GRANT-WRITING WORKSHOP
Many communities miss opportunities for expanding their projects or
even
starting them due to lack of funding. Learn how to approach and get
funds
from different corporations and institutions.
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
You can now register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5346 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5346 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
MEDIA REQUEST: RECENT MUSLIM CONVERTS
News Tribune, 4/16/03
http://www.tribnet.com/entertainment/story/2952832p-2987474c.html
CALLING ALL READERS: Recent Islam converts are sought for story The
News
Tribune
Have you converted to Islam since Sept. 11, 2001? Or do you know
someone
who has? If so, The News Tribune wants to talk with you for a story on
the
reported increase in people turning to Islam since the terrorist
attacks.
Please leave your name and phone number with Steve Maynard, religion,
ethics, values reporter, by e-mailing steve.maynard@mail.tribnet.com or
calling 253-597-8647.
Submissions become the property of The News Tribune and may be edited
and
republished in any format.
-----
AMSS STATEMENT ON USIP NOMINATION OF DANIEL PIPES
For Immediate Release
Contact: Layla Sein
703) 471-1133 ext 120
The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS) joins all
organizations
committed to promoting interreligious harmony and pluralism in asking
President Bush to reconsider his nomination of Daniel Pipes to the USIP
Board…
Dr. Louay Safi, AMSS President, stated that: "In his most recent
writings,
Pipes tried to create fear and mistrust in the Jewish and Christian
communities toward Muslim Americans, thereby undermining interreligious
peace and pitting one community against another."
Being an organization dedicated to outlining Islamic positions on
issues in
the modern world needed to promote justice, it is AMSS' moral
responsibility to voice its alarm and concern over Daniel Pipe's
nomination. The USIP needs board members who use ethnic and religious
diversity as tools to promote conflict resolution when global tensions
are
increasingly taking religious significance, not those who foment hatred
and
marginalize America's Muslim community.
SEE ALSO:
DANIEL PIPES WALKS OFF AL-JAZERRAH TALK SHOW
On Wednesday, pro-Israel commentator Daniel Pipes walked off the set of
a
talk-show on the Al-Jazeerah satellite network after his Islamophobic
views
were challenged by CAIR Executive Nihad Awad. Last week, Pipes hung up
during the taping of a "Democracy Now" radio program when he was
similarly
challenged.
---
CAIR: IN THE MAINSTREAM
Washington Post, 4/18/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48425-2003Apr17.html
In his April 14 letter supporting the nomination of Daniel Pipes to the
U.S. Institute of Peace board of directors, Rich Leonardi said that the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), America's largest Islamic
civil liberties group, "called the conviction of the 1993 World Trade
Center bombers a 'hate crime,' and the group includes on its advisory
board
Siraj Wahaj [sic], whom the U.S. attorney listed as one of the
'unindicted
persons who may be alleged as co-conspirators' in that case."
CAIR never used the term "hate crime" to refer to the conviction of the
1993 World Trade Center bombers. That bogus accusation originated with
Mr.
Pipes and was published in the April 24, 2002, issue of the Jerusalem
Post.
CAIR is a mainstream organization and has condemned terrorism in all
its
forms on many occasions.
As for Siraj Wahhaj, he is one of the American Muslim community's most
respected leaders, and he works with almost all national Islamic
organizations. As part of the original World Trade Center case,
prosecutors
released a long list of people who "may be alleged as co-conspirators."
Imam Siraj was a leader in the New York community in which Sheik Omar
Abdel
Rahman lived, so his name was on the list. He was never charged with a
crime, nor was any evidence presented that he was involved in the
conspiracy. Mr. Pipes knows this.
Mr. Pipes is an inappropriate choice to direct an organization
dedicated to
the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.
JASON ERB
Director of Governmental Affairs
Council on American-Islamic Relations
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: WORLDNETDAILY.COM
The following are excerpts from messages CAIR received today from the
readers of Worldnetdaily.com:
1. A very gentle Hindu mother from southern India told me years ago,
talking about the Muslims: "I don't say kill them. But it would be a
better
world without them!" And I say: Perfectly put!
2. F**k you; and the one humped camel you rode in on.
3. You are lower than snake sh*t.
4. islam is a scam to keep people down…kill the infidels. f**k that
kill
muslims… f**k all of you…and die real soon
5. Take the f**king towels off your heads and join the human race,
A**HOLES!!!!
We are a Christian Nation! Don't like it? Then go back under the rock
from
which you came, A**HOLES!!!!
6. Please leave My Country…And leave it NOW!
7. no iraq, no iran, no syria, no libya, no egypt, no yemen, no saudi
arabia, = NO TERRORISTS.
8. mohammed: BullS**tUH.
-----
MUSLIMS OBJECT TO GRAHAM
Christopher Marquis, New York Times, 4/18/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/18/international/worldspecial/18GRAH.html
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon will proceed with a Good Friday religious
service
by the Rev. Franklin Graham, despite objections from some Muslim groups
that he has called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion," officials
said
today.
Mr. Graham, a Christian evangelist, was invited to make an appearance
at
the Pentagon by some Defense Department employees. The son of the Rev.
Billy Graham, Mr. Graham has spoken at the Pentagon on previous
occasions
and gave the invocation at President Bush's inauguration.
After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Mr. Graham denounced Islam as evil
in
an interview on the NBC "Nightly News." He later said Muslims failed to
apologize adequately for the attacks and urged them to offer
compensation
to the victims.
Pentagon officials said today that Mr. Graham would deliver the homily
at 1
p.m. in a service presided over by the Pentagon chaplain, Col. Ralph G.
Benson.
"It's going on as scheduled," said Lt. Col. Ryan Yantis, a spokesman
for
the Army, which administers the chaplain's office.
But some Muslim leaders say Mr. Graham carries a message that is
divisive
and bigoted, and they urged the Pentagon to cancel his invitation.
"It sends entirely the wrong message to Muslims in this country and
around
the world," Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations, said.
"This is a man who has repeatedly asserted that Islam is evil, and it
seems
to convey a government endorsement, whether or not that is the case,"
Mr.
Hooper said.
SEE ALSO:
GOOD FRIDAY AT THE PENTAGON
Washington Post, 4/18/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48427-2003Apr17.html
(Scroll down.)
The Pentagon's refusal to rescind its invitation to the Rev. Franklin
Graham to deliver the Good Friday homily at the Defense Department,
despite
his labeling of Islam as an evil religion, demonstrates that the Bush
administration's call for outreach to Muslims (and to those of other
non-Christian faiths) is applicable only when it doesn't offend the
Christian right.
What message is our government sending to Muslims when it tacitly
condones
the bigotry of Mr. Graham's remarks by not disinviting him?
Would the administration refuse to disinvite a cleric who made
similarly
bigoted remarks about evangelical Christianity? President Bush makes
much
of his strong religious beliefs and says the right things about
tolerance,
but actions speak louder than words.
STEPHEN H. GOLDBERG
Washington
---
ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ?
Mark I. Pinsky, Orlando Sentinel, 4/18/03
http://www.orlandosentinel.com
Ever since the Crusades, the cross has accompanied the sword in
spreading
Christianity.
Is this history about to repeat itself in the wake of the U.S. invasion
of
Iraq?
Despite President Bush's assurances that this is not a war against
Islam,
the GOP's evangelical Christian allies are lobbying and mobilizing to
follow coalition military forces with a second wave, this one composed
of
missionary relief workers.
But such a move is provoking resentment and resistance among both
Christians and Muslims.
Much of the recent controversy has centered on Franklin Graham, the son
of
Billy Graham and his designated successor. The younger Graham, who has
referred to Islam as an "evil and wicked religion," announced that his
own
organization, Samaritan's Purse, is "poised and ready" to enter Iraq
with
relief supplies.
Graham's efforts have provoked opposition, even within the Pentagon.
A group of Muslim employees in the Defense Department wrote a letter
objecting to Graham's invitation to conduct Good Friday services at the
Pentagon today, citing his remarks about Islam. Despite the protest,
White
House and Pentagon officials said Graham's appearance would take place
as
scheduled…
Besides Graham, other high-profile Christian leaders have had harsh
things
to say about Islam and Prophet Muhammad since 9-11. These include Jerry
Falwell, Pat Robertson and Jerry Vines, past president of the Southern
Baptist Convention, which has also launched a major relief effort for
Iraq…
President Bush has called modern Islam a peaceful religion, which
appears
to put him in conflict with these conservative Christian leaders, many
of
whom are his political supporters.
"From their theological point of view, Islam cannot be a good and
peaceful
religion," says Kimball, an ordained Baptist minister. "There is this
fundamental clash. So it's important that the U.S. does everything
possible
to put substance behind the president's words."
Ibrahim Hooper, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, opposes
groups such as Graham's going into Iraq. The criteria for working there
should be that groups "not exploit the vulnerabilities of the
population in
order to proselytize," Hooper said in an interview.
Hooper thinks the U.S. government should ensure that any group allowed
into
Iraq "go there solely motivated to provide humanitarian relief, and not
use
humanitarian relief as a cover for missionary activity…"
-----
DENVER TO HALT 'SPY FILES' ON PEACEFUL ORGANIZERS
Reuters, 4/17/03
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2586277
DENVER - Denver police will no longer photograph, record license plate
numbers or intercept e-mail of peaceful demonstrators, under terms of a
settlement reached on Thursday between the city and the ACLU.
The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado sued the city
in
2002 on behalf of groups and individuals that included the American
Friends
Service Committee, an 85 year-old pacifist Quaker group, and a
73-year-old
Franciscan nun.
Some of the people in what have been dubbed the "spy files" were
falsely
labeled as "criminal extremists..."
"This agreement is particularly significant at this time when the White
House falsely claims that Americans must sacrifice their civil
liberties if
they are going to be safe from terrorism," ACLU Legal Director Mark
Silverstein said in a statement. "As this agreement demonstrates,
effective
law enforcement does not require giving up our constitutional
rights..."
SEE ALSO:
CIVIL LIBERTIES ADVOCATES QUESTION PATRIOT ACT
Grant Gross, Infoworld, 4/14/03
http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/04/14/HNpatriot_1.html
WASHINGTON -- Just as one U.S. senator has started an effort to get rid
of
the sunset provisions on the counterterrorism USA Patriot Act, passed
in
response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., a couple
of
civil liberties groups urged congressional staffers to carefully weigh
any
expansion of police powers the U.S. government can use on its own
citizens.
"There has to be some point where we draw a line and say we're going to
stop redrawing the line between liberty and security," said Tim Lynch,
director of the Project on Criminal Justice at the libertarian Cato
Institute. Lynch was among the speakers at a Cato Institute briefing,
attended by about 150 congressional staffers, lobbyists and members of
the
press, on Capitol Hill Monday.
"You're never going to have the day come when Congress passes a law
that
says, 'okay, starting now, we're a police state, and law enforcement
has
every power we can think of,'" added Susan Chamberlin, Cato's director
of
government affairs. "Instead, what we see is incremental upward
adjustments
in the power of law enforcement and the power of our military such that
somebody born in the United States last week is born into a
considerably
less free, and arguably not more safe, United States than his
parents..."
-----
THOUSANDS AT BAGHDAD MOSQUE DEMAND U.S. LEAVE IRAQ
Reuters, 4/18/03
BAGHDAD - Thousands of people carrying Korans and waving banners
demonstrated outside a Baghdad mosque on Friday demanding the United
States
leave Iraq.
In the first Friday prayers since U.S. tanks drove to the heart of the
Iraqi capital last week, Imam Ahmed al-Kubaisi said in his sermom the
United States invaded Iraq to defend Israel and denied that Iraq
possessed
weapons of mass destruction.
His followers poured out of the mosque after prayers chanting anti-U.S.
slogans and waving banners that read "No to America. No to Secular
State.
Yes to Islamic State."
The United States has said a former U.S. general will lead an interim
government in Iraq…
SEE ALSO:
KURDISH MILITIAS RECLAIM LAND, LEAVING ARABS HOMELESS
Ilene R. Prusher, Christian Science Monitor, 4/18/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0418/p07s02-woiq.html
SAAD, IRAQ - The liberation had hardly begun when the eviction notices
arrived.
Sometimes they came in written form, Arab residents here say. Sometimes
they came in the form of carloads of Kurdish gunmen, warning Arabs who
have
lived here for three decades that they had three days to get out.
"They came and told us we have to leave so that there will be no
killing,"
says Khalaf Nasaf I-Shumari, the aging sheikh of a small village called
Omar Ibn Khattab, about a half-hour's drive south of the city of
Kirkuk.
It is no coincidence that all three men have the same family name. They
come from the same Arab Bedouin tribe, which once wandered with their
flock
near the borders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. From his earliest years in
power, Saddam Hussein plucked them and thousands of other Arabs out of
southern Iraq and moved them to the country's predominantly Kurdish
north -
an area bursting with oil...
Now, with Kurdish forces running Kirkuk and its environs, Hussein's
"Arabization" policy is coming back to haunt its beneficiaries -
shepherds
and farmers who had little say in the matter. Senior Kurdish officials,
in
interviews, say that the Baath Party's project to turn this into a more
Arab area was wrong and must be righted...
---
BRITISH AID PLANE PREVENTED FROM ENTERING IRAQ
Kate Holton, Reuters, 4/18/03
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=574&e=11&u=/nm/20030417/wl_nm/iraq_britain_aid_dc_1
LONDON - U.S. forces have refused a Save the Children plane permission
to
land in northern Iraq (news - web sites) to deliver aid, breaching the
Geneva Convention and "costing children their lives," the British aid
agency said on Thursday.
Save the Children said in a statement it had been trying for more than
a
week to land a plane in Arbil carrying enough medical supplies to treat
40,000 people and emergency feeding kits for malnourished children...
"The doctors we are trying to help have been struggling against the
odds
for weeks to continue saving lives, but now the help we have promised
them
is being endlessly delayed," Emergency Program Manager Rob MacGillivray
said.
"The lack of cooperation from the U.S. military is a breach of the
Geneva
Conventions and its protocols but more importantly the time now being
wasted is costing children their lives..."
---
U.S. ACTIONS QUESTIONED AFTER KILLING
Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 4/18/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47925-2003Apr17.html
MOSUL, Iraq - Yasin Mohammad Salih felt a surge of hope when this
northern
Iraqi city was freed from the grip of Saddam Hussein's forces a week
ago.
But on Thursday, the 46-year-old mechanic was seething about the U.S.
military. His mentally disabled brother lay dead, shot two days earlier
during a riot in which U.S. troops killed at least seven people.
"What kind of humanitarianism Americans talk about, to shoot a person
like
that?" Salih demanded, waving a tiny photo of his brother Taha, 51.
Around
him, men in long robes nodded as they sipped tulip-shaped glasses of
sweet
tea. They had come to mourn in a yellow tent pitched in a working-class
neighborhood. But the wake abruptly turned into an outpouring of
grievances
against the Americans...
The shooting indicated how quickly the welcome accorded U.S. troops is
wearing out in some parts of Iraq. It also underlined that U.S. forces
face
the risk of getting caught in the middle of long-suppressed ethnic and
political grievances allowed to flare with the toppling of Hussein's
repressive rule...
---
SO WHO REALLY DID SAVE PRIVATE JESSICA?
Richard Lloyd Parry, Times (UK), 4/18/03
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-648517,00.html
The rescue of Private Jessica Lynch, which inspired America during one
of
the most difficult periods of the war, was not the heroic Hollywood
story
told by the US military, but a staged operation that terrified patients
and
victimised the doctors who had struggled to save her life, according to
Iraqi witnesses.
Doctors at al-Nasiriyah general hospital said that the airborne assault
had
met no resistance and was carried out a day after all the Iraqi forces
and
Baath leadership had fled the city.
Four doctors and two patients, one of whom was paralysed and on an
intravenous drip, were bound and handcuffed as American soldiers
rampaged
through the wards, searching for departed members of the Saddam regime.
An ambulance driver who tried to carry Private Lynch to the American
forces
close to the city was shot at by US troops the day before their
mission.
Far from winning hearts and minds, the US operation has angered and
hurt
doctors who risked their lives treating both Private Lynch and Iraqi
victims of the war. "What the Americans say is like the story of Sinbad
the
Sailor - it's a myth," said Harith al-Houssona, who saved Private
Lynch's
life after she was brought to the hospital by Iraqi military
intelligence…
---
"PRECISION WARFARE" BREAKS DOWN IN COUNTING DEAD
Claudia Parsons, Reuters, 4/16/03
AS SAYLIYA CAMP, Qatar - The U.S. military boasts its precision-guided
bombs are more accurate than ever. But counting Iraq's war dead has
proved
less precise.
Asked how many Iraqis had been killed since U.S.-led forces launched a
war
on March 20 to overthrow Saddam Hussein, Captain Frank Thorp at U.S.
war
headquarters in Qatar said: "We really don't know...The measure of
success
in this operation was whether the regime fell."
A website (www.iraqbodycount.net) run by academics and peace activists
puts
Iraq's civilian casualties at between 1,402 and 1,817, based on
incidents
reported by at least two media sources, though its methodology has been
questioned.
The last Iraqi estimate issued on April 3, just two weeks into the war
and
well before Saddam's rule crumbled, was 1,254 civilians killed and
5,112
wounded. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has no
comprehensive figures...
-----
SHOOTING THE ARABS
Sean Clarke, Guardian, 4/18/03
http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,6737,938852,00.html
If Hollywood does take up the story of blonde, blue-eyed Private
Jessica
Lynch, there's at least one man who won't be optimistic about the
film's
treatment of her Iraqi captors. Professor Jack Shaheen has spent 20
years
cataloguing Tinseltown's portrayal of Arabs in over 900 movies. He's
found
that, with very few exceptions, Arabs are presented in the movies as
"subhuman" and destable to a degree that the studios would no longer
dare
with any other ethnic group.
Shaeen's new book, Reel Bad Arabs, compares the case of Pocahontas -
Disney's Native American animation, on which Native American groups
were
widely consulted in order to produce an acceptable portrait - with that
of
Aladdin, one of the Arab and European world's most cherished folk
tales,
which features "hook-nosed Arabs" singing of their milieu: "it's
barbaric,
but hey, it's home." This, as Shaheen doesn't point out, in a story set
in
the Baghdad Caliphate, the most culturally powerful and one of the most
enlightened polities of its time.
"The tragedy" he admits, "is that we've begun to unlearn other
stereotypes"
- about Blacks, Jews, Native Americans. "But we haven't with this one.
And
9/11 took it to another level..."
SEE ALSO:
AT THE MOVIES: `MALIBU'S MOST WANTED'
Christy Lemire, Associated Press, 4/18/03
NEW YORK - For a movie that preaches about being yourself, "Malibu's
Most
Wanted" has a serious identity crisis.
It's practically a big-screen version of a Tony Robbins
self-empowerment
book, tucked inside a parody of "8 Mile," then smothered in the same
tired
racial stereotypes that have provided the flimsy premise for a string
of
recent comedies, including "Bringing Down the House" and "Head of
State..."
Jamie Kennedy stars as a white, Jewish, wannabe rapper named Brad
Gluckman
- and he's mildly funny at first, but his character is so one-note, he
and
his motto ("Don't be hatin") quickly grow tiresome...
The most offensive and ill-timed of all: B-Rad's friend Hadji (Kal
Penn),
who's of Arab descent, shows off his rocket-powered grenade launcher,
which
he says was a Christmas gift from his Uncle Ahmet.
---
ABC TALK SHOW DENIGRATES IRAQI SHIA
According to a letter received by CAIR, offensive jokes were made last
night about Iraqi Shia on the ABC talk show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" -
(unedited)
"I was writing to report about show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, which airs at
about
11:30 pm on ABC on weeknights.
On tonight's show, on April 17, in one of the beginning segments during
the
visual monologue, Mr. Kimmel, presented various picture placards with
"amusing" captions below it. Tonight he showed various pictures of
Arab
Muslims, presumably from Iraq. Each of them were puns on the word
"shiite." In one, there was a picture of Arabs in a truck, with a
caption
stating "Load of Shiite." Another, with Muslim/Arab throwing a fan,
stating
"Shiite on the fan". Another with an empty desert scene, stating:
"No
Shiite." There were others as well, that I can't remember. The
audience
loudly cheered and clapped to each placard.
-----
JENIN STRUGGLES TO REBUILD IN GRIP OF ISRAELI ARMY
Mark Heinrich, Reuters, 4/18/03
JENIN, West Bank - A year after coming home to find her house wrecked
by an
Israeli missile, and the bodies of five Palestinian men decomposing
inside,
Andeera Harb serves coffee to guests in her redecorated living room.
Harb's home may have been repaired, but just yards from her door a
wasteland unfolds which reveals that a U.N.-sponsored plan to
reconstruct
Jenin's central refugee district demolished by the Israeli army in a
blitz
on Palestinian militants has hardly got off the ground...
"Life here is more complicated, unpredictable and precarious than ever
today. The Israelis shut down the whole city with curfews or
checkpoints
without warning just to catch a wanted man and this can last from hours
to
days," said 35-year-old Harb.
"I never know when I can get to work or shop."
She echoed Palestinian grievances in all of the self-ruled areas of the
West Bank which Israel reoccupied last year after a rash of suicide
attacks
by militants as part of their campaign for an independent Palestinian
state...
SEE ALSO:
AFGHANISTAN DENIES INTENTIONS TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL
Todd Pitman, Associated Press, 4/18/03
Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry denied Wednesday that its government had
established any contact with Israel aimed at normalizing relations
between
the two countries.
The denial came after Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Ron Prosor
said
Monday Afghan Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah had approached his Israeli
counterpart expressing an interest in doing so. The two nations have
never
had diplomatic relations.
"Afghan government officials have not contacted nor made any overtures
toward Israel concerning normalization of relations now or at any time
in
the past," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement in Kabul...
"This matter was a cause of further confusion as the media reported it
from
one source only, without verification or confirmation from the second
source - in this case, the Afghan government," the Foreign
Ministry statement said.
-----
PANEL: ISLAM TREATS WOMEN WITH RESPECT, EQUALITY
Jonathon Williams, The Morning News, 4/18/03
http://www.nwaonline.net/283702058639901.bsp
FAYETTEVILLE -- The religion of Islam granted social and property
rights to
women centuries before non-Islamic Western nations and is undeserving
of
its stereotype as the world religion least friendly to women, speakers
at
the University of Arkansas said Thursday.
Aicha Elshabini, a Muslim and the chair of the department of electrical
engineering at the university, said women who are oppressed in some
Islamic
nations suffer because of politics or culture, not because of religion.
"Islam acknowledges women as equal partners to men in fulfilling God's
mission for us on this Earth," she said.
Elshabini spoke with two other Muslim women as part of a panel
discussion
about Women in Islam in the Arkansas Union. The discussion was
sponsored by
Al-Islam, a student organization founded after the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11, 2001, to foster peace among different religions and cultures.
The increased American interest in the Middle East has flooded people
with
media reports about the repression of women in Islamic nations,
symbolized
by the image of women wearing the traditional Muslim veil, speakers
said.
Salma Ghania, a Muslim from Philadelphia, said she is "shocked and
outraged" to see reports of how women are treated in some Islamic
nations,
but that oppression is not from the teachings of the Koran or the
Islamic
prophet Mohammed, she said.
Islamic scriptures allowed women to inherit property and choose and
divorce
husbands centuries before Western nations, she said. Men are instructed
repeatedly throughout Islamic holy texts to respect and honor their
mothers, daughters and wives, she said...
-----
MUSLIM WOMAN'S BODY DESECRATED IN BRITISH HOSPITAL
Reuters, 4/18/03
LONDON - British police said on Friday they had launched an
investigation
after a Muslim woman's dead body was desecrated in a London hospital.
Family of the 65-year-old woman discovered rashers of bacon had been
placed
on her body while it was laid in the mortuary of Hillingdon Hospital,
in
north west London.
It is strictly against the Muslim religion to touch or eat pork.
"This is a particularly grotesque act which has outraged the family as
well
as the whole community," Detective Chief Inspector Tony Hester said,
adding
the matter was being treated as a racially motivated crime.
Police, who along with the hospital are offering a 5,000 pound ($7,900)
reward for help in catching those responsible, said the incident had
occurred in January.
The woman had died of cancer and the hospital had arranged for her
family
to view her corpse the following day, when the bacon was discovered.
"It is sickening to see the body of the dead desecrated in this
manner,"
Inayat Bunglawala, of the Muslim Council of Britain, told Britain's
Guardian newspaper...
-----
MUSLIM KIDS GIVING SALAAM IS NOW A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
Local Muslim Kids Giving Salaam Campaign "Statistics":
These "statistics" prove that this was truly a community effort led by
the
Al Fatih Academy 2nd and 3rd graders. May Allah SWT reward all
involved.
Our goal of 50 kits was surpassed, Alhamdulillah! Approximately 180
completed relief kits are now going to Iraq, with a total of:
* 690 bars of soap
* 180 bottles of shampoo
* 1,800 cups laundry detergent
* 180 toothpastes
* 680 toothbrushes
* 6900 towels
* 1800 hairbrushes
* 180 combs
* 180 fingernail clippers
* 180 boxes of bandages
* 180 sanitary pads
Dozens of extra toothpaste boxes, soap bars, and towels were also sent
with
the relief kits.
Kids Giving Salaam contributed about half of the total number of relief
kits organized through the Northern Virginia Mennonite Church (325
relief
kits total). 5 faith groups were represented, including, Mennonites,
Quakers, Church of the Brethren as well as the Muslims...
Muslim schools all over the country want to participate in the relief
kit
project. We have received emails and phone calls from: Arizona,
California,
Illinois, Louisiana, Texas, New York, Kansas, Massachusetts, Florida.
Muslim Kids Giving Salaam has become a national network that the kids
will
continue to coordinate through the Internet, inshaAllah.
Please pray for the campaign's continued success and for all Muslim
children.
For more info please visit www.alfatih.org or call Al Fatih Academy @
(703)
437-9382
-----
D.C. BENEFIT CONCERT FOR IRAQ THIS WEEKEND
WHAT: 'Rhythms of Peace' - Muslim singers including Zain Bhikha and
Native
Deen will join hands in the nations capital for a benefit concert to
help
Iraqi children. Funds raised during the concert will go to Islamic
Relief's humanitarian aid efforts. Zain Bhikha works with Yusuf Islam,
has
recorded over 30 songs and has performed in front of thousands
worldwide
while Native Deen is a high-energy Muslim hip-hop trio.
WHEN: Sunday, April 20th at 5 P.M.
WHERE: Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University
(GWU) in Washington, D.C.
To buy tickets, go to:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1500367BBA3E7DDC?brand=&artistid=864118&majorcatid=10005&minorcatid=
For more information, call (703) 404 6800
-----
TEXAS RECEPTION TO HIGHLIGHT AZIZAH MAGAZINE
WHAT: Reception for AZIZAH Magazine, a Muslim women's publication
WHEN: Saturday, April 19, 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.
WHERE: Islamic Society of Greater Houston - 1209 Conrad Sauer Spring
Branch, Houston, Texas 77043
For more information call 404-815-0067 or logon to
http://www.azizahmagazine.com
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
HEADLINES:
* WASHINGTON POST SLAMS DANIEL PIPES NOMINATION
* CREATING INCLUSION PROBLEMS FOR REPUBLICANS (SHNS)
-----
WASHINGTON POST SLAMS DANIEL PIPES NOMINATION
QUOTE: "…the Pipes nomination is salt in the wound. If the White House
doesn't rescind it, Congress should have the good sense to turn it
down."
EDITORIAL: FUELING A CULTURE CLASH
The Washington Post, 4/19/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53900-2003Apr18.html
MANY MUSLIMS received the news that the White House had nominated
scholar
Daniel Pipes to, of all places, the U.S. Institute of Peace as sort of
a
cruel joke. The institute is a quasi-governmental think tank dedicated
to
international "peace and conflict resolution"; one of its latest
projects
is the Special Initiative on the Muslim World, begun after Sept. 11,
2001,
as a bridge between cultures. Mr. Pipes has long been regarded by
Muslims
as a destroyer of such bridges…
Mr. Pipes denies charges by U.S. Muslim groups that he lumps them all
together. He defended himself recently by saying, as he has before,
that he
has "always distinguished between moderate Islam and militant Islam."
But
then he talked about the "gray area: The source of this violence is
militant Islam and only Muslims are supporters of militant Islam," he
said.
If we were hunting for rapists, he argued, we wouldn't look at everyone
but
focus on "certain attributes. Mosques are proved to be the planning
grounds
for militant Islam so this is where we should look. This is something
people would rather overlook, but it's a matter of being frank."
This gray area is a bit too large, implying as it does that any U.S.
Muslim, no matter how outwardly assimilated, should be treated as a
potential Akbar, a point Mr. Pipes argues in his New York Post column:
"Muslim government employees in law enforcement, the military and the
diplomatic corps need to be watched for connections to terrorism," he
writes…
The Bush administration has spent the past year and a half trying to
dispel
paranoia that the fight against terrorism is a clash of cultures
between
the Western world and Islam. It has gone to particular pains to calm
the
nerves of U.S. Muslims, who are ever anxious that they are being
singularly
scrutinized. As long as there is an operational Justice Department
actively
investigating terrorism, this outreach campaign will never work
perfectly.
But the Pipes nomination is salt in the wound. If the White House
doesn't
rescind it, Congress should have the good sense to turn it down.
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS PROTEST BUSH NOMINEE
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42881-2003Apr6.html
FOREIGN POLICY SCHOLARS CRITICIZE PIPES NOMINATION
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.04.11/news5.html
ASK SENATE TO REJECT DANIEL PIPES NOMINATION
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=142&page=AA
WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
THE TRUTH ABOUT DANIEL PIPES
http://www.mpac.org/home_article_display.aspx?ITEM=491
-----
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be RESPECTFUL and POLITE.)
CONTACT President Bush, the United States Institute of Peace and the
chairman and ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions Committee to respectfully request that Daniel Pipes nomination
be
rejected.
BY E-MAIL: president@whitehouse.gov, greggstaff@labor.senate.gov,
senator@kennedy.senate.gov, rsolomon@usip.org COPY TO:
cair@cair-net.org
Pre-formatted letters are available at: http://capwiz.com/cair/home/
BY MAIL, PHONE OR FAX:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
WHITE HOUSE COMMENT LINE: 202-456-1111
SWITCHBOARD: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
---
Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Chairman
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6300
TEL: (202) 224-5375, Majority Staff: (202) 224-6770, Minority Staff:
(202)
224-0767 FAX: (202) 228-5044
NOTE: Also the committee member who represents your state to ask that
Pipes' nomination be rejected. Send copies of correspondence to the
other
members of the committee. LIST OF OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
http://health.senate.gov/committee_members.html
---
Dr. Richard Solomon
President
United States Institute of Peace
1200 17th Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
TEL: 202-457-1700
FAX: 202-833-1778
-----
CREATING INCLUSION PROBLEMS FOR REPUBLICANS
DAN SMITH, Scripps Howard News Service, 4/18/03
(Article appeared in the Sacramento Bee.)
Out of office for less than two months, former state Republican Party
Chairman Shawn Steel is still on the hustings, trying to pitch that
"big
tent" of inclusion the GOP covets to return to relevancy in California.
In a pair of appearances at campus pro-troop rallies, Steel took dead
aim
at Islam, referring to it as "a diseased religion" at Loyola Marymount
University in Los Angeles.
At the University of Southern California, he was more specific.
"The Islamic community has a cancer growing inside it, which hates
Jews,
hates freedom and hates Western society," Steel said, as reported by
the
Daily Trojan, the campus newspaper. "The disease of Islam must be
rectified. It's kill or be killed."
Steel also managed to bash the peace movement and Democrats: "Because
of
the peace movement, we had the Holocaust," Steel said, according to the
Trojan. "The Democratic Party is keeping the Ku Klux Klan alive, and if
we'd listened to Southern Democrats who wanted peace in the Civil War,
we'd
still have slavery."
The California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations was
furious and asked current GOP leaders to repudiate Steel's comments.
Party officials on Friday said they were investigating Steel's claims
that
his words were presented out of context. "If the remarks are accurate,
they'll be condemned," GOP spokesman Rob Stutzman said.
In any case, Stutzman added, "We want to make it clear that he does not
speak for the party anymore."
-----
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https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/20/2003
HEADLINES:
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* DALLAS PAPER SAYS DANIEL PIPES IS 'BAD CHOICE' FOR USIP
* PENTAGON EXPECTS LONG-TERM ACCESS TO BASES IN IRAQ (NY Times)
- Troops Were Told to Guard Treasures (Washington Times)
- So where are they, Mr Blair? (Independent)
- Fake Documents and Exaggeration (Independent)
- Sunnis and Shiites Unite to Protest (New York Times)
* OREGON MUSLIMS PROTEST DETENTION WITHOUT CHARGE (NY Times)
* AZIZAH MAGAZINE SHEDS LIGHT MUSLIM-AMERICAN WOMEN (Boston Globe)
* FUND-RAISERS COVER TWINS' SURGERY COST (AP)
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
It's not too late to register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership
Conference, "A Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference. Learn the skills necessary to defend your
civil rights and promote a positive image of Islam.
-----
DALLAS PAPER SAYS DANIEL PIPES IS 'BAD CHOICE' FOR USIP
DANIEL PIPES: A BAD CHOICE
Dallas Morning News, 4/19/03
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/stories/041903dnediscorecard.ff05.html
American Muslim groups were understandably upset to learn that
President
Bush had nominated super hawk Daniel Pipes to the board of the United
States Institute of Peace, a federal think tank. Many of his statements
and
published works have prompted accusations of bigotry from Muslim and
Arab-American organizations. The very idea of putting an advocate of
force
over negotiation onto the board of any organization with "peace" in its
title seems odd.
SEE ALSO:
WASHINGTON POST SLAMS DANIEL PIPES NOMINATION
EDITORIAL: FUELING A CULTURE CLASH
The Washington Post, 4/19/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53900-2003Apr18.html
QUOTE: "…the Pipes nomination is salt in the wound. If the White House
doesn't rescind it, Congress should have the good sense to turn it
down."
ACTION REQUESTED:
Send letters to the Washington Post and the Dallas Morning News
thanking
them for speaking out against the nomination of Daniel Pipes. Make sure
to
include contact information (address and phone numbers) so the editors
may
verify the letter.
DALLAS MORNING NEWS: http://www.dallasnews.com/cgi-bin/lettertoed.cgi
WASHINGTON POST: letters@washpost.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
PENTAGON EXPECTS LONG-TERM ACCESS TO FOUR KEY BASES IN IRAQ
THOM SHANKER and ERIC SCHMITT, New York Times, 4/20/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/20/international/worldspecial/20BASE.html
WASHINGTON, April 19 - The United States is planning a long-term
military
relationship with the emerging government of Iraq, one that would grant
the
Pentagon access to military bases and project American influence into
the
heart of the unsettled region, senior Bush administration officials
say.
American military officials, in interviews this week, spoke of
maintaining
perhaps four bases in Iraq that could be used in the future: one at the
international airport just outside Baghdad; another at Tallil, near
Nasiriya in the south; the third at an isolated airstrip called H-1 in
the
western desert, along the old oil pipeline that runs to Jordan; and the
last at the Bashur air field in the Kurdish north.
The military is already using these bases to support operations against
the
remnants of the old government, to deliver supplies and relief aid and
for
reconnaissance patrols. But as the invasion force withdraws in the
months
ahead and turns over control to a new Iraqi government, Pentagon
officials
expect to gain access to the bases in the event of some future crisis.
Whether that can be arranged depends on relations between Washington
and
whoever takes control in Baghdad. If the ties are close enough, the
military relationship could become one of the most striking
developments in
a strategic revolution now playing out across the Middle East and
Southwest
Asia, from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean.
A military foothold in Iraq would be felt across the border in Syria,
and,
in combination with the continuing United States presence in
Afghanistan,
it would virtually surround Iran with a new web of American influence…
SEE ALSO:
TROOPS WERE TOLD TO GUARD TREASURES
Paul Martin, WASHINGTON TIMES, 4/20/02
http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20030420-48494890.htm
KUWAIT CITY - In a memo sent two weeks before the fall of Baghdad, the
Pentagon office charged with rebuilding Iraq urged top commanders of
U.S.
ground forces to protect the Iraqi National Museum and other cultural
sites
from looters. Top Stories
"Coalition forces must secure these facilities in order to prevent
looting
and the resulting irreparable loss of cultural treasures," says the
March
26 memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times.
The Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance
(ORHA),
led by retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, sent the five-page memo to senior
commanders at the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC).
Two weeks later, American forces pulled down the giant statue of Saddam
Hussein in Baghdad to cheering crowds, and in the days that followed,
looters pillaged Baghdad.
The museum was No. 2 on a list of 16 sites that ORHA deemed crucial to
protect. Financial institutions topped the list, including the Iraqi
Central Bank, which is now a burned-out shell filled with twisted metal
beams from the collapse of the roof and all nine floors under it.
"We asked for just a few soldiers at each building, or if they feared
snipers, then just one or two tanks," said an angry ORHA official, one
of
several who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity…
---
SO WHERE ARE THEY, MR BLAIR?
http://argument.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/story.jsp?story=398837
Not one illegal warhead. Not one drum of chemicals. Not one
incriminating
document. Not one shred of evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass
destruction in more than a month of war and occupation.
---
FAKE DOCUMENTS AND EXAGGERATION
Sheelagh Doyle, The Independent, 4/20/02
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=398707
Chemical
Claim
The US said Iraq had continued to rebuild and expand facilities that
could
be quickly diverted to chemical weapons production, such as chlorine
and
phenol plants.
Reality Iraq's chemical site at Al-Qaqaa was bombed in the first Gulf
War,
and remaining stocks were removed and destroyed by the UN experts.
There
was no indication that its production of chlorine and phenol had a
military
purpose.
Claim Secretary of State Colin Powell released satellite shots of a
weapons
factory at Taji purporting to show that the site had been cleaned up
before
the arrival of UN inspectors.
Reality The chief UN weapons inspector, Hans Blix, said the photos
could
show routine movement at the plant.
Biological
Claim US releases picture of a drone which, if fitted with a spray
tank,
could "deliver biological agents" to Iraq's neighbours or even the US
if
transported to other countries.
Reality Iraq dismantled a drone following its discovery by UN
inspectors
who were not convinced the unmanned aircraft was a proscribed item.
Claim Mr Powell said "we know from Iraq's past admissions" that it has
successfully weaponised ricin.
Reality The UN inspectors said a single test was carried out in
November
1990, but it was considered a failure and the project was abandoned.
Claim Mr Powell said Saddam had the "wherewithal to develop smallpox".
Reality UN inspectors did not consider smallpox to be a matter of
concern
and did not mention it except to report that there was "no evidence" of
Iraq engaging in smallpox research.
---
SUNNIS AND SHIITES UNITE TO PROTEST U.S. AND HUSSEIN
JOHN KIFNER and CRAIG S. SMITH, New York Times, 4/19/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/19/international/worldspecial/19IRAQ.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 18 - The struggle for power in postwar Iraq came
sharply into focus today as Shiite and Sunni Muslims united in a
demonstration that railed against both the United States and Saddam
Hussein, while an Iraqi exile backed by the Pentagon emerged from
well-guarded seclusion in an exclusive club to stake a claim to a role
in
Iraq's future.
At overflow Friday prayer services at the huge Abu Hanafi Mosque, a
Sunni
religious center that opened its doors to members of the rival Shiite
sect
in a rare demonstration of solidarity, hostility toward the Americans
and
the desire for an Islamic Iraq were on display.
"No to sectarianism, one Islamic state," read a banner on the mosque,
with
the legend "No to America" emblazoned on top.
"You are the masters today," Ahmed al-Kubeisy, the prayer leader, said
of
the Americans as he addressed a congregation that spilled out onto the
sidewalks. "But I warn you against thinking of staying. Get out before
we
kick you out."
A very different tone was struck at the news conference of Ahmad
Chalabi,
the 58-year-old scion of a wealthy Shiite clan who returned to his
native
Baghdad this week for the first time in 45 years.
Mr. Chalabi is protected by American soldiers on a mansion-lined street
in
Baghdad's richest neighborhood. One of his supporters, Muhammad
Zobaidi,
was installed as city administrator at a chaotic meeting called by
American
officers on Sunday. Despite this American backing, the level of their
support - or even recognition - in a country still struggling for
normalcy
is unknown…
At the prayer meeting in central Baghdad today, a Marine foot patrol
that
came by, and quickly left, stirred a frisson of anger in the street.
The
apartment building opposite the mosque is shell-pocked and burned from
American attacks. A nearby telephone exchange was flattened by American
bombing, and the mosque's clock tower has a gaping hole from the war.
The prayer service ended with a demonstration filled with banners
denouncing the United States and Israel…
-----
OREGON MUSLIMS PROTEST MONTHLONG DETENTION WITHOUT A CHARGE
RACHEL L. SWARNS, New York Times, 4/20/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/20/international/worldspecial/20DETA.html
PORTLAND, Ore., April 18 - Behind the metal doors of a federal
penitentiary
near here, Maher Hawash has been imprisoned for 29 days without charge,
linked to a terrorist plot in ways that the government refuses to
describe.
Mr. Hawash, an American citizen, is considered a material witness in a
case
against six people accused of conspiring to join the Taliban and Al
Qaeda
to fight against United States forces in Afghanistan, said government
officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Friends of Mr. Hawash,
who
is known as Mike, said that he prayed in the same mosque as two of the
terrorism suspects, and that they fear the federal authorities may be
preparing to accuse him in connection with the case.
But so far, Mr. Hawash has not been indicted. The secrecy surrounding
his
case has generated outrage and uncertainty in the Muslim community
here,
raising many questions about the government's use of detention of
material
witnesses as a weapon in the fight against terrorism…
-----
AZIZAH MAGAZINE SHEDS NEW LIGHT MUSLIM-AMERICAN WOMEN
Vanessa E. Jones, Boston Globe, 4/19/2003
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/109/living/One_faith_many_faces+.shtml
Look out Essence, Marie Claire and Glamour: There's a new magazine
competing for women's attention. It's called Azizah. And this
multiracial,
multiethnic quarterly by and about "muslimah," as Muslim women are
called
in Arabic, goes beyond the inaccurate but persistent portrayals of them
as
silent, inactive doormats.
In Azizah, a Muslim woman can be a New York City corrections officer, a
business entrepreneur, or a former prime minister of Pakistan. She may
dress traditionally in loose-fitting clothes and covered hair, or don
Western gear and wear her locks unfettered…
Recently, Taylor and Azizah CEO Saleemah Abdulghafur, 28, traveled from
their Atlanta base to Boston, part of a promotional tour to make Azizah
the
Latina or Essence magazine of the muslimah population. Since Azizah's
birth
in the winter of 2001, its circulation has grown from several hundred
subscribers to 5,000…
At the kickoff of Harvard University's third annual ''Islam in
America''
conference, the pair presented Azizah to a room filled predominantly
with
local Muslim women, many of whom wore head scarves in brilliant royal
blues, blacks, and reds. It's the beginning of a yearlong drive that
Taylor
and Abdulghafur hope will build Azizah's subscription base, one city at
a
time. They have planned receptions in Phoenix, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
and
other cities…
SEE: http://www.azizahmagazine.com/
-----
FUND-RAISERS COVER TWINS' SURGERY COST
JAMIE STENGLE, Associated Press, 4/19/03
RICHARDSON, Texas (AP) - Fund-raisers appear to have surpassed the
$125,000
they'd hoped to raise to offset surgery costs to separate 22-month-old
Egyptian twins joined at the crown of their heads.
World Craniofacial Foundation director Sue Blackwood said about $83,000
in
pledges and donations had been received for twins Mohamed and Ahmed
Ibrahim…
By the end of the evening, about $70,000 in pledges and donations had
been
raised, said Abdal Malik Hamidullah, operations manager for the mosque.
That would put the total at more than $150,000…
The twins were born June 2, 2001, by Caesarean section in a remote
Egyptian
town. The World Craniofacial Foundation, a nonprofit foundation founded
by
Dr. Kenneth Salyer and based in Dallas, brought the twins to the United
States for evaluation.
Officials at Children's Medical Center of Dallas wanted to perform the
surgery on the brothers but hoped to raise $125,000 to help offset the
surgery's cost, estimated at about $2 million.
The foundation said it could not afford to pay for the surgery.
Islamic Association of North Texas Web: http://www.iant.com/
-----
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-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
BUSH NOMINEE REFUSES TO CONDEMN JAPANESE INTERNMENT
Daniel Pipes says he does not 'know enough' about subject to comment
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/21/2003) - A controversial presidential nominee to
the
board of a government-funded think tank today refused to condemn the
internment of Japanese-Americans and reaffirmed his call for the
destruction of Palestinian villages.
During an interview broadcast on the national "Democracy Now" radio
program, pro-Israel commentator Daniel Pipes outlined why he advocates
the
profiling by law enforcement and security personnel of Muslims and
Arab-Americans. When program host Amy Goodman asked whether Pipes'
support
for profiling extended to the internment of Japanese-Americans during
World
War II, he said: "It's not a subject I know enough about to talk
about."
SEE: http://stream.paranode.com/democracynow/dn2003-0421-1.m3u The
interview is in the final 20 minutes of the one hour program.
President Bush recently nominated Pipes, considered by many Muslims to
be
the nation's leading Islamophobe, to the board of the taxpayer-funded
United States Institute of Peace (USIP). His nomination must be
confirmed
by the Senate.
In that same radio interview, Pipes also said razing Palestinian
villages
from which anti-Israel attacks are launched is acceptable because
societies
under attack may take "preventive steps." (In a July 18, 2001, article
in
Canada's National Post newspaper, Pipes said Israel needs to take more
active steps to protect its citizens, including razing "villages from
which
attacks are launched.")
Over the weekend, both the Washington Post and the Dallas Morning News
published editorials critical of the president's decision to nominate
Pipes
to the USIP board. The Post said Congress "should have the good sense
to
turn [the nomination] down," and the Dallas Morning News called Pipes a
"bad choice." In the Jewish Forward, Judith Kipper, a senior fellow at
the
Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Pipes "has very
extreme views."
SEE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53900-2003Apr18.html
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/stories/041903dnediscorecard.ff05.html
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.04.11/news5.html
A number of Muslim and Arab-American-groups have also come out against
Pipes' nomination saying he has a long history of advocating the
political
marginalization of America's Islamic community. The groups point to an
October 21, 2001, speech to the American Jewish Congress, in which
Pipes
warned of the "true dangers" posed by "the presence, and increased
stature,
and affluence, and enfranchisement of American Muslims."
"It is outrageous that someone with undergraduate and doctoral degrees
from
Harvard University, both in history, would fail to condemn the unjust
internment of Japanese-Americans by disingenuously claiming he is
ill-informed. Mr. Pipes obviously knows that he cannot advocate
profiling
Muslims and Arabs on one hand, and then reject the earlier profiling of
Japanese-Americans. This position alone makes Pipes unfit to join the
USIP
board," said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the group that first opposed Pipes'
nomination.
Awad added that Pipes has called for increased surveillance of ordinary
American Muslims, claims 10 to 15 percent of Muslims are "potential
killers," has decried any positive portrayal of Islamic history and
beliefs
in public schools, and termed the PBS documentary "Muhammad: Legacy of
a
Prophet" an "outrage." Last year, Pipes faced a storm of criticism when
he
launched Campus Watch, a web site that included "dossiers" on
professors
and academic institutions thought to be too critical of Israel or too
sympathetic to Islam and Muslims.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Go to http://capwiz.com/cair/home/ to express your concerns about
Pipes'
nomination to the president, the Senate and the USIP.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/21/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: MODESTY
* CAIR CONFERENCE WORKSHOP: HINDUTVA LOBBY IN AMERICA
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5352 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CALIF. MUSLIM TEEN TO FILE SUIT AGAINST ATTACKERS
* CAIR MARYLAND TO HOLD FUNDRAISING BANQUET
- CAIR Seattle Banquet to Highlight Challenges
* LOCAL OFFICIALS RISE UP TO DEFY THE PATRIOT ACT (Wash. Post)
* DANIEL PIPES IS 'BENT ON DIVIDING' AMERICA (Plain Dealer)
* SCARF WORN WITH PRIDE DESPITE FEAR (Indy Star)
- Islam Is Finding a Niche in the West (Intelligencer)
- Local Muslims Fear Postwar Backlash (KC Star)
- Maine's Immigrants Anxious about War
* DEADLY UNREST LEAVES MOSUL BITTER AT U.S. (NY Times)
- US Struggles With New Rules as Occupiers (CS Monitor)
* ISRAELI BORDER POLICE OFFICERS HELD OVER DEATH (Reuters)
* A MUSLIM IN THE MIDDLE IN FRANCE (NY Times)
- French Minister Insists No Veils in Photos (Reuters)
* BUSH BELIEVES HE IS LEADING A HOLY WAR (Atlanta Journal)
* WILL HOLLYWOOD STOP ARAB-BASHING? (Los Angeles Times)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: MODESTY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Coarse talk does not
come
into anything without disgracing it, and modesty does not come into
anything without adorning it."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1253
-----
CAIR CONFERENCE WORKSHOP: HINDUTVA LOBBY IN AMERICA
Learn what implications the rise of the Hindutva lobby in the United
States
has for American Muslims.
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at
www.cair-net.org/conference.
Last year's conference was a sell-out so those interested in attended
are
urged to register as soon as possible.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5352 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5352 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CALIF. MUSLIM TEEN TO FILE SUIT AGAINST ATTACKERS
Victim of beating to speak in public for first time since attack
WHAT: On April 23, lawyers representing a California Muslim teenager
brutally beaten in February during a bias-related incident will hold a
news
conference to announce the filing of a lawsuit against the alleged
attackers. The victim, Rashid Alam of Yorba Linda, Calif., will also
attend
the news conference, his first public appearance since the attack.
Alam was severely beaten February 22 in Yorba Linda, Calif., by a group
of
some twenty attackers reportedly using baseball bats and golf clubs.
The
assailants, at least two of whom were reported to be white
supremacists,
allegedly shouted racial slurs such as "F**k the Arabs," "you Arab
pieces
of s**t," and "camel jockeys." The 18-year-old victim sustained
multiple
head injuries and stab wounds. He underwent reconstructive surgery on
March
1 during which metal plates were used to repair facial bone fractures.
A lawsuit against five assailants will be filed under the Tom Bane
Civil
Rights Act and the Ralph Civil Rights Act, California Civil Code
Statutes
52.1 and 51.7. The lawsuit will allow for the recovery of actual,
special
and punitive damages.
The Brea Police Department is in the process of completing the criminal
investigation and will share the results with the Orange County
District
Attorney's office for review and further action. CAIR-LA continues to
monitor the progress of the investigation.
The announcement of the lawsuit will take place at the Anaheim, Calif.,
office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA), the
Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group that called
for an
investigation of the attack.
"Establishing justice sends a strong message that crimes against
Americans,
regardless of their race or religion, will not go unpunished and that
there
is zero tolerance for racism in America," said CAIR-LA Executive
Director
Hussam Ayloush.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: CAIR-LA Office, 2180 West Crescent Ave., Suite F (Upstairs),
Anaheim, CA
- END -
CONTACTS: CAIR-LA, Sabiha Khan, 714-776-1847 or 714-390-0334, E-MAIL:
socal@cair.com; CAIR-National, Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787
or
703-861-7294, E-MAIL: hhassan@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR MARYLAND TO HOLD FUNDRAISING BANQUET
WHAT: The annual fundraising banquet for the Maryland chapter of the
Council on American Islamic Relations. The keynote speaker will be CAIR
Executive Director Nihad Awad.
WHEN: Saturday, May 31, 6:30 P.M.
WHERE: Bohrer Park Hall - 506 S, Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD,
(301)
258-6350
For information and tickets please contact ~
Ayman Nassar - (443) 538 4121
Aslam Ahamed - (240) 498 4795
Seyed Rizwan - (240) 401 4550
Sister Farhana Motala - (301) 926 6028
Sister Farha Mowlana - 240 602 1683
Email: info@cairmd.org
Website: http://www.cairmd.org
Tickets: $55/$85 per couple RSVP by May, 20, 2003
Limited babysitting available with prior notice.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR SEATTLE BANQUET TO HIGHLIGHT CHALLENGES FACING MUSLIMS
WHAT: CAIR's Seattle chapter will hold its first annual fundraising
banquet: "Defending Freedom, Promoting Justice". Keynote speaker will
be
CAIR Chairman of the Board Omar Ahmed
WHEN: Saturday, May 3 at 6 P.M.
WHERE: Renaissance Madison Hotel
515 Madison Street, Downtown Seattle, WA 98104
Tickets: $35 per person - $60 per couple
For information or tickets please contact:
CAIR-Seattle at 206-465-0977 or email info@cair-seattle.org
-----
LOCAL OFFICIALS RISE UP TO DEFY THE PATRIOT ACT
Evelyn Nieves, Washington Post, 4/21/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64173-2003Apr20.html
ARCATA, Calif. - This North Coast city may look sweet -- old,
low-to-the-ground buildings, town square with a bronze statue of
William
McKinley, ambling pickup trucks -- but it acts like a radical...
This little city (pop.: 16,000) has become the first in the nation to
pass
an ordinance that outlaws voluntary compliance with the Patriot Act.
"I call this a nonviolent, preemptive attack," said David Meserve, the
freshman City Council member who drafted the ordinance with the help of
the
Arcata city attorney, city manager and police chief.
The Arcata ordinance may be the first, but it may not be the last.
Across
the country, citizens have been forming Bill of Rights defense
committees
to fight what they consider the most egregious curbs on liberties
contained
in the Patriot Act. The 342-page act, passed by Congress one month
after
the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with little input from a public
still in shock, has been most publicly criticized by librarians and
bookstore owners for the provisions that force them to secretly hand
over
information about a patron's reading and Internet habits.
But citizens groups are becoming increasingly organized and forceful in
rebuking the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act for giving the
federal government too much power, especially since a draft of the
Justice
Department's proposed sequel to the Patriot Act (dubbed Patriot II) was
publicly leaked in January...
But to date, 89 cities have passed resolutions condemning the Patriot
Act,
with at least a dozen more in the works and a statewide resolution
against
the act close to being passed in Hawaii...
-----
WRITER IS 'BENT ON DIVIDING' AMERICA
Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/19/03
http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1050749808214370.xml
Just when it's important for everyone in the United States to
strengthen
bonds as privileged citizens living together, Daniel Pipes and a few
like
him are bent on dividing communities and stereotyping Muslims (April
12).
I have followed his writings very closely and found his analysis of
Islam
and Muslims to be very one-sided, manipulative and biased. His Middle
East
Forum has only one purpose: to present and legitimize Israel's
occupation
policies.
Recently Pipes provoked outrage by listing on his Web site the names of
academics, teachers and professors opposed to Israeli occupation
policies
and subsequently exposing them and their families to possible hostility
and
abuse. He continues to attempt to project those who are against Israeli
occupation as disloyal to America.
People like Pipes are doing immeasurable damage to America and its
image
abroad. Furthermore, he is in the forefront of those attempting to turn
political conflicts into conflicts between religions.
Shabnam Rehman
Cleveland
-----
SCARF WORN WITH PRIDE DESPITE FEAR
Judith Cebula, Indianapolis Star, 4/19/03
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/5/037050-6625-009.html
For 16 years, Zainab Gariepy of Plainfield has worn the hijab, the
flowing
head scarf that is a hallmark of Muslim modesty. Islamic tradition
calls
for women to cover their hair and avoid attracting attention to their
physical features. Ironically, for months the scarf has drawn much
unwanted
attention to Muslim women in America, said Gariepy, a 43-year-old
mother of
two sons.
Since the terrorist attacks and again in the wake of the Iraq war,
strangers sometimes stare at her, the convert to Islam said. On rare
occasions, they have made rude comments while she waited in line at a
gas
station or stopped at a traffic light.
"I am a lot more aware of my scarf. For years it has felt like second
nature, like my skin," Gariepy said in the rich French accent of her
native
Montreal...
Despite concerns that her head covering will attract verbal harassment,
Gariepy said she feels the need to be the face of Islam in America. She
wants non-Muslims to know her and not be afraid of her religion.
After Friday prayers at the mosque in Plainfield, she easily approaches
visitors to say hello. Extending her hand to non-Muslim women, she
invites
questions.
She is taking a yoga class at the Hendricks County Public Library near
her
home to be a visible part of the community, she said. She tries to make
eye
contact with strangers and smiles on daily trips to a neighborhood park
with her 9-year-old son, Mohammed.
"I want to be a neighbor," Gariepy said, "to do anything that will help
people see that we are just like them."
SEE ALSO:
ISLAM IS FINDING A NICHE IN THE WEST
Gwen Shrift, Intelligencer, 4/21/03
http://www.phillyburbs.com/intelligencerrecord/article1.asp?F_num=1508843
There are about 7 million Muslims in the United States, with about 2
million attending the nation's 1,209 mosques. An average 30 percent of
those participating in activities at their mosques are converts.
That he may never forget the presence of God, the devout Muslim tempers
his
intentions with a lyrical word in Arabic, language of the prophet
Mohammed...
Not since the Puritans has God ruled lives the way Allah still guides
the
Muslim.
Fourteen centuries after Mohammed, Islam is still cool water in the
desert
to the faithful. The words of the Quran pull strongly to seekers of
peace
and wisdom, and all are welcome to drink at the spring...
For many, the face of an Islamic convert comes from news photos of the
dazed-looking, heavily bearded and filthy John Walker Lindh, who's now
known as the American Taliban.
Yet Islamic converts are more likely to be blacks who get involved in
mosque-sponsored interfaith discussions or programs to help the needy,
according to a major study of religious groups released last year by
the
Hartford Seminary's Institute for Religious Research.
In other words, the average Islamic convert is more Jameel Jaabir than
John
Walker Lindh.
Jaabir, 28, converted to Islam three years ago, lives in Morrisville,
works
as a manager in a local distribution company, raises his daughter as a
Muslim and is deeply involved in the Masjid As Saffat in Trenton, his
house
of worship...
---
LOCAL MUSLIMS FEAR POSTWAR BACKLASH
Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star, 4/21/03
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/5678588.htm
The crux of Shaheen Ahmed's angst is the parental desire to protect her
children.
As Muslims, family members struggle with what they say is a growing
demonization of their religion and, by association, of them.
Ahmed's three children are U.S. citizens by birth -- she is by choice.
"I made the choice to come to the United States," the Indian-born
Leawood
resident said. "And now, these children are suffering for it, through
no
fault of their own."
A firefighter once told one of Ahmed's sons that he wished to see the
young
man's head squashed on the concrete. Federal agents knocked on another
son's door for an interview. Her daughter was the only student in a
planeload of high schoolers ordered off the flight for a separate body
search.
"We have become the scapegoats," Ahmed said. "It is a no-win
situation."
The Ahmed family's experiences and fears are shared by many of the
nearly
20,000 Muslims in the Kansas City area and by leaders representing
America's 7 million Muslims.
"In terms of the American Muslim community, it is going to be a real
struggle in the future," said Ibrahim Hooper with the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based civil rights and
advocacy
group. "We are one of the few minorities in society that has people
actively seeking to marginalize us and disenfranchise us..."
Nationally, the Muslim community has mounted a campaign to fight the
image
of them as terrorists.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations began an advertising campaign
in
February called Islam in America. The group has gathered more than
$800,000
in pledges to fund books and tapes about Islam for 16,000 public
libraries.
The council hopes the materials will counter what it says are
well-publicized bashings of Islam.
"We are looking for the tone to be set at the highest levels of
government,
the president, Congress and other administration officials who can set
the
tone particularly for the conservatives in our society," said Hooper,
of
the council.
The council also organized a nine-page "Muslim Community Safety Kit."
The
kits were sent to mosques and Muslims a week before the war in Iraq
began.
The information includes advice on the rights Muslims have as airline
passengers, contacting authorities in an emergency and responding to
bomb
threats.
---
MAINE'S IMMIGRANTS ANXIOUS ABOUT WAR
Associated Press, 4/21/03
These are anxious times for Maine's growing immigrant population. Many
of
them are uncomfortable expressing an opinion about the war in Iraq for
fear
it will be misinterpreted, whether or not they support President Bush's
decision to use force to oust Saddam Hussein.
Some are even frightened.
"Only a few people go to the mosque now because they are worried. They
are
scared," said N. Ali Ismail, a Somali native who works as a teacher's
aide
and language facilitator at Portland High School.
Wartime has historically been difficult for new immigrants in America,
and
few can forget the detention of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Refugees and immigrants in Portland have not been detained, and say
they
have not experienced anti-Muslim harassment in their neighborhoods and
communities during the war.
But for numerous reasons, many feel isolated and at-risk. And few are
willing to talk about it.
"It's politics. I tried to run away (from talking about the war) as
much as
I can. For me, there is nothing to say. Everything is upside down,"
said
Imam Talal Eid of the Islamic Center of New England.
Adult refugees commonly say that speaking about politics right now and
potentially being misunderstood can only get them in trouble, perhaps
harassed and even arrested.
"If I said I'm against the war then people will say I know you are
anti-American. The concern we have is the wrong interpretation of
anything
we say. There is no freedom of speech here. People right away will
stereotype me," Eid said…
-----
DEADLY UNREST LEAVES A TOWN IN NORTHERN IRAQ BITTER AT U.S.
David Rohde, New York Times, 4/20/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/20/international/worldspecial/20MOSU.html
MOSUL, Iraq, April 19 - Just over a week ago, as a vibrant spring day
bloomed on the banks of the Tigris, residents of this city woke to find
that the local Baath Party leadership had fled.
Suddenly free, yet alone, residents waited for American forces to rush
into
Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraq, to keep the peace.
Instead, the city turned into the most violent place in all of postwar
Iraq.
By this morning, at least 31 Iraqis were dead and more than 150 wounded
in
clashes, including 17 believed to have been killed by American marines
in
disputed shootings. Looters had destroyed the city's most treasured
buildings. American soldiers had been attacked, and one had been
wounded.
In the midst of the vacuum, new leaders emerged, and mosques became the
center of relief efforts. There is still gratitude toward America here,
but
the events of the last week have fed deep suspicions of the United
States.
The problems all reflect a severe shortage of Americans troops on that
Friday, the presence of suspected fedayeen fighters and an aggressive
approach taken by the marines to stabilize the city.
"We must be united and support each other against the Anglo-American
invasion," said Sheik Ibrahim al-Namaa, a cleric now seen as a rising
leader in Mosul. "We must try to put an end to this aggression..."
SEE ALSO:
US STRUGGLES WITH NEW RULES AS WAR TURNS TO OCCUPATION
Seth Stern, Christian Science Monitor, 4/21/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0421/p02s01-woiq.html
As the process of occupation begins, US officials are struggling to
cope
with new legal and administrative rules that take effect when
hostilities
turn to governance. For instance, coalition forces are supposed to
begin
applying local laws, but they don't understand what they all mean.
"Some 18-year-old marines are arresting people suspected of looting.
But
what do they do with them?" says one international lawyer who has been
involved with the US in postwar planning. "They don't have a clue on
what
procedure to apply."
To be sure, US officials were caught off guard by the rapid fall of the
Hussein regime. But outside analysts say that infighting between the
State
and Defense departments hasn't helped with transition issues.
In general, the duties of both civilians and soldiers change once the
military phase of a war is over. The 1949 Geneva Conventions specify
that
the laws of the occupied country take precedence over those of the
conquering nation, unless doing so imperils the security of the troops.
Only a new, legitimate Iraqi government could change laws related to
marriage or owning property, for example, but Hussein's most egregious
decrees, such as legalizing torture, could be stripped away.
Yet even here, the correct approach isn't always clear cut. What do you
do,
for instance, if one part of a country is still at war and another
isn't?
Further complicating matters, the law of occupation has gone
essentially
unused since its adoption half a century ago, says Claude Bruderlein,
director of Harvard University's Program on Humanitarian Policy and
Conflict Resolution. "There aren't so many precedents" he says. It
remains
unclear, for instance, how the US should handle political dissent...
-----
ISRAELI BORDER POLICE OFFICERS HELD OVER WEST BANK DEATH
Dan Williams, Reuters, 4/21/03
JERUSALEM - Israel has arrested 12 men from its paramilitary Border
Police
in an investigation into the death in custody of a West Bank youth, the
deepest probe yet of security services battling a 30-month-old
Palestinian
uprising.
Three of the suspects appeared at a hearing in a Jerusalem court Monday
as
the Justice Ministry widened its examination of the death of
17-year-old
Imram Abu Hamdia on Dec. 30 in the West Bank city of Hebron.
Palestinian witnesses told the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem that
Hamdia hit his head and died after border policemen threw him from a
moving
jeep...
A B'Tselem spokesman said there had been a rise in abuse by border
police
in Hebron, a biblical city where 450 Jewish settlers live among 130,000
Palestinians, in recent months.
"But that hardly makes it a new phenomenon," spokesman Lior Yavne said.
"We
receive regular complaints from Palestinians who were taken to the
Hebron
industrial zone for a beating. In Hamdia's case, it seems he got hit
one
too many times..."
-----
A MUSLIM IN THE MIDDLE IN FRANCE
Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 4/21/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/21/international/europe/21FRAN.html
PARIS - Dalil Boubakeur is the official face of Islam in France.
A 62-year-old doctor who leads the Paris Mosque, Dr. Boubakeur wears
not
only a suit and tie but also, on his jacket lapel, symbols of
membership in
the French Legion of Honor and the Order of Merit. He is poised to
become
president of a council elected this month that will represent the
country's
Muslim population before the French state for the first time in its
history.
But Dr. Boubakeur is not a happy man.
He did not count on the way the election turned out. In a stunning
setback,
the group representing the Paris Mosque, France's main mosque and a
national landmark, came in a poor third, capturing only 6 out of the
council's 41 seats.
The Moroccan-dominated National Federation of the Muslims of France,
based
in the working-class suburb of Évry, came in first, with 16 seats. What
was
more alarming for Dr. Boubakeur was that the Union of Islamic
Organizations
in France, which derives its inspiration from the banned Muslim
Brotherhood
in Egypt and is based in the working-class suburb of La Courneuve, won
14
seats. Smaller groups won the other five votes...
He incurred the wrath of the two groups recently when he criticized the
kind of Islam practiced in the suburbs as a religion of "hotheads..."
In fact, Dr. Boubakeur, who was educated in Algeria, Egypt and France,
prides himself on his knowledge of French literature. The biggest
setback
to a modern Islam in recent decades, he said in the interview, was the
overthrow of the monarchy in Iran in 1979 and the installation of the
rule
of the ayatollahs. He blamed the United States and France for what took
place in Iran...
Mr. Sarkozy ran into trouble on Saturday when he told the annual
congress
of the Union of Islamic Organizations in France that Muslim women must
remove their veils for identity photographs. His remarks were drowned
with
boos and whistles…
SEE ALSO:
FRENCH MINISTER INSISTS NO VEILS IN ID PHOTOS
Catherine Bremer, 4/20/03
PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) - French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy
drew
boos and whistles at a Muslim gathering by insisting that Muslim women
must
remove their veils for identity photographs.
Sarkozy made the remark on Saturday at the annual congress of the
hardline
Union of Islamic Organisations in France (UOIF). His words were drowned
out
when he said Muslims must obey the law, even if that meant baring their
heads.
"The law states that the holder of a national identity card must be
bare-headed in their photograph, whether they are male or female,"
Sarkozy
told the 7,000-strong audience…
"We want this law to be changed because it's unfair," UOIF official
Abdallah ben Mansour told LCI television…
Sarkozy has urged France's diverse Muslim groups to put aside their
differences and form a joint council.
Yet divisions still exist between the UOIF, the more mainstream
Moroccan-backed FNMF and the moderate Grand Mosque de Paris, which
could
complicate talks with the government on issues like veils and
mosque-building.
Sarkozy wants France's five million Muslims lifted out of the shadows
of
this secular, mainly Catholic country of 60 million.
That means building more mosques to bring Muslims out of makeshift
basement
prayer rooms. It also means fostering a better understanding of Muslim
customs in a country where many have been swept up by a global fear of
Islamic extremism and become wary of ordinary Muslims.
UOIF Secretary General Foud Allaoui said he agreed with Sarkozy that
Islam
did not permit laws to be flouted.
"Mr Sarkozy's frankness does him credit. Islam does not authorise
breaking
the law. It's up to Muslims in France to work on our image."
-----
BUSH BELIEVES HE IS LEADING A HOLY WAR
Lee Mcauliffe Rambo, Atlanta Journal Constitution, 4/21/03
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/opinion/0403/21international.html
From the beginning, President Bush insisted that the war on terrorism
was
not a war against the world's 1 billion Muslims.
But, as he consoled and rallied the nation, the president increasingly
relied on a rhetoric favored by evangelical Christians, at once his
biggest
supporters and Islam's harshest critics. Now Saddam Hussein has been
ousted, and those same evangelicals are poised to claim Iraq as their
mission field. Among them: Several hundred volunteers, including
Georgians,
from the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant
denomination and the only major religious group to support the war in
Iraq.
"Muslims all over the world are very concerned that the war on
terrorism is
being hijacked by right-wing fundamentalists," said Rawdan Masmoudi,
executive director of the Washington-based Center for the Study of
Islam
and Democracy.
Robert Pyne, a theologian at conservative Dallas Theological Seminary,
confirms Masmoudi's fears. He says evangelicals did indeed view the war
as
a kind of crusade. "They identify the American cause . . . as the cause
of
Christ," he said...
This conviction --- that he holds the highest office in the land
because an
all-powerful God wills it --- is undoubtedly a source of comfort for
the
president. But it can lead to such hateful absurdities as the views
expressed by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, two longtime figureheads
of
the evangelical movement, shortly after Sept. 11, 2001. Falwell, with
the
concurrence of Robertson, suggested that the terrorist attacks were
caused
by a God angry at American liberalism and secularism. That these two
sound
much like Islamic fanatics is no coincidence. Fundamentalists of all
stripes tend to regard God's power as more central than his
compassion...
-----
WILL HOLLYWOOD STOP ARAB-BASHING?
Jack Shaheen, Los Angeles Times, 4/21/03
http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/cl-et-shaheen21apr21.story
Like movies, American TV news reports also focus selectively on a small
minority of radicals who chant "Death to America!" as they burn Uncle
Sam
in effigy. These Arab and Muslim villain images gratuitously equate 1.2
billion people as clones or mindless utensils of Ayatollah Khomeini,
Moammar Kadafi, Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Fair play?...
Violent news reports of extremists keep driving home the myth: Most
Arabs
are evil. Such deliberate distortions provide all the excuses
image-makers
eager to exploit the issue need to ratchet up their Arab-bashing.
Since 9/11, TV producers have saturated viewers with Arab blackguards;
they
prowl law enforcement, intelligence agency and courtroom dramas: "The
West
Wing," "JAG," "The Agency," "Law & Order," "Judging Amy," "The
Practice"
and the TV movie "The President's Man: A Line in the Sand."
TV producers keep deep-sixing another reality: Americans of Arab
heritage
and American Muslims -- all 9 million of us, from physicians to female
police officers -- are as courageous, as patriotic, as our neighbors,
and
every bit as intent on wiping out terrorism...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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
BREAKING NEWS - 4/21/2003
DANIEL PIPES TO APPEAR ON C-SPAN'S 'WASHINGTON JOURNAL'
Pro-Israel commentator Daniel Pipes, regarded by many Muslims as the
nation's leading Islamophobe, is scheduled to appear at Tuesday, April
22,
on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal." He is scheduled for the 9 a.m.
(Eastern)
segment of the program.
SEE: http://www.c-span.org/
Click on "Washington Journal."
ACTION REQUESTED: Call during the program to challenge Pipes'
anti-Muslim
bigotry and to demand the rejection of his nomination to the board of
the
United States Institute of Peace. (It is best to watch the program on
TV or
online and call the number given, but e-mailed questions may also be
sent
to journal@c-span.org.)
SEE: BUSH NOMINEE REFUSES TO CONDEMN JAPANESE INTERNMENT
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=31701&page=NB
FOR BACKGROUND ON DANIEL PIPES' ISLAMOPHOBIC VIEWS, SEE:
EDITORIAL: FUELING A CULTURE CLASH
The Washington Post, 4/19/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53900-2003Apr18.html
QUOTE: "…the Pipes nomination is salt in the wound. If the White House
doesn't rescind it, Congress should have the good sense to turn it
down."
DANIEL PIPES: A BAD CHOICE
Dallas Morning News, 4/19/03
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/stories/041903dnediscorecard.ff05.html
American Muslim groups were understandably upset to learn that
President
Bush had nominated super hawk Daniel Pipes to the board of the United
States Institute of Peace, a federal think tank. Many of his statements
and
published works have prompted accusations of bigotry from Muslim and
Arab-American organizations. The very idea of putting an advocate of
force
over negotiation onto the board of any organization with "peace" in its
title seems odd.
MUSLIMS PROTEST BUSH NOMINEE
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42881-2003Apr6.html
FOREIGN POLICY SCHOLARS CRITICIZE PIPES NOMINATION
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.04.11/news5.html
ASK SENATE TO REJECT DANIEL PIPES NOMINATION
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=142&page=AA
WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
THE TRUTH ABOUT DANIEL PIPES
http://www.mpac.org/home_article_display.aspx?ITEM=491
-----
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https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/22/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KIND TREATMENT FOR GIRLS
* NEW $59 SATURDAY OPTION FOR CAIR-DC CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5352 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* PARTICIPATE IN CAIR'S SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
* CAIR-OHIO TO HOLD GRAND OPENING OF CINCINNATI OFFICE
* INCITEMENT WATCH: OHIO-BASED WEB SITE CALLS FOR GENOCIDE
* DANIEL PIPES AGAIN REFUSES TO CONDEMN JAPANESE INTERNMENT
- Arab Groups Step Up Pressure on Pipes Nomination (JTA)
- Wisconsin Group to Protest Pipes' Visit
* WHITE HOUSE HOSTS CONTROVERSIAL EVANGELICALS (Wash. Post)
- Religious Group Helps Lawmakers With Rent (AP)
* CIVIL LIBERTIES ERODED UNDER PATRIOT ACT (Roanoke Times)
- FL Community Forum on Patriot Act
- Detained Engineer Becomes Internet Cause (Mercury News)
* US FIRM HIRED TO PURGE IRAQI SCHOOLS (Independent)
- Elated Shiites, On Pilgrimage, Want U.S. Out (NY Times)
- Rumsfeld: Iraq Should Not Be Theocracy (AP)
- Baghdad "Governor" Works On Despite US Snub (Reuters)
* "CLIMATE OF FEAR" RULES AFGHANISTAN (Reuters)
* SENATE RESOLUTION ON JERUSALEM INFLAMMATORY (U.S. Newswire)
* HIP-HOP'S ISLAMIC INFLUENCE (Mercury News)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KIND TREATMENT FOR GIRLS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone has a female
child, and does not bury her alive (a pre-Islamic practice), or slight
her,
or prefer his (male) children to her, God will bring him into
Paradise."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 2443
-----
NEW $59 SATURDAY OPTION FOR CAIR-DC CONFERENCE
A new $59 Saturday-only option is now being offered to those who cannot
take part in all of CAIR's upcoming 4th Annual Leadership Conference.
The
Saturday session features specialized workshops on media relations,
civil
rights advocacy, coalition building, and political empowerment. (An
evening
banquet is included. Sunday-only registration is available for $49.)
Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
representatives
of national civil liberties advocacy organizations, media
representatives,
and CAIR staffers.
To register, fill out the form below and send with the subject line
"One-Day Registration" to: register@cair-net.org
To register for the FULL conference, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/conference/
Name:
Organization:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Phone:
E-Mail:
Type of Credit Card:
Credit Card Number:
Expiration Date:
Saturday-only: ____
Sunday-only: ____
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5352 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5352 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
CAIR is seeking applicants for its summer internship program. The
program
is open to Muslim College or University Students age 18 and older who
have
legal status in US to receive monthly stipend. CAIR's internship
program
provides first hand experience and training in community outreach,
governmental relations, lobbying, public and media relations, civil
rights,
and research.
The application deadline is April 28, 2003. Interested and qualified
applicants should go to https://www.cair-net.org/asp/internship.asp to
download the application and information package or call 202-488-8787,
e-mail internship@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-OHIO TO HOLD GRAND OPENING OF CINCINNATI OFFICE
WHAT: CAIR-OHIO will hold a banquet in celebration of the opening of
its
new Cincinnati office. The banquet, titled "Mobilizing American Muslims
for
a Better Society" will include the following special guests:
Congressman David Bonior
Nihad Awad, Executive Director, CAIR-National
Senator Dan Brady, Ohio Senate, Cleveland
Senator Mark Mallory, Ohio Senate, Cincinnati
Ahmad Al-Akhras, President, CAIR-Ohio
WHEN: Saturday, May 3, 5:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.
WHERE: Este Conference Center, 6279 Este Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio
Tel (513) 679-2028
Tickets: $25 ($30 at the door)
Please R.S.V.P. spaces are limited
CONTACT: CAIR Ohio at 614-451-3232, e-mail ohio@cair-net.org.
CAIR-Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio at (513) 981 0097.
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: OHIO-BASED WEB SITE CALLS FOR GENOCIDE
How the Bluff of Islam Can be Called
Robin MacArthur, http://www.hindutva.org/
(Note: The web site is accessed through www.hindutva.org, but is
identified
as "Hindutva.com." Hindutva.com is registered to a Post Office box in
Cleveland, Ohio. The site can also be accessed through
http://hindootva.tripod.com)
Islam is a psychological disorder from which one billion human on this
planet suffer. And so we need a doctor to perform the surgery to cut of
this cancerous cyst of Islam from the body of global human society, or
else
the Human species will not survive as a civilized species…Only a world
leader who openly declares that it is his/her aim to destroy Islam
worldwide by using thermonuclear weapons, can possibly strike terror in
the
minds (of the heartless) Muslims.
Only he/she can defeat the Muslims, and deliver the human species from
the
paranoia of Islam…For achieving this a determination to vaporize all
forms
of life across the Islamic crescent from Morocco to Indonesia is
unavoidable…Our guess (and hope) is that once the Muslims see the
determination in the rest of the world to destroy Islam whatever it has
to
cost in terms of human lives, can they sue for peace. And if they
don't,
they will have to be sent into the stillness of death, so that the
human
species can once again pick up the journey towards building human
civilization, in the post-Islamic phase of Human History.
-----
DANIEL PIPES AGAIN REFUSES TO CONDEMN JAPANESE INTERNMENT
Controversial presidential nominee Daniel Pipes again refused to
condemn
the internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II. During an
appearance
on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal," Pipes, who has undergraduate and
doctoral
degrees in history from Harvard, said he "never studied" the subject
and
therefore could not comment.
In a Monday interview on the national "Democracy Now" radio program,
Pipes
outlined why he advocates the profiling by law enforcement and security
personnel of Muslims and Arab-Americans. When program host Amy Goodman
asked whether Pipes' support for profiling extended to the internment
of
Japanese-Americans during World War II, he said: "It's not a subject I
know
enough about to talk about."
SEE: http://stream.paranode.com/democracynow/dn2003-0421-1.m3u
President Bush recently nominated Pipes, considered by many Muslims to
be
the nation's leading Islamophobe, to the board of the taxpayer-funded
United States Institute of Peace (USIP). His nomination must be
confirmed
by the Senate.
Over the weekend, the Washington Post published an editorial critical
of
the president's decision to nominate Pipes to the USIP board. The Post
said
Congress "should have the good sense to turn [the nomination] down."
SEE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53900-2003Apr18.html
SEE ALSO: Japanese American Citizens League
http://www.jacl.org/
ARAB GROUPS STEP UP PRESSURE ON
Matthew E. Berger, JTA, 4/21/03
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Arab+groups+oppose+Pipes%26%238217%3B+nomination&intcategoryid=3
WASHINGTON - Mideast scholar Daniel Pipes will be making the rounds of
the
U.S. Senate in the next several weeks, drumming up support for his
controversial nomination to the board of a government-funded think
tank.
Pipes, an author and lecturer who has spoken out about the threat of
Muslim
fundamentalism, was nominated by the White House earlier this month to
sit
on the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a nonpartisan think tank
that
promotes peaceful resolutions to international conflicts.
Pipes' nomination has been criticized by Arab groups and others,
including
the editorial board of the Washington Post, which said Pipes'
nomination
was like "salt in the wound" caused by government treatment of Arabs
since
the Sept. 11 terror attacks...
While Pipes is not speaking publicly about the controversy, sources
familiar with the situation say he has contacted members of the Senate
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee about meeting with them
on
Capitol Hill next week, when they return from Easter recess.
Only one lawmaker, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), has come out in
support
of Pipes, but he is not on the HELP Committee.
The committee's ranking minority member, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.),
will speak next week at a banquet of the Arab American Institute, one
of
the strongest opponents of Pipes' nomination...
SEE ALSO:
WISCONSIN GROUP TO PROTEST PIPES' VISIT
WHAT: Muslim Student Association at University of Wisconsin at
Milwaukee
will lead a protest against the visit of Daniel Pipes to the area.
WHEN: Monday, April 28th at 7 P.M.
WHERE: Nicolet High School - 6701 North Jean Nicolet Road, Glendale,
Wisconsin 53217
CONTACT: UWM Muslim Student Union at (414) 229-4623 or visit
http://www.msamilwaukee.i-p.com
-----
WHITE HOUSE HOSTS CONTROVERSIAL EVANGELICALS
AN ANSWER? OUT OF THE QUESTION
Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 4/22/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7981-2003Apr21.html
Muslims were upset that Franklin Graham, who had condemned Islam as
evil,
preached at the Pentagon last week. Now comes word that the White House
held a private briefing for 141 evangelical Christian leaders March 27
to
discuss the Iraq war and other subjects.
Those invited included Jerry Falwell, who apologized last year for
calling
the prophet Muhammad a "terrorist," and broadcaster Marlin Maddoux, who
has
proclaimed an "irrefutable connection" between Islam and terror. Also
invited were the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, which is
sending food to Iraq labeled "grace and truth were realized through
Jesus
Christ," and Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist
Theological
Seminary, who said Iraqis are "desperately in need of the gospel."
Invited,
too, was D. James Kennedy, whose ministry published an article calling
Islam "one of the greatest challenges to Christianity..."
SEE ALSO:
RELIGIOUS GROUP HELPS LAWMAKERS WITH RENT
Lara Jakes Jordan, Associated Press, 4/22/03
WASHINGTON - Six members of Congress live in a $1.1 million Capitol
Hill
town house that is subsidized by a secretive religious organization,
tax
records show.
The lawmakers, all Christians, pay low rent to live in the stately red
brick, three-story house on C Street, two blocks from the Capitol. It
is
maintained by a group alternately known as the "Fellowship" and the
"Foundation" and brings together world leaders and elected officials
through religion...
The six lawmakers - Reps. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn.; Bart Stupak, D-Mich.; Jim
DeMint, R-S.C.; Mike Doyle, D-Pa.; and Sens. John Ensign, R-Nev. and
Sam
Brownback, R-Kan. - live in private rooms upstairs...
"Our goal is singular - and that is to hope that we can assist them in
better understandings of the teachings of Christ, and applying it to
their
jobs," said Richard Carver, a member of the Fellowship's board of
directors
who served as an assistant secretary of the Air Force during the Reagan
administration.
-----
THE PATRIOT ACT ERODES THE SAFEGUARDS PROTECTING CIVIL LIBERTIES
Toni Cox, Roanoke Times, 4/19/03
http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/news/story148302.html
The Justice Department claims the Patriot Act is to prevent another
terrorist attack, yet no evidence was shown to prove the events of
Sept.
11, 2001, would have been prevented if only our civil liberties were
compromised earlier.
In fact, the act is 342 pages long and includes many sections that do
not
deal with terrorism, but are provisions aimed at nonviolent, domestic
computer crime.
This act wasn't written in response to the events of Sept. 11, 2001,
but
was evidently drafted years before the Bush administration took office
and
was rushed through Congress one month after the Sept. 11 attacks.
With the passage of the Patriot Act, the government now has the
authority
to enter a business or library, access information pertaining to
customers,
review electronic communications and search computers with no more than
a
search warrant acquired from a secret federal court. These types of
searches are increasing daily...
The government has wiretapped leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr.
and
celebrities such as John Lennon. In today's climate, it's truly
frightening
to see what's happening to celebrities who voice antiwar opinions.
The stage is set for another witch hunt, and the FBI and CIA don't want
any
oversight of their comprehensive new powers. Many groups and
politicians
are worried about government agents abusing their power...
SEE ALSO:
FL COMMUNITY FORUM ON PATRIOT ACT
WHAT: A panel of local and national experts, including Altaf Ali of the
Council on American Islamic Relations and Dr. Lawrence Miller of the
American Library Association, will explain the PATRIOT Act, the leaked
"PATRIOT Act II" and what can be done about these and other federal
measures that violate fundamental rights and liberties.
The panel presentation will be followed by questions and answers and
discussion with the audience.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 6, 7 P.M. to 9 P.M.
WHERE: Wolfe Theater, Florida International University Biscayne Bay
Campus
3000 NE 151 Street in North Miami
For more information, contact: Alessandra Soler Meetze, ACLU of
Florida, at
(305) 576-2337 ext. 16 or Rick Spisak, Broward Bill of Rights
Coalition, at
(786) 525-4499.
---
DETAINED INTEL ENGINEER BECOMES INTERNET CAUSE
Kristi Heim, San Jose Mercury News, 4/22/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/5687789.htm
Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, hundreds of people in the United
States have been rounded up by federal agents and held in detention,
without any charges being filed.
But only one, Maher "Mike" Hawash, has become a cause celèbre on the
Internet.
Hawash, a 38-year-old software engineer at Intel's Hillsboro, Ore.,
offices
outside Portland, was arrested March 20 by federal agents in the
company
parking lot as he arrived for work. The same morning, his home was
raided
by agents armed with assault rifles as his wife and three young
children
watched. Since then, Hawash, a U.S. citizen of Arab descent, has been
held
in solitary confinement in a federal detention center as a material
witness
in a grand jury investigation.
No charges have been filed, and because the investigation is secret,
authorities won't say what they want from him or how long he will
remain
behind bars.
Hawash's colleagues were so outraged that they started a Web site
dedicated
to his release (www.freemikehawash.org). More than 70,000 people from
50
countries have visited the site, said Steven McGeady, Hawash's former
boss
at Intel, who created it and runs it from servers in his home. Hawash
has
received dozens of letters of support and $15,000 in donations to help
pay
legal fees.
The site has attracted about 3,000 visits from people in Japan alone,
McGeady said. Complete strangers have sent Hawash mail and checks,
including a military veteran and a man who said his father was
persecuted
during the McCarthy era...
-----
US FIRM IS HIRED TO PURGE SCHOOLS OF SADDAM'S DOCTRINE
David Usborne, Independent, 4/22/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=399350
The United States is taking the first steps towards rebuilding Iraq's
creaking and highly politicised school system with a view to excising
the
image and doctrines of Saddam Hussein from classrooms.
A private company based in Washington DC, Creative Associates
International, is preparing to deploy teams of education experts
throughout
the country after winning an initial contract from the US government.
Its
task is to prepare Iraqi primary and secondary schools for the new year
starting in October. The contract, which is initially worth $2m
(£1.3m),
could grow to $62.6m.
But the initiative is already proving controversial. Critics and Iraqi
exiles have warned America against attempting to impose its own world
view...
Jerrold Green, of the Centre for Middle East Public Policy at the Rand
Corporation, a think-tank close to the Pentagon, said: "The challenge
is
going to be to reform the curriculum but avoid the temptation to inject
new
political content into it, like how great the US is. I hope we won't be
that crude..."
SEE ALSO:
ELATED SHIITES, ON PILGRIMAGE, WANT U.S. OUT
Craig S. Smith, New York Times, 4/22/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/22/international/worldspecial/22PILG.html
KARBALA, Iraq - In an extraordinary display of the raw power of Iraq's
Shiites, the country's long repressed yet dominant Islamic sect,
hundreds
of thousands converged on this holy city today to perform one of the
most
important rituals in the Shiite calendar for the first time in a
quarter of
a century.
The mass pilgrimage, banned under Saddam Hussein, carries as much
political
as religious significance for the Shiites, who, though they make up the
majority of Iraqis, have long lived as second-class citizens under the
rule
of a Sunni Muslim minority. The procession has a history of turning
into a
political rally and many who gathered here for the festival that
culminates
on Wednesday were eager to express their desire to choose their own
government without the interference of the United States.
"Our celebration will be perfect only when the American occupier is
gone
and the Iraqi people are able to rule themselves by the principles of
Islam," said a white-turbaned Sheik Muhammad Thamer. Sheik Thamer is
the
deputy to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sestani, the country's most senior
Shiite
cleric...
---
RUMSFELD: IRAQ SHOULD NOT BE THEOCRACY
Matt Kelley, Associated Press, 4/22/03
WASHINGTON - The United States expects an eventual government of Iraq
to be
a democracy where the rights of minorities are guaranteed, not a
theocracy
run by clerics such as in neighboring Iran, Defense Secretary Donald H.
Rumsfeld says.
"There should be a country that is organized and arranged in a way that
the
various ethnic groups and religious groups are able to have a voice in
their government in some form," Rumsfeld said Monday at a Pentagon news
conference. "And we hope (for) a system that will be democratic and
have
free speech and free press and freedom of religion..."
Some demonstrators in Iraq, particularly from the Shiite Muslim
majority,
have called recently for an Islamic republic similar to Iran, where top
Shiite clerics known as ayatollahs have the final say. Rumsfeld said
such a
government would not be truly democratic...
---
BAGHDAD "GOVERNOR" WORKS ON DESPITE US SNUB
Rosalind Russell, Reuters, 4/22/03
BAGHDAD - The former Iraqi exile who says he is Baghdad's new
administrator
kept working Tuesday despite being snubbed by a senior U.S. official
who
said he was not recognized by Washington.
Mohammed Mohsen al-Zubaidi addressed senior officials from Baghdad's
utility, banking, health and education sectors as part of a series of
meetings aimed at getting the city back on its feet after the U.S-led
war
and a wave of looting.
The Iraqi officials said they welcomed Zubaidi's efforts to coordinate
much-needed reconstruction.
"We are the critical people concerned and we are working well
together,"
said Mumtaz Ayoub, a director of Baghdad's electricity commission. "We
don't care what the Americans think..."
Zubaidi has said he was elected by people representing clerics,
academics,
Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims, Christians, writers and journalists.
Neither he nor U.S. officials have explained how or when a vote took
place
or who organized it.
In an interview with al-Jazeera television Monday Zubaidi insisted he
was
politically independent and simply administering civil services -- not
heading a government.
-----
"CLIMATE OF FEAR" RULES AFGHANISTAN - RIGHTS GROUP
Robert Evans, Reuters, 4/22/03
GENEVA - Warlords terrorise the population with a "climate of fear" and
religious fundamentalism is rising in Afghanistan 18 months after U.S.
forces toppled the ruling Taliban regime, a rights watchdog said on
Tuesday.
Even the opening of schools and colleges for women -- a widely hailed
product of the collapse of the Taliban in late 2001 when U.S. troops
entered the country -- was also under threat, New York-based Human
Rights
Watch said.
"The international community has allowed warlords and local military
commanders to take control of much of the country," its representative
Loubna Freih told the U.N. Human Rights Commission, now ending its
annual
six-week session in Geneva.
She said that instead of providing security, the warlords were
terrorising
the local population in many parts of the country, with kidnappings,
arbitrary arrests, armed robbery, extortion and beatings widespread...
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIMS FOR JERUSALEM: SENATE RESOLUTION ON JERUSALEM
INFLAMMATORY
U.S. Newswire, 4/21/03
WASHINGTON - On April 2, 2003, seven U.S. Senators introduced
S.Con.Res.32
calling for Israel's exclusive control over Jerusalem's holy sites.
"This
resolution is an appalling promotion of Israel's political designs on
Jerusalem, masked as concern for religious rights," said Khalid
Turaani,
executive director of American Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ). "Parroting
the
position of extremist Israeli factions undermines America's interests
and
credibility," he added.
According to the State Department's 2002 Country Reports on Human
Rights
Practices, Israel has not recognized Christian and Muslim holy places
under
its 1967 Protection of Holy Sites Law. The Israeli Ministry of
Religious
Affairs allocated for 2000 only 2.9 percent of its budget to its
non-Jewish
citizens, who make up 20 percent of the population.
S.Con.Res.32 repeats the Israeli position that the holy sites in
Jerusalem
"should remain under Israeli protection." The resolution ignores our
own
government's report and UN Resolution 478, which states that Israeli
rule
over Jerusalem is a "violation of international law..."
The Israeli Government today is in coalition with such groups as
Moledet,
which openly calls for ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The party
boasts
that it has "successfully raised the idea of transfer in the public
discourse and political arena..." and that this solution is "practical"
and
"moral." "If the Israeli government is in coalition with groups that
call
for the ethnic cleansing of non-Jews, how could that government be
entrusted with their holy sites?" concluded Mr. Turaani.
AMJ is a Washington, D.C.-based organization that works for peace in
the
Holy Land.
Contact: Miryam Rashid of American Muslims for Jerusalem, 202-256-2000
or
e-mail: programs@amjerusalem.org Web: http://www.amjerusalem.org
SEE ALSO:
ISRAEL'S SECRET ARSENAL
MSNBC, 4/22/03
http://www.msnbc.com/news/wld/graphics/strategic_israel_dw.htm
Despite Israel's refusal to acknowledge its nuclear weapons status, its
secret arsenal is an open secret that Israeli policy makers don't go
out of
their way to deny. From its beginnings in the mid-1960s, Israel's
program
has developed into one that rivals those of larger powers like France
and
Britain. Here, based on interviews with U.S. intelligence officials and
nuclear experts, is a portrait of Israel's strategic weapons
programs...
-----
HIP-HOP'S ISLAMIC INFLUENCE
Marian Liu, San Jose Mercury News, 4/22/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/music/5685019.htm
From sampling Malcolm X to evoking Islamic principles in its rhymes,
hip-hop is opening eyes to the Muslim world.
Islam has flavored hip-hop from its beginnings with Afrika Bambaataa to
current rappers Jurassic 5 and Mos Def. But current events have made
Muslim
rappers feel like they're under attack. Muslim rappers are also
struggling
to make their varied beliefs understood.
Some are changing their names to avoid backlash and fearing they can't
pray
openly without being called terrorists. Others are lacing their lyrics
and
album names with anti-war rhymes and provocative phrases.
"We used to go by Jihad, which means struggle in Arabic," says Amaar
Zaheer, part of a Mountain View rap duo. "But after Sept. 11, it was
misinterpreted to mean holy war, and that's not the message we bring at
all. Islam says to keep positive and be a role model, to make a
difference.
We try to reflect that in our music..."
Even the everyday rituals of Islam can cause misunderstanding, says
Hashim
Abdul-Khaliq, a 27-year-old engineer who raps in his spare time as a
part
of a Cleveland rap group called the Iron Triangle.
"We pray five times a day, but if I'm praying at work and somebody
walks
into the room, their subconscious is making a connection between me and
Saddam," Abdul-Khaliq says...
-----
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-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
BREAKING NEWS - 4/22/2003
BUSH NOMINEE SAYS THE PRESIDENT SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID ISLAM IS PEACEFUL
RACHEL ZOLL, Associated Press, 4/22/03
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A scholar nominated to a federal think tank on
peace
over the objections of Muslim groups said Tuesday that President Bush
should not have characterized Islam as a peaceful religion after the
Sept.
11 attacks.
Asked by reporters whether he thought Bush should have made the
statement,
Daniel Pipes said: "No." He said "presidents shouldn't talk about
religion"
and it was wrong to "make generalizations" about Islam…
Pipes said sweeping comments about Islam prevent people from fully
understanding the threat from militant Muslims, who he said combine
religion and politics to justify brutal acts.
"We protect ourselves better by defining who the enemy is," he said.
Pipes is a Harvard-trained scholar and the director of the Middle East
Forum in Philadelphia. Bush has nominated him to the United States
Institute of Peace, a centrist foreign policy think tank whose 15 board
members are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Pipes' statements on the roots of terrorism have been condemned by many
American Arab and Muslim leaders.
Pipes said most U.S. mosques and American Muslim political
organizations
are dominated by extremists, and their representatives should not be
asked
to the White House…
Days after the 2001 terrorist attacks, Bush visited a mosque in
Washington
and urged Americans not to turn on Muslims, defending their right to
practice their faith.
"Islam is peace," he said. "These terrorists don't represent peace,
they
represent evil and war."
Muslim leaders have said that Bush's statement sent a powerful signal
that
it was wrong to blame American Muslims and their religion for the
suicide
hijackings.
Hodan Hassan, a spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations,
said Pipes is guilty of making the very generalizations he claims to
oppose.
"His record stands as someone who has consistently sought to paint the
vast
majority of Muslims in this country as a threat to national security,"
Hassan said. "We're encouraging our community to lobby to prevent his
nomination."
SEE ALSO:
WASHINGTON POST SLAMS DANIEL PIPES NOMINATION
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53900-2003Apr18.html
QUOTE: "…the Pipes nomination is salt in the wound. If the White House
doesn't rescind it, Congress should have the good sense to turn it
down."
DALLAS PAPER SAYS DANIEL PIPES IS 'BAD CHOICE' FOR USIP
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/stories/041903dnediscorecard.ff05.html
MUSLIMS PROTEST BUSH NOMINEE
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42881-2003Apr6.html
FOREIGN POLICY SCHOLARS CRITICIZE PIPES NOMINATION
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.04.11/news5.html
BUSH NOMINEE REFUSES TO CONDEMN JAPANESE INTERNMENT
http://stream.paranode.com/democracynow/dn2003-0421-1.m3u
The interview is in the final 20 minutes of the one hour program.
WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
THE TRUTH ABOUT DANIEL PIPES
http://www.mpac.org/home_article_display.aspx?ITEM=491
DANIEL PIPES - NOT A MAN OF PEACE
http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=1779
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
NOTE: Register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership Conference, "A
Roadmap for Success: Vision and Action," at:
www.cair-net.org/conference
- MEDIA ADVISORY -
FORUM: IMPACT OF IRAQ WAR ON US-MUSLIM RELATIONS
Panelists include former ambassador to Iraq, Al-Jazeera bureau chief
WHAT: On Friday, April 25, the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR)
will host an evening forum titled "The War on Iraq and its Impact on
US-Muslim Relations" as part of the Islamic civil rights and advocacy
group's fourth annual leadership conference in Washington, D.C.
The panel discussion will feature Edward Peck, former American
ambassador
to Iraq, Institute for American Values founder David Blankenhorn, and
Al-Jazeera satellite television network Washington Bureau Chief Hafiz
Mirazi. (Blankenhorn was the coordinator of a February 2002 open
letter,
"What We're Fighting For: A Letter From America," dealing with
post-9/11
security issues.)
CAIR's three day conference, with the theme "A Roadmap for Success:
Vision
and Action," includes a Friday lobbying session on Capitol Hill,
weekend
workshops on leadership skills and political empowerment and a Saturday
night banquet. (The Iraq panel discussion is the only conference
activity
open to the media. Media must sign-in at the conference registration
area.)
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
WHEN: Friday, April 25, 6:30-8 p.m.
WHERE: Ballroom A, Sheraton Premiere Hotel at Tysons Corner, 8661
Leesburg
Pike, Vienna, Va.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 703-861-7294,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/23/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: GREED DESTROYS FAITH
* REGISTER ONLINE CAIR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5362 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* MUSLIM WOMAN ASSAULTED IN NEW YORK
- Teen Arrested for Break-In at Sikh Temple (AP)
* CHILDREN HELD AT CAMP XRAY, US ADMITS (ABC)
* PIPES FACES TOUGH FIGHT ON USIP NOMINATION (CNS.com)
- Professor Asks President to Withdraw Nomination (AMC)
* US SURPRISED BY STRENGTH OF IRAQI SHIA (Washington Post)
- Americans Accused Ignoring Killings (Independent)
- Feeling Grows Against U.S. (NY Times)
- Why the Mullahs Love a Revolution (NY Times)
- Protesters on Iraq Bridge Block Marines (AP)
- 4 GIs Planned To Pinch $12m (NY Post)
- Fox News Engineer Charged With Smuggling (AP)
* HAWKS RIP INTO MIDEAST PLAN (LA Times)
* POST-SEPT. 11 DETAINEE FACES DEPORTATION (AP)
- No Terror Charges in Suspect's Plea (Wash. Post)
- Muslim Charity Fights Closure (Washington Post)
- System Doesn't Safeguard Travel (Business Week)
* NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS
* SUBMISSIONS REQUESTED FOR BOOK ON AMERICAN MUSLIMS
* CAIR-LA TO HOLD MEETING ON POSSIBLE SAN DIEGO CHAPTER
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GREED DESTROYS FAITH
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Two hungry wolves let
loose
among sheep are not more destructive to them than a man's greed for
property and self-aggrandizement are to his faith."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1345
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Register online for CAIR's 4th Annual Leadership Conference, "A Roadmap
for
Success: Vision and Action," at www.cair-net.org/conference.
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5362 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5362 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Our
goal is to send accurate and objective information about Islam to
America's
16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
MUSLIM WOMAN ASSAULTED IN NEW YORK
CAIR-NY calls for incident to be treated as hate crime
(NEW YORK, N.Y., 4/23/2003) - The New York office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today called on law enforcement
authorities in that state to treat an assault on a Muslim shopper in
Brooklyn as a hate crime.
According to media reports, the 23-year-old Italian Muslim woman was
shopping in a Brooklyn toy store when she was attacked by a man who
yelled
a number of anti-Arab slurs and then threw a boxed toy at her, bruising
her
upper arm. The 29-year-old suspect's father said his son, a Hasidic
Jew,
acted out of grief because an Israeli friend had been killed by a
suicide
bomber.
The alleged attacker told police he "doesn't like Arab people." He was
arrested on charges of assault and aggravated harassment.
SEE: MUSLIM ASSAULTED WITH TOY IN BROOKLYN STORE
http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-nybias233250054apr23.story
"Because this incident was apparently motivated by religious and ethnic
bias, it is imperative that law enforcement authorities treat it as a
hate
crime and prosecute it aggressively," said CAIR-NY Executive Director
Ghazi
Khankan.
Khankan said a number of similar incidents have been reported recently
across the United States. Physical assaults and threats against Muslims
have been reported in California, Illinois, Georgia, Arizona, New York,
New
Jersey, and South Carolina. Earlier this month, a New York man accused
of
killing four people allegedly because he was angry about the 9/11
attacks
was indicted on three counts of first-degree murder.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-NY, Ghazi Khankan, 516-729-8754; Ibrahim Hooper,
202-488-8787
or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan,
202-488-8787
or 703-861-7294, E-MAIL: hhassan@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
TEEN ARRESTED FOR BREAK-IN AT SIKH TEMPLE
Associated Press, 4/23/03
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion
of
spray-painting a swastika and racist slogans on the walls of a Sikh
temple
and taking money and religious artifacts.
The teen, who lives near the Spokane Valley temple, was booked Tuesday
into
juvenile detention for investigation of second-degree burglary and may
face
a hate-crime charge, police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said…
It was unknown why the temple has been targeted, although its spiritual
master, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, speculated someone might mistake Sikhs for
Muslims, who have drawn increased scrutiny since the terrorism of Sept.
11,
2001…
-----
CHILDREN HELD AT CAMP XRAY, US ADMITS
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 4/23/03
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s836988.htm
The US military has revealed it is holding juveniles at its
high-security
prison for terrorists at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, known as Camp Xray.
The commander of the joint task force at Guantanamo, Major General
Geoffrey
Miller, says more than one child under the age of 16 is at the
detention
centre.
However, Maj Gen Miller has revealed little more about their welfare.
Maj Gen Miller says the US is holding "juvenile enemy combatants" at
the
centre, confirming rumours of children being held.
He has refused to reveal how many there are, their exact ages or their
countries of origin.
He says they are being well cared for and are kept in facilities
separate
to adult prisoners.
The children are still being interrogated and will continue to be held
at
Guantanamo…
They have not been tried or convicted of any offence but are being held
as
part of what the US calls its war on terror.
-----
'MILITANT ISLAM' CRITIC FACES TOUGH FIGHT FOR SPOT ON PEACE INSTITUTE
Steve Brown, CNS.com, 4/23/03
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=%5CNation%5Carchive%5C200304%5CNAT20030423a.html
CAIR is also criticizing comments Pipes made recently on the national
radio
program, "Democracy Now," in which he advocated the use of profiling by
law
enforcement and security personnel toward Muslims and Arab-Americans.
When
program host Amy Goodman asked whether Pipes' support for profiling
extended to the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II,
he
said, "It's not a subject I know enough about to talk about."
Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR's communication director, Tuesday dismissed Pipes'
reason for refusing to take a stance on the World War II internments.
"That's like saying 'I don't have enough information on the Holocaust
to
condemn it," Hooper said. "He's got two degrees in history from Harvard
University, yet he can't make up his mind as to whether the internment
of
Japanese-Americans was justified or not. Clearly he's ducking the
question
because he recommends the profiling of Muslims and Arab-Americans. How
could he recommend that without supporting the internment of
Japanese-Americans..."
SEE ALSO:
American Muslim Council
BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR ASKS PRESIDENT BUSH TO WITHDRAW PIPES'
NOMINATION
WASHINGTON, DC, April 23, 2003: A prominent scholar of international
studies, Prof. Ali Mazrui, has asked President Bush to withdraw the
nomination of Daniel Pipes to the Board of Directors of the United
States
Institute of Peace. Prof. Mazrui is Director of the Institute of Global
and
Cultural Studies at State University of New York at Binghamton, and
Senior
Scholar in African Studies at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He
is a
member of the Board of Directors of the American Muslim Council.
"We are dismayed by your nomination of Daniel Pipes Institute of Peace.
You
have truly been badly advised," said Dr. Mazrui in a letter to
President
George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Outlining the Administration's contradictory policies, Professor Mazrui
noted: "Your historic administration keeps on emphasizing that it is
not
against Islam or Muslim world. But we have had wars against two Muslim
countries so far (Afghanistan and Iraq) and two other Muslim countries
have
been threatened by members of your administration (Syria and Iran.)"
Calling Daniel Pipes a "notorious Islamophobe," Prof. Mazrui said that
with
Pipes on "the Board of this Institute, its decisions about Muslims both
here and elsewhere would appear less objective."
"Please reconsider your nomination before you do a lot of damage to the
US
Institute of Peace and inter-faith dialogue in this country," Mazrui
concluded.
American Muslim Council
721-R 2nd St, NE, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20002
Tel: 202-543-0075
Fax: 202-543-0095
e-mail: media@amconline.org
-----
U.S. PLANNERS SURPRISED BY STRENGTH OF IRAQI SHIITES
Glenn Kessler and Dana Priest, Washington Post, 4/23/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17886-2003Apr22.html
As Iraqi Shiite demands for a dominant role in Iraq's future mount,
Bush
administration officials say they underestimated the Shiites'
organizational strength and are unprepared to prevent the rise of an
anti-American, Islamic fundamentalist government in the country.
The burst of Shiite power -- as demonstrated by the hundreds of
thousands
who made a long-banned pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala yesterday
--
has U.S. officials looking for allies in the struggle to fill the power
vacuum left by the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
As the administration plotted to overthrow Hussein's government, U.S.
officials said this week, it failed to fully appreciate the force of
Shiite
aspirations and is now concerned that those sentiments could coalesce
into
a fundamentalist government. Some administration officials were dazzled
by
Ahmed Chalabi, the prominent Iraqi exile who is a Shiite and an
advocate of
a secular democracy. Others were more focused on the overriding goal of
defeating Hussein and paid little attention to the dynamics of religion
and
politics in the region...
The administration hopes the U.S.-led war in Iraq will lead to a
crescent
of democracies in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, the Israeli-occupied
territories and Saudi Arabia. But it could just as easily spark a
renewed
fervor for Islamic rule in the crescent, officials said.
"This is a 25-year project," one three-star general officer said.
"Everyone
agreed it was a huge risk, and the outcome was not at all clear..."
SEE ALSO:
AMERICANS ACCUSED OF TURNING BLIND EYE TO KILLINGS BY KURDS
Kim Sengupta, Independent, 4/23/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=399572
A bitter conflict is unfolding in northern Iraq between two minority
communities, with the Americans accused of turning a blind eye to
killings
and ethnic cleansing.
The Kurds, the victims of oppression by Saddam Hussein and previous
regimes
in Baghdad, are being blamed for a violent campaign of intimidation
against
the Turkoman population. Organisations representing the Turkomans say
they
want British and European troops to protect them because the Americans
are
acquiescing in what is taking place...
In Kirkuk, peshmerga fighters of Jalal Talabani's PUK (Patriotic Union
of
Kurdistan) and Massoud Barzani's KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party),
Turkoman
militia, armed Arab fighters and US forces form a combustible mixture.
Eleven people are reported to have been killed and more than 50 injured
in
the past 10 days. Dozens of families, mainly Turkoman but some of them
Arab, are said to have been driven from their homes by Kurds...
---
AS BAGHDAD AWAITS AID, FEELING GROWS AGAINST U.S.
Jane Perlez and Marc Lacey, New York Times, 4/23/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/23/international/worldspecial/23BAGH.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 22 - Islamic religious passions long suppressed
under
Saddam Hussein escalated today in Karbala, a city holy to the country's
majority Shiites, while here in the capital Iraqis awaited material
help
from the United States but were wary of American political influence...
Most were angry at the United States military for failing to protect
their
buildings from looting. They were astonished, they said, that the Oil
Ministry had been so heavily protected by the American military while
others were left unprotected and ransacked by the looters...
On the 11th floor of the Health Ministry, computers had been stripped
from
desks, fax machines were gone, and files were strewn across the floors.
Black and white portraits of Mr. Hussein as a young man still hung
above
the desks.
Despite the havoc, Dr. Naira Alwaqafi, 60, the head of maternal child
health, said she and her colleagues would prefer to revive things
themselves. They need practical help: security, computers and fax
links,
she said, but they did not want an American overlord...
---
WHY THE MULLAHS LOVE A REVOLUTION
Dilip Hiro, New York Times, 4/23/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/23/opinion/23HIRO.html
LONDON - The Bush team's vision for a postwar Iraq was founded on the
dreams of exiles and defectors, who promised that Iraqis would shower
American troops with flowers. Now, with the crowds shouting, "No to
America; no to Saddam," and most Iraqis already referring to the
American
"occupation," the Bush administration seems puzzled.
The truth is that the exiles had been in the West so long that they
knew
little of the reality inside Iraq; the defectors, in search of a haven
from
the cruel regime, told the eager Americans anything they wanted to
hear.
Now that these illusions have been shattered, American policy makers
might
do better to consider the history of the region. In particular, the
dogged
nationalism of the Iraqis that forced imperial Britain's departure in
1932;
and, more recently, the events in 1979 after the downfall of the
secular
regime of the shah of Iran...
---
PROTESTERS ON IRAQ BRIDGE BLOCK MARINES
Burt Herman, Associated Press, 4/23/03
KUT, Iraq - Dozens of protesters blocked U.S. Marines trying to cross
the
main bridge over the Tigris River in this southern Iraqi city Wednesday
- a
more than four-hour standoff sparked by the detentions of two Iraqis.
The incident came after a rock-throwing crowd protesting the American
presence here slightly injured a local man working as an interpreter
for
U.S. civil affairs troops.
The rocks shattered the windshields of at least three Marine vehicles -
including trucks carrying medical supplies for local hospitals. Marines
fired several warning shots to turn back the demonstrators.
The incidents caused Marines to postpone plans to start foot patrols
side-by-side with local police in Kut, about 100 miles southeast of
Baghdad. Marines had seized a police station in Kut earlier in the
day...
The demonstrators said they were protesting the detentions of two local
leaders by U.S. forces.
U.S. Marine officers declined to comment on the detentions. During the
protest at the bridge, another Iraqi man was seen being detained by
U.S.
forces at their headquarters in the city, hands bound behind his back
and a
hood over his head...
---
4 GIS PLANNED TO PINCH $12M
Jonathan Foreman, New York Post, 4/23/03
http://www.nypost.com/commentary/74120.htm
BAGHDAD - Four GIs arrested and charged with stealing nearly $1 million
in
cash from money found hidden in Baghdad had intended to filch another
$12
million, The Post has learned.
Army investigators yesterday discovered three aluminum boxes - each
holding
$4 million in $100 bills - that they believe the sticky-fingered
soldiers
stashed away to be recovered by them at a later time when the coast was
clear, sources said.
The boxes were found tucked away by a bank of the Tigris River near a
walled-up cottage, inside of which the soldiers and other members of
their
unit Friday said they found 37 aluminum boxes, each containing $4
million,
the sources said.
Officials believe there were actually 40 boxes - and that the three
soldiers improperly removed the three boxes with $12 million from the
cottage and hid them by the river bank. Another $200,000 may still be
missing, the sources said...
---
FOX NEWS ENGINEER CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING
Curt Anderson, Associated Press, 4/23/03
WASHINGTON - A television news engineer faces smuggling charges after
attempting to bring into the United States 12 stolen Iraqi paintings,
monetary bonds and other items, federal officials said Wednesday.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va.,
charges that Benjamin James Johnson, 27, tried to bring the paintings
into
this country last Thursday. They were contained in a large cardboard
box
that was examined by Customs agents at Dulles International Airport
outside
Washington...
Johnson, who initially told Customs officials he was given the
paintings by
Iraqi citizens, said he had planned to keep them ``for decoration'' and
to
provide one to his employer, the affidavit says. It is U.S. policy that
all
such items belong to the Iraqi people...
The case was one of several to be detailed later Wednesday by Customs
officials, who have seized other Iraqi artworks, weapons and other
materials people have tried to smuggle into this country...
-----
HAWKS RIP INTO MIDEAST PLAN
Edwin Chen, LA Times, 4/23/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-fg-powell23apr23,0,611215.story
WASHINGTON -- Emboldened by the U.S. military victory in Iraq,
neoconservatives and their allies in Congress are mounting a preemptive
campaign against the U.S. plan to implement a so-called road map for
settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As Secretary of State Colin L. Powell laid the groundwork for a planned
trip to the Middle East in early May, former House Speaker Newt
Gingrich -
increasingly identified as a neoconservative spokesman - unleashed a
blistering attack Tuesday on the State Department and, by implication,
on
Powell. He characterized the latest Mideast peace plan as "a deliberate
and
systematic effort to undermine the president's policies."
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) also has inveighed against
the
road map, calling it "a confluence of deluded thinking between European
elites, elements within the State Department bureaucracy and a
significant
segment of the American intellectual community."
In a March 12 speech at the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of
America, DeLay, referring to the road map, said: "The Israelis don't
need
to change course. They don't need to travel the path of weakness as
defined
by the neo-appeasers."
A strongly pro-Israel letter expressing similar sentiments is being
circulated during the congressional recess among lawmakers of both
parties
and had gained 262 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon, according to
congressional aides. Its authors say they intend to send the letter to
Bush.
-----
POST-SEPT. 11 DETAINEE FACES DEPORTATION
Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn. - A Pakistani man detained for two years following the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks faces deportation on unrelated larceny
charges.
One Pakistani diplomat said the U.S. government's treatment of Qaiser
Rafiq
amounted to two years of victimization.
The FBI became interested in Rafiq following the attacks, when agents
learned the 40-year-old immigrant had applied for a permit to shoot a
commercial from a lower Manhattan park with a view of the World Trade
Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
They discovered Rafiq had an outstanding larceny warrant from
Connecticut,
and he was arrested a month later.
Monday, Rafiq pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges, received a
suspended sentence - the equivalent of probation - and was placed in
the
custody of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. His
lawyer
and embassy officials expect he will be deported...
"It used to be that driving while black was enough to get you stopped
in
this country," Rafiq's New Haven attorney, Norman Pattis, said. "Now
all
you have to be is Muslim and you'll be deported."
SEE ALSO:
NO TERROR CHARGES IN SUSPECT'S PLEA
Robert E. Pierre, Washington Post, 4/23/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17774-2003Apr22.html
A Chechen native who had been jailed for more than nine months as a
terrorism suspect has pleaded guilty in Detroit to possessing $ 12
million
worth of counterfeit cashier's checks.
But the plea agreement reached Monday for Omar Shishani, 48, of
Dearborn,
Mich., contains none of the government's original allegations that he
had
links to the al Qaeda terrorist network.
"He is not a terrorist," said Shishani's attorney, Corbett O'Meara. "It
is
symptomatic of our nation's hysteria that he was ever branded a
terrorist.
This was garden-variety financial fraud..."
At the time, Edmunds said that verses from the Koran in Shishani's
possession appeared to be "a clear reference to the events of September
11
and the need to destroy the population of the United States."
Shishani's attorneys argued that the government's translation of the
text
was faulty, and that one verse in question read: "If you are corrupt,
you
will be immediately punished by God." O'Meara said it was a reflection
of
Shishani's views on the war in Chechnya...
---
MUSLIM CHARITY FIGHTS CLOSURE
Neely Tucker, Washington Post, 4/23/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17142-2003Apr22.html
The nation's largest Muslim charity, shut down after the Bush
administration designated it a sponsor of terrorism, yesterday asked a
federal appeals panel here to overturn a lower court decision upholding
that action.
In a case that tests the limits of the government's ability to
designate
religious charities as terrorist fronts, lawyers for the Holy Land
Foundation for Relief and Development told a three-judge panel of the
U.S.
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that the Texas-based charity had
never given money to the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas. That
allegation is the foundation of the government's case.
Attorney John D. Cline also told the panel that a federal judge had
erred
in dismissing Holy Land's claims that the government's December 2001
closure of the organization was a violation of its rights to free
speech
and freedom from self-incrimination, as outlined in the First and Fifth
amendments to the Constitution.
In a 73-page brief, Cline also wrote that the closure was a violation
of
the foundation's right to due process.
"We want to make charitable contributions, and not to Hamas," Cline
said,
responding to a question by Judge David B. Sentelle, a member of the
panel.
"But right now, every dime is blocked. All the furniture has been
taken.
All the employees are out of work..."
---
THE SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T SAFEGUARD TRAVEL
Jane Black, BusinessWeek, 4/23/03
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2003/tc20030417_5007_tc073.htm
The government's error-prone database of possible terrorists now has 13
million travelers' names, and once you're in, just try getting out...
Since September 11, various federal agencies, including the State
Dept.,
Customs Service, and FBI, have created lists of suspicious travelers,
Americans and foreigners. All told, some 13 million people (equivalent
to
4.5% of the U.S. population) are now on the terror watch list. Security
experts and common sense say 99% of those pinpointed aren't
terrorists...
The heedless march toward database surveillance will only lead to more
cases like Rochester (N.Y.) resident Asif Iqbal who, unfortunately for
him,
shares his name with a terrorist that's in custody at the U.S. naval
base
in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. According to EPIC documents, Iqbal was stopped
at
check-in as he tried to board a plane on Feb. 18 out of Rochester. The
flight system indicated that he was a risk and should be denied a
boarding
pass.
After an interview with the police and an hour-and-a-half wait while
airline staff received clearance from the FBI and other federal
agencies,
he was allowed to fly. By that time, however, Iqbal had missed his
flight.
The airline promised it would not happen again and offered him an $8
coupon
to buy breakfast.
The next day, when Iqbal showed up, he was again denied boarding and
was
"forced to endure the agonizing process" again, he wrote in a letter to
his
congresswoman, Representative Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.). He says
authorities and airport representatives explained that he would have to
endure this rigorous background check "each and every time before I'm
allowed to board a plane..."
-----
NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS/WAR ON TERRORISM
WHAT: A conference exploring issues related to civil Liberties,
homeland
security and democracy in the post 9/11 world. Speakers include:
Abria Ashfaq - Immigration Detention Attorney with CLINIC Inc.
Michael Avery -- President of the National Lawyers Guild
Chip Berlet -- Senior Analyst of Public Research Associates
Nancy Chang -- Center for Constitutional Rights
David Cole -- Georgetown University Law School
WHEN: Saturday, May 3rd, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.
WHERE: McCormack Building, 3rd Floor - University of Massachusetts,
Boston
INFORMATION: http://site.www.umb.edu/human_rights/
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
-----
SUBMISSIONS REQUESTED FOR BOOK ON AMERICAN MUSLIMS POST-9/11
I'm working on putting together an anthology of essays by Americans who
are
Arab or Muslim. I'm looking for writers to contribute essays. The
working
title is "American and Muslim: Being Both One of 'Us' and One of 'Them'
in
a Post-9/11 world."
Contributors need not be professional writers; they can simply be
regular
Arabs/Muslims who have a compelling story to tell, and/or a
particularly
interesting career (celebrity, politician, comedian, athlete, etc.). If
you
are or know of a writer, agent or publisher that might be interested in
this project, please contact me via email: reshmay@aol.com
-----
CAIR-LA TO HOLD MEETING ON POSSIBLE SAN DIEGO CHAPTER
CAIR Southern California will be visiting San Diego on Saturday, May 3,
to
meet with community leaders and activists interested in expanding the
CAIR
chapter and its activities in the San Diego area. The meeting will
cover
efforts to open a CAIR office and plan political, interfaith and media
activities in San Diego.
Those interested in being part of this meeting are encouraged to
contact
Maryam Dadabhoy at: maryamd@cair.com
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
MUSLIMS LOBBY AGAINST PIPES NOMINATION ON CAPITOL HILL
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/24/2003) - Muslim activists from across the United
States will take to Capitol Hill on Friday to lobby against the
controversial nomination of Daniel Pipes to the board of the
taxpayer-funded United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
Those activists, participants in the Council on American-Islamic
Relations'
(CAIR) Annual Leadership Conference, will spend the day hearing from
Muslim
congressional staffers, taking part in a lobbying training session and
then
meeting with elected officials or their key staff to discuss Pipes'
nomination and civil liberties issues of concern to Muslim voters. The
three day conference, with the theme "A Roadmap for Success: Vision and
Action," includes the Friday lobbying, weekend workshops on leadership
skills and political empowerment and a Saturday night banquet.
SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/conference/schedule.doc
To register for the conference, call 202-488-8787, or e-mail:
register@cair-net.org
Pipes, regarded by many Muslims as the nation's leading Islamophobe,
said
this week that President Bush should not have called Islam a "religion
of
peace," claimed Israel has the right to "raze" Palestinian villages and
twice refused to condemn the internment of Japanese-Americans during
World
War II. Bush recently nominated Pipes to the USIP board. His nomination
must be confirmed by the Senate.
"Mr. Pipes' nomination runs counter to the president's repeated
declarations that the war on terrorism is not an attack on Islam. His
extremist and militant views serve to promote unending conflict, not
peace," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Over the weekend, the Washington Post published an editorial critical
of
Pipes' nomination. The Post said the Senate "should have the good sense
to
turn [the nomination] down." The Dallas Morning News called Pipes a
"bad
choice" for the board. In the Jewish Forward, Judith Kipper, a senior
fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said
Pipes
"has very extreme views."
A number of Muslim and Arab-American-groups have come out against
Pipes'
nomination saying he has a long history of advocating the political
marginalization of America's Islamic community. The groups point to an
October 21, 2001, speech to the American Jewish Congress, in which
Pipes
warned of the "true dangers" posed by "the presence, and increased
stature,
and affluence, and enfranchisement of American Muslims."
Pipes has also called for increased surveillance of ordinary American
Muslims, claims 10 to 15 percent of Muslims are "potential killers,"
has
decried any positive portrayal of Islamic history and beliefs in public
schools, and termed the PBS documentary "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet"
an
"outrage." Last year, he faced a storm of criticism when he launched
Campus
Watch, a web site that included "dossiers" on professors and academic
institutions thought to be too critical of Israel or too sympathetic to
Islam and Muslims.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 703-861-7294,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
SCHOLAR CRITICIZES BUSH'S CHARACTERIZATION OF ISLAM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18277-2003Apr22.html
WASHINGTON POST SLAMS DANIEL PIPES NOMINATION
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53900-2003Apr18.html
DALLAS PAPER SAYS DANIEL PIPES IS 'BAD CHOICE' FOR USIP
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/stories/041903dnediscorecard.ff05.html
MUSLIMS PROTEST BUSH NOMINEE
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42881-2003Apr6.html
FOREIGN POLICY SCHOLARS CRITICIZE PIPES NOMINATION
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.04.11/news5.html
BUSH NOMINEE REFUSES TO CONDEMN JAPANESE INTERNMENT
http://stream.paranode.com/democracynow/dn2003-0421-1.m3u
The interview is in the final 20 minutes of the one hour program.
WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
THE TRUTH ABOUT DANIEL PIPES
http://www.mpac.org/home_article_display.aspx?ITEM=491
DANIEL PIPES - NOT A MAN OF PEACE
http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=1779
AAI URGES SENATE TO REJECT PIPES' APPOINTMENT
http://www.aaiusa.org/pr/release4-8-03.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
-----
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 4/24/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: BE GENTLE AND CALM
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5362 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* BEATEN MUSLIM TEEN SAYS CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATED (LA Times)
* FBI APOLOGIZES TO MEN DETAINED FOLLOWING SEPT. 11 (AP)
- FBI Reaches Out To Muslims (Newsday)
- Calif. Muslim Teen Files Suit Over Beating (LA Times)
- Pig's Blood Splattered On Muslim Prayer Rugs at UCLA
- Ashcroft Abuses Material Witness Statute (Progressive)
- Chechen to Testify In Terrorism Case (Washington Post)
- Muslim Witch Hunt? (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Reward Offered for Info on Slain Muslim (Chicago Tribune)
* PATRIOT ACT: WHAT CONSTITUTION GUARDS AGAINST (Albuquerque Tribune)
- Patriot Act a Danger to Basic Freedoms (Narragansett Times)
* IRAQI SHIITES GROW UNEASY OVER U.S. OCCUPATION (Washington Post)
- Did Bush Deceive Us In His Rush To War? (LA Times)
- What, No Smoking Gun? (Village Voice)
- Heading Toward an Historic Mistake (Toronto Star)
* ISLAMIC HEAD SCARF DISPUTE STIRS TENSION IN TURKEY (Reuters)
* CAIR-LA UPDATE ON SHAWN STEEL CASE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: BE GENTLE AND CALM
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Be gentle and calm…as
God
likes gentleness in all affairs."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 404
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5362 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5362 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
BEATEN MUSLIM TEEN'S SUIT CLAIMS CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATED
Christine Hanley, Los Angeles Times, 4/24/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-suit24apr24,1,6920318.story
Days after his jaw was unwired, an Arab American teenager spoke out
against
the youths who allegedly attacked him with baseball bats, golf clubs
and
screwdrivers at an Orange County park two months ago, demanding justice
for
what he believes was an ethnically motivated attack.
Rashid Alam, an 18-year-old Muslim of Lebanese descent, filed a civil
lawsuit against four youths and their parents Wednesday. He described
it as
a statement against hate crimes, and a way to encourage prosecutors to
file
criminal charges against his alleged attackers.
Alam said he has faith that his lawsuit and American courts, rather
than
his fists, are better weapons against the violence and racism he says
have
forever changed his life by leaving him paranoid, unable to sleep and
with
permanent metal plates in his face.
"I would just like justice, and for them to get what they deserve,"
Alam
said during a news conference at the Anaheim office of the Council on
American Islamic Relations.
"What they did is wrong," he said. "I am a human being. Just because
I'm
Arabian or a Muslim doesn't mean I'm bad or evil. And I don't want this
to
happen to anyone else..."
-----
FBI APOLOGIZES TO EVANSVILLE MEN DETAINED FOLLOWING SEPT. 11
Associated Press, 4/24/03
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The head of the FBI in Indiana publicly apologized
for
the detention of eight Egyptian men from Evansville, who were held as
part
of a terrorism investigation just weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Saying the secretive detentions came at a time of unprecedented fear in
the
nation, FBI Special Agent Thomas V. Fuentes acknowledged Wednesday that
the
detention caused the men and their families distress and humiliation
long
after the government cleared them of suspicion.
"The situation that happened to you was horrible," Fuentes told former
detainee Tarek Albasti during a meeting at the Islamic Center of
Evansville. "On behalf of the FBI, I will apologize..."
"I will get all the records changed so that they will reflect the
investigation is over and that they are, in fact, not terrorists,"
Fuentes
said...
Albasti and seven other Egyptians were detained as "material witnesses"
after the FBI received information that the men might be involved in a
terrorist threat. Neither they nor their attorneys were given details
about
why they were detained...
SEE ALSO:
FBI REACHES OUT TO MUSLIMS
Ron Howell, Newsday, 4/24/03
http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-nymosq243251574apr24.story
The FBI is visiting metropolitan area mosques in what officials call an
attempt to improve relations with local Muslims.
Some Muslim leaders say, however, that while they welcome the agents,
they
remain suspicious of the federal agency's motives.
An FBI spokesman said the "outreach" began about two months ago.
"The more people know about what we actually do, the more likely they
would
be to report information to us, either about being victimized, or
information that would be of use to us," said James Margolin, special
agent
and spokesman for the New York office of the FBI...
Some local Muslims now say that while they welcome the FBI to their
mosques, they remain resentful about what they called a widespread
anti-Muslim bias.
"Some of our people, they are afraid now to go to the mosque," said
Zein
Rimawi, an activist with the Arab Muslim American Federation, an
umbrella
group representing a number of mosques in the city.
"Since this administration came, the [George W.] Bush administration,
their
hate messages come every month," Rimawi said, referring to the tones of
statements often made about Islam, especially in connection with the
war in
Iraq...
---
MUSLIM TEEN FILES SUIT OVER ALLEGED BEATING BY ORANGE COUNTY MOB
Sandra Marquez, Associated Press, 4/23/03
ANAHEIM, California - An 18-year-old Lebanese-American teenager filed a
civil rights lawsuit Wednesday against a group of Orange County teens
who
allegedly assaulted him with bats and golf clubs while shouting racial
slurs.
Rashid Alam and his lawyers filed the lawsuit in Orange County Superior
Court. The suit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, as
well as legal fees from four named defendants and 29 unnamed defendants
and
their parents...
Alam said he and friends were meeting at a Yorba Linda park before
going
out for a session of late-night bowling when several carloads of youths
arrived at the park and began yelling racial slurs.
The attackers wielded golf clubs, baseball bats and screwdrivers, he
said.
Sayre, who previously represented Rodney King in his civil lawsuit
against
the Los Angeles Police Department, said Alam's damages were "more
severe"
than Rodney King's...
Sabiha Khan, a spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations,
said there's been a recent lull in attacks against Arab-Americans, but
that
could change if Iraqi-Americans start protesting over the presence of
U.S.
troops in Iraq.
She urged prosecutors to file criminal charges quickly in the Alam case
to
send a message to others who would commit hate crimes.
---
PIG'S BLOOD SPLATTERED ON MUSLIM PRAYER RUGS AT UCLA MEDICAL CENTER
Press Release, Muslim Public Affairs Council, 4/23/03
(LOS ANGELES, CA, 4/23/03 - MPAC has learned that on Saturday April
19th,
UCLA Medical Center staff found what appears to be pig blood poured
into a
drawer containing Muslim prayer rugs. The bloodied drawer was found in
a
chapel that is used by various religious groups in what appears to be
an
obvious hate crime.
A container labeled "pig's blood" was left in the drawer, which was
labeled
"Muslim Prayer Rugs." The compass, which Muslims use to determine the
direction of prayer, was also missing.
The UCLA Medical Center filed a report with the University police who
are
investigating the incident as a hate crime. University police are
examining
the blood to determine the type of blood splattered on the prayer rugs.
This follows a series of incidents that have taken place at the chapel,
including brown powder found on the prayer rugs when a women used one
to
pray and the Qur'an being stolen multiple times, an action that lead
authorities to remove all religious books from the chapel...
The UCPD say they are working diligently to find the perpetrator of
this
hateful act and prevent such incidents from happening again...
---
ASHCROFT ABUSES MATERIAL WITNESS STATUTE
Matthew Rothschild, Progressive, 4/22/03
http://www.progressive.org/webex03/wx042203.html
OK, so you're an American citizen, you're working at your job, and all
of a
sudden FBI agents show up at your place of employment and take you
away.
They don't charge you with any crime. They just lock you up
indefinitely.
Then they go to your home and grab whatever they want--your computers,
your
financial records, even your kids' videos.
Does that sound outlandish to you?
Well, it's happening right now in these United States.
The scenario I just sketched out is exactly what befell Mike Hawash,
who
lives near Portland, Oregon. An Intel software engineer, Hawash was
born on
the West Bank and has been a U.S. citizen for 15 years...
But that does not bother Attorney General John Ashcroft, who has
increasingly been using the material witness law to round up people for
what amounts to indefinite detention.
Hawash is not the only one. "The Washington Post has identified about
50
people who have been arrested and jailed for some period of time as
material witnesses since September 11, 2001. As of late last year, many
had
not been brought before a grand jury, the ostensible reason for holding
them," Blaine Harden wrote for the Post on April 5.
In one case last year, Federal Judge Shira A. Scheindlin said
Aschroft's
use of the material witness law was "illegitimate," adding that it
posed
"the threat of making detention the norm and liberty the exception..."
---
CHECHEN TO TESTIFY IN TERRORISM CASE
Robert E. Pierre, Washington Post, 4/24/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27276-2003Apr23.html
A Chechen man who pleaded guilty this week to financial fraud now plans
to
discredit the star witness in the trial of four men on trial in federal
court in Detroit for providing substantial support to terrorists.
The man, Omar Shishani, 48, had been jailed for more than nine months
as a
suspected terrorist before reaching a plea agreement in which he
admitted
to possessing $12 million in fake checks. While in jail, Shishani was
incarcerated with Youssef Hmimssa, a convicted credit card thief, who
has
provided the most damning testimony thus far against Karim Koubriti,
Farouk
Ali-Haimoud, Ahmed Hannan and Abdel-Ilah Elmardoudi.
Hmimssa had testified earlier in the trial that the four men are Muslim
extremists who were trying to buy Stinger missiles and planning attacks
in
the United States and abroad that might have included shooting down
airplanes and driving truck bombs into stadiums.
But Shishani's attorney, Corbett Edge O'Meara, said his client shared
adjoining cells with Hmimssa in February and March and began to talk
about
the terror trial. Shishani asked Hmimssa if the defendants subscribed
to a
radical branch of Islam that advocates killing those who don't conform
to it.
"'I don't know,' " O'Meara said Hmimssa told his client. "'I just want
revenge for them ruining my life.'"
If true, that contradicts what Hmimssa, an illegal immigrant from
Morocco,
told jurors. Defense attorneys learned about the conversations because
Shishani bumped into the defendants in a holding cell at federal court
and
they asked him about Hmimssa. They were aware that Shishani was being
held
in the same place as Hmimssa.
"He's a liar," Shishani told the men, who relayed that information to
their
attorneys...
---
MUSLIM WITCH HUNT?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4/24/03
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/Editorial/BD63949C389D671986256D120031C8A9?OpenDocument&Headline=LETTERS%3A%20Muslim%20witch%20hunt%3F
I am appalled that the Cardinals would admit to firing their financing
company only because it had employed a Pakistani physicist, businessman
and
civic leader who was targeted during the FBI's recent witch hunt
against
Muslim charities. This is a particularly bizarre decision since the man
has
not been charged with a crime, appears to be innocent of any, and no
longer
even works there.
Since we all know that any influential Muslim immigrant is at risk of
being
interrogated by the FBI sooner or later, it seems like the only way a
firm
can be sure of continuing to do business with the Cardinals is to avoid
hiring Muslims for any position of prestige or authority. Would that
bother
the Cardinals, or is that what they have in mind?
Wendy Applequist
St. Louis
---
REWARD FUND IS SET UP FOR SLAIN TAXICAB DRIVER
Chicago Tribune, 4/24/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/
CHICAGO -- A reward fund has been established in the slaying of
Mohammad
Rafiq Haroon, a 60-year-old cabdriver who was killed last week on the
Northwest Side.
More than $4,000 has been pledged by Armitage Baptist Church and nine
taxicab companies that operate in the city.
"We're asking that anyone who might have any information involving the
location where Haroon was prior to the attack to please come forward
and
contact police," said Robert General, owner of General Cab Co.
The married father of four was found shortly after midnight April 16 in
the
3500 block of North Albany Avenue.
Donations can be made to the Haroon Reward Fund, c/o Broadway Bank,
5960 N.
Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660.
Anyone with information on the case should call police at 312-746-8282.
-----
PATRIOT ACT IS THE VERY THING CONSTITUTION GUARDS AGAINST
V.B. Price, Albuquerque Tribune, 4/24/03
http://www.abqtrib.com/archives/opinions03/042303_opinions_price.shtml
Some day in the future, American politicians who have opposed the
Patriot
Act will be glad they did.
Resentment toward that sinister bulwark of what New Mexico ACLU
executive
director Peter Simonson calls a "secret surveillance society" runs deep
in
our country and cuts across traditional political barriers...
The Patriot Act virtually guts the Fourth Amendment to the
Constitution,
the guardian of our privacy, which reads: "The right of the people to
be
secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
unreasonable
searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrant shall
issue,
but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and
particularly
describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be
seized."
The Founding Fathers crafted the Fourth Amendment to protect citizens
from
the odious practice in English law called "general warrants," which
allowed
the king to search and seize at will, without any explanation, cause or
redress. This is exactly what the Patriot Act now allows federal agents
to
do - snooping on the Internet without warrants, coming into your house
secretly, invading your computer and leaving without notice or trace...
SEE ALSO:
ACLU: PATRIOT ACT POSES DANGER TO BASIC FREEDOMS
Kate Williamson, Narragansett Times, 4/23/03
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=7787011&BRD=1714&PAG=461&dept_id=73829&rfi=6
KINGSTON - Under the federal USA Patriot Act, young Arab men across New
England have been summarily deported, pulled off airplanes, and held in
jail without charges levied against them. Meanwhile, government
investigators now have the right to search the home of any person,
without
warrant and without notice.
Citing these and other losses to civil liberties, the American Civil
Liberties Union Foundation of Rhode Island sponsored a forum at the
University of Rhode Island Tuesday entitled "Neither Safe nor Free?
Civil
Liberties in Post-Patriot Act America."
The forum hosted two speakers: Kareem Shora, a civil liberties attorney
with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and Nasser Zawia,
a
URI professor of biomedical sciences and an activist with Detention
Watch.
"The United States Constitution is still around, and all the rights are
still the same," said Shora. "But that's on paper. What's on paper is
completely different from what's happening on the ground..."
Zawia said that the recent legislation has made it harder for him to
justify to others why he remains in America...
But now, he said, he has to carry his passport to fly domestically, and
he
had to call his lawyer to have his bank release the check he received
when
he sold his house.
"Since when do lawyers have the power to make your deposit money
available
to you?" Zawia asked. "It's become scary to me. America's becoming more
and
more like the country I moved away from..."
-----
IRAQI SHIITES GROW UNEASY OVER U.S. OCCUPATION
Anthony Shadid, Washington Post, 4/24/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27333-2003Apr23.html
KARBALA, Iraq - At the close of commemorations that brought hundreds of
thousands of Shiite Muslims to this holy city in a show of resurgent
power,
an influential Shiite leader today denounced the U.S. occupation as
unacceptable and urged U.S. officials to turn over administration of
Iraq
to "a national and independent government."
The statement by Abdul Aziz Hakim, one of a variety of clergy vying for
power among Shiites in Iraq, was another sign of growing unease among
Iraq's 60 percent Shiite majority over U.S. intentions. Expressions of
hostility from Iraqi Shiites, which became more pronounced in Karbala
today, have led some U.S. officials to voice worry that the Islamic
government in neighboring Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, may be
seeking to influence attitudes in Iraq's unsettled postwar landscape.
"The American presence is unacceptable and there's no justification for
it
staying in Iraq," said Hakim, the deputy leader of the Supreme Council
for
the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and a brother of its Tehran-based
leader,
Ayatollah Mohammed Bakir Hakim.
Jay M. Garner, the retired lieutenant general assigned by the Pentagon
to
oversee Iraq's reconstruction, "is not needed here," Hakim said at a
news
conference in a converted hotel for pilgrims. "Iraqis have the ability
to
administer and run their own country..."
SEE ALSO:
DID BUSH DECEIVE US IN HIS RUSH TO WAR?
Robert Scheer, Los Angeles Times, 4/24/03
http://www.latimes.com/la-war-oescheer22apr22,0,1263293.column
Now that the war has been won, is it permissible to suggest that our
emperor has no clothes? I'm not referring to his abysmal stewardship of
the
economy but rather the fig-leaf war he donned to cover up his glaring
domestic failures.
President Bush went to war with Hitler's Germany and found another
Afghanistan instead. After comparing the threat of Hussein to that of
the
Führer, it was odd to find upon our arrival a tottering regime
squatting on
a demoralized Third World populace.
Now the pressure is on for Bush to find or plant those alleged weapons
of
mass destruction fast or stand exposed as a bullying fraud.
Of course, our vaunted intelligence forces knew well from our overhead
flights and the reports of U.N. inspectors freely surveying the country
that Iraq had been reduced by two decades of wars, sanctions and arms
inspections to a paper tiger, but that didn't keep the current
administration from depicting Baghdad as a seat of evil so powerful it
might soon block the very sun from shining...
---
WHAT, NO SMOKING GUN?
Cynthia Cotts, Village Voice, 4/24/03
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0317/cotts.php
Evidence is emerging that the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in
Iraq
may never provide a compelling justification for the war. You remember:
Saddam Hussein was supposed to have a huge cache of chemical and
biological
weapons which he was hiding from UN inspectors and would happily share
with
terrorists so they could attack the U.S. The threat was so dire it
called
for a preemptive strike, and as for evidence-well, U.S. troops would
team
up with hand-picked media to find and publicize stockpiles of WMD. That
way, the war would be justified . . . retroactively.
But since the war began, the military and its media have trumpeted one
WMD
discovery after another that turned out to be a dud. Searches of
"sensitive
sites" have turned up gas masks, protective suits, antidotes, manuals,
white powder, barrels of chemicals, and a cache of mystery shells-but
no
smoking gun. The military types who could not wait another week for UN
inspectors to do their job are now saying their own WMD search will
take
weeks, maybe months...
---
HEADING TOWARD AN HISTORIC MISTAKE
Haroon Siddiqui, Toronto Star, 4/24/03
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1051125548273&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795
Following the fall of the Taliban, Afghans started shaving their
beards.
Following the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraqis are growing theirs.
The sudden and unmistakable assertion of majority Shiite religious and
political identity is the least expected outcome for America of the
Iraq war.
The remarkable pilgrimage by about 1 million faithful, including women,
to
the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala is the first real symbol of
post-Saddam Iraq. It is of far more import than the photo-op toppling
of
his statue in Baghdad.
What made it even more potent was its anti-American undercurrent.
But its message was no different than the one emerging from the other
segments of the diverse Iraqi nation: "Thank you for freeing us from
Saddam
but now, please, go home."
Can anyone recall a time in history when the liberators of an oppressed
people outlived their welcome in so short a period?...
Long before the bombs fell, Iraqis knew that their country would not
have
been targeted had it been a major producer of, say, corn rather than
oil...
-----
ISLAMIC HEAD SCARF DISPUTE STIRS TENSION IN TURKEY
Ayla Jean Yackley, Reuters, 4/24/03
ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's president and the powerful military boycotted
a
traditional reception Wednesday in a dispute over women's use of
Islamic-style head scarves, highlighting tensions between the ruling
party
and secularists.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and the military chiefs stayed away from
the
event marking the founding of Turkey's parliament because the wife of
parliamentary speaker Bulent Arinc was expected to attend wearing a
scarf.
Although most Turkish women wear head scarves the practice is banned in
public buildings. Secularists like Sezer and the military see the scarf
as
an Islamist challenge to European Union candidate and NATO's only
Muslim
member Turkey...
In the event, Arinc's wife also skipped the reception in an attempt to
defuse the controversy.
"It benefits no one to direct Turkey into a tense crisis," Arinc told
reporters when asked if he would bring his wife to the reception he was
hosting in a state building.
"It is extremely saddening that my wife has become the focal point of
this
debate."
The ruling party says the head scarf is a matter of religious freedom
and
has pledged to expand political and human rights in order to meet EU
criteria...
Newspapers Wednesday said a circular issued last week by Foreign
Minister
-----
CAIR-LA UPDATE ON SHAWN STEEL CASE
The Muslim community is still waiting for a clear condemnation from the
Republican Party of Mr. Shawn Steel's reported offensive remarks about
Islam made during two separate pro-war rallies. The California GOP
issued a
statement announcing that they are investigating the case. Mr. Steel is
the
former chairman of the CA Republican Party and is a current member of
its
board of directors. Mr. Steel states that he was quoted out-of-context
and
refuses to apologize for his comments. The comments in question could
be
read at:
http://www.dailytrojan.com/article.do?issue=/V148/N54&id=02-troop.54c
CAIR-LA will continue to update the community on the case. Meanwhile,
continue with the action below.
ACTION REQUESTED (As always be Firm, but POLITE):
1) Contact California Republican Party leaders and ask that they
repudiate
the Islamophobic statements made by Shawn Steel, a member of California
Republican Party Board of Directors. Copy to: socal@cair.com
George "Duf" Sundheim
CA Chairman of Rep. Party
GOP Board of Directors
chairman@cagop.org
Martha House
Vice Chairman Los Angeles
GOP Board of Directors
Phone: (626) 336-4937
Fax: (626) 336-7715
cmassoc2@compuserve.com
2) Contact Shawn Steel and ask him to apologize to the Muslim
community.
Copy to: socal@cair.com
Shawn Steel
Immediate Past Chairman
GOP Board of Directors
Phone: (310) 697-9000
Fax: (310) 697-9010
shawnsteel@shawnsteel.com
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FLORIDA WEB SITE OF ANTI-MUSLIM CRITIC LINKS TO TERRORIST GROUP
(MIAMI, FLORIDA, 4/24/2003) - Florida's office of the Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today revealed that the
web
site of a Jewish activist critical of Muslim participation in school
diversity training has a link to a group designated by the State
Department
as a "foreign terrorist organization."
The web site of Joe Kaufman (http://www.joe4rep.com/Links.htm) has a
link
to kahane.org, a site promoting the views of the late Meir Kahane and
the
Kahane Chai (Kach) organization. (SEE:
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/2003/17067.htm) The kahane.org site
itself
links to http://www.newkach.org. Kaufman's web site also links to
HinduUnity.org, a site that contains numerous attacks on Muslims and
Islam.
Kaufman has criticized the inclusion of Muslims in diversity training
for
Florida schools. He singled out CAIR-FL, a participant in the diversity
training, as a "group that supports terrorists."
"It is beyond hypocritical for a person who uses defamatory smears
against
CAIR, a mainstream civil rights group that has been consistent in its
repeated condemnation of terrorism in all its forms, to promote the
views
of actual terrorists," said Altaf Ali, executive director of CAIR's
Florida
office.
In a recent media report based on Kaufman's smears, Ali and CAIR were
falsely accused of defending "militant groups," calling the conviction
of
Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind sheik who planned to bomb targets in New
York
City, a "hate crime" and sponsoring a rally in which anti-Semitic
statements were made.
"Since we opened our doors in June of 1994, no CAIR spokesman ever
defended
a militant group, CAIR never used the term 'hate crime' to refer to the
conviction of Omar Abdel Rahman and the rally in question was not
sponsored
by CAIR and no CAIR representative attended the event," said Ali.
CAIR-FL
is demanding a retraction of the false charges.
Ali said CAIR-FL works closely with a number of state and national law
enforcement agencies such as the FBI, INS, Florida Department of Law
Enforcement, and the U.S. Attorney's office. The group also works with
the
Florida Commission on Human Relations, the Center for Advancement of
Human
Rights at Florida State University, the Florida Immigration Advocacy
Group,
the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Governor's office.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-FL, Parvez Ahmed, 904-710-6514; Altaf Ali, 954-298-8214,
E-MAIL: altaf@cair-florida.org; Ahmed Bedier, 813-731-9506, EMAIL
abedier@cair-florida.org; CAIR-National, Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
or
202-744-7726, E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787
or
202-439-1441, E-MAIL: hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/25/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: HARDNESS OF HEART
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5362 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR-CAN CALLS ON PARTY TO CONDEMN ANTI-MUSLIM REMARKS
* ANTI-MUSLIM CRITIC DROPS TERRORIST WEB LINK (Sun-Sentinel)
* PEACE INSTITUTE NOMINEE TO SPEAK AGAINST MIDEAST PEACE
- Muslims to Lobby against Pipes Nomination (UPI)
- Israel to Rally Right-Wing Against Road Map (Ha'aretz)
- Vital Israeli Propaganda Strategy Document Revealed
* IMMIGRANT ADVOCATES: PROGRAM IS CATCH-22 (AP)
- Fearful, Angry or Confused, Muslims Register (NY Times)
- Ashcroft: Security Fears Merit Detentions (AP)
- Arabs, Police Examine Their Conflicts (Miami Herald)
- Agency Should Halt U.S. Abuse of Immigrants (Newsday)
* IRAQ: STRIPPED NAKED AND HUMILIATED BY US SOLDIERS
- Rumsfeld Rules out Islamic State in Iraq (AP)
- US May Use Mujahideen Rebels Against Iran (Reuters)
- Unexploded Bombs Hurt Children in Iraq (AP)
- BBC Chief Criticizes U.S. Coverage of Iraq War (AP)
* MENDICINO COUNTY OPPOSES PATRIOT ACT (Napa Valley Register)
* FATE OF PRISONERS FROM AFGHAN WAR REMAINS UNCERTAIN (NY Times)
* ANTI-MUSLIM GROUP PLANS ANOTHER CONFERENCE IN K-W (Record)
- Muslim Prayer Rugs Defaced At UCLA Chapel (LA Times)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: HARDNESS OF HEART
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Do not talk too much
without mentioning God, for much talk without mention of God produces
hardness of heart, and the one who is farthest from God is he who has a
hard heart."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 720
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5362 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5362 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR-CAN CALLS ON PARTY TO CONDEMN ANTI-MUSLIM REMARKS
(Ottawa, Canada, 4/25/03) - The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today called on leadership
candidates
for the Progressive Conservative party to repudiate Islamophobic
comments
made by one of their riding directors.
The comments were made to CAIR-CAN's sister organization, the
Washington,
D.C.-based, CAIR. In response to CAIR's concern that Franklin Graham's
Samaritan's Purse was planning to proselytize to war-affected Iraqis,
the
riding director stated in an e-mail to CAIR:
"Your organization has publicly endorsed a HATE CRIME against
Christians as
Billy Grahams son is working to assist helping out refugees from
Iraq...
"North American was NOT founded on Muslim principles, else, we wouldn't
be
the strong continent we are today. We would be a bag woods (sic)
civilization like many Muslim nations found in the Middle East today.
"Yeah, we are the infidel (sic), but in North America, thank God you
are a
minority religion and not one which the vast majority of North
Americans
adhere to...
When CAIR-CAN contacted leader Joe Clark for a statement regarding the
party's position on Islamophobia, his office refused to intervene,
characterizing the issue as a private conflict between individuals.
In a letter sent today to each of the PC Party leadership candidates,
CAIR-CAN Executive Director Riad Saloojee wrote:
"As a national Canadian Islamic advocacy organization that specializes
in
anti-discrimination and media relations, we find these comments, coming
as
they do from someone who is an integral member of a PC party riding
hierarchy, to be deeply offensive and disturbing..."
"As a future leader of the party, we call on you to demonstrate that
the
Progressive Conservative party is firmly committed to the principles of
multiculturalism and inclusiveness for all Canadians and to issue a
clear
position regarding such statements of Islamophobia."
-END-
CONTACT: Riad Saloojee at 613-254-9704; E-mail: Canada@cair-net.org
-----
ANTI-MUSLIM CRITIC DROPS TERRORIST WEB LINK
ISLAMIC COUNCIL REBUKES CRITIQUE OF VIDEO ON TEACHING TOLERANCE
Buddy Nevins, Sun-Sentinel, 4/25/03
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-ckaufman25apr25.story
The fight over the Middle East and who supports terrorists began
Tuesday
when Jewish activist Joe Kaufman, a fierce supporter of Israel,
denounced a
tolerance videotape made by the School Board because it featured a
director
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). He said CAIR
backed
terrorist groups, an allegation CAIR denies.
CAIR struck back at Kaufman on Thursday, denouncing him for having a
Web
site with links to extremist anti-Muslim groups.
The argument spread with the speed of the Internet. It was picked up by
FOX
News and other news outlets and has quickly become a cause célèbre
among
supporters of CAIR.
CAIR seems to have won the latest round. Shortly after the group issued
its
news release denouncing Kaufman's Web site links to Kahane.Org and
HinduUnity.Org, he removed them…
The groups that had links from Kaufman's Web site did echo, if not the
sentiments of anti-Muslim terrorists, at least vehemently anti-Islamic
views.
Kahane.Org is a site that promotes the views of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who
was
assassinated in New York City in 1990. He was dedicated to turning
Israel
into a Jewish theocracy and expelling all Arabs. Kahane.Org is closely
allied with and has a link on its Web site to Kach, a group whose
members
have been involved in repeated terrorist acts against Arabs.
President Bill Clinton issued an executive order in 1995 freezing the
financial accounts of Kach in the United States because of its
terrorist
activities.
Kaufman said he was not a supporter of Kach's views. He is, however,
clearly no friend of the Arab viewpoint.
For instance, Kaufman said he was against any Palestinian state because
he
said that 80 percent of the Palestinians support suicide bombers.
With his news releases and protests against what he sees as anti-Jewish
and
anti-Israeli hate, Kaufman has come to the attention of Broward
residents
over the years. He ran losing races for the state House twice as a
Republican and his Web site is left over from his last campaign three
years
ago.
His latest attack on CAIR has drawn much more attention than his
earlier
demonstrations against the Rev. Al Sharpton and others. American
Muslims
across the country immediately came to the defense of CAIR, which is
the
largest Islamic civil rights group in the United States, with 16
regional
offices in the country and in Canada.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel received dozens of e-mails denouncing
Kaufman and the newspaper's story Wednesday about the controversy…
-----
PEACE INSTITUTE NOMINEE TO SPEAK AGAINST MIDEAST PEACE
http://www.zionistleadership.com/
The Interfaith Zionist Leadership Summit
May 17-18, 2003
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC
Daniel Pipes, the controversial nominee to the board of a
government-funded
think tank, will speak at a conference for the Zionist House, a
pro-Israeli
organization opposed to the Bush administration's "Roadmap for Peace."
One
of the conference's goals is "to expose how President Bush's stated
policy
of June 24, 2002 specifying essential pre-conditions for support of
Palestinian statehood has been seriously undermined, eroding America's
credibility and debasing our enduring national interest."
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS TO LOBBY AGAINST PIPES NOMINATION
United Press International, 4/25/03
WASHINGTON - Pipes of peace...
Muslims activists from across the United States will be on Capitol Hill
Friday, lobbying legislators and their staff on items of interest to
their
community. The No. 1 item on the agenda, they say, is to stop the
nomination of Daniel Pipes to the board of directors of the United
States
Institute of Peace.
Pipes, who runs the Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum, is a vocal
and
longtime critic of what he calls Islamic extremism and has suggested on
more than one occasion that mosques in the United States are dominated
by
extremists whose loyalty to the United States should be suspect.
His supporters, like former Reagan defense official Frank Gaffney, are
strong in their praise. Gaffney called Pipes "a latter-day Paul
Revere,"
citing his many books, essays and columns "relentlessly raising an
alarm
about the menace the Islamists pose -- both for the Muslim faith and
for
U.S. security."
His opponents accuse him of painting his criticisms with too broad a
brush,
lumping all Muslims together in a careless fashion, something the
nominee
denies, saying he is always careful to distinguish between moderate
Islam
and its militant adherents.
Others are not convinced, The Washington Post among them.
In a recent editorial, the paper called for Congress to reject the
nomination, saying there appeared to be both "a 'brilliant' analyst of
Muslim intellectual history and a man who seems to harbor a 'disturbing
hostility to contemporary Muslims.'"
Pipes likely did not help his cause when, as widely reported, he
criticized
President George W. Bush's post-Sept. 11 description of Islam as "a
religion of peace." While attending a seminar at the University of
Maryland, Pipes was asked by reporters if the president should have
made
the statement, answering "no."
"Presidents shouldn't talk about religion," he reportedly said, adding
that
it was wrong to "make generalizations about Islam." There is some
speculation that this remark could land him in hot water with the White
House, where loyalty is considered a primary virtue.
---
NATIONAL UNION SEEKS TO RALLY AMERICAN RIGHT AGAINST ROAD MAP
Lili Galili, Ha'aretz, 4/25/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/287005.html
National Union MK Yuri Stern is traveling to Washington early next week
for
meetings with the Christian right in an effort to rally support against
the
road map for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Stern is scheduled to meet with two of the most vocal evangelists,
Jerry
Falwell and Pat Robertson, as well as members of the Christian
coalition.
The rightist MK is also planning talks with conservative members of
Congress and Jewish American organizations, comprised of emigrants from
the
former Soviet Union, based in Cleveland, New York and Washington.
In an interview with Haaretz, Stern stressed the importance that his
party
places on influencing the Christian organizations, "because this is the
close environment, the ideological milieu of President [George]
Bush..."
---
VITAL ISRAELI PROPAGANDA STRATEGY DOCUMENT REVEALED
Anti-Arab Discrimination Committee, 4/24/03
ADC has obtained, and is publishing in full, a vital new Israeli
propaganda
strategy document for the period following the war in Iraq. The
document,
entitled "Wexner Analysis: Israeli Communications Priorities 2003," was
prepared for the Wexner Foundation, which operates leadership training
programs such as the "Birthright Israel" project which offers free
trips
for young Jewish Americans to Israel, by the public relations firm the
Luntz Research Companies and the Israel Project. However, please note
that
the report's suggested language is written in a distinctly Israeli, as
opposed as Jewish American, voice. The report can be read in full at:
http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=1789
-----
IMMIGRANT ADVOCATES: PROGRAM IS CATCH-22
Matthew Barakat, Associated Press, 4/25/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2603242,00.html
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - As the deadline loomed for immigrants from five
Arab or
Muslim nations to register with federal authorities, immigration rights
advocates complained that many of their clients are caught in a
Catch-22.
Friday is the deadline set by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs
Enforcement for most citizens of Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Indonesia and
Bangladesh living in the United States to register with the government.
Similar deadlines have passed for nationals from Saudi Arabia,
Pakistan,
Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan and many other countries, mostly Middle
Eastern or Muslim.
Many aliens who registered have overstayed their visas or are otherwise
in
the country illegally, although many have applications pending to
legalize
their status. Illegal status brings the risk of detention.
The new rule has put immigration lawyer Kamal Nawash's clients in an
awkward position. They are among the 640,000 illegal immigrants who
took
advantage of a special visa offered before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks
that
allowed them to stay in the United States and seek permanent residency.
Those immigrants paid a $1,000 fine - imposed as punishment for their
illegal status - and often thousands of dollars in legal fees to obtain
the
visas. Then, after the terror attacks, the federal government imposed
the
special registration requirements.
Nawash advised his clients to register, based on the assumption that
immigration officials would allow latitude for people who were in the
process of adjusting their immigration status to become legal.
He was mistaken.
"They don't care" if an immigrant is on the path to legal residency,
said
Nawash, himself a Palestinian immigrant and also a Republican candidate
for
the Virginia Senate. "They say, 'You have 90 days to leave the
country.'"
Jeanne Butterfield, executive director of the American Immigration
Lawyers
Association, said the problems faced by Nawash's clients are happening
all
over the country.
The government "is sending conflicting messages" by punishing people
who
register that have been working to gain legal status, she said. "It's
nonsensical. It's like Alice in Wonderland..."
SEE ALSO:
FEARFUL, ANGRY OR CONFUSED, MUSLIM IMMIGRANTS REGISTER
Rachel L. Swarns and Christopher Drew, New York Times, 4/25/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/international/worldspecial/25REGI.html
ARLINGTON, Va. - The parking attendant with weary eyes huddled over the
Koran and whispered his prayers, calling on Allah to let him stay in
America. He knew there should be no problem, he said -- he had a work
permit, after all -- but his application for a green card was pending
and
his nerves were jangling.
"Everyone is afraid," said the man, a balding 45-year-old Egyptian who
would give only his first name, Sameh. "Many people I know have been
detained."
Still, after waiting until today, the final days before the
government's
Friday deadline, Sameh packed his passport and visa and joined hundreds
of
other Muslims who poured into immigration offices across the country
this
week to be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed by officials
hunting
for terrorists.
During the last five months, nearly 130,000 male immigrants and
visitors,
predominantly Muslims, have been questioned in immigration offices,
airports and border crossings -- the largest effort to register
immigrants
in decades...
Opinions in America's diverse Muslim communities are not monolithic and
many people emphasized that they understand why the government wanted
to
register people from countries considered breeding grounds for
terrorists.
But in the glass-and-steel government building here, where immigrants
answer questions about their bank accounts and previous addresses, many
people said the registrations had also deepened the fear and
disillusionment among law-abiding Muslims still reeling from the
arrests,
detentions and deportations following the Sept. 11 attacks.
"I love America so I have to respect the law. But we are not
terrorists. We
are coming here as law-abiding people to work," said Sameh, who parks
cars
near a shopping mall in suburban Maryland and was the 50th in line at
the
crowded immigration office this week...
---
AGENCY SHOULD HALT U.S. ABUSE OF IMMIGRANTS
Mark Engler and Saurav Sarkar, Newsday, 4/25/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpeng253253175apr25,0,1764792.story
The view - prevalent since Sept. 11, 2001 - of immigration as primarily
a
national security matter overlooks the reality that the overwhelming
majority of noncitizen residents pose no threat to the safety of the
country. They in fact make invaluable contributions to our communities
and
workplaces.
Recognizing this, the new department must reject punitive policies and
instead adopt procedures to ensure that officials respect the rights of
non-citizens. In March 2000, individuals born abroad made up 10.4
percent
of the U.S. population. A 1998 study by the National Immigration Forum
and
the Cato Institute determined that immigrant households and businesses
pay
$162 billion annually in federal, state and local taxes...
Homeland Security sent an especially distressing signal on March 18,
when
Ridge announced that asylum seekers from 34 countries will
automatically be
detained during their proceedings as part of Operation Liberty Shield.
This
move to lock up people seeking to escape persecution is the latest in a
series of post-9/11 policies that subject immigrants from
Muslim-majority
countries to harsh treatment without regard for individual
circumstances...
Thousands of those who have complied with special registration have
been
detained - some shackled, strip searched and held without charges - for
acts as harmless as falling one credit short of the course load
required on
a student visa.
Of course, actual terrorists are the people least likely to present
themselves for such treatment...
---
ASHCROFT: SECURITY FEARS MERIT DETENTIONS
Suzanne Gamboa, Associated Press, 4/25/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2601968,00.html
WASHINGTON - Most illegal immigrants can be jailed indefinitely without
bond when national security risks exist, Attorney General John Ashcroft
has
declared in a legal opinion. Immigration advocates are calling that an
abuse of power in the name of fighting terrorism.
The order means such aliens will not be released on bond while their
cases
are being decided by immigration judges if the government can show
national
security issues are involved.
``Such national security considerations clearly constitute a reasonable
foundation for the exercise of my discretion to deny release on bond,''
Ashcroft said in the 19-page opinion, which was signed last Friday...
Immigration advocates have been troubled by Ashcroft's continued
influence
over immigration policy after most of the nation's immigration
apparatus
was transferred to the Homeland Security Department March 1. Since
then,
Ashcroft has given the FBI, U.S. Marshals and local police authority to
arrest people on immigration violations.
"As disturbing as this decision is, it's really not that surprising,
because Ashcroft has managed to keep his finger in all the
immigration-related pies and ensured he can exert his authority
shoulder-to-shoulder with (Homeland Security Secretary) Tom Ridge,"
said
Angela Kelley, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum...
The National Coalition for Haitian Rights said it will fight to
overturn
Ashcroft's order. Dina Paul Parks, the New York-based coalition's
executive
director, said the decision further erodes immigrants' legal rights.
"If you were lucky enough to get a sympathetic judge you could
potentially
get released on bond. Now even that prospect is taken away," she said.
---
ARABS, POLICE EXAMINE THEIR CONFLICTS
ANA RHODES, Miami Herald, 4/25/03
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/5711093.htm
Law enforcement officials on Thursday assured community activists at a
Fort
Lauderdale meeting that Arab-Americans and Muslims are not being
targeted
by police.
The comments came during a gathering intended to break down stereotypes
between the two sides and discuss how national security needs can be
balanced with civil rights protections.
It was organized by the Center for Advancement of Human Rights at
Florida
State University and the Florida Commission of Human Relations.
"We want Muslims to be safe in their homes just as any other American
is,"
said Mark Schlakman, the center's program director. ``There's a
widespread
opinion that given Sept. 11, these individuals are deemed to be a
suspect
class."
Representatives of 15 agencies attended, including the FBI, the Florida
Department of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Justice Department. "The
Muslim
community has to realize that no one is out to get them," said Jim
Born, an
FDLE supervisor in Broward County.
"You live in this country, you are guaranteed a certain set of rights,"
said Pamela Reyburn, a special agent for the FBI in Miami Beach.
The group plans to hold more meetings in Tampa, Orlando and
Jacksonville.
"There a lot of fears in the Muslim community because of what has taken
place, a sense of belonging is diminishing little by little," said
Khalid
Hamza, a Muslim educator who lives in Boca Raton. ``We need to build a
culture of peace and understanding. ... I feel like we're taking the
first
step…"
---
AGENCY SHOULD HALT U.S. ABUSE OF IMMIGRANTS
By Mark Engler and Saurav Sarkar, Newsday, 4/25/03
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpeng253253175apr25.story
In the week before today's deadline, thousands of people from five
Muslim
countries presented themselves for the fourth round of special
registration
at the Department of Homeland Security. For many like them, this
post-9/11
immigration initiative resulted in detention, abuse and deportation
proceedings.
Few mourned when the agency that first administered special
registration,
the widely despised Immigration and Naturalization Service, merged into
the
Department of Homeland Security on March 1. But the early-morning lines
that stretched for blocks outside the federal building in downtown
Manhattan highlighted the concern that immigrant communities may suffer
further under the new bureaucracy.
The view - prevalent since Sept. 11, 2001 - of immigration as primarily
a
national security matter overlooks the reality that the overwhelming
majority of noncitizen residents pose no threat to the safety of the
country. They in fact make invaluable contributions to our communities
and
workplaces.
Recognizing this, the new department must reject punitive policies and
instead adopt procedures to ensure that officials respect the rights of
non-citizens…
-----
IRAQ: STRIPPED NAKED AND HUMILIATED BY US SOLDIERS
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde140972003
Amnesty International expressed concern today at the disturbing article
and
images portrayed in the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet which show
American
soldiers escorting naked Iraqi men through a park in Baghdad. The
pictures
reveal that someone has written the words 'Ali Baba - Haram(i)' (which
means Ali Baba - thief) in Arabic on the prisoners' chests.
The article quotes a US military officer as saying that this treatment
is
an effective method of deterring thieves from entering the park and is
a
method which will be used again; another US military officer is quoted
as
saying that US soldiers are not allowed to treat prisoners inhumanely.
"If these pictures are accurate, this is an appalling way to treat
prisoners. Such degrading treatment is a clear violation of the
responsibilities of the occupying powers," Amnesty International said
today.
"Whatever the reason for their detention, these men must at all times
be
treated humanely. The US authorities must investigate this incident and
publicly release their findings."
Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly states that
"Protected
persons are entitled in all circumstances, to respect for their
persons,
their honour, their family rights, their religious convictions and
practices, and their manner and customs. They shall at all times be
humanely treated, and shall be protected especially against all acts of
violence or threats thereof and against insults and public curiosity".
To link to the article from Dagbladet please go to:
http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2003/04/25/367175.html
For a full copy of Amnesty International's report: Iraq:
Responsibilities
of the occupying powers please go to:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde140892003
SEE ALSO:
RUMSFELD SAYS IRAQIS CAN FORM THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT, SO LONG AS IT NOT
RELIGIOUS-STYLE
Barry Schweid, Associated Press, 4/25/03
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/04/25/national0333EDT0461.DTL
WASHINGTON - Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld is ruling out an
Iran-style religious government in Iraq as well as any attempt by Syria
and
others in the region to influence Iraq's future.
"If you're suggesting, how would we feel about an Iranian-type
government
with a few clerics running everything in the country, the answer is:
That
isn't going to happen," Rumsfeld said.
On the other hand, Secretary of State Colin Powell said religious
Muslims
should not be precluded from governing Iraq.
"There are Islamic countries that are having elections, Pakistan.
Turkey.
It's happening," Powell said in an interview Thursday with al-Arabiya,
a
television station based in Dubai.
"Why cannot an Islamic form of government that has as its basis the
faith
of Islam not be democratic?" he asked.
"There are some people who say, well, because you're practicing Islam
you
can't allow people to choose how they will be governed politically. I
don't
think Islam presents that," he said...
---
US MAY USE MUJAHIDEEN REBELS IN TENSIONS WITH IRAN
Firouz Sedarat, Reuters, 4/25/03
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2629481
DUBAI - After years of shunning the Iraq-based People's Mujahideen as
"terrorists," the United States might use Iran's main rebel group to
pressure Tehran as tensions rise between the two countries over
post-Saddam
Iraq.
Washington has warned Shi'ite Muslim power Iran, which it has labelled
as
part of an "axis of evil," not to try to exploit a power vacuum left
after
the fall of Saddam Hussein.
And to make Tehran listen, some analysts say Washington may use the
heavily
armed Mujahideen as a sobering reminder.
Shi'ites form at least 60 percent of Iraq's population and many of
their
spiritual leaders have strong ties to Iran.
"The U.S. is groping to find its bearings on a post-war policy to
stabilise
Iraq and prevent anything Iran might do in regards to the Shi'ites,"
said
Shireen Hunter of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in
Washington...
The group -- also known as Mujahideen Khalq -- waged a bloody campaign
in
the early 1980s to topple the Islamic Republic with a wave of
assassinations of top officials.
But many agree the group lost much of its popular support after it
collaborated with Baghdad during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
Hunter said there may be a debate about any cooperation with the
Mujahideen, officially listed as a "terrorist" group but backed by some
conservative politicians as a leverage over Iran.
"Some U.S. congressmen see Mujahideen as the best thing since sliced
bread,
others think it's a less reputable group. These dynamics are in play
right
now," Hunter told Reuters...
---
UNEXPLODED BOMBS HURT CHILDREN IN IRAQ
Scheherezade Faramarzi, Associated Press, 4/25/03
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20030425_82.html
MOSUL, Iraq - Ten-year-old Ahmed Abbas sits up halfway in his hospital
bed
and lifts his left hand, wrapped in a bloody bandage.
"My brother picked it up first," he said, his voice barely audible. "He
didn't give it to me, but I grabbed it from him. I thought it was a
toy."
Ahmed lost four of his fingers in an explosion of ordnance left behind
by
the Iraqi army when it withdrew from the northern city of Mosul on
April 11.
These hazards of war, scattered all around Iraq, are proving to be a
major
concern, and human rights groups have been adamant about the need to
clean
up unexploded ordnance, particularly in populated areas.
Such litter of war, found everywhere from Basra to Nasiriyah to Baghdad
and
other flashpoints in Iraq, is a serious threat to civilians, especially
children.
In Baghdad, unexploded cluster bombs went off in the first days after
U.S.
forces entered the city, and killed at least three civilians who were
trying to clean them up. The ordnance lay in yards, over gates and
hanging
in trees - leaving whole families afraid to venture out, and others
afraid
to return to their homes...
---
BBC CHIEF CRITICIZES U.S. BROADCAST COVERAGE OF IRAQ WAR
Jane Wardell, Associated Press, 4/25/03
LONDON - The director-general of the British Broadcasting Corp. accused
American television networks Thursday of putting aside impartiality in
favor of patriotism in their coverage of the Iraq war.
Greg Dyke, who singled out Fox News for its "gung-ho patriotism," said
that
the U.S. broadcast media had undermined its credibility with its
unquestioning support of the U.S. government's military campaign in
Iraq.
Dyke said he believed many American broadcasters had shied away from
criticizing the pro-war stance of President George W. Bush's
administration
because they feared appearing unpatriotic, particularly in the wake of
the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
"Personally I was shocked while in the United States by how
unquestioning
the broadcast news media was during this war," he said in a speech at
the
University of London.
"What we have found since Sept. 11 is an increasing demand for the
BBC's
news output in the United States," he said.
"During the war we were literally getting hundreds of e-mails from
people
in the United States saying 'Thank you for trying to explain events.
Thank
you for being impartial.'"
-----
MENDICINO COUNTY OPPOSES PATRIOT ACT
Napa Valley Register, 4/24/03
http://www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=E5AFE4DD-C944-40C5-8693-4AE666BDCE71
UKIAH -- Mendocino County supervisors have approved a resolution
opposing
the U.S. Patriot Act.
On a 4-1 vote, the Board of Supervisors Tuesday passed a resolution
that
condemns the Patriot Act, the Homeland Security Act and executive
orders
intended to bolster the federal government's fight against terrorism.
Supervisor Michael Delbar, the lone dissenting vote, said the
resolution's
supporters have little regard for the law unless it suits them.
"The same advocates who ask us to uphold the Constitution are asking us
to
pick and choose which laws to uphold," Delbar said.
The county joins 89 other local governments across the country that
have
formally opposed to oppose the Patriot Act, which was passed a month
after
the Sept. 11 attacks./AP
The act, among other things, gives law enforcement agencies greater
power
to obtain business and personal records of people suspected of
participating in terrorist activities.
-----
FATE OF PRISONERS FROM AFGHAN WAR REMAINS UNCERTAIN
Neil A. Lewis, New York Times, 4/25/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/24/international/worldspecial/24GITM.html
U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba - Fifteen months after the
first hooded and shackled detainees arrived at a primitive tent
facility
known as Camp X-Ray, some 664 prisoners seized after the Afghan war
remain
here in a legal, political and geographical limbo...
With the United States on the verge of releasing 7,000 prisoners seized
during the war in Iraq, lawyers and human rights advocates say they
hope
the contrast with the long detentions here will put more pressure on
the
administration to deal with the people captured in Afghanistan and
other
countries in the campaign against terrorism...
But the majority of the detainees still face an uncertain future on an
island chosen explicitly for its unusual features. Not only is the base
lodged on sovereign territory of Cuba, a nominally hostile country, and
ringed by a 17-mile-long fence with armed watchtowers on both sides.
Two
federal courts have also said that despite the fact that it is totally
under United States control, the base is outside the reach of United
States
law because it is technically part of Cuba...
Sir Adam Roberts, an Oxford University professor who is a leading
authority
on the law of war, said that the United States might not be obliged to
treat them as prisoners of war but that officials should recognize that
they had some international legal rights. "The U.S. has paid a huge
price
in international opinion," he said. "In Britain, people see Guantánamo
as a
symbol of American defiance of international norms."
-----
ANTI-MUSLIM GROUP PLANS ANOTHER CONFERENCE IN K-W
Mirko Petricevic, The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario), 4/25/03
http://www.therecord.com/
KITCHENER - Organizers of an anti-Islam conference that was to be held
in
Kitchener two months ago, but was cancelled after a public outcry, are
planning to hold the seminar in the city again next month.
But activists might pressure city councillors to pull the plug on the
conference which is booked into the city-owned and operated Kitchener
Memorial Auditorium Complex.
Mark Harding -- a Christian evangelist and organizer of the seminar
entitled Islam: A Religion of Peace? -- said he wants to try holding
the
conference in Kitchener again because "we haven't done our work there
yet..."
A Mildmay-area resident and self-described reverend, Harding was
convicted
five years ago of wilfully promoting hatred toward Muslims. A judge
sentenced Harding to perform 340 hours of community service for Muslim
organizations.
During a telephone interview yesterday, Harding would not say if he
completed any of his court-ordered service.
"There's no comment on that," he said.
Narina Nagra helped rally about 60 people to oppose Harding's
conference in
February.
Nagra said the group, a loose coalition calling itself United Against
Hate,
would be willing to pressure city councillors to prevent the conference
from being held at the city-owned arena...
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM PRAYER RUGS DEFACED AT UCLA CHAPEL
Los Angeles Times, 4/25/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-blood25apr25,1,5026696.story
Muslim prayer rugs splattered with a red liquid and a jar labeled "pig
blood" were found at the UCLA Medical Center chapel, authorities said
Thursday.
Muslims do not eat pork.
"We're calling it a hate crime," said Nancy Greenstein, a spokeswoman
for
the UCLA Police Department. "It was in the chapel. It was prayer rugs,
and
it was pork blood."
Tests were being conducted on the liquid found Saturday, Greenstein
said.
But regardless of the results, "It's more the message," she said.
The medical center's chapel is a sanctuary where people of various
religions come to pray.
The university's Police Department is working with the FBI and the Los
Angeles County district attorney's Hate Crimes Unit. Among other
things,
they are reviewing the hospital's surveillance tapes, Greenstein said.
-----
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-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/28/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: A CHEERFUL FACE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5371 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE A 'GREAT SUCCESS'
* FLA MUSLIMS SEEK MAXIMUM SENTENCE FOR TERRORIST
* GOOD NEWS: CANADIAN PARTY REPUDIATES ANTI-ISLAMIC REMARKS
- Official Denounced for Anti-Islam Remarks (Ottawa Citizen)
* GOOD NEWS: TX JUDGE AWARDS CUSTODY TO MUSLIM MOM (AA Statesmen)
- CAIR's Original Action Alert Issued 8/8/02
* FOR MUSLIMS, A MIXTURE OF WHITE HOUSE SIGNALS (NY Times)
* PATRIOT ACT A THREAT TO THE BILL OF RIGHTS (Juneau Empire)
- Gov't Accuses American Airlines of Discrimination (AP)
- FBI Probes Blood-Smeared Prayer Rugs at UCLA (Reuters)
* REVEALED: HOW THE ROAD TO WAR WAS PAVED WITH LIES (Independent)
- Iraq War Legacy Cluster Bombs, Wounded Civilians (Reuters)
- Banfield Lashes Out At Own Network (Hollywood Reporter)
* AFTER THE AIRSTRIKES, JUST SILENCE (Washington Post)
* BONE MARROW DRIVE FOR VA MUSLIM BOY
* MISS. MARKS ENSLAVED PRINCE'S FREEDOM (AP)
- "Prince Among Slaves"
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A CHEERFUL FACE
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 LIBRARY PROJECT: 5371 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5362 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE A 'GREAT SUCCESS'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/28/03) - Several hundred Muslim activists from
around
North American turned out over the weekend for CAIR's 4th Annual
Leadership
Training Conference in suburban Washington, D.C.
The three day conference, with the theme "A Roadmap for Success: Vision
and
Action," featured a Friday lobbying session on Capitol Hill, weekend
workshops on leadership skills and political empowerment and a Saturday
night banquet focused on the development of a Muslim voter bloc for the
2004 elections.
"We owe the great success of this year's conference to the hard work of
our
staff and volunteers and to the enthusiasm and dedication of the
participants," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
-----
FLA MUSLIMS SEEK MAXIMUM SENTENCE FOR TERRORIST
(MIAMI, FL, 4/28/02) - Florida's office of the Washington-based
Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today urged people of conscience
to
demand the maximum sentence for a man who pleaded guilty in a plot to
bomb
some 50 Islamic institutions in that state.
Michael Hardee will face Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich at a sentencing
hearing on May 1. CAIR-FL says the U.S. Probation Office in Tampa must
hear
from the Muslim community prior to that date.
Hardee pleaded guilty to being the attack's would-be getaway driver.
Three
other people have also entered guilty pleas in the case. Many Muslims
are
concerned that the conspirators are not being treated with the
seriousness
they deserve. Members of the Muslim community, the intended target of
the
plot, were never asked to provide testimony in the case.
"Questions about this terror cell still remain, such as who supplied
the
conspirators with the illegal weapons, rockets and machine guns? Why
were
they not charged as terrorists under the Patriot Act?" said CAIR-FL
Communications Director Ahmed Bedier.
In March, CAIR-FL expressed deep disappointment at the government's
failure
to charge the primary conspirator, Robert Goldstein, as a terrorist.
The
group also expressed concern about "double standards" in a plea
agreement
arranged with his wife.
Goldstein was arrested last August when authorities found a large
arsenal
in his town house. That arsenal included more than 30 explosive
devices,
light-armor rockets, hand grenades, a 5-gallon gasoline bomb,
.50-caliber
machine guns, and sniper rifles.
Authorities also found a detailed plan that called for planting bombs
and
using automatic weapons to attack a local mosque and cultural center.
Goldstein had a list targeting 50 Muslim institutions in the Tampa
area.
According to court documents, Goldstein, who is Jewish, wanted to make
a
statement for "his people" following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE. Hostile Comments will harm the
image of the Muslim community.)
Contact Michael Hardee's probation officer to urge that he be given the
maximum sentence possible.
To write to the probation officer, go to:
http://www.cair-florida.org/goldstein/alertform.asp
Enter your letter in the blank provided and hit the send button.
- END -
CONTACT: Altaf Ali TEL: 954-298-8214 EMAIL: altaf@cair-florida.org;
Ahmed
Bedier, Communications Director, CAIR-FL TEL: 813-731-9506 EMAIL:
abedier@cair-florida.org;
-----
CAIR-CAN AND THE PC PARTY OF CANADA DENOUNCE ISLAMOPHOBIC COMMENTS
(Ottawa, Canada - 4/25/03) - The PC Party of Canada and CAIR-CAN today
joined together to denounce Islamophobic comments made by a private
individual who serves on one of the Party's local riding associations.
Both
parties affirm that the comments are absolutely unacceptable and
inappropriate, and bear no relation whatsoever to the position and
policies
of the PC Party of Canada.
Following a conversation with party officials, Dr. Sheema Khan, Chair
of
CAIR-CAN, concluded by saying that she was satisfied that the PC Party
would continue to be an ally of CAIR-CAN in the defense of the
principles
of multiculturalism and inclusiveness. She stated, "In words and deeds,
the
PC Party and its leader, the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, have consistently
fought
for fairness and understanding. Having spoken directly with them, I am
confident these internal matters are being addressed with the
seriousness
they deserve."
Dr. Khan noted the contribution made by the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark and his
party over the years to ease inter-faith tensions in these difficult
times
and thanked Mr. Clark for his attention to this important matter.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-CAN: Riad Saloojee at 613-254-9704; E-mail:
Canada@cair-net.org
PC PARTY OF CANADA: Graham Fox at 613-943-2437; E-mail: FoxG@parl.gc.ca
SEE ALSO:
PC OFFICIAL DENOUNCED FOR ANTI-ISLAM REMARKS
Bob Harvey, Ottawa Citizen, 4/26/03
http://canada.com/national/story.asp?id=B9DE3332-6451-4C85-A81D-5CF7E9B99B36
The Progressive Conservative Party denounced anti-Islam comments by one
of
its Ontario riding officials yesterday in a joint statement with an
Ottawa
Muslim organization.
But it took some effort by the Canadian chapter of the Council of
American-Islamic Relations.
Conservative leader Joe Clark had earlier refused a request from the
advocacy organization to repudiate the remarks, saying it was a matter
between individuals.
Stephen Leach, a vice-president of the Conservatives' federal riding
organization in Oshawa, had accused CAIR-CAN's sister organization in
Washington, D.C., of committing "a hate crime against Christians" by
urging
that a relief organization operated by Billy Graham's son, Franklin, be
banned from aid work in Iraq.
After CAIR-CAN issued a media release early yesterday calling on Tory
leadership hopefuls to repudiate Mr. Leach's remarks, Mr. Clark spoke
to
CAIR-CAN's spokesman, Riad Saloojee, and helped draft a statement
saying
the remarks "were completely unacceptable and inappropriate."
Ibrahim Hooper, the spokesman for CAIR had said Mr. Graham's real aim
is to
convert Muslims whose resistance has been weakened by hunger and their
desperate need of medical help. He has also criticized Mr. Graham for
remarks that include calling Islam "an evil and wicked religion," and
claiming the Koran "preaches violence."
In his e-mail to CAIR, Mr. Leach wrote that "North America was not
founded
on Muslim principles, else, we wouldn't be the strong continent we are
today. We would be a bag woods (sic) civilization like many Muslim
nations
found in the Middle East today.
"Yeah, we are the infidel, but in North America, thank God you are a
minority religion..."
-----
GOOD NEWS: TX JUDGE AWARDS CUSTODY TO MUSLIM MOM
FATHER LOSES CUSTODY BATTLE
Sarah Coppola, Austin American-Statesman, 4/25/03
http://www.statesman.com/default/content/auto/epaper/editions/friday/metro_state_3.html
GEORGETOWN -- A Wimberley man who argued that he should be given
custody of
his 10-year-old son partly because his ex-wife had entered into an
arranged
marriage lost his court battle Thursday.
Doug Anderson -- whose former wife, Michelle, married a Muslim man --
sued
for custody of his son shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks,
prompting allegations of bigotry from some Islamic groups.
Anderson's lawyer, however, argued that Michelle Anderson's marriage
was
part of a lifelong pattern of instability and poor choices affecting
the
couple's son, Kyle.
Brenda Rhea, Michelle Anderson's lawyer, called the lawsuit "a horrible
case of bigotry" in her final argument before state District Judge Burt
Carnes. Rhea accused Doug Anderson of failing to maintain a close
relationship with his son and waffling on his own religious beliefs.
Explaining his decision to leave Kyle in his mother's custody, Carnes
said,
"Despite everything that's going on in the mother's life, she's managed
to
maintain a stable environment for the boy..."
Michelle Anderson burst into tears, and her husband, Abdellah Adouli,
rushed to hug her.
"I feel a lot of relief. I just want everyone to be able to move on,"
she
said. "I hope one day my family can come to peace inside themselves
with my
religion and my husband."
Her case drew attention from the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
a
national group that raised thousands of dollars for her legal fund...
SEE ALSO:
CAIR'S ORIGINAL ACTION ALERT ISSUED 8/8/02
TEXAS MOTHER MAY LOSE CHILD AFTER ACCEPTING ISLAM
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/8/02) - CAIR today said a custody dispute in Texas
is
being fueled by anti-Muslim bias. A Muslim mother in that state is
being
threatened with losing her nine-year-old son after she accepted Islam
and
married a native of Morocco. CAIR is urging Muslims and other people of
conscience to help support the woman's legal defense.
The boy's father, who admits the mother left him because of his
drinking,
says he is seeking physical custody so that his son can "have a normal
life" and an "all-American home." In the "Home Study Report for
Custody"
filed with the court, a social worker states: "[The mother's]
conversion to
Islam and her subsequent arranged marriage to a foreigner are very
basic
issues in this case, and are certainly unusual from the point of view
of
prevalent American culture."
A hearing on the case is scheduled for August 13. At that hearing, the
father's attorney will call a Christian minister and an anthropologist
to
offer their views on Islam and Muslim culture.
The report also states: "[The Mother's] decision to become a Muslim
shocked
and surprised her family and those who know her...Although this [her
arranged marriage] is customary in the Islamic community, it is well
out of
the American mainstream."
Transcripts of the mother's deposition indicate that Islam, and
anti-Muslim
bias, are central to the custody dispute. In that deposition, the
mother
was questioned about her views on the 9/11 attacks (she condemned
them),
her Islamic attire and the possibility of financial assistance from the
Muslim community for legal expenses.
The entire dispute began when the woman's mother, who refuses to speak
to
her daughter since her conversion to Islam, approached the boy's father
three days after the 9/11 attacks and asked him to seek custody.
"A mother should not be threatened with losing her child merely because
she
accepts Islam and tries to build a stable home by marrying a Muslim
man.
There is nothing 'un-American' about an Islamic home and assertions to
the
contrary are based on stereotyping and prejudice," said CAIR Civil
Rights
Manager Joshua Salaam. Salaam added that his group is dealing with
other
custody cases in which the parent's faith is a central issue…
-----
FOR MUSLIMS, A MIXTURE OF WHITE HOUSE SIGNALS
Richard W. Stevenson, New York Times, 4/28/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/politics/28MEMO.html
WASHINGTON - When President Bush travels to Dearborn, Mich., on Monday
to
speak to Iraqi exiles and other Arab-Americans, he will trail behind
him
considerable uncertainty about his administration's intentions toward
Islam.
Since the 2001 terrorist attacks, Mr. Bush has consistently said that
Islam
is a religion of peace and warned against anti-Muslim prejudice. Yet he
also recently nominated to a government institute a scholar, Daniel
Pipes,
who has enraged many American Muslims by suggesting that mosques are
breeding grounds for militants and that Muslims in government and
military
positions should be given special attention as security risks.
Mr. Bush reached out to Muslims in the 2000 presidential campaign,
viewing
them as a potentially significant voting bloc that tends to be
conservative
on social issues. But he has also embraced evangelical Christian
leaders
who have cast Islam as evil and has adopted much of the foreign policy
agenda of neoconservative thinkers who view Islamic fundamentalism as
perhaps the gravest threat to national security...
"One day you get a signal from the administration that Islam is a
religion
of peace and of tolerance to the Muslim community," said Omar Ahmad,
chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy
group.
"More of the time you get the other signal - the silence of the
administration over comments made by evangelical Christians."
The most prominent Republican advocate for reaching out to Muslims on
political grounds has been Grover G. Norquist, the president of
Americans
for Tax Reform, a conservative advocacy group...
Mr. Norquist helped convince the Bush campaign to make a play for
Muslim
voters in 2000, and there is some evidence the effort was successful,
especially in Florida, where every vote turned out to be crucial...
"There are some individuals who speak to and threaten the American
Muslim
community in the same way that Pete Wilson was viewed as abusive to the
Hispanic community, and Pete Wilson did a great deal of damage," Mr.
Norquist said. "That said, Bush is the leader of the Republican Party,
and
he dwarfs these pipsqueaks. So they are an irritant and not a threat."
-----
PATRIOT ACT THREATENS FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS GUARANTEED IN BILL OF RIGHTS
Janet Kussart, Juneau Empire, 4/27/03
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/042703/opi_myturn1.shtml
We need to support Senate Joint Resolution No. 15 and House Joint
Resolution No. 22. U.S. troops have been asked to fight for freedom and
democracy - protecting our freedom and democracy at home, but also
helping
to give freedom and democracy to the Iraqi people. However, when the
USA
Patriot Act was passed, Congress gave the executive branch sweeping new
powers that undermined our Bill of Rights. What are the rights that are
being threatened? They are:
o First Amendment - Freedom of religion, speech, assembly and the
press.
(New attorney general guidelines allow FBI spying on religious and
political organizations and individuals without having evidence of
wrongdoing)
o Fourth Amendment - Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.
(Expands the ability of law enforcement to conduct secret searches,
gives
them wide powers of phone and Internet surveillance, and access to
highly
personal medical, financial, mental health, library, video, and student
records with minimal judicial oversight.)
o Fifth Amendment - No person to be deprived of life, liberty or
property
without due process of law. (Allows FBI agents to investigate American
citizens for criminal matters without probable cause of crime if they
say
it is for "intelligence purposes.")
o Sixth Amendment - Right to a speedy public trail by an impartial
jury,
right to be informed of the facts of the accusation, right to confront
witnesses and have the assistance of counsel. (8,000 Arab and South
Asian
immigrants have been interrogated because of their religion or ethnic
background, not because of actual wrongdoing; American citizens
suspected
of terrorism are being held indefinitely in military custody without
being
charged and without access to lawyers.)
o Eighth Amendment - No excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment
shall be imposed. (Thousands of men, mostly of Arab and South Asian
origin,
have been held in secretive federal custody for weeks and months,
sometimes
without any charges filed against them. The government has refused to
publish their names and whereabouts, even when ordered to do so by the
courts.)
o Fourteenth Amendment - All persons (citizens and non-citizens) within
the
U.S. are entitled to due process and the equal protection of the laws.
(The
press and the public have been barred from immigration court hearings
of
those detained after 9/11 and the courts are ordered to keep secret
even
that the hearings are taking place.)
SEE ALSO:
GOV'T ACCUSES AMERICAN OF DISCRIMINATION
Leslie Miller, Associated Press, 4/26/03
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-American-Discrimination.html
WASHINGTON - Add this to the list of American Airlines' woes: The
government is accusing the carrier of violating passengers' civil
rights.
The nation's largest airline is struggling to avoid bankruptcy. Its
chief
executive was ousted Thursday because he didn't disclose executive
perks
granted while he was seeking wage concessions from company unions.
On Friday, the Transportation Department issued its first racial bias
complaint ever against an airline, saying that 10 people were removed
from
American flights or denied boarding because they were perceived to be
Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian or Muslim.
Most of the incidents cited in the administrative complaint happened to
U.S. citizens and occurred within three months of the Sept. 11, 2001,
terror attacks, the department said...
There have been many complaints filed by the government against
airlines
for discriminating against disabled people, but never before about
race,
color or national origin, said Chet Lunner, a Transportation Department
spokesman. "This is the first time on racial grounds," he said.
American could be fined as much as $65,000 plus penalties for any other
violations that might be discovered during an administrative hearing.
---
FBI PROBES BLOOD-SMEARED MUSLIM PRAYER RUGS AT UCLA
Gina Keating, Reuters, 4/25/03
LOS ANGELES - The FBI opened a hate crime investigation on Friday into
an
incident at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center
interdenominational chapel in which a liquid thought to be pig blood
was
used to defile Muslim prayer rugs.
The red-stained rugs were found on Saturday by the family of a Muslim
patient who had stopped by the chapel to perform afternoon prayers,
said
Rev. Sandra Yarlott, head of UCLA Medical Center's spiritual care
center.
"To have the mats that you pray on have pig blood dumped on them is
probably one of the most defiling things you could use to destroy those
prayer mats," Yarlott said. UCLA officials strongly condemned the
incident
as a "hateful act."
Muslim Public Affairs Council executive director Salam al Marayati
commended the law enforcement community for quickly classifying the
incident as a hate crime, and said the response "shows the greatness of
America..."
The incident at the chapel, first reported on Tuesday in UCLA's student
newspaper, has had an "empowering...uniting" effect on the community
that
Yarlott described as "humbling."
The spiritual care center was flooded with e-mails and phone calls from
people of all faiths wanting to know how they could donate money to
replace
the rugs, she said...
-----
REVEALED: HOW THE ROAD TO WAR WAS PAVED WITH LIES
Raymond Whitaker, Independent, 4/27/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=400805
The case for invading Iraq to remove its weapons of mass destruction
was
based on selective use of intelligence, exaggeration, use of sources
known
to be discredited and outright fabrication, The Independent on Sunday
can
reveal.
A high-level UK source said last night that intelligence agencies on
both
sides of the Atlantic were furious that briefings they gave political
leaders were distorted in the rush to war with Iraq. "They ignored
intelligence assessments which said Iraq was not a threat," the source
said. Quoting an editorial in a Middle East newspaper which said,
"Washington has to prove its case. If it does not, the world will for
ever
believe that it paved the road to war with lies", he added: "You can
draw
your own conclusions."
UN inspectors who left Iraq just before the war started were searching
for
four categories of weapons: nuclear, chemical, biological and missiles
capable of flying beyond a range of 93 miles. They found ample evidence
that Iraq was not co-operating, but none to support British and
American
assertions that Saddam Hussein's regime posed an imminent threat to the
world...
Robin Cook, who as Foreign Secretary would have received high-level
security briefings, said last week that "it was difficult to believe
that
Saddam had the capacity to hit us". Mr Cook resigned from the
Government on
the eve of war, but was still in the Cabinet as Leader of the House
when it
released highly contentious dossiers to bolster its case...
SEE ALSO:
IRAQ WAR LEGACY CLUSTER BOMBS, WOUNDED CIVILIANS
Christine Hauser, Reuters, 4/28/03
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L28180866.htm
NAJAF, Iraq - Life has moved on in Najaf from the days when American
and
Iraqi forces battled it out in the war which ended Saddam Hussein's
rule,
but the fighting has left a painful legacy for many of the city's
200,000
residents.
Iraqi children are still in hospitals recovering from war wounds.
Hundreds
of civilian casualties are listed in medical records. And dozens of
what
U.S. soldiers call cluster bomb submunitions litter a street in Najaf's
Hay
Karama area.
"The Americans have cleared some explosives but there are still a lot
of
these little bombs around," said resident Abdelkarim Suleiman, pointing
out
the brass and plastic objects...
Casualties could be higher -- doctors said some people were buried in
villages because families could not reach the city during the war. Many
asked for death certificates later, but Najaf Teaching Hospital did not
issue them because they were not certain who was buried where...
---
BANFIELD LASHES OUT AT OWN NETWORK
Andrew Grossman, Hollywood Reporter, 4/28/03
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2639382
LOS ANGELES - NBC News correspondent Ashleigh Banfield has ripped
television news networks, including her own, for their "glorious"
coverage
of the Iraqi war and a lack of focus on international news overall...
"It was a glorious and wonderful picture that had a lot of people
watching
and a lot of advertisers excited about cable news," she said at the
college's annual Landon Lecture in Manhattan. "But it wasn't journalism
because I'm not so sure we in America are hesitant to do this again, to
fight another war ... because it looked like a glorious and courageous
and
so successfully terrific endeavor."
"You did not see where those bullets landed. You didn't see what
happened
when the mortars landed. A puff of smoke is not what a mortar looks
like
when it explodes, believe me," Banfield said...
She blamed the networks for failing to air enough international news
except
after 9/11 and during wars and pointed to the lack of stories emanating
from Afghanistan these days as an example of the networks' lack of
focus
overseas...
-----
AFTER THE AIRSTRIKES, JUST SILENCE
April Witt, Washington Post, 4/28/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45676-2003Apr27.html
MADOO, Afghanistan - There are more graves than houses in Madoo.
The mosque and many of the roughly 35 homes that once made up this
hamlet
in the White Mountains of eastern Afghanistan lie in rubble. At least
55
men, women and children -- or pieces of them -- are buried here, their
graves marked by flags that are whipped by the wind.
Seventeen months after U.S. warplanes bombed this village and others in
the
vicinity of Osama bin Laden's cave complex at Tora Bora, Madoo's
survivors
say they can tell civilian victims of U.S. bombing in Iraq what to
expect
in the way of help from Washington: nothing.
"Our houses were destroyed," said Niaz Mohammad Khan, 30. "We want to
rebuild, but we don't have the money. . . . We need water for our land.
We
need everything. People come and ask us questions, then go away. No one
has
helped."
Madoo is one of several enclaves in the region that the U.S. military
bombed over several days in December 2001, killing an estimated 150
civilians. Once home to 300 people, Madoo has lost roughly half its
population, villagers say...
Congress directed that an unspecified amount of money be spent to
assist
innocent victims of U.S. bombing in Afghanistan, just as it recently
called
on the Bush administration to identify and provide "appropriate
assistance"
to civilian victims in Iraq. But the money has not yet reached any of
the
intended recipients, U.S. officials acknowledged.
"The money is there," said Tim Rieser, an aide to Sen. Patrick J. Leahy
(D-Vt.). "Mistakes were made. Mistakes are made in wars. We all know
that.
But we have yet to see the administration take action to carry out the
law
in Afghanistan..."
-----
BONE MARROW DRIVE FOR AYMAN AL-JUBURI
Seven-year-old Ayman al-Juburi of Alexandria, Va., has leukemia and is
need
of a bone marrow transplant. Without it, his prognosis is not good.
Currently he is receiving aggressive and painful chemotherapy to keep
him
well while he waits a bone marrow match.
The boy's family and friends are requesting that as many people as
possible
are screened in the hopes of finding a match. The screening process is
simple and painless. It is a simple finger prick blood test.
WHEN: Sunday, May 4, 2003
TIME: 12 P.M. to 5 P.M.
WHERE: Blessed Sacrament Catholic Community, 1427 W. Braddock Rd,
Alexandria, VA
QUESTIONS: Suzie Baird (703) 765-3243
CONTACT: NOHA BAKR, (703) 998-7672
-----
MISS. MARKS ENSLAVED PRINCE'S FREEDOM
MATT VOLZ, Associated Press, 4/28/03
NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - Artemus Gaye was a teenager fleeing civil war in
Liberia when he first heard the story of how his ancestor, an African
warrior prince, was sold into slavery on a Mississippi plantation.
Gaye's 92-year-old great-great-grandmother used the tale of Abd
al-Rahman
Ibrahima as a diversion when fighting forced the family to abandon
their
home in 1990. It stuck with the 13-year-old.
After years of locating documents and descendants to piece together the
rest of the story, Gaye organized a "freedom festival" to mark the
175th
anniversary of Ibrahima's release and return to Africa. Descendants of
the
slave prince and slave master Thomas Foster, academicians, and
Ibrahima's
liberators gathered in the Mississippi River town of Natchez to
re-enact
the tale.
"There aren't too many stories equal to it," said Allan Austin, author
of
the book ``African Muslims in Antebellum America."
Ibrahima was born in 1762 as a prince in Futa Jallon, today part of
Guinea
in western Africa. He was captured in battle by enemies, sold into
slavery
and shipped to America. Foster, who owned a plantation near Natchez,
bought
him in 1789…
In 1807, John Cox, a doctor who had fallen ill in Africa in 1781 and
was
cared for by Ibrahima's family, traveled to Mississippi and happened to
meet Ibrahima at a market north of Natchez.
Cox recognized Ibrahima as the son of the king who had saved his life.
Cox
tried to buy Ibrahima's freedom, but Foster refused and kept Ibrahima
as a
slave for 20 more years.
Ibrahima's story reached Andrew Marschalk, editor of the Mississippi
State
Gazette in Natchez. Marschalk pleaded Ibrahima's case to Henry Clay,
who
was then secretary of state.
In 1828, Foster relented. Ibrahima, 66, was able to buy his and his
wife's
freedom with the aid of the community and the American Colonization
Society, an organization that sent free blacks in America to Africa.
His
fame spread across the country.
"He was a man who became very famous for his dignity, for his courage
and
for his strength," Austin said.
Ibrahima sailed for Liberia in 1829. He died from malaria two months
after
arriving…
In early April, descendants of Ibrahima, Foster and Marschalk gathered
under a marker at the site of Marschalk's Natchez home, now a cracked
and
bumpy parking lot. They read the proclamation freeing Ibrahima, then
walked
to the nearby Mississippi River. Using a moored riverboat casino, they
re-enacted Ibrahima's departure from Natchez…
Betty McGehee, a 72-year-old descendant of Thomas Foster, participated
in
the re-enactment. When she first learned of her family connection to
the
story about 40 years ago, she was a little ashamed.
"I was embarrassed that Thomas Foster held on for so long and didn't
free
him for so many years," she said.
McGehee said she felt none of that today. The festival allowed her to
create a connection with other descendants and genealogists, she said.
Natchez is using the story of Ibrahima to boost its attractiveness as
an
African-American heritage tourism market, said Connie Taunton,
marketing
director for the Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau. A portrait of
the
slave prince is on the cover of a brochure promoting heritage tourism…
SEE ALSO:
Ibrahima's life is detailed in "Prince Among Slaves" by Terry Alford.
Excerpts from the book are available at www.amazon.com
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
READERS OF RIGHT-WING WEB SITE THREATEN MUSLIMS
Hate e-mails include: 'kill muslims…f**k all of you…and die real soon'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/29/2003) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) today reported that it has received numerous hate-filled and
threatening messages from the readers of a right-wing Islamophobic web
site. The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group is
working with the Department of Justice to investigate those messages
that
contained threats.
Some of the hate messages sent to CAIR from visitors to
Worldnetdaily.com
include:
1) "I don't say kill [Muslims]. But it would be a better world without
them!" 2) F**k you; and the one humped camel you rode in on. 3) You are
lower than snake sh*t. 4) islam is a scam to keep people down…kill the
infidels. f**k that kill muslims… f**k all of you…and die real soon 5)
Take
the f**king towels off your heads and join the human race, A**HOLES!!!!
6)
Please leave My Country…And leave it NOW! 7) Get out of America 8) I
have
been encouraged by Joe Farah of WorldnetDaily to send this to you…leave
this nation and go back to the pile of cow manure you all came from 9)
It
won't be long before the immigration police will be there to help you
go
home to the cesspool you came from. 10) GO HOME! Wherever that is, it
is
not HERE!
CAIR officials say the hate-filled emails were prompted by a number of
Worldnetdaily.com articles demonizing Muslims and by recent false
charges
made against CAIR by the site's editor, Joseph Farah.
His most recent articles smeared CAIR in an attempt to support the
controversial nomination of Daniel Pipes to the United States Institute
of
Peace. The nomination of Pipes, who just this week said President Bush
was
wrong to call Islam a "religion of peace" and refused to condemn the
internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II, is opposed by a
number of
Muslim and Arab-American groups, including CAIR.
Farah falsely claimed CAIR never condemned suicide bombings, called the
conviction of the first World Trade Center bombings a "travesty of
justice," termed the conviction of Omar Abdel Rahman a "hate crime,"
and
that CAIR's board chairman said the Quran "should be the highest
authority
in America."
"We never called the conviction of the World Trade Center bombings a
'travesty of justice' and did not call the conviction of Sheikh Omar a
'hate crime,'" said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Our board
chairman
did not say the Quran should be the highest authority in America and we
have repeatedly condemned terrorism in all its forms, including suicide
bombings," said Awad.
He citied the group's statement of condemnation issued following a bomb
attack on a Passover celebration in the coastal city of Netanya last
March
that left 20 people dead and more than 100 wounded: "We condemn this
attack
and all other attacks on innocent civilians…This attack is of
particular
concern coming as it did during a religious observance in which the
focus
is remembrance of God... To break this cycle of violence and
counter-violence, all parties must focus on a political solution based
on
justice and equality, not force of arms."
Awad also noted that the alleged statement about the Quran by CAIR's
board
chairman was not in fact a quote. It was a paraphrase of remarks that
were
either reported inaccurately or wrongly attributed by a reporter at a
small
California newspaper. CAIR is seeking a retraction from that newspaper.
Farah's attacks also contain a number of other falsehoods and
distortions.
For example, he distorted the facts in an attempt link a CAIR advisory
board member to the first World Trade Center attack.
That person, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, is one of the American Muslim
community's
most respected leaders and he works with almost all national Islamic
organizations. As part of the original World Trade Center case, the
prosecutors released a long list of people who "may be alleged as
co-conspirators."
That list included anyone who came anywhere near Sheikh Omar. Since
Imam
Siraj was a leader in the New York community in which Sheikh Omar
lived,
his name was included on the list. He was never charged with any crime,
nor
was there any evidence presented that he was involved in the conspiracy
in
any way. Farah knows this but continues to vilify a respected Muslim
leader.
In a past column, Farah claimed, "Islam has been at war with the West,
with
Christianity, with Judaism…ever since the days of [the Prophet]
Muhammad."
He also rejected criticism of a Worldnetdaily.com article advocating
that,
"For every [Israeli] civilian, 100 non-combatant Palestinian adults
will be
slain, and for every child, 1,000 adults," saying that he found the
proposal to be "a very thoughtful and quite responsible contribution to
the
Middle East debate."
Other editorials on WorldNetDaily.com called the Quran, Islam's
revealed
text, a "suicide playbook" and recommended air-lifting pigs into Afghan
mosques. One Worldnetdaily.com columnist wrote recently: "The only
French
custom that still survives [following Napoleon's invasion of Egypt] is
the
aversion to bathing." Another stated: "…freedom and democracy are
incompatible with Islam."
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, is a mainstream
organization that regularly works with national law enforcement
authorities, elected officials and other civil liberties and minority
groups. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional
offices nationwide and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has
defended the civil and religious rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/29/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: DON'T DELAY CHARITY
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5371 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* COMMENT: LEGACY OF FREEDOM (San Jose Mercury News)
* JOB OPPORTUNITY AT CAIR-SEATTLE
* U.S. MAKES DEAL WITH TERROR GROUP (NY Times)
- U.S. Reaches Cease-Fire with Terror Group (AP)
- Anger rises after U.S. troops kill 13 Iraqis (Reuters)
- And Now: 'Operation Iraqi Looting' (NY Times)
- Bush Says U.S. To Help Iraqis (Bloomberg)
- Sin and Sex Return To Baghdad (AP)
* WEST BANK CHECKPOINT NUMBERS CASE PROBED (AP)
* MUSLIM FATHER DIED TRYING TO SAVE DAUGHTER (Toronto Star)
* PIPES LECTURE DIVIDES AUDIENCE (Milwaukee Journal)
- Pipes Accused Of Being an Islamophobe (NPR)
- Website Formed to Oppose Pipes Nomination
* DOES TALK RADIO INCITE HATE? (Tolerance.org)
- Challenging Hate Radio: A Guide for Activists (FAIR)
* MORTON GROVE REJECTS MOSQUE (Chicago Tribune)
* BOOK ON ISLAM WINS NATIONAL AWARD (PR Newswire)
* NEW ARAB-AMERICAN GROUP LAUNCHES ANTI-BUSH CAMPAIGN
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: DON'T DELAY CHARITY
A man once asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) what kind of
charity is the best. The Prophet replied. "To give in charity when you
are
healthy and greedy, hoping to be wealthy and afraid of becoming poor.
Don't
delay giving in charity until the time when you are on your death bed,
when
you say, 'Give so much to so-and-so and so much to so-and so,' (for) at
that time the property is not yours but it belongs to (your
inheritors)."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 11
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5371 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5371 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
COMMENT: LEGACY OF FREEDOM
Omar Ahmad, San Jose Mercury News, 4/29/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/5728561.htm
Omar Ahmad is the founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
America is one nation out of many peoples. Many of us from diverse
backgrounds and diverse experiences can band together around a common
theme: freedom.
The protection and preservation of freedom should be the mission of all
of
us today.
As our country tries to reclaim the equilibrium that was shattered so
violently two Septembers ago, I look at the legacies of those brave
souls
who helped create and maintain the freedoms that we must cherish today.
As
an example, Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who sacrifice essential
liberty for a temporary sense of security deserve neither liberty nor
security."
It was the work and sacrifices of many Americans that have kept the
legacy
of freedom alive. Had Martin Luther King Jr. never marched on Selma,
perhaps our African-American sisters and brothers would still be
sitting in
the back of the bus. If it were not for the Japanese-Americans'
struggle
after their internment camp experiences during World War II, some of us
might be in camps today.
As it is our duty and responsibility to keep our country safe and
secure
from the threat of terrorism, it is also our duty to stand up and
demand
our rights as Americans so the legacy of freedom can be passed to our
children.
-----
JOB OPPORTUNITY AT CAIR SEATTLE
Job Title: CAIR-Seattle Executive Director
Job description: This full time position will be the focal point for
communications, activities, and programs emanating from the
CAIR-Seattle
Regional Office.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a University degree. Two
years of working experience in a related field with NGOs desirable.
Must
have good organizational, leadership and interpersonal skills; possess
superior communication (both verbal and written); a solid understanding
of
issues relating to Islam; and an outgoing and proactive disposition. A
legal background and previous experience in public relations is desired
but
not mandatory. Candidate should be computer literate. Familiarity with
the
Greater Seattle Muslim Community is desirable.
Please submit a resume plus the names and contact information of three
professional references to: jobs@cair-seattle.org
-----
AMERICAN FORCES REACH CEASE-FIRE WITH TERROR GROUP
Douglas Jehl with Michael R. Gordon, New York Times, 4/29/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/29/international/worldspecial/29TERR.html
WASHINGTON, April 28 - American forces in Iraq have signed a cease-fire
with an Iranian opposition group the United States has designated a
terrorist organization, and expect it to surrender soon with some of
its
arms, American military officials said today.
Under the deal, signed on April 15 but confirmed by the United States
Central Command only today, United States forces agreed not to damage
any
of the group's vehicles, equipment or any of its property in its camps
in
Iraq, and not to commit any hostile act toward the Iranian opposition
forces covered by the agreement.
In return, the group, the People's Mujahedeen, which will be allowed to
keep its weapons for now, agreed not to fire on or commit other hostile
acts against American forces, not to destroy private or government
property, and to place its artillery and antiaircraft guns in
nonthreatening positions.
The accord is apparently the first between the United States military -
which in early April was bombing the group's Iraqi camps - and a
terrorist
organization, and it raises questions about how consistently the Bush
administration intends to apply a policy that had vowed to crack down
on
terrorist groups worldwide.
The Iranian group, which is led by a woman and has an estimated 10,000
members in Iraq, has no known ties to Al Qaeda, but its members killed
several American military personnel and civilian contractors in the
1970's
and supported the takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
It has carried out dozens of bombings that were aimed at Iranian
military
and government workers, but that also killed civilians.
It was added to the State Department's list of terrorist organizations
in
1997.
An American military official said the group could provide intelligence
regarding Iranian government activities both in Iraq, and in Iran
itself...
SEE ALSO:
U.S. REACHES CEASE-FIRE WITH TERROR GROUP
Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, 4/29/03
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&slug=Iraq%20Iran%20Mujahedeen
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar - A U.S. cease-fire with the Mujahedeen Khalq
allows the terrorist group to keep its weapons to defend itself from
attacks by Iranian-backed groups, U.S. military officials said Tuesday.
The deal signed April 15 with the Iraq-based Mujahedeen Khalq, or
People's
Mujahedeen, doesn't require its fighters to surrender to coalition
forces -
at least for now, said a military official, who spoke on condition of
anonymity.
The cease-fire appears to be a way for the United States to increase
pressure on Iran, which Washington has accused of meddling in Iraq
after
the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.
But the cease-fire represents a conundrum of sorts for the United
States,
which has classified the Mujahedeen Khalq as a terrorist organization.
The
United States went to war against Iraq in part to dismantle what it
said
were terrorist networks supported by Saddam's regime.
Yet the U.S. military negotiated a cease-fire with the group, has
allowed
its fighters to keep their weapons and has allowed them to use military
force against what the United States says are Iranian infiltrators
entering
Iraq.
"They're authorized to use their arms only against groups like the
Iranian-backed Badr Brigade," the official said. The brigade is the
military wing of the Iran-based anti-Saddam group the Supreme Council
for
Islamic Revolution in Iraq...
When asked how the United States could make deals with groups
classified as
terrorists, the official said the cease-fire was a battlefield
agreement
that coalition commanders were entitled to negotiate.
"Like all other parties in Iraq we will use U.S. influence and power to
establish and maintain a secure and stable environment," the official
said...
---
ANGER RISES AFTER U.S. TROOPS KILL 13 IRAQIS
Edmund Blair, Reuters, 4/29/03
FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. troops shot dead at least 13 Iraqis and
wounded 75 when protesters marched on a school the soldiers have
occupied
and demanded they get out of Iraq, doctors and witnesses said Tuesday.
Residents said the troops shot at unarmed protesters but the U.S.
military
said its soldiers had merely retaliated after coming under fire when
the
crowd of about 200 people approached the school in Falluja, 30 miles
west
of Baghdad.
A company -- 100 or so soldiers -- from the 82nd Airborne Division were
using the school as a barracks, officers said.
The shooting outraged local people who welcomed the removal of the
hated
Saddam Hussein by U.S.-led forces but now want the American forces to
leave. Coming on top of other incidents, it may fuel anti-American
sentiment elsewhere in Iraq.
"They are stealing our oil and they are slaughtering our people," said
Shuker Abdullah Hamid, a cousin of one of the victims, venting the fury
felt by many residents.
U.S. helicopters hovered overhead as angry mourners buried the dead
Tuesday. The white walls of houses near the school were pock-marked by
bullets, bullet-riddled and wrecked cars stood by the roadside and
traces
of blood marked the ground.
Soldiers inside the school, braced for trouble from Saddam loyalists on
the
dictator's birthday, seemed to have unleashed a hail of heavy fire on
the
crowd in the darkened street outside in response to what officers said
was
incoming rifle fire.
"Our soul and our blood we will sacrifice to you martyrs," hundreds of
mourners chanted as they carried at least four simple wooden coffins
shoulder-high through the town.
Ahmed Ghanim al-Ali, director of Falluja general hospital, said at
least 13
people had been killed. His staff had treated 75 wounded, mostly hit by
bullets or shrapnel…
A local Sunni Muslim cleric, Kamal Shaker Mahmoud, said the protesters
had
asked the troops to leave the school so that lessons could resume there
now
the war is over.
"It was a peaceful demonstration. They did not have any weapons," he
said.
"We are asking the Americans to leave Iraq."
Murhij Rashid, 52, pointed to a grave where gravediggers were throwing
dry
earth on top and kicking up dust. His 18-year-old son Hussein had just
been
buried.
"There was a demonstration but he did not have any weapon," he said.
Some residents said some of the dead may not have been taking part in
the
protest. Salah Abdullah Hamid said his 36-year-old cousin was an
innocent
bystander.
"He was not part of the protest. He did not have a weapon. He was
killed by
American bullets," he said.
Asked why the troops had fired, he replied: "We don't know. No one
knows
why...We want the Americans to leave our country completely. We are a
Muslim country."
---
AND NOW: 'OPERATION IRAQI LOOTING'
Frank Rich, New York Times, 4/29/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/27/arts/27RICH.html
Let it never be said that our government doesn't give a damn about
culture.
It was on April 10, the same day the sacking of the National Museum in
Baghdad began, that a subtitled George W. Bush went on TV to tell the
Iraqi
people that they are "the heirs of a great civilization that
contributes to
all humanity."
And so what if America stood idly by while much of the heritage of that
civilization - its artifacts, its artistic treasures, its literary
riches
and written records - was being destroyed as he spoke? It's not as if
we
weren't bringing in some culture of our own to fill that unfortunate
vacuum. It was on April 10 as well, by happy coincidence, that the
United
States announced the imminent arrival of nightly newscasts from Dan
Rather,
Jim Lehrer and Brit Hume on newly liberated Iraqi TV. Better still, the
White House let it be known, again on that same day, that it was
seeking
$62 million from Congress for a 24-hour Middle East Television Network
that
would pipe in dubbed versions of prime-time network programming.
Goodbye, dreary old antiquity! Hello, "Friends"!...
---
BUSH SAYS U.S. TO HELP IRAQIS BUILD DEMOCRACY, PROTECT FREEDOM
Roger Runningen and Ryan J. Donmoyer, Bloomberg, 4/28/03
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a1ET4fLgDmYo&refer=us
Dearborn, Michigan - President George W. Bush pledged to help Iraqis
establish a democracy and ``build a prosperous and free nation'' as
U.S.
officials met with Iraqis on establishing a provisional government.
"I have confidence in the future of a free Iraq," Bush told a gathering
of
650 Arab-Americans and Iraqi exiles in Dearborn, a suburb outside
Detroit
that has one of the largest Arab-American populations in the U.S. "The
Iraqi people are fully capable of self-government."
The Bush administration has faced protests and resistance in Iraq among
Shiite Muslim groups to any U.S.-sponsored political process. His
administration has also made clear its opposition to the creation of a
pro-Iranian regime in Iraq, which has the world's second-largest oil
reserves...
In Iraq, scenes of jubilation have given way to protests led by Shiite
clerics with ties to the Iranian government who dislike any prolonged
U.S.
occupation. Shiites are Iraq's majority population.
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council of American-Islamic Relations
civil rights group, said the U.S. needs to give details on when it will
withdraw troops from Iraq and commit to letting Iraqis determine their
future without U.S. interference.
"The longer America stays, the less successful we'll be," Hooper said.
The
U.S. position appears to be `that we want Iraq to be a democracy as
long as
they agree to a system that we want. No people will have a system
thrust
upon them," Hooper said...
---
US TROOPS KILL AT LEAST 13 IRAQIS - WITNESSES
Reuters, 4/29/03
FALLUJA, Iraq - U.S. troops shot dead at least 13 Iraqis demonstrating
against their presence at a school in a town west of Baghdad, residents
told Reuters on Tuesday.
Angry witnesses who were burying their dead after the shooting on
Monday
night in Falluja, 50 km (30 miles) from the capital, told Reuters
correspondent Edmund Blair that dozens more people had been wounded and
the
protesters were not armed.
"Our soul and our blood we will sacrifice to you martyrs," the mourners
chanted as they buried six of the dead at a cemetery while U.S.
helicopters
flew overhead.
At least one person said 17 people were killed in the shooting. Others
put
the death toll at between 13 and 17.
A local Sunni Muslim cleric, Kamal Shaker Mahmoud, said the
demonstrators
were unarmed and had gone to a local school occupied by U.S. troops to
ask
them to leave. The soldiers then opened fire, he said...
-----
SIN AND SEX RETURN TO BAGHDAD
Niko Price, Associated Press, 4/29/03
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Baghdad has gone through a revolution in the past three
weeks, casting off decades of censorship and state control. Banned
books,
satellite dishes and video CDs are now sold on the street - as are
alcohol
and women.
Nobody knows how long the permissiveness will last. Iraq's American
governors brought together Iraqi political leaders Monday to discuss a
new
government, and many Baghdadis believe that once it's in place, some of
their freedoms will disappear.
Conservatives are counting on it.
Horrified by the changes, some Iraqis blame America for what they call
a
cultural degradation. If it continues for long, they promise to rise up
in
a holy war against the U.S. forces occupying their country.
"Everything against Islam, everything we hate, has been imported by the
Americans like a disease," said Abbas Hamid, a 60-year-old merchant.
"We'll
fight them. We're tired now, but we'll rest up and use our guns to
drive
the Americans out..."
Prostitutes walk the streets in some neighborhoods, beckoning passing
motorists...
Also for sale on street corners were cases of Amstel beer and bottles
of
Jack Daniel's whiskey. In recent years, alcohol was forbidden from
public
places in Iraq.
-----
WEST BANK CHECKPOINT NUMBERS CASE PROBED
Mohammed Daraghmeh, Associated Press, 4/29/03
NABLUS, West Bank - Israeli soldiers have written numbers in ink on the
hands of hundreds of Palestinians waiting at a crowded West Bank
military
checkpoint, several of the people marked said Monday.
The army confirmed the incident but said it was done by a lone soldier
who
acted on his own and would face a disciplinary hearing.
Palestinians with three-digit numbers scribbled on their palms said
they
told the soldiers they considered the practice degrading, but they were
given a choice to either turn back or submit to the marking.
A similar incident happened in March 2001 when soldiers marked numbers
on
the foreheads and forearms of Palestinian detainees awaiting
interrogation
during an army sweep of a West Bank refugee camp.
At the time, the action drew outrage from an Israeli lawmaker who
survived
the Holocaust, and the practice was halted. During World War II, Nazi
concentration camp inmates, most of them Jews, had numbers tattooed on
their forearms...
Arabic language professor Hamdi Jabali and insurance agent Wael Dwaikat
were among those in line.
"A soldier came and told me, 'Give me your hand,'" Jabali, 46, said. "I
said, 'Why?' and he said, 'I want to write a number on your hand.' I
told
him, 'This is not human. We use this only for animals,' and he told me
'If
you don't want it you can go back.'"
Jabali, who was given the number 125, said some of the 100 or so people
waiting in front of him when he arrived at 8 a.m. turned back instead
of
accepting the numbers...
-----
FATHER DIED IN BLAZE TRYING TO SAVE DAUGHTER
Cal Millar, Toronto Star, 4/29/03
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1051125575159
Homicide detectives are delving into the background of a North York
family
in hopes of finding a motive for an apparent firebombing attack that
left
two people dead and two others injured.
The horror began around 3:30 a.m. Sunday when some type of incendiary
device was tossed through a window at the rear of a three-story
townhouse
on Virgo Starway in the Don Mills Rd. and Sheppard Ave. area.
Azim Manji, 53, died after being overcome by smoke and flames while
trying
to rescue his 13-year-old daughter, Khadija, who was trapped in an
upstairs
bedroom.
Witnesses told police that Manji had escaped the burning home but went
back
to get his daughter when he heard her screams...
Staff Inspector Gary Ellis, newly appointed head of Toronto's homicide
squad, said investigators are hoping to talk to anyone with information
about the family or possible reasons why someone may have set fire to
their
home.
Ellis said investigators so far have not confirmed the blaze was caused
by
a firebomb.
They are treating the deaths as suspicious, however, and as possible
homicides.
"We want to hear from anyone who has information that can assist in the
investigation of these deaths," Ellis said...
-----
AUDIENCE DIVIDED BY SCHOLAR'S TALK ON ISLAM
Tom Heinen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/29/03
http://www.jsonline.com/lifestyle/religion/apr03/137072.asp
Glendale - Many people in a crowd of more than 300 were tense Monday
night
as shouts by angry protesters repeatedly interrupted a community talk
on
militant Islamic terrorism by controversial scholar Daniel Pipes in the
Nicolet High School auditorium.
Police arrested a 32-year-old Brookfield man when, during "verbal
jarring"
with others, there was an insinuation that he had a bomb, said Glendale
police Lt. Dave Hinman. Though the man pulled up his shirt to show he
was
not wearing a bomb, police cited him for disorderly conduct.
Pipes' recent nomination by President Bush to serve on the board of the
U.S. Institute of Peace has drawn opposition from many American Muslim
groups, who view the Harvard-educated author as one of the nation's
leading
Islamophobes. Past statements about mosques being breeding grounds for
militants, about the need for surveillance of Muslim-Americans, and
about
Islam not being entirely a religion of peace have helped spark
opposition...
Police escorted several people out of the auditorium, including Othman
Atta, vice president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, during
several
minutes of escalating emotions. Each time someone in the audience
interrupted him by shouting "Racist!" or other remarks, Pipes refused
to
continue speaking until that person left...
Pipes estimated that 1 in 8 Muslims, or 10% to 15% of the world's
estimated
1 billion Muslims, were militants. That characterization especially
angered
many Muslims in the audience, with some saying afterward that his
comments
were inaccurate, fostered hate and put Muslim children in the Milwaukee
area at risk
SEE ALSO:
BUSH NOMINEE DANIEL PIPES ACCUSED OF BEING AN ISLAMOPHOBE
All Things Considered, NPR, 4/28/03
NOTE: To listen to this segment, click here
http://www.npr.org/dmg/dmg.php?prgCode=ATC&showDate=28-Apr-2003&segNum=15&NPRMediaPref=RM
MELISSA BLOCK, host: As Congress returns to work this week, lawmakers
face
a controversy over the presidential nomination of Daniel Pipes to the
federally funded US Institute of Peace. Muslim groups have called Pipes
the
nation's leading Islamophobe and insist the White House should drop the
nomination. NPR's Larry Abramson reports.
LARRY ABRAMSON reporting:
Daniel Pipes has been studying and writing about the Middle East for
years.
His strong support for Israel has won him lasting enmity from backers
of
the Palestinians, but his views on post-9/11 security have deepened
that
hatred.
Mr. DANIEL PIPES (Presidential Nominee): I believe that the threat to
the
United States comes from militant Islam, which is the transformation of
Islam, the personal faith, into a totalitarian ideology.
ABRAMSON: Until recently, these views got limited exposure in Pipes'
column
in the New York Post and in a campus watch Web site which helps to out
pro-Arab scholars at US universities. But Pipes' views took on new
meaning,
as President Bush nominated him to serve on the US Institute of Peace,
a
publicly funded think tank that is supposed to promote the peaceful
resolution of international conflicts. Instead, the nomination has
sparked
its own little war. Ibrahim Hooper is with the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations.
Mr. IBRAHIM HOOPER (Council on American-Islamic Relations): We're
trying to
build bridges with the Muslim world. We're trying to resolve the
conflict
in the Middle East, and the nomination of Pipes harms those goals and
harms
America's interests and image worldwide...
ABRAMSON: The Institute of Peace makes reports, not policy, but Muslim
groups say that the Pipes nomination sends a bad message, one that
conflicts with the administration's insistence that terrorism, not
Islam,
is the enemy. Ibrahim Hooper says Pipes uses a broad brush that
identifies
all Muslims as potential terrorists.
Mr. HOOPER: If all Mr. Pipes did was condemn true militants who use the
name of Islam to commit violent acts, that would be one thing. But his
definition of militant Islam includes almost every Muslim who would be
active in the political arena...
---
STOP THE NOMINATION OF DANIEL PIPES TO THE US INSTITUTE OF PEACE
On April 2, 2003 Daniel Pipes was nominated by the White House to the
Board
of the US Institute of Peace and the nomination was referred to the
Senate
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for approval where
it
now sits. The Press Office for the Committee says the nomination will
not
be considered for the next 10 days and perhaps longer, but the
Committee
could act any time...
Daniel Pipes is a symbol of anti-democratic values personified. His
racist
tracts are issued with regularity, his McCarthyite, or "neo-Stalinist",
network, as it has more recently been characterized, built around his
Campus Watch website is a true threat to free speech and ordinary civil
liberties. His views on 'conflict resolution' which favor force and
fear
over negotiations sets him at immediate odds with the stated goals of
the
USIP. He is a regular contributor to Gamla, ³an organization founded by
former Israeli military officers and settlers that endorses the ethnic
cleansing of every Palestinian as "the only possible solution" to the
Arab-Israeli conflictŠ² (see The Nation), and it goes on...
The Say No to Pipes Campaign is a grassroots campaign now collecting
signatures on a letter that will be delivered in hard copy by courier
to
the Chairman, Ranking Member and all other members of the Senate
Committee
on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions as well as electronically to
the
press and others. We need lots of signatures. Time may be very limited.
PLEASE go to
http://www.say-no-to-pipes.org
-----
DOES TALK RADIO INCITE HATE?
Ken Olsen, Tolerance.org, 4/25/03
http://www.tolerance.org/news/article_tol.jsp?id=752
Soon after 9.11, a talk radio host in northwestern Montana started
airing
claims that conservationists and environmentalists were linked to al
Qaeda.
Station KGEZ had been vilifying environmental activists for nearly a
year
with labels like "Green Nazis" and "The Fourth Reich." Blaming them for
economic downturns in the local logging and aluminum smelting
industries,
the station also broadcast names of local conservationists - and, in
some
cases, their home addresses - as well as the names of some businesses
that
donated to conservation groups.
Those named on the air had their cars vandalized and received hundreds
of
harassing telephone calls, some of which included broad threats to kill
environmentalists. Bumper stickers with green swastikas or the slogan
"Just
Say No to the Green Nazis" started appearing on some of their doors.
Some people without direct ties to the environmental movement were
openly
critical of the station's harsh rhetoric, and they, too, were harassed
and
suffered property vandalism.
The ugly rhetoric may change - anti-Hispanic bias in the Southwest,
anti-gay slurs in the Northeast, anti-Arab bias in the Midwest - but
the
fact remains: There are a phenomenal number of no-holds-barred hosts
pounding their bullying pulpits on talk radio.
Tune the dial to find Hispanics being accused of being universally
lazy.
Dial up another station to hear gays bashed with fag jokes. Hit "seek"
for
another station and find people of Middle Eastern origin being referred
to
as "towel heads."
Commuters and others hear these drive-time slurs every morning and
every
night, but there remains a paucity of studies on how listeners are
affected
by the constant barrage of racism, homophobia, anti-immigrant,
anti-almost
everything not white and far right.
Observers say the problem is growing.
"A Lars Larson (in Portland) or a Michael Savage (on MSNBC) is doing it
by
spinning a half-truth into a truth-and-a-half, and it becomes gospel,"
said
Paul Shively, former outreach director for Montana Human Rights
Network.
"Nobody looks for the sources."
Listeners, meanwhile, "go into the coffee shop and regurgitate it," he
said. "If anything, it inoculates people to the hatred."...
SEE ALSO:
CHALLENGING HATE RADIO: A GUIDE FOR ACTIVISTS
FAIR, 4/29/03
http://www.fair.org/activism/hate-radio.html
1. Force yourself to listen to it. We know it's tough, but someone's
got to
do it.
2. Document it. Sometimes only a talkshow host's loyal following hears
the
most outrageous thing that he says. You need to be able to document
exactly
what was said (and when it was said). Record the show, and be sure to
label
and date your tapes.
3. Keep track of the worst statements. Transcribe the most offensive
comments [if possible]. Transcripts are easier and cheaper to
distribute
than audio tapes. Having a one-page list of quotes educates people and
motivates them to action quickly. A "worst of" tape can also be very
valuable.
4. Inform others who will take action. If you have a group of people
interested, setting up an email list, or a quick response phone or fax
tree, is a good idea.
5. Call in to the show. Call the on-air line during the show and try to
challenge the racism, sexism or homophobia calmly and directly. It
often
doesn't take much to demonstrate the absurdity of bigoted arguments. If
several people call in, it can change the entire show.
6. Write letters to station managers or owners. If the host doesn't
respond
to criticism, those who run the station need to know how offensive the
program is. If you are part of a group or coalition, you might want to
request a meeting as well.
7. Notify other outlets. Newspapers, non-commercial radio stations or
other
media might be interested in stories about talk radio. Send a press
release
including a few of the worst quotes and the dates they aired. Be
prepared
to offer a tape for documentation.
8. Build a coalition. Contact organizations that have a particular
interest
in challenging hate speech-like civil rights, religious, feminist and
gay
rights groups-and have organizational resources devoted to the issue.
9. Organize a demonstration. If you have an active coalition, a
demonstration can draw attention to the problem and put pressure on the
station at the same time. Large signs or placards and a one-page flyer
with
some of the worst on-air statements by the host and your coalition's
demands will educate passersby.
10. Keep the pressure on. Even if the station doesn't balance the
hate-jock, or allow an on-air discussion of hate speech, just
publicizing
bigoted statements changes the terms of debate. Hate flourishes when
other
views are not heard. By challenging it as often as possible, you
diminish
the ignorance that is necessary to racism, sexism and homophobia.
-----
MORTON GROVE REJECTS MOSQUE
Tiffany Ray, Chicago Tribune, 4/29/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/nearnorthwest/chi-0304290242apr29,1,7847066.story
The Morton Grove Village Board unanimously rejected a proposal Monday
night
for a mosque that drew heavy opposition from residents who said it
would
create traffic and parking problems.
But trustees made it clear that the Muslim Education Center, a school
at
8601 Menard Ave., could submit a new plan and repeat the process before
the
Plan Commission and Village Board.
Gary Tucker, an attorney representing the Muslim center, said mosque
officials plan to do just that. They will reduce the size proposed for
the
mosque and increase the number of parking spaces.
The center has used the site for 13 years as a school and holds
services in
its gymnasium. At issue were Friday afternoon services, which already
draw
far more worshipers than the center's 70 parking spaces can
accommodate...
One resident suggested that an anti-Muslim backlash might have played a
role in the center's rejection.
"There is no open religious bias ... but what else can it be?" said
Akhter
Sadiq, who has four children who attended the school. He said every
time
the center addressed a concern by opponents, a new one was raised.
Residents denied that and said traffic was the key issue.
Pam Lundsberg, a neighbor of the school, said, "It's not a religious
issue.
They've been there 13 years. Let them stay there many more as a
school."
-----
BELIEFNET'S 'TAKING BACK ISLAM' WINS RELIGION BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
PR Newswire, 4/29/03
NEW YORK - The Religion Communicators Council on April 27 awarded its
prestigious Wilbur Award for Best Religion Book to "Taking Back Islam:
American Muslims Reclaim Their Faith."
A collaboration between Rodale Press and Beliefnet, the leading
multifaith
religion and spirituality website, the book included essays by many of
the
leading American Muslims and commentators about Islam, including Karen
Armstrong, Khaled Abou El Fadl, Michael Wolfe and others.
"The judges selected 'Taking Back Islam' because it best epitomized the
Wilbur Awards goal of building a better climate of understanding of
religious concerns among the general public," said Eric Shafer, awards
chairman for the Religious Communicators Council, the nation's main
interfaith association of communication professionals working for
religious
organizations...
In an introduction to the book, the editor, Michael Wolfe, wrote,
"September 11 forced a reckoning of sorts, and it has led us to be more
self-reliant...This is a book by forward-looking Muslims -- in love
with
Islam, proud of Islam, and confident enough in its strength to believe
that
it can stand up to honest introspection. 'Speak the truth,' Muhammad
said,
'even if it hurts you.' A sometimes painful struggle, nothing less than
a
faith in search of its soul, informs this book."
-----
NEW ARAB-AMERICAN GROUP LAUNCHES ANTI-BUSH CAMPAIGN, PLEDGES VOTER
MOBILIZATION DRIVE TO SEND BUSH PACKING IN 2004
U.S. Newswire, 4/28/03
DEARBORN, Mich. - A newly-formed group, calling itself Arab-American
Republicans Against Bush (AARAB.org), will deliver a message to
President
Bush at his Dearborn, Mich. appearance today. Photo ops and hollow
words
are not enough to garner the community's support in his 2004
re-election
bid. Arab-Americans gave critical votes and financial support to
George W.
Bush in key electoral states in 2000. Next time around, community
leaders
say their disappointment in the president's handling of critical
domestic
and foreign policy issues will lead them in another direction.
"We were lied to, plain and simple," said AARAB.org founder Khalid
Turaani. "In 2000, Bush came to us with promises of inclusion,
integrity
and responsibility in policies of particular concern to
Arab-Americans. Over the past two years, we've been treated to ethnic
profiling, detention without trial, INS dragnets, the closing of our
community institutions and a foreign policy that seems designed to keep
America at perpetual war with the Arab world. Arab-Americans deserve
better. All Americans deserve better," he said...
Shock waves were sent throughout the Arab-American community when Bush
recently nominated Daniel Pipes to the board of the U.S. Institute of
Peace
(USIP), a federal taxpayer-funded institution created by Congress to
promote the peaceful resolution of international conflicts. Pipes
advocates that Israel "raze" Palestinian villages, and in a post-9/11
interview he said, "What we need to do is snarl, not be nice. What we
need
to do is inspire fear, not affection."... Contact: Khalid Turaani of
Arab-American Republicans Against Bush, 202-256-2000; web:
http://www.aarab.org
-----
TO BECOME A CAIR MEMBER, GO TO:
https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 4/30/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: A JUST RULER
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5777 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CHICAGO TRIBUNE SAYS 'REJECT' PIPES NOMINATION
- Free Speech or Hate Speech? (Capital Times)
* SOUTHERN ILLINOIS MOSQUE VANDALIZED (Southern)
* LIBRARY TO WARN USERS ABOUT PATRIOT ACT (Post-Intelligencer)
- Patriot Raid (Alternet)
- Maryland Lecture on Patriot Act and Civil Rights
- Queens Teen Can Stay In U.S., Congressman Says
* FIRST AMERICAN MUSLIM TV CHANNEL TO DEBUT SUMMER 2004
* ERODING PRINCIPLES (Washington Post)
- Resources: Patterns of Global Terrorism Report
- Hypocrisy & Apple Pie (New York Times)
- Troops Letting Looters Smuggle Antiquities' (Independent)
- US Troops Fire On Falluja Crowd, 2 Dead (Reuters)
* 'YOU CRUSHED OUR DAUGHTER' (Ha'aretz)
* GROUP SEEKS DEPORTATION REPRIEVE FOR FAMILY OF 9/11 VICTIM
* D.C. BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF FAR RIGHT HINDU GROUPS
* NOTED FEMALE SCHOLAR ON ISLAM TO SPEAK AT MARYLAND CENTER
* FL MUSLIM RAP CONVENTION/MUSLIM FAMILY REUNION IN JULY
* LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM A CHRISTIAN LEADER
* TEXT-"ROAD MAP" FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A JUST RULER
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who has ruled over
(even) ten people will be brought shackled on the Day of Resurrection
until
(his acts of) justice loosen his chains or (acts of) tyranny brings him
to
destruction."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1037
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5777 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5777 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CHICAGO TRIBUNE SAYS 'REJECT' PIPES NOMINATION
A COMBATIVE PICK FOR PEACE PANEL
Chicago Tribune, 4/30/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0304300121apr30,1,2070451.story
Now the focus of the debate has shifted to the nomination by the
administration of Daniel Pipes to serve on the board of the U.S.
Institute
of Peace. Despite his academic qualifications--he has studied Islam and
Islamic radicals--the nomination of Pipes hardly reinforces the
president's
message of tolerance toward Muslims, or the philosophy or political
interests of the GOP.
The White House ought to withdraw the nomination, or the Senate should
reject it...
Pipes' study and extensive writings about Islamic radicals, however,
have
not prevented him from going off on several extreme limbs of his own.
He criticized the president for characterizing Islam as a "peaceful
religion" following the Sept. 11 attacks. He has advocated profiling of
all
Muslims in the U.S. as a security precaution and the monitoring of all
Muslims in law enforcement, the military and the diplomatic corps for
possible terrorist links. Mosques in the U.S., according to Pipes, are
dominated by extremists and their representatives should not be invited
to
the White House.
In his own defense, Pipes argues that there is a difference between
Islam
and "radical Islamists." But by advocating such sweeping measures
against
all Muslims, he effectively obliterates the distinction between the
two.
Pipes' Middle East Forum also sponsors "Campus Watch," to monitor "the
often erroneous and biased teachings and writings of U.S. professors
specializing in the Middle East." A particular target are academics
opposed
to the policies of Israel. The stated goal is to improve "scholarly
study
of the region" but in reality it smacks of an effort to intimidate
academics who don't toe Pipes' line on the Middle East...
The institute is a quasi-governmental think tank dedicated to
international
peace and conflict-resolution. Pipes, who seems to invite conflict, is
far
from the ideal candidate.
ACTION REQUESTED: Send a note of appreciation to the Chicago Tribune
at:
ctc-TribLetter@Tribune.com or
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-lettertotheeditor,1,1030804.customform
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
Include your name, address and phone number. The more concise the
letter,
the better the chances for publication.
SEE ALSO:
FREE SPEECH OR HATE SPEECH?
Aaron Nathans, Capitol Times, 4/30/03
http://www.madison.com/captimes/news/stories/47917.php
Controversial Middle East analyst Daniel Pipes told a University of
Wisconsin audience the Palestinian people must accept the existence of
Israel if their lives are to improve...
The speech was sponsored by the Wisconsin Union Directorate, which put
a
disclaimer on its flier saying it "does not endorse the beliefs of this
program..."
The crowd grew testy at times, especially during the question and
answer
session in which some said Zionism is also a harmful strain in the
region.
He responded that Zionism is merely Jewish nationalism. After a
questioner
said he should be ashamed of himself, Pipes replied: "Is this
University of
Wisconsin civility?"
A heckler in the audience shouted back: "It is when it comes to
bigots!"
Later, when he was criticized by a man in black wearing a witch hat,
Pipes
shot back: "You know, you're as stupid as you look."
Numerous women in the audience wore a hijab, a white headgarb used by
Arab
women to indicate modesty.
"We're in support of free speech but not hate speech," said Shahin
Khalili,
who graduated from UW-Madison in December. Her father is from Iran. "It
bothers us the Wisconsin Union Directorate invited him to come here."
-----
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS MOSQUE VANDALIZED
Islamic group calls for FBI investigation, increased police protection
(ST. LOUIS, 3/30/2003) - The St. Louis chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-St. Louis) today called for an FBI
investigation of a weekend attack by vandals on the Islamic Center of
Carbondale, Illinois.
SEE: ISLAMIC CENTER OF CARBONDALE VANDALIZED WITH PAINT
http://www.thesouthern.com/rednews/2003/04/29/build/local/LOC005.html
The vandals sprayed messages in black paint on the walls and doors of
the
Center. A phrase praising a Hindu god, which translated as "Long live
Shri
Rama," was spray-painted on the building, along with an exhortation in
English to "Free Kashmir." Kashmir is a region over which the countries
of
India and Pakistan both claim jurisdiction.
"We call on the FBI to review this incident and to investigate it as a
possible hate crime," said CAIR-St. Louis Communications Director James
Hacking. "We also ask that the Carbondale Police Department provide a
greater police presence in the area surrounding the Islamic Center."
Hacking said the Islamic Center has been a vital part of the Carbondale
community for over 18 years. Students and faculty from the nearby
campus of
Southern Illinois University, as well as many professional families in
Southern
Illinois, worship at the mosque. On Fridays, SOME 200 Muslims gather to
make their weekly prayers at the center.
CAIR is America's largest civil liberties group. It is headquartered in
Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices nationwide and in Canada.
Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil and religious
rights of all Americans.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-St. Louis, James Hacking, 314-602-3794, E-mail:
admin@cair-stl.org
-----
CITY LIBRARY TO WARN USERS ABOUT PATRIOT ACT
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 4/30/03
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/119802_cbriefs30.html
The city's library board announced yesterday that it would print and
distribute bookmarks warning borrowers about the law that allows
federal
investigators to demand the names of patrons and the lists of books
they read.
The USA Patriot Act, passed by Congress a month after the terrorist
attacks
Sept. 11, 2001, gives agents the power to obtain medical, business and
library records after obtaining a court warrant.
Although federal officials have not asked for one record from Seattle
library, four library trustees unanimously agreed yesterday that they
would
issue bookmarks, in a number of languages, to warn patrons. That
follows
recent recommendations of the American Civil Liberties Union and the
City
Council that libraries post signs about the Patriot Act.
At the meeting yesterday, several library users spoke against the law.
SEE ALSO:
PATRIOT RAID
Jason Halperin, Alternet, 4/29/03
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15770
Two weeks ago I experienced a very small taste of what hundreds of
South
Asian immigrants and U.S. citizens of South Asian descent have gone
through
since 9/11, and what thousands of others have come to fear. I was held,
against my will and without warrant or cause, under the USA PATRIOT
Act.
While I understand the need for some measure of security and precaution
in
times such as these, the manner in which this detention and
interrogation
took place raises serious questions about police tactics and the
safeguarding of civil liberties in times of war.
That night, March 20th, my roommate Asher and I were on our way to see
the
Broadway show "Rent." We had an hour to spare before curtain time so we
stopped into an Indian restaurant just off of Times Square in the heart
of
midtown. I have omitted the name of the restaurant so as not to subject
the
owners to any further harassment or humiliation.
We helped ourselves to the buffet and then sat down to begin eating our
dinner. I was just about to tell Asher how I'd eaten there before and
how
delicious the vegetable curry was, but I never got a chance. All of a
sudden, there was a terrible commotion and five NYPD in bulletproof
vests
stormed down the stairs. They had their guns drawn and were pointing
them
indiscriminately at the restaurant staff and at us...
"You have no right to hold us," Asher insisted.
"Yes, we have every right," responded one of the agents. "You are being
held under the Patriot Act following suspicion under an internal
Homeland
Security investigation..."
When I asked to speak to a lawyer, the INS official informed me that I
do
have the right to a lawyer but I would have to be brought down to the
station and await security clearance before being granted one. When I
asked
how long that would take, he replied with a coy smile: "Maybe a day,
maybe
a week, maybe a month..."
---
MARYLAND LECTURE ON PATRIOT ACT'S IMPACT ON CIVIL RIGHTS
WHAT: The Howard County Coalition Against War is sponsoring a
discussion on
Patriot Act and threats to civil liberties.
Speakers will include:
* Garland Nixon - ACLU
* Kit Gage - First Amendment Foundation
* Shoba Sivaprasad - National Lawyers Guild
* Jeanne E. Herrick-Stare - Friends Committee on National
Legislation
Panel discussion moderated by:
* Chuck Michaels, author of No Greater Threat, America After
Sept. 11 and the Rise of a National Security State
WHEN: Saturday, May 10, 7 P.M.
WHERE: Oakland Mills Interfaith Center
5985 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia, MD
For more information, go to www.howardcountypeace.com or call
410-730-0749
---
QUEENS TEEN CAN STAY IN U.S., CONGRESSMAN SAYS
Associated Press, 4/30/03
NEW YORK - A Queens teenager who faced deportation after he reported to
immigration officials under new registration laws will be allowed to
stay
in the country, according to a local lawmaker.
Mohammad Safaraz Hussain, 18, a high school basketball player born in
Pakistan and raised in Queens, has been granted an exemption on
humanitarian grounds, U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman said Tuesday.
Hussain came to the U.S. when he was 7 years old to visit his mother,
who
was being treated for cancer. His mother died a year later, and his
father
died in Pakistan in 2000. Hussain, a junior at Jamaica High School, was
raised by his uncle in Queens.
After new laws required male non-citizens over the age of 16 from Arab
and
Muslim countries to register, Hussain reported to immigration officials
and
was told he was in the country illegally and faced deportation.
But after students circulated petitions and Hussain's basketball coach
and
Ackerman lobbied on his behalf, it appeared officials were willing to
make
an exception...
-----
FIRST AMERICAN MUSLIM TV CHANNEL TO DEBUT SUMMER 2004
Press Release, Bridges TV
NEW YORK, NY, May 1, 2003-New York-based Bridges Network, Inc.,
announced
today that it will launch Bridges TV, the first ever nationwide
English-language Muslim television channel in North America. The
expected
launch date is summer 2004, depending on how quickly the network can
gather
the 10,000 paying members necessary to demonstrate public support.
Bridges TV, which will be broadcast from Manhattan, will emphasize news
stories, and talk shows, wholesome sitcoms, advice shows, children's
programming and movies about Muslim life in America. Programming will
mostly be created, since an English-language genre targeting American
Muslims does not exist.
The venture is spearheaded by Muzzammil S. Hassan, MBA, a bank
vice-president in New York and Omar S. Amanat, founder of Tradescape,
an
Internet brokerage firm. Mr. Amanat sold Tradescape last year to
E*Trade
(NYSE: ET) for $280,000,000 (million).
Amanat learned early on that even at the height of his financial
success on
Wall Street, public perceptions of Muslims prevented him from being
fully
accepted.
"I realized that the only way to undo misconceptions was to create our
own
media forum from which our stories and culture would be shared with the
world. Other cultural groups have gained acceptance and increased
understanding through the forum of media. Why can't Muslims do the
same?"
Channels such as Telemundo and the Black Entertainment Television
network
have appealed to cultural niche markets. Bridges TV hopes to follow a
similar model and create a diverse genre of programming that members of
the
American Muslim community can identify with. That group is composed
approximately one-quarter each of South Asian, African-American, Arab
and
Others.
Hassan noted that most members of these groups are moderate Muslims who
cannot identify with the extreme stereotypes often depicted in
Hollywood
productions.
"They think they are not accurately portrayed," he said. "Bridges TV
gives
American Muslims a voice and will depict them in everyday, real life
situations."
Bridges TV differentiates itself from such foreign language programming
as
Zee TV (Hindi), Prime TV (Urdu) and ART TV (Arabic), which are
broadcast in
foreign languages and focus on life experiences in foreign countries.
These
channels are popular among immigrant parents, but not with their U.S.
born
children. "Our channel is in English and about life in America. We want
a
Muslim child who grows up in America to be able to watch our channel
and
identify with the characters, or to be engaged by the dialogue of
issues
pertinent to him or her," said Amanat.
Amanat added that stories that shed light on the significant
contributions
of American Muslims to modern science, art and entertainment remain
untold
and will be a focus of Bridges TV programming. The network seeks to
feature
sitcoms that represent American Muslim family life. The Cosby Show,
which
portrayed a positive representation of African-American family life, is
a
model for such sitcom programming.
Creation of a channel that features American Muslims comes at a time
when
the media spotlight is increasingly focused on this population. The
channel
hopes to "build bridges" of understanding by providing Muslims an
opportunity to express their views and opinions about their faith and
lifestyle.
Given the estimated eight million Muslims living in North America, the
channel is long overdue, according to network officials. And studies
sponsored by Bridges TV have found that American Muslims are willing to
pay
as much as $10 per month above and beyond their current cable or
satellite
fee for the channel.
According to a Zogby 2000 survey, at an annual growth of 6%, the
American
Muslim population, which at present makes a sizable market, is expected
to
double to 15 million in the next ten years.
Although targeted primarily at a North-American Muslim audience,
company
officials anticipate that Bridges TV will have some cross-over appeal
to
other Americans due to world-wide interest about Islam and Muslim
lifestyles.
The company successfully completed its first round of fundraising last
year, netting $1,000,000 (million) in seed capital from investors.
Most of
this initial money is being used to cover legal, filming, marketing and
licensing fees. With a pledge of financial support from Amanat, the
company's leading investor, the network's next main milestone is
securing
the 10,000 paying monthly members necessary to garner cable and
satellite
television support.
Initial projections are to broadcast the channel four to six hours per
day.
Pending advertising revenue and community support through monthly
subscriptions, Bridges TV hopes to evolve into a full-time nationwide
cable
television channel. Their long-term goal is to gain at least 10% of
American Muslim households as monthly subscribers.
So far the response from potential subscribers has been overwhelming.
Over
1,000 paying members have signed up in just one month.
"An American Muslim television channel is the greatest need of our
times,"
said Amanat. If American Muslims want to bring this kind of television
programming into their home, we need their support as members -the
viability of this project depends on American Muslims."
For more information, photos, bio's and interviews, visit
www.bridges.tv or call:
Omar S. Amanat, Tel.: 917-669-8844, omar@bridges.tv
Muzzammil Hassan, Tel.: 716-308-6593, mhassan@bridges.tv
Omar Ghosheh, Tel.: 716-578-1317, oghosheh@bridges.tv
-----
ERODING PRINCIPLES
Jim Hoagland, Washington Post, 4/30/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57206-2003Apr29.html
"With us or against us" was the noble rallying cry from President Bush
to
the rest of the world in the hour of America's 9/11 grief and anger.
But
political expediency, the passage of time and the U.S. military's
growing
postwar problems in Iraq now cloud the moral clarity that Bush both
promised and demanded in the war on terrorism.
Look who's "with us" now in Iraq: American forces have reached a
cease-fire
with the People's Mujahedeen, an Iranian exile group with a long record
of
terrorism, banditry and support and direction by Saddam Hussein's
regime.
Under the reported terms of the capitulation, the Mujahedeen will stop
fighting U.S. forces and be allowed to store much of the artillery and
the
antiaircraft guns they received from the shattered Iraqi regime.
This may well be a tactical maneuver that will end with the United
States
putting this terrorist outfit out of business for good. That would give
credibility and coherence to Bush's pledges to roll back global
terrorism
and bring stability in the greater Middle East. Neither of those goals
can
be accomplished by letting this noxious group remain intact.
But the battlefield truce is the visible tip of an iceberg of
contradictory
pressures and promises of short-term fixes that push a moralist
president
back toward diplomacy as usual. Foreign policy "realism" is
surprisingly
resurgent on Bush's team after victory in Iraq...
SEE ALSO:
RESOURCES: PATTERNS OF GLOBAL TERRORISM REPORT BY THE U.S. STATE
DEPARTMENT
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt/2002/html/19977.htm
---
HYPOCRISY & APPLE PIE
Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 4/30/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/30/opinion/30DOWD.html
Richard Perle is at ease with neo-imperial swagger.
At the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday night,
the
Pentagon's Prince of Darkness lectured Hans Blix as if he were a
colonial
subject, instructing him on why an invasion of Iraq had been justified
even
though no weapons of mass destruction had yet been found.
Asked afterward how Mr. Blix had reacted, Mr. Perle replied merrily:
"He's
a Swedish disarmament lawyer. He's used to a lot of abuse..."
"America is the empire that dare not speak its name," Niall Ferguson,
the
Oxford professor who wrote "Empire," told a crowd at the Council on
Foreign
Relations here on Monday. He believes that America is so invested in
its
"creation myth," breaking away from a wicked empire, that Americans
will
always be self-deceiving - and even self-defeating - imperialists.
"The great thing about the American empire is that so many Americans
disbelieve in its existence," he said. "Ever since the annexation of
Texas
and invasion of the Philippines, the U.S. has systematically pursued an
imperial policy.
"It's simply a suspension of disbelief by Americans. They think they're
so
different that when they have bases in foreign territories, it's not an
empire. When they invade sovereign territory, it's not an empire..."
---
TROOPS 'ARE LETTING LOOTERS SMUGGLE IRAQI ANTIQUITIES'
David Keys, Independent, 4/30/03
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=401689
The American military was accused yesterday of doing nothing to prevent
the
mass smuggling of Iraq's antiquities - three weeks after the country's
museums were ransacked.
Dr Donny George, the Iraq Museum's head of research, saidat the British
Museum: "Anyone can take anything and go out of the country. It's a
tragedy.'' Border checks were only being made on its western frontier
by
Jordanian police, he said.
Dr George and his colleague at the British Museum, Dr John Curtis, said
thousands of objects were now thought to have been looted from the Iraq
Museum - one of the most important museum collections in the world.
Among them is the Warka Vase from Uruk - a large limestone vessel
decorated
with a relief of ancient religious rites that dates from 3,100BC...
Later today, Koichiro Matsuura, the director general of Unesco, is due
to
meet Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, in New York to ensure that
the
UN Security Council passes a resolution banning the export of
antiquities
from Iraq. This would massively bolster existing conventions protecting
cultural heritage, which have not yet been ratified by America and some
other countries.
A full inventory of the damage will not be completed for months. After
appeals by clerics, some objects are now being returned and there is a
local amnesty to encourage looters to return items.
---
US TROOPS FIRE ON FALLUJA CROWD, IRAQIS SAY 2 DEAD
Edmund Blair, Reuters, 4/30/03
http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2657198
FALLUJA, Iraq - U.S. troops opened fire Wednesday for the second time
this
week on an angry crowd in the Iraqi town of Falluja, near Baghdad.
A local hospital official said two men had been killed in the incident.
Soldiers said they fired only after being shot at.
"The number of killed was two. They were hit in the head," said Ahmed
al-Taha, a senior official at the main hospital in Falluja, 30 miles
west
of Baghdad.
The crowd had been protesting outside the main U.S. command post in the
town about the killing of at least 13 Iraqis in the town on Monday
night.
The post is in the former headquarters of Saddam's Baath party, next to
the
mayor's office.
Carpenter Ziad Aboud Najm, 34, said he was among the demonstrators
chanting
slogans outside the post when the U.S. vehicle convoy approached.
He said one soldier in the building seemed to get scared, ducked down
below
his position and fired a gun into the air, roughly in the direction of
the
convoy. Vehicles in the convoy then opened fire on the demonstrators,
he
added...
Doctor Talib al-Janabi, head of a private hospital in Falluja, said
townspeople objected to the way the Americans were patrolling,
"wandering
inside and in between houses and in front of schools, like cowboys."
He said Iraqis did not want to be treated "like what happened in Israel
and
Palestine," adding: "They said they are coming here to liberate us from
the
regime of Saddam Hussein. But it should not be in such a way..."
-----
`IT'S A TERRIBLE THING, LIVING WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU CRUSHED OUR
DAUGHTER'
Nathan Guttman, Haaretz, 4/30/03
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=288495
WASHINGTON - Cindy and Craig Corrie remember very well the conversation
when Rachel told them of her plans to go to Rafah to join an
international
delegation of activists that assists the Palestinians and fights
against
house demolitions. "She gave all kinds of hints and then she said: `I'm
going'," says Craig Corrie. "I thought to myself - why don't you find
yourself a soup kitchen here instead of going over there, but I didn't
say
anything."...
"Rachel felt that we don't understand the ongoing violence toward the
Palestinians, says Cindy. She herself said she empathizes with all the
sides. "I know there are families in Israel that lost more than one
family
member in suicide attacks and I know now that their pain is double,"
she
says. But on the day Rachel would have celebrated her 24th birthday,
Cindy's anger won out. A day earlier, Tom Horndal, British ISM
activist,
had been critically injured and she phoned the Israeli consul in San
Francisco and told him that despite her great empathy for the Jewish
people, the fact that the army had already injured three unarmed peace
activists was not giving her any peace. "Even worse is that that same
week
17 Palestinians were killed, including five children and that didn't
make
any waves here," says Cindy Corrie...
Last Thursday, the Corrie family went again to Capitol Hill in
Washington.
They are trying to convince members of both houses of Congress to
support a
draft bill that would require the U.S. to investigate the circumstances
of
their daughter's death. Craig and Cindy do not conceal their
frustration -
mobilizing Congress members goes very slowly, political considerations
interfere and suddenly, they find themselves facing a countermove, that
mentions all the Americans killed in suicide attacks in Israel. Craig
and
Cindy say they will be happy to support this proposal, but not instead
of a
demand for an investigation...
-----
GROUP SEEKS DEPORTATION REPRIEVE FOR FAMILY OF 9/11 MURDER VICTIM
WHAT: The National Council of Pakistani Americans (NCPA) is asking
people
of conscience to contact, in particular two members of Congress, Rep.
F.
James Sensenbrenner, Jr and Rep. John Hostettler, requesting them
support
to Rep. Holt's relief bill which will grant permanent residence to the
family of the late Waqar Hasan.
BACKGROUND: Waqar Hasan was shot and killed four days after 9-11 in a
hate
crime. An angry young man walked into his convenience store on 9-15,
ordered two hamburgers and shot Waqar in the face. Anthony Stroman, the
killer, expressed no remorse, stating "I did it to retaliate on local
Arab
Americans or whatever you call them." Waqar Hasan died instantly.
Waqar Hasan's wife and four daughters live in New Jersey. Their pending
green card applications also died with Mr. Hasan. This family has lived
in
the US for almost 10 years, and is now in the process of being deported
by
the INS. For more information on the family, please visit:
http://holt.house.gov/display2.cfm?id=4037&type=Home
Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ) is the only member of Congress who has
worked
since that time to assist this family. He has sponsored a private
relief
bill in Congress which, if passed, would give this family permanent
residency in the United States.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: People of conscience can help pass this bill by
contacting the
Members of the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
There are two members specifically who need to hear from us.
1. Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
Chair, Committee on the Judiciary
Telephone: (202) 225-5101
Email: Sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov
2. Congressman John Hostettler
Chair, Subcommittee on Immigration
TEL: (202) 225-4636
FAX: (202) 225-3284
Email- John.Hostettler@mail.house.gov
3. Your own elected representative. You can locate his/her contact
information from www.house.gov
Please copy the NCPA (media@ncpa.info) on each of your responses.
For further information, call 202-544-1898 or visit www.ncpa.info
------
D.C. BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF FAR RIGHT HINDU GROUPS
Press release, Indian Muslim Council-USA, 4/28/03
http://www.imc-usa.org/cgi-bin/PressRelease.cfm?PRID=46
The Indian Muslim Council-USA held a briefing on Sunday, April 27 at
the
Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Leadership Conference on
Hindutva in America.
The purpose of the forum was to educate executive CAIR staff members,
guests, and policy makers about the rise of the Hindutva in America and
its
long term detrimental implications, both for the US and India.
The event was attended by over 60 people and was moderated by Jason
Erb,
Director of Government Affairs for CAIR. Zahir Janmohamed, Outreach
Director for the Indian Muslim Council-USA, spoke about IMC-USA's
efforts
over the past eight months in engaging policy discussion on India.
Janmohamed began his speech by emphasizing that Hindutva is not
Hinduism.
He said, "Hindutva is a political perversion that has distorted the
tolerant ethos of Hinduism. It is imperative that we do not confuse the
two
terms. If we begin generalizing, then we fall into the same cycle of
intolerance that has engulfed the Sangh Parivar."
Janmohamed also cautioned about the rise of the political influence of
the
Hindutva groups. He noted, "As America pushes for democracy throughout
the
world, we should be concerned that Hindutva groups here are advocating
that
America turn a blind eye as India's slips away from its democratic and
pluralistic roots."
He commended and thanked CAIR for their support of IMC-USA and urged
CAIR
chapters to continue raising awareness about the rise of Hindutva and
its
possible threat the cherished American values of tolerance and
democracy.
CONTACT: Zahir Janmohamed
Indian Muslim Council-USA
(202) 368-8914
info@imc-usa.org
-----
MUSLIM SCHOLAR ON ISLAM TO SPEAK AT MARYLAND CENTER
WHAT: A presentation by Dr. Azzizah Al Hibri, titled, "A Woman's
Perspective of the Islamic Worldview"
Dr. Azizah Y. al-Hibri teaches corporate law and Islamic jurisprudence
at
the T. C. Williams School of Law, University of Richmond. She is a
former
professor of Philosophy, founding editor and current president of
KARAMAH:
Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, and member of the Advisory Board
of
the Public Religion Project (University of Chicago)
WHEN: Sunday, May 4, 11 A.M. to 1 P.M.
WHERE: Muslim Community Center - 15200 New Hampshire Ave., Silver
Spring,
MD 20905
-----
FL MUSLIM RAP CONVENTION/MUSLIM FAMILY REUNION IN JULY
WHAT: The Islamic Crisis Emergency Response System presents: First
Annual
Islamic Family Reunion & Muslims in Hip Hop Conference and Concert
WHEN: July 24-27, 2003
WHERE: Orlando, Florida
Featuring: Imam Siraj Wahhaj, World Renowned Scholar and Imam
of Masjid-atTaqwa (Brooklyn NY),Imam Al-Hajj Talib 'Abdur-Rashid Imam
of
The Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood (Harlem NY),Imam Qasim Khan Amir of
the
First Cleveland Mosque (Cleveland OH), Umar Abdur Rahim Ocasio (Spanish
Harlem NY) "The Enduring Legacy Of Islam Among Latinos"
Muslims in Hip Hop Conference & Concert - Ali Shaheed Muhammad(Tribe
Called
Quest/Lucy Pearl), Everlast, DJ Kidragon & DJ Omega (The Knockout
Brothers- both turntablists & partyrockers), The Iron Triangle (emcees
from
Cleveland OH)
Native Deen (NativeDeen.com), among others.
CONTACT: The Islamic Crisis Emergency Response System
PO Box 312264 Atlanta GA 31131, Office: 404-296-8478 Fax:
404-296-8478 Email: icers711@aol.com Toll Free: 1-866-ICERS-24
(1-866-423-7724)
Or visit www.OrlandoMeetingInfo.com/IFR
-----
LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM A CHRISTIAN LEADER
Dear friends,
Please know - as the former President of the National Council of
Churches,
as a former bishop of the United Methodist Church and as an American
citizen - that I am not only disgusted, but shamed, by the deplorable
and
hateful reactions of some of my fellow citizens. I feel much, much
closer
to you who are faithful Muslims, than to them. In a recent interview I
said: "God is the God of all of us..."
James Armstrong
-----
TEXT-"ROAD MAP" FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The following is the text of the
so-called
"road map" to achieve peace in the Middle East and a Palestinian state
by
2005 which was released Wednesday by the Palestine Liberation
Organization:
The following is a performance-based and goal driven road map, with
clear
phases, timelines, target dates, and benchmarks aiming at progress
through
reciprocal steps by the two parties in the political, security,
economic,
humanitarian, and institution-building fields, under the auspices of
the
Quartet. The destination is a final and comprehensive settlement of the
Israel-Palestinian conflict by 2005, as presented in President Bush's
speech of 24 June, and welcomed by the EU, Russia, and the U.N. in the
16
July and 17 September Quartet Ministerial statements.
A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only be
achieved through an end to violence and terrorism, when the Palestinian
people have a leadership acting decisively against terror and willing
and
able to build a practicing democracy based on tolerance and liberty,
and
through Israel's readiness to do what is necessary for a democratic
Palestinian state to be established, and a clear, unambiguous
acceptance by
both parties of the goal of a negotiated settlement as described below.
The
Quartet will assist and facilitate implementation of the plan, starting
in
Phase I, including direct discussions between the parties as required.
The
plan establishes a realistic timeline for implementation. However, as a
performance-based plan, progress will require and depend upon the good
faith efforts of the parties, and their compliance with each of the
obligations outlined below. Should the parties perform their
obligations
rapidly, progress within and through the phases may come sooner than
indicated in the plan. Non-compliance with obligations will impede
progress.
A settlement, negotiated between the parties, will result in the
emergence
of an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian state living side
by
side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors. The
settlement will resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and end the
occupation that began in 1967, based on the foundations on the Madrid
Conference, the principle of land for peace, UNSCRs 242, 338 and 1397,
agreements previously reached by the parties, and the initiative of
Saudi
Crown Prince Abdullah - endorsed by the Beirut Arab League Summit -
calling
for acceptance of Israel as a neighbor living in peace and security, in
the
context of a comprehensive settlement. This initiative is a vital
element
of international efforts to promote a comprehensive peace on all
tracks,
including the Syrian-Israeli and Lebanese-Israeli tracks.
The Quartet will meet regularly at senior levels to evaluate the
parties'
performance on implementation of the plan. In each phase, the parties
are
expected to perform their obligations in parallel, unless otherwise
indicated.
PHASE I:
ENDING TERROR AND VIOLENCE, NORMALIZING PALESTINIAN LIFE,
AND BUILDING PALESTINIAN INSTITUTIONS
PRESENT TO MAY 2003
In Phase I. the Palestinians immediately undertake an unconditional
cessation of violence according to the steps outlined below; such
action
should be accompanied by supportive measures undertaken by Israel.
Palestinians and Israelis resume security cooperation based on the
Tenet
work plan to end violence, terrorism, and incitement through
restructured
and effective Palestinian security services. Palestinians undertake
comprehensive political reform in preparation for statehood, including
drafting a Palestinian constitution, and free, fair and open elections
upon
the basis of those measures. Israel takes all necessary steps to help
normalize Palestinian life. Israel withdraws from Palestinian areas
occupied from September 28, 2000 and the two sides restore the status
quo
that existed at that time, as security performance and cooperation
progress. Israel also freezes all settlement activity, consistent with
the
Mitchell report.
At the outset of Phase I: Palestinian leadership issues unequivocal
statement reiterating Israel's right to exist in peace and security and
calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to end armed
activity
and all acts of violence against Israelis anywhere. All official
Palestinian institutions end incitement against Israel.
Israeli leadership issues unequivocal statement affirming its
commitments
to the two-state vision of an independent, viable, sovereign
Palestinian
state living in peace and security alongside Israel, as expressed by
President Bush, and calling for an immediate end to violence against
Palestinian everywhere. All official Israeli institutions end
incitement
against Palestinians.
SECURITY
Palestinians declare an unequivocal end to violence and terrorism and
undertake visible efforts on the ground to arrest, disrupt, and
restrain
individuals and groups conducting and planning violent attacks on
Israelis
anywhere.
Rebuilt and refocused Palestinian Authority security apparatus begins
sustained, targeted, and effective operations aimed at confronting all
those engaged in terror and dismantlement of terrorist capabilities and
infrastructure. This includes commencing confiscation of illegal
weapons
and consolidation of security authority, free of association with
terror
and corruption.
GOI takes no actions undermining trust, including deportations, attacks
on
civilians; confiscation and/or demolition of Palestinian homes and
property, as a punitive measure or to facilitate Israeli construction;
destruction of Palestinian institutions and infrastructure; and other
measures specified in the Tenet Work Plan.
Relying on existing mechanisms and on-the-ground resources, Quartet
representatives begin informal monitoring and consult with the parties
on
establishment of a formal monitoring mechanism and its implementation.
Implementation, as previously agreed, of U.S. rebuilding, training and
resumed security cooperation plan in collaboration with outside
oversight
board (U.S., Egypt, Jordan). Quartet support for efforts to achieve a
lasting, comprehensive cease-fire.
All Palestinian security organizations are consolidated into three
services
reporting to an empowered Interior Minister.
Restructured/retained Palestinian security forces and IDF counterparts
progressively resume security cooperation and other undertakings in
implementation of the Tenet work plan, including regular senior-level
meetings, with the participation of U.S. security officials.
Arab states cut off public and private funding and all other forms of
support for groups supporting and engaging in violence and terror.
All donors providing budgetary support for the Palestinians channel
these
funds through the Palestinian Ministry of Finance's Single Treasury
Account.
As comprehensive security performance moves forward, IDF withdraws
progressively from areas occupied since September 28, 2000 and the two
sides restore the status quo that existed prior to September 28, 2000.
Palestinian security forces redeploy to areas vacated by IDF.
PALESTINIAN INSTITUTION-BUILDING
Immediate action on credible process to produce draft constitution for
Palestinian statehood. As rapidly as possible, constitutional committee
circulates draft Palestinian constitution, based on strong
parliamentary
democracy and cabinet with empowered prime minister, for public
comment/debate. Constitutional committee proposes draft document for
submission after elections for approval by appropriate Palestinian
institutions.
Appointment of interim prime minister or cabinet with empowered
executive
authority/decision-making body.
GOI fully facilitates travel of Palestinian officials for PLC and
Cabinet
sessions, internationally supervised security retraining, electoral and
other reform activity, and other supportive measures related to the
reform
efforts.
Continued appointment of Palestinian ministers empowered to undertake
fundamental reform. Completion of further steps to achieve genuine
separation of powers, including any necessary Palestinian legal reforms
for
this purpose.
Establishment of independent Palestinian election commission. PLC
reviews
and revises elections law.
Palestinian performance on judicial, administrative, and economic
benchmarks, as established by the International Task Force on
Palestinian
Reform.
As early as possible, and based upon the above measures and in the
context
of open debate and transparent candidate selection/electoral campaign
based
on a free, multiparty process, Palestinians hold free, open, and fair
elections.
GOI facilitates Task Force election assistance, registration of voters,
movement of candidates and voting officials. Support for NGOs involved
in
the election process.
GOI reopens Palestinian Chamber of Commerce and other closed
Palestinian
institutions in East Jerusalem based on a commitment that these
institutions operate strictly in accordance with prior agreements
between
the parties.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Israel takes measures to improve the humanitarian situation. Israel and
Palestinians implement in full all recommendations of the Bertini
report to
improve humanitarian conditions, lifting curfews, and easing
restrictions
on movement of persons and goods, and allowing full, safe, and
unfettered
access of international and humanitarian personnel.
AHLC reviews the humanitarian situation and prospects for economic
development in the West Bank and Gaza and launches a major donor
assistance
effort, including to the reform effort.
GOI and PA continue revenue clearance process and transfer of funds,
including arrears, in accordance with agreed, transparent monitoring
mechanism.
CIVIL SOCIETY
Continued donor support, including increased funding through PVOs/NGOs,
for
people to people programs, private sector development and civil society
initiatives.
SETTLEMENTS
GOI immediately dismantles settlement outposts erected since March
2001.
Consistent with the Mitchell Report, GOI freezes all settlement
activity
(including natural growth of settlements).
PHASE II. TRANSITION
JUNE 2003 - DECEMBER 2003
In the second phase, efforts are focused on the option of creating an
independent Palestinian state with provisional borders and attributes
of
sovereignty, based on the new constitution, as a way station to a
permanent
status settlement. As has been noted, this goal can be achieved when
the
Palestinian people have a leadership acting decisively against terror,
willing and able to build a practicing democracy based on tolerance and
liberty. With such a leadership, reformed civil institutions and
security
structures, the Palestinians will have the active support of the
Quartet
and the broader international community in establishing an independent,
viable, state.
Progress into Phase II will be based upon the consensus judgment of the
Quartet of whether conditions are appropriate to proceed, taking into
account performance of both parties. Furthering and sustaining efforts
to
normalize Palestinian lives and build Palestinian institutions, Phase
II
starts after Palestinian elections and ends with possible creation of
an
independent Palestinian state with provisional borders in 2003. Its
primary
goals are continued comprehensive security performance and effective
security cooperation, continued normalization of Palestinian life and
institution-building, further building on and sustaining of the goals
outlined in Phase I, ratification of a democratic Palestinian
constitution,
formal establishment of office of prime minister, consolidation of
political reform, and the creation of a Palestinian state with
provisional
borders.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: Convened by the Quartet, in consultation with
the
parties, immediately after the successful conclusion of Palestinian
elections, to support Palestinian economic recovery and launch a
process,
leading to establishment of an independent Palestinian state with
provisional borders.
Such a meeting would be inclusive, based on the goal of a comprehensive
Middle East peace (including between Israel and Syria, and Israel and
Lebanon), and based on the principles described in the preamble to this
document.
Arab states restore pre-Intifada links to Israel (trade offices, etc.).
Revival of multilateral engagement on issues including regional water
resources, environment, economic development, refugees, and arms
control
issues.
New constitution for democratic, independent Palestinian state is
finalized
and approved by appropriate Palestinian institutions. Further
elections, if
required, should follow approval of the new constitution.
Empowered reform cabinet with office of prime minister formally
established, consistent with draft constitution.
Continued comprehensive security performance, including effective
security
cooperation on the bases laid out in Phase I.
Creation of an independent Palestinian state with provisional borders
through a process of Israeli-Palestinian engagement. Launched by the
international conference. As part of this process, implementation of
prior
agreements, to enhance maximum territorial contiguity, including
further
action on settlements in conjunction with establishment of a
Palestinian
state with provisional borders.
Enhanced international role in monitoring transition, with the active,
sustained, and operational support of the Quartet.
Quartet members promote international recognition of Palestinian state,
including possible U.N. membership.
PHASE III:
PERMANENT STATUS AGREEMENT
AND END OF THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
2004-2005
Progress into Phase III, based on consensus judgment of Quartet, and
taking
into account actions of both parties and Quartet monitoring. Phase III
objectives are consolidation of reform and stabilization of Palestinian
institutions, sustained, effective Palestinian security performance,
and
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations aimed at a permanent status agreement
in
2005.
SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: Convened by Quartet, in consultation
with
the parties, at beginning of 2004 to endorse agreement reached on an
independent Palestinian state with provisional borders and formally to
launch a process with the active, sustained, and operational support of
the
Quartet, leading to a final, permanent status resolution in 2005,
including
on borders, Jerusalem, refugees, settlements; and, to support progress
toward a comprehensive Middle East settlement between Israel and
Lebanon
and Israel and Syria, to be achieved as soon as possible.
Continued comprehensive, effective progress on the reform agenda laid
out
by the Task Force in preparation for final status agreement.
Continued sustained and effective security performance, and sustained,
effective security cooperation on the basis laid out in Phase I.
International efforts to facilitate reform and stabilize Palestinian
institutions and the Palestinian economy, in preparation for final
status
agreement.
Parties reach final and comprehensive permanent status agreement that
ends
the Israel-Palestinian conflict in 2005, through a settlement
negotiated
between the parties based on UNSCR 242, 338, and 1397, that ends the
occupation that began in 1967, and includes an agreed, just, fair, and
realistic solution to the refugee issue, and a negotiated resolution on
the
status of Jerusalem that takes into account the political and religious
concerns of both sides, and protects the religious interests of Jews,
Christians, and Muslims worldwide, and fulfills the vision of two
states,
Israel and sovereign, independent, democratic and viable Palestine,
living
side-by-side in peace and security.
Arab state acceptance of full normal relations with Israel and security
for
all the states of the region in the context of a compressive
Arab-Israeli
peace.
-----
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its staff.
-----
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
ACTION REQUESTED: Muslim communities should order booklets in bulk for
distribution to local law enforcement agencies. Contact:
publications@cair-net.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY OFFERED GUIDE TO MUSLIMS
New booklet designed to foster cooperation with security agencies
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/1/03) - As concerns grow over the profiling of
Muslims
and as Law Day* is marked nationwide, a Washington-based Islamic civil
rights and advocacy group today announced the publication of a booklet
designed to familiarize the law enforcement community with Islamic
beliefs
and practices. SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/hdn/LawEnforceGuide/
The Council on American-Islamic Relations' (CAIR) publication, "A Law
Enforcement Official's Guide to the Muslim Community," outlines basic
information about Islamic beliefs that are relevant to law enforcement.
It
also cover issues such as the rights of Muslim law enforcement
officers,
religiously-sensitive techniques for body searches, proper etiquette
for
entering Muslim homes, and advice on outreach to the Islamic community.
Copies of the booklet may be obtained by contacting:
publications@cair-net.org ($3+S/H)
"A number of recent interactions between law enforcement agencies and
the
Muslim community have resulted in misperceptions and miscommunications
based on a lack of basic information about Islamic beliefs. We hope
this
booklet will serve as tool to be used in facilitating cooperation on
security issues in an atmosphere of mutual respect," said CAIR Research
Director Dr. Mohamed Nimer, the booklet's author. Nimer added that
Muslim
communities around the United States have organized meetings with
local,
state and national law enforcement agencies. CAIR helped coordinate
these
meetings in a number of cities.
The law enforcement officer's guide is the fifth in a series of CAIR
publications designed to support the religious rights of American
Muslims.
Other booklets in this series include "An Employer's Guide to Islamic
Religious Practices," "A Health Care Provider's Guide to Islamic
Religious
Practices," "An Educator's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," and
"A
Correctional Institution's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices."
Thousands
of these booklets are now being used by corporations, schools,
hospitals,
and other institutions nationwide.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices
nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil
and
religious rights of all Americans.
* May 1 is Law Day, a national day focusing on America's heritage of
liberty under law. Law Day was designated by joint resolution of
Congress
in 1961. SEE: http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org; Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-MAIL:
hhassan@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 this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 5/1/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: HEAVEN AND HELL
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5781 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* SEATTLE GROUPS PROTEST LECTURE BY ISRAELI ADVISOR
* CAIR-CAN: INVESTIGATE FIREBOMB DEATHS AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME
* REGISTRATION PROGRAM FOR FOREIGNERS IN U.S. TO END (Copley News)
- Terrorist Links Actively Hunted by LAPD (LA Daily News)
- Texas Family's Home Raided by Federal Agents (KTRK)
- Religious Leaders Hold Event to Support Syracuse Muslims
* PALESTINIAN TODDLER SHOT DEAD IN ISRAELI GAZA RAID (Reuters)
* INTERFAITH LEADERS: END IRAQ OCCUPATION (Chicago Tribune)
- Vilified Weapons Inspectors May Have Been Right (SMH)
* PIPES DEALS WITH ANGRY CROWD AT UW TALK (State Journal)
- Speaker's Comments Criticized (Daily Trojan)
* DIVISIVE SPIRIT REIGNS OVER NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER (LA Times)
* FBI IS INVESTIGATING VANDALISM AT MOSQUE (Post-Dispatch)
* MUSLIM KIDS WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT ISLAM (Y Press)
* MUSLIM GROUP TO HOLD FUNDRAISING BANQUET FOR DETAINEES
* MARYLAND MUSLIM FAMILY COOKOUT
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: HEAVEN AND HELL
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "One from amongst the
denizens of Hell who had led a life of ease and plenty...would be made
to
dip in fire only once on the Day of Resurrection and then it would be
said
to him: 'O, son of Adam, did you find any comfort (in your life), did
you
receive any material blessing?' He would say: 'No, my Lord.' And then
someone...who had (previously) led the most miserable life would be
made to
dip once in Paradise and it would be said to him: 'O, son of Adam, did
you
face any hardship or (distress)?' And he would say: 'By God, no, O my
Lord,
never did I face any hardship or experience any distress.'"
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1304
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5781 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5781 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS PROTEST LECTURE BY ISRAELI ADVISOR
(SEATTLE, WA, 4/30/2003) The Seattle office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Seattle), a prominent national Muslim
civil rights and advocacy group, will join other civil and human rights
organizations in protesting a University of Washington lecture to be
given
by Ra'anan Gissin, senior political advisor to Ariel Sharon.
"It is ironic that Mr. Gissin comes to speak about 'democracy' when his
government continues to violate many basic principles of international
law," said Riaz Amin, a CAIR-Seattle spokesperson. "He is a strong
advocate
of denying the 'right of return' to millions of displaced Palestinians,
a
right that is a centerpiece of the U.N. Charter dictating rights of
refugees. Moreover, Israel builds religiously and ethnically exclusive
neighborhoods and highways on occupied Palestinian land. The freedoms
that
are normally granted under a democracy are not extended to millions of
Muslim and Christian Palestinians by Mr. Gissin's government," said
Amin.
Riaz Amin added: "The University of Washington should be a forum that
advocates academic freedom, but not a mouthpiece for a government that
has
been widely condemned by the international community for gross
violations
of human rights."
WHEN: Thursday, May 1, 6:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. PST
WHERE: Main Entrance of University of Washington, HUB, Seattle
CONTACT: CAIR-Seattle, Riaz Amin, 206-409-3407, media@cair-seattle.org
-----
CAIR-CAN: INVESTIGATE FIREBOMB DEATHS AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 5/1/03) - The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today called on Toronto police to
investigate the recent deaths of Azim Manji, and his 13-year-old
daughter,
Khadija, as a possible hate crime. Toronto Police have already treated
the
deaths as homicides.
Both father and daughter died as a result of a fire in their Toronto
townhouse. Surviving relatives include the mother, Yasmin Manji, and
her
20-year-old son, Hussein.
SEE: "Molotov cocktail may have been thrown through window of Toronto
townhouse"
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030428/UFIREM_2//
In a statement released today, CAIR-CAN wrote:
"Recent media reports have stated that the fire to the Manji residence
may
have been caused by a Molotov cocktail. In light of this, we are
calling on
Toronto police to investigate the tragic deaths of Mr. Azim Manji and
his
daughter as a possible hate crime.
"We extend our sympathy to members of the Manji family and pray that
God
heals their sorrow and loss."
- END -
CONTACT: Riad Saloojee at 613-254-9704; E-mail: Canada@cair-net.org
-----
REGISTRATION PROGRAM FOR FOREIGNERS IN U.S. TO END
Copley News Service, 4/30/03
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration Tuesday officially signaled the
end of
a controversial registration program for foreign visitors, most from
the
Middle East, who have been living in this country on work, student or
tourist visas.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced the demise of the
program,
which required tens of thousands of males age 16 and over to report to
federal immigration offices to be photographed, fingerprinted and
interviewed.
Administration officials also announced yesterday that they will speed
up a
program that will use high-tech, biometric cards to register all
foreign
visitors as they arrive at international airports and seaports. The
program
will begin by the end of this year - a year ahead of the schedule
ordered
by Congress...
Officials of Arab-American groups reacted cautiously to Ridge's
announcement, which was widely anticipated.
"We are pleased that the special registration would be coming to an
end. We
objected to it from the beginning," said Ibrahim Hooper of the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations, based in Washington. "These people have
felt
the heat of special registration, which produced very little results in
terms of national security but produced a tremendous amount of
resentment..."
SEE ALSO:
TERRORIST LINKS TO L.A. ACTIVELY HUNTED BY LAPD
Jason Kandel, LA Daily News, 4/30/03
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20954~1361396,00.html
Trying to root out terrorist cells suspected of operating in Los
Angeles,
the LAPD has arrested about 180 people on a variety of charges that
allows
them to be held while the FBI and others try to build federal cases,
officials said Wednesday.
Police are using such charges as forgery, credit scams, identity theft,
and
marriage fraud to hold the suspects while trying to developing evidence
linking them to terrorism.
"The point of it is to arrest them, disrupt their activities, get them
off
the street and obtain evidence as result of the arrest," Cmdr. Mark
Leap,
the second-in-command in the LAPD's Counter-Terrorism Bureau, said in
an
interview. "This may lead us in other directions and to other
people."...
Sabiha Khan, a spokeswoman for the Anaheim-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations in Southern California praised the work of
law
enforcement but cautioned against singling out any one religious group.
"If the charges are true, then we're all for the work of law
enforcement,"
she said. "As long as the laws are not applied to only one ethnic or
religious group. As long as they're applied to everybody, then we're
for it."
---
FT. BEND COUNTY FAMILY'S HOME RAIDED BY FEDERAL AGENTS
Cynthia Cisneros, KTRK News, 4/29/03
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/42903_local_terrorhouse.html
The Harris County District Attorney's office is investigating a Fort
Bend
county couple. Federal agents raided their home looking for connections
to
terrorists. But the couple says agents went too far...
"Everything is cleared, and we didn't do anything wrong," said home
owner
Nayer Mohseni.
Court documents accuse Nayer's husband, Ali Agbar, of operating an
unlicensed money exchange business -- specifically of transferring
money
from the US to Iran.
Family attorney Ted Hirtz told Eyewitness News, "The Mohsenis have no
link
to supporting terrorism or funding terrorists. Agent Cheney admitted
that
our court hearing (Monday)."
Hirtz has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Mohseni family. A judge
ruled
Monday agents must return all items taken from the house by May 5.
But the question remains -- if the Mohsenis need a license to operate
their
money transfer business, then why is the Office of Homeland Security
involved?
"We as American Muslims living here in Houston totally support the
safety
of this country," said Najat Elsayed, speaking on behalf of the Council
of
American Islamic Relations. "We think that sometimes it's kind of
counter-productive to go on a fishing hunt just because you're a
Muslim, or
just because you're an Arab, or just because you look Middle
Eastern...We
think that it's ineffective because you're alienating the community
that's
there to be a resource to help secure the safety of Americans..."
---
RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO HOLD EVENT IN SUPPORT OF SYRACUSE MUSLIMS
Press Release, 5/1/03
WHAT: A group of interfaith religious leaders will hold an event in
support
of the Muslim community in Syracuse, NY, and in opposition to what
event
organizers call "scare tactics" by federal law enforcement agents. The
event comes in the wake of a February 26th raid on Help the Needy, a
Muslim
charity that sent food, clothes, and other humanitarian supplies to
Iraq.
On the same day of the raid, the FBI is estimated to have interviewed
nearly 150 Muslim families in the Syracuse area. Many of those
interviewed
indicated that the FBI agents' questions were intrusive and often
focused
on their religious practices.
As a result, many Muslims in the Syracuse community say they are living
in
fear of their government and are afraid to speak out. The South
Presbyterian Church is sponsoring an event titled, "Witness in Support
of
our Muslim Community". The lawyer for Dr. Rafil Dhafir, founder of
"Help
the Needy" and a representative from the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) will be available after the event to address inquiries
from the media.
Speakers include:
Bill Coop, Minister South Presbyterian Church
Mother Angela Boatright, Priest, St. Paul's Episcopal
Bishop Costello, Auxiliary Bishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Syracuse, NY
Linda Bergh, James Street United Methodist, Syracuse NY
Elana Levy, activist
Aaron Moore and Mark Mcguire, Cornell Forum for Justice and Peace
Madis Senner, President, Jubilee Initiative
Joshua Salaam, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
WHERE: South Presbyterian Church - 112 West Colvin, Syracuse, NY 13205
WHEN: 11 A.M. - 1 P.M.
CONTACT: Madis Senner at (315) 463-5369 or Bill Coop at (315) 478-2105
-----
PALESTINIAN TODDLER SHOT DEAD IN ISRAELI GAZA RAID
Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters, 5/1/03
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L01563728.htm
GAZA - Two-year-old Amir toddled over to the window of his house during
an
Israeli army raid in Gaza City on Thursday, his curiosity apparently
piqued
by the noise outside.
By the time his father could reach him, the Palestinian boy was dead. A
bullet had pierced his skull.
"I could not help him," Ahmed Ayyad said, choking back tears at the
local
morgue, where his son's tiny body drew a steady stream of people
offering
their condolences.
Ayyad, a grey-haired blacksmith, said Amir and his three other children
had
huddled, trembling, in the house as the sound of automatic weapons fire
and
tank shell explosions echoed outside.
"My two-year-old, Amir, walked away suddenly towards the window facing
the
Israeli troops. A bullet hit him in the head," he said...
The Israeli military fired tank shells and heavy machine guns during
the
operation and helicopters launched four missiles at the gunmen.
Sirens wailed throughout the night and morning as ambulances rushed
dozens
of Palestinian casualties to Gaza's main hospital, where hundreds of
volunteers gathered to help emergency crews...
-----
INTERFAITH LEADERS CALL FOR END TO U.S. OCCUPATION IN IRAQ
Sufiya Abdur-Rahman, Chicago Tribune, 5/1/03
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0305010331may01,1,3028344.story
Religious leaders from across the nation met in Chicago Wednesday and
called for the United States to end its military occupation of Iraq and
to
avoid first-strike wars in the future.
"The United States can and must exercise global leadership in pursuit
of
peace, dignity and justice for all persons," said Robert Edgar, general
secretary of the National Council of Churches, following an interfaith
summit he organized.
"We must work with others to reach solutions on the many challenges we
face," Edgar said while flanked by about 70 faith leaders representing
Muslims, Jews and Christians.
At the summit, the leaders drafted a statement of goals they will bring
back to their congregations. The group also plans to encourage local
religious communities to organize interfaith days of fasting, prayer
and
dialogue and to donate to humanitarian aid for Iraqis...
Many of those present at the summit at the O'Hare Marriott Hotel were
opposed to war with Iraq and some were worried about the U.S. being
perceived as a bully throughout the world.
"The whole discussion is about how this most powerful nation in the
future
should go about promoting the premise of peace," said Sayyid Muhammad
Syeed, of the Islamic Society of North America...
SEE ALSO:
VILIFIED WEAPONS INSPECTORS MAY HAVE GOT IT RIGHT
Marian Wilkinson, Sydney Morning Herald, 5/1/03
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/30/1051381997497.html
President George Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is
now
acknowledging that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program is less
clear-cut, and probably more difficult to establish, than the White
House
portrayed before the war.
She has no doubt that the US-led coalition, assisted by experts from
Britain and Australia, will find Iraq's WMD programs. But for the first
time, Dr Rice is saying publicly that it is less likely many actual
weapons
will be found. Rather, she described the programs as being hidden in
so-called "dual use" infrastructure. In other words, chemicals and
biological agents could be in plants, factories and laboratories
capable of
being used for legal and prohibited purposes...
But in the months before the Iraq war, Mr Bush and his advisers,
including
the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, gave far more frightening
descriptions of Iraq's stockpile of weapons of mass destruction.
Addressing the UN Security Council on February 5, Mr Powell said recent
intelligence showed a missile brigade outside Baghdad was "dispersing
rocket launchers and warheads containing biological warfare agent to
various locations". Mr Bush was equally alarmist, describing satellite
evidence showing that Saddam Hussein was reconstituting Iraq's nuclear
weapons programs with his top nuclear scientists, his "nuclear
mujahideen".
Iraq's deadliest weapons could end up in the hands of terrorists.
"We cannot wait for final proof," Mr Bush said. "The smoking gun that
could
come in the form of a mushroom cloud..."
-----
PIPES DEALS WITH ANGRY CROWD AT UW TALK
Lisa Schuetz, Wisconsin State Journal, 4/30/03
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=wsj:2003:04:30:265861:LOCAL/WISCONSIN
It's likely that controversial scholar Daniel Pipes -- called "the
nation's
leading Islamophobe" by some -- won't look back on his past two days in
Wisconsin with affection.
On Monday, protesters repeatedly interrupted his speech to 300 at a
Milwaukee-area high school. And on Tuesday at the Memorial Union, Pipes
faced a crowd of 400, many armed with protest signs and angry
comments...
He was in Madison at the invitation of campus groups hoping to
cultivate a
dialogue on Islam and Middle East issues.
But Pipes, also a columnist for the New York Post and the author of
"Militant Islam Reaches America," refused the Wisconsin Union
Directorate's
request to speak in a point-counterpoint format with Charles
Hirschkind, a
UW-Madison assistant professor.
Instead, Pipes spoke alone on stage for 25 minutes. His speech was
followed
by a 45-minute question-and-answer period, which got nasty on both
sides of
the microphone...
SEE ALSO:
SPEAKER'S COMMENTS CRITICIZED
Didier Diels, Daily Trojan, 4/30/03
http://www.dailytrojan.com/article.do?issue=/V148/N66&id=01-speak.66c.html
Controversial statements made by former chairman of the California
Republican Party, Shawn Steel, at a USC pro-troop rally about the
Islamic
community have led the party to denounce his words. Students as well as
national organizations are calling for an apology.
Steel, whose term as chairman ended Feb. 23, said his remarks were
taken
out of context. Loyola Marymount University's student newspaper, the
Loyolan, however, reported that Steel made similar statements at a
pro-troop rally at LMU on April 8, calling Islam a "dangerous" and
"diseased religion."
The CRP wanted to clarify that Steel's comments did not represent party
views.
"He's no longer chairman for the party and no longer speaks for it,"
said
Rob Stutzman, spokesman for the CRP. "If the remarks are correct, then
we
don't stand by them, and frankly, we condemn them..."
Immediately following Steel's comments, the Council on American-Islamic
Relations sent a letter to the CRP demanding it "repudiate this latest
smear of Islam and reassure Muslims in California that Steel's
Islamophobic
views do not reflect those of the party."
Steel wrote back an "Open Letter to the Muslim Community," but Hussam
Ayloush, who drafted the letter demanding an apology, said Steel's
response
was no less offensive.
"He insists that Islam has a disease, and that is extremely offensive,"
said Ayloush, who serves as the executive director of the CAIR of
southern
California. "Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt for the
quotes
being taken out of context, the responses he's given to people who have
contacted him demanding an apology showed even greater
insensitivity..."
-----
A DIVISIVE SPIRIT REIGNS OVER NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER CEREMONY
Stephanie Simon, Los Angeles Times, 5/1/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-prayer1may01,1,7378349.story
MUNCIE, Ind - For the last decade, Rev. William Keller has stood on the
broad steps of City Hall on the first Thursday in May -- with city
officials, local judges and a police chaplain at his side -- to pray in
the
name of Jesus Christ.
He planned to mark the National Day of Prayer the same way this year: A
welcome from the mayor, a fervent plea that God guide civic leaders to
act
wisely, an echoing choir of "Amen" from the crowd of several hundred
gathered.
Then Keller was asked to share the microphone.
A Unitarian Universalist minister wanted to speak at the Day of Prayer
ceremony, to offer an ecumenical "meditation" on leadership. A leader
of
the small Muslim community here requested a chance to pray aloud to
Allah.
A Jewish rabbinical fellow said he, too, would like to address the
crowd.
Keller turned them down. Anyone of any faith could come listen to him
pray.
But he would not listen to them. "I'm busy with my faith," he said in
an
interview this week. "I don't believe in other gods..."
Keller, who leads a strong evangelical Christian movement across
southeast
Indiana, will hold his hourlong service at noon today, as planned. At 5
p.m., an interfaith coalition will take the steps of City Hall for a
second
public worship, with prayers from Baptists, Catholics, Muslims, Jews
and
others. Rev. Thomas Perchlik, the Unitarian Universalist who is
organizing
the effort, has also asked an atheist to share his reflections.
Mayor Dan Canan and other civic leaders plan to attend both events. And
Keller pronounces himself pleased with that solution: "Everybody can do
their own thing," he said...
-----
FBI IS INVESTIGATING VANDALISM AT MOSQUE
Terry Hillig, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 5/1/03
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/4BE376F8F81E9DD286256D190012ED35
The FBI is investigating vandalism of the Islamic Center in Carbondale,
Ill., over the weekend.
The building had been defaced with painted slogans, including "Long
Live
Shri Rama," a Hindu god, and "Free Kashmir," apparently referring to
the
border territory long disputed by India and Pakistan.
Such vandalism is often the work of unsophisticated youngsters, but the
content of the messages in Carbondale suggests otherwise, said James
Hacking of the St. Louis chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
He said he thought the incident was the first of its kind at the
center,
which opened about 18 years ago. He said it was one of only a few
mosques
in Southern Illinois.
Hacking on Wednesday called for an FBI investigation, but FBI Special
Agent
Rick Stonecipher of Carbondale said the agency was already on the case
along with Carbondale police.
-----
MUSLIM KIDS WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT THEIR RELIGION IS ALL ABOUT
Youth Press, 5/2/03
http://www.ypress.org/may2003/022596.html
What do you think of when you think of Muslims? For a lot of people,
the
Islamic religion brings to mind terrorists and fundamentalist maniacs.
In truth, though, American Muslims are regular people. To talk to young
Muslims about the stereotypes, Y-Press' Indianapolis bureau visited the
North American Islamic Center in Plainfield and the Masjid Al-Fajr
mosque
in Indianapolis. In addition, CE's New York Bureau visited the Masjid
Al-Albin center in Queens, N.Y., to talk to Islamic youths there.
Nazreen Bacchus, 12: I really hate when we're called terrorists. In the
Oklahoma bombing, everyone assumed it was Muslims, and I was praying,
"Please don't let it be Muslims, please."...
Amena Majid, 14: There have been a lot of terrorists and weird
happenings
going on in this world. But one crazy person does not speak for an
entire
religion or people. Everybody is unique and they have their own unique
ways
of doing things...
-----
MUSLIM GROUP TO HOLD FUNDRAISING BANQUET FOR 9/11 DETAINEES
WHAT: The Islamic Circle of North America will hold a fundraising event
for
Muslim detainees. Speakers include:
* Imam Siraj Wahaj
* Imam Zaid Shakir
* Omar Mohammedi (Human Rights Commissioner NYC)
* Sister Aisha Ad-Dawiyya (CAIR Lectures and Women in Islam)
* Barbara Olshansky & Steven Watt, Center for Constitutional Rights
WHEN: Friday, May 2 at 7 P.M.
WHERE: Bukhara Restaurant, 788 Coney Island Avenue Brooklyn NY 11218,
718.462.6922 (Q to Newkirk Ave; walk down Cortelyou Road to Coney
Island Ave; or F to 18th Avenue -- 4 blocks away)
ICNA Relief is one of the few voices of hope and provides legal and
financial help to over 300 such families. ICNA Relief has provided over
$350,000 in total. But the crisis is not over. We are receiving calls
from
families around the country.
CONTACT: (718) 658-7028.
Tickets: $30 dollars general, $25 students.
-----
MARYLAND MUSLIM FAMILY COOKOUT
WHAT: Annual Muslim Family Cookout
WHEN: Sunday, May 4th, 12 P.M. to 6 P.M.
WHERE: Candy Cane City Playground, Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: (202)328-3236 or visit www.mswdc.org
Sponsors:
Al-Safa Halal - Caribbean Crescent, Rockville Halal Gourmet Meat,
MAS, Dar Al-Hijrah*, MSA DC Council,
United Food & Commercial Workers-Minority Coalition*, WAMY,
International
Graphics, Al's Pizza, Saudi Embassy*
Bring your own blanket - Food to Share
Only Halal Food Served
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 5/2/2003
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: OUTDO OTHERS IN ENDURANCE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5814 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* FAITH GROUP SAYS PIPES NOMINATION 'ILL-ADVISED'
- Speaker's Message One of Extremism (Milwaukee State Journal)
- Pipes Wrong for Peace Institute (Daily Texan)
- Pipes' Mid-East Views Criticized (Daily Cardinal)
* DENTIST SENTENCED OVER PLOT TO BOMB MIAMI MOSQUE (AP)
* U.S. HIRES CHRISTIAN GROUP TO PRODUCE IRAQ NEWS (AlterNet)
- Missionaries Bring Aid, Controversy to Kashmir (CSM)
* ROAD MAP LOBBYISTS GET INTO HIGH GEAR (Ha’aretz)
- Israel to Bar Entry of Pro-Palestinian Activists (Ha’aretz)
* HAWAII TAKES STAND AGAINST PATRIOT (Hawaii News)
- Conservatives Rise for Civil Liberties (Village Voice)
- Broad Domestic Role Asked For C.I.A. (NY Times)
* UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND PAPER ACCUSED OF HATE
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: OUTDO OTHERS IN ENDURANCE
“Endure, outdo all others in endurance, encourage each other, and
observe
your obligation to God that you may succeed.”
- Qur'an, Surah 3, Verse 200
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5814 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5814 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
LEADING INTERFAITH ORGANIZATION SPEAKS OUT ON PIPES NOMINATION
Press Release, 5/2/03
WASHINGTON -- In a letter sent to members of the Senate's Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today, The Interfaith Alliance
[Coalition of 65 faith traditions with 150,000 members] raised concerns
about the nomination of Dr. Daniel Pipes to the board of directors of
the
United States Institute of Peace.
"As has been made clear by his own remarks, Daniel Pipes - an outspoken
nominee who clearly harbors inherent biases against Muslim Americans -
is
hardly an appropriate fit for the United States Institute of Peace...
"As Americans who have witnessed hate crimes against Muslims and Sikhs
in a
post- September 11 world, and as people of faith and good will who fear
backlash against these communities in a time of international unrest,
we
believe this nomination by the president is ill-advised and
antithetical to
the very purpose of the organization that Dr. Pipes has been nominated
to
serve."
Full text of the letter can be found at:
http://www.interfaithalliance.org/Issues/Issues.cfm?ID=4843&c=12
CONTACT: Melissa Schwartz, (202) 639-6370
SEE ALSO:
SPEAKER'S MESSAGE ONE OF EXTREMISM
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/1/03
http://www.jsonline.com/news/
The April 28 article on Daniel Pipes' speaking appearance at Nicolet
High
School was titled "Audience divided by scholar's talk on Islam." This
headline is grossly misleading.
The large group of people who protested Pipes' appearance in Glendale
did
not come to heckle a "scholar," a fair-minded, objective seeker of
truth.
They came to protest a speech by a vicious ideologue, a leading
American
proponent of the most extreme brand of right-wing Zionism.
In numerous editorials and speeches, available on his own Web site,
Pipes
has maintained that Israel should seek complete "victory" over the
native
Arab population of Palestine, which he says means destroying the
Palestinians' will to resist Israeli occupation and seizure of their
land...
Philip Swoboda
Milwaukee
---
PIPES WRONG CHOICE TO HEAD PEACE INSTITUTE
Favad Bajaria, Daily Texan, 5/1/03
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/01/3eb1397a5255f
Austin, Texas - The Bush administration has made many mistakes over the
past two years. However, none is greater than the recent nomination of
Daniel Pipes to the board of the United States Institute of Peace. The
USIP
is a federal taxpayer-funded institution created by Congress to promote
the
peaceful resolution of international conflicts...
Unfortunately, the opinions that Pipes holds are far from academic, and
far
from civil. Pipes was quoted in a 2001 National Review article as
calling
academics he disagrees with "barbarians" and "potential killers" who
are
wanting to "replace the [U.S.] Constitution with the Koran." He said in
a
July 2001 Washington Report on Middle East Affairs article that "the
Palestinians are a miserable people ... and they deserve to be." In a
recent "Democracy Now" interview, he refused to condemn the internment
of
Japanese-Americans during World War II...
---
STUDENTS CRITICIZE PIPES' MID-EAST VIEWS AT U. WISCONSIN
Beth Skopp, Daily Cardinal, 4/30/03
www.dailycardinal.com
Madison, Wis. - Heated words filled University of Wisconsin Memorial
Union
Tuesday after Middle East expert and media analyst Daniel Pipes spoke
about
Iraq, terrorism and Arab-Israeli conflict.
Controversy surrounds Pipes, the founder of Campus Watch
(http://www.campus-watch.org), a Web site that lists academics who are
critical of U.S. and Israeli policies in the Middle East. Pipes has
been
accused of making racist comments toward Muslim people.
"I fear the repercussions of his speech," UW special student Shahin
Kalili
said. "I am personally offended [by him] because every day Muslims and
other Middle Easterners in general are portrayed in the media very
badly."
Kalili, along with others, stood outside the union prior to the event
holding signs expressing distaste for Pipes' statements.
"I think he has a right to speak, as anyone else does, but we know he's
going to be against Islam," UW junior Jennifer Curti said. "I'm here
because Daniel Pipes purports himself to be an expert on the Middle
East,
but I think he's using his credibility to promote hate."...
As a follow-up to Pipes' presentation, UW Professor of anthropology and
religious studies Charles Hirschkind presented the counterpart to
Pipes'
talk. The two were originally supposed to debate, but Pipes would not
agree
to that plan.
"I was under the assumption that my presence is to foster a dialogue on
this topic," Hirschkind said. "I found out yesterday, however, that it
was
preemptive because Daniel Pipes said he wanted to share a stage with no
one."...
-----
DENTIST SENTENCED OVER PLOT TO BOMB MIAMI MOSQUE
Associated Press, 5/2/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=289613
TAMPA - A dentist who admitted he was an accomplice in a plot to bomb a
Pinellas County Islamic center last year was sentenced Thursday to
almost 3
1/2 years in prison.
Michael Hardee, 50, pleaded guilty last fall to agreeing to drive
friend
Robert Goldstein to the Islamic Society of Pinellas County, where the
Seminole podiatrist planned to plant homemade bombs and blow up
buildings
in retaliation for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks...
Federal sentencing guidelines call for more than five years, but
prosecutors asked for Hardee to be given a break because his help was
crucial in building cases against Goldstein and his estranged wife,
Kristi
Goldstein.
Hardee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to blow up the buildings,
conspiracy to
violate civil rights, and illegal possession of a short-barreled rifle
and
silencer.
Ahmed Bedier, spokesman for the Council for American-Islamic Relations
who
worships at the Pinellas County mosque, said the Muslim community was
outraged at the light sentence and that Hardee and the Goldsteins
weren't
charged as terrorists.
"The American Muslim community is losing faith in the justice system,"
he
said...
-----
U.S. HIRES CHRISTIAN EXTREMISTS TO PRODUCE ARABIC NEWS
Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman, AlterNet, 5/2/03
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15801
The U.S. government this week launched its Arabic language satellite TV
news station for mostly Muslim Iraq. It is being produced in a
studio Grace Digital Media controlled by fundamentalist Christians
who
are rabidly pro-Israel...
Grace Digital Media is controlled by a fundamentalist Christian
millionaire, Cheryl Reagan, who last year wrested control of Federal
News
Service, a transcription news service, from its former owner, Cortes
Randell...
According to its web site, Grace News Network is "dedicated to
Transmitting
the evidence of God's presence in the world today."
"Grace News Network will be reporting the current secular news, along
with
aggressive proclamations that will 'change the news' to reflect the
Kingdom
of God and its purposes," GNN proclaims.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the U.S. government agency
producing the television news broadcasts for Iraq, likes to say it is
the
BBC of the USA. BBG runs Radio Free Europe, Voice of America, and Radio
Sawa Arabic language radio for the Middle East...
BBG's Joan Mower said that Grace Digital Media is a mainstream
production
house used by all kinds of mainstream news organizations...
While it's unclear whether Grace News Network actually produces any
news,
it has produced a documentary movie titled "Israel: Divine Destiny"
which
it showed at the National Press Club in September 2002. The film is
about
"Israel's destiny and the United States' role in that destiny,"
according
to Grace News Network...
BBG says it sees no problem in having Grace produce the evening news
broadcast for Iraq. Given the brewing anti-American revolt through all
sectors of Iraqi society, maybe it should reconsider...
SEE ALSO:
MISSIONARIES BRING AID, CONTROVERSY TO KASHMIR
Janaki Kremmer, Christian Science Monitor, 5/2/03
http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2003/0502/p07s02-wosc.html
NEW DELHI - But some observers worry that the influx of Christian
evangelists may be exacerbating a volatile situation in India's
northernmost state, where up to 50,000 people have died in sectarian
violence. Sandwiched between India and Pakistan, this territory is the
cause of two wars between the two neighbors. Armed militants are
alleged to
sneak across the border from Pakistan to foment trouble in the valley.
Just
last month 24 Hindus were killed in Kashmir, allegedly by Muslim
militants.
"The time is not ripe for promoting and spreading a third religion in
the
valley - it will have bad consequences," says Prashant Dikshit, the
deputy
director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies.
Local Christians like Pastor Leslie Richards are also increasingly
agitated
by the presence of the new evangelists, who they believe are more
interested in conversions than social work. Mr. Richards says local
Muslims
receive cash if they agree to convert. "The conversions they are doing
are
Biblically wrong ... this is not good for the local Christians, who for
centuries have shared cordial relations with the local Muslims here,"
Richards told the Indian Express newspaper...
-----
ROAD MAP LOBBYISTS GET INTO HIGH GEAR
Nathan Guttman, Ha’aretz, 5/2/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/289357.html
WASHINGTON - An hour after the road map was officially delivered in the
Middle East, lobbying groups - both for and against the peace plan -
sprang
into action. Letters that had long been waiting for President George W.
Bush and his top advisers were sent and the lobbying went into high
gear.
Among those trying to influence the administration are representatives
from
Israel, including Tourism Minister Benny Elon, the pro-transfer
ideologue
in the National Union bloc, who is due in the U.S. on Friday to
campaign
against the road map. Elon's arrival was delayed by the nationwide
strike
in Israel that kept Ben-Gurion Airport closed, but he is slated to meet
with congressmen and senators to deliver a very different message from
that
being officially issued by Jerusalem.
As far as Elon is concerned, the road map is a "disaster for Israel,"
an
existential threat to the country's citizenry. He also has lined up a
series of meetings with well-known evangelist preachers who are known
for
their support for Israel and their hawkish lines. Given that the
right-wing
Christian support for Bush is considered a crucial element for his
re-election, Elon's campaign could prove to be significant in the long
run...
SEE ALSO:
ISRAEL TO BAR PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVISTS FROM ENTERING COUNTRY
Amos Harel and Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz Daily, 5/1/03
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/289437.html
Israel will from now on bar pro-Palestinian activists from entering the
country and will try to expel at least some of the dozens of activists
who
are already here, according a new plan drafted by the Israel Defense
Forces
and the foreign and defense ministries.
Most of the activists, who come from Europe, Canada and the United
States,
belong to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).
Their goal is to act as "human shields" for Palestinian individuals and
houses during IDF incursions into Palestinian towns, and they have
often
been involved in confrontations with IDF soldiers. They also try to
help
Palestinians pass through IDF roadblocks.
Some two months ago, an American ISM activist, Rachel Corrie, was run
over
and killed by an IDF bulldozer in Gaza. Her colleagues accused the
bulldozer driver of having run her over deliberately. The IDF denies
the
accusation and decided not to indict the driver. In two other recent
cases,
international activists have been seriously injured by IDF gunfire
during
confrontations in the territories...
-----
STATE TAKES STAND AGAINST PATRIOT ACT
Hawaii News, 5/1/03
http://www.hawaiinews.com/archives/politics/000133.shtml
Island lawmakers have made Hawaii the first state to take a stand
against
the controversial USA Patriot Act, passing a resolution "reaffirming
the
state of Hawaii's commitment to civil liberties and the Bill of
Rights."
Citing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the
Hawai`i state legislature is now sending Senate Concurrent Resolution
18 to
Hawaii's representatives in Washington.
So far, 92 cities and counties have passed resolutions condemning the
Patriot Act, according to the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, but
Hawaii's is the first at the state level. The Democrat-controlled House
and
Senate voted 35-12 and 21-3, respectively.
"The residents of Hawaii during World War II experienced first hand the
dangers of unbalanced pursuit of security without appropriate checks
and
balances for the protection of basic liberties," the resolution states.
"The State of Hawaii urges its Congressional delegation to work to
repeal
any sections of the USA Patriot Act or recent executive orders that
limit
or violate fundamental rights and liberties protected by the
Constitutions
of Hawaii and the United States."...
SEE ALSO:
CONSERVATIVES RISE FOR THE BILL OF RIGHTS
Nat Hentoff, Village Voice, 4/25/03
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0318/hentoff.php
A significant development in the movement to resist the Ashcroft-Bush
dismembering of the Bill of Rights is the growing coalition between
conservative groups and such organizations as the American Civil
Liberties
Union and People for the American Way.
This has been going onwith only marginal attention from the mediasince
the
ACLU organized a broad-based, though unsuccessful, fight to defeat the
first USA Patriot Act toward the end of 2001. And it was the
conservative
Republican libertarian, Dick Armey, then majority leader in the House,
who
stripped the Orwellian "Operation Tips" out of the Department of
Homeland
Security bill.
Before retiring from Congress, Armey publicly accused the Justice
Department of being "out of control" and "the most dangerous agency of
government." That is more than most of the Democratic congressional
leadership has ever said.
Moreover, from the beginning of Ashcroft's reign, a persistent critic
has
been Republican Bob Barr of Georgia, another conservative libertarian.
Defeated in the last election, Barr is now a consultant for the ACLU.
On April 2, the ACLU sent a letter to Congress signed by 67 liberal and
conservative organizationsranging from People for the American Way and
the
American Library Association to Gun Owners of America and Americans for
Tax
Reform. The head of the latter is Grover Norquist, who has frequent
access
to the upper echelons of the White House...
---
BROAD DOMESTIC ROLE ASKED FOR C.I.A. AND THE PENTAGON
Eric Lichtblau and James Risen, New York Times, 5/2/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/02/international/worldspecial/02TERR.html
WASHINGTON, May The Bush administration and leading Senate Republicans
sought today to give the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon
far-reaching new powers to demand personal and financial records on
people
in the United States as part of foreign intelligence and terrorism
operations, officials said.
The proposal, which was beaten back, would have given the C.I.A. and
the
military the authority to issue administrative subpoenas known as
"national security letters" requiring Internet providers, credit card
companies, libraries and a range of other organizations to produce
materials like phone records, bank transactions and e-mail logs. That
authority now rests largely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
and
the subpoenas do not require court approval.
The surprise proposal was tucked into a broader intelligence
authorization
bill now pending before Congress. It set off fierce debate today in a
closed-door meeting of the Senate Intelligence Committee, officials
said.
Democrats on the panel said they were stunned by the proposal because
it
appeared to expand significantly the role of the C.I.A. and the
Pentagon in
conducting domestic operations, despite a long history of tight
restrictions, officials said…
Timothy Edgar, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties
Union,
called the proposal "dangerous and un-American."
Mr. Edgar said that "even in the most frigid periods of the Cold War,
we
never gave the C.I.A. such sweeping and secret policing powers over
American citizens."...
-----
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND NEWSPAPER ACCUSED OF HATE AND INDECENCY
Students call on "people of conscience" to contact The Diamondback
(College Park, MD - 04/30/03) Students at the University of Maryland,
College Park launched a massive flyer campaign today aimed to raise
awareness of their campus newspaper's history of hurtful publications.
The flyer, entitled "The Diamondback: A Legacy of Hate and Indecency",
lists several recent cartoons, comics, and editorials printed by the
Diamondback with such targets as women, the pope, U.S. troops, and
rape.
"The Diamondback has stooped to an unfathomable level of indecency this
year as it engages itself in a campaign to spread hate and
intolerance,"
asserts the flyer. "It is unbelievable that the nation's third
most-read college newspaper, representing tens of thousands of diverse
students, has little more professionalism than an elementary school
bully."
Over 10,000 flyers were released for hand distribution and posting
throughout the campus. The campaign also includes a website with a
larger listing of cartoons and comics, and links for viewing the actual
Diamondback publications referenced. SEE:
http://www.angelfire.com/comics/dbreakers.
The past week has witnessed the appearance of two new publications on
campus bred from a dissatisfaction with the Diamondback. "The Space
Between" was issued on Monday, April 21 as a color newsletter
"exploring
a multitude of viewpoints" (SEE:
http://dspeyer.student.umd.edu/cgi-bin/index.cgi). "The Terrapin
Times", a
newspaper airing conservative views, was released three days later
(SEE:
http://www.theterrapintimes.com). The flyer campaign does not claim
affiliation with either of these publications or any student
organizations.
ACTION REQUESTED: The Diamondback must be told that publications of
such
a hateful and indecent nature are not acceptable. As the nation's
third
most-read campus newspaper, the Diamondback should set an example in
decency and fairness rather than breed hate and intolerance.
SEND POLITE COMMENTS TO: newsroom@dbk.umd.edu, parsons@dbk.umd.edu,
managing-ed@dbk.umd.edu, melanie@dbk.umd.edu, opinion@dbk.umd.edu,
ombudsman@dbk.umd.edu
CONTACT: dmbbreakers@yahoo.com
CALL: (301) 314-8200
FAX: (301) 314-8358
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 - 5/4/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: A POOR PERSON
* U.S.-BACKED IRAQI EXILES RETURN TO REINVENT NATION (NY Times)
- Israel Seeks Projects in Iraq Reconstruction (Ma'ariv)
- New Empire Builders (New York Times)
- Slain Iraqi Cleric said to be CIA Ally (The Star)
- Baghdad Death Toll Counted (Knight Ridder)
* 'PATRIOT ACT II' AND CIVIL LIBERTIES (Daily Emerald)
- Muslims Unite Over Worries About Bias (Post-Standard)
- Is FBI watching what you read? (Jersey City Reporter)
* FOR ASSEMBLYMAN, A FAITH MOST PRIVATE (Newsday)
- Arabs Builds Bonds with Blacks, Hispanics (Newsday)
* MERCURY NEWS SAYS PIPES NOMINATION SENDS 'MIXED MESSAGE'
- Organizers Should Have Allowed Response (Milwaukee Journal)
- Pipes' Invitation to Speak is Disturbing (Buffalo News)
* ON MAKING MUSLIM OUTSIDERS, INSIDERS (Christian Science Monitor)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A POOR PERSON
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Do you know who is
poor?"
His companions replied: "A poor man amongst us is one who has (no
money)."
The Prophet then said: "The poor of my community will be he who comes
on
the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and charity, but since
he
hurled abuses on others, brought slander on others, unlawfully consumed
the
wealth and shed the blood of others…his virtues will be credited to the
account of the one (who suffered at his hand)."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1179
-----
U.S.-BACKED IRAQI EXILES RETURN TO REINVENT NATION
DOUGLAS JEHL, New York Times, 5/4/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/04/international/middleeast/04EXIL.html
ARLINGTON, Va., May 3 - Munther al-Fadhal believes that there is no
place
for religion in a new constitution for Iraq. He favors the
establishment of
relations between Iraq and Israel. He even thinks Iraq should outlaw
the
death penalty.
Such an agenda might not seem surprising in Washington or in Sweden,
Dr.
Fadhal's temporary home. But in Iraq, even after Saddam Hussein, and in
much of the Arab world, it is very radical indeed, challenging deeply
felt
views about Islam, Israel and Arab autonomy.
And yet, this very weekend, aboard an American military plane, Dr.
Fadhal
is beginning a trip home to Iraq to try to put his ideas in place. As
the
designated senior adviser to the Iraqi Justice Ministry, he will be one
of
the leaders of a 150-strong team of exiles plucked by the Pentagon from
posts in America and Europe to help shape the new Iraq.
A look at the team, assembled in a mere two months by Deputy Defense
Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, shows how boldly the United States is
trying
to import secular, democratic notions to an Iraq whose political future
remains the subject of profound division and flux. It also underscores
some
of the considerable risks involved…
SEE ALSO:
ISRAELI MINISTER SEEKS UNDERSTANDING WITH US OFFICIALS ON PROJECTS IN
IRAQ
Ma'ariv (Asaqim Supplement) in Hebrew, 4/30/03
[Report by David Lipkin: "Government May Lift Restrictions on Trade
With
Iraq To Enable Israelis To Take Part in Reconstruction"]
[Translated Text]
Ehud Olmert, acting prime minister and trade, industry, and employment
minister, has given a green light to Israeli firms to take part in the
reconstruction of Iraq. The minister told Ma'ariv yesterday that the
business opportunity in Iraq has to be exploited, and Israeli companies
should be allowed to make business in that country. Iraq was defined an
enemy state until recently, and Israelis were prohibited from forging
trade
ties with it, but this is about to change.
Yet Olmert recommends exercising caution and avoiding declarations on
the
issue of trade with Iraq, as it may be bad for business. The minister
recommends reaching an understanding with various US elements, who may
be
instrumental in the forging of such ties. Moreover, Olmert has
instructed
his ministry's Foreign Trade Administration to follow up the
developments.
He says the administration is holding consultations on the situation in
Iraq with a view to formulating a position and probing the options for
future trade with Iraq and for inclusion in reconstruction projects.
As Ma'ariv has previously reported, several Israeli businessmen are
already
holding contacts with US elements in an attempt to explore the
possibility
of becoming subcontractors in various Iraqi projects. In addition,
Iraqi
businessmen have approached Israeli telecom, agricultural, and
electronics
firms, seeking contacts.
---
A CLASSICIST'S LEGACY: NEW EMPIRE BUILDERS
By JAMES ATLAS, New York Times, 5/4/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/04/weekinreview/04ATLA.html
All right, so weapons of mass destruction haven't yet been found in
Iraq.
And no firm link has been established between Saddam Hussein and Al
Qaeda.
So what was the war in Iraq about, then? According to one school of
thought, our most recent military adventure turns out to have been
nothing
less than a defense of Western civilization - as interpreted by the
late
classicist and political philosopher Leo Strauss.
If this chain of events seems implausible, consider the tribute
President
Bush paid in February to the cohort of journalists, political
philosophers
and policy wonks known - primarily to themselves - as Straussians. "You
are
some of the best brains in our country," Mr. Bush declared in a speech
at
the American Enterprise Institute, "and my government employs about 20
of you."
"Employs" is too weak a verb. To intellectual-conspiracy theorists, the
Bush administration's foreign policy is entirely a Straussian creation.
Paul D. Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defense, has been identified
as
a disciple of Strauss; William Kristol, founding editor of The Weekly
Standard, a must-read in the White House, considers himself a
Straussian;
Gary Schmitt, executive director of the Project for the New American
Century, an influential foreign policy group started by Mr. Kristol, is
firming in the Strauss camp. One is reminded of Asa Leventhal, the hero
of
Saul Bellow's novel "The Victim," who asks his oppressor, a mysterious
figure named Kirby Allbee, "Wait a minute, what's your idea of who runs
things?" For those who believe in the power of ideas, it wouldn't be
too
much of a stretch to answer: the intellectual heirs of Leo Strauss.
So how did it come to pass that a European-born émigré identified by
the
Harvard professor of government Harvey Mansfield (also a Straussian) as
"an
obscure professor of political philosophy at the University of Chicago
who
died in 1973" now occupies a position of such disproportionate
influence?...
---
SLAIN IRAQI CLERIC SAID TO BE CIA ALLY
KNUT ROYCE, The Star, 5/2/03
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1051643360301&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724
WASHINGTON-The United States suffered a major blow in its campaign to
recruit friendly Shiite clerics inside Iraq last month when it lost an
influential religious ally to an angry mob - and as much as $13 million
the
CIA had given him to cultivate supporters.
While he was widely perceived to be pro-American, Iraqis were unaware
that
the cleric, Abdul Majid al-Khoei, had agreed to use the CIA cash in a
covert program to enlist support within the splintered Shiite
community,
according to knowledgeable U.S. sources…
---
BAGHDAD DEATH TOLL COUNTED
MATTHEW SCHOFIELD, NANCY A. YOUSSEF and JUAN O. TAMAYO
Knight Ridder Newspapers, 5/4/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/5772622.htm
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The battle for Baghdad cost the lives of at least 1,101
Iraqi civilians, many of them women and children, according to records
at
the city's 19 largest hospitals.
The civilian death toll was almost certainly higher. The hospital
records
say that another 1,255 dead were "probably" civilians, including many
women
and children. Uncounted others who died never made it to hospitals and
now
are buried in shallow graves that have been dug throughout the city -
in
cemeteries, back yards, hospital gardens, city parks and mosque
grounds.
More than 6,800 civilians were wounded, the hospital records show…
-----
'PATRIOT ACT II' BILL RAISES CONCERNS OVER CIVIL LIBERTIES
Jennifer Bear, Daily Emerald, 5/2/03
http://www.dailyemerald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/02/3eb2939e723c6
While the world has recoiled in fear from the threat of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome, a fear of a different kind has haunted people on
American soil -- the deterioration of civil liberties.
The Lane County Bill of Rights Defense Committee and the American Civil
Liberties Union have spent the past several months raising a ruckus
over
the Justice Department's draft legislation called the Domestic Security
Enhancement Act of 2003, also known as "Patriot Act II."
The Justice Department has not officially released the legislation, but
"Patriot II" captured public attention after the Center for Public
Integrity obtained a draft of the undisclosed legislation and provided
a
full text of the document on its Web site earlier this year.
The bill would expand the current anti-terrorism legislation known as
the
USA PATRIOT Act, and contains more than 500 provisions to endow the
government with mightier muscles for curbing terrorism, or according to
constitutional rights advocates, crippling civil liberties…
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS UNITE OVER WORRIES ABOUT BIAS
Renee K. Gadoua Post-Standard, 5/4/03
http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-8/105203736667880.xml
The treatment of three suspects and up to 150 local Muslims questioned
during the investigation of Help the Needy reflects a pattern of
harassment
and suspicion all over the country, a representative of a national
Islamic
civil rights and advocacy group says.
"When I walk through an airport with my wife, people become suspicious
by
the way we look that we are prone to do something violent," said Joshua
Salaam, an African-American Muslim who is manager of the civil rights
department of the Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
Salaam said the arrests of three Central New York men accused of
illegally
sending money to Iraq through a Syracuse-based charity, the tactics
used in
questioning potential witnesses and much of the media's coverage of the
incident mirror the fear and ignorance of Islam spurred by the Sept.
11,
2001, terrorist attacks...
The Muslim community has criticized law enforcement, saying
investigators
and prosecutors harassed and intimidated its members and asked
inappropriate questions about their religious beliefs. Prosecutors have
said they have received no formal complaints about their actions during
questioning of witnesses in the case.
Attending the forum were many members of the local peace community;
fewer
than half were from the Muslim community. Speakers included Thomas J.
Costello, auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse;
and
Imam Ahmed Nezar Kobeisy, spiritual leader of the Islamic Society of
Central New York...
In the days following the arrests, several local religious leaders said
members of the Muslim community feared speaking out would jeopardize
their
citizenship or student visa status or spur anti-Islamic backlash.
Linda Bergh, a member of James Street United Methodist Church, said she
offered to share stories of some women questioned at the forum.
"They were afraid to tell me," she said. "They were afraid to have that
represented at a public meeting. They are afraid it will somehow be
traced
back and used against them because they are Arab or they are Muslim."
Magda Bayoumi, questioned Feb. 26 by officials, said she refuses to be
silenced by the atmosphere of fear.
"I am proud to be a Muslim," she said. "I cannot be more proud of
anything
else. I will not be afraid. I will not crumble. I will stand up tall."
-----
IS FBI WATCHING WHAT YOU READ?
Dylan M. Archilla and Donald M. Kelly, Jersey City Reporter, 5/4/03
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=7898305&BRD=1293&PAG=461&dept_id=141721&rfi=6
The type of intrigue that usually is the provenance of spy novels and
conspiracy theories has irked local librarians.
With the passing of the "Patriot Act" in October of 2001, a month after
the
Sept. 11 attacks, federal agencies' ability to legally and covertly
gather
information on citizens has been greatly expanded, including
governmental
access to what people read from public libraries.
Last week, the Union City Friends of the Library delivered a letter to
the
office of Rep. Bob Menendez (D-13th Dist.) officially protesting
governmental access to what has long been considered private
information.
The letter also urged the congressman to "co-sponsor the Freedom to
Read
Protection Act introduced recently by Congressman Bernie Sanders of
Vermont."
Joel Barkin, press secretary for Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), in a
telephone interview last week, explained the genesis of the Freedom to
Read
Protection Act. Said Barkin, "We introduced the legislation a little
over a
month ago. It included 75 bipartisan signatures. The reason we
introduced
it was that we were approached by many librarians in Vermont. Section
2:15
of the Act affects libraries and booksellers."
The Patriot Act both permits law-enforcement access to library and
bookstore records, and forbids the library to disclose to the public
such
inquiries. It is this last provision that most worries librarians
throughout the country…
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) web site, "Many
parts of this sweeping legislation take away checks on law enforcement
and
threaten the very rights and freedoms that we are struggling to
protect.
For example, without a warrant and without probable cause, the FBI now
has
the power to access your most private medical records, your library
records, and your student records... and can prevent anyone from
telling
you it was done…"
-----
FOR ASSEMBLYMAN, A FAITH MOST PRIVATE
Ron Howell, Newsday, 5/3/03
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/nyc-muslim0503,0,2446578.story
Roger Green kept his religion to himself for a long time. It was a
personal
matter, he told everyone.
Asked about his faith on TV three years ago, Green, a veteran state
assemblyman from Brooklyn, walked off the set, cameras rolling.
"For years I've kept my faith private," Green said.
Speaking publicly about it for the first time, Green told Newsday last
week
he has been a practicing Muslim for more than 30 years. He is the only
Muslim elected official in New York State, he and others say...
SEE ALSO:
ARABS BUILDS BONDS WITH BLACKS, HISPANICS
Ron Howell, Newsday, 5/4/03
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/nyc-nyarab043267911may04,0,7416986.story
On the evening of April 24, a group of local Arabs held a special
"Building
Bridges" dinner to create friendships and alliances with activists in
the
African-American and Latino communities.
Of 40 or so blacks and Latinos who had said they would attend, only
about a
dozen showed up, said members of the Arab Muslim American Federation,
the
group that organized the event.
Still, the organizers took heart from the blacks and Latinos who showed
up
that night and expressed solidarity with the Arabs.
"We have more in common and we must come together," said Bishop Vincent
Cooper, an African-American and pastor of White Rock Baptist Church in
Harlem.
Cooper spoke against the dropping of bombs in Iraq and against the
"profiling" of blacks and Muslims by law enforcement officials.
"Until we come together we are doomed to repeat this over and over
again,"
Cooper said.
-----
MERCURY NEWS SAYS PIPES NOMINATION SENDS 'MIXED MESSAGE'
AN OPEN LETTER FROM SILICON VALLEY FOR YOUR VISIT THIS MORNING
Mercury News Editorial, 5/2/03
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/5771173.htm
WORDS VS. ACTIONS ON RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
The mixed messages your administration sends on religious tolerance are
painful to many. You can refer to Islam as a religion of peace, but
when
you nominate Daniel Pipes to the U.S. Institute of Peace and invite the
Rev. Franklin Graham to lead services at the Pentagon, and maintain a
cozy
relationship with fundamentalist groups that portray Islam as evil --
well,
you know that saying about being judged by the company you keep.
Condemn
religious intolerance in all nations.
SEE ALSO:
EVENT ORGANIZERS SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED RESPONSE
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/3/04
http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/may03/137991.asp
I thank Tom Heinen for writing an accurate account of the Daniel Pipes'
lecture ("Audience divided by scholar's talk on Islam," April 29). What
I
found most disturbing was that Nicolet High School would allow its
facility
to be used by such a controversial individual.
It was unfortunate that the organizers of the event did not allow any
response to Pipes' allegations. Many questions were submitted during
the
question-and-answer session but were ignored. The members of the
audience
who disagreed with his inflammatory comments had no choice but to
respond
from the floor. Some of the individuals walking into this lecture were
calling the Muslims who were protesting peacefully outside
"terrorists."
Anyone who has any interaction with the Muslim community here in
Milwaukee
and the thousands who have visited our center, especially since 9-11,
know
that Islam means peace, which is the basis of this religion.
Pipes needs to focus on extreme elements in all religions and get his
facts
right if he is trying to serve on the board of the U.S. Institute of
Peace.
Pipes is wrong in stating that 1 in 8 Muslims are militants and that it
is
these individuals who are running organizations, schools and media.
Lying
has never brought peace to the world.
Naheed Arshad Mequon
---
PIPES' INVITATION TO SPEAK IS DISTURBING
Buffalo News (New York), 5/1/03
http://www.buffalonews.com
In a letter titled "Dialogue is the only way," Howard Benatovich
defends
inviting the controversial speaker Daniel Pipes to a lecture series
hosted
by Buffalo's Jewish community. In a democracy, there is a diversity of
opinion, but Pipes' opinions are regrettably anti-Islamic and
anti-Muslim
and do little to promote peace.
As early as 1990, Pipes was quoted as saying: "Western European
societies
are unprepared for the massive immigration of brown-skinned peoples
cooking
strange foods and maintaining different standards of hygiene . . . All
immigrants bring exotic customs and attitudes, but Muslim customs are
more
troublesome than most." (National Review, 11/19/90)
In The Weekly Standard (1/22/96), Pipes offered a glowing review of the
infamous anti-Muslim book "Why I Am Not a Muslim," calling it "quite
brilliant" and a "startling novel."
The National Catholic Reporter (11/17/95) called that book "the
literary
equivalent of hate radio . . . literary warfare against Islam," useful
only
to those "interested in returning to the polemical past to do battle
with
Islamic believers." More recently, Pipes has claimed that 10 to 15
percent
of Muslims are potential killers, and has advocated increased
surveillance
of American Muslims.
A former director of Harvard's Center for Middle Eastern Studies and
one of
Pipes' instructors has said: "I have been appalled frequently by his
polemical stance on almost everything having to do with Islam."
Given Pipes' anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim views, it is distressful to
know
that he is being invited to speak to the local Jewish community.
UMAIR AHMED
Cheektowaga
-----
ON MAKING MUSLIM OUTSIDERS, INSIDERS
Edward Ordman, Christian Science Monitor, 5/5/03
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0505/p18s02-hfes.html
I've been encouraging friends recently to find the time to visit their
nearest mosque, or ask their church or synagogue to arrange an exchange
of
visits for a group. While you can't just slide into a mosque and remain
inconspicuous, members of the mosque are delighted to have visitors and
often have social hours or other functions.
Many American Muslims are feeling very much like outsiders right now.
In
recent weeks, some have been as fearful as the Jews must have been in
Germany at the start of the 1930s. It is very much in everyone's
interest
for Muslims to become and remain insiders, participants, who feel part
of
and secure in American life…
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 5/5/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE BEST CHARITY
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5817 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* COLORADO BILL STIGMATIZES MUSLIMS
* MISSION IS TO TEACH TOLERANCE (Sun-Sentinel)
* USA PATRIOT ACT FACES OPPOSITION (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Patriot Act Opposition Considered (Daily Northwestern)
- Miami Forum on Patriot Act
* A LEAP OF FAITH IN INDIAN POLITICS (Washington Post)
* WHOSE 'ROAD MAP'? (Antiwar.com)
* PEACE INSTITUTE NOMINEE CAUSES CONFLICT (Washington Post)
* MUSLIM NATIONS NEED HISTORIC ISLAM (Charlotte Observer)
* CONTACT 60 MINUTES ABOUT "UNBALANCED" PIECE ON MUSLIM GROUPS
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE BEST CHARITY
A man once brought the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) some gold
equal
in weight to an egg, and said: "I got this from a mine; take it; it is
(to
be used as) charity. I have no more than this."
The Prophet (ignored the man). Then the man came to him from his right
side
and repeated the same words. But the Prophet turned his attention from
him
(again). He then came to him from his left side and repeated the same
words. But the Prophet (again) turned his attention from him. He then
came
to him from behind. The Prophet finally took the gold and threw it
away,
saying: "One of you brings all that he possesses and says: 'This is
charity.' Then he sits down and spreads his hand before the people (to
beg). The best charity is that which leaves (the giver the ability to
take
care of his needs)."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 678
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5817 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5817 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
COLORADO BILL STIGMATIZES MUSLIMS
Proposed student visa legislation refers to "Islamic terrorism"
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/5/03) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights
and
advocacy group today called on the Colorado General Assembly to modify
proposed legislation that it says stigmatizes Muslim students in that
state
and falsely links the faith of Islam to terrorism.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Bill 03-322,
which
passed through the state Senate last week, requires state-sponsored
institutions of higher learning to verify the visa status of foreign
students from countries with links to "Islamic terrorism." The bill now
goes to the Education Committee in the House for final approval.
GO TO:
http://www.leg.state.co.us/2003a/inetcbill.nsf/ExtendedSearchScreen
Search using the term "Islamic."
The bill has garnered criticism from state representatives like Sen.
Ken
Gordon (D-Denver), who described the legislation as "needlessly
slanderous
of a religion." (AP)
"It is unfortunate that the Colorado General Assembly would link the
faith
of Islam, followed by millions of Americans and one-fifth of the
world's
population, to terrorism. If passed, this legislation will stigmatize
all
Muslim students in Colorado's universities and will further harm
America's
image in the Islamic world," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Awad added that if the bill moves forward toward a signature by the
governor, any references to Islam or Muslims should be removed.
- END -
CONTACT: Ms. Hodan Hassan, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-MAIL:
hhassan@cair-net.org, Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726,
E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org
ACTION REQUESTED: Contact officials on the Education Committee of the
State
House and the governor's office to ask that all references to Islam be
removed from this legislation. It is important to act quickly since the
bill is scheduled to be voted on within the next day or two.
BILL OWENS, GOVERNOR
136 State Capitol
Denver, CO 80203-1792
Voice: 303-866-2471
Fax: 303-866-2003
E-mail: governorowens@state.co.us
STATE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE:
Representative Spence (303)866-2935 or nancyspence@qwest.net
Representative Lee - (303)866-2939 or don.lee.house@state.co.us
Representative Hefley (303)866-2924
Representative Merrifield (303)866-2932 or
michael.merrifield.house@state.co.us
Representative Paccione (303)866-2917 or
angie.paccione.house@state.co.us
Representative Pommer (303)866-2780 or jack.pommer.house@state.co.us
Representative Rose (303)866-2955 or ray.rose.house@state.co.us
Representative Vigil (303)866-2964 or val.vigil.house@state.co.us
Representative White (303)866-2949 or al.white.house@state.co.us
Representative S. Williams (303)866-2919
suzanne.williams.house@state.co.us
Representative T. Williams (303)866-2929
COPY ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
MISSION IS TO TEACH TOLERANCE
Altaf Ali, Florida Sun-Sentinel, 5/5/03
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-28forum28may05,0,2227177.story
In his April 23 column, political writer Buddy Nevins quoted the lies
and
distortions put forward by those who seek the marginalization of the
American Muslim community, while leaving out CAIR's history of working
at
many levels to benefit the people of our state...
Our Florida office works closely with the FBI, Florida Department of
Law
Enforcement, Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Attorney's
Office, Florida Commission on Human Relations, Center for Advancement
of
Human Rights at Florida State University, Florida Immigration Advocacy
Group, American Civil Liberties Union and the governor's office.
We also understand the need to strike a balance between liberty and
security.
On March 24, CAIR-FL stood side-by-side with the state and federal
officials to call on members of the Muslim community to offer help in
locating a man on the FBI's most wanted list. Despite our concerns with
the
FBI's "voluntary interviews" of Arabs and Muslim, we did not hesitate
to
help when help was sought...
It is particularly disturbing that a group such as the Anti-Defamation
League, which claims to fight stereotyping, would indulge in the
religious
and ethnic scare-mongering quoted by Nevins on April 23 when he cited
an
ADL spokesman who said CAIR is reluctant "to condemn attacks on
innocent
Israelis."...
CAIR has been consistent in its repeated condemnation of terrorism in
all
its forms. We do not support, either directly or indirectly, any
terrorist
group, anywhere in the world...
Altaf Ali is executive director of the Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group.
-----
USA PATRIOT ACT FACES OPPOSITION
Tim Sullivan, Salt Lake Tribune, 5/5/03
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/May/05052003/utah/53927.asp
Two dozen curious citizens received a lesson on the USA Patriot Act on
Saturday at the South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society -- as well
as
some strong opinions about its consequences.
"If you print out the U.S. Constitution, it's two pages," said Aaron
Turpen, one of the event's organizers. "It took the government 131
pages to
screw it up. . . And we're the ones who are letting it be torn up."
Turpen was one of three speakers who guided the audience through the
lengthy USA Patriot Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism), the
legislation passed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks that
sought
to prevent domestic terrorism, and the programs that have resulted from
it
like the Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-screening System (CAPPS) and
Total
Information Awareness (TIA).
The "teach-in" was part of a burgeoning effort to educate people about
the
dangers of such legislation. On April 19, Turpen helped organize a
rally at
the Capitol, and is planning more teach-ins at an LDS ward and in St.
George.
"People are going to start talking and trying to figure out what's
going
on," Turpen said. "From the grass-roots level, that's the only way to
fix
things."...
SEE ALSO:
COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER PATRIOT ACT OPPOSITION
Andy Nelson, Daily Northwestern, 5/5/03
http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/05/3eb60bd37c262
Evanston City Council might soon issue its opinion on a national
security
policy just three months after condemning what was then a possible war
in Iraq.
The Human Services Committee will consider tonight a resolution
concerning
the USA Patriot Act, which bolstered federal surveillance powers one
month
after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The resolution, authored by the city's Human Relations Commission,
urges
Congress to repeal parts of the act the commission found threatening to
civil liberties. If the city's resolution is passed by the committee,
and
ultimately Evanston City Council, federal legislators will be informed
of
the city's opinion.
"(The resolution) rejects the concept that it's correct to give up your
freedom in order to be safe," said Ald. Elizabeth Tisdahl (7th), who is
in
favor of the resolution...
---
MIAMI FORUM ON PATRIOT ACT
WHAT: A panel of local and national experts, including Altaf Ali of the
Council on American Islamic Relations, and Dr. Lawrence Miller of the
American Library Association, will examine the PATRIOT Act, the leaked
"PATRIOT Act II" and what can be done about these and other federal
measures that violate fundamental rights and liberties. The panel
presentation will be followed by questions and answers with the
audience.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 6th, 7 P.M. to 9 P.M.
WHERE: Wolfe Theater, Florida International University
Biscayne Bay Campus - 3000 NE 151 Street in North Miami
CONTACT: Alessandra Soler Meetze, ACLU of Florida, at (305) 576-2337
ext.
16 or Jennifer Van Bergen, Broward Bill of Rights Coalition, at (954)
458-7383
-----
A LEAP OF FAITH IN INDIAN POLITICS
John Lancaster, Washington Post, 5/5/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13796-2003May4.html
Singh, a leading light of India's secular-oriented Congress party, is
facing a tough reelection challenge from Uma Bharti, a saffron-robed
Hindu
mendicant -- who also happens to be a member of Parliament -- from the
Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which heads India's
coalition government.
Cows and cow products are sacred to Hindus, who represent 82 percent of
India's billion-plus people. Touting the wonders of cow urine, analysts
say, is part of Singh's strategy to neutralize the appeal of the
Hindu-nationalist doctrine -- called "Hindutva" -- at the core of the
BJP's
platform.
More broadly, it is an example of how the Hindu-nationalist agenda is
coming to dominate political discourse in India, drowning out debate on
other topics and sowing doubts about the country's future as a secular,
pluralistic democracy...
Political commentators have dubbed the strategy "soft Hindutva." They
describe it as an effort by the Congress party to undercut charges by
the
BJP and its allies that Congress is insensitive to Hindu concerns in
the
run-up to crucial state elections that will set the stage for national
polls next year.
But the approach has its critics. Secular liberals, in particular, say
soft
Hindutva legitimizes issues best left out of politics and could inflame
communal passions at the expense of India's large Muslim minority,
which
often has been on the receiving end of right-wing Hindu wrath...
-----
WHOSE 'ROAD MAP'?
Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 5/5/03
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
An Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, is one of the few media outlets
worldwide
to focus on the Israeli far-right's effort to undermine the much-touted
"road map" that Bush is throwing like a bone after a banquet to the
family
pet. The administration is touting its peace plan to give the
appearance of
the U.S. as an honest Middle East broker, but there's just one problem:
that dog won't bark. The reason it won't is that the Israeli right-wing
won't let it, nor will the American Likudniks in this country, who are
far
to the right of Ariel Sharon.
The former responded quickly to the American initiative: neo-fascist
National Union politician Benny Elon is on a tour of the United States,
promoting his own ghastly program of ethnic cleansing as the only
solution one might even say the final solution to Israel's
Palestinian
problem. Final in the sense that the Elon plan, entitled "In the Wake
of
the War in Iraq - A Historic Opportunity for a Regional Solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict," calls for the uprooting and mass
transfer of
the Palestinians to "neighboring countries," principally Jordan...
Elon is scheduled to meet with officials of the Christian Coalition and
the
Christian Broadcasting Network, as well as Gary Bauer and Christian
talk
show host Janet Parshall: he is also going to meet with unspecified
"leaders of the US Senate and the House of Representatives."...
-----
RINGER ON THE RUN AMID THE COUCH POTATOES
Al Kamen, Washington Post, 5/5/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13699-2003May4.html
The U.S. Institute of Peace is a federally funded think tank set up to
promote "the prevention, management and resolution of international
conflicts."
But the White House's pick for a spot on the USIP board, Middle East
scholar Daniel Pipes, seems to be provoking conflict everywhere he
goes,
running into protesters, especially from American Muslims, who consider
him
militantly anti-Muslim, which he denies.
His speaking tour in Wisconsin last week was marked by nasty shouting,
police intervention and even one arrest. At a Milwaukee area high
school,
police escorted several people out of the auditorium, according to an
account in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and arrested one man who
police
said may have had a bomb. The man pulled up his shirt to show there was
no
bomb, so he was cited for disorderly conduct.
When someone in the audience interrupted Pipes, shouting "racist" or
the
like, Pipes refused to continue speaking until that person left, the
paper
reported.
At the University of Wisconsin, after a questioner said he should be
ashamed of himself, Pipes said: "Is this University of Wisconsin
civility?"
the Madison Capital Times reported. "It is when it comes to bigots," a
heckler shouted.
When a man in black wearing a witch's hat criticized him, Pipes said:
"You
know, you're as stupid as you look."...
-----
MUSLIM NATIONS NEED HISTORIC ISLAM
Amir Butler, Charlotte Observer, 5/5/03
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/5787452.htm
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Carly Fiorina, CEO of
Hewlett-Packard,
addressing an IT conference in Minnesota, extolled the importance of
innovation and ideas to the technology industry she represents.
She spoke of a civilization whose language became the universal
language of
much of the world; whose multicultural armies enabled peace and
prosperity;
whose commerce extended from the Americas to China and who, driven by
invention, gave humanity the gifts of algebra and algorithms. The
society
cured disease, carried out complicated surgical operations such as the
removal of cataracts, and laid the foundations for modern medicine and
physiology.
While most of the world was steeped in ignorance and fearful of ideas,
this
civilization kept knowledge alive and passed it on to others. That
civilization, she told her audience, was the Islamic civilization up
until
the 17th century...
Whereas the Prophet Muhammad allowed the people to choose his
successor,
those who rule over the Muslims today are either presidents-for-life or
monarchies. The system of consultative government employed by the
Prophet
and his successors has been replaced by the systems of quasi-fascist
authoritarianism that characterize most countries in the Muslim world
today.
Despite that, it has become fashionable in some circles to impugn Islam
as
the cause of all these problems. However, the thousand years of
intellectual advancement, nurtured and supported by governments that
were
theocratic shariah-states, refutes this idea...
-----
CONTACT 60 MINUTES ABOUT UNBALANCED PIECE ON VA MUSLIM GROUPS
Last night, the CBS news magazine, 60 Minutes, aired a piece (Terrorist
Hunter) focusing on a self-proclaimed and anonymous "terrorist hunter"
who
allegedly provided the government with information that resulted in
raids
on Muslim businesses and homes in Northern Virginia last year.
Although not one individual or group raided by the government has yet
to be
charged with any crimes, the actions of the "terrorist hunter" are
attributed in the piece as "inflicting severe blows against
terrorists."
Numerous civil rights and national Muslim groups criticized the raids
as
"fishing expeditions" and urged that vague and unsubstantiated
references
to 'links' or 'ties' to infamous names and organizations not be
substituted
for credible evidence.
With the exception of a 30-second interview with a Muslim who happened
to
be near the television crew when they were taping, there were no
alternative views presented by 60 Minutes in the story and the
"terrorist
hunter's" expertise or motives were not questioned.
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.) Contact 60
Minutes
to express your concerns about the piece by calling (212) 975-2006,
faxing
(212) 975-2019, or filling out a feedback form on the website at
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/08/60minutes/main13504.shtml.
-----
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https://www.cair-net.org/asp/membership.asp
-----
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To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 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 5/6/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: SELF-HELP
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5817 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* CAIR-OHIO MEET WITH COLUMBUS SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
- Job Opportunity at CAIR-Ohio
* IL SENATOR INTRODUCES HATE CRIME BILL
* HUSH-HUSH AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT (Washington Times)
- Closed-Door McCarthy Transcripts Unsealed (AP)
- Resources: Transcripts of the McCarthy Hearings
* MUSLIM GROUP PROTESTS COLORADO BILL (Denver Post)
* OPERATION SUPPORT GARNER (Guardian)
- Missing In Action: Truth (NY Times)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SELF-HELP
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?" He 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 hand 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 that begging should come as a
spot on your face on the Day of Judgment."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 664
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5817 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5817 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
CAIR-OHIO MEET WITH COLUMBUS SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
CAIR-Ohio President Ahmad Al-Akhras and Executive Director Jad Humeidan
met
last week with Dr. Gene Harris, Superintendent of Columbus Public
Schools,
to discuss issues of importance to Muslim students and parents.
"The discussion was very fruitful and focused on joint projects between
the
school district and CAIR-Ohio," said Al-Akhras. "We proposed an essay
writing competition for middle and high school, volunteered our
services
for in-service training and discussed the recent federal guidance on
prayer
in public schools," added Al-Akhras.
Columbus Public Schools have a large number of recent immigrants who
are
Muslims. There are more than 30,000 Muslims in central Ohio.
Contact: Ahmed Al Akhras at (614) 451-3232
SEE ALSO:
IMMEDIATE JOB OPPORTUNITY AT CAIR-OHIO
Job Title: Director, Cincinnati office
Job Description: This position will entail directing all CAIR-Ohio,
Cincinnati office activities which includes but not limited to the
following:
- Outreach with local Muslim community on a regular basis.
- Media activism which includes writing press releases, giving
interviews
and issuing statements.
- Manage all CAIR office administration needs.
- Fund raising activities.
- Ability to work on civil right cases.
Qualifications: Candidate must have a university degree. Good
organizational and management skills, excellent verbal and written
communication skills. Legal background is a plus.
PLEASE SEND YOUR RESUME NO LATER THAN JUNE 2, 2003.
EMAIL: ohio@cair-net.org
BY FAX: (614)451-3222
BY MAIL: Ahmad Al-Akhras
CAIR-Ohio Chapter
4700 Reed Road, Suite B
Columbus, Ohio 43220
-----
DURBIN INTRODUCES RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HATE CRIMES AGAINST ARABS,
MUSLIMS
AND SIKHS
Press Release, 5/6/03
[WASHINGTON, DC] U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced a
resolution condemning bigotry and violence against Arab Americans,
Muslim
Americans, South-Asian Americans and Sikh Americans.
Major combat operations in Iraq may have ended, but unfortunately hate
crimes against Arab Americans, Muslims, South-Asian Americans and Sikhs
continue," Durbin said. "There is never a place for this kind of
hatred in
this country, but now, more than ever, we simply cannot allow prejudice
to
divide our nation. These communities are an important part of America,
and
they must be protected."...
Durbin said the resolution he introduced today with Senators John
Sununu
(R-NH) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) recognizes that members of these
communities greatly contribute to American society and serve honorably
in
the military and law enforcement, urges respect for civil rights and
civil
liberties, condemns bias-motivated crimes against members of these
communities and calls upon federal and local law enforcement to
prosecute
such crimes vigorously.
CONTACT: Jenni Engebretsen at (202) 224-7115 or
jenni_engebretsen@durbin.senate.gov
-----
HUSH-HUSH AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Nat Hentoff, Washington Times, 5/6/03
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20030505-82059276.htm
No administration, in my memory as a reporter on national affairs, for
some
forty years, has been as resistant to congressional oversight as George
W.
Bush's executive branch. And when Congress is shut out, so is the rest
of
the citizenry. The most secretive of all divisions of the government
continues to be the Justice Department.
At the First Amendment Forum's National Freedom of Information Day
conference on March 14, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jack Nelson,
retired Washington bureau chief of the Los Angeles Times, said: "No
president since I've been a reporter has so tried to change the very
structure of government to foster secrecy."...
The Justice Department's Office of Legislative Affairs has, by order of
the
attorney general, instructed all members of the Justice Department to
inform that office "ahead of time and as soon as possible" before they
participate in any briefings on Capitol Hill or engage in "substantive
conversations" with members of Congress or their staff on Capitol
Hill...
"Moreover," the memorandum adds, "in almost all cases ... we will
accompany
you to briefings." (In Iraq, before the war, this form of government
supervision was exercised by "minders.")...
SEE ALSO:
CLOSED-DOOR MCCARTHY TRANSCRIPTS UNSEALED
Frederic J. Frommer, Associated Press, 5/6/03
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030506/ap_on_go_co/mccarthy_hearings_10
WASHINGTON - Sen. Joseph McCarthy used closed-door sessions to winnow
out
witnesses who might challenge him in the sensational anti-communism
hearings of a half-century ago, transcripts unsealed Monday show.
Of the 500 witnesses who testified in private, one-third were never
called
back to testify in public.
"Anybody who stood up to McCarthy in closed session, and did so
articulately, tended not to get called up into the public session,"
said
Senate Associate Historian Donald Ritchie, who assembled the 4,000
pages of
transcripts. "McCarthy was only interested in the people he could
browbeat
publicly."
McCarthy, a Wisconsin Republican, chaired the Senate Permanent
Subcommittee
on Investigations in 1953 and 1954 at the height of the Cold War with
the
Soviet Union. His investigation into communists in the U.S. government,
denounced by critics as a witch hunt, spawned the term "McCarthyism" to
describe smear attacks...
The senators who oversaw the project, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Carl
Levin, D-Mich., unveiled the transcripts Monday in a room where
McCarthy
held some of his hearings.
"We hope that the excesses of McCarthyism will serve as a cautionary
tale
for future generations," Collins said...
---
RESOURCE: TRANSCRIPTS OF THE MCCARTHY HEARINGS
McCarthy transcripts:
http://www.gpo.gov/congress/senate/senate12cp107.html
-----
MUSLIM GROUP PROTESTS MEASURE FOR SCRUTINY BY COLO. COLLEGES
Eric Gorski and Ryan Morgan, Denver Post, 5/5/03
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~61~1371725,00.html
A national Muslim civil-rights group Monday called for a revision to a
bill
that would require Colorado colleges to pay closer attention to student
visas from 18 countries linked to "Islamic terrorism."
"If passed, this legislation will stigmatize all Muslim students in
Colorado's universities and will further harm America's image in the
Islamic world," Nihad Awad, director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations in Washington, said in a statement.
Awad suggested references to Islam or Muslims be removed from the
proposed
legislation.
The bill's co-sponsor, Rep. Don Lee, R-Littleton, said Monday that
changing
the bill to address geography instead of faith is an option.
The legislation won approval in the Senate last week and is scheduled
to be
considered today by the House Education Committee.
Senate Bill 332 would require state-funded colleges and universities to
prioritize checking the visa status of students from 18 nations that
have
been linked to groups "supporting Islamic terrorism."
During the Senate debate, Democrats failed to win support for
amendments to
check student visas from all countries and to take the word "Islamic"
out
of the bill....
There's a chance the bill won't reach the governor's desk. Lawmakers
may be
too busy debating a last-minute redistricting bill introduced by
Republican
Sen. Doug Lamborn to hear the bill before the legislature wraps up its
business for the year on Wednesday.
-----
OPERATION SUPPORT GARNER
Jonathan Steele, Guardian, 5/6/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,949949,00.html
American efforts to foist new rulers on the people of Iraq are becoming
increasingly grotesque. In some cities US troops have sparked
demonstrations by imposing officials from the old Saddam Hussein
regime. In
others they have evicted new anti-Saddam administrators who have local
backing.
They have mishandled religious leaders as well as politicians. In the
Shia
suburbs of Baghdad, they arrested a powerful cleric, Mohammed Fartousi
al-Sadr, who had criticised the US presence. In Falluja, an
overwhelmingly
Sunni town, they detained two popular imams. All three men were
released
within days, but local people saw the detentions as a warning that
Iraqis
should submit to the US will...
Washington's failure to hold broad-based consultations at central and
local
levels is provoking resistance, sometimes armed. In response, US troops
have used excessive force, further raising tensions. Ten people died in
Mosul when soldiers fired at crowds of protesters on successive days in
mid-April. In Falluja the death toll from American shootings over two
days
last week was at least 16...
The contrast with Afghanistan is sharp. For months Afghans pleaded for
the
US to deploy international peacekeepers beyond Kabul to cities where
warlords held sway or were fighting for power. The US refused, either
for
fear of taking casualties or because of lack of interest in a poor
country
once its anti-western regime was toppled.
In Iraq, where there are no warlords and people feel they have the
expertise to run the country themselves, the US insists on moving in
and
staying...
SEE ALSO:
MISSING IN ACTION: TRUTH
Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times, 5/6/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/opinion/06KRIS.html
When I raised the Mystery of the Missing W.M.D. recently, hawks fired
barrages of reproachful e-mail at me. The gist was: "You *&#*! Who
cares if
we never find weapons of mass destruction, because we've liberated the
Iraqi people from a murderous tyrant."
But it does matter, enormously, for American credibility. After all, as
Ari
Fleischer said on April 10 about W.M.D.: "That is what this war was
about."
I rejoice in the newfound freedoms in Iraq. But there are indications
that
the U.S. government souped up intelligence, leaned on spooks to change
their conclusions and concealed contrary information to deceive people
at
home and around the world...
Consider the now-disproved claims by President Bush and Colin Powell
that
Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger so it could build nuclear weapons.
As
Seymour Hersh noted in The New Yorker, the claims were based on
documents
that had been forged so amateurishly that they should never have been
taken
seriously...
Patrick Lang, a former head of Middle Eastern affairs in the Defense
Intelligence Agency, says that he hears from those still in the
intelligence world that when experts wrote reports that were skeptical
about Iraq's W.M.D., "they were encouraged to think it over again."...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
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 5/7/2003
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: GOD LOVES THE EQUITABLE
* CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5850 SPONSORSHIPS
* CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
* FL COUNTY PASSES ANTI-PATRIOT ACT RESOLUTION (AP)
- Marin County Slams Patriot Act (KRON)
- Libraries Rally Against Patriot Act (Fox News)
- 'Not Too Much For an Alien' (Washington Post)
* CONSULTING AND POLICY OVERLAP (LA Times)
- Selective Intelligence (New Yorker)
* FRANCE ENVISIONS A CITIZENRY OF MODEL MUSLIMS (NY Times)
* UK CRITICIZED FOR IGNORING ISRAELI ATTACKS ON CITIZENS (Guardian)
- Israel to Demolish Christian Homes (Indy Media)
* THE SCARS OF NATIONALISM (Daily Herald)
* MUSLIMS SAY COP'S COLUMN IS INSULTING (Houston Chronicle)
* AMD LOSES ROUND TO EX-EXEC (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
* COLO. BILL ON MUSLIM STUDENTS PASSES TO HOUSE VOTE (AP)
* DC INTERNATIONAL MOTHER'S DAY BAZAAR
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GOD LOVES THE EQUITABLE
A woman once questioned the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
saying:
"My (pagan) mother came to me, hoping (for my favor)...May I treat her
kindly?" The Prophet replied: "Yes." Then God revealed: "God does not
forbid you to be kind and equitable to those who had neither fought
against
your faith nor driven you out of your homes. In fact God loves the
equitable." (Quran, 60:8)
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 9
-----
CAIR LIBRARY PROJECT: 5850 SPONSORSHIPS
CAIR's Library Project has received 5850 sponsorships for $150 book and
tape packages on Islam to be placed in libraries across the country.
Take
part in this first-of-its-kind campaign by sponsoring an 18-item
"library
package." Our goal is to send accurate and objective information about
Islam to America's 16,000 public libraries.
TO SPONSOR A LIBRARY PACKAGE, GO TO: www.libraryproject.org
OR CALL: 1-800-392-7876, ext. 320
-----
CAIR 'ISLAM IN AMERICA' AD CAMPAIGN
CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign
designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the
rising
tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.americanmuslims.info
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: ISRAELI MINISTER SAYS ISLAM WILL 'DISAPPEAR'
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=289375
"It's clear that Islam is on the way to disappearing," (Israeli Tourism
Minister Benny) Elon asserts with certainty. "What we are now seeing
across
the Muslim world is not a powerful surge of faith but the dying embers
of
Islam. How will it disappear? Very simply. Within a few years a
Christian
crusade against Islam will be launched, which will be the major event
of
this millennium."
NOTE: Elon is in the United States holding meetings with elected
officials
and with Christian leaders who support Israel's far-right. He held a
news
conference today in Washington, D.C., to outline his "alternative" to
President Bush's road map to peace in the Middle East.
-----
FLA. COUNTY APPROVES RESOLUTION OPPOSING USA PATRIOT ACT
Associated Press, 5/7/03
http://www.local6.com/orlpn/news/stories/news-218618120030507-030520.html
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Broward County Commission unanimously
approved
a resolution Tuesday protesting the USA Patriot Act and other measures
described by critics as violations of freedoms protected by the
Constitution. Broward County is the largest of 100 areas nationwide to
approve the resolution, according to the American Civil Liberties
Union.
"People don't know how insidious and how intrusive some aspects of the
Patriot Act are," said Damon Moglen, national field coordinator for
ACLU.
The resolution says the USA Patriot Act, the Domestic Security
Enhancement
Act of 2003 and Florida's Emergency Health Powers Act threaten civil
liberties by expanding government's ability to conduct secret searches
without warrants.
"The Broward County Commission affirms its strong opposition to
terrorism,
but also affirms that any efforts to end terrorism should not be waged
at
the expense of essential civil rights and liberties of the people of
Broward County and the United States," the resolution states...
SEE ALSO:
MARIN SUPES SLAM PATRIOT ACT
KRON 4 TV, 5/6/03
http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=1266554
SAN RAFAEL - The Marin County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution
against the U.S. Patriot Act today, joining local city councils that
have
already taken up the movement.
By a vote of four to one, the Board of Supervisors passed a symbolic
motion
opposing the U.S. Patriot Act today during the board's regular
meeting...
Although the resolution will not change any laws in Marin County, the
board
did request reports on how the county is being affected by the Patriot
and
Homeland Security Acts.
"I just think this is a really critical issue," said David Glick, who
helped draft the resolution, with the Social Justice Center of Marin.
"No
matter what your politics."...
---
LIBRARIES RALLY AGAINST USA PATRIOT ACT
Fox News, 5/7/03
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,86167,00.html
PATERSON, N.J. Librarians across the country are rising up against the
USA
Patriot Act, shredding records and making other attempts to thwart the
legal framework in the war on terror.
Librarian Cindy Czesak is in the vanguard of the rebellion at the
Paterson
Public Library in Paterson, N.J., a densely-populated Middle Eastern
community.
"We're quiet rebels," she said.
Czesak, like hundreds of her fellow librarians around the country, says
the
Patriot Act makes what people read and borrow from libraries fair game
in
the name of tracking terrorists...
"The Patriot Act definitely scares me because we see it being carried
to
the nth degree," Czesak said.
The Alameda County Library Advisory Commission in California recently
approved a resolution supporting a bill spearheaded by Rep. Bernie
Sanders,
I-Vt., that would protect library users' personal information and
library
records obtained through new government surveillance laws...
-----
'NOT TOO MUCH FOR AN ALIEN'
David Cole, Washington Post, 5/7/03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22860-2003May6.html
Sixty-seven years ago, the Supreme Court reviewed a case involving a
confession coerced by torture from a black defendant in Mississippi.
The
deputy sheriff who presided over the interrogation admitted that the
defendant had been whipped, "but not too much for a Negro." The Supreme
Court rejected that reasoning and held that the due process prohibition
on
coerced confessions applies equally to all detainees, no matter what
their
race.
Last week the Supreme Court resurrected a due process double standard,
ruling that incarcerating people without any individualized showing of
need
was not too much for an alien. By a 5 to 4 vote, the court for the
first
time upheld a law authorizing the preventive detention of individuals
on a
categorical basis. It did so by insisting that the constitutional
guarantee
of due process means something different for a noncitizen than for a
citizen, thus reneging on its own statement 50 years earlier that the
due
process clause does not "acknowledge any distinction between citizens
and
resident aliens."
The court's decision is especially dangerous in view of the Bush
administration's approach to the war on terrorism. While many have
argued
that the increased vulnerability that we all feel in the wake of Sept.
11,
2001, justifies some recalibration of the balance between liberty and
security, the government has for the most part not asked the citizenry
to
make that difficult choice, but instead has offered to sacrifice the
liberties of foreign nationals -- especially Arab and Muslim foreign
nationals -- for the security of the rest of us. That is an easy
political
choice, as foreign nationals cannot vote. But precisely for that
reason, it
is the court's obligation to resist such double standards. Yet last
week's
decision openly endorses double standards discriminating against the
nation's most vulnerable population...
-----
CONSULTING AND POLICY OVERLAP
Ken Silverstein and Chuck Neubauer, Los Angeles Times, 5/7/03
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-perle7may07,1,2323999.story
WASHINGTON - Last February, the Defense Policy Board, a group of
outside
advisors to the Pentagon, received a classified presentation from the
super-secret Defense Intelligence Agency on the crises in North Korea
and Iraq.
Three weeks later, the then-chairman of the board, Richard N. Perle,
offered a briefing of his own at an investment seminar on ways to
profit
from possible conflicts with both countries.
Perle and his fellow advisors also heard a classified address about
high-tech military communications systems at the same closed-door
session
in February. He runs a venture capital firm that has been exploring
investments in that very area.
The disclosures in recently released board agendas and investment
documents
are the latest illustrations of how Perle's private consulting and
investment interests overlap with his role on the board, which advises
the
secretary of Defense...
John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House
Judiciary
Committee, has asked the Pentagon's inspector general, Joseph Schmitz,
to
investigate Perle's business activities and any conflicts they might
pose
for his membership on the policy board...
SEE ALSO:
SELECTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Seymour Hersch, New Yorker, 5/12/03
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?030512fa_fact
They call themselves, self-mockingly, the Cabal a small cluster of
policy
advisers and analysts now based in the Pentagon's Office of Special
Plans.
In the past year, according to former and present Bush Administration
officials, their operation, which was conceived by Paul Wolfowitz, the
Deputy Secretary of Defense, has brought about a crucial change of
direction in the American intelligence community. These advisers and
analysts, who began their work in the days after September 11, 2001,
have
produced a skein of intelligence reviews that have helped to shape
public
opinion and American policy toward Iraq. They relied on data gathered
by
other intelligence agencies and also on information provided by the
Iraqi
National Congress, or I.N.C., the exile group headed by Ahmad Chalabi.
By last fall, the operation rivalled both the C.I.A. and the Pentagon's
own
Defense Intelligence Agency, the D.I.A., as President Bush's main
source of
intelligence regarding Iraq's possible possession of weapons of mass
destruction and connection with Al Qaeda. As of last week, no such
weapons
had been found. And although many people, within the Administration and
outside it, profess confidence that something will turn up, the
integrity
of much of that intelligence is now in question.
W. Patrick Lang, the former chief of Middle East intelligence at the
D.I.A., said, "The Pentagon has banded together to dominate the
government's foreign policy, and they've pulled it off. They're running
Chalabi. The D.I.A. has been intimidated and beaten to a pulp. And
there's
no guts at all in the C.I.A."...
The former intelligence official went on, "One of the reasons I left
was my
sense that they were using the intelligence from the C.I.A. and other
agencies only when it fit their agenda. They didn't like the
intelligence
they were getting, and so they brought in people to write the stuff.
They
were so crazed and so far out and so difficult to reason withto the
point
of being bizarre. Dogmatic, as if they were on a mission from God." He
added, "If it doesn't fit their theory, they don't want to accept
it."...
-----
FRANCE ENVISIONS A CITIZENRY OF MODEL MUSLIMS
Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 5/7/03
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/07/international/europe/07LETT.html
PARIS The French interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, was booed and
whistled at when he said at the annual conference of one of this
country's
most important Muslim groups last month that Muslim women would have to
go
bareheaded when posing for pictures for their identity cards.
He did not seem to notice or perhaps chose to ignore that a vast
majority
of the women in the audience were wearing head scarves. A few of them
had
even swathed their faces in black and hidden their hands under black
gloves.
And perhaps the law-and-order interior minister can be forgiven for
overlooking the shopping bags on sale at a score of kiosks, the ones
with
the silhouette of a woman wearing a veil and the phrase "I love my
veil" in
English and Arabic.
In a largely secular continent still trying to come to grips with
Islam,
France, with its large Muslim population and long colonial history with
Algeria, is something of a bellwether. But even here, it is unclear how
or
even whether the tensions between secularism and Muslim piety will be
resolved.
In a sense, France's center-right government is trying to create a
model
Muslim citizenry. President Jacques Chirac has spoken about his vision
of a
"tolerant" Islam. Mr. Sarkozy said recently, "There is no room for
fundamentalism at the Republic's table."
For them, model Muslims would be French-speaking and law-abiding. They
would celebrate the 1905 French law that requires total separation
between
church and state. They would attend mosques presided over by clerics
who
are French-trained and avoid politics in their sermons.
Model Muslim women would not try to wear head scarves in the workplace;
model Muslim girls would not try to wear head scarves to school. Most
important, model Muslims would call themselves French first and Muslim
second...
-----
STRAW UNDER FIRE FOR IGNORING ISRAELI ATTACKS ON UK NATIONALS
Chris McGreal, Guardian, 5/7/03
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,950504,00.html
The father of a British peace activist left in a coma by an Israeli
army
bullet has accused the Foreign Office of showing more concern at the
killings of Israeli citizens than investigating Israeli responsibility
for
the shootings of Britons.
Anthony Hurndall said he would press for a meeting with the foreign
secretary, Jack Straw, next week to express his dissatisfaction at the
government's failure to apply serious pressure to Israel for an open
investigation into the shooting of his son, Tom, 21, in Gaza and two
other
UK citizens by the Israeli army in recent months.
In November, Iain Hook, who was working for the UN, was killed in the
Jenin
refugee camp. Last week, a British cameraman, James Miller, was shot
dead
in the Gaza Strip.
In all three cases, the Israeli army has claimed the victims were in
the
presence of Palestinian gunmen or caught in crossfire, despite
compelling
evidence to the contrary.
Mr Hurndall said Britain was allowing an Israeli cover-up, despite
having
promised there would be a full inquiry into the shooting of his son. He
contrasted the UK's statement of support for Israel after a British
suicide
bomber murdered three people in a Tel Aviv bar with its reaction to the
shooting of UK nationals by Israeli soldiers.
"I have expressed to the embassy strongly my unease at the fact that
immediately following the bombing at the bar in Tel Aviv and the
killing of
three Israelis, the British government jumped to give a statement of
support for Israelis and to freeze funds and make arrests.
"In contrast, the almost passive reaction of the British government at
the
shooting of three of its nationals in Israel is very disturbing," he
said...
SEE ALSO:
120 CHRISTIAN HOMES IN JERUSALEM AREA TO BE DEMOLISHED BY ISRAELI
SOLDIERS
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, 5/6/03
http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/05/1607911.php
The new homes were built by a group of limited income Palestinian
Christian
families who banded together as the Arab Orthodox Housing Project to
build
a new life. They obtained a 99-year lease from their Church, the Greek
Orthodox Church, 22 years ago and then began the agonizing process of
organizing and saving enough money to start construction. Thanks to
Israel
and our country's support of their policies, Christians are becoming an
'endangered species' in the Holyland. Right Wing Conservative
Christians
here in the U.S. actually help make this happen by supporting Ariel
Sharon.
Israeli courts have upheld an Israeli Army order to demolish 120 newly
built Palestinian homes in Beit Sahour, a Palestinian town adjacent to
Bethlehem. Residents today demonstrated against the order and launched
an
international campaign to save their homes.
The new homes were built by a group of limited income Palestinian
Christian
families who banded together as the Arab Orthodox Housing Project to
build
a new life. They obtained a 99-year lease from their Church, the Greek
Orthodox Church, 22 years ago and then began the agonizing process of
organizing and saving enough money to start construction.
"We were renters for 40 years," Dalal Awad, a mother of five told me.
"We
saved for 22 years and built this home with our neighbors. It cost
$42,000.
We built it with our hearts, our own labor. Now the Israelis want to
kill
our dream."...
-----
THE SCARS OF NATIONALISM
Rukmini Callimachi, Daily Herald, 5/7/03
http://www.dailyherald.com/special/passagefromindia/hindu.asp
Indian academics in the United States have voiced concerns about money
raised here and sent to support Hindu nationalist activities in India.
The India Development and Relief Fund, based in Maryland, says it
serves
economically disadvantaged people in India. It raised more than $10
million
since its inception in 1989, according to the Campaign to Stop Funding
Hate, a group of Indian academics and activists in the U.S. The
campaign
says 82 percent of the money went to projects managed by groups that
are
explicitly part of the RSS family.
The RSS has undertaken thousands of development projects, medical
clinics,
orphanages and schools in India.
"But they're not exactly the Salvation Army," said Stephen P. Cohen of
the
Brookings Institute. He argues the majority of the relief work comes
with
an ideological price tag.
The "Foreign Exchange of Hate," a report written by the Campaign to
Stop
Funding Hate, claims the money went to RSS-affiliated charities that
helped
create the ideological environment that allowed the Gujarat violence to
occur.
After the report was released in November, 320 academics in the U.S.
who
specialize in South Asian studies independently circulated a petition
supporting the conclusions...
SEND A NOTE OF APPRECIATION TO: fencepost@dailyherald.com
-----
MUSLIMS SAY COP'S COLUMN IS INSULTING
Dale Lezon, Houston Chronicle, 5/6/03
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1899252
A Houston police sergeant who publishes a newspaper said he plans to
print
an apology to Muslims, who said he insulted their religion with a
satire he
wrote about Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden...
The column, Off the Cuff, appeared in the May issue of Blues Police
Newspaper, published monthly by Williams, a nearly 29-year department
veteran. It's distributed free to hundreds of agencies statewide, he
said.
The article includes the phrase "be-towel headed individuals" and
described
the men as having "concubines."
"It's filled with stereotypes and bigotry," said Ibrahim Hooper,
spokesman
for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based
Islamic civil rights and advocacy group...
-----
AMD LOSES ROUND TO EX-EXEC
Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 5/7/03
www.ajc.com
San Jose, Calif. - Advanced Micro Devices lost a bid to dismiss a
former
executive's claims that he was forced out after the 9/11 attacks
because of
his Arab heritage and Muslim religion. Walid Maghribi, a former senior
vice
president, sued Advanced Micro last year, accusing Chairman Jerry
Sanders
and Chief Executive Hector Ruiz of making religious and racial slurs
that
created an intolerable work environment. Maghribi is the
highest-ranking
Arab-American executive to sue a company for discrimination. Advanced
Micro
sought to have the case dismissed, saying the comments by Sanders and
Ruiz
were taken out of context.
-----
PANEL APPROVES BILL REQUIRING CHECKS FOR ISLAMIC STUDENTS
Associated Press, 5/7/03
http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/legislature/article/0,1299,DRMN_37_1941790,00.html
Colleges and universities would have to verify the immigrant status of
students from countries with links to Islamic terrorism under a bill
approved by the House Education Committee on Tuesday.
Federal law approved shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
requires all colleges and universities to report on the visa status of
each
foreign student within 30 days of class registration.
Rep. Don Lee, R-Littleton, the sponsor of Senate Bill 322, said that is
not
enough. His bill would require colleges and universities in Colorado to
annually verify the status of students from 18 countries including
Iran,
Iraq, Afghanistan and the Philippines.
The bill now advances to the full House.
Lee said he believed that terrorists who justify their actions by
invoking
Islam are acting on a misconception about Islam, but he said the
majority
of terrorist attacks against the United States appear to be from
Islamists...
Abu-Omar Almubarac, the director of Aurora-based victim-services and
legal-services centers for Muslims, decried the proposal as racist.
"The bill would be OK if it was for all foreign students," he said.
"There
are terrorists everywhere. To point a finger at Muslims is
discriminatory
and hateful." Rep. Angie Paccione, D-Fort Collins, said the Patriot
Act's
requirements are stringent enough and affect all foreign students
equally.
She said the bill was unnecessary.
-----
DC INTERNATIONAL MOTHER'S DAY BAZAAR
WHAT: The Muslim Women's Association of Washington, D.C. is sponsoring
an
international bazaar featuring exotic food, handicrafts, rugs and
accessories from nearly sixteen Islamic countries.
WHEN: Saturday, May 11, 2002 11 A.M. to 4 P.M.
WHERE: Islamic Center - 2551 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC
20008-2826
CONTACT: (202) 332-8343
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
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