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Chronology of Islam in America (2004) Page IV
October 2004
ACLU decries planned election dragnet in Muslim and Arab communities
Oct. 1: The American Civil Liberties Union said that it will be monitoring a new plan by the FBI to, among other things, use "aggressive - even obvious - surveillance" techniques on individuals who are not even suspected of having committed a crime, in advance of the November 2 general election. "The FBI plans to deliberately tail people based on their religion or ethnic origin during a month that is both religiously and politically crucial," said Dalia Hashad, the ACLU's Arab, Muslim and South Asian Advocate. "Instead of bolstering security, the FBI's 'October Plan' is going to stop Muslims and Arabs from attending mosques during the month of Ramadan, and participating in the upcoming election."
Negative images of Muslims far more prevalent than positive ones
Oct. 4: One in four Americans believes a number of anti-Muslim stereotypes and negative images of Muslims are 16 times more prevalent than positive ones, according to a poll released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The poll was designed to understand what Americans think about Muslims, identify variables associated with anti-Muslim prejudice and to seek out ways in which to combat the Islamophobic prejudice that often leads to discrimination or even hate crimes. Poll results show: (1) More than one-fourth of survey respondents agreed with stereotypes such as "Muslims teach their children to hate" and "Muslims value life less than other people." (2) When asked what comes to mind when they hear "Muslim," 32 percent of respondents made negative comments. Only two percent had a positive response. (3) Those with the most negative attitudes toward Islam and Muslims tend to be less-educated white males who are politically conservative. (4) General knowledge of Islam is low but the presence of Muslim friends.
Time off is given for Ramadan for students at Brooklyn school
Oct. 10: The New York office of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today applauded the decision by the New York City Department of Education to allow students at Brooklyn International High School to attend Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. The decision by the Board of Education comes amidst the circulation of a petition by the students of the high school to attend Friday prayer services during the holy month of Ramadan.
Senate passes bill to aid family of post-9/11 bias crime victim
Oct. 11: The Senate passed legislation to grant permanent U.S. residency to the family of a Pakistani national slain in a post-9/11 hate crime. The private relief bill, sponsored by Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., had passed the House in July. It will allow the wife and four daughters of Waqar Hasan to qualify for American citizenship. Hasan, 46, was shot to death in a Dallas convenience store he owned four days after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The shooter, who is now on Texas' death row for his conviction in the separate killing of an Indian immigrant, told police he killed Hasan to retaliate for the attacks.
Islamic charities suffer after Sept. 11 attacks
Oct. 11: The public’s confidence in Muslim charities remains lower than it was before the Sept. 11 attacks, and people are particularly suspicious of Islamic charities, jeopardizing the future of such groups, the Michigan Daily said. Although public confidence in charities overall has fluctuated up and down since Sept. 11, Islamic charities find themselves struggling to ensure that they can continue working. Because of the new government regulations such as the Patriot Act, agencies can be punished for funding groups that among other things conduct acts of terror, even if the charity was unaware of the group’s activities. Leaders of Islamic charities have said such regulations have led to a drop in public confidence because people are worried they will be investigated by the FBI for donating to the charities.
Al-AMoudi gets 23-year jail term
Oct 15: A prominent US Muslim activist, Abdurahman al-Amoudi, was sentenced to 23 years in prison for illegal financial dealings with Libya and for his role in a Libyan plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's de facto leader. Al-Amoudi, a naturalized US citizen born in Eritrea, apologized just before US Chief District Judge Claude Hilton read out his sentence - the maximum penalty allowed in a plea deal he made with the government. On July 30, Al-Amoudi, a founder of the American Muslim Council and president of the American Muslim Federation, admitted to contacting Saudi dissidents in London on behalf of some Libyan government officials who wanted them to kill Prince Abdullah, the court documents showed. Al-Amoudi said he had been summoned to Tripoli by a Libyan official who said he was upset at how Abdullah had treated Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi during an Arab League Conference in March 2003.
Muslim voters registration totals compiled
Oct. 15: The election battleground states of Florida, Michigan and Ohio have registered more than 350,000 Muslim voters, a survey of registration records indicated. The survey was conducted by the Muslim American Political Action Committee, a non-partisan political action committee, and The Muslim American Society's MAS Freedom Foundation, which gathered ethnic name information from embassies and then contacted those with those names who are U.S. citizens. In a survey of 42 states, the groups said there are a total of 1.2 million registered Muslim voters. It found Florida, Michigan and Ohio -- a trio of states worth a total of 64 electoral votes -- have 351,418 Muslims registered to vote.
U.S. rejects Muslims' plea for 'approved' charities
Oct. 18: The federal government rejected a plea by Muslim groups that wanted a list of pre-approved Islamic charities to which they could donate without being suspected of helping fund terrorism. "Our role is to prosecute violations of criminal law," said spokesman of the U.S. Justice Department, Bryan Sierra. "We're not in a position to put out lists of any kind, particularly of any organizations that are good or bad." A coalition of Muslim groups held a news conference outside the federal building in Newark, NJ, calling on officials to publicly identify which charities are considered suspect, and which can safely receive donations. Members of the groups said many Muslims fear that giving to a charity that is in good standing now might bring a knock at the door from the FBI years later if that charity subsequently runs afoul of the law.
American Muslim coalition backs Kerry
Oct. 21: After weeks of confusion, a split in its ranks and an intensive pressure from the Muslim community, the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections - Political Action Committee (AMT-PAC) called on Muslims nationwide to vote for Sen. John Kerry on Nov. 2. However the AMT, a coalition of ten organizations, called its move as a ‘protest vote’ to safeguard civil rights of the Muslim community.
ACLU seeks FBI data on handling of Muslim interviews
Oct. 21: The American Civil Liberties Union sued the FBI, trying to get more information about the agency's questioning of Muslims and Arabs as it investigates the possibility of pre-election terror attacks. The ACLU, which describes the unannounced interviews at homes, workplaces and mosques "interrogations," is seeking internal documents under the Freedom of Information Act about whether the government is protecting the constitutional rights of those interviewed. The FBI has done more than 13,000 interviews this year as part of its '04 Threat Task Force effort to detect and disrupt a potential election-year terror attack.
American Muslims & Arabs poised to vote for Kerry: CAIR poll
Oct. 22: The latest poll of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), released just 11 days before the election, finds that 80 percent of likely American Muslim voters say they plan to vote for Sen. John Kerry on November 2. The poll, conducted following the third presidential debate, also indicates that just two percent say they will vote to re-elect President Bush and 11 percent of Muslim voters favor Ralph Nader. Only four percent of the Muslim voters said they are still undecided.
Bush regrets invoking 'crusade' after 9/11
Oct 26: US President George Bush expressed regret over using the word "crusade" to describe the "war on terror" he launched after the Sept 11 attacks. "I said it once and probably shouldn't have used that word," Bush said in an interview with ABC television. Shortly after the 2001 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and outside Washington, Mr Bush had said: "This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take awhile." The president's use of the word "crusade" sparked a visceral reaction around the world, as it recalls the fierce, bloody battles between Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages. "I don't think this is a religious war," Mr Bush said of the anti-terror effort. "I think this is a war between evil people that are willing to kill on a mass scale, people that would like to end up with weapons of mass destruction and even kill more than they did in New York City and Washington, DC." Asked whether Christians and Muslims worshipped the same God, Mr Bush replied: "I think we do," but he added: "We have different routes of getting to the Almighty."
November 2004
Maryland county prohibits hearings on Muslim holidays
Nov. 1: Maryland’s Howard County Council has voted to prohibit public hearings on Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, the two major Islamic holidays. The legislation, introduced by Council Member Ken Ulman and passed with unanimous support bans hearings on the two “Eids,” as well as on the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The legislation does not close county government offices on the holidays, it just ensures that hearings at which residents have an opportunity to testify will not be scheduled.
Exit poll: 93 percent Muslims voting for Kerry
Nov. 2: Preliminary results of an exit poll by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) indicate that more than 90 percent of Muslim voters are casting their ballots for John Kerry in today's election. In that early survey of 537 Muslim voters, 93 percent of respondents said they voted for Kerry, 5 percent favored Ralph Nader and less than 1 percent said they supported President Bush. In the key battleground state of Florida, a CAIR sampling of 335 Muslims who cast their votes today or in early polling shows that 95 percent voted for Kerry and just 3 percent voted for President Bush. Ralph Nader received under 2 percent of Muslim votes. In Ohio, a similar sampling of 222 Muslim voters showed 86 percent voting for Kerry, 4 percent for Bush and 10 percent for "other" or a third party.
CA legislators sponsor first Ramadan dinner
Nov. 9: More than 60 California state officials, staff members, civic leaders, and representatives of American Muslim community turned out today for the 1st annual Ramadan Iftar, orfast-breaking meal, in the State Capitol, Sacramento. The Iftar was co-sponsored by five legislators, including Assemblywoman Dr. Judy Chu (D-49 Monterey Park), Assemblyman Manny Diaz (D-23 San Jose), Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg (D-9 Sacramento), Senator Deborah Ortiz (D-6 Sacramento), and Senator Sheila Kuehl (D-23 Los Angeles).
NYC judge lets defendant go free despite government terror allegations
Nov. 10: A federal judge ruled that a Syrian-born doctor can remain free on bail despite prosecutors' allegations that he has ties to a suspected al-Qaida associate and kept blueprints for a Washington, D.C., overpass at his Brooklyn home. Prosecutors asked the judge last week to immediately jail Hassan Faraj because newly declassified information revealed his close ties to the Benevolence International Foundation, which they called a charity front for al-Qaida. Federal magistrate Kiyo Matsumoto disagreed, saying Faraj posed no risk of flight or danger to society and could remain free until trial.
House members host Ramadan iftar on Capitol Hill
Nov. 11: More than 150 congressional staffers, American Muslim leaders, diplomats from Islamic-majority nations, and elected officials from both major political parties turned out tonight for the second annual Ramadan iftar, or fast-breaking meal, on Capitol Hill. The iftar, held in the foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building, was co-sponsored by 10 House members. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) offered a welcome on behalf of the sponsoring House members and wished everyone "Ramadan mubarak," or blessed Ramadan.
San Jose, CA, police chief joins Muslims in Ramadan fast
Nov. 12: Rob Davis, the San Jose police chief, joined Muslims in their fasts to gain a better understanding of the Muslim community and show solidarity with the estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Muslims who live in San Jose, California. Davis, a Mormon, has also been reading an English translation of the Quran. "It speaks of his integrity and character that he's doing this at a time when everything connected to Muslims is received with skepticism," said Athar Siddiqee, who attended an iftar sponsored by Muslim employees of Cisco Systems.
Progressive Muslim Union of North America launched
Nov. 15: To promote moderate Islam in North America, Progressive Muslim Union (PMU) was launched in New York by some professed moderates/progressives who embrace the simple proposition that “you are a Muslim if you say you are a Muslim -- for whatever reason or set of reasons -- and that no one is entitled to question or undermine this identity.” It also calls for critical inquiry and dynamic engagement with Islamic scripture (read Quran). Its founders believe in gay rights. The PMU supports the political separation of religious institutions and state functions, and the strict neutrality of the state on matters of religion.
Mosque expansion voted down in New Jersey
Nov. 18: In a contentious and sometimes tense hearing, the zoning board of Voorhees, New Jersey, unanimously rejected a plan to enlarge a proposed mosque by adding a basement and increasing floor space and the roof height. There was near-unanimous opposition to the changes from a group of about 40 who attended the meeting, including many who opposed a mosque of any size at the proposed site. But Jeff Senges, a board member who pointedly questioned the applicant and voted against the proposal said he thought the board, and the community as a whole, still supported the establishment of the mosque.
Grandmother upset that kids aren't in Muslim foster home
Nov. 19: The grandmother of three Denton, Texas, children taken from their parents because of allegations of abuse is unhappy that her grandchildren, who are Muslim, are with a foster family that is not Muslim. Falahat Agha of Houston is the mother of Nadia Agha Reid, who was arrested with her husband after they were accused of keeping their 14-year-old son out of school for several years and forcing him to live in the garage of their four-bedroom home.
MSNBC apologizes for anti-Muslim remarks
Nov. 23: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced that MSNBC cable television network has apologized for anti-Arab/anti-Muslim remarks made on its "Imus in the Morning" program.CAIR filed an FCC complaint over comments on a November 12th ‘Imus’ program that referred to Palestinians as "stinking animals" and suggested that they all be killed. In response to hundreds of e-mails prompted by CAIR action alerts, MSNBC stated in part: "The views expressed on the program are not those of MSNBC. Having said that, it was unfortunate that these remarks were telecast on MSNBC. We sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by these remarks.”
Graham renews anti-Islam rhetoric
Nov. 27: After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Franklin Graham called Islam "an evil and wicked religion." In an interview with The Los Angles Times on Nov. 27, 2004, he was asked if he still thought of Islam in the same way. "I haven't changed my mind," he said.
Muslim TV (Bridges) reaches out to broader US public
Nov. 30: After years of preparations the Bridges TV was launched to provide the American Muslim community a chance to convey a more authentic representation of Islamic culture. The new English satellite channel is a Muslim-run venture that combines "lifestyle, cultural and entertainment" programming designed for Muslim Americans, as well as non-Muslims looking to educate themselves on a religion that is increasingly prevalent in the public discourse, according to Muzzammil Hassan, the president of Bridges. "We're trying to build bridges of friendship and understanding between American Muslims and mainstream America," Hassan said. The station is available through Globecast World TV, a satellite service provider with roughly one million subscribers - 100,000 of whom are Muslim Americans, Hassan said.
December 2004
Tulsa police chief backs off terror remarks
Dec. 2: The police chief of Tulsa, Oklahoma, backed away from comments about terrorists living in Tulsa and Wichita, Kanansas., saying he has no evidence supporting the existence of al-Qaida "cells" in either city. Tulsa police chief Dave Been caused a stir with comments to the local Rotary Club that terrorists with ties to al-Qaida are in Tulsa and Wichita. Citing security concerns, he did not elaborate. Been explained later that he meant that financial and philosophical supporters of terror are so prevalent nationally that they are probably in heartland cities like Tulsa and Wichita, which he said he included as a "generic example" of another heartland city.
Star and Crescent Join Christmas Tree
Dec. 3: The 11th annual Christmas celebration, of the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, was more inclusive than ever before: a Muslim symbol of a star and half moon was placed next to the Christmas tree. The symbol has been incorporated in celebrations in Wappingers Falls and East Fishkill, said Aziz Ahsan, a spokesman for the Mid-Hudson Islamic Association. ''It's the Judeo-Christian community reaching out to the Muslim community, and the Muslim community reaching back,'' said Ahsan, who said he enjoyed hearing the crowd voice their curiosity about the symbol.
Three American Muslim charities ordered to pay $156 million to Jerusalem bomb blast victim
Dec. 8: American Muslim organizations expressed shock and dismay at the judgment against three Islamic charities and Mohammad Salah, an alleged fund-raiser for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, who were ordered to pay $156 million to the parents of an American teenager, David Boim, shot dead at a bus stop in Jerusalem, in 1996. The three charity organizations involved are Texas-based the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP), the Holy Land Foundation and Chicago-based Quranic Literacy Institute. The American Muslim Voice and Muslim Civil Rights Committee, two leading civil rights groups, described the judgment as unfortunate and unfair and said it was based on one sided of the story. It was the first time a court had held U.S.-based organizations liable for terrorism abroad.
Guilty of 'Flying While Muslim'?
Dec. 11: Salam Al-Marayati the executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, is interrogated at Los Angeles airport by security agents when he returns after vacation in Mexico. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Al Marayati said: One officer asked whether we had committed any criminal act in the past or had done anything that would warrant an investigation. Of course the answer was no. Another officer wanted to know which charities we donated to and whether those organizations send money overseas.
American Muslim Group on Policy Planning launched
Dec. 13: The Progressive Muslim Union initiated the launching of the American Muslim Group on Policy Planning (AMGPP) in Washington to “play a pivotal role in helping build bridges of confidence, trust and communication between the US and the Muslim World.” The AMGPP formation conference at the Brookings Saban Center for Middle East Policy was co-sponsored by one of the Board members of the Progressive Muslim Union and attended by the PMU Executive Director.
New Rand Report calls for engaging US Muslims to advance American interests in the Muslim World
Dec. 15: The Rand Corporation issued a new report, titled: The Muslim World After 9/11, that among other things called for “engagement of diaspora Muslim communities can also help the United States advance its interests in the Muslim world. The U.S. Muslim communities are a unique source of cultural information that can be harnessed to the promotion of democracy and pluralism in the Muslim world.” America and its allies can reduce support for radical Islam and terrorism — and improve relations with the Muslim world — by supporting moderate Muslims and social, economic and educational reforms in Muslim nations, according to the study. The 567-page study also suggests that Sunni, Shiite and Arab, non-Arab divides should be exploited to promote the US policy objectives in the Muslim world.
Officials urged to address rising level of Islamophobia
Dec. 17: The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), today called on elected representatives and government officials to address the rising level of Islamophobia in America. The CAIR issued that call following today's release of a survey by the Media and Society Research Group in Cornell University's Department of Communication indicating that 44 percent of Americans believe the government should curtail the civil rights of American Muslims in some manner. A Cornell University news release on the report states: "About 27 percent of respondents said that all Muslim Americans should be required to register their location with the federal government, and 26 percent said they think that mosques should be closely monitored by U.S. law enforcement agencies ... About 22 percent said the federal government should profile citizens as potential threats based on the fact that they are Muslim or have Middle Eastern heritage. In all, about 44 percent said they believe that some curtailment of civil liberties is necessary for Muslim Americans."
INS Special program’s value in dispute to fight terrorism
Dec. 21: The New York Times reported that the Homeland Security officials, who said that six men linked to terrorism were arrested as a result of the Special INS Registration program, have been challenged by the Sept. 11 Commission, which reported this year that it had found little evidence to support that claim. The commission said two of the six men were captured through other means. It could not determine how the remaining suspects were arrested and concluded that the counterterrorism benefits of the INS Registration program were "unclear." The call-in program required male non-citizens from 25 mostly Arab and Muslim countries to register with immigration authorities between November 2002 and April 2003. None of the Arab and Muslim men who came forward has been charged with crimes related to terrorism. Homeland Security officials, who inherited the program from the Justice Department, suspended it 12 months ago, saying resources could be better used on other counterterrorism initiatives. They declined to comment on the commission's findings. But the impact of the program continues to be felt across the country as some illegal immigrants who registered with the authorities receive deportation orders, while others wage legal battles to remain in the United States.
American Muslims fingerprinted by U.S. at Canadian border for attending an Islamic conference
Dec. 27: A group of 36 American Muslims were searched, fingerprinted and photographed at the Lewiston Bridge crossing near Niagara Falls, New York on return from an Islamic conference in Toronto. A spokeswoman for Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection confirmed that agents stopped anyone who said they attended the three-day conference, titled "Reviving the Islamic Spirit," based on information that such gatherings can be a means for terrorists to promote their cause. "We have ongoing credible information that conferences such as the one that these individuals just left in Toronto may be used by terrorist organizations to promote terrorist activities, which includes traveling and fund raising," another US official said. Several of the Muslim citizens held at the border for up to six hours said they objected strenuously to being fingerprinted, but were informed by Customs and Border Protection representatives that "you have no rights" and that they would be held until they agreed to the fingerprinting procedure.
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