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Chronology of Islam in America (2013)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
April 2013
Florida State Senator: Sharia law like disease we should vaccinate against
April1: Alan Hays, a Republican state senator in Florida, likened Sharia law to a "dreadful disease" requiring vaccination to protect Americans. The Council on American Islamic Relations, a civil liberties advocacy organization for Muslims, posted a clip of Hays invoking disease prevention when asked to provide an example of a foreign law that had stripped the rights of Americans in United States courts: "When you were a child, did your parents have you vaccinated against different diseases? That was a preemptive gesture on their part for which I would hope you're very thankful. And this is very similar to that. Your mom and dad would not want you to get sick from one of those dreadful diseases, and I don't want any American to be in a Florida courtroom and have their constitutional rights violated by any foreign law. That's it. It's not that complicated." Sharia law is the moral and religious code of Islam, practiced by more than 1.62 billion worldwide. There are no known efforts to implement Sharia law in any part of the U.S. judicial system, but a faction of Republican lawmakers have long waged a fight against its alleged infiltration of the government and pushed legislation that would ban its use in multiple states. [Huffington Post]
US Muslims Join Worldwide Colloquium of Muslim Minority Leaders
April 2: This past weekend, leadership from the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) participated in a Colloquium of Muslim Minority Leaders to reflect on the state of the Muslim World, especially the situation of Muslims who live in societies where they constitute a numerical minority. The meeting was hosted in Paris, France by the World for All Foundation, based in South Africa. Dr. Ingrid Mattson, ISNA Past President, Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, ISNA National Director for Interfaith & Community Alliances, and Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi, Director of Community Outreach, participated in the program. Dr. Ingrid Mattson spoke about living in a post-9/11 world, in response to a keynote address by Dr. Tariq Ramadan on extremism and anti-Muslim sentiment. Dr. Syeed spoke about interfaith outreach in North America during a session on "Sharing Best Practices" and Dr. Elsanousi moderated a session on theological and conceptual tools, featuring Shaykh Rached Ghannouchi of Tunisia and others. The format of the Colloquium was an attempt to create a round table, structured discussion with concrete outcomes and the development of practical solutions and action. Participants were broadly representative of the minority experience across six continents. [ISNA]
Maximum penalties sought for anti-Muslim beating of sikh cabbie
April 3: The Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA) welcomed a federal hate crime indictment brought against a man accused of beating a Sikh taxi driver while shouting anti-Muslim slurs. CAIR-WA also asked federal prosecutors to seek maximum penalties against the alleged perpetrator. Last October, CAIR-WA called on the FBI to investigate the anti-Muslim hate attack in which the driver was attacked by a man who reportedly shouted anti-Muslim slurs after he commented on the cabbie's turban. A federal grand jury in Seattle returned an indictment against the alleged perpetrator last week. Police said the alleged assailant tore out chunks of the man's beard and loosened one of the driver's teeth. According to federal prosecutors, the charge carries a maximum of up to 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a 100 penalty assessment. The perpetrator reportedly referred to the victim as Iranian and Iraqi, and used several anti-Arab slurs during the attack, which witnesses described as "savage." Sikh men who wear beards and turbans as part of their faith are often targeted by bigots who mistake them for Muslims. [CAIR]
Boykin, Bachmann and Gohmert on mission from God to hunt Muslims
April 5: The Family Research Council’s President Jerry Boykin said this week that U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Louis Gohmert (R-TX) are “standing on the word of God” in their mission to find and punish Muslims and Muslim supporters in the U.S. government. According to Right Wing Watch, Boykin made the remarks at a panel discussion at this week’s National Religious Broadcasters conference featured Boykin alongside alleged former Islamic terrorist Kamal Saleem. The panel was moderated by Christian radio host Janet Parshall. After portentously warning that the U.S. justice system has already been infiltrated and overcome by Sharia law, Boykin called on Americans to support Bachmann, Gohmert and Rep. Ted Franks (R-AZ) for their efforts to drive Muslims out of the U.S. government. “There’s a lack of leadership in America today,” Boykin said. “Leaders are intimidated, they’re afraid and they will not confront the Muslim Brotherhood. They will not face up to what is really happening in America. Those who will are people that are standing on the word of God. Start with Michele Bachmann, Louie Gohmert, Trent Franks. They are a very small number who are standing on God’s word and because they have the spirit of God, they see this for what it is.” Boykin is a retired U.S. Army Lt. General who was a plangent voice in the effort to keep President Barack Obama from overturning the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which forbade military service by openly LGBT people. The Family Research Council was determined to be a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2010 because of its insistence on spreading misinformation about LGBT people, Muslims and other groups it deems to be insufficiently Christian. [Raw Story]
Associated Press takes positive step on use of 'Islamist'
April 9: Recently, The Associated Press (AP) emailed to CAIR an update to its online Stylebook subscribers about revisions to the recommended use of the term "Islamist" by media professionals. (The AP Stylebook is perhaps the most influential publication of its type and impacts coverage worldwide.) Late last year, CAIR had approached AP about modifying the reference, which read at that time: "Islamist -- Supporter of government in accord with the laws of Islam. Those who view the Quran as a political model encompass a wide range of Muslims, from mainstream politicians to militants known as jihadi."CAIR suggested that AP change its Stylebook to incorporate language similar to that used in the reference to "fundamentalist," which states that the label should not be used unless a group applies the term to itself. Earlier this year, CAIR urged media outlets to drop the term because, "Unfortunately, the term 'Islamist' has become shorthand for 'Muslims we don't like.'" CAIR believe this revision is a step in the right direction and will result in fewer negative generalizations in coverage of issues related to Islam and Muslims. The key issue with the term "Islamist" is not its continued use; the issue is its use almost exclusively as an ill-defined pejorative.
The AP modified the "Islamist" reference to read: "An advocate or supporter of a political movement that favors reordering government and society in accordance with laws prescribed by Islam. Do not use as a synonym for Islamic fighters, militants, extremists or radicals, who may or may not be Islamists. Where possible, be specific and use the name of militant affiliations: al-Qaida-linked, Hezbollah, Taliban, etc. Those who view the Quran as a political model encompass a wide range of Muslims, from mainstream politicians to militants known as jihadi." [CAIR]
Religious discrimination lawsuit filed against Exel, Inc.
April 9: The Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ohio (CAIR-Ohio) announced today that it has filed a federal employment discrimination lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio against Exel, Inc., which is a wholly owned entity of Deutsche Post DHL. The plaintiff, Yusuf Sufi, approached CAIR-Columbus after being fired by Exel in May, 2012. Sufi was fired for requesting a prayer accommodation in order to attend his Friday afternoon prayer services. In June 2012, CAIR-Columbus filed a charge of discrimination on behalf of Mr. Sufi with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Exel declined to participate in the EEOC mediation process with Sufi. The federal complaint filed today states that Sufi repeatedly asked Exel to provide him with an accommodation under which he could attend his Friday afternoon prayer services. Fridays were not a regularly scheduled work day for Sufi, but Exel management often assigned him to overtime on Fridays. Sufi proposed various accommodations to Exel’s management, including combining his breaks, taking unpaid time off, and requesting not to be scheduled for overtime work on Fridays. Exel’s management refused to consider any accommodation proposed by Sufi, and his employment was ultimately terminated by Exel in May 2012 when he asked for the accommodation again. Both state and federal law requires employers to accommodate the religious practices of their employees unless it creates an undue burden on the company. [CAIR]
ADC files amicus curiae brief to the U.S. supreme court in employment retaliation case
April 10: This afternoon, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Dr. Naiel Nassar, an Arab Muslim of Egyptian decent. ADC believes that Dr. Nassar’s employer illegally and discriminatorily retaliated against Dr. Nassar after he submitted a resignation letter in which he complained about his supervisor’s discriminatory conduct. Specifically, Dr. Nasser’s employer rescinded its employment offer to him after he complained that his supervisor treated him unfairly because he is an Arab and a Muslim. In the brief, ADC stresses that requiring plaintiffs to prove that the only reason for their employer’s retaliation was discrimination would be too high of a burden on plaintiffs since employers often make decisions on the basis of multiple factors. Instead, ADC argued for a standard whereby employees who show that their employer’s adverse action was motivated at least in part by discrimination should be able to succeed on their retaliation claim. The Court’s decision in this case is especially important to ADC, as Arab and Muslim Americans have been filing record amounts of discrimination and retaliation charges since the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provided ADC with startling statistics on employment discrimination and retaliation trends.Dr. Nassar received favorable results at both the trial and appellate levels. ADC’s brief respectfully argues that the Supreme Court should uphold the Fifth Circuit’s decision that applied the “mixed-motive” causation standard to the anti-retaliation provision of Title VII. ADC’s efforts were motivated by its unwavering protection of the rights of Arab and Muslim Americans (and other groups protected by Title VII). Employees must be able to report discrimination without fear of an adverse employment action. [ADC]
Should we legalize Israel's discrimination against Arab Americans?
April 17: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a self-identified pro-Israel lobby, is pushing for a provision in the "U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013" which would allow Israeli citizens to enter the US without a visa, but -- believe it or not -- would allow Israel to continue its discrimination against US citizens of Arab descent. The State Department notes in its official travel advisory: "US citizens...of Arab or Muslim origin have experienced significant difficulties in entering or exiting Israel or the West Bank." There are 37 countries who participate in the "visa waiver program" - a program that allows citizens of those countries to enter the US without a visa. In return, US citizens can enter those countries without visas. These 37 countries are expected to grant all US citizens -- without exceptions -- the right to enter their territories without a visa. The Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is urging the Congress to drop the provision that would legalize Israel's discrimination against Arab Americans. Israel's ethnic and religious profiling of US citizens should not be accommodated by our laws! In the last few years, ADC has received hundreds of complaints from Arab American citizens who have been denied entry through Israeli borders. [ADC]
Continued on page two
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