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Chronology of Islam in America (2010)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
August 2010 (Page Three)
Yale University's pro-Israeli, anti-Islamic conference
August 25: Yale University ended today a three day global anti-Semitism "crisis" conference promoting the notion that Israeli criticism is "anti-Semitic." Stephen Lendman says: “Yale is displaying the same type anti-Islamic hatred virulent throughout America, raging daily in headlines over the proposed New York City Islamic cultural center, falsely called a mosque. What matters is racism, hate-mongering, and persecuting Muslims for political advantage - on display at Yale for a three day propaganda hate fest. Imagine what's taught in its classrooms.
The Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism (YIISA) stacked its conference with pro-Israeli zealots, omitting voices for sanity and the right of Palestinians to live free of occupation in their own land or in one state affording everyone equal rights, an apparent blasphemous notion at Yale and many other US and Canadian campuses, firing even distinguished tenured professors for supporting the wrong religion or people too vigorously. Opening conference remarks were made by YIISA Director, Dr. Charles Small, Yale's Deputy Provost, Frances Rosenbluth, Rabbi James Ponet, director of Yale's Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life, and Aviva Raz Schechter, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director for Combatting Antisemitism. They all, of course, presented one-sided, pro-Israeli views, underscoring the notion that Israeli criticism is anti-Semetic, when, in fact, it's principled, honest and more needed now than ever to expose and halt an Israeli/Washington partnership to conquer, divide and control the Middle East by force, stealth, deceit, intimidation, occupation, and political chicanery, common tools used by rogues and imperial marauders.” (OpEd News)
Warren, Michigan, Muslims shaken afterteen throws bottle during prayers
August 25: In Warren, Michigan, a teenager today hurled a glass bottle into its parking lot of the Islamic Organization of North America during nightly Ramadan prayers. Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk says that no one was hurt, but the incident has shaken the congregation of the Islamic Organization of North America on Ryan Road. The mosque is considering contacting police or the FBI, but hasn't done so yet. "It could be kids' stuff," Elturk said. "But I just hope it's not related to the (New York) mosque (controversy.)" The Michigan office of the Muslim civil rights group Council on American-Islamic Relations has called on Michigan mosques to "step up security during nightly Ramadan programs and Friday sermons in the wake of a recent nationwide surge of Islamophobia." (The Detroit News)
Muslim cabdrivers should be protected in NYC hate crime law
August 26: The government was today urged to take measures to protect Islamic taxi drivers from hate crimes at City Hall, where assaulted taxi driver Ahmed Sharif again met Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "This attack runs counter to everything that New Yorkers believe, no matter what God we may pray to,” said Bloomberg yesterday, when he first met with Sharif. “I want to thank the men and women of the NYPD for their quick response in apprehending the suspect who was arrested and charged with attempted murder as a hate crime.” Taxi driver Sharif, 43, was attacked by passenger and college student Michael Enright, 21, around 6 p.m. on August 24 in Midtown. A film student, Enright first asked the driver if he was a Muslim, and after aggressive talk with negative remarks on Sharif's religion, Enright reached through the opened partition window with a knife in his hand and slashed across Sharif's neck. The Taxi Driver Protection Act sponsored by Senator Eric Adams was passed two months ago. Bhairavi Desai, a founding member of the NYTWA, of which Sharif and many other Muslim taxi drivers are members, urged Gov. David Paterson to put the legislation into actions as soon as possible to prevent more taxi drivers in New York from violent racial and religious assaults. “We need every single piece of protection that is available to taxi drivers in New York City,” said Desai. “We have been waiting for two months for the governor to sign on the Taxi Driver Protection Act. Once that act becomes a law, there will be a sign in the back that says ‘Warning! An Assault on a Taxi Driver is Punishable up to 25 Years in Prison.’” (The Epoch Times)
Fire and gunshots at Tennessee Mosque site
August 29: One day after a fire at the site of a planned Islamic center and mosque in the Nashville suburb of Murfreesboro, Muslim community members reported hearing gunshots as they inspected the damage. Saleh Sbenaty, an engineering professor at Middle Tennessee State University who is on the Islamic center’s planning committee, told The Daily News Journal of Murfreesboro that nine shots, in two volleys, were fired near the property while he and a group of congregation members looked at construction equipment burned in the fire. Mr. Sbenaty, who has lived in Tennessee for three decades, said, “It was nothing like a hunting rifle.” On Saturday (August 28) morning, the local sheriff’s department informed members of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro that one piece of construction equipment at the site had been burned and three others were doused with some sort of fluid but not set alight.
Ben Goodwin of the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department confirmed to CBS Affiliate WTVF that the fire, which burned construction equipment at the future site of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, is being ruled as arson. Special Agent Andy Anderson of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told CBS News that the fire destroyed one piece of construction equipment and damaged three others. Gas was poured over the equipment to start the fire, Anderson said. The chair of the center's planning committee, Essim Fathy, said he drove to the site at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning after he was contacted by the sheriff's department. "Our people and community are so worried of what else can happen," said Fathy. "They are so scared." Fathy was later contacted by members of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, who told him the incident was under investigation and to remain calm.
Digging had begun at the site, which was planned as a place of worship for the approximately 250 Muslim families in the Murfreesboro area, but no structure had been built yet. The center had operated for years out of a small business suite. Planning members said the new building, which was being constructed next to a church, would help accommodate the area's growing Muslim community. Opponents of a new Islamic center say they believe the mosque will be more than a place of prayer; they are afraid the 15-acre site that was once farmland will be turned into a ‘terrorist’ training ground for Muslim militants bent on overthrowing the U.S. government.
"They are not a religion. They are a political, militaristic group," Bob Shelton, a 76-year-old retiree who lives in the area, told The Associated Press. Shelton was among several hundred demonstrators who recently wore "Vote for Jesus" T-shirts and carried signs that said "No Sharia law for USA!," referring to the Islamic code of law. Others took their opposition further, spray painting a sign announcing the "Future site of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro" and tearing it up. Earlier this summer opponents criticized the planned mosque at hearings held by the Rutherford County Commission, as supporters held prayer vigils. At one such prayer vigil, WTVF reported opponents speaking out against construction. "No mosque in Murfreesboro. I don't want it. I don't want them here," Evy Summers said to WTVF. "Go start their own country overseas somewhere. This is a Christian country. It was based on Christianity." (AMP Report)
'No mosque in NYC' pig left at CA Islamic Center
August 29: The Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) today called on law enforcement authorities to initiate a hate crime investigation of an incident in which a mock pig inscribed with "No Mosque in NYC" was left at a California Islamic center. CAIR-SV said the pig, which was left earlier this month in the mailbox of the mosque, was also inscribed with "Remember 9-11" and "MO HAM MED the Pig." Islam prohibits the consumption of pork products and anti-Muslim bigots often use a pig theme as a way to cause maximum insult. Representatives of the local Muslim community have contacted law enforcement authorities, but have asked that the name of the facility not be made public due to security concerns. "This incident is a further symptom of the growing anti-Muslim bigotry nationwide sparked by the hysterical smear campaign targeting the planned Islamic community center in Manhattan," said CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra. "We again ask mainstream religious and political leaders to speak out against such un-American intolerance." (CAIR)
54% of Republicans feel negative toward Islam
August 29: Chris Matthews anchor of MSBC TV network revealed an interesting statistic on his show today: More than half of Republicans polled say they have a negative attitude toward Islam, this compared to only 27% of Democrats. Asked Matthews: Is this negative feeling what’s propelling American Muslims (i.e. the Times Sq. Bomber, and the Fort Hood shooter) to attack America? Joe Klein thinks it’s a contributing factor. Said Katty Kay: “The risk for America is if you start putting all of those extremists in with all of Muslims.” (Mediaite)
70 percent of 760 AM listeners support forcing Muslims to register on a national database
August 29: San Diego, California 760 KFMB AM is a talk radio station hosting such conservative luminaries as Michael Savage, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. Today, below the Wiener Dog racing and ads for Glen Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally is a fun little poll asks listeners: During a time of war, should we register as many practicing Muslims as we can find in a national database? No - it’s an invasion of privacy. Yes- gun owners have to, why not Muslims? Currently, 70% of those polled are in favor of forced registration for American Muslims. Granted, this is not a representative sampling of the general population, but it none the less contributes to a disturbing trend of national opinion about Islam. Jenn Chou is the National Anti-establishment Examiner and a member of CodeBlock, a decentralized project of writers and activists dedicated to holding rogue cops accountable by filming their behavior and publishing it online. (Examiner)
Bias suit filed against Illinois state police for Chicago Imam
August 30: The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today filed a discrimination complaint in federal court against the Illinois State Police (ISP) on behalf of Kifah Mustapha, a leading Muslim religious leader (Imam) based in Chicago. The ISP had previously hired Imam Kifah as the first and only Muslim chaplain for its workforce after the completion of a thorough background check. Shortly after news of Imam Kifah's hiring, the ISP revoked its decision citing a dubious Internet report attacking Imam Kifah. The report was written and distributed by Steven Emerson, an anti-Muslim blogger notorious for fighting against American Muslim civic participation. Among other false allegations, Emerson's report claimed that Imam Kifah served on the "Palestine Committee of the Muslim Brotherhood," when no such committee exists. CAIR-Chicago's lawsuit alleges discrimination based on race, religion and national origin. The suit also cites the denial of Imam Kifah's First Amendment right to freedom of association, which bars the government from imposing guilt by association. (CAIR)
NY Governor isn't apologizing for 'almost westernized' Muslim comment
August 30: The Associated Press today quoted the New York Governor, David Paterson, as saying that he doesn't need to apologize to Muslim groups who criticized him for comments last week in which he described developers of an Islamic center and mosque planned near Ground Zero as peaceful and "almost westernized" Muslims. Paterson said he sent a letter to the groups today, further explaining his defense of a Sufi Muslim imam's right to build the mosque and cultural center a couple of blocks from the site of the World Trade Center attacks. In remarks about the developers of the planned Park51 community center in Manhattan, Paterson told CBS: "This group who has put this mosque together, they are known as the Sufi Muslims. This is not like the Shiites. . .They're almost like a hybrid, almost westernized. They are not really what I would classify in the sort of mainland Muslim practice." American Muslim groups have expressed disappointment his comments and urged the governor to retract his misleading statement. Paterson said today that all branches of Islam are "very valid and very spiritual." "I wasn't pointing it out because one was better and one was worse," Paterson said. "I was pointing it out simply to allow all of the free-thinking people of this country to recognize this is a very unique sect ... one that had dedicated itself to the spiritual enhancement of people." "I don't think I have anything to apologize for," Paterson said. He said the groups "may have mistaken the intent of the remarks." (AMP Report)
Religious leaders challenging anti-Muslim rhetoric, violence
August 30: Against a background of mounting anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence, Baptist and other religious leaders spoke out today against Islamophobia and urged federal officials to take a more proactive role in safeguarding Muslims’ civil rights. A group of Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders held a press conference at a Washington church denouncing the rhetoric and attacks – including a suspicious Aug. 28 fire at the construction site of a mosque that has stirred significant controversy in Murfreesboro, Tenn.; the Aug. 24 attempted murder of a Muslim taxi driver in New York; and a conservative Florida church’s plans to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11 as an anti-Islamic protest. Jeffrey Haggray, pastor of Washington’s First Baptist Church, called the upswing in anti-Muslim rhetoric “truly unacceptable” and said Christian and other religious leaders have a special responsibility to speak out against it. “While we all celebrate freedom of speech in our nation, we would be engaging in denial if we did not acknowledge forthrightly that the acts of violence that are now surfacing against Muslims, mosques and other Islamic symbols are directly linked to the vitriolic and incendiary rhetoric and actions we have seen in recent weeks,” he said. “We are duty-bound to publicly condemn these actions both as Americans and as people of faith.”
This afternoon, Baptist and other religious-liberty leadeers met with Department of Justice officials to urge them to act quickly, “to protect and preserve religious freedoms and the rights of all Americans, including millions of Muslims, to live and practice their faith freely, without fear of violence or intimidation.” The leaders -- including Brent Walker, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty; and Welton Gaddy, a Baptist minister who serves as president of the Interfaith Alliance -- are asking Attorney General Eric Holder to lead a coordinated response to the rise in anti-Muslim sentiment. (Associated Baptist Press)
Hate crime charges sought for armed harassment at NY mosque
August 31: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called for appropriate hate crime charges to be brought against five teenagers who allegedly harassed Muslim worshippers at a western New York mosque. The teenagers were charged with disrupting religious services at a Town of Carlton mosque after they allegedly honked their car horns and yelled obscenities during one prayer service, and fired a weapon outside of another. A member of the mosque was reportedly injured when he was allegedly struck by one of the vehicles. One teenager was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Two younger teenagers may also face charges.The Daily News reported: A Holley teen-ager was charged with a felony count of criminal possession of a weapon after allegedly firing a shotgun outside a mosque in Waterport on Monday night. Mark Vendetti, 17, of Holley was incarcerated in lieu of $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond for the incident that frightened the Muslim congregation on Fuller Road. Vendetti and four other Holley teens — Tim Weader, 17; Dylan Phillips, 18; Jeff Donahue, 18; and Anthony Ogden, 18 — also were charged with disruption of a religious service. Two other teens, 16 or younger, also may face charges, Sheriff Scott Hess said. The Holley youths allegedly drove two vehicles outside the mosque and were yelling obscenities and beeping a car alarm while members were inside the mosque praying. When the noise persisted, some members went outside. The two vehicles were driven next to each other, going north down the dirt road. One church member David Bell, 29, was near the road and was struck by one of the vehicles. He had a gash in his tongue, a swollen bottom lip and sore hip on Tuesday morning. Hess said deputies are investigating the hit-and-run. (CAIR/The Daily News)
Two episodes of “Flying While Muslim”
August 31: "Flying while Arab or Muslim" has joined the profiling lexicon alongside "driving while Arab or Muslim," "driving while Black" and "driving while brown" since 9/11. "Flying while Arab or Muslim" expression has come to describe the reality of travel for all Muslims, non-Muslim Arabs, and anyone who looks like they could be from the Middle East or any other region of the world perceived as predominantly Muslim. In a charged atmosphere - fomented by the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the New York Mosque project by anti-Islam and anti-Muslim bigots as well as Rightwing ranters - two embarrassing incidents of “Flying While Muslim” happened this week.
On August 30, Ahmad Al-Soofi and Hezem Al-Murisi, United States residents of Yemeni descent, were taken into custody by the Dutch authorities when their flight from Chicago landed in Amsterdam. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers alerted the Dutch authorities of the travelers after finding “suspicious objects” in the luggage of one of the passengers. The US Government found no reasons to charge either individual with any crime, and the Dutch authorities released the two on Wednesday (September 1). According to ABC News, at first it was believed the two may have been doing a test run on a terrorist attack. After investigation, it was uncovered that the two did not know each other and were not traveling together. Tellingly, neither of these men were on any U.S. terror watch lists as White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
In another episode of “Flying While Muslim,” on August 31 a nine-member Pakistani military delegation, headed by Rear Admiral Arif Allah Hussaini, were deplaned from the United Airlines flight 727 from the Dulles International Airport in Washington to Tampa. They were interrogated for two hours after a passenger on the flight that a member of the Pakistani delegation, while talking to a flight attendant, had made remarks that he found threatening. Mike Trevino, spokesman for the Airlines, was quoted by the Washington Post as saying they were deboarded from the plane after one of them “made a comment to a flight attendant.” The delegation was to travel to Tampa, a Gulf Coast Bay city in the state of Florida, to attend the annual conference of the US-Pakistan Military Consultative Committee. The Washington Post quoted an unnamed Pakistani military official as saying that the US officials “detained the delegation for two-and-a-half hours and refused to allow the officials to contact their embassy or the US military officials who had invited them to visit.” Pakistan’s Dawn quoted an unnamed security official as saying the officers "were treated like terrorists." In Islamabad, the Inter-Services Public Relations said: “A Pakistani military delegation on a visit to US (on US invitation to attend a meeting at Centcom) was subjected to unwarranted security checks at Washington airport by US Transport Security Agency. Later, the delegation was cleared and US defense officials regretted the incident. However, as a result of these checks, military authorities in Pakistan decided to cancel the visit and call the delegation back.” (AMP Report)
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