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Chronology of Islam in America (2011)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
December 2011 - Page Three
With 4th controversial hearing, Peter King continues anti-Muslims witch hunt
Dec 7: Republican Rep. Peter King - an avowed supporter of the Irish Republican Army, the Irish terrorist organization during the 80′s and 90′s - continued his anti-Muslim witch hunt Wednesday (Dec 7, 2011) with his controversial congressional hearing. This time the focus of his hearing was the Threat to Military Communities Inside the United States from what he claims homegrown terrorism. This was King’s fourth such hearing. On the occasion of the fourth anti-Muslim hearing, Rep King released a report which among other things revealed that there were 6,024 Muslims troops that have served our country in the military since 2001, and 14 Muslim soldiers lost their lives to protect our homeland. The Report said that at least 33 threats, plots and strikes against U.S. military communities since 9/11 have been part of a surge of homegrown terrorism. During the hearings, Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Stockton flatly refused to use the term "violent Islamic extremism." From his experience as a high-ranking counterterrorism official, he declared that our current primary threat is "Al Qaeda and its affiliates," not Islam, and that it is unhelpful to frame our efforts using the term Islam.
Rep. Laura Richardson asked “Is there a threat to military communities limited to Islamic extremists, yes or no?” Lt. Col Sawyer answered that they have also seen a “proliferation of other movements outside the Islamic faith,” and then he mentioned how members have been targeted by “Christian movements and Identity movements.” Rep. Richardson followed by saying that it has been mentioned that skinheads and White extremists were a threat in the 90′s, and asked if the panelists would consider them to no longer be a threat? All answered “no.” Rep. Laura Richardson then went on to state that the reason she is asking those questions is because the topic today is “Homegrown terrorism: the threat to military communities inside the United States, it doesn’t say Islamic anywhere in here.” A crucial point considering that the actual hearing wasn’t as broad as the language would imply, and instead was solely focused on the “radical Islamic homegrown threat.”
In a statement Congressman Mike Honda pointed out that in view of on King’s past hearings, the American people are justified to fear that King will rely on insidious discrimination targeting Muslim Americans. “If the hearing’s date (Pearl Harbor’s Anniversary) and its subject matter, the 2009 attack at Ft. Hood Texas , are any indication, today’s hearing will go too far by singling out Muslim-American service members as the danger to our military communities. Whatever happens today, let us be clear: Any blanket suggestion that all Muslim American soldiers are the threat is morally and strategically wrong.”
King’s counterpart on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), again denounced King’s hearings, saying they are creating perceptions that are “not likely to be accurate, nuanced or subtle.” “Our military is open to all faiths,” Thompson said in the hearing. “A congressional hearing that focuses on religion and the military is likely to harm unit cohesion and undermine morale.”
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in a written statement in part said: “By singling out Islam and Muslim Americans in its reports and hearings on the terror threat, Congress increases the likelihood that U.S. law enforcement officials will misunderstand the scientific evidence surrounding risk factors for violence and focus their investigative efforts on innocent Americans because of their beliefs rather than on true threats to the community. The ACLU has documented how U.S. law enforcement agencies are already exhibiting anti-Muslim bias in their trainings, operations, and intelligence products.” The ACLU statement went on to say: “Many U.S. officials continue to focus their counterterrorism analysis on Muslim American communities even though empirical studies show that violent threats cannot be identified by any religious, ideological, ethnic, or racial profile. Such unjust targeting is widespread and is often based on the unsound reasoning used in ill-conceived and methodologically flawed reports that ignore empirical evidence that there is no direct link between religious observance or radical ideas and violent acts.”
Shoulder-to-Shoulder, a coalition of 27 American faith-based and interfaith organizations and religious denominations, in a written testimony pointed out that “by focusing only on the American Muslim community for threats of radicalization, this hearing does a disservice to American Muslims – especially those serving in the United States Armed Forces – by wrongly connecting faithful observance of Islam with suspect behavior.” “This connection sows mistrust of these men and women by distorting their military service, Shoulder-to-Shoulder said adding: Some American Muslim soldiers, buried in Arlington Cemetery, have given what President Abraham Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion” while serving their country. [AMP REPORT]
Appeal of Holy Land Foundation leaders rejected
Dec 7: A federal appeals court today upheld the convictions of five leaders of an Islamic charity on charges of funneling money and supplies to Hamas, designated a "terrorist" group following a 1995 executive order by President Bill Clinton. The organizers of the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation argued that they were denied a fair trial in 2008 when the government used secret Israeli witnesses to testify against them. The organizers also raised a host of constitutional challenges to the evidence presented against them at trial. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit rejected those challenges, concluding that "while no trial is perfect," Holy Land and its leaders were fairly convicted. The court pointed to "voluminous evidence" that the foundation, which was started in the late 1980s, had long-running financial ties to Hamas. Once the largest Muslim charity in the United States, Holy Land was closed by the administration of former President George W. Bush soon after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Holy Land argued that the millions of dollars it raised went to charities in the West Bank and Gaza known as zakat committees. Although those committees performed legitimate charitable functions, they were also Hamas social institutions, the court found. Federal law makes it a crime to provide material aid and support to a designated terrorist organization like Hamas. "By supporting such entities, the defendants facilitated Hamas' activity by furthering its popularity among Palestinians and by providing a funding resource. This, in turn, allowed Hamas to concentrate its efforts on violent activity," Judge Carolyn King wrote on behalf of the unanimous three-judge panel.
Federal prosecutors indicted the foundation and its leaders in 2004 for providing material support to a designated terrorist group. While the first trial in 2007 ended in a mistrial, a federal jury convicted the five individuals in 2008 on charges that included money laundering, tax fraud and conspiracy. On appeal, the leaders argued that the trial judge should not have allowed two Israeli witnesses to testify without revealing their real names. Pseudonyms prevented their lawyers from examining the witnesses' credentials and backgrounds, they contended. "The Confrontation Clause of the U.S. Constitution basically didn't apply to these experts," said Gregory Westfall, a lawyer for defendant Abdulrahman Odeh. He said his client would likely file an appeal and predicted that the case would eventually reach the Supreme Court. Westfall described the prosecution as an unfortunate event in U.S. history. The foundation provided food and relief supplies to the Palestinian people, who were in great need, he said. The charity organizers received prison sentences ranging from 15 to 65 years. (Co-founder, President and CEO Shukri Abu Baker received 65 years in prison. Co-founder, Chairman and former Executive Director Ghassan Elashi also got 65 years. Mohammed el-Mezain, former Chairman, Head of California Operation 15 years. Top fundraiser Mufid Abdulqader 20 years, and Abdulrahman Odeh, Director of HLF East (New Jersey) 15 years.) [Reuters]
Canada bans face veils for citizenship oaths
Dec 7: Canada's immigration minister announced today a ban on wearing face coverings such as burka and niqab veils when taking a citizenship oath. "Starting today, any individual will have to show his or her face when taking the oath of citizenship," Immigration Minister Jason Kenney told a press conference in Montreal. "Allowing a group to hide their faces while they are becoming members of our community is counter to Canada's commitment to openness, equality and social cohesion," he explained. The minister cited complaints from citizenship judges and others who said it was difficult to ensure individuals whose faces were covered were really taking the oath. Currently at airports, veiled Muslim women may opt to show their face only to a female security screener. They may also vote in elections without showing their face. However, veils may soon be banned at government workplaces in Quebec, as well as in schools, nurseries and hospitals. The province is considering legislation that would force people to show their face in government-funded institutions or to access public services. [The News]
Harvard Removes Courses Taught by Anti-Muslim Prof
Dec 7: Havard Faculty members chose to remove two summer economics courses at the Summer School taught by Subramanian Swamy, a controversial Indian political figure. Over the summer, Swamy published an op-ed that advocated for the destruction of hundreds of Indian mosques and the disenfranchisement of non-Hindus in India. Swamy received significant criticism for an op-ed he wrote last summer in the Indian newspaper Daily News and Analysis, in which he called for the destruction of mosques, the disenfranchisement of non-Hindus in India who do not acknowledge Hindu ancestry, and a ban on conversion from Hinduism. “Swamy’s op-ed clearly crosses the line by demonizing an entire religious community and calling for violence against their sacred places,” Comparative Religion Professor Diana L. Eck said, adding that Harvard has a moral responsibility not to affiliate itself with anyone who expresses hatred towards a minority group. “There is a distinction between unpopular and unwelcome political views.” Although Harvard chose to stand by Swamy in August in an effort to affirm its declared commitment to free speech, faculty members shot down his two courses, effectively removing him from Harvard’s teaching roster. Many faculty determined Swamy’s article was not a product of free speech—but of hate speech. “[Swamy’s position on disenfranchisement] is like saying Jewish Americans and African Americans should not be allowed to vote unless they acknowledge the supremacy of white Anglo Saxon Protestants,” said History Professor Sugata Bose. [The Crimson]
Anti-Muslim bigots pressure TLC advertisers on 'All-American Muslim'
Dec 9: American Muslim civil advocacy groups today expressed concern at the pressured being exerted on major advertisers by known anti-Muslim bigots to drop advertisements on The Learning Channel's (TLC’s) new reality eight-part series "All-American Muslim." This is the first show on American television that depicts the lives of Muslim Americans, a seven-million strong community that has been under pressure since 9/11. The program follows five Lebanese American families in Dearborn, Michigan. The anti-Muslim bigots network was enraged that this program that only depicts normal American Muslim families and call it “deception and obfuscation,” an “attempt to manipulate Americans,” “propaganda,” “cultural jihad.”
The American Muslim Voice, in a statement urged all people of conscience to counter this fear-mongering by some fringe individuals and groups pressuring advertisers to drop spots on All-American Muslim. According to the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the calls for an advertiser boycott are coming from Internet hate sites like "Bare Naked Islam," which recently featured a number of threats of violence targeting U.S. and European mosques, and right-wing groups such as the Florida Family Association and American Decency. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) urged its members to take action and counter the calls by fringe individuals and groups.
A group called the Florida Family Association (FFA), initiated an advertiser boycott against what it claims as a “propaganda show,” contacting companies whose commercials appear during the broadcast and asking them to quit. This effort also was touted on numerous Islamophobic sites asking their readers to join this effort and contact the advertisers. It may be pointed out that the Florida Family Association is an affiliate of the American Family Association which says that Muslims have no First Amendment rights. [AMP Report]
Gingrich calls Palestinians an ‘invented’ people
Dec 9: The Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said today that Palestinians are an “invented” people with no apparent right to their own state. In the interview with The Jewish Channel on the eve of the Republican Jewish Coalition’s 2012 Presidential candidates forum, Gingrich said: "Remember, there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire" until the early 20th century, Gingrich said. "I think that we've had an invented Palestinian people who are in fact Arabs, and who were historically part of the Arab community. And they had a chance to go many places, and for a variety of political reasons we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s, and it's tragic," he said. “For a variety of political reasons,” Gingrich continued, “we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s, and I think it’s tragic.” Washington Post said: Gingrich’s comments, which were first reported by Politico, were met with surprise and dismay by a range of actors on the foreign policy stage, including Democratic and Republican former diplomats and Palestinian and Israeli advocates. The paper added that Gingrich did more than fan the flames of the already fraught Arab-Israeli conflict; he challenged long-standing U.S. policy — initiated by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and continued by President Obama — to encourage the establishment of a separate Palestinian state. Reuters news agency said that Gingrich along with other Republican candidates are seeking to attract Jewish support by vowing to bolster U.S. ties with Israel if elected. Washington Post quoted Elliott Abrams, who was a deputy national security adviser under Bush and is now with the Council on Foreign Relations, as saying: “There was no Jordan or Syria or Iraq, either, so perhaps he would say they are all invented people as well and also have no right to statehood. Whatever was true then, Palestinian nationalism has grown since 1948, and whether we like it or not, it exists.” [AMP Report]
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