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Chronology of Islam in America (2007)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
February 2007
Two acquitted of conspiracy in Hamas trial
February 1 2007 - Two men accused of furnishing money and fresh recruits to the militant Palestinian group Hamas were acquitted by a federal jury today of racketeering but convicted on lesser charges. The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC), a federation of over fifty Muslim organizations, has greeted the jury's verdict in the case of Mohammed Salah with relief. Salah, 53, and Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 48, a one-time assistant business professor at Howard University in Washington, had been accused of laundering money for Hamas, declared by US as a terrorist group. In a statement CIOGC said: The government's persecution of Mr. Salah began by declaring this U.S citizen a terrorist through an executive order without any court of law finding him as such. This was soundly rejected by the jury today. Despite the use of Israeli torture, secret evidence and former Attorney General, John Ashcroft’s incitement in the press that Mr. Salah was running a “U.S.-based terrorist-recruiting and financing cell” Mr. Salah has been proven innocent of any connection to terrorism in the United States or abroad. (CIOGC bulletin)
MPAC expresses concern over foreign intelligence in American trials
February 1: In a statement on the jury acquittal of Muhammad Salah and Abdelhallen Ashqar, the Muslim Public Affairs Council expressed concern over foreign intelligence in American trials. The MPAC statement, said: In a blow to the government's latest high profile terrorism case, a Chicago jury today acquitted two Muslim American men of racketeering charges related to money they sent to Palestinians. They were found guilty of lesser charges of obstructing justice. While the verdict represents yet another blow to the government's high-profile "war on terrorism" cases, it is also indicative of a troubling trend of foreign intelligence being admissable in domestic cases. The trial of Muhammad Salah, a Chicago businessman, and Abdelhallen Ashqar, a Virginia professor, marked the first time an American court allowed the testimony of two Israeli security agents in a U.S. courtroom. Despite petitions filed by the Chicago Tribune and civil rights groups, Judge Amy St. Eve allowed the agents to testify in a closed hearing that amounted to secret evidence. (In the case of Salah, the prosecution sought to prove he provided aid to Hamas terror activities based on an admission obtained under torture in a foreign country and in a language the defendant does not understand.) (MPAC Bulletin)
GA: Macon Mayor says he's converted to Islam and wants name change
February 1: Macon (Georgia) Mayor Jack Ellis has converted to Islam and is working to legally change his name to Hakim Mansour Ellis. The mayor, raised as a Christian, said today that he has been studying the Koran for years and made the religious switch at a December ceremony in the country of Senegal on the western African coast. Ellis is now a Muslim, having chosen a religion he said was originally practiced by his west African ancestors before they were brought to America by slave traders. (Macon Telegraph)
Arkansas woman questioned about decision to become a Muslim
February 1: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced today that one Oklahoma police officer has been relieved of his duties and another has been demoted after an incident involving a Muslim woman. The woman, who lives in Arkansas and wears a religiously-mandated headscarf, reported that she was inappropriately interrogated about her faith after being stopped for a minor traffic violation in Webbers Falls, Okla., in November 2006. She was allegedly asked if she had any connection to the "guy who flew the plane into the building" and was questioned extensively about her decision to become a Muslim. (The woman is of European heritage and is a convert to Islam.) According to the Muslim woman, she was asked twice whether she had a Quran in her car. When one of the officers searched the trunk of the woman's car, he allegedly shouted, "Look what I found," when he discovered a book with Arabic script. (CAIR Bulletin)
Unfair detentions rise at US-Canada border
February 1: Americans of Middle Eastern background are being stopped and questioned more frequently by Homeland Security agents at the U.S./Canada border. Community advocates are noting that a familiar pattern has emerged at the crossing. American males of Middle Eastern background in their late 30s are removed from their vehicles, handcuffed and interrogated for hours. Some report being dragged out of their cars and handcuffed throughout the interrogation period. No reason or apology is given afterwards. Instead, a complaint form is given out, to be filled and sent to the Department of Homeland Security. (New America Media)
Muslim students call for FBI to investigate Self-confessed terrorist
February 1: The UC Davis Muslim Students' Association (MSA) called today on the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to investigate and deport Walid Shoebat, a self-confessed "ex-terrorist". Mr. Shoebat delivered a speech at UC Davis' Freeborn Hall at the invitation of UCD's newly formed Foundation For Defense of Democracies in cooperation with the Davis College Republicans. In a statement, the UC Davis MSA said: "We repudiate and unequivocally condemn terrorism, as a grave and serious crime that should be punished in the strictest means possible. We are concerned that a self-confessed "ex-terrorist" is walking freely in the country, simply because he has converted to Christianity.” (MSA UC Davis)
Five Jewish teenagers charged in beating of Pakistani immigrant
February 1: In New York, five Orthodox Jewish teens have been indicted for an October hate crime attack in Brooklyn against Shahid Amber, an immigrant from Pakistan. District Attorney Charles J. Hynes said in a statement that Shulomi Bitton, 16, Yossi Friedman, 17, Benjamin Wasserman, 16 and two juveniles - Yitzi Horowitz, 15, David Brach, 15, - are charged with second-degree gang assault and third-degree menacing. American Muslim groups had characterized the attack against Shahid Amber on Oct. 29 as an example of growing anti-Muslim sentiment in America. Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a leading Muslim advocacy group, demanded an investigation, saying It's an indication of "the kind of thing that we're seeing as a growing phenomenon, tied to a sharp rise in the anti-Muslim sentiment in our society". (Newsday)
Hamid Hayat trial: Prosecutors downplay comments by juror
February 4: Federal prosecutors have filed a 187-page brief opposing a new trial of Hamid Hayat, 23, a Pakistani American. Defense attorneys, in their October 2006 motion, cited a statement by juror Alicia Lopez that jury foreman Joseph Cote made a "hangman gesture" and once said "hang him" in discussions with other jurors during the trial. In opposition brief, prosecutors S. Robert Tice-Raskin and Laura Ferris, wrote that these bare bone allegations, on their face, are vague and ambiguous and do not constitute substantial evidence that Cote was actually biased against the defendant. Defense attorneys also cited statements by jurors Lopez and Theresa Berkeley-Simmons that Cote used racial slurs during the trial, including his opinion that Pakistanis or Muslims all "look alike" if dressed the same. (Sacramento Bee)
First Muslim in U.S. Congress speaks on faith and democracy
February 5: Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison is surprised that his Muslim faith became an issue during his successful campaign for a congressional seat. “I never bring it up,” he told USINFO, although he discusses it when asked. His first impulse was to downplay religion in favor of discussing the issues, which are his priority. Now he freely discusses Islam, “because it may have the effect of building understanding. I hope it does.” Ellison, a Democrat and the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, says he was elected for his values. “I have to continue to elevate the common good, the public interest, education, health, peace. These are the things that they want me to work on,” he said. By electing him, he said, his constituents meant, “We don’t really care what your religion is. This is what we are into, if you can promote and execute and advocate these things, you can represent us.” (USINFO)
Glenn Beck: A cause for concern
February 5: Glenn Beck represents a truly troubling trend in television journalism. Since May 2006, the radio talk show host has had his own one hour nightly program on CNN’s Headline News channel. It is important to note, from the outset, that Beck doesn’t stand alone. The insertion of the personalities and style of radio talkshow hosts into mainstream television news programming has been taking place for a number of years now. Their crude, cynical and cutting edge commentary, their feigning the role of the common man, and their inflammatory “us versus them” rhetoric is now standard fair on many of the major networks. The result of this trend is evident on a number of levels. There has been a coarsening and dumbing down of our political discourse on several issues of national importance. When Beck refers to President Carter as a “fathead” or speaks of Saudi leaders as “nut-jobs,” serious discussion is displaced by crude and demeaning jabs. (James Zogby - Washington Watch)
Fear of bias keeps U.S. Muslims out of military
February 6: Desperately short of soldiers who speak Arabic and understand Islam, the U.S. military is quietly courting American Muslims. But they show little enthusiasm for an institution many say is prejudiced against them. "The military have the same problem as civilian government agencies, such as the FBI," said Ibrahim Hooper of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an advocacy group. "There is a general reluctance to join because Muslims think there is bias against them and career prospects are limited." Pentagon statistics show there are more Jews and Buddhists than Muslims serving in the 1.4 million strong, overwhelmingly Christian armed forces. (Reuters)
With so much terrorist carnage on the tube, Muslims fear their religion is the target
February 6: You can't be a devoted watcher of Fox TV's "24" and not have questions about the suitcase nuke attack on Los Angeles, or the fatal neck bite Jack Bauer puts on a terrorist, among other outrageous plot twists. For several years television shied away from story lines connected to Sept. 11, 2001. Now, more than five years later, things have changed. Scripted television programs no longer avoid terrorism-related story lines. Muslim characters are increasingly commonplace, mostly in a negative way. From episodes of "The Unit" and "Without a Trace" to the upcoming BBC America miniseries "The State Within," it appears any Muslim who isn't a terrorist is suspected of being one. Or a sympathizer. (Cox News Service)
NC: New bill to allow courtroom oaths on Koran
February 6: Courtroom oaths could be taken on the Koran and other sacred texts besides the Bible in a bill filed in the South Carolina state Senate today. The issue drew national attention last month when the first Muslim elected to US Congress took a ceremonial oath with a Koran once owned by Thomas Jefferson. In North Carolina, the issue appeared in 2003 when a Muslim woman sued the state because she was not allowed to swear an oath on the Koran when she was called as a witness in a court case. State law allows witnesses to use only the Bible for oaths. Three weeks ago, a state appeals court agreed to let her lawsuit continue. The new bill would allow an oath-taker to place a hand "upon the Bible or any text sacred to the party's religious faith." (Associated Press)
FL: Only Good Friday makes the cut
February 7: Good Friday is the only religious holiday recognized in the latest version of (Florida) Hillsborough's controversial school calendar. But the idea of treating Christians differently from Jews and Muslims divided the committee of teachers, parents and school administrators who are making calendar recommendations. It marked a reversal of the group's stance last fall, when members proposed a calendar recognizing no religious holidays. Last year, the School Board passed a similarly secular calendar - and came under a firestorm of criticism for being antireligious. Under a national spotlight, the board backpedaled and restored existing Christian and Jewish holidays. Once again, the School Board has final approval of the calendar for the coming school year - and whether religion belongs in it. After a narrow committee vote to make Good Friday a school holiday, a Jewish parent made a final request that all major religions be treated equally. His plea failed in a 9-7 vote. (St. Petersburg Times)
Continued on page II
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