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Chronology of Islam in America (2005)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
July 2005
OSCE Report: Guantanamo fuels hatred, boosts al Qaeda
July 1: The United States must close Guantanamo prison, where its treatment of some 500 terrorism suspects encourages hatred towards the West and bolsters Muslim membership of the al Qaeda network, a new report concludes. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commissioned the report from its human rights representative, Belgian senate president Anne-Marie Lizin. "A generation of young Muslims, fed on the images of Abu Ghraib, of the treatment reserved for the Guantanamo detainees and rumours about profanation of the Koran, will have filled the al Qaeda ranks and those of other extremist groups," said the report. "The longer the detention is in the camps the more the hatred against the U.S. and the West becomes anchored in hearts and minds. Being fully aware of the U.S. authorities' dilemma between national and world security and long procedures, we recommend terminating the Guantanamo detention facility by announcing a calendar of closure." (Reuters – July 1, 2005)
Arizona paper cleared over "kill Muslims" letter
July 1: -The Arizona state Supreme Court ruled on Friday a Tucson newspaper could not be held liable for publishing a letter that urged people to kill Muslims to retaliate for the death of American soldiers in Iraq. In a 5-0 ruling, Arizona's highest court found unanimously the Tucson Citizen was protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and could not be sued for printing the letter in December 2003. The opinion reversed a lower court judge. The court stated the letter to the editor "does not fall within one of the well-recognized exceptions to the general rule of First Amendment protection for political speech." It ordered the case be sent back to Pima County Superior Court and dismissed without the chance to be refiled. (Reuters – July 1, 2005)
Air Force Academy Muslims face worship-time conflict
July 2: Air Force Academy, Colorado - Nearly two weeks after an Air Force task force found that the academy failed to facilitate worship for diverse religions, Muslim freshmen had to choose between worship and a required training activity. The training schedule listed "optional chapel service" for Muslims from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday. However, that slot is also listed as "basic cadet time" to "prepare room for inspection, work on uniforms, boots, etc." A task force created after allegations mounted that the academy favored Christianity issued a report June 22 that blamed perceptions of bias, in part, on a lack of accommodation for diverse religions when scheduling events. (Denver Post – July 2, 2005)
Post-9/11 workplace discrimination continues
July 5: Nearly four years after the terrorist attacks, Muslim, South Asian and Arab-American employees continue to report discrimination on the job. Compared with the first two years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the number of employees saying they've been discriminated against as a form of backlash because of the attacks has declined. But charges continue to come in, indicating that Arab-American and other workers still feel discriminated against. "People are being called 'terrorist' at work, things of that sort," says Arsalan Iftikhar, national legal director at Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). "A lot of cases continue to go on. People have been called Osama bin Laden, told they are going to mosque to learn how to build a bomb." Nearly 280 claims of discrimination in the workplace were received by CAIR in 2004, and the workplace was the second-most-common location for an alleged incident. The first was government agencies. At the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, about 980 charges alleging post-9/11 backlash discrimination have been filed through June 11 since the 2001 attacks. (USA TODAY – July 5, 2005)
National Guard under fire for anti-Islam display
July 11: Already under scrutiny for setting up a controversial new intelligence unit and keeping tabs on a Mother's Day anti-war protest, the California National Guard is taking new heat for an anti-Islamic flyer that was hanging in its Sacramento headquarters. Islamic groups and anti-war activists criticized the Guard on Monday after learning that one Guard soldier had a historically suspect flyer touting World War I General John J. Pershing as a hero for executing Muslim terrorists with bullets dipped in pig's blood to deny them entry to heaven. ``Maybe it is time for this segment of history to repeat itself, maybe in Iraq?'' states the flyer that was posted outside a cubicle in the Guard's Civil Support Division. ``The question is, where do we find another Black Jack Pershing?'' The flyer, which has circulated since Sept. 11 as a hard-line tale for fighting Islamic terrorists, raised concerns for some activists about the mind-set of Guard soldiers. ``It's troubling to see a governmental organization dedicated to the security of our country promoting culturally and religiously insensitive ideas,'' said William Youmans, media relations manager for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Santa Clara. Initially, a Guard spokesman defended the flyer Monday as ``historically accurate,'' but called back later to say that it had been removed because of concerns raised by the activists. ``Evidently,'' said Lt. Col. Doug Hart, ``somebody didn't like it so they took it down.'' The flyers came to light after a group of anti-war activists were invited to tour the Guard headquarters last week to allay their concerns about a new intelligence unit that has been given wide latitude to set up new anti-terrorism projects in California. (Mercury News July 11, 2005)
For American Muslims, charity can carry risks
July 11: Here's the dilemma: Your religion, like most others, demands that you give to charity. In fact, it's one of the central tenets of your faith. But giving to the wrong charity, even unbeknownst to you, might put you on the wrong side of the War on Terror. "We want to live under the command of our faith, but how can we if we fear arrest and deportation, profiling, persecution or intimidation?" said Zaher Sahloul, vice president of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Now, almost four years after the Sept. 11 attacks and a federal crackdown on charities allegedly linked to terrorists soon thereafter, steps are being taken to alleviate the fear and anxiety many Muslims feel when they attempt to fulfill one of the five pillars of Islam--Zakat, which compels them to donate 2.5 percent of their annual income to the needy. In May, the Illinois General Assembly passed bipartisan resolutions calling on the federal government to create a list of Muslim charitable organizations to which one can safely donate, legislation that Muslim and immigrant groups said was the first of its kind. It was natural that such an effort would begin in Illinois because it is home to a sizable and well-organized Muslim population, as well as some of the most prominent charities shut down after the attacks. (Chicago Tribune - July 11, 2005)
N.C. courts may ask legislators to decide Quran issue
July 12: Legislators may be asked to decide if the Quran and other religious texts can be used for courtroom oaths, said a spokesman for the agency that manages (North Carolina) state courts, as the ACLU pressed for a response on the texts' use. The legal foundation of the ACLU of North Carolina has called on the state Administrative Office of the Courts to adopt a policy allowing the Quran and other religious texts for oath-taking in North Carolina courtrooms. The request came after Guilford County's two top judges decided that Muslims could not legally take an oath on the Quran. "We think they are dragging their feet," said Jennifer Rudinger, the state ACLU's executive director. (News & Record – July 12, 2005)
Texas: Hate crimes against Arabs, Muslims up in 2004
July 12: Reported hate crimes in Texas dropped to the lowest level since 1999 last year, but offenses against Arabs and Muslims increased slightly, a state Department of Public Safety study shows. Hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims peaked in 2001, according to DPS crime data. The number of crimes against those groups had declined in 2002 and 2003 but remained higher than those reported before 9-11. Texas DPS figures show that hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims increased from 17 in 2003 to 20 in 2004. Arab and Islamic advocacy groups in the United States say events such as 9-11, the war in Iraq and the recent terrorist attacks in London typically fuel a backlash against their communities. "It is unfortunate that we are associated with those acts, which we immediately have condemned," said Rabiah Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, D.C. "A Muslim who commits an act of terror will always get more news coverage than a Muslim who fights against it." (Star-Telegram - July 12, 2005)
Dr. Ali Tamimi sentenced to life imprisonment
July 13: An influential Muslim scholar, whom prosecutors called a "purveyor of hate and war," was ordered on Wednesday to spend the rest of his life in prison for inciting his young followers in Northern Virginia to wage war against the United States in the days after the Sept. 11 attacks. The scholar, Ali al-Timimi, was defiant to the end, telling a federal judge as he was about to be sentenced that he considered himself a "prisoner of conscience" who was being persecuted for his strong Muslim beliefs. "I will not admit guilt nor seek the court's mercy," Mr. Timimi told a hushed courtroom filled with more than two dozen Muslims who have rallied around him. "I do this simply because I am innocent." The federal district judge hearing the case, Leonie M. Brinkema, ordered the life sentence grudgingly, saying she was bound by federal guidelines. While Judge Brinkema said there was significant evidence that Mr. Timimi had incited his followers toward violence, she said she considered the prison terms mandated by the guidelines under four counts of the conviction to be "very draconian." She said she had no choice but to impose the life sentence after refusing a defense request to set aside the guilty verdicts. (The New York Times - July 14, 2005)
Congressman Tancredo advocates preemptive nuclear strike on Mecca
July 14: In a radio interview, Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) advocated the United States preemptively strike Mecca with nuclear weapons. The Colorado Congressman made his comments on the Pat Campbell Radio Show in response to Campbell's statement that terrorists are seeking the means to attack the United States with a dirty bomb. Tancredo suggested that a preemptive attack on Mecca would be enough of a threat to make terrorists think twice about attacking the United States again. (Media reports)
Three years after raids, still no charges against Safa Group
July 14: A collection of Islamic-American businesses and non-profit entities have been under federal investigation for allegedly bankrolling terrorist organizations. But more than three years later, no charges have been filed. The group of organizations — which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials call the "Safa Group" — has been under investigation since at least March 2002, when federal agents raided their Herndon offices at 555 Grove St. and eight homes in Herndon and Loudoun County. "All I can say is that the investigation is ongoing," said Dean Boyd, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Department of Homeland Security. The groups are being scrutinized for allegedly funding Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to court documents. Through their attorney, members of the Safa Group denied any connection to terrorist groups. None of them have been charged with any illegal activity. (The Connection Newspapers Virginia - July 14, 2005)
Prominent British Muslim leader denied U.S. entry
July 14: One of Britain's most senior Muslim leaders said Thursday that he was denied entry to the United States without explanation, nearly a week after the deadly subway and bus attacks in London. Dr. Zaki Badawi, head of the Muslim College, had been invited to speak at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, N.Y., where he planned to give a talk under the title ``The Law and Religion in Society.'' But Badawi told The Associated Press that he was detained for about six hours upon arrival Wednesday in New York and questioned. Badawi said authorities didn't give him a reason for denying him entry to the United States. Badawi said he had visited the United States many times before, the last time in 2003. He also was given an honorary knighthood in Britain and in 2003 he was among the guests of Queen Elizabeth II at a state banquet for President Bush. (The Guardian - July 14, 2005)
US Apologizes to British Muslim leader for Visa Mishap
July 15: The United States administration has lifted a visa ban on an internationally renowned British Muslim scholar and apologized to him for the inconvenience, allowing him to visit the country anytime. "I woke up Friday (July 15) to a phone call from the office of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and his aides apologized on his behalf for the US move and told me that the minister would raise the issue with top US officials," Zaki Badawi, head of the Islamic College in London, told IslamOnline.net. Badawi said few hours after the conversation, the US embassy in London called him to apologize in their turn and stressed that it was an unintentional mistake. "They also allowed me to visit the country anytime I decide," he added. (Islam Online - July 16, 2005)
Mayfield's attorneys tell U.S. government: Sorry isn't enough
July 15: In Portland, Oregon, U.S. government attorneys repeatedly apologized again for having wrongly arrested Portland lawyer Brandon Mayfield in connection with the deadly Madrid train bombings, but his attorneys told a federal court Friday that sorry wasn't enough. A little more than a year ago in May 2004, the bespectacled Mayfield sat in a holding cell inside Portland's federal courthouse, suspected of involvement in bombings that ripped through commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people that March. Mayfield's fingerprints, the FBI said, were found on a bag of detonators near the scene of the carnage -- prints which three senior agents analyzed and vetted. But their analysis was wrong and they later said the prints belonged to someone else. Now, a year and two months after FBI officials released Mayfield and first apologized for bungling the fingerprint examination -- the 39-year-old man returned to the courthouse, this time wearing a suit instead of prison scrubs and accompanied by a team of attorneys to sue the U.S. government. During a pretrial hearing in a packed U.S. District courtroom, government attorneys expressed their regret for Mayfield's two-week incarceration, calling the incident an "unfortunate mistake," but they refused to bend on the key issues of his civil suit, filed last October. (Media Reports)
Tancredo refuses to apologize for anti-Islam statement
July 18: Facing mounting criticism, Rep. Tom Tancredo on Monday refused to apologize for suggesting the United States could target Muslim holy sites if radical Islamic terrorists set off multiple nuclear attacks in American cities. "It's a tough issue to deal with," Tancredo told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference. "Tough things are said. And we should not shy away from saying things that need to be said." (Rocky Mountain News - July 19, 2005)
Dingell condemns remarks attacking Islam by Rep. Tancredo
July 21: Congressman John D. Dingell (MI-15), the Dean of the House of Representatives, condemned the comments made by Representative Tom Tancredo (CO-06) as "ignorant" and "inexcusable" for a Member of Congress. During a July 14 interview on Tampa radio station WFLA-AM, Mr. Tancredo said that the US might "take out (Muslim) holy sites" in response to another terrorist attack on the US. When asked if he meant Mecca, Congressman Tancredo responded "yeah." Said Dingell, "First of all, suggesting the bombing of a holy site of any religion is simply inexcusable for an elected official in the United States Congress and an anathema to the millions of people of faith across our nation. To even suggest an attack on Mecca shows Congressman Tancredo has no understanding of the true nature of Islam and the peaceful Muslims living in the Arab world. The holy sites of all religions - Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and all others - are the most sacred and hallowed places for their respective followers and to suggest that any one of these sites be bombed is clearly an attack on that religion and its followers. Mr. Tancredo's reprehensible attack on Islam is ignorant and offensive.” (CAIR Bulletin – July 21, 2005)
Muslim youth across America unite against ideology of hatred
July 21: In response to the latest terrorist attacks in London, young Muslim leaders across the country issued a statement today condemning all acts of terrorism and the ideology of hatred that fuels them. The statement in part reads: "This afternoon, the world witnessed a second terrorist attack on London. In light of these hostile events, we Muslim American students and youth stand united in condemning all acts of terror and the burgeoning war on ideas. We refuse to remain silent while others claiming to represent Islam preach an ideology of hatred. Islam does not tolerate the use of terrorism for any purpose, regardless of who the aggressors are and what their justifications might be. This sensitive time calls for solidarity not only for the people of London but for the international community, regardless of race or faith, to oppose the evil of terrorism. As part of this campaign, the Muslim Students Association-National, a coalition of Muslim student organizations in universities across America and Canada, has pledged to be steadfast in combating this ideology of hatred.” (MPAC News July 21, 2005)
Arab & Muslim Americans condemn London bombings
July 22: Muslim organizations across the United States have condemned the terror attacks that hit London July 7 and July 21 with strong statements that violence runs counter to the tenets of Islam. "To those who seek to divide us through fear or hatred, we will not allow the voices of hate to defeat the voices of unity and goodwill," the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) said in a statement after the July 7 London bombings. The American Muslim Voice (AMV) vehemently condemned the barbaric bombings in London causing death and injuring to score of innocent people. An AMV statement said:”We reaffirm our principled position towards acts of terror, regarding them as cowardly acts of violence irrespective of the identity of the perpetrators or their motives. Those who commit these heinous crimes are not following any religion or acting as human beings.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said its members "join Americans of all faiths, and all people of conscience worldwide, in condemning these barbaric crimes that can never be justified or excused." The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), said "Islam holds the sanctity of human life at the highest regard, and shedding the blood of innocent people is considered a most heinous crime." The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee issued a similar statement saying it was "horrified by the series of bombings that rocked London's public transportation.” The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), condemned "the exploitation of people and issues, regardless of the perpetrators and their justifications." The Coalition of Islamic Organizations of Chicago, a group that organizes Muslims in the Chicago area through cultural and civil rights events, "unequivocally condemned the attacks." (Media Reports)
Muslim groups say police officials may engage in religious profiling
July 22: The growing relationship between Israeli and United States law enforcement, expanding now after the London bombings, has prompted criticism among some Muslim groups, who say they fear that American police officers will engage in religious or ethnic profiling. "Israel's anti-terror tactics are largely based on profiling, whether it's on airlines or at checkpoints," said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, based in Washington. "And they've produced tremendous resentment and hostility in the Palestinian population through humiliating tactics and through abuses on a daily basis. And I don't think that's something we want to replicate." But Chief Kerlikowske said that the focus of the work with Israelis - an Israeli police general based at the Israeli Embassy in Washington is expected to come here for training - was on technical skills, and that the police were focusing on the behavior of potential bombers, not on race or religion. Many police and federal officials have gone to Israel through a program organized by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, a nonprofit group in Washington that promotes close ties between the United States and the Israeli military and the police. (New York Times - July 25, 2005)
What's in a Name? A Basis for Discrimination, Says 9th Circuit
July 26: "A good name," wrote Cervantes, "is better than riches." Mamdouh El-Hakem would agree. After spending years fighting a former employer who thought his name wasn't good enough, El-Hakem was vindicated by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week with a modest amount of money -- and an opinion that reaffirms the value of his name. In a ruling that bolsters plaintiff arguments that discrimination can take many forms, the 9th Circuit said that Gregg Young, the CEO of BJY Inc. should not have insisted on calling El-Hakem "Manny." Or, for that matter, "Hank." "Young intended to discriminate against El-Hakem's Arabic name in favor of a non-Arabic name," Judge Johnnie Rawlinson wrote for a three-judge panel, "first by altering Mamdouh to 'Manny' and then by changing Hakem to 'Hank.'" (The Recorder– July 26, 2005)
American Muslims issue anti-terrorism fatwa
July 28: The Fiqh Council of North America issued a fatwa, or religious edict, today saying that Islam condemns terrorism, religious radicalism and the use of violence.The council's chairman, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, read the fatwa, which says "targeting civilians' life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is forbidden, and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not martyrs." "All acts of terrorism targeting the civilians are haram, forbidden in Islam. It is haram, forbidden, for a Muslim to cooperate or associate with any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence." The fatwa also says it is the "civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to protect the lives of civilians." The Islamic scholars say the fatwa was prompted by a similar ruling from the Muslim Council of Britain, following the July 7 terrorist attacks in London. The fatwa was part of efforts by the 7-million strong American Muslim community to counter alleged links between Islam and terrorism and avert any negative backlash after this month's bombings in London. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said it was the first time Muslims in North America had issued an anti-terrorism edict, although they had repeatedly condemned such acts of violence. (Media Reports)
California Muslims report more hate incidents
July 28: Hate incidents reported by California Muslims increased by about 38 percent in 2004 over the previous year, the highest number of annual cases ever reported to the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The greatest increase in complaints - up from 7 percent of all cases in 2003 to 28 percent in 2004 - came from Muslims who felt they had been victims of "unreasonable arrests, detentions, searches, seizures and interrogations." In their complaints, Muslims told of being verbally harassed or discriminated against at their schools, workplaces, at housing and government agencies, and in public places such as airports. (Orange County Register – July 28, 2005)
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