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Chronology of Islam in America (2007)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
June 2007 Page II
Chicago Muslim granted citizenship after five year delay
June 14: The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today announced the resolution of a citizenship delay case that has been pending for the past five years. Despite successfully passing his citizenship exam in 2002 and taking part in repeated interviews, CAIR-Chicago's client had his naturalization delayed pending a background check. The client was recently sworn in by the presiding Northern Illinois District Federal Court judge instead of in the usual group oath ceremony. His case was resolved before a June 15th court hearing. "Law-abiding Muslims throughout the nation are facing unreasonable delays in being granted citizenship," said CAIR-Chicago attorney Bitta Mostofi. (CAIR Bulletin)
'I am both Muslim and Christian'
June 17: Shortly after noon on Fridays, the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding ties on a black headscarf, preparing to pray with her Muslim group on First Hill. On Sunday mornings, Redding puts on the white collar of an Episcopal priest. She does both, she says, because she's Christian and Muslim.Redding, who until recently was director of faith formation at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, has been a priest for more than 20 years. Now she's ready to tell people that, for the last 15 months, she's also been a Muslim drawn to the faith after an introduction to Islamic prayers left her profoundly moved.Her announcement has provoked surprise and bewilderment in many, raising an obvious question: How can someone be both a Christian and a Muslim? Redding, who will begin teaching the New Testament as a visiting assistant professor at Seattle University this fall, has a different analogy: "I am both Muslim and Christian, just like I'm both an American of African descent and a woman. I'm 100 percent both." Redding doesn't feel she has to resolve all the contradictions. People within one religion can't even agree on all the details, she said. "So why would I spend time to try to reconcile all of Christian belief with all of Islam? "At the most basic level, I understand the two religions to be compatible. That's all I need." (Seattle Times)
Muslim student told to remove Islamic headscarf
June 21: The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic (CAIR-SFBA) today called for a public apology and diversity training following an incident on June 19, in which a high school official demanded that a Muslim student remove her hijab, or Islamic head scarf. According to the 13-year-old Muslim student, a supervisor in the lunchroom of Seaside High School in Seaside, Calif., demanded that she remove her scarf, despite being told that it was worn for religious reasons. The student, who was visiting the school to take part in a summer algebra program, says she broke down in tears after the supervisor allegedly shouted, "You have to take it off now," in front of more than 100 other students in the lunchroom. Despite the shouted demands of the school official, the girl refused to remove her scarf. CAIR-SFBA contacted the school principal who confirmed that the incident occurred as described. He offered to arrange a face-to-face apology with the supervisor and student but did not agree to a public apology. (CAIR Bulletin)
Minnesota school harassment complaints resolved
June 21: The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) today announced the resolution of a case of alleged anti-Muslim harassment at a middle school in that state. In May of this year, CAIR-MN called for investigation of a series of reported anti-Muslim incidents at Westwood Middle School in Blaine, Minn. The Islamic civil rights group said it had received complaints about Islamophobic remarks and actions by students and staff at the school. The reported incidents included a Muslim student who wears an Islamic head scarf being called a "terrorist" and told "go back to your country" and two Muslim students who alleged that they were verbally taunted about their religion and had food thrown at them. After completion of an investigation, the school says it will take steps that include improving internal communications so that every alleged bias incident will be reported to the principal for appropriate action, adding information about major world religions to the geography curriculum, and creating a "school climate task force" composed of staff and students to help assess changes that may be needed to make the school a better place for all students and staff. The district is also in the process of hiring a "diversity coordinator." (CAIR Bulletin)
North Carolina official will not appeal Quran ruling affecting courtroom oaths
June 22: North Carolina officials said today they will not challenge a judge's ruling that allows the Quran or any other religious text to be used to swear in witnesses or jurors in the state's courtrooms. The ruling by Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway last month came after judges in another North Carolina county declined to accept donated copies of the Quran, saying that swearing an oath on anything other than the Bible violated state law. The American Civil Liberties Union sued, claiming that allowing oaths only on the Bible was unconstitutional because it favored Christianity over other religions. (International Herald Tribune)
Dr. Sami Al-Arian’s contempt citation prolonged
June 22: A federal judge has extended the contempt citation against Dr. Sami al-Arian, a former Florida professor who has refused to testify in the investigation into whether Islamic charities in Northern Virginia were financing terrorist organizations. Sami al-Arian will remain jailed until at least October under June 22 ruling by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee in Alexandria, Arian's wife and sources familiar with the decision said. Nahla al-Arian said Lee issued the decision at a closed hearing and indicated that he thought Arian -- who has served six months on the contempt charge -- still could be persuaded to testify to be reunited with his five children. Nahla al-Arian said her husband, who was acquitted in one of the nation's highest-profile terrorism cases and then pleaded guilty to a single charge, will never break his silence. "My husband is a man of principle, and he will never turn into an informant. We admire him and are proud of him," she said. "In our culture, as Palestinians, if a person becomes an informant for the government, this is very shameful." (Washington Post)
School apologizes for demanding Muslim girl remove headscarf
June 22: A Muslim teenager who was ordered by a school monitor to take off a headscarf she wore for religious reasons returned to classes after school officials apologized to the family. Issra Omer, 13, told her parents she was too embarrassed to show up for summer school classes at Seaside High School in Monterey County, the day after a monitor demanded she remove her hijab, the Muslim scarf covering the head and neck, to conform to the district's no-hat policy. The school's principal, Syd Renwick sent a letter of apology to the family and offered to apologize in person. But the family and a national Muslim civil liberties organization would like the school to issue a public apology. (Associate Press)
'Reel Bad Arabs' takes on Hollywood stereotyping
June 23: A full house has turned out at the Directors Guild of America for the L.A. premiere of the new documentary "Reel Bad Arabs," which makes the case that Hollywood is obsessed with "the three Bs" -- belly dancers, billionaire sheiks and bombers -- in a largely unchallenged vilification of Middle Easterners here and abroad."In every movie they make, every time an Arab utters the word Allah? Something blows up," says Eyad Zahra, a young filmmaker who organized the screening this week with the support of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. The documentary highlights the admittedly obsessive lifework of Jack Shaheen, a retired professor from Southern Illinois University, the son of Lebanese Christian immigrants and the author of "TV Arabs," "Reel Bad Arabs" and the upcoming "Guilty? Hollywood's Verdict on Arabs after 9/11." (Washington Post)
Arab American voters to decide on 2008 presidential candidates by stance on Iraq War
June 25: Dr. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, today presented the first-in-a-series of surveys on Arab American political opinion leading up to the 2008 presidential election. The nationwide AAI poll, conducted by Zogby International, randomly surveyed 501 Arab American registered voters by phone. "While Arab American voters trend very closely to other Americans on domestic issues such as the economy, health care and education, the community's personal connection to the Iraq war makes it the most important issue in determining their pick for president in 2008," said Zogby. "When coupled with results that indicate nearly half of Arab American voters' decisions will depend upon the individual candidates rather than party, and with numbers that point to an erosion of ‘certain Republicans,' it is clear that presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle must speak to issues and not party line in order to court Arab American voters," he said. (BBSNEWS)
Secret Evidence creeps back into Senate immigration debate
June 26: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has expressed concerned about new developments in the Senate's debate on immigration, including the possibility of inserting language supporting secret evidence in the bill. The US Senate today voted to resume debate on the bill and a series of amendments will be offered to S. 1639 beginning July 1. ADC was very concerned that several senators will offer language that will further erode individual due process rights. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was offering an amendment that would turn local and state law enforcement officials into immigration officers; further, it would give the Attorney General unchecked power to use secret evidence to deny lawful permanent residents the chance to become citizens. This issue is of vital importance to the Arab-American community, the ADC said. Last month, Senator Cornyn offered a similar amendment to the immigration debate which included the use of secret evidence. (ADC Press Release)
Chicago Council Task Force Report: Muslim American integration vital to national interest
June 26: Greater Muslim American civic and political engagement is urgently needed to prevent alienation in a community that is vital to U.S. security and relations with the Muslim World, says a report of an independent Task Force sponsored by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The Task Force report titled “Strengthening America: The Civic and Political Integration of Muslim Americans,” found that Muslim Americans are a well-educated, diverse group and concluded that their talents are needed to help address critical domestic and foreign policy challenges related to homeland security and U.S. relations with Muslim countries and peoples. There are opportunities for Muslim Americans to expand their contributions to national security and continue to take the lead in encouraging greater civic participation, leadership development, and institution building within their community. Non-Muslim groups and government leaders can work to better recognize Muslim American contributions to national security, improve collaborations with Muslim American institutions, and provide greater opportunities for young Muslim Americans. (MPAC Bulletin)
Racist group, SANE, linked to PBS 'moderate Muslims' documentary
June 28: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on the producers of a PBS-sponsored documentary on "moderate Muslims" to repudiate their alleged ties to a racist group that seeks to impose prison terms for "adherence to Islam" and that questions whether women and African-Americans should be allowed to vote. David Yerushalmi, the president and founder of the Society of Americans for National Existence (SANE), recently published an online article in which he claims to be the attorney for Frank Gaffney, Alex Alexiev and Martyn Burke, the producers of the controversial PBS documentary "Islam vs. Islamists: Voices from the Muslim Center." The taxpayer-supported documentary linked to the founder of SANE has been criticized as agenda-driven and biased. An article in the Arizona Republic newspaper quoted the executive producer for the PBS series that funded the documentary as saying the film had "serious structural problems (and). . .was irresponsible because the writing was alarmist, and it wasn't fair." (CAIR Bulletin)
GA Muslim barred from court over Islamic scarf
June 28: a Georgia Muslim woman seeking to contest a speeding ticket was barred from a courtroom in that state because she wears an Islamic headscarf, or hijab. The woman was prevented from entering the Valdosta, Ga., courtroom of Municipal Court Judge Vernita Lee Bender by uniformed officers who reportedly demanded that she remove her scarf. According to the woman, the officers barred her entry despite being told that she wears the scarf for religious reasons and after she offered to let a female officer perform a body search. One of the officers stated that the denial of entry to the courtroom was due to "homeland security" and that allowing her to enter would show "disrespect" to the judge. The officers reportedly summoned the clerk of court who told the Muslim woman that she could schedule a future court date. After being told that she would be unable to enter the court at any future date while wearing her scarf, the Muslim woman felt compelled to agree to a plea of nolo contendere and was fined $168. (CAIR Bulletin)
US border guards deport Canadian Muslims
June 28: Milgo Noor had an appointment at 3:30 p.m. this past Sunday (June 22, 2007) to look at bridesmaid dresses in a Buffalo bridal shop. She never arrived. When the young bride-to-be tried crossing the border with her three bridesmaids – two sisters and a cousin – the women were detained for more than eight hours and two of them were escorted back into Canada in handcuffs. Shortly after Noor, 26, showed her citizenship to a U.S. border guard at the Peace Bridge, more than a dozen customs officers "charged" at her vehicle, starting an ordeal that she said stripped her of her dignity. All four women are Canadian citizens. The family arrived in Alberta from Somalia 17 years ago and Noor has lived in Toronto for the past five years. The women have all crossed the border before without incident. U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Kevin Corsaro confirmed that Noor was stopped and turned back at the border. But he said he couldn't discuss details of specific cases. Mohamed Elmasry, national president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, said the incident does not surprise him. He says his organization receives about five complaints per week from Canadian Muslims who feel they have been treated unfairly at a U.S. entry point. (The Star)
Sharing faiths: Program brings sacred Jewish texts to mosques
June 29: A national pilot program to link Jews and Muslims with sacred books kicked off in Detroit on Thursday with the delivery of 17 Jewish books to one of the city's leading mosques. "I hope this idea extends from Detroit across the U.S. and even throughout the world," Dawud Walid, Michigan director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said as a Jewish delegation from Oakland County delivered the first collection of Jewish books to a local mosque. The books included translations and commentaries on the Torah, which Christians regard as the first five books of their Bible. Many of the early figures in the Jewish Bible, including Abraham, are considered sacred figures in Islam. The idea of combating bigotry by sharing sacred texts isn't new. In 2002, Walid's Washington, D.C.-based group kicked off a three-year campaign to place Muslim books in nearly 8,000 public libraries across the country. The effort is designed to bring Jewish books directly into Muslim centers across Michigan and eventually other parts of the United States. (Detroit Free Press)
Judge orders man to leave Irvine mosque alone
June 29: At the beginning, worshipers at the Islamic Center of Irvine said, they thought Craig Monteilh was just an overzealous convert when he criticized U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. But when he started talking about jihad and dropped oblique references to violence, congregants contacted authorities. Today, an Orange County judge issued a restraining order barring Monteilh from going near the mosque and its employees. Members of the mosque testified in court that the FBI opened an investigation earlier this month. Former Islamic Center president Asim Khan testified that several worshipers felt threatened by Monteilh and that he talked about getting involved "in a 9/11-type operation." Some stopped attending mosque because of him, Khan said. (Los Angeles Times)
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