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Chronology of Islam in America (2009)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
May 2009
Obama approval high among Muslims, Jews, and Catholics
May 1: Gallup Poll Daily tracking during President Obama's first 100 days in office finds broad support for him among Americans affiliated with most major U.S. religions. U.S. Muslims and Jews give Obama his highest job approval ratings, at 85% and 79%, respectively. He also receives solid majority support from Roman Catholics (67%) and Protestants (58%), and more approval than disapproval from Mormons. Obama also enjoys broad support -- 73% approval -- from the sizable group of Americans with no religious affiliation, including those calling themselves atheists or agnostics. (Gallup)
Evangelical Proselytization Still Rampant in U.S. Military
May 1: The May issue of Harper’s Magazine (www.harpers.org) reveals the continued practice of Christian evangelical proselytization in the American military and a lack of recourse within the Obama administration, according to a leading civil rights watchdog group prominently featured in the magazine’s cover story. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF: www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org) and its founder and president Mikey Weinstein were profiled by Jeff Sharlet in his piece for Harper’s Magazine, “Jesus Killed Mohammed: The Crusade for a Christian Military.” Mr. Weinstein is the nation's leading advocate for the protection of individual soldiers’ constitutional rights to religious freedom and a frequent critic of the U.S. military hierarchy’s blind eye to efforts to evolve the nation’s military into a modern day band of Christian crusaders. “Every man and woman who joins our military swears an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and it is unforgiveable that many continue to dictate how, when and to whom a soldier can pray while in uniform,” said Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). “The Harper’s Magazine report by Jeff Sharlet exposes shocking new instances of bigotry and evangelical proselytization within our nation’s military that emboldens our enemies, endangers our soldiers on the battlefield and threatens the core of our country. Equally disturbing is Mr. Sharlet’s revelation that despite President Obama’s well-publicized efforts to show the Muslim world that this is not a war against Islam, numerous offending officers and military professionals responsible for these actions continue to serve in high-ranking and influential positions, and many of them stand to be promoted.” (Military Religious Freedom Foundation)
Hawaii Lawmakers Vote to Celebrate 'Islam Day'
May 6: Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill today to celebrate "Islam Day" -- over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001. The resolution to proclaim Sept. 24, 2009, as Islam Day passed the Senate on a 22-3 vote. It had previously passed the House and now goes to Republican Gov. Linda Lingle. The bill seeks to recognize "the rich religious, scientific, cultural and artistic contributions" that Islam and the Islamic world have made. It does not call for any spending or organized celebration of Islam Day. "We are a state of tolerance. We understand that people have different beliefs," said Sen. Will Espero, a Democrat. "We may not all agree on every single item and issue out there, but to say and highlight the negativity of the Islamic people is an insult to the majority" of believers "who are good law-abiding citizens of the world." The resolution said that the Islamic faith shares common teachings found in the texts of both Christianity and Judaism, whose followers are respected and considered "People of the Book"; and Islam strives for a world-wide community which, in the words of one Islamic poet philosopher, "does not recognize the superficial differences of race, or history, or nationality.” (Media Reports)
California Muslim appointed to DHS post
May 6: The Greater Los Angles Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today congratulated Arif Alikhan on his recent appointment as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Prior to joining DHS, Alikhan was a career prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice and later served as Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety for the City of Los Angeles. “Arif Alikhan has been instrumental in advancing my administration's central priorities of preparing Los Angeles to respond to natural disasters and against the threat of terrorism, increasing public safety, and putting 1,000 new LAPD officers on our streets,” said City of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a statement. In the past few weeks, American Muslim leaders have been urging the Obama administration to be inclusive and to reflect the diversity of our nation as he selects the most qualified public servants to fill important positions. (CAIR)
CAIR co-founder, Omar Ahmad retires from board after 15 years of service
May 7: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced today that board member and co-founder Omar Ahmad is retiring from CAIR’s board of directors after 15 years of service to the American Muslim community. “We thank Omar Ahmad for his many years of dedicated service to the cause of social justice,” said CAIR Board Chairman Larry Shaw. “He can be confident that CAIR will continue in its mission of defending civil liberties and promoting mutual understanding.” Omar Ahmad stepped down as CAIR board chairman in 2005, but had remained on the board. (CAIR)
Call for probe into military chaplains efforts to convert Afghans to Christianity
May 8: The Muslim Public Affairs Council today called on Defense Secretary Robert Gates to open an investigation of U.S. military chaplains encouraging soldiers to convert civilians in Afghanistan to Christianity, as well as oversight to ensure military guidelines are followed by U.S. service members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. A recent video posted on Al-Jazeera English shows U.S. soldiers being encouraged to convert predominantly Muslim population to Christianity. In one recorded sermon, Lieutenant-Colonel Gary Hensley, the chief of the U.S. military chaplains in Afghanistan, is seen telling soldiers that as followers of Jesus Christ, they all have a responsibility "to be witnesses for him." He continues, "The special forces guys -- they hunt men basically. We do the same things as Christians, we hunt people for Jesus. We do, we hunt them down. " According to Al-Jazeera, the videos were shot last year by Brian Hughes, a documentary maker and former member of the U.S. military who spent several days in Bagram. The videos also show copies of the Bible in Afghanistan's local languages (Darsi and Pashto) intended for distribution to local Afghans. (MPAC)
CA Police apologize for officer's comment to boy, group says
May 15: The Newark (CA) Police Department recently apologized to the mother of a 15-year-old boy who in January reportedly was the subject of an officer's "racial" comment, an official from the Bay Area chapter of an American-Islamic organization said. In addition, several police officers who witnessed the incident have been disciplined in connection with the matter, the official said. According to the CAIR chapter, the boy, who is of Moroccan descent, was detained and questioned in connection with the investigation of a stolen vehicle. During the detention, an officer reportedly told the youth, "You came here to make trouble, I'm sending you back to your country." Other officers in the room laughed, asserts the organization, which described the remark as "a racial comment." (The Argus)
Senator Specter cancels speech at anti-Islam event
May 18: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced today that Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) has canceled a scheduled appearance at an “anti-Islam” conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by a right-wing think tank headed by Daniel Pipes, who is regarded by many Muslims as one of the nation’s leading Islamophobes. The false premise of the conference, called “Libel Lawfare: Silencing Criticism of Radical Islam,” is that American Muslims are involved in a concerted effort to suppress free speech by misusing the American legal system. Conference host and speaker Daniel Pipes has stated that the views of far-right French racist Jean-Marie Le Pen “represent an important outlook in the national debate over immigration and Islam” and that he supports racial and religious profiling of Muslims and Arabs. In December 2004, Pipes wrote on his website that he supports the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Frank Gaffney, one of the event’s other speakers, is linked to an anti-Islam group that has advocated prison terms in the U.S. for “adherence to Islam” and that questioned whether women and African-Americans should be allowed to vote. Other conference participants include Joe Kaufman, a Florida anti-Muslim extremist with a long history of seeking to marginalize and disenfranchise the American Muslim community and its institutions. In 2006, Kaufman joined forces with an anti-Islam preacher in Florida to block the expansion of a mosque in Boca Raton. “This mosque should not exist on American shores,” said Kaufman. Kaufman has in the past promoted the views of the terrorist organizations Kach and Kahane Chai and praised the Kahane terror group and its founder Mier Kahane on a forum of the radical Jewish Defense League in Florida. (CAIR)
Oldest mosque in Michigan celebrates 70 years
May 21: The 70th anniversary of the American Moslem Society (AMS) mosque in Dearborn has been celebrated. Muslim Immigrants put in the effort to establish AMS in 1937, and most bought houses around the area to ensure proximity to the new house of worship. AMS is the oldest mosque in the State of Michigan, and also considered one of the oldest mosques in North America. (Detroit Muslim Examiner)
FBI Tactics in NY Synagogue ‘Plot’ questioned
May 26: Civil liberty advocacy groups have questioned the FBI’s tactics leading up to the arrest of four New York men for allegedly plotting to attack Jewish institutions in that state. On May 20, four men were arrested in what the authorities said was a plot to bomb two synagogues in the Bronx and shoot down military planes at an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, N.Y. The arrests capped what officials described as a “painstaking investigation” that began in June 2008 involving an F.B.I. agent who had been told by a federal informant of the men’s desire to attack targets in America. As part of the plot, the men intended to fire Stinger missiles at military aircraft at the base, which is at Stewart International Airport, the New York Times quoted officials as saying. Later it was revealed that there is another narrative on what actually transpired between the FBI informant and the group of four people that were eventually charged with plans to carry out the attacks. On May 23, Robert Dreyfuss, wrote in the Nation "By now, it's maddeningly familiar. A scary terrorist plot is announced. Then it's revealed that the suspects are a hapless bunch of ne'er-do-wells or run-of-the-mill thugs without the slightest connection to any terrorists at all, never mind to Al Qaeda. Finally, the last piece of the puzzle: the entire plot is revealed to have been cooked up by a scummy government agent-provocateur."
In a statement the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) said this entire scheme seems to be the product of sending yet another FBI agent provocateur into an American mosque to instigate a ‘plot’ that would likely never have been hatched but for the rhetorical and financial inducements of the government informant. “These arrests seem to be based on a government formula for announcing law enforcement ‘victories’ that we have seen all too often in the past - take a paid informant, insert him into a mosque or community without probable cause of criminal behavior, locate marginal characters open to financial or rhetorical inducements, facilitate criminal actions suggested by the provocateur, and then announce ‘terror’ arrests with great fanfare.” The Muslim Public Affairs Council's Senior Advisor, Dr. Maher Hathout sent a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller asking for a thorough explanation addressing what is perceived as a trend of using agent provocateurs and entrapment.
To quote Dreyfuss again: “It is disgusting and outrageous that the FBI is sending provocateurs into mosques. The headlines reinforce the very fear that Dick Cheney is trying to stir up. The story strengthens the narrative that the "homeland" is under attack. It's not. As I've written repeatedly, since 9/11 not a single American has even been punched in the nose by an angry Muslim, as far as I can tell. Plot after plot -- the destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge! bombing the New York Subways! taking down the Sears Tower! bombing the Prudential building in Newark! -- proved to be utter nonsense.” (AMP Report)
Islamic charity leaders given 65-year jail terms
May 27: In Dallas, Texas, five founders of the Holy Land Foundation today received prison terms of up to sixty-five years on charges of supporting the Palestinian group Hamas. The five were never accused of supporting violence and were convicted for funding charities that aided needy Palestinians. The government’s case relied on Israeli intelligence as well as disputed documents and electronic surveillance gathered by the FBI over a span of fifteen years. The sentencing followed a 2007 mistrial and a retrial that ended last year in the conviction of the defendants. Last fall, all five men were convicted on 108 charges that they funneled more than $12 million to the Palestinian group Hamas after the Clinton administration in 1995 declared it a terrorist group. Prosecutors spent more time in the second trial explaining the complexities of the case and painting a clearer picture of the money trail. Following the mistrial, prosecutors streamlined their case and eliminated almost 100 charges against the remaining defendants. Defendants Ghassan Elashi, the charity’s chairman and Shukri Abu Baker, its president each received sixty-five-year prison sentences. Another defendant, Mohammad El-Mezain, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. He was found guilty of supporting Hamas but acquitted on thirty-one other charges. Volunteer fundraiser Mufid Abdulqader was sentenced to twenty years in prison.
According to Nancy Hollander, a defense attorney who represented Shukri Abu Baker, there was never any allegation that any money went any where other than to charity. “The government’s position was that these particular charities were associated with or controlled by Hamas. And it’s important to understand that the United States government, through USAID, continued to give money to the same charities for years after Holy Land was closed. But that’s what the allegation was all the way along. Although the government spent a great deal of time in the trial talking about and showing the jury horrific pictures of violent acts that Hamas did, our clients were not accused of nor convicted of one single act of violence.”
The Holy Land case is the most significant terror-financing trial since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. President Bush personally announced the seizure of Holy Land's assets in December 2001, effectively shutting down the group. He made this announcement at a press conference in the Rose Garden four days after a request from then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Since then, many other Muslim charities based in the US were similarly designated, their assets frozen and their operations completely disrupted.
For the Muslim community in America the case highlights the unfair scrutiny that U.S. Muslims have been subjected to since 9/11. This has criminalized legitimate charitable activities central to their religious faith. Tellingly, President Barrack Obama, in his historic Cairo address to the Muslim world, acknowledged that the seven-million strong American Muslim community is facing problem in giving charity to the Muslim charitable organizations. “"Rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That's why I'm committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat," said Obama. OBM Watch said the Holy Land Foundation trial sends a chilling message to the US charities. (AMP Report)
Nashville hotel pulls plug on Islamophobe symposium
May 29: Judging from the reader comments, the folks at New English Review and their sympathizers were none too thrilled with our preview of their symposium "Understanding the Jihad in Israel, Europe and America," which was scheduled to be held at Nashville's Loews Vanderbilt Hotel this weekend. Epithets such as "multicultural fool," "f&cking hypocrite," "uneducated arrogant pompous fool," "jackshit suckass" and "Mr. Silverdouche" come to mind. Now it seems that Loews Vanderbilt has pulled the plug on the symposium, whose lineup includes a variety of speakers who all share the view that Islam is inherently evil and is the root of all our problems. Apparently it hasn't occurred to these folks that by making such absurd generalizations--in essence, suggesting that all Muslims are radical extremists or terrorists who want you dead--they're playing right into the extremists' hands, providing them with more fodder for recruitment, and alienating moderate Muslims with whom we should be seeking to improve relations. (Nashville Scene)
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