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Chronology of Islam in America (2010)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
November 2010
Oklahoma’s controversial ballot measures alarm Latinos and Muslims
Nov 2: Oklahoma's voters passed a pair of ballot measures today which have alarmed the Latino immigrant rights groups as well as seven million strong American Muslim community. One of them – ballot measure 751 - requires that all official state actions be conducted in English, with exceptions for Native American languages and in cases when federal law requires otherwise. This whole issue was proposed over the issue of illegal immigration and it simply played into the anti-illegal immigration sentiment. The other - ballot measure 755 which amends that state constitution - prohibits Okalhoma courts from considering Sharia law when deciding cases. In the current anti-Islam and anti-Muslim environment prevailing in the nation over the Park51 project, known at Ground Zero Mosque in New York, nearly 70 percent of voters in the state cast ballots approving the measure. Tellingly, many legal experts say that there is no need for this law because judges exclusively use state and federal law to guide their decisions. The main sponsor of the measure, Representative Rex Duncan has said he knew of no precedent in the state's history in which a judge applied Sharia law. But he backed the measure as a "pre-emptive strike." (AMP Report)
“What is Al Qaeda? The truth is there is no Al Qaeda,”
Nov 3: As Yemen intensifies its military campaign against Al Qaeda’s regional arm, it faces a serious obstacle: most Yemenis consider the group a myth, or a ploy by their president to squeeze the West for aid money and punish his domestic opponents. “What is Al Qaeda? The truth is there is no Al Qaeda,” said Lutfi Muhammad, a weary-looking unemployed 50-year-old walking through this city’s tumultuous Tahrir Square. Instead, he said, the violence is “because of the regime and the lack of stability and the internal struggles.” That view, echoed across Yemen, is only partly a conspiracy theory. The Yemeni government has used jihadists as proxy soldiers in the past, and sometimes conflates the Qaeda threat and the unrelated political insurgencies it has fought in northern and southern Yemen in recent years. In a country where political and tribal violence is endemic, it is often impossible to tell who is killing whom, and why.
One thing is clear: Yemen’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has stepped up his commitment to fighting Al Qaeda in the past year, with far more military raids and airstrikes, including some carried out by the American military. His government has paid a price. On Saturday, a day after the discovery of the air freight bomb plot, Mr. Saleh said during a news conference that Al Qaeda had killed 70 police officers and soldiers in the past four weeks. That is a sharp increase over previous years, and some analysts have taken it as proof that Al Qaeda’s Yemen-based branch is growing. But many Yemenis seem doubtful that Al Qaeda was guilty in all or even most of those killings, which took place in the same southern parts of the country where a secessionist movement has been growing for the past three years.
“We cannot differentiate between what is propaganda and what is real,” said Abdullah al-Faqih, a professor of political science at Sana University. “It’s impossible to tell who is killing who; you have tribal feuds, Al Qaeda and the Southern Movement, and the state is doing a lot of manipulation.” In a sense, there are two narratives about Al Qaeda in Yemen. One of them, presented by both the Yemeni government and Al Qaeda’s Internet postings — and echoed in the West — portrays a black-and-white struggle between the groups. The other narrative is the view from the ground in Yemen: a confusing welter of attacks by armed groups with shifting loyalties, some fighting under political or religious banners, some merely looking for money. (New York Times)
Roadside historical marker in North Carolina pays tribute to Omar Ibn Said
Nov 5: the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources today unveiled a roadside historical marker honoring a scholarly and religious slave who gained fame. The marker has been placed on Murchison Road, Fayetteville, in front of a mosque that bears his name. Omar Ibn Said, who was about 93 when he died in 1863, spent much of his life as a slave on a Bladen County plantation where he was allowed to pursue intellectual interests. He wrote a brief Arabic manuscript that stands as the only autobiography in a native language by a slave in the U.S. A state researcher who studied his life said in her essay that Said "was likely the most educated slave in North Carolina and one of the best documented practicing Muslim slaves in America."
Until now, Said's significance to the Cape Fear region and beyond was not widely known, except in the Islamic and black communities. He described himself as having been a scholar, a teacher and a merchant in Africa. Some say he was an African prince. Three days activities were held in conjunction with the dedication. An original manuscript of his 1831 autobiography was on display at the Museum of the Cape Fear, and the one-man play "The Life and Times of Omar Ibn Sayyid" was staged at Seventy-First High School. For many, this was a first encounter with Said's fascinating story. Resident Imam Abdul Haneef of Masjid Omar Ibn Sayyid said the historical marker shows that the inherent good in a human being never dies. "It is a historical honor in the highest context to (recognize) a Muslim, a scholar, one who was from Africa who integrates all the connections for us as a people and as human beings," said Haneef. "He was first and foremost a human being. African by heritage and lineage, but also a scholar in the way of the Islamic faith. He became a slave and, in this hostile environment, became recognized by his faith. (AMP Report)
Pro-Israel money in midterm elections
Nov 7: At a time when Israel faces near universal condemnation for the May 30th killings of eight Turkish citizens and one Turkish American aboard the Gaza bound Mavi Marmara, and worldwide rebuke for its continued blockade of Gaza and ongoing expansion into Jerusalem and the West Bank, American midterm candidates still pandered for pro-Israel money and votes during this 2010 midterm election. Cognizant of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) financial support for American politicians who legislate on Israel's behalf, allegiance to Israel played a roll in several of this year's races. Some candidates employed the "you don't support Israel enough" tack against opponents.
Republican Pat Toomey, victorious in the Pennsylvania Senate race, used this tactic against his Democratic challenger, Congressman Joe Sestak.
In the three-way California Republican Senate primary between Tom Campbell, Chuck DeVore and Carly Fiorina, Campbell was challenged by several camps, including the Weekly Standard, on his Israel allegiance. Fiorina went on to win that primary, but lost in the general to incumbent Democrat, Senator Barbara Boxer.
In California's 36th Congressional District, a hotly fought Israel-centric primary was waged between pro-Israel incumbent and blue dog Democrat, Jane Harman, and Marcy Winograd, her progressive Democrat opponent who's been a vocal critic of Israel's human rights abuses. Harman and Winograd are both Jewish.
In Illinois, a Republican versus Democrat smack-down for the Senate seat previously held by President Obama, was particularly raucous. Republican Congressman Mark Kirk of the 10th District of Illinois, who'd been deemed "Israel's best friend in Congress" by the Jew, Jews, Jewish blog, loudly touted his pro-Israel credentials. In fact, the five-term Congressman, himself not Jewish, went so far as to have Kirk For Congress scrawled in Hebrew on his Senate campaign site, along with his many accomplishments on behalf of Israel. Considering that Jews in Illinois speak English and don't live in Hebrew speaking enclaves, the use of Hebrew on candidate Kirk's website is perhaps a bit extreme.
Perhaps the most bizarre Israel-centric race of the 2010 midterm season took place between stalwart Israel supporter, seven-term Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-27) - who was re-elected on Nov 2 - and his native-American opponent Mark Reed, a descendant of the indigenous Mohawk and Apache tribes. As Reed states on his website:Countless anti-Israeli actions have occurred during the Obama Administration, such as:
- Support for multinational resolutions to strip Israel of nuclear weapons
- Refusal to approve any major Israeli requests for U.S. weapons platforms or advanced systems.
- For the first time in recent US history, the US government actually sold weapon technology to Muslim nations before selling the technology to Israel.
- Obama's refusal to dine with Israeli PM Netanyahu or allow any photos to be taken at the White House during their first meeting in Washington
- Obama hasn't done enough to prevent Iran from getting its own nuclear weapon.
- Condemnation of the building of settlements in the the Jewish suburb of North Jerusalem called Ramat Shlomo
- Bowing to Muslim Leaders, sacrificing Israel relations.
These policies and others approach outright anti-semitism, earning Obama the lowest approval ratings among Democrat presidents with Jews. Brad Sherman has not publicly condemned the Obama Administration for these actions.
Isn't an American legislator, or a candidate for a seat in the United States Congress, expected to swear his or her allegiance first and foremost to the Constitution of the United States and all it represents - and not to a foreign land and a foreign leader? In the end, despite Reed's pronouncements of his allegiance to Israel, Brad Sherman, AIPAC's long and trusted ally, quashed him, winning by a margin of two to one. The statements on Reed's page are so virulently anti-American leadership, and so fanatically pro-Israeli leadership, that they should call into question Reed's primary loyalty to the United States. (OpEdNews)
Exploiting Islamophobia to Win Big
Dec 8: Why did Renee Ellmers, a Republican candidate for Congress from North Carolina, produce a campaign ad skewering her opponent for not vociferously opposing the Park 51 Islamic center planned for Manhattan near Ground Zero, over 500 miles away? Because it was good campaign strategy, that’s why. She presumed that the Newt Gingrich-hyper-generated history of the Muslims conquering the city of Cordoba 13 centuries ago, complete with illustrations and the juxtaposition of Ground Zero, would pay off, particularly among the disgruntled southern conservatives in her district, which covers the central and eastern parts of the state. And she was right – this blatant exploitation of their fears certainly didn’t hurt and might very well have helped her beat seven-term incumbent Democrat Rep. Bob Etheridge in one of the many GOP upsets of the midterm elections. In fact, anti-Muslim rage in today’s national discourse is populism’s low-hanging fruit, and many Republicans hungrily grabbed at it with both fists and were duly rewarded this campaign season. Sure, not every one of the Sarah Palin/Tea Party-endorsed candidates won on Nov. 2, but those who did, won in part because of their willingness to indulge in the Islamophobia coursing through the Republican base today, not despite it. The same Republican base that helped the party torpedo the Democrats last Tuesday, taking back the House, six senate seats, six governorships, and 680 slots in state legislatures (the most in the modern era, according to the National Journal). (Antiwar.com)
Company apologizes to Virginia Muslim denied service over hijab
Dec 11: A Richmond-based convenience-store chain says it has changed its practice of asking customers to remove hoodies and headgear after a Muslim woman complained of being denied service because of her headscarf. Tralesha Faison, 33, a Frederickburg hairstylist, said she went to a Fredericksburg Fas Mart on Tuesday morning to buy personal hygiene items. "When I walked into the store, the cashier, she asked me to remove my kimar, my scarf," she said. "I told her I wear this for the sake of God," she said. "She told me I had to take it off for her safety and security purposes." Faison said she pulled her scarf back slightly but refused to remove it and was barred from making her purchase. "I was humiliated, discriminated against, and I was embarrassed," she said. In a statement, Fas Mart, which operates 213 stores across seven states, called the incident "regrettable" and said it had suspended the clerk pending an investigation. Faison returned to the store and received an in-person apology from its manager. But, she said, "Not only does the manager of the store have to apologize, but the whole full company does." The company said it considered its statement "as its formal written apology" and added that it would seek advice from the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations on dealing with Muslims. (Washington Post)
Hearing over Tennessee mosque turns into 'circus' of attacks on Islam
Nov 11: Islam is suddenly on trial in a booming Nashville suburb, where opponents of a new mosque have spent six days in court trying to link it to what they claim is a conspiracy to take over America by imposing restrictive religious rule. The hearing is supposed to be about whether Rutherford County officials violated Tennessee's open meetings law when they approved the mosque's site plan. Instead, plaintiff's attorney Joe Brandon Jr. has used it as a forum to question whether the world's second-biggest faith even qualifies as a religion, and to push a theory that American Muslims want to replace the Constitution with extremist Islamic law. "Do you want to know about a direct connection between the Islamic Center and Shariah law, a.k.a. terrorism?" Brandon asked one witness in a typical line of questioning. Brandon has repeatedly conflated a moderate version of Shariah with its most extreme manifestations, suggesting that all Muslims must adhere to those interpretations. At one point, he asked whether Rutherford County Commissioner Gary Farley supported hanging a whip in his house as a warning to his wife and then beating her with it, something Brandon claimed was part of "Shariah religion." County attorney Jim Cope objected to the question, saying, "This is a circus." (Los Angeles Times)
Kansas lawmaker equates Muslims, killers
Nov 12: The Kansas Democratic Party has requested that a Kansas House Republican retract his statements suggesting that Muslims can't be considered good Americans. Rep. Joe Seiwert, a Pretty Prairie Republican re-elected this month to another two-year term, sent an e-mail recently to about 40 people indicating Muslims couldn't be considered U.S. patriots because they owed their allegiance to Islam. It says good Muslims can't be good Americans because they can't truly accept the U.S. Constitution and "democracy and Islam can't coexist." He also said during an interview with The Hutchinson News that he stood by his belief regarding the loyalty of Muslims. When asked about the Muslims living in Reno County, Seiwert said: "Sure, there's murderers. There's tax evasion people. There's all kinds of people" living in his district….Seiwert, 59, was elected to the House in 2008. He serves the 101st District and is a member of the House Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee. He also is on House committees devoted to energy policy and economic development. The e-mail, apparently part of an essay written by someone else but passed along by Seiwert, said Muslims "cannot be both 'good' Muslims and good Americans. Call it what you wish, it's still the truth. You had better believe it. The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future." (Topeka Capitol-Journal)
Woman wins $25,000 settlement in NJ headscarf case
Nov 12: A woman will get a $25,000 award and the New Jersey county that fired her in a dispute over her Muslim headscarf will change its policies under a settlement agreement reached with the Department of Justice. Essex County refused to allow corrections officer Yvette Beshier to wear a khimar, a form of religiously mandated headscarf, on duty, the Justice Department said in a statement today. She was first suspended and then dismissed over the issue. The Justice Department said the actions constituted employment discrimination on the basis of religion, violating federal law. (Reuters)
Panel probes bigotry against Muslims
Nov 15: Islamophobia is not just a fear. It's a prejudice. Miriam Amer shared this definition with a crowd in the Main Library's Shambaugh Auditorium on tonight. Amer, the executive director of the Iowa Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, grew up in New Hampshire when the word "Islamophobia" — used to describe the fear of Islam — did not exist. "It's become a common term," Amer said. "A very bad term, but a common term." The University of Iowa Center for Human Rights, the UI Muslim Student Association, and UI International Programs sponsored a panel including a UI law professor, an Iowa imam, and others to discuss cooperation among faiths and how to surmount stereotypes of Muslims. Kelsey Kramer, a staffer at the UI Center for Human Rights, said the center first wanted to hold some sort of discussion on the issue during the weeks leading up to Sept. 11, 2010 — during which Florida Rev. Terry Jones threatened to burn the Koran and controversy raged over proposed plans to build an Islamic community center near Ground Zero in New York. "We try to keep a pulse on what human-rights issues are in America and abroad, and this appears to be one that has become a little bit more relevant over the past few months," Kramer said. Amer said she did not deny there are Islamic extremists, but she noted that extremists exist in several faiths. "We are one-fifth of the world's population," Amer said. "You can't make one-fifth of the world's population responsible for the actions of a handful." UI senior Bushra Tayh said she had not personally experienced any prejudice directed against Muslim-Americans. In recent months, she said, she felt issues such as the Florida pastor's threat to burn the Koran, were given too much attention in the media and drove nationwide fear. "The hatred, the fear, I feel like it's 90 percent media," Tayh said. (The Daily Iowan)
Rep Honda introduces legislation recognizing Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha
Nov 16: Rep Honda, Chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, introduced legislation recognizing the cultural and religious significance of Eid al-Adha. "I wish all Muslim Americans and Muslims around the world a prosperous holiday and stand with them in recognizing the importance of sacrifice, freedom, and justice. Muslim Americans contribute substantially to the success and pluralism of the United States, making significant strides in all areas of national discourse, development and diplomacy. As award-winning scientists, doctors, engineers, athletes, artists, ambassadors, and an estimated 10,000 Armed Service men and women, Muslim Americans continue to serve the greater good of our county." Observed for more than fourteen centuries, Eid al-Adha is a holiday of great importance to millions of Muslim Americans and approximately 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of the Sacrifice, honors Abraham's symbolic sacrifice of his son to God, as referenced in the Quran, Old Testament and New Testament and is commemorated around the world by prayers, charity events and festivals.
"I am honored to join with Members from across the country to recognize the holidays of all of the great religions, and to promote interfaith dialogue within the Congress," Congressman Ellison stated. "I am proud to co-sponsor this resolution in honor of the Muslim celebration of Eid-Al Adha, a major holiday which emphasizes the importance of humility, kindness, and service," Ellison concluded. "Eid al-Adha is a special occasion to recognize our continued commitment to God," said Congressman André Carson. "My prayers and blessings are with all the hajjis that have made the pilgrimage to Mecca this year. Eid Mubarak and may God bless you during this important time."
Specifically, Rep Honda's resolution does the following: (1) recognizes the cultural and religious significance of Eid al-Adha, (2) expresses its appreciation and respect for the contributions of Muslim Americans to our country, and (3) wishes Muslim Americans and Muslims around the world observing Eid al-Adha a prosperous holiday. (PoliticalNews.me)
Mystery of who funded right-wing "radical Islam" campaign deepens
Nov 16: In the heat of the 2008 presidential election, an obscure nonprofit group called the Clarion Fund made national news by distributing millions of DVDs about radical Islam in newspaper inserts in swing states. The DVDs, 28 million in all, were a boost to Republican candidates who were trying to paint Democrats as weak on terrorism -- and they arguably helped fuel the anti-Muslim sentiment that boiled over in the "ground zero mosque" fight last summer. The film, "Obsession: Radical Islam's War With the West," was widely criticized for its cartoonish portrayal of Muslims as modern-day Nazis. But who put up the money to send out all those millions of DVDs? Clarion, which has strong links to the right-wing Israeli group Aish HaTorah and is listed in government records as a foreign nonprofit, would never say. Indeed, the group does not have to release detailed donor information because of its nonprofit tax status. We knew only that there was serious money behind the effort: Clarion spent nearly $19 million in 2008, the year it sent out the DVDs. Now, just as Clarion is gearing up to release a new film hyping the threat of Iran, the money mystery has deepened: According to a document submitted to the IRS by Clarion and obtained by Salon, a donor listed as Barry Seid gave Clarion nearly $17 million in 2008, which would have paid for virtually the entire "Obsession" DVD campaign. (Salon)
Mosque 'arson' after US bomb sting
Dec 28: A suspected arson attack has destroyed part of a mosque attended by a US-Somali man accused of plotting a car bomb attack on a Christmas ceremony in the US state of Oregon, investigators have said. One room in the Corvallis Mosque (Oregon) was gutted in the blaze today while neighboring rooms suffered smoke damage, according to the town's fire department. The fire occurred less than two days after Mohamed Osman Mohamud, who had attended prayers in the mosque, was arrested while attempting to detonate what he thought was a car bomb at a crowded Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland. In what turned out to be a sting operation by the FBI, Mohamud tried to remotely detonate a fake device supplied by undercover agents who had contacted Mohamud months before and pretended to be accomplices in the plot. The 19-year-old took classes at Oregon State University in Corvallis, about 130km south of Portland, and the imam at Salman Alfarisi Islamic Centre, where the mosque was related, had previously told local television that Mohamud "occasionally" attended prayers there. The Federal Bureau of Investigation offered up to $10,000 for information leading to a conviction in the arson case, saying it would not tolerate attacks on the Muslim community. (Al Jazeera)
Judge bars certification of Oklahoma anti-Islam constitutional amendment
Nov 29: In a strongly-worded ruling a federal judge in Oklahoma today granted an injunction that bars certification of an anti-Islam state ballot measure (SQ 755) passed in the November 2 election. Oklahomans on Nov. 2 approved the amendment — in State Question 755 — with more than 70 percent of the vote. The amendment forbids state courts from using or considering international law or Islamic Sharia law in making decisions. Muneer Awad, 27, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oklahoma, quickly challenged the amendment, saying it demonizes his faith. The judge on Nov. 8 agreed to a temporary restraining order barring the state Election Board from certifying the SQ 755 results. Her order today means the Election Board is barred indefinitely from certifying the results. If it had been certified, SQ 755 would have amended that state's constitution to forbid judges from considering Islamic principles or international law when deciding a case. (AMP Report)
FBI urged to probe attack on Sikh mistaken for Muslim
Cabbie called 'Osama Bin Laden,' believes turban prompted bias assault
Nov 29, 2010 -- The Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) today called on the FBI to investigate a possible bias motive for an attack on a Sikh taxi driver who was attacked after apparently being mistaken for a Muslim. CAIR-SV reported that the driver was severely injured after being attacked early Sunday by two men he picked up in his taxi. He reportedly told his attackers, "I'm not Muslim." One of the attackers allegedly shouted expletives and called the driver "Osama Bin Laden," in apparent reference to the turban worn by Sikh men. "No American should fear attack merely for being perceived to be Muslim," said CAIR-SV Civil Rights Coordinator Adel Syed. "The FBI and local law enforcement authorities should investigate whether this disturbing crime was motivated by anti-Muslim hate and then bring appropriate charges when and if the perpetrators are apprehended." (CAIR)
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