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Chronology of Islam in America (2006)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
September 2006
Academic under fire over 9/11 theory
Sept 1: A University of New Hampshire professor has come under fire from state politicians for teaching his unconventional view that a U.S. government conspiracy allowed the Sept 11, 2001, attacks to occur. William Woodward, a professor of psychology at the Durham, New Hampshire, university, belongs to Scholars for 9/11 Truth, a group which believes it took more than two planes to bring down the Twin Towers and that an explosive charge in the building’s basement played a role. But, he said, the theory comes up only once in his class, to encourage students to think critically. Some state lawmakers, who last year appropriated $61.7 million in funding for the university, said taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay to provide Woodward a platform. “This kind of nonsense is ridiculous,” said State Senate President Ted Gatsas, a Republican. “He has the ability of free speech, there’s no question, that’s what makes this country great. But ... speaking his free speech in a classroom with the taxpayers paying for it, I don’t think is appropriate.” (Reuters)
References to 'Islamic fascism' slammed
Sept. 1: Islamic Society of North America's newly elected president, Ingrid Mattson, said today she objects to President Bush's use of the term "Islamic fascism" when describing the enemy in the global war on terrorism. Mattson, like other ISNA leaders, expressed empathy for the challenges government officials face in trying to keep the country safe, but she said the "inaccurate and unhelpful" rhetoric by Bush and other Republican lawmakers hurts peaceful, law-abiding Muslims who face growing scrutiny even five years after 9/11. "This is a term that had very bad resonance in the Muslim majority world and makes us feel uncomfortable, so we're hoping there can be some adjustment to this language," Mattson said at a news conference kicking off ISNA's four-day annual convention in Chicago. (Chicago Sun-Times)
US Muslims plagued by discrimination after 9/11
Sept. 3: Discrimination and harassment by law enforcement have come to plague American Muslims in the years since the terrorist attacks of September 11. There have been suspicious looks, slurs, physical attacks, extra screening at airports and arrests on groundless charges.
And it seems to be getting worse. A recent Gallup poll showed that 39 percent of Americans admit to being prejudiced against Muslims and that nearly a quarter say they would not want a Muslim for a neighbor. "Most Americans don't know Muslims except for those they work with in an urban environment so all the information they get is through the media," said Dawud Walid, director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). After having shown some restraint in his rhetoric after 19 Muslim men affiliated with Al-Qaeda flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President George W. Bush has of late been using far more inflammatory language such as 'Islamofacists,' Walid said. "When the religious and political leaders use polarizing language these are the unfortunate side effects. It stretches from the likes of (Christian Coalition leader) Pat Robinson all the way up to President Bush." (Agence France-Presse)
Post-9/11, U.S. Muslims insist they're American too
Sept. 3: Ihsan Saadeddin is proud to be an American. But he's tired of having to prove it just because he's a Muslim too. The Palestinian grocery store owner in Phoenix has called the United States home for 25 years and feels as American as the next guy. But Saadeddin says the Sept. 11 attacks were a tragic watershed which turned U.S. Muslims from ordinary citizens into objects of suspicion and discrimination overnight. He believes it is why he was questioned at the airport for 45 minutes last month and asked repeatedly if he supports terrorism. "Being born in another country does not make me less American than the secretary of homeland security," Saadeddin said. News of domestic wiretapping, monitoring of mosques, immigration crackdowns, public support for racial profiling and bans on some Muslim scholars visiting the United States has made many Muslim Americans feel like targets of racism. (New York Times)
NY: Exam-free rule for religious holidays
Sept. 4: A Queens state senator and an array of clergy hailed a new law that prohibits the state Education Department from scheduling statewide exams during religious holidays. "The law is now on your side," declared state Sen. John Sabini (D- Queens). The law was spurred after statewide English exams for third-graders were scheduled during the Muslim holidays of Eid-al-Adha and Eid-al-Fitr during the last school year. (New York Daily News)
Arab-American men freed in cell phone case; Judge says there was no terror plot
Sept. 5: A federal judge has thrown out all charges against three Texas men who were arrested last month in Caro, Michigan, after buying hundreds of cell phones. Investigators initially suspected the men may have links to terrorism and were possibly targeting the Mackinac Bridge.State prosecutors slapped them with terrorism charges, but soon dropped them. Federal prosecutors then charged them with operating a counterfeit operation. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Binder dismissed the federal charges of conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods and carrying out an unlawful activity involving a financial transaction. (Detroit Free Press)
Teaching 9/11 – Texts paint all Muslims as terrorists
Sept. 7: The events of Sept. 11, 2001, leapt with remarkable speed from dynamic daily news reports to the static pages of history books. By the following fall, millions of students across the country were reading about the terrorist attacks in social studies texts put out by the nation's major publishers. With every school year that passes, increasing numbers of students and parents come across the lessons on 9/11. Now, as the fifth anniversary approaches, reactions are mounting to the textbooks' treatment of this high-profile act of terrorism. Some Muslims say the texts unfairly paint all people of their faith as terrorists. They say frequent references to "Arab terrorists," "Muslim terrorists," "Muslim extremists," or "Islamic fundamentalists" give schoolchildren a negative impression of their religion. "Because these terms are repeated so many times, it's very alarming," said Maren Shawesh, of the Sacramento chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations. "We don't want these younger students to grow up with that perception of Islam and Muslims." (Sacramento Bee)
Post-Sept. 11 terror prosecutions unsuccessful
Sept. 8: Despite a sharp increase in the prosecution of terrorism cases just after Sept. 11, 2001, only 14 of the defendants have been sentenced to 20 years or more in prison, according to a study based on Justice Department data. Of the 1,329 convicted defendants, only 625 received any prison sentence, said the study, released on Sept. 3 by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a data research group at Syracuse University. More than half of those convicted got no prison time or no more than they had already served awaiting their verdict. The analysis of data from Justice's Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys also found that in the eight months ending last May, Justice attorneys declined to prosecute more than nine out of every 10 terrorism cases sent to them by the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies. Nearly 4 in 10 of the rejected cases were scrapped because prosecutors found weak or insufficient evidence, no evidence of criminal intent or no evident federal crime. (Fox News)
Khatami blasts wave of 'Islamophobia'
Sept. 8, 2006 - Iran's former president decried a wave of "Islamophobia" that he said is being spread in the United States by fear and hatred of Islam in response to terror perpetrated by Muslims. Khatami condemned the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and said those who carried them out will never go to heaven. During the calamity of September 11, two crimes were committed: one was the killing of innocent people and the second was making this crime in the name of Islam," said the former president, who was on a speaking tour of the United States. "We, Muslims, should condemn this atrocity even more strongly," Khatami said. "Terrorism, which means killing civilians in whatever name or title, lacks morality, and nobody who lacks such principle will go to heaven," Khatami continued. "Those who kill others and commit acts of terror, if they identify themselves with Islam, they are lying." (Media reports)
New Yorkers to study about Israel
Sept. 8: The New York City Council's education committee approved a curriculum on Israel initiated by the public relations department of the Israeli Consulate in New York. The curriculum will be integrated into the training program for educators teaching in 1,400 public high schools in New York City. The teachers will be able to register to a 30-hour course dealing with the history of the State of Israel, its economy, the high-tech industry, Israeli art and Ethiopian Jews. The incentive offered to teachers who will take the course: Credit points for an academic degree. (Ynetnews)
Republican gubernatorial candidate meets Arab Americans
Sept. 11: In an effort to clear the air with the local Arab community, Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos initiated a last-minute meeting with Arab American Public Affairs Council (AAPAC) President Osama Siblani, according to DeVos' campaign officials. DeVos was on the political hot seat last week after bowing out of a scheduled dinner sponsored by AAPAC. Truscott said DeVos canceled because he had a family conflict, but also had concerns about pro-Hezbollah comments made by Siblani. Siblani, who publishes the Arab American News, said the meeting went well and that it's time to move on. "He explained that the campaign made mistakes," Siblani said. (Detroit News)
'Either the Judeo-Christian philosophy will survive or the Islamic philosophy will survive'
Sept. 11: The Council on American-Islamic Relations Sacramento called on Californians to repudiate remarks insulting to Muslims made by the Redding (California) Mayor Ken Murray who claimed Shia Muslims "believe it's acceptable to lie, cheat, steal and kill as long as it ultimately glorifies Allah." "Folks, they're not like us," Murray added. When asked about his offensive remarks, Murray drew a distinction between "mainstream" and Shia Muslims, who he called "wing nuts." "Either the Judeo-Christian philosophy will survive or the Islamic philosophy will survive," said Murray. Murray's comments came during an event co-sponsored by the Shasta County Sheriff's Department, the Shasta County Jail Chaplaincy and the Marshal's Office. (CAIR bulletin)
Two Pakistani Americans allowed to return to US
Sept. 13: Two relatives of a Lodi man who was convicted of supporting terrorists have been cleared to return home from a long trip to Pakistan, ending a five-month standoff in which the U.S. citizens were told they had to cooperate with the FBI to get off the government's no-fly list, a federal law enforcement official said. Lodi residents Muhammad Ismail, a 45-year-old naturalized citizen born in Pakistan, and his 18-year-old son, Jaber Ismail, who was born in the United States, were never charged with a crime. But they are the uncle and cousin of Hamid Hayat, 23, who was convicted in April of supporting terrorists by attending a Pakistani training camp. The Ismails were on the government-maintained list that bars some people from flying on airlines to or from the United States. Julia Harumi Mass, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney who filed a complaint with the Homeland Security Department on behalf of the Ismails, said the two received a letter from Homeland Security last week stating that their records had been "modified to address any delay or denial of boarding." (San Francisco Chronicle)
Muslim candidate advances to general election in Maryland
Sept. 13: In Maryland District 39, political newcomer Saqib Ali, a 30-year-old North Potomac resident, beat incumbent Del. Joan F. Stern by about 6 percent with 4,205 votes in the Democratic House primary. Ali was behind incumbent delegates Charles E. Barkley of Germantown and Nancy J. King of Montgomery Village (Maryland). The top three vote-getters will advance to the general election in the House of Delegates race to face off against Republicans David Nichols, Gary Scott and Bill Witham, all of Gaithersburg. (Gazette) [Saqib Ali was elected to the Maryland State House in November 7 elections.]
In Minneapolis race, fresh attack on Muslim candidate's past
Sept. 13: One day after a Muslim state representative, Keith Ellison, captured the Democratic nomination for Congress, his Republican opponent today unleashed a bitter attack on Ellison's past ties with Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, has a history of harshly criticizing Jews. Business professor Alan Fine, who's running an uphill race in Minnesota's bluest district, compared Ellison with former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, emphasizing the black Democrat's Muslim background with a series of pen names formerly used by Ellison. "I'm extremely concerned about Keith Ellison. Keith Hakim. Keith X Ellison. Keith Ellison Muhammad," Fine, who is Jewish, said at a Capitol news conference. "I'm personally offended that this person is a candidate for U.S. Congress. He is unfit to represent the voters of the 5th District." (Associated Press)
Michigan: Political activities denounced
Sept. 13: Republicans on campus and in Washington distanced themselves today from controversial political activities discussed by an intern for the College Republican National Committee. The intern, Morgan Wilkins, a sophomore at the University of Louisville, who is being paid to organize College Republicans throughout the state told The Michigan Daily that she was considering organizing an event at campuses around the state that would have had participants shoot paintball or BB gun at cardboard cutouts of prominent Democrats like senators Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. She also said she might hold "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day," where students would try and find a volunteer hidden on campus wearing a shirt that said "illegal immigrant" on it. Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean sent a letter to his counterpart at the RNC, Ken Mehlman, demanding that he denounce the activities and put a stop to them. (Michigan Daily)
The politics of fear in US elections
Sept. 13: Six days before the 9/11 commemoration, President George Bush opened the fall election campaign season with a hard hitting speech on national security amid flagging public support for the war in Iraq. In a sharp rhetoric, President Bush said that Al Qaeda and its allies were intent on global domination and creating a "radical Islamic empire" that stretches from Spain to Iraq. While comparing Bin Laden with Hitler, he said: "Bin Laden and his terrorist allies have made their intentions as clear as Lenin and Hitler before them." To send the message home, Bush mentioned Bin Laden 17 times in the 44-minute speech. Ironically, any mention of Osama bin Laden was absent from the White House report, titled “National Strategy for Combating Terrorism” released the same day. President Bush’s comments came just eight weeks before the midterm elections with the GOP control of the House and Senate hanging in the balance. Bush's approval ratings have been sagging and he has come under fire from conservative critics who have argued that his “war on terror” was too squishy, and losing impact with mainstream America.According to Harris Interactive Poll, President Bush's approval rating is just 34%. President Bush's approval rating is 38% in a Newsweek poll. Harris Poll also indicated that if elections for Congress were held today, 45% of Americans say they would vote for the Democratic candidate and 30% would vote for the Republican. Hence, in an effort to bolster sinking public opinion about the unpopular war in Iraq and other national issues, President Bush and Republican leaders see “national security” or “fear factor” as their biggest advantage over Democrats. (The politics of fear in US elections by Abdus Sattar Ghazali)
Bush: 'If it's about Christianity versus Islam, we'll lose'
Sept. 17: In an off the record remark, President George Bush tells to the right-wing radio jocks - Mike Gallagher, Neal Boortz, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity and Michael Medved - that the War on Terror has to be about right versus wrong, "because if it's about Christianity versus Islam, we'll lose." (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
VA: Muslim, Jewish communities secure halal-kosher labeling law
Sept. 18: Muslim and Jewish communities in the state of Virginia successfully have lobbied for enactment of a halal/kosher labeling statute. The new Virginia law requires that any food offered for sale as kosher or halal be labeled with the name of the person or organization certifying the item kosher or halal. Violations are punishable by a $500 fine. (Washington File)
L.A. panel reaffirms award for Maher Hathout
Sept. 18: The Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission voted today to reaffirm its selection of Muslim leader Maher Hathout for a human relations award, ending a bitter, two-week battle that many lamented has seriously set back the region's Muslim-Jewish relations. After a hearing marked by vitriolic name-calling and the expulsion of one unruly audience member, only four of the 14 commission members voted to support Hathout, chairman of the Islamic Center of Southern California and the first Muslim to receive the county's John Allen Buggs Award. Five members abstained; four were absent. The furious fight over what has normally been a quiet award selection process was sparked when some Jewish groups charged that Hathout, a 70-year-old retired cardiologist, was a closet extremist who denounced Israel as an apartheid state and was soft on terrorism. Their opposition prompted the commission to reopen its July decision selecting Hathout. (Los Angeles Times)
Anti-Muslim bias incidents jump 30 percent in US
Sept. 18: There is an almost 30 percent increase in the number of anti-Muslim bias incidents from 2004 to 2005 with a substantial increase in California which has one of the largest Muslim population, the Council on American-Islamic Relations' (CAIR) said today. The CAIR report - the only annual study of its kind - outlines 1,972 incidents and experiences of anti-Muslim violence, discrimination and harassment in 2005, the highest number of civil rights cases ever recorded in the group's annual report. According to the report, called "The Struggle for Equality," that figure is a 29.6 percent jump over the preceding year's total of 1,522 cases. CAIR also received 153 reports of anti-Muslim hate crime complaints, an 8.6 percent increase from the 141 complaints received in 2004. (CAIR Bulletin)
Bush assures Muslims U.S. not at war with Islam
Sept. 19: President Bush today appealed directly to Muslims to assure them that the United States is not waging war with Islam as he laid out a vision for peace in the Middle East before skeptical world leaders at the United Nations. "My country desires peace," Bush told world leaders in the cavernous main hall at the U.N. "Extremists in your midst spread propaganda claiming that the West is engaged in a war against Islam. This propaganda is false and its purpose is to confuse you and justify acts of terror. We respect Islam." (Associated Press)
Muslim scholars' treatment at Miami airport spurs outcry
Sept. 21: Federal immigration authorities held four Muslim scholars for 24 hours at Miami International Airport, denying them access to a bed or a phone, then sent them back to Egypt without a clear explanation for their removal, an American Muslim association charged. Sofian Abdelaziz, director of the American Muslim Association of North America in Miami, said his group had invited the four to lead prayers at mosques in Broward and Miami-Dade counties during the holy month of Ramadan. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Effort aims to push Muslims to the polls
Sept. 28: National Muslim civic leaders announced a new push today to get the country's estimated 2.2 million registered Muslim voters to the polls, unveiling a Web site that spells out key races of "Muslim interest" and ATM-like voter registration machines that will be put in mosques and Islamic student centers. The campaign by the Washington-based Muslim American Society is a continuation of an effort that has been underway since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to increase American Muslims' involvement in the political process. A 2005 survey by the Muslim American Political Action Committee said 84 percent of registered Muslims voted in the November 2004 election, compared with 41 percent in 2000. The efforts are getting more tailored, Muslim leaders said in announcing the creation of the society's Center for Electoral Empowerment. The center's main feature is a Web site that offers details on issues that the political action committee says are the most important to Muslim voters: concerns about "the erosion of civil liberties," "fair" immigration reform and foreign policy, said Mukit Hossain, president of MAPAC. The focus on Muslim voting -- both by Muslim American leaders and political candidates -- rose again after the 2004 election, when the Muslim vote moved significantly away from the Republican Party. (Washington Post)
Islamic society of Boston suit against media outlets
Sept. 29: A judge ruled today that a lawsuit brought by the Islamic Society of Boston asserting that news media outlets and other individuals had conspired to publish false and defamatory information about mosque leaders could go forward. The Islamic Society sued a group of individuals and entities including the Boston Herald, WFXT-TV (Channel 25), a pro-Israel group The David Project, and terrorism specialist Steven Emerson asserting that they coordinated a campaign falsely linking mosque officials to Islamic extremism and terrorist groups in television and newspaper stories. The plaintiffs say that the connections were fabricated and that the stories have interfered with their right to the free exercise of their religion. They also said the stories stalled development of their planned Roxbury mosque, drying up donations to the project. (Boston Globe)
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