Posted on 04/08/2004 3:51:02 PM PDT by chance33_98
Imam's Wife Assaulted at Maryland Mosque; CAIR Calls for Repudiation of Islamophobic Rhetoric
4/8/2004 5:06:00 PM
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To: National Desk
Contact: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, cair@cair-net.org or Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, rahmed@cair-net.org
WASHINGTON, April 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on national political and religious leaders to repudiate Islamophobic rhetoric following another in a series of attacks on American Muslim institutions, businesses and individuals.
The latest incident involved an assault on the wife of the Imam, or religious leader, of the Islamic Society of Annapolis in Annapolis, Md. The woman, who was wearing an Islamic head scarf, was hit by a bottle this morning as she left the mosque. The assailant allegedly shouted something unintelligible at the victim before fleeing into a nearby office. CAIR is calling on law enforcement authorities to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime.
In a similar incident on Tuesday, the owner of a jewelry kiosk at a Tampa mall who also wears an Islamic head scarf, says she was verbally and physically assaulted by three people who told her to "get out of (America)" and said her religion is "hateful and violent." The assailants allegedly blamed the woman for the recent Madrid train bombings. SEE: "Trio At Mall Attack Muslim Employee Over Spain Assault," http://tampatrib.com/floridametronews/MGAZ2QADSSD.html
In Texas, CAIR's San Antonio office held a news conference on Wednesday to express community concerns about arson attacks on three local Muslim businesses. SEE: "Arsons Investigated as Likely Hate Crimes," http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2492010
Last month, vandals wrote "sand n--gers" and "America rocks b- tch" on the interior walls of the Islamic Center of the South Plains in Lubbock, Texas. They also broke windows and damaged, destroyed or removed other items in the mosque. SEE: "FBI Investigates Vandalism at Lubbock Mosque," http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw94143_20040308.htm
Many Muslims believe the rise in such incidents can be tied to the ant-Muslim rhetoric used by some conservative commentators, particularly radio talk show hosts. CAIR has received a number of reports in recent weeks of hosts using terms such as "rag heads" when referring to Muslims and painting Islam as inherently violent. Some even implicitly endorse violence against Muslims.
On Thursday of last week, WMAL host Michael Graham in Washington, D.C., said: "I don't wanna say we should kill 'em all (Muslims), but unless there's reform (within Islam), there aren't a lot of other solutions that work in the ground struggle for survival."
Last month, A Los Angeles, Calif., radio station was forced to issue an on-air apology for an Islamophobic skit that claimed Muslims have sex with animals, avoid bathing and are obsessed with killing Jews.
"Healthy public debate on all issues should be encouraged, but when that debate crosses the line into incitement and hate- mongering, it harms our nation and must be challenged," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Awad said silence on the part of mainstream political and religious leaders only encourages the hate-mongers.
A CAIR "Muslim Community Safety Kit" booklet, designed to help local Islamic leaders protect institutions and individuals, may be obtained by e-mailing publications@cair-net.org or calling 202-488-8787.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 26 regional offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada.
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a journalist's window to the American Muslim community. To SUBSCRIBE to ISLAM- INFONET, go to: http://cair.biglist.com/islam-infonet/
Yes, an interesting question. At what point, after multiple Islamic terrorist attacks and attempted attacks are we supposed to start disliking them, collectively. Never? This seems an impossibly high standard to ask everyman to uphold. Especially people wearing full hajib garb. That is, to me, a slap in the face to American dead. No, we can't go throwing bottles at people who offend us. But we do have freedom of speech. What about walking up to the lady and saying: "You know, I'm sure your a nice person but ever since 9/11 I just can't stand the sight of veiled women. It is forever tied in my mind, and the minds of many native born friends and co-workers with the evil suicide cult we are fighting world wide. If you like it here perhaps you could make an effort to fit in a little more and wear, oh jeans and a baseball cap or something. If that seems out of line maybe you and your family, strongly believing in Islam, should really move back to an Islamic country. You will probably be happier, I know I certainly will be. Good day."
Imagine being told this, or variations on it every time you go to the mall.
I can't afford that much. How 'bout half-way back? (Like between Bermuda and the Azores?)
Their hatred of Jews and Americans is justified you see, whereas any response to their actions by us is a hate crime.
I don''t understand why more Americans don't get it.
Time for a new tag line so goodby George Bernard Shaw and enter..........
"Last month, A Los Angeles, Calif., radio station was forced to issue an on-air apology for an Islamophobic skit that claimed Muslims have sex with animals, avoid bathing and are obsessed with killing Jews."
I'm not too sure about the sex with animals part but to paraphrase Jack Nicholson: "Two outta three aint bad."
Glass or plastic?
U.S. support for Israel and in favor of the Saudi vision of a global Muslim state in which not only Jews, but Christians and all infidels, will have subordinate status to the followers of the "true faith."[This could upset a few people]
The Senate Judiciary Committee recently heard testimony that Saudis control most of the Muslim organizations in the U.S., and that 80% of the mortgages on mosques in the U.S. are paid for by the Wahhabist Saudis. King Fahd donated $20 million to set up a Middle East Studies Center at the University of Arkansas; $5 million was donated to UC Berkeley's Center for Middle East Studies from two Saudi sheiks linked to funding al-Qaeda; $2.5 million to Harvard; $8.1 million to Georgetown; $11 million to Cornell; $1.5 million to Texas A&M; $5 million to MIT; $1 million to Princeton; Rutgers received $5 million to endow a chair as did Columbia. (FrontPageMagazine.com)
Observations:
Like It or Not, Israel's War With Hamas Is America's, Too - Jonathan Rauch (National Journal/Atlantic)
http://www.ifcj.org/site/R?i=e9xjJaJ99BnSJobGsZ8qUQ..
Islam, it's not a religion, it's an induced mental disorder.
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