Posted on 06/27/2004 7:26:04 AM PDT by veronica
Muslims and Arabs in America face increased hostility
The recent beheading of two Americans have added fuel to the angry backlash against Arab-Americans and Muslims that began after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
The killing of Paul Johnson and Nicholas Berg triggered increased hate mail, verbal attacks and anti-Muslim graffiti.
Death threats against American Muslims have risen and mosques have been vandalised.
"Since 9/11, every time there is an incident overseas attributed to Muslims or Arabs, we go on orange alert ourselves," said immigration solicitor Sohail Muhammad.
"There are individuals here who are off the wall, who think that every woman who wears a hijab or every man named Muhammad is out to blow things up," he added.
Dissidents thought to have ties with al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia decapitated Johnson, an American engineer, after warning that they would kill him if the Saudi government did not release detainees. Berg, a businessman, met a similar fate last month in Iraq.
Anti-Islam sentiment
Following Johnson's death, anti-Islam signs surfaced around the rural New Jersey neighbourhood where he once lived. One read "Stamp Out Islam" next to a drawing of a boot over a crescent and star. Another, hung on a mailbox next door to Johnson's sister's home, was more detailed.
"There are individuals here who are off the wall, who think that every woman who wears a hijab or every man named Muhammad is out to blow things up"
Sohail Muhammad, Immigration solicitor
"Last night I wasn't a racist, but today I feel racism towards Islamic beliefs," it read. "Last night Islamics (sic) had a chance to speak up for Paul Johnson, but today it's too late. Islamics better wake up and start thinking about tomorrow."
The New Jersey attorney general sent bias crimes investigators to the area, along with stepped-up state police patrols. The signs are gone now, replaced with hand-lettered placards on utility poles that say "Our prayers are with the Johnson family."
But more anti-Muslim graffiti appeared on Thursday at a Muslim man's home in Egg Harbour Township.
'Worst fears'
"It's really our fear coming true," said Faiza Ali of the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"It indicates a hatred that could turn into something violent."
Relatives of Johnson, in a statement made through a church pastor after a memorial service on Saturday, said that they hope his legacy is one of peace in the land he grew to love during more than a decade abroad.
"When history is written on the war on terrorism, let Paul's death be the catalyst that led to thousands more Westerners working in harmony with people in the Middle East to ensure fear and barbaric acts against free peoples come to an end," Reverend Kyle Huber of Greentree Church said.
The day after Johnson's death, a coalition of Muslim groups in Paterson, the heart of New Jersey's Arab-American community, held a rally to condemn the killing
Mosques vandalised
A few days later, vandals tossed empty liquor and beer bottles at a mosque in Union City as congregants inside mourned a teenager who died in a car crash.
Some Americans have threatened to behead Muslims in the US
"If they are throwing empty bottles today, they could be throwing rocks, or worse, shooting at us tomorrow," said Aref Assaf, president of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's New Jersey chapter.
Two mosques in Florida were vandalised in the days after Johnson's killing.
In the Tampa suburb of Lutz, someone broke into the Islamic Community Centre and scrawled "Kill All Muslims" on the mosque's interior walls, then smashed windows. In Charlotte Harbor, someone vandalised a mosque's sign and left threatening phone messages.
In the St Louis suburb of Ballwin, Missouri, vandals painted a swastika and the word "Die" on the wall of the Dar-al-Islam mosque.
Mosque construction protested
In Texas, dead fish were dumped near the entrance sign to a mosque under construction in a suburb of Houston.
And in the Chicago suburb of Orland Park, residents urged officials this past week to reject a mosque's building application.
A Baptist pastor told a public hearing he feared it would attract Islamic extremists and violence. The centre was approved over boos and catcalls from the audience.
"I believe the time is coming when Muslims will not be safe inside the US borders," one man wrote to the Washington, DC-based Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"I see nothing wrong with us doing the same things to them that they are doing to innocent people."
"It is high time you people wake up and smell the blood," another man wrote to Assaf's group in New Jersey.
"Turn in the terrorists. They are your relatives, in a lot of cases. Cousin Omar. Uncle Mohammad. You know what I mean. Until you come forward to help us stamp out this vermin, you are as bad as they."
***Islam is, as Islam does!***
Gee, I thought it was a take off on an old Elvis Presley movie from 1968.
Elsa Lancaster and Elvis singing ..
"Yoga is as Yoga does, there's no inbetween...."
You got that right Aref. You had better wake up and smell the blood indeed.
AMEN! Specifically bumping this line.
Well, you shoulda thunk of that before the killings when you had the chance to distance yourself from the vermin who perpatrated these atrocities. Your silence has been taken as tacit compliance, and you're going to reap the whirlwind.
" American Muslims are silent "
On 9/11/01 where I work I sat in the same office with a Muslim from India -- who by-the-way spent most of his life in Saudi Arabia. He was completely silent on what was happening although many of the liberals in our office thought the right thing to do on that day was to console him to releave their liberal guilt. It was believed by our resident liberals that our Muslim would be persecuted because of this horrific event -- that was even before we knew who would do it.
One year latter my son was sent to Kuwait and eventually to Iraq and my Muslim roommate was still silent about what was happening although it was assumed by many people (the liberals) that I was blaming him for the problems in the Mid East. On a personal note he got much more sympathy for being Muslim then I got for having a son (infantryman) in the Army!
You mean, you don't? :-)
BTTT
This article was posted earlier on FR and was worded a little differently.
In this article "immigration solicitor"=Sohail Muhammad.
In the other posted article on FR, the article was almost worded the same EXCEPT:
immigration "LAWYER"=Sohail Muhammaad
IMHO, I hope ol' Sohail's "JOB" is gonna start being a whole lot harder getting his "mudlum" buddies in this country. We can only hope if they DO get in, it'll be even "harder" in their new "neighborhoods"....
I agree, we were on the wrong side in that war.
You can bet your life, that the Christians, if they did commit mass murder of muslims, had a helluva good reason for it.
Everywhere they congregate, muslims commit barbaric acts and disrupt the life of all non-muslims. The entire religion is one large terrorist organization.
And their beliefs are making me mighty uneasy. They are putting up a new Mosque down the street. Four or five years ago this would not have bothered me. Today I am considering moving.
Although I have had run ins with Muslims in other countries and learned to walk warily around them I guess I put American Muslims in a different category. I no longer can delude myself that American Muslims are different. Not when their recent actions are showing me that they are no different at all.
Shoot everyone in the world named Muhammad. That would be a good start.
Thanks for the tip.
I'll buy one of those blue jackets, (already have the other stuff,)
and start hanging around on campuses.
I do work for the federal government, so only half lies are needed.
Would that include Cassius Clay?
If muslims are worried now, wait until the next attack happens here in the U.S. They reap what they sow. Good riddance.
muslims.
Good news ping
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