Posted on 07/05/2006 11:56:32 PM PDT by HarmlessLovableFuzzball
LEWISTON, Maine --An Islamic civil liberties group is decrying an episode in Lewiston in which a man tossed a pig's head into a mosque during prayers.
Brent Matthews, 33, of Lewiston, was charged with the misdemeanor crime of desecrating a church, officials said. The Lewiston Police Department referred the case to the Androscoggin County district attorney as well as the state attorney general.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, which learned of the incident, notified the FBI and U.S. Justice Department as well, said spokesman Ibrahim Hooper.
"All Americans should be able to offer prayers in their houses of worship without fear of attack or intimidation," Hooper said Wednesday.
The incident happened Monday night at the Lewiston-Auburn Islamic Center as about 40 men were bowed down as part of their prayer ritual. After the pig's head rolled in, the men raced outside to look for the perpetrator.
Muslims are prohibited from eating pork, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations contends the act was an insult upon Muslims.
Matthews told police it was supposed to be "a big joke," Lt. Don Mailhot said.
"The police department doesn't anything like that lightly," Mailhot said.
Lewiston is home to more than 2,000 Somali refugees, who began moving to Lewiston in 2001 to seek more affordable housing. The following year, Lewiston Mayor Larry Raymond created a furor by asking Somali community leaders to stop the influx.
Education and outreach are important, Hooper said, because anti-Islam prejudice decreases when people get to know ordinary Muslims.
"We urge Muslims in Maine to increase their outreach efforts to educate people of other faiths about Islam," Hooper said.
Freedom of expression?
"All Americans should be able to offer prayers in their houses of worship without fear of attack or intimidation," Hooper said Wednesday.
That's probably one of the few things I'll agree with him on. I wonder if he really means it?
;)
Sorry, I did a search for it before I posted, but I couldn't find any.
No, no, it's not a repost. I was referring to a similiar incident that occured in Israel about a year ago. Happening right after freepers on this forum were suggesting just such an action. Coincidence, I guess....
Yeah, we didn't get enough "outreach" on 9-11-01...
Throwing pork heads at terrorists is one thing. Throwing pork heads into mosques of peaceful Muslims (innocent until proven guilty), is pushing for retaliation.
If we aren't going to deport every Muslim in the country (a policy I don't agree with just yet) then we must be willing to accord them the same tolerance and intolerance that we accord ourselves.
But what worries me is the following line:
Lewiston is home to more than 2,000 Somali refugees
For the love of our country, allowing 2,000 refugees to set up a community in a limited area is just asking for them to never to assimilate. This will cause problems if they aren't resettled and scattered.
Great! First its angry muslims now add on some angry P.E.T.A. nut jobs and Maine is going to burn
Insane.
Come to Minneapolis and you'll see a helluva lot more than 2,000 Somali immigrants.
Mosques are not churches..
How limited of an area is Minneapolis compared to Lewiston?
I chose that wording specifically, but even then - insular communities within a major U.S. city would have a different set of problems, but would require much larger numbers of refugees to effect.
Come to Minneapolis and you'll see a helluva lot more than 2,000 Somali immigrants.
------
I flew into Minneapolis about five months ago and noticed that also. It seemed every other airport employee was dressed up in Moo-slim garb.
I don't know the percentages offhand. I just know the influx has been HUGE and some areas look like little Mogadishu. I believe Minneapolis has the largest Somali community in the USA, but could be wrong.
That's 2,000 people out of a population of 35,000. I would not be happy at all.
I thought we made immigration from Islamic countries tough after 9/11?
Thanks Hooper, but we've already received about as much 'muslim outreach' as we need thanks all the same.
I'm waiting for some 'American Outreach to islam' in the form of a w-88 dialed up to about 50 kilotons right over that black rock you worship.
Nothin' but love for ya.
L
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.