Posted on 09/01/2003 12:14:25 PM PDT by veronica
Even before the Sept. 11 attacks and the crackdown that followed, American Muslim leaders generally had come to believe they had made a mistake.
In 2000, they made their first unified endorsement in a presidential race, backing George W. Bush. Many thought he would take a harder line against Israel, and, based on statements he made while campaigning, would protect the rights of immigrants facing deportation.
Muslims say they were disappointed on both counts. Now, feeling the additional sting of being scrutinized in the domestic hunt for terrorists, they are mobilizing to express their anger at the polls in 2004.
At their largest convention of the year, which ends today, national Muslim leaders announced plans to register 1 million Muslim voters and make civil rights a top issue in any endorsement of a presidential candidate.
"A defining moment of Islam in America is approaching," said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights group based in Washington. "We cannot surrender our future and our destiny to hate in this country."
Agha Saeed, head of the Muslim American Congress, led the crowd in a chant. "I am an American, I am a Muslim and I vote," he said, joined by thousands gathered for the Islamic Society of North America meeting.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Mr. Bush won points with American Muslims by visiting a mosque and declaring Islam a peaceful religion.
But since then, the federal government has detained hundreds of immigrants, shut down U.S. Muslim charities suspected of terrorist ties and gained broad new powers to monitor citizens under the USA Patriot Act.
The Bush administration said these moves have been crucial for U.S. security. American Muslims say they are being scapegoated.
A White House spokesman referred questions about the presidential race to the Bush campaign, whose spokeswoman did not immediately reply to a request for comment Sunday.
It is unclear what effect Muslims can have in the 2004 elections.
Estimates of the number of U.S. Muslims vary dramatically from 2 million to 6 million. But immigrant Muslims generally are highly educated professionals with the means to make significant campaign donations.
Also, their community has matured dramatically in the past four years.
The assault on Islam that followed the suicide hijackings that killed thousands in New York and Washington compelled Muslims around the country to defend their faith.
National Muslim organizations, including Mr. Awad’s, reported a dramatic increase in donations and membership.
It also should make a certain cousin of mine in Mebane very, very nervous.
Wow, they're all attractive? No one who is attractive can be bad right?
I was hoping you would have a more REALISTIC view of the world.
By the way there are at least two muslim groups at microsoft and they both contain terrorists and terrorist supporters.
Try this to open your eyes: drive south on 405, West on 90, take the Rainier Avenue exit, drive South on Rainier till you pass the large Safeway. Go a few more blocks and look for Crescent Cuts on the East side of the street.
Stop in, you'll know the place because they are all young muslim males (no women allowed) in full battle dress.
Ask them their views on Jews, Christians, and America. Ask them if Microsoft muslims are their brothers and if they are valued more than kafir infidel Americans.
What has your neighbor done to fight terrorism? To denounce it?
What will your attitude be if SEA suffers a muslim bio attack and your family dies horribly?
Is that introduction supposed to warm me to your views?
Why would I blame my neighbor if Seattle suffers a biological attack, unless his name is in the news afterwards?
I'm not a bigot. Stop trying to turn me into one.
Those aren't my "views", they are facts. I've been following them long before 9-11.
The boys over at St. Olaf's Hall very much resent the fact that you dragged up that old file. Look, it was just supposed to be a joke. It's pretty durn tough to find a drink in old Teheran, and they thought the Embassy bar .... well now you know the rest of the story.
During the 1980's, a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
(a) John Dillinger
(b) The King of Sweden
(c) The Boy Scouts
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
But I commend you for your fairness, because you didn't let the Swedes off the hook for that Lebanon caper, either. Boy, I'll tell you, when them Swedes get to drinking, no Norwegian-American is safe anywhere.
Your neighbor self-identifies as a muslim. The muslim religion, islam, has as its core beliefs that are literally death for all non-muslims, namely convert or be killed. This is an indisputable fact, and a huge problem.
The 9-11 hijackers were all nice peaceable muslims too, until they killed 3000 Americans and changed all our lives and our country forever.
If there were only nineteen freaks, we (USA) wouldn't be in the world of hurt we are in - and will be for years and possibly the rest of our lives.
As I mentioned before, I have a history of following "The Religion of Peace" with a PNW emphasis.
We are in deep, deep sh*t. Even the government with their horrible record of fighting terrorism, admits that at any time it is likely we will experience a horrific attack - worse than 9/11 - and there's nothing they can do about it.
We are not at severe risk from Christians or Jews, we are at severe risk from MUSLIMS!
They openly state what their goals are and that they are waging Jihad (muslim/islamic holy war).
You (and all of us) would do well to damn well believe them.
LOL...don't you hold your breath, either. : )
Bingo! Exactly. The Jewish vote will stay overwhelmingly liberal no matter what.
A-HA! Does everyone recall that 'Ad Council' media blitz of PA spots just after 9/11? Who can forget the slogan utter by various people -- many coincidently appearing Middle Eastern: "I am an American"...
Nice to see Agha embellishing in this case.
Since you live in the SEA area, listen for jafar (jeff) siddiqui. He's the local media darling who represents "moderate islam" (he's also a vocal muslim terrorist supporter). He, on KIRO radio, defended this act by saying that muhammad was doing her a favor, because otherwise, what would become of her?
I have to call it a night.
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