... he is!
Posted on 09/08/2002 6:44:47 AM PDT by Lorenb420
Don't use the term "Islamic terrorist" when talking to Mohamed Elmasry.
The head of the Canadian Islamic Congress is tired of Islam being blamed as the cause of terrorism in the Middle East.
Mohamed Elmasry, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Waterloo, said he wished the media would describe the actions of such terrorists as crimes committed by people who use Islam to justify their actions.
Elmasry complained the negative portrayal of Muslims in the media and elsewhere has helped spark some of the 200 incidents of anti-Muslim hate crimes, including death threats, recorded in Canada since Sept. 11. Elmasry said he's received hateful e-mails and voice mails.
"They say, basically, 'we are going to come and kill you bastards. Why don't you go home?' Every other word is an F-word," he said. His 23-year-old son was also harassed at work.
"Someone said: 'Watch this guy, he might have his pilot's licence,' " Elmasry said. "It affects your daily life if your security and your family are compromised."
The Canadian Islamic Congress -- an affiliation of mosques across Canada, representing about 75% of Canadian Muslims, about 650,000 people -- says statistics from police forces in major Canadian cities are lower because many Muslims are afraid to contact authorities.
But Elmasry said even police statistics show there were about 100 recorded hate crimes against Muslims in the nine months after Sept. 11, 2001, an increase of about 66%.
HATE CRIMES ON RISE
The statistics don't reflect hate crimes meant to target Muslims but misdirected toward other ethnic groups like a Hindu temple in Hamilton set on fire four days after Sept. 11.
In March, Toronto police stats showed hate crimes had soared to their highest level in eight years.
On Oct. 20, 2001, Molotov cocktails were thrown into mosques in Mississauga and Burlington. An Ottawa-area Arab boy was beaten by white kids, and a Saudi doctor in Montreal was allegedly spit on and assaulted.
As a result, Muslims have experienced anxiety and loss of self-esteem, especially among young people.
Elmasry said the intimidation had a more subtle effect on some Muslims, who stopped going to the mosque to pray, hoping that would reduce the backlash.
The Jewish community is also more anxious since Sept. 11.
"The Jewish community, because of the Israeli conflict, are hypersensitive to attacks from the Arab world," Ed Morgan, of the Canadian Jewish Congress, said.
"We had barely recovered from the fallout from Sept. 11 when things heated up in the Middle East."
Transparent? Whatcha saying? Someone that's not too happy with Islam is racist? Ala your David Duke comment?
That's Islam hating by the way. But if you can find something to like about Islam please post it. It might change some peoples views.
Trailer dweller? Hardly. Note that it's you calling them ragheads. Classy....
Tell it to the poor Christian souls in the Phillipines that are getting burned out of their houses, or the Pakistani Christians getting handgrenaded for their peaceful worship in church.
It is a real big stretch to compare the acts of Christians to that of Muslims, unless of course, you go back 500 to 1000 years.
Once again, the question remains unanswered (by Muslims anyway): where is this peace loving majority? Where is the outcry? All I saw was dancing in the streets and tacit approval of what is being done, and lots of pictures of Osama being worshipped. Maybe at best a distinct apathy, but no disapproval.
This needs to be taken back to the good professor. "Stand up and issue a statement that condems the actions taken in the name of Islam. Petition the leaders of Islam to turn over those among them who believe Islam is driving them to take violent actions against the innocent. Let them know from the pulpit that only the hotest fires of hell await the people who commit these crimes." I have yet to hear it too, and until then Islam is part of the problem.
... he is!
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