DC/MD/VA: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAIR ANNUAL DINNER - TOP

CAIR seeks the help of community members in Virginia, D.C., and Maryland to coordinate the preparations for our annual banquet on Saturday, October 24, 2009, in Arlington, Va. The participation of volunteers has contributed greatly to the success of past CAIR events.

If you would like to volunteer to help organize this important event, please e-mail: banquet@cair.com

To register online for the dinner, go to: http://www.cair.com/banquet/

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BREAKING: SWISS TO GET ACCESS TO DETAINED AMERICANS - TOP
Associated Press, 9/29/09

FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:

CAIR: MUSLIM GROUP TO PUSH IRAN HEAD TO FREE 3 U.S. HIKERS - TOP

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U.S. ATTORNEY TARGETED N. MISS. STORE OWNERS - TOP
Many of Middle Eastern descent eyed following 9-11
Jerry Mitchell, Clarion-Ledger, 9/29/09

The U.S. attorney's office in Oxford targeted convenience store operators in north Mississippi, many of Middle Eastern descent, despite a lack of any connection to terrorism, according to documents obtained by The Clarion-Ledger.

The Convenience Store Initiative arose from meetings with local law enforcement officers in the years following 9-11 - when Middle Eastern terrorists flew hijacked planes into the Pentagon and World Trade Center Twin Towers.

U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee of Oxford said the government was "looking to see any links to terrorism, but what we found was criminal conduct."

Instead of arrests for alleged terrorist plots, state and federal officials since 2006 have charged more than 60 people in Mississippi with such illegal acts as the sale of excessive amounts of pseudoephedrine - used to make meth.

Those who ran the Convenience Store Initiative say the FBI found nothing wrong with the initiative, which arose from tips from local law enforcement. In fact, they say the Justice Department in the Bush administration praised the concept.

Those involved in the initiative say the money from the illegal activity was being sent back overseas, where it couldn't be traced and possibly could have gone to funding terrorism. But they acknowledged the money could have gone to relatives instead.

Greenlee denied the suggestion those of Middle Eastern descent were targeted. "Did we look at it from an improper purpose? No," he said.

But Matt Steffey, professor at Mississippi College School of Law, said there are "serious constitutional and statutory issues raised by targeting people on the basis of national origin or race. ... If race simply coincided with the investigation, that's something else. But if they were targeted because of national origin, that's unlawful and a very serious racial profiling case that would be disturbing to a lot of people."

Of the more than 100 people listed as being investigated by federal authorities, nearly every name appears to be Islamic. FBI officials would not comment. (More)

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TEXAS GOP CANDIDATE: NO MORE MUSLIMS TO U.S. - TOP
Trish Choate, Abilene Reporter News, 9/28/09

WASHINGTON — Big Country congressional hopeful Canyon Clowdus wants no more Muslim immigration to America.

But the conservative Republican doesn’t want to stop at the stance he outlined to radical blog “Dr. Bulldog & Ronin,” which endorses him for 11th Congressional District representative…

Clowdus wants to halt Muslim immigration to stop what the blog termed a “Stealth Jihad” and “creeping sharia” to replace the Constitution with Islamic religious law…

A spokesman for an Islamic civil rights and advocacy group said the level of anti-Muslim rhetoric is rising, especially from the right.

“Our research has shown that this kind of rhetoric is coming from a minority of Americans, but it’s a very vocal minority,” said Ibrahim Hooper of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations.

CAIR asks mainstream leaders to challenge anti-Muslim talk if they hear it because silence equals consent or unspoken approval, Hooper said.

“That’s why it’s the responsibility of people of goodwill in our society and particularly leaders in our society to challenge this kind of hate-filled bigoted rhetoric when it’s used anywhere in our society,” Hooper said...

If a Muslim woman is allowed to wear a headscarf in the workplace or a Muslim man is allowed to go to Friday prayers — any accommodation of a Muslim in American society — then that vocal minority views it as a “creeping sharia,” he said.

“For some reason, it drives these people crazy when Muslims practice their faith,” Hooper said. (More)

SEE ALSO:

CAIR-FL: WRITER MISSED THE FACTS ON ISLAM - TOP
Tallahassee Democrat, 9/27/09

Re: "Battling jihad will bankrupt U.S., too" (letter, Sept. 20).

Islam is the enemy! Or at least that is what Mr. Alfred Leon Wallace wants you to believe. Wallace attempted to wage a misinformation campaign about Islam and Muslims, void of facts.

You see, Wallace failed to mention that the world is made up of many cultures, ethnicities, religions, etc. Each has their share of party-poopers, and none have a monopoly over extremism. People of logic understand this. The Quran (Muslim holy book) and Hadith (sayings and actions of Muhammad), command moderation, not extremism:

"And thus have We (a royal We used by God) willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you." (Quran, 2:143)

The Prophet Muhammad said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded and seek help in worship from the morning, evening and some of the night." (Hadith, Sahih Al Bukhari)

Wallace wants you to believe Muhammad was the first to wage war against the Jews, Christians and believers. Actually, Muhammad and early Muslims faced brutal persecution from a largely polytheistic society. For this, Muhammad and his followers fled Makkak, traveling north to Medina. There he found protection and developed a constitution with non-Muslims and several Jewish tribes.

Wallace needs to know the facts. Misinformation has lead to hatred and violence towards Islam. Our state of Florida has seen its fair share of hate crimes against American Muslims.

RAMZY KILIC

Executive Director
Florida Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL)

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INCITEMENT WATCH: FRANK GAFFNEY SAYS SHARIAH IS A ‘DISEASE’ - TOP
Washington Times, 9/29/09

Only by differentiating such Muslims from the carriers of this lethal virus can we hope to inoculate them against the spread of the disease - and enlist their help in protecting the rest of us by keeping American Shariah-free.

ACTION: Send a POLITE Letter to the Editor
E-Mail: yourletters@washingtontimes.com, oped@washingtontimes.com
Copy to: info@cair.com

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CAL THOMAS, A PURVEYOR OF HATE IN RELIGIOUS DISGUISE - TOP
Atlanta Journal, 9/29/09

Syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, writing in the Washington Times, today offers an ugly, despicable attack on all Muslim Americans, whom he accuses of “the undermining of this nation from within … through deception, putting on a peaceful face while subtly plotting ways to bring America down.”

ACTION: Send a POLITE Letter to the Editor
E-Mail: yourletters@washingtontimes.com, oped@washingtontimes.com
Copy to: info@cair.com, Cal@CalThomas.com

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IS YOUR NAME KHAN? CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS REACH OUT - TOP
NANDITA VERMA, India West, 9/28/09

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — “What are your religious beliefs? What mosque do you go to? What are your views of the Iraq war?” These were some of the questions rattled off by Veena Dubal, an attorney with the Asian Law Caucus, at a “Know Your Rights” seminar here Sept. 11, evoking knowing looks and sighs from her audience, as it was clear they understood exactly what she was referring to.

Dubal was sharing the experiences of dozens of South Asian Muslims whom she said had been singled out and intrusively questioned at U.S. borders or in their homes by federal agencies in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Many at the seminar, held at the Muslim Community Association, said they had experienced worse in the aftermath of the attacks, but what caught their attention was a realization that often they have a right to say no.

Dubal and attorneys from the Asian Civil Liberties Union and the Council on American Islamic Relations chaired a nearly two-hour session educating the Muslim community that it is possible to fight back against racial profiling...

“If the community reaches out to us, they come in the open, then we can help them. We can go to the government and to the federal agencies with the complaints,” said Zahra Billoo of CAIR. (More)

SEE ALSO:

JET HALTED AT LAX; TWO MEN ARE REMOVED BY POLICE [UPDATED] - TOP
Los Angeles Times, 9/28/09

A plane was stopped from taking off from Los Angeles International Airport, and two men on board were taken into custody, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

LAPD Lt. John Romero said the men, who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, were acting suspiciously.

A law enforcement source said at least one of the men ran into a restroom on the plane and appeared to hide while the New York-bound jet was taxiing on the runway, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing.

The flight crew confronted the two men and made the decision to stop the plane before it took off, the source said. The men were taken into custody by heavily armed law enforcement officials…

[Updated at 2:10 p.m.: The FBI has determined that the passenger removed from the United Airlines flight this morning posed no “identifiable threat” to the plane or passengers and that no criminal charges are anticipated.

The passenger got up from his seat about 8:30 a.m. to use the restroom and would not comply with the flight crew's instructions to return to his seat, Eimiller said. The captain of the plane then decided to return to the gate so that the incident could be investigated, she said.

“The passenger is being interviewed in connection with the incident and is cooperative,” she said. “Out of an abundance of caution, the passengers and their carry-on luggage were rescreened and the LAPD bomb unit conducted a precautionary search of the aircraft.

"No criminal charges are anticipated, and the passengers will proceed to their destination later today.”

Initially, the LAPD said two men were taken into custody in the incident.]

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RAMADAN AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL - TOP
Ras H. Siddiqui, Pakistan Link, 9/11/09

Sacramento, CA: At about the same time when President Barack Obama was closing the Muslim Ramadan Iftar (breaking of the fast) dinner which he hosted in Washington, DC on Tuesday, September 1, 2009, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) of California was just starting its Sixth Capitol Ramadan Iftar event in the basement Rotunda of this historic building which seats California’s
State Government. (More)

SEE ALSO:

VIDEO: TEXAS MUSLIMS MARCH FOR PEACE - TOP

Click here to watch the video.

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Holding signs early Sunday morning, a group of central Texas Muslims marched advocating peace.