THE ROOTS OF THE ISLAMOPHOBIA NETWORK IN AMERICA - TOP
Wajahat Ali, American Progress, 8/26/2011

You can read the Center for American Progress report here.

Geller and Spencer co-founded the organization Stop Islamization of America, a group whose actions and rhetoric the Anti-Defamation League concluded "promotes a conspiratorial anti-Muslim agenda under the guise of fighting radical Islam. The group seeks to rouse public fears by consistently vilifying the Islamic faith and asserting the existence of an Islamic conspiracy to destroy "American values." Based on Breivik's sheer number of citations and references to the writings of these individuals, it is clear that he read and relied on the hateful, anti-Muslim ideology of a number of men and women detailed in this report&a select handful of scholars and activists who work together to create and promote misinformation about Muslims.

While these bloggers and pundits were not responsible for Breivik's deadly attacks, their writings on Islam and multiculturalism appear to have helped create a world view, held by this lone Norwegian gunman, that sees Islam as at war with the West and the West needing to be defended. According to former CIA officer and terrorism consultant Marc Sageman, just as religious extremism "is the infrastructure from which Al Qaeda emerged," the writings of these anti-Muslim misinformation experts are "the infrastructure from which Breivik emerged." Sageman adds that their rhetoric "is not cost-free."

These pundits and bloggers, however, are not the only members of the Islamophobia infrastructure. Breivik's manifesto also cites think tanks, such as the Center for Security Policy, the Middle East Forum and the Investigative Project on Terrorism -- three other organizations we profile in this report. Together, this core group of deeply intertwined individuals and organizations manufacture and exaggerate threats of "creeping Sharia," Islamic domination of the West, and purported obligatory calls to violence against all non-Muslims by the Quran. (More)

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REPORT: $42 MILLION FROM 7 FOUNDATIONS HELPED FUEL RISE OF ISLAMOPHOBIA- TOP
Faiz Shakir, Think Progress, 8/26/11

Following a six-month long investigative research project, the Center for American Progress released a 130-page report today which reveals that more than $42 million from seven foundations over the past decade have helped fan the flames of anti-Muslim hate in America. The authors - Wajahat Ali, Eli Clifton, Matt Duss, Lee Fang, Scott Keyes, and myself - worked to expose the Islamophobia network in depth, name the major players, connect the dots, and trace the genesis of anti-Muslim propaganda. (More)

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REPORT: MILLIONS DONATED TO ISLAMOPHOBIC GROUPS SINCE 2001 - TOP
Ryan J. Reilly, TPM, 8/26/11

Seven foundations and wealthy donors gave Islamophobic groups $42.6M from 2001 through 2009, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress.

"Sometimes the money flowing from these foundations and their donors is clearly designed to promote Islamophobia, but more often the support provided is for general purpose use, which the think tanks and grassroots organizations then put to use on their primary purpose -- spreading their messages of hate and fear as far and wide as they can," the report says. (More)

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VIDEO: INSIDE THE ISLAMOPHOBIA NETWORK - TOP
ThinkProgress, 8/25/11

Why are so many Republican presidential candidates talking about Sharia law? It's because of a small network of Islamophobes who have made a career of pushing an anti-Muslim agenda.

Watch the video here.

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VIDEO: THE GROUPS BEHIND ISLAMOPHOBIA - TOP
By Faiz Shakir, Center for American Progress, 8/24/11

What is the Islamophobia network? How has the network shaped the narrative about Muslims in America? How should Americans fight back against the network's propaganda?

Watch the video here.

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CAIR ASKS WASH. STATE EDUCATORS TO ACCOMMODATE MUSLIM STUDENTS - TOP

(SEATTLE, WA, 8/26/2011) -- The Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA) recently sent a letter to superintendents of the state's 295 school districts requesting accommodations for Muslim students who are fasting during Ramadan and who will mark the end of the religious observance with the holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (EED-al-FITTER), or "feast of the fast breaking," at the end of August.

To read CAIR-WA's letter, go here.

During the Eid ul-Fitr holiday, Muslims offer special prayers and exchange social visits. Many communities also hold multicultural bazaars and other family activities following the prayers. Eid ul-Fitr is the first of the two major Muslim holidays. The second holiday, Eid ul-Adha, comes at the end of the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca in November.

CAIR-WA asked that educators prepare for both holidays by not planning exams or important assignments for those days and by allowing Muslim students to make up class work before or after their absence.

"It is important that teachers and school administrators provide a positive learning environment for students of all faiths," said CAIR-WA Civil Rights Coordinator Jennifer Gist. "We hope this letter will help educators maintain high academic standards and accommodate Muslim students' constitutionally-protected religious rights." (More)

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VIDEO: CAIR CALLS NYPD-CIA MONITORING OF MUSLIMS UN-AMERICAN, ILLEGAL -TOP
Press TV 8/26/11

Reports indicate that the New York Police Department (NYPD) carries out illegal surveillance operations on Muslims in New York, with the help of the US spy agency. "It was a blanket surveillance of an entire religious minority," which is "wrong, un-American and possibly illegal," said Ibrahim Hooper, the spokesman of the country's largest Muslim organization, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Press TV correspondent reported. According to a Wednesday report by the Associated Press, the NYPD has been spying on Muslim neighborhoods and monitoring mosques, using help from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and former CIA officials. (More)

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CAIR-NY: COUNCILWOMAN ATTENDS RAMADAN FAST-BREAKING AT QUEENS MOSQUE - TOP
Rebecca Henely, Your Nabe, 8/25/2011

City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) and representatives from the Council of American-Islamic Relations broke the Ramadan fast with Sri Lankan Muslims Monday evening at a Jackson Heights mosque.

"It's a very special moment to be invited by the Muslim community," Ferreras said.

Sitting cross-legged on carpets covered with plastic, women on the top floor, men on the bottom floor and others outside the mosque prayed and ate as the sun set. (More)

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CAIR-CA: 'UNHEARD VOICES OF 9/11' PRESS CONFERENCE, COMMUNITY FORUM -TOP

Who: Assemblymember Paul Fong, Congressman Mike Honda, Amardeep Singh of the Sikh Coalition, Nitasha Sawhney of California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs,Zahra Billoo of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Veena Dubal of the Asian Law Caucus

What: Press Conference prior to the Community Discussion on Impact of 9/11 on Muslims, Sikhs, Arabs, and South Asians in the Bay Area

Where: Courtyard of the Mountain View Senior Center
266 Escuela Ave
Mountain View, CA 94040

When: Saturday, August 27, 2011, 12:30-1:00 pm (More)

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CAIR-SAN ANTONIO HOSTS 8TH ANNUAL INTERFAITH IFTAR - TOP

(SAN ANTONIO, TX, 8/23/2011) -- The San Antonio chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Antonio) recently held its 8th Annual Interfaith Iftar at the Mamacitas Restaurant in San Antonio for followers of a number of faiths and denominations.

A brief overview was given about the month of Ramadan and fasting. In her welcoming address, CAIR-San Antonio President Sarwat Husain quoted the Quran, Islam's revealed text, and said: "Diversity has a divine purpose. God could have created us all the same if he chose to, but in His infinite wisdom he created us as people of different ethnicities, races, and beliefs in order that we get to know each other, and compete in doing good." (Quran 49:13, 2:148) (More)

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OR: SUSPECT IN CORVALLIS MOSQUE FIREBOMBING WILL REMAIN IN JAIL - TOP
Maxine Bernstein, OregonLive, 8/25/2011

Cody J. Crawford, who raised investigators suspicions just hours after someonefirebombed a Corvallis mosque Nov. 28, shuffled into federal court Thursday, accused of a hate crime for allegedly setting a religious property on fire.

Oregon's U.S. Attorney Dwight C. Holton had stood outside the Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center in Corvallis nine months ago, amid the smoldering remains of the mosque's office, vowing to aggressively prosecute whoever was responsible for the pre-dawn fire. (More)

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ATHLETIC, MUSLIM, FASHIONABLE -- A TALE OF THE SPORTS HIJAB - TOP
Tala Hadavi, VOA, Montreal 8/25/2011

Female Muslim athletes who observe a strict Islamic dress code sometimes face the question of whether they will be allowed to participate in major competitions -- with their heads and most of their bodies covered. Now, one Iranian-Canadian woman is marketing a product to change that. It complies with the requirements of many major sports, and it's fashionable, safe and comfortable -- while still meeting Islamic requirements.

An Olympic hopeful faces a small obstacle

Seventeen-year-old Zeinab Hammoud has a brown belt in Taekwondo, and dreams of one day making it to the Olympics. But unlike her sister, Rana, Zeinab chooses to wear the Islamic headscarf, or hijab. (More)