Saturday, November 26, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR Asks FBI to Probe Internet Threats to Mosques
Comment on anti-Islam hate site: 'I want [Muslim] blood on my hands'

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/25/2011) -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today called on the FBI to investigate a number of threats of violence targeting mosques posted online on an anti-Islam hate site, including the comment "I want [Muslim] blood on my hands" by an individual who claims he regularly drives past a Virginia mosque.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also urgedWordPress.com to remove the hate site because its calls to violence violate the hosting company's terms of service," which prohibit blogs that "contain threats or incite violence towards individuals or entities."

[NOTE: At CAIR's request, WordPress.com last year deleted a similar blog containing posts that advocated burning mosques, making false bomb threats implicating Muslims, desecrating Muslim graves, and that recommended the "proper way to shoot a muslim [sic]."]

CAIR said articles and comments posted on the anonymous blog "Bare Naked Islam"(BNI) routinely urge attacks on and desecration of American and European mosques.

[NOTE: Grammatical errors have been maintained for all posts and comments below.]

"Keith Mahone (aka Charles Martel)," who states that he regularly drives by a Virginia mosque, wrote: "[I]f you see a Muslim licking an ice cream cone in the park and you blow his head off you are technically committing an act of self defense. . .Muslims must learn they they are not safe anywhere outside a Muslim country. . .My heart does a back flip to see a mosque "desecrated". . .Burn every mosque to the ground in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and kill every Muslim twice. . .I want their blood on my hands as a matter of principle."

SEE: Keith Mahone (aka Charles Martel)

In a November 23 post headlined "Ready the Pigs' Blood," the blog's author and commenters on the article urged violence and religious desecration to prevent the construction of a New York mosque.

SEE: Ready the Pigs' Blood

BNI's author wrote: "The mosque may go up, but it will never stay up."

Commenter "angel" wrote: "I hope the tough Russians will burn this mosque to the ground many times over until the a**lifters get the message."

"Sarastro" wrote: "Ban all mosques, blow up those that exist, and do not let another inch of sacred American soil be designated to be desecrated by Islamic buildings. Let's hope the Russian Mafia will find the right remedy for this outrage."

"Carl Tapp" wrote: "Bay people must contaminate the ground, buildings, and Muslims with the blood, urine and guts of pigs."

"Kenneth Schustereit" commented, "Fill this hole with pig's blood!" while "perry" wrote: "a lil pigs blood applied here and there."

In reply to these threats "barenakedislam" suggested: "Perry, pouring [pig blood] in the cement would be better. They couldn't wash it away." The blog's author later wrote: "I sincerely doubt that mosque will ever get to the point where they are blaring the Call to Prayer at 5AM. Mr. BNI has a Russian Jewish business associate from that neighborhood. He will know what they are going to do but I doubt if he will tell us. Probably better that way."

Another BNI November 23 post headlined "WOO HOO! Yet ANOTHER anti-Muslim attack on a French mosque" asks, "Will the Muslims ever get a clue that they are not welcome in France?"

SEE: WOO HOO! Yet ANOTHER anti-Muslim attack on a French mosque

A comment to that post by "Sarastro" stated: "What's all this pussy-footing??? Throw 10 Molotov cocktails into these mosques and burn them down even with a**-lifters in them, especially with a**-lifters in them."

"GrouchyFogie" wrote: "Bomb the things to the ground, THEN burn them."

"Burnerjack" wrote: "THAT'S not an attack. An attack is boarding the doors while the mosque is full and then fire bombing it. THAT'S an attack. I'm just saying."

"Calls to violence and desecration targeting an American religious minority should never be tolerated and must be investigated by the FBI and other relevant law enforcement authorities," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "Too many American mosques have already been targeted by those who share the extremist views expressed on this hate site."

He noted that in the past year, mosques or mosque construction sites in Massachusetts,Oregon, Ohio, New York, Iowa, Maine, Georgia, Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas,California, and Michigan have been targeted by arson, vandalism or threats.

In May of last year, a bomb exploded at a Florida mosque. A recent fire at a Kansasmosque is still under investigation.

Hooper said a number of recent reports have documented the growth and promotion of Islamophobia nationwide.

CAIR: Same Hate, New Target
Center for American Progress: Fear, Inc.
Southern Poverty Law Center: Jihad Against Islam
People for the American Way: The Right-Wing Playbook on Anti-Muslim Extremism

CAIR is again urging members of the Muslim community to review security procedures using advice contained in its "Muslim Community Safety Kit."

SEE: CAIR Muslim Community Safety Kit

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
Subscribe to CAIR's E-Mail List
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Subscribe to CAIR's YouTube Channel


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  • Video: Blog Threats Target Virginia Mosque (CAIR)
    CAIR spokesman Corey Saylor said the organization has now asked the FBI to investigate the material on the blog as credible threats. Saylor said, "I think its completely inappropriate to make threats to any place of worship, and in this case a mosque."
    • CAIR: Group Asks FBI to Probe Threats Posted on Web (AP)
      FBI spokeswoman Lindsay Godwin said Friday that the bureau does not confirm when it receives a complaint or a request to investigate. But she said that generally, the FBI will pursue an investigation "if credible threats and evidence exist."
    • Celebrating and Encouraging Violence Against Muslims
  • Video: CAIR to Investigate Possible Profiling on US Airways Flight
    When the flight arrived at Ronald Reagan National Airport Thursday night, passengers told News4 one passenger thought the group of seven men and one woman was trying to hijack the plane so the pilot called security. The students said security officials questioned them about whether they had military training. . .The Council for American-Islamic Relations is looking in to the incident.
  • CAIR-St. Louis: 'Gates of Peace' Event Topic is Islamic Faith
    In response to a speaker at this month's Mayor Prayer Breakfast in Independence, the Council on American-Islamic Relations is sponsoring an event next week to promote a greater understanding of Islam.
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

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HADITH OF THE DAY: I RESPOND TO YOUR CALL, O GOD - TOP

The prayer (talbiyah) offered by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during Hajj was: "I respond to Your call, O God, I respond to Your call and I am obedient to Your orders, You have no partner. I respond to Your call. All praise and blessings are for You. All the sovereignty is for You and You have no partners."

Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Hadith 621

SEE ALSO:

YOUTUBE TO BROADCAST HAJJ LIVE - TOP
GMA Live, 11/4/11

Muslims who could not physically go to Mecca (Saudi Arabia) for Hajj, the world's largest pilgrimage, can now at least take part in the event virtually.

Video-sharing site YouTube said the pilgrimage will be streamed live through the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information's YouTube channel.

"The Hajj is an ancient ritual, but now, through the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information's YouTube channel, millions of people from around the world will be able to experience and comment on the event by tuning in via video," Najeeb Jarrar, product marketing manager for Middle East and North Africa, and Abdulrahman Tarabzouni, regional manager for emerging Arabia, said in a blog post.

YouTube's stream will be live on Saturday, November 5, athttp://www.youtube.com/hajjlive. (More)

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'LET'S PLAY COWBOYS AND IRANIANS': POSTER SHOWING HANGING IRANIAN SPARKS OUTRAGE AT TEXAS BBQ RESTAURANT - TOP
Lydia Warren, Daily Mail, 11/4/11

A poster on the wall of a barbecue restaurant depicting a hanging Iranian has sparked outrage and accusations of racism.

The sepia picture in Nonmacher's Bar-B-Q in Katy, Texas shows armed men surrounding the hanged man and includes the caption: 'Let's play cowboys and Iranians.'

One member of the lynch mob wears a shirt that reads: 'Iranians Suck.'

But despite cries of racism and threats of a protest on Saturday, the owner of Nonmacher's has refused to remove the poster.

John Nonmacher said: 'This is still America. If they're not happy here, then they should go back to Iran. (More)

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CAIR-FL: POLITICIANS SHUN TEA PARTY CONVENTION FEATURING ISLAMOPHOBE -TOP
Scott Powers, The Orlando Sentinel, 11/4/11

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The "tea party" opens a long-planned convention Friday night inDaytona Beach, expecting 1,200 delegates, dozens of speakers -- but almost no big-name politicians.

None of the leading Republican presidential candidates and only two of the five Floridacandidates for the U.S. Senate agreed to speak at the three-day Florida Tea Party Convention at the Volusia County Ocean Center.

And top GOP officeholders from Florida who have previously courted tea party support -- Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Allen West of Plantation -- also sent regrets. ...

A whirlwind of controversy in the past two weeks could have played a role, after the convention invited anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller to speak and an American Muslim civil-rights group, the Council of American-Islamic Relations, protested.

"They (CAIR) put pressure, I think, on some of the state officials, and I think some of the state officials, in their judgments, they declined to go," VanLandingham said. "Their (the officials') reasons were 'prior commitments.'" (More)

SEE ALSO:

PAMELA GELLER: 'I ENDORSE HERMAN CAIN' - TOP
Eric Kleefeld, Talking Points Memo, 11/4/11

Is this the kind of help Herman Cain is looking for this week?

Cain has now picked up a top endorsement from the right-wing blogosphere: Pamela Geller, the anti-Islam campaigner and Birther.

Geller posted an entry on her blog Wednesday evening, declaring her support for Cain. In the past, Geller has criticized Cain, when he backed down from his statement that local communities should be able to ban mosques. She had also hoped that Sarah Palin would run, a dream that came to naught when Palin declared a month ago that she would not run.

But now, recent developments have put her on board. Specifically, the allegations of past sexual harassment against Cain -- and the counter-accusation from Team Cain that the Rick Perry campaign was behind it -- have changed her mind. Geller has long detested Perry, calling him soft on “stealth jihad” by Muslims in America. (More)

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CAIR-LA: DOJ DROPS PROPOSED LAW BASED ON SUIT AGAINST FBI BY MUSLIMS -TOP
Matt Coker, OC Weekly, 11/3/11

The ACLU, open government groups and members of Congress are applauding today's decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to abandon the legitimization of lying to the American people, which was recently exposed in a lawsuit brought by Muslims in Orange County and elsewhere in Southern California who the government has spied on.

The Justice Department had been seeking a federal regulation based on the decades-old policy where officials lied about not having documents when they really did.

The policy was exposed in a lawsuit the ACLU filed on behalf the Muslims (Islamic Shura Council v. FBI). The targeted Muslims--who include Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations office in Anaheim--filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information on the FBI spying on them in 2006. The Justice Department repeatedly responded no such documents existed. Close Weekly readers know the FBI used Irvine informant and convicted felon Craig Monteilh to spy on Muslims at mosques in Irvine, Garden Grove and elsewhere in Southern California.

It didn't take Judge Cormac Carney of the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana long to find the evidence that showed the government had repeatedly lied about the existence of documents showing it spied on Americans, many with no criminal records at all. The feds then responded they had to lie on national security grounds. Carney disagreed vehemently in his ruling last April.

The judge was not alone in his outrage. OpenTheGovernment.org, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, other open government groups and a bipartisan coalition of congressmen--most notably U.S. Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Mark Udall (D-Colorado), and Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Illinois)--have all pressured the Justice Department to withdraw the fucked-up regulation. (More)

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CAIR-FL: COMMISSIONER HALTS MUSLIM CEREMONY - TOP
Lisa Orkin Emmanuel, NBC Miami, 11/4/11

A Sunrise commissioner stopped a Muslim religious ceremony, saying she was trying protect animals from being slaughtered, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

"I have no ill will toward the Muslim faith," Commissioner Sheila Alu told the newspaper. "I'm just an animal lover."

Alu wanted to stop the gathering, which was in celebration of Eid ul-Adha, a festival of sacrifice, according to the newspaper.

"Yes, I was trying to stop it," she said. "It's shut down. I'm trying to protect innocent animals. This is not an appropriate setting for the slaughtering of animals in an open field in city's that's as populated as Sunrise. Usually these religious ceremonies take place in a rural area."

Nezar Hamze, of the Pembroke Pines-based Council of American-Islamic Relations, said it was upsetting.

"We'll find another venue. But that's very disturbing. I'm very disappointed in that. We asked for permission and went through the proper channels and now it's off because a commissioner has a problem with it." (More)

SEE ALSO:

POLL: SHOULD COMMISH HAVE BLOCKED THE MUSLIM CEREMONY? - TOP
By Gary Stein, Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, 11/4/11

It's nice that Sunrise commissioner Sheila Alu is an animal lover. It's not nice that she stepped in to stop a Muslim animal sacrifice in her city.

She didn't like the fact that Muslims were "slaughtering" (her word) goats and lambs in an open field in her city, in a religious ritual. Even though the ritual had been approved forthis Sunday, and was on private property. Even though animal sacrifice for religious purposes is protected from government interference.

Alu says she entered the fray to get the ritual stopped as a resident, not as commissioner. That may be true, but in reality, she can't take away the fact she is a commissioner, and she has plenty of political clout. That doesn't go away just because she says it goes away.

From the message boards on this one, many people are in favor of what Alu did -- no doubt, because it is a Muslim ritual. Would they feel the same way if another religion was involved? I don't think so.

Alu says she has nothing against Muslims, but many people do. That's why they'll support this interference. And that's why they're wrong.

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CAIR-MI: PRAYER GATHERING IN DETROIT HAS MUSLIMS ON GUARD - TOP
Erin Kelly, Associated Press, 11/4/11

Muslim leaders say they fear some attendees might provoke or disrupt Friday prayers at local mosques. The Council on American-Islamic Relations' Michigan chapter is urging mosques and Islamic schools to increase. (More)

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CONGRESSMAN ANDRE CARSON'S MOTHER PASSES AWAY - TOP
WXIN, 11/4/11

Congressman Andre Carson's mother, Tanya Terese Carson, passed away Friday. Tanya Carson was also the daughter of former Congresswoman Julia Carson.

"I am profoundly saddened to announce my mother's passing," said Congressman Carson. "She provided me unconditional love, direction, and affection and helped mold me into the man I am today. I will miss her greatly." (More)

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CAIR: WOMAN SAYS ISLAM 'HAS GIVEN ME A NEW LIFE' - TOP
Josh Dulaney, The (San Bernardino County) Sun, 11/3/11

On a warm Thursday morning outside the John M. Pfau Library at Cal State San Bernardino, 24-year-old psychology student Gina Cuellar waited for her study partner.

Other young women passed by her, many wearing blue jeans and boots.

Cuellar wasn't hard to spot.

A recent convert to Islam, she sported a hot pink head scarf known as a hijab, with her sunglasses propped on top.

"I think God watches over me whenever I wear it," she said. "You get blessings."

Her blessing for the day was an up-front parking spot in the university's otherwise crowded parking lot.

Cuellar's birth mother was a Mexican American who died when Cuellar was 11 years old. Her father is Caucasian.

The Mentone resident is among what many Muslim leaders say is a growing number of American women converting to Islam.

"The qualitative anecdotes are women particularly are converting at a much faster rate, particularly Latinas," said Ahmed Rehab, media relations director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington. (More)

SEE ALSO:

MEXICO'S TZOTZIL INDIANS CONVERT TO ISLAM - TOP
By Sofia Miselem, Agence France Presse, 11/4/11

SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico -- Raised a Christian, Manuel Gomez now goes by Mohamed Chechev, and counts himself among a handful of Tzotzil Indians converted to Islam by Spaniards in southern Mexico.

"I am Muslim. I know the truth. I pray five times a day, celebrate Ramadan and have traveled to Mecca," Chechev said in rudimentary Spanish. (More)


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR: Calif. Groups Ask FBI Director to Address Profiling, Islamophobia

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 11/17/2011) -- The American Civil Liberties Union ofNorthern California (ACLU-NC), the Asian Law Caucus (ALC), and the San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) have announced that they sent a joint letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller in advance of his visit today to San Francisco asking him to address issues of racial profiling and Islamophobia.

SEE: Robert S. Mueller III, Director, FBI Director (Changing Threats in a Changing World: Staying Ahead of Terrorists, Spies and Hackers)

"We have sought answers to these questions from local FBI officials for months now," saidALC staff attorney Veena Dubal. "It is our hope that Director Mueller's visit to the Bay Area is an opportunity to raise our collective voices to address the grave concerns we have about the FBI's practices in the Bay Area."

In the joint letter to Mueller, ACLU-NC, ALC and CAIR-SFBA seek answers
about:

* The relationship between the local and federal law enforcement through the JTTF
* The control the FBI seeks to exercise over local agencies through the JTTF Memorandum of Understanding
* The civil rights standards local law enforcement agents participating in the JTTF abide by
* The impact of and corrective plan for local officers who participated in the Islamophobic trainings hosted by the FBI

FULL LETTER: Questions Regarding FBI JTTF Arrangements with Bay Area
Law Enforcement Agencies

"Our community members need to be treated like partners, not suspects," said CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo. "Director Mueller must address the community's concerns about the promotion of Islamophobia by FBI trainers and about bureau policies that allow religious and ethnic profiling."

"The controls over the intelligence gathering practices of the FBI have been nearly gutted in recent years," said ACLU-NC Police Practices Consultant John Crew. "But California's strong constitutional right to privacy and local police policies designed to prevent these sorts of abuses remain intact. If the FBI wants to use our local police resources in their Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), they should be willing to publicly demonstrate that our state right to privacy and local standards are not being sacrificed in the process."

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

The Asian Law Caucus was founded in 1972 as the nation's first legal and civil rights Asian American organization. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, ALC is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors of our society, with a specific focus directed toward addressing the needs of low-income, immigrant and underserved Asian Americans andPacific Islanders. The Asian Law Caucus is a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) is the largest affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a nationwide, nonpartisan organization with more than 550,000 members dedicated to the defense and promotion of the guarantees of individual liberty secured by state and federal Constitutions and civil rights statutes.

-- END --

CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo, 626.252.0885, E-Mail:zbilloo@cair.com; ALC Staff Attorney Veena Dubal, 510.684.8050, E-Mail:veenad@asianlawcaucus.org; ACLU-NC Police Practices Consultant John Crew,415.793.4146, E-Mail: jcrew@aclunc.org

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