VERSE OF THE DAY: CONDUCT YOUR AFFAIRS THROUGH MUTUAL CONSULTATION -TOP

"Whatever you are given is nothing but a provision for the transitory life of this world. Better and everlasting is the reward which God has for those who believe, put their trust in their Lord, avoid major sins and shameful deeds, forgive even when they are angry, answer the call of their Lord, establish prayer, conduct their affairs with mutual consultation, spend out of the sustenance which We have given them, and when they are oppressed, help and defend themselves."

The Holy Quran, 42:36-39

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SHOPPER HIT BY STUN GUN POSSIBLY A HATE CRIME VICTIM - TOP
Howard Altman, The Tampa Tribune, 1/4/12

A stun gun apparently was used on a woman at a New Tampa Walmart on New Year's Day, and police are investigating whether she was the victim of a hate crime.

The victim, a Muslim who was wearing a traditional ethnic dress known as a salwar, told investigators she was hit by a stun gun fired by another shopper shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday at the store at 19910 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

A video of the incident does not show the victim being hit by the stun gun, said McElroy. But she did have marks "consistent" with being hit by a stun gun, McElroy said.

"She has two marks on her back," McElroy said. "We have no reason to doubt what she is saying." ...

Hassan Shibly, spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations, said, "If indeed this was a hate crime it is a clear sign that anti-Muslim rhetoric is not cost free and may unfortunately lead to senseless attacks against law abiding American Muslims."

Shibly said via email that regardless of the motive, he hopes the suspect is caught. (More)

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MAN ARRESTED IN NY MOSQUE ATTACK MADE 'ANTI-MUSLIM STATEMENTS - TOP
The Associated Press, 1/3/12

The law enforcement official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the case was still being investigated, said the man made broad anti-Muslim statements and could be charged with a hate crime in the Islamic center attack. (More)

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CAIR-CAN CONDEMNS VANDALISM AT CANADIAN MOSQUE - TOP

CAIR-CAN calls on the Gatineau Police to investigate this incident as a potential hate crime and hopes that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. (More)

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INTERVIEW: CAIR SEEKS TO BOOST MUSLIM POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT - TOP
Examiner Staff Writer, 1/03/12

Robert McCaw is the government affairs coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a nonprofit that seeks to empower the roughly 7 million Muslims in the United States and enhance Americans' understanding of the Islamic faith.

Question: Are you doing anything to get Muslim Americans involved in the 2012 election?

Robert McCaw: We recently launched a "Muslims Vote" campaign, which seeks to increase American Muslim communities' impact on the 2012 election cycle. The campaign is focused on engaging Muslim American volunteers in the campaigns, and we are trying to register as many Muslim Americans to vote as we can through our website. (More)

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SANTORUM: 'THERE IS NO PALESTINE' (VIDEO) - TOP
Douglas Bloomfield, 1/2/12

"All the people who live in the West Bank are Israelis. There are no Palestinians. This is Israeli land," the former Pennsylvania senator said. (More)

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CAIR: CA MUSLIM WORKER SUES COUNTY OVER RELIGIOUS HARASSMENT - TOP
Brad Branan, Sacramento Bee, 1/4/12

A Muslim employee of Sacramento County alleges that he has suffered religious and racial discrimination since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. ...

Rachel Roberts, Northern California civil rights coordinator for the Council of American Islamic Relations, said, "We've seen an uptick in employment discrimination around the country, including the Sacramento Valley, since 9/11."

Roberts said when religious-accommodation issues have arisen in the past, they were resolved. Roberts said the Wasi case is the only one CAIR is aware of in which a Muslim county employee is alleging discrimination. (More)

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CAIR: WORDPRESS SHUTS DOWN ANTI-ISLAM SITE - TOP
Jeffrey Scott Shapiro, 1/3/11

An anti-Islam blog that failed to remove inflammatory comments from a few of its readers will be permanently taken down by its hosting company, WordPress, on January 6 as the result of a number of complaints filed by [CAIR]. (More)

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CAIR-NY: TEN YEARS AFTER 9/11, A JOURNEY THROUGH MUSLIM BROOKLYN - TOP
Omar Akhtar, Brooklyn Ink, 1/2/12

Cyrus McGoldrick, the civil rights manager at [CAIR-NY] is 23 and not a typical young Muslim. In fact, until a few years ago he wasn't even Muslim. Born to an Irish-American father and an Iranian mother, McGoldrick had grown up around Muslims but did not convert to Islam until three years ago. (More)

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NC MUSLIM COMMUNITY REP MEETS WITH LOWE'S OFFICIALS - TOP
WSOCTV.com, 1/3/12

Islamic Center of Charlotte spokesman Jibril Hough met with company officials Tuesday morning at the corporate office in Mooresville. He requested the meeting to get an explanation of why Lowe's pulled commercials from the TV show "All-American Muslim." (More)

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MUSLIM SEPT. 11 RESPONDER DESERVES HERO'S HONOR - TOP
Star-Ledger Editorial Board, 1/4/12

Mohammad Salman Hamdani died trying to save others. He was following through on what he was trained to do as an emergency medical technician and a New York City police cadet. His sacrifice is especially poignant because he was Muslim and he died in the wreckage of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. By any measure, the Pakistani native and American citizen from Queens, N.Y., is a hero.

But you won't find Hamdani's name among those of official first responders at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Manhattan. And don't look for him on the list of those who died in the towers, although his remains were found where the north tower once stood.

Instead, Hamdani's name is engraved, almost as an afterthought, next to victims who had no connection to the towers.

It is simply wrong. Memorial organizers should find a way to put his name in the right place. Hamdani was buried with full honors by the New York City Police Department -- he had three years as a cadet and took the test for the police academy before his death. His family speculates that he saw the burning towers from a train platform on his way to work as a lab technician and rushed downtown instead because that is what he was trained to do. (More)

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NJ: NEW HACKENSACK COPS INCLUDE FIRST MUSLIM ON FORCE - TOP
Stephanie Akin, NorthJersey.com, 1/3/12

HACKENSACK -- The city swore in two new police officers Tuesday, including the department's first Muslim member.

Mohammad Sheikh, 24, joins the department after four years in Paterson, where he was among 125 officers laid off last April.

Frank McCall, 36, is transferring from Union City, where he has served since he was laid off in Newark last June.

Both officers said they hoped to add to the department's diversity.

Sheikh, who speaks Arabic and was born in Palestine, said he wanted to serve as a liaison between the city and its Muslim population. (More)

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