- Verse: Qualities of the Righteous
- CAIR-PA: What Does 'Sharia Law' Ruling Mean for PA Legislation?
- CAIR: Anti-Muslim Blogger Says, 'I Love These Marines'
- Video: CAIR Says Marines Who Desecrated Bodies Must Be Punished
- Panel Hears Stories From Somalis Who Call Minn. Their Home (AP)
- MO: Local Mosque's Imam Cut From New Cloth
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VERSE OF THE DAY: QUALITIES OF THE RIGHTEOUS - TOP
"(The righteous are) those who are patient in adversity; who are true (in word and deed); who worship devoutly; who spend (in the way of God); and who pray for forgiveness in the early hours of the morning."
The Holy Quran, 3:17
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CAIR-PA: WHAT DOES 'SHARIA LAW' RULING MEAN FOR PA LEGISLATION? - TOP
Randy LoBasso, Philadelphia Weekly, 1/12/12
On Tuesday, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals declared an Oklahoma ban on Sharia Law -- overwhelmingly made part of the state Constitution through a 2010 ballot measure -- unconstitutional. In their 37-page decision, the Denver-based three-judge panel called the measure discriminatory and agreed it violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.
This is the highest court to date that's struck down an anti-Sharia Law law. There's no word yet on whether Oklahoma will appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court, though it begs the question: What affect, if any, will this have on House Bill 2029, Pennsylvania's similar House legislation banning all foreign law? [NOTE: The wording in the last paragraph has been corrected.]
"The Oklahoma decision is the strongest indication that we, too, would win in a court of law," says Moein Khawaja, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations. "The sponsors of House Bill 2029 should ponder whether or not it's worth engaging in a time-consuming lawsuit."
The Oklahoma law mentioned 'Sharia' specifically. The Pennsylvania law, on the other hand, only mentions 'foreign law.' Though critics say there are implications HB 2029 would be a "back-door ban" to discriminate against the state's Muslim population. (More)
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CAIR-WA: MUSLIMS TO ATTEND LOBBY DAY IN OLYMPIA ON MLK JR. DAY - TOP
Samantha Pak, Redmond Reporter, 1/12/12
More than 400 Muslims from around the state, including Redmond, are expected to attend a lobby day on Monday in Olympia for this year's Muslim Day at the Capitol.
Arsalan Bukhari, executive director of the Washington chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA), said the idea for the event came after a group of local Muslims attended a lobby day in Olympia in 2008 and 2009 as part of the Statewide Poverty Action Network, which works to end causes of poverty and create opportunities for people to prosper.
"I was among them and during late 2009, I saw photos and videos of a very large and successful state lobby day organized by a Muslim group in Florida," Bukhari said. "Inspired by their great work and following their event program, CAIR-WA organized and held its first large-scale Muslims Day at the (state) Capitol on (Martin Luther King Jr.) Day of 2010."
He said about 500 Muslims from across the state attended the event and since then, the annual event has attracted hundreds of attendees who representing more than 30 of the state's 49 legislative districts.
Sanaa Carey, a 25-year Redmond resident, will be attending the event for the first time. She said is looking forward to showing people that Muslims do care about their government and want to have their voice heard in policy making at the local and national level. (More)
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CAIR: CALIF. MUSLIMS OFFER FORGIVENESS FOR MOSQUE VANDALISM - TOP
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 1/13/12) -- The Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) said today that Muslims are offering forgiveness to the man who was recently sentenced to five years in prison for the hate vandalism of a Madera, Calif., mosque and other crimes.
SEE: Madera Man Gets Five Years in Prison for Arson, Vandalism
During sentencing, members of the Madera Muslim community read a statement in court forgiving the perpetrator for the hate crime committed against them. CAIR-SV Chapter Coordinator Mohamed Ali read the statement, which quoted verses of the Quran as well as statements of the Prophet Muhammad that exhort Muslims to forgive those who wrong them, even when they are in a position to exact retribution.
SEE: Statement Forgiving Donny Mower for Crimes Committed Against the Madera Muslim Community
The statement read in part:
"[Prophet Muhammad] described the best creation in the heavens and the earth as being he who forgives those who wrong him, secures ties of kinship with those who would have them broken, and who feeds those who would not feed him. As people who are honored to follow the teachings of Muhammad, it is our desire to follow in his noble footsteps and implement his teachings in our lives."
Signs left at the mosque in 2010 stated "No Temple for the God of terrorism at Ground Zero" and "American Nationalist Brotherhood." The first message was an apparent reference to the planned Park51 Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan.
CAIR: Calif. Mosque Vandalized with Hate Signs
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.
CONTACT: CAIR-SV Chapter Coordinator Mohamed Ali, 916-441-6269, E-Mail: mohamed.ali@cair.com; CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra, 916-441-6269 x103, E-Mail: belkarra@cair.com
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CAIR: ANTI-MUSLIM BLOGGER SAYS, 'I LOVE THESE MARINES' - TOP
Kukil Bora, International Business Times, 1/13/12
Pamela Geller, the executive director of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and Stop Islamization of America (SIOA), is also called the "Queen of the Muslim Bashers," and it seems she doesn't care about being known like that.
In her blog "Atlas Shrugs," Geller has written that she loves the four U.S. Marines, who were seen in a recent video urinating on three Taliban corpses.
"I love these Marines. Perhaps this is the infidel interpretation of the Islamic ritual of washing and preparing the body for burial," Geller wrote.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), who condemned the video, issued a statement criticizing Geller's comments. It called her blog a "hate blog," the Huffington Post reported. (More)
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CAIR: ANTI-MUSLIM BLOGGER 'LOVES' MARINES PEEING ON CORPSES - TOP
Kate Shellnutt, Houston Chronicle, 1/13/12
A video clip that appears to show Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters has been condemned by U.S. defense officials, the Pentagon, Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Taliban leaders and American Muslim groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR.
It's been widely received with disgust by the American public.
Pamela Geller, a conservative blogger known for her fierce opposition to radical Islam and Muslim influence on American society, has a different take. She loves it. (More)
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CAIR: PAMELA GELLER'S PRAISE FOR DESECRATION OF DEAD BODIES IS NOT 'FUNNY' - TOP
Sheila Musaji, The American Muslim, 1/12/12
After a video surfaced on youtube of U.S. military personnel urinating on the dead bodies of Afghans, many individuals and organizations objected to such behavior.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said such behavior is "entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military. I have seen the footage, and I find the behavior depicted in it utterly deplorable. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Those found to have engaged in such conduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent."
Carsten Jacobson, a spokesman for Nato's international security assistance force in Afghanistan said such an act was 'despicable' and 'grossly against all the moral values the coalition forces stand for'.
Gen. Jim Amos, the Marine Corps commandant said: "The behavior depicted in the video is wholly inconsistent with the high standards of conduct and warrior ethos that we have demonstrated throughout our history. Accordingly, late yesterday I requested that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service pull together a team of their very best agents and immediately assign them responsibility to thoroughly investigate every aspect of the filmed event."
Sen. John McCain, a Navy veteran who fought and was held prisoner in the Vietnam War, said the incident "makes me so sad." McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the Marine Corps one of America's strongest institutions and said its image has apparently been tarnished by "a handful of obviously undisciplined people." "There should be an investigation, and these young people should be punished."
Pentagon spokesman and Navy Capt. John Kirby said: "We are deeply troubled by the video. Whoever it is, and whatever the circumstances -- which we know is under investigation -- it is egregious behaviour and unacceptable for a member of the military."
One of those organizations objecting to this barbaric behavior was CAIR. In a letter faxed to Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote:
"We condemn this apparent desecration of the dead as a violation of our nation's military regulations and of international laws of war prohibiting such disgusting and immoral actions.
"If verified as authentic, the video shows behavior that is totally unbecoming of American military personnel and that could ultimately endanger other soldiers and civilians.
"We trust that this disturbing incident will be promptly investigated in a transparent manner and that appropriate actions will be taken based on the results of that investigation. Any guilty parties must be punished to the full extent allowed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice and by relevant American laws." (More)
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VIDEO: CAIR SAYS MARINES WHO DESECRATED BODIES MUST BE PUNISHED - TOP
Watch the news report here.
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VIDEO: CAIR-SAN DIEGO REACTS TO MARINE VIDEO - TOP
10News.com, 1/12/12
SAN DIEGO -- The Marine Corps has identified two of the four Marines in an Internet video that shows them urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
A Marine official said Thursday that the four seen in the video were members of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, which returned to its home base in North Carolina last fall after a tour in Afghanistan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a criminal investigation is under way.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a prominent Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, is condemning the video and the actions of those involved.
"I was just disgusted because personally, my father served in the United States Navy for over 27 years and I'm from a proud military family and it's very unbecoming of these soldiers to do something that would hurt the image of the United States around the world," said Edgar Hopida, Director of Public Relations at the Council on American-Islamic Relations' San Diego Chapter. (More)
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PANEL HEARS STORIES FROM SOMALIS WHO CALL MINN. THEIR HOME - TOP
Linda Vanderwerf, Associated Press, 1/13/12
WILLMAR -- The story of Somali refugees settling in Willmar is part of the ongoing story of a city and a nation that has been built on immigration.
Stories told Thursday highlighted the similarities and differences between new immigrants and those who arrived a century ago. (More)
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MO: LOCAL MOSQUE'S IMAM CUT FROM NEW CLOTH - TOP
Tim Townsend, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/13/12
Over the last decade or so, Asif Umar has practiced an unusual Ramadan tradition. The 27-year-old St. Charles native, who started last week as the new imam at the largest mosque in the area, celebrates the end of Islam's holiest month by going to a Blues game with his buddies.
"He's a sports junkie," said Umar's friend Nauman Wadalawala, a third-year law student at St. Louis University. "Whenever we go to a Cards game, he always has to wear his Pujols jersey. It's interesting to see this religious scholar, sitting in good seats, with his beard and Cardinals jersey."
Umar, whose parents came to the United States from India in the 1970s, is the first native St. Louisan to lead the Daar-ul-Islam mosque, also known as the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis. He also represents the ascendence of a distinctly American brand of Islam, a new generation of Muslim-Americans who were born in the United States and who spent their teenage years in the often uncomfortable glare of the post-Sept. 11 spotlight. (More)
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