Interstellar News Service

2012-01-27T15:22:00.001-08:00

CAIR-FL: Schools Chairwoman Rejects 'Muslim Threat' Complaints
Finally, after 17 speakers on the topic, and with dozens more anti-CAIR forces in the crowd who didn't speak, school board chairwoman Candy Olson had heard enough. And she unleashed on the group.
CAIR: SFPD's Work with FBI Unit May Get More Scrutiny
The American Civil Liberties Union, the Asian Law Caucus, [CAIR] and other civil rights groups learned of the agreement last year and raised concerns.
CAIR: Anti-Islam Speaker Will Appear in Md. Despite Protests
The groups People for the American Way and [CAIR] have both taken umbrage with Boykin's scheduled appearance.
CAIR-MI: Dearborn Heights Football Players Challenge Charges
[CAIR-MI] held a news conference Tuesday on the basis that the allegations are not true.

MEDIA ADVISORY

CAIR-NY: Coalition to Call for Resignation of NYPD Commissioner Over Anti-Islam Film Cover-Up

(NEW YORK, N.Y., 1/25/12) - On Thursday, January 26, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) -- along with the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC) and other minority and civil liberties groups -- will hold a news conference on the steps of City Hall to call for the resignations of New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Ray Kelly and Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne due to revelations that they covered up their roles in the production of the anti-Islam propaganda film "The Third Jihad" that was shown to almost 1500 NYPD officers.

SEE: NY Times Slams Hateful Anti-Islam Film
CAIR-NY: Mayor Bloomberg Disavows Use of Anti-Muslim Movie in Police Training

WHAT: News Conference to Call for Resignation of NYPD Commissioner Kelly, Deputy Commissioner Browne
WHEN: Thursday, January 26, 11 a.m.
WHERE: Steps of New York City Hall, New York, NY
CONTACT: CAIR-NY Civil Rights Manager Cyrus McGoldrick, 203-206-6883 or 212-870-2002, E-Mail: cmcgoldrick@cair.com

A New York Times article published yesterday stated:

"Commissioner Kelly is listed on the 'Third Jihad' Web site as a 'featured interviewee.' Paul J. Browne, the Police Department's chief spokesman, wrote in an e-mail that filmmakers had lifted the clip from an old interview. The commissioner, Mr. Browne said, has not asked the filmmakers to remove him from its Web site, or to clarify that he had not cooperated with them."

CAIR-NY: In NYPD Training, a Dark Film on U.S. Muslims

But in a follow-up article today, the Times reveals that Kelly and Browne were both involved in the film's production: "Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne told The New York Times on Monday that the filmmakers had relied on old interview clips and had never spoken with the commissioner. On Tuesday, the film's producer, Raphael Shore, e-mailed The Times and provided a date and time for their 90-minute interview with the commissioner at Police Headquarters on March 19, 2007. Told of this e-mail, Mr. Browne revised his account. 'He's right,' Mr. Browne said Tuesday of the producer. 'In fact, I recommended in February 2007 that Commissioner Kelly be interviewed.'"

SEE: In Shift, Police Say Leader Helped With Anti-Islam Film and Now Regrets It (NY Times)

"As leaders of the nation's largest police department, Commissioner Kelly and Deputy Commissioner Browne's actions set a tone for relations with law enforcement that impact American Muslims nationwide," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "The reputation of the NYPD deteriorates with each new revelation of improper actions. It's time for change."

"This controversy has moved beyond an issue of poor judgment in the use of an Islamophobic training film to an issue of the integrity of public officials," said CAIR-NY Civil Rights Manager Cyrus McGoldrick. "The lack of truthfulness exhibited by Commissioner Kelly and Deputy Commissioner Browne means New Yorkers must now question the credibility of every statement they make. This situation necessitates their immediate resignations."

He said this latest revelation comes following a year-long series of misstatements and retractions from Kelly and Browne that indicates a total disregard for the civil rights of American Muslims and a complete lack of respect for one of the city's largest religious communities.

McGoldrick said that when the issue first came to light last year, CAIR-NY called on the NYPD to investigate how the propaganda film came to be used in mandatory counterterrorism training. CAIR-NY also called for new NYPD guidelines to ensure that officer training materials offer only unbiased information about any religious or minority community. Along with the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC), CAIR-NY sent several letters to Commissioner Kelly, but received no response beyond callous dismissals of the allegations as "wrong" and "a non-issue."

SEE: CAIR Asks NYPD to Probe Use of Anti-Muslim Training Film
SEE: Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition

McGoldrick added that a recent series of investigative reports by the Associated Press revealed that undercover NYPD officers in a so-called "Demographics Unit" spied on Muslim communities and houses of worship with the assistance of individuals linked to the CIA. NYPD officials initially denied the Demographics Unit existed, despite the AP's publication of an NYPD presentation and other documents that described the mission and makeup of the unit.

SEE: CIA Lawyer Never Approved NYPD Collaboration that Built Widespread Muslim Spying Programs
AP: NYPD Demographics Unit Presentation

Reports indicate that the NYPD even spied on Muslim leaders who figured prominently in community outreach efforts, and infiltrated Muslim student groups not suspected of committing any crime.

SEE: NYPD Even Spied on the Muslim Leaders Who Were Helping Them
SEE: NYPD Spying on Muslim College Students Now

"The Third Jihad" was produced by the shadowy non-profit group the Clarion Fund. A previous anti-Muslim propaganda film produced by the group and distributed to millions of voters in swing states just prior to the 2008 election was apparently backed by a $17 million donation from a "longtime contributor" to neo-conservatives and militant Israeli groups. The Clarion Fund also has links to the right-wing Israeli group Aish HaTorah.

SEE: Moneyman for Anti-Muslim DVD Campaign Revealed?

The Times article on Tuesday also notes: "[The Clarion Fund's] previous documentary attacking Muslims' 'war on the West' attracted support from the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, a major supporter of Israel who has helped reshape the Republican presidential primary by pouring millions of dollars into a so-called super PAC that backs Newt Gingrich."

SEE: Gingrich's Anti-Muslim Sugar Daddy Funded Film Shown to NYPD

McGoldrick noted that the Obama administration said it would review and reform government training on Islam after CAIR and the other civil rights groups expressed concerns about persistent reports that FBI agents and other government and military officials are trained to view mainstream American Muslims with suspicion and to view the faith of Islam as the source of terrorism and extremism.

SEE: CAIR Calls for Reform of FBI's Training on Islam, Muslims
Manufacturing the Muslim Menace
How We Train Our Cops to Fear Islam
Islam-Bashing Bigots Train Counterterrorism Agents

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.

- END -

CONTACT: CAIR-NY Civil Rights Manager Cyrus McGoldrick, 212-870-2002, or 203-206-6883, E-Mail: cmcgoldrick@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

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Please help support our work.

2012-01-27T15:19:00.001-08:00

CAIR: Anti-Islam Documentary Producer Was Arrested for Impersonating Secret Service Agent (NY Post)
The producer of the controversial anti-Islam documentary featuring Ray Kelly and shown to NYPD recruits was once arrested for impersonating a federal officer, court records show.
- CAIR: Muslims Call for NYPD Chief to Resign Over Movie (AP)
- AP: CIA to Pull Officer from NYPD After Internal Probe
CAIR-OH: Was Arson at Muslim Family's Home a Hate Crime?
[Police and the FBI] are investigating a fire that officials say they believe targeted an Islamic family last week.
CAIR-CT: Immigration Reform Group Delivers Hundreds of Tacos to East Haven Mayor
Mongi Dhaouadi, executive director of [CAIR-CT], said Maturo needs to collaborate with religious and civil leaders in the community in addressing racial discrimination by the police department.
CAIR-FL: School Officials Stand Up to Anti-Islam Bullies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR Joins Vets in Asking West Point to Disinvite Anti-Islam Speaker
Retired Lt. Gen. Boykin says Constitution should not protect Muslims, there should be 'no mosques in America'

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/26/2012) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR) today joined VoteVets.org, a coalition of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, in asking the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to retract an invitation to retired Lieutenant General William G. "Jerry" Boykin to speak at a prayer breakfast at the academy next month.

Boykin believes that "[Islam] should not be protected under the First Amendment," that there should be "no mosques in America" and that there can be no interfaith dialogue or cooperation between Muslims and Christians. He is scheduled to speak at the West Point event on February 8.

SEE: Vets Call on West Point to Cancel Speech by Islamophobic General
Boykin: No Interfaith Dialogue Between Islam and Christianity
Boykin: 'No Mosques in America'
Boykin: Islam Deserves No First Amendment Protections

In a letter sent today to Lieutenant General David H. Huntoon, superintendent of the academy, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote in part:

"In his public speeches, Gen. Boykin promotes a host of false and misleading 'facts' about Islam, including claims that Muslims 'curse Jesus' when they pray and that 'those following the dictates of the Quran are under an obligation to destroy our Constitution.' In reality, Muslims revere Jesus, and Islamic principles require Muslims to respect and follow the law of the land, in this case the Constitution.
"Mr. Boykin's intolerant views do a disservice to our nation's longstanding traditions of religious freedom and pluralism and could potentially harm our country's interests and the security of our troops overseas. By providing a platform associated with West Point, Mr. Boykin's hate-filled rhetoric would receive a level of credibility and legitimacy it does not deserve. We respectfully ask that you reconsider inviting him."

CAIR and People For the American Way objected to a speech Boykin gave earlier today to a mayor's prayer breakfast in Maryland. Hundreds of people contacted city officials to protest Boykin's appearance.

CAIR: Invited for Prayer Breakfast, General Avoids Talk of Islam
CAIR: An Army Officer, Years On, Still a Lightning Rod Wash. Post)
Editorial: Religious Bigotry in Ocean City? (Baltimore Sun)

- END -

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail:ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-27T15:18:00.001-08:00

CAIR: 'Third Jihad' Should Cost NYC Commissioner His Job (CNN)
"They were not telling the truth about their involvement in the propaganda film against Muslims," said Nihad Awad, executive director of [CAIR].
- CAIR: Mayor Says Anti-Muslim Film Caused Damage (NY Times)
  "New Yorkers must now question the credibility of every statement they make," said Cyrus McGoldrick, a manager at [CAIR-NY].
- Video: NYPD Apology Not Enough for Showing Anti-Islam Film (CAIR)

CAIR Action Alert:

Action: Ask West Point to Disinvite Anti-Islam Speaker
Retired Lt. Gen. Boykin says Constitution should not protect Muslims, there should be 'no mosques in America'

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/27/2012) -- CAIR is calling on American Muslims and other people of conscience to contact the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to ask that he rescind an invitation to an anti-Islam speaker, retired Lieutenant General William G. "Jerry" Boykin, who is scheduled to appear February 8 at an academy prayer breakfast.

SEE: Vets Call on West Point to Cancel Speech by Islamophobic General

The military academy says it stands by the decision to host Boykin because it is "in keeping with the broad range of ideas normally considered by our cadets."

"The academy's association with Mr. Boykin's extremist and intolerant views sends a negative message to the cadets and to the Muslim-majority nations in which they may be stationed after graduation," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

Awad sent a letter yesterday to Superintendent Lieutenant General David H. Huntoon asking that the academy's invitation to Boykin be withdrawn.

SEE: CAIR Joins Vets in Asking West Point to Disinvite Anti-Islam Speaker

Awad's letter stated in part:

"Mr. Boykin's intolerant views do a disservice to our nation's longstanding traditions of religious freedom and pluralism and could potentially harm our country's interests and the security of our troops overseas. By providing a platform associated with West Point, Mr. Boykin's hate-filled rhetoric would receive a level of credibility and legitimacy it does not deserve. We respectfully ask that you reconsider inviting him."

CAIR and People For the American Way objected to Boykin's speaking yesterday at a mayor's prayer breakfast in Maryland. Hundreds of people contacted city officials to protest Boykin's appearance.

CAIR: Invited for Prayer Breakfast, General Avoids Talk of Islam
CAIR: An Army Officer, Years On, Still a Lightning Rod (Wash. Post)
Editorial: Religious Bigotry in Ocean City? (Baltimore Sun)

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be respectful and polite.)

CONTACT:

Lieutenant General David H. Huntoon
Superintendent
United States Military Academy
West Point, New York 10996

E-MAIL: webmail@usma.edu
COPY TO: Francis.Demaro@usma.edu, carole.marvin@usma.edu, info@cair.com, christine.ferraiuolo@usma.edu, Theresa.Brinkerhoff@usma.edu, 8pao@usma.edu

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear Superintendent Huntoon:
I respectfully request that the U.S. Military Academy at West Point rescind its invitation to retired Lieutenant General William G. "Jerry" Boykin who is scheduled to speak February 8 at an academy prayer breakfast.
Mr. Boykin is an infamous Islamophobe who believes that "[Islam] should not be protected under the First Amendment," that there should be "no mosques in America" and that there can be no interfaith dialogue or cooperation between Muslims and Christians.
His extremist views are clearly outside the "broad range of ideas normally considered by [y]our cadets."
The academy's association with Mr. Boykin's intolerant views do a disservice to our nation's longstanding traditions of pluralism and will send a negative message to the cadets and to the Muslim-majority nations in which they may be stationed after graduation.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[Sign your name here]

Mail or fax a copy to:

Mr. Leon E. Panetta
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1000

FAX: (703) 571-8951

2012-01-27T15:17:00.001-08:00

Verse of the Day: Speak for Justice
"Show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant." Holy Quran, 7:199
Video: Mass. Vets Stage 'Eat In' to Support Vandalized Iraqi Restaurant
Veterans for Peace decided to take a stand after a vandal threw a 20-pound rock through the window of the Iraqi family-owned Babylon Restaurant in Lowell, Mass., staging a sit-in and speaking out against the presumed hate crime.
- MA: Vets Hold 'Eat-In' to Help Immigrants' Vandalized Restaurant
CAIR-MI MLK Panel Discussion (Detroit Free Press)
With Dawud Walid, director, [CAIR-MI], and Stephanie Jones, president of the Straker Bar Association. 2-4 p.m. Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2630 Featherstone, Auburn Hills.
- CAIR-WA: Wash. State Muslims Mark MLK Day with Civic Engagement
  Muslims Capitol Day will begin at 9 a.m. at the flag circle, sponsored by[CAIR-WA]. There also will be an MLK Day Awareness About Muslims event at 8 a.m. on the Trivoli Fountain South Lawn, sponsored by [ICNA].
CAIR-FL: Columnist Slams One-Man Anti-Muslim Group (Tampa Bay Times)
The Florida Family Association is a cabal of one squirrelly little biblical bully, armed only with an email list of like/narrow-minded self-righteous fellow travelers who wouldn't know the meaning of faith, hope and charity if they tripped over it.
- An Islam-Bashing Bridge Too Far? Not for Pam Geller
  Pam Geller, the Muslim-hating propagandist behind the Atlas Shrugs website, is at it again. Even as U.S. officials recoil in horror, the woman whose blog once suggested that President Obama is the "love child" of Malcolm X is celebrating a video that appears to show U.S. soldiers urinating on dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
IA: Imam, Priest, Rabbi Work Together to Educate
The Inter-religious Dialogue sessions begin Thursday and will be led by Schaab, Imam Saad Baig from the Islamic Center of the Quad-Cities in Moline and Rabbi Tamar Grimm of the Tri-City Jewish Center in Rock Islan

2012-01-27T15:16:00.003-08:00

HADITH OF THE DAY: GOD'S LOVE - TOP

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) quoted God as saying: "My love is obliged to those who love each other for My sake, who sit with each other for My sake, who visit each other for My sake, and who give to each other generously for My sake."

Al-Muwattah, Volume 51, Hadith 15

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MUSLIMS ARE MAIN VICTIMS OF ASSAULTS ON CIVIL LIBERTIES - TOP
Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com, 1/16/2012

In The Washington Post yesterday, Law Professor Jonathan Turley has an Op-Ed in which he identifies ten major, ongoing assaults on core civil liberties in the U.S. Many of these abuses were accelerated during the Bush administration in the wake of 9/11, but all have been vigorously continued and/or expanded by President Obama.

Turley points out that these powers have long been deemed (by the U.S.) as the hallmark of tyranny, and argues that their seizure by the U.S. Government has seriously called into question America's status as a free nation: "They form a mosaic of powers under which our country could be considered, at least in part, authoritarian."

All ten of these powers are ones very familiar to readers here: Assassination of U.S. citizens; Indefinite detention; Arbitrary justice; Warrantless searches; Secret evidence; War crimes; Secret court; Immunity from judicial review; Continual monitoring of citizens; and Extraordinary renditions.

I've written volumes on all of those powers over the last several years, but -- especially today -- I want to focus on one narrow but vital question: who are generally the victims of these civil liberties assaults?

The answer is the same as the one for this related question: who are the prime victims of America's posture of Endless War? Overwhelmingly, the victims are racial, ethnic and religious minorities: specifically, Muslims (both American Muslims and foreign nationals).

And that is a major factor in why these abuses flourish: because those who dominate American political debates perceive, more or less accurately, that they are not directly endangered (at least for now) by this assault on core freedoms and Endless War (all civil liberties abuses in fact endanger all citizens, as they inevitably spread beyond their original targets, but they generally become institutionalized precisely because those outside the originally targeted minority groups react with indifference). (More)

SEE ALSO:

CAIR: MUSLIM STUDENTS FACE SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES - TOP
Christine Pomatto, The Breeze, 1/17/12

Saadia Khan was innocently standing at a bus stop when a woman drove by and flipped her off.

Khan, a fifth-year biology major, moved to the United States from Pakistan with her parents when she was 2 years old. But, there have been times where she felt she was not welcome in the country she has come to call home because of her faith.

It's been more than 10 years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, but Muslims today are still dealing with a lack of understanding when it comes to their faith.

Adebayo Ogundipe, a Muslim from Nigeria and assistant professor in the School of Engineering, said he feels stereotypes are common in any society; anything that's different from the cultural norm will be misconceived.

"The misconceptions are overwhelmingly negative," Ogundipe said.

In the current cultural climate, Ogundipe believes that society develops its perceptions of other people and their faith based on mainstream media.

Ehsan Ahmed, a professor and department head of economics, was born in Pakistan, but has spent most of his time in the U.S. Ahmed said that what's portrayed on television is limited in scope.

"People don't have time to read books or further educate themselves," Ahmed said.

One common misconception about Islam is that it's an ethnicity, not a religion.

"So, you can't really look like you're Muslim," said Dalia Desouky, a Muslim and sophomore double major in international affairs and political science. "There are Muslims in seriously every country on this earth."

According to the Council on American Islamic Relations website, there are an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, an estimated 7 million Muslims live in America. (More)

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AISHA AL-ADAWIYA: DEFENDING AMERICAN MUSLIMS IS KING'S WORK - TOP
Terrell Jermaine Starr, NewsOne, 1/16/2012

Name: Aisha al-Adawiya

Age: 67

City of Residence: New York City

Occupation: Director and Founder of Women in Islam, Inc.

Her Work: al-Adawiya has been active in interfaith-based activism in New York City and the world for more than three decades. While her organization focuses on strengthening the role and voice of women in Islam, al-Adawiya has been very active in defending Muslims against Islamophobia and promoting interfaith unity in New York City.

On Her Brotherly Walk With Dr. King:

The best way to address brotherly (and sisterly) love is to begin in our own families. We have to be the ones to model that for our own constituencies, first of all. If I'm sitting a room and I hear people making racist statements, I will not sit quietly by, but I will speak directly to it. You don't get to do that in my presence. And it doesn't always have to be confrontational. But if you're saying bigoted things about other people not present, I always think that when I leave you could say the same things about me. So let's not do that. And try to think, "Why are we doing that?" And as people of faith, whatever our faiths are, we must ask, "What are our higher callings? Is this something our spiritual elders would encourage us to do?" (More)

SEE ALSO:

CAIR-WA: WASH. STATE MUSLIMS RALLY ON MLK DAY - TOP
Alexis Krell, The News Tribune, 1/16/12

The snow deterred some activists at the Capitol today, but others are braving the elements to lobby lawmakers. ...

Participants in Muslim's Day at the Capitol rallied on the steps for lawmakers to act against Islamophobia and protect basic services from budget cuts. The group spoke with individual legislators, and is seeking support for a proposal it hopes will prevent anti-Sharia laws by clarifying that state and U.S. laws are not threatened by religious or international ones. The Council on American-Islamic Relations sponsored the event. (More)

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CAIR-CHICAGO: FORUM TAKES ON INTOLERANCE - TOP
Ginger Brashinger, Southtown Star, 1/16/12

Boycotting the local Lowe's stores was one suggestion made Sunday night at a forum in Orland Park to discuss the home improvement chain's decision late last year to pull ads from a reality television show about Muslims.

Another suggestion was that "Muslims and their allies" shop at Lowe's and interact with managers and customers to show they are stakeholders in Lowe's decisions.

While the proposed solutions differed widely, many of those who attended the forum -- entitled "The Lowe's Incident: Helping Businesses and Communities Eradicate Hate" -- agreed there's a growing problem with intolerance that must be addressed.

Invoking Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of tolerance and unity, the American Islamic Association of Frankfort and The Prayer Center of Orland Park co-hosted the interfaith, town hall-style meeting, which was attended by about 60 people.

Maaria Mozaffar, a Naperville attorney, organized the meeting to address Lowe's decision to pull ads from The Learning Channel's reality show series, "All-American Muslim." The action came after Lowe's was the target of an email campaign organized by the Florida Family Association, a nonprofit group whose stated purpose is "defending American values." Lowe's has denied it was influenced by the FFA. ...

Amina Shareef, representing the Council on American Islamic Relations Chicago, said "any impact we take here locally needs to be felt by the corporation nationally." Shareef suggested using social media in a movement that would include boycotting Lowe's, a letter-writing campaign, and taking pictures of individuals holding "Boycott Lowe's" signs outside of local Lowe's stores to send to corporate headquarters. (More)

SEE ALSO:

CAIR-CHICAGO: 'LOWES INCIDENT' SPAWNS TOWN HALL ON CORPORATE HATE -TOP
eNews Park Forest, 1/16/12

Orland Park, IL-(ENEWSPF)- What does the decision of Lowes to pull advertising from the TLC show "All American Muslim" mean for the future of Muslim Americans in the media and elsewhere? Why would a Fortune 500 company cater to a small lobby group which sought to distort the image of Muslims in America?

These were among the questions asked Sunday evening at the Prayer Center of Orland Park during a town hall meeting on what many are calling "the Lowes incident." The event was held in commemoration of the anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The town hall meeting was organized by several active and concerned interfaith groups that serve the residents of Illinois. The purpose was to have a detailed and evaluative community discussion regarding the "Lowes incident." ...

Amina Shareef, representing CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, said, "Those groups like the Florida Family Association that stir up these controversies, they are the fringe, and we just need to make sure we work with main-stream Americans, the majority of Americans, level-headed, peaceful, tolerant people, to fulfill our nation's values."

"I don't feel pessimistic about the future," Shareef said. (More)

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CAIR-OK: NATION'S COURTS CAN'T BE RULED BY ANTI-SHARIA FEAR - TOP
Recordnet.com, 1/15/12

There's nothing like inventing a fear to deflect attention. And that's just what Oklahoma politicians did when they put State Question 755 before the voters in 2010.

Question 755 asked Oklahoma voters to protect themselves against a religious intrusion into the state's courts. But not just any religion, this proposed constitutional amendment barred judges from considering international or Islamic law in their decisions. The fact that there'd never been such an assault on the Oklahoma courts by the estimated 6,000-plus Muslims who call the state home was lost on voters there. They approved Question 755 by a 70 percent margin. ...

"This serves as a reminder that these anti-Sharia laws are unconstitutional and that if politicians use fear-mongering and bigotry, the courts won't allow it to last for long," said Muneer Awad of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oklahoma and the man who sued to block the law. (More)

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A MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE ON GOP AND WHY RON PAUL WILL WIN MUSLIM VOTE - TOP
Omar Shaukat, PolicyMic, 1/17/12

Like most Americans, I began thinking about presidential candidates by determining their views on the issues that I cared about the most. Due to my immigrant Muslim-American identity, I was chiefly concerned with social values and foreign policy. But I found it increasingly difficult to choose between the Republicans and the Democrats.

Insofar as the Republicans championed conservative social values, I was attracted to their leadership, and, insofar as the Democrats challenged a hawkish foreign policy, I gravitated towards them. However, when I thought primarily as an American, rather than a Muslim or a humanitarian, I turned Republican because the party represented the moral hope for America, the country where I would like to raise a family. But then I witnessed the rise of Islamophobia through the Republican ranks just prior to the 2008 elections. Colin Powell's denunciation of this sentiment convinced me that as a Muslim-American I should favor the Democrats. My desires for a traditionally religious America were outweighed by the threats and insults I feared as a Muslim-American.

Unfortunately, the Islamophobia continues to grow. Not only has the political culture turned more Islamophobic, it is now expected that the candidates opine on "Sharia." The problem is not that they are not equipped to discuss Sharia, rather that their analyses seem intentionally simplistic and hateful. The two Republican candidates who best capture this tendency are Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. along with being foreign policy hawks, they also cast undue suspicion on Muslim-Americans, presumably thinking that it will get them more votes. Whether their assumption is true or not, I feel so alienated from their platforms that, despite some congruence over issues of public morality, any reconciliation will not be likely in the immediate future. (More)

SEE ALSO:

TURKEY FURIOUS AT PERRY'S TERRORIST ACCUSATION - TOP
Associated Press, 1-17/12

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- United States Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry drew Turkey's ire on Tuesday after suggesting the country is ruled by Islamic terrorists and questioned its NATO membership. (More)

2012-01-27T15:16:00.001-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR Reminds Gingrich that All Faiths are Equal in America
Republican presidential hopeful conditions support for Muslim candidate on rejection of Islamic principles

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/17/12) -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization tonight called on Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrichand other GOP representatives to reaffirm their support of an American republic that treats citizens of all faiths as equals.

Gingrich today told a South Carolina town hall that he would only support a Muslim for the presidency if that person would "commit in public to give up Sharia."

Newt Gingrich: I'd Support a Muslim Running for President Only If They'd Commit to 'Give Up Sharia'

"Newt Gingrich's vision of America segregates our citizens by faith. His outdated political ideas look backward to a time when Catholics and Jews were vilified and their faiths called a threat," said CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor. "The time for bias in American politics has passed and Newt Gingrich looks like a relic of an ugly era."

Saylor added that Sharia teaches marital fidelity, generous charity and a thirst for knowledge. It includes religious guidelines for praying, fasting, giving charity, helping the needy, feeding the hungry, and caring for the environment. "The last time I checked, that was called freedom of religion and it is all protected by the Constitution," said Saylor.

According to Saylor, Sharia literally means "path," and it is a set of interpretations that are dynamic and intended to accommodate the time, place and laws -- like the U.S. Constitution -- of a particular community. Sharia is interpreted differently based on its surroundings. Sharia mandates Muslims to respect the law of the land in which they live. Many familiar with Islam note that Sharia is similar to Catholic Canon law and Jewish Halacha law.

SEE: CAIR-Oklahoma, Understanding Sharia What It is and What It is Not

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit recently upheld a lower court's decision to block implementation of an Oklahoma state constitutional amendment that would prohibit courts from applying "Sharia law" and "international law."

CAIR: Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Blocking Okla. Sharia Ban

In its first annual report on Islamophobia, CAIR listed Gingrich as one of the nation's worst promoters of anti-Muslim bigotry.

CAIR's report stated in part: "A consumer of the Islamophobic narrative produced by others on this list, Gingrich's credibility and visibility as a former House speaker makes his decision to adopt an anti-Muslim line in his pre-2010 election rhetoric dangerous."

CAIR: Same Hate, New Target
Newt Gingrich Compares Mosque to Nazis

A number of other recent reports have documented the growth and promotion of Islamophobia nationwide.

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

-- END –-

CONTACT: CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, E-Mail:csaylor@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-27T15:15:00.005-08:00

CAIR Video Alert: Support Due Process Guarantee Act
CAIR is calling on Muslims and other people of conscience to ask their elected representatives to support the Due Process Guarantee Act, which would bar the military from detaining U.S. citizens without charge or trial.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR Asks FBI to Aid Probe of Fire at Ohio Muslims' Home

(COLUMBUS, OH, 1/18/12) -- The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) today called on the FBI to assist local law enforcement authorities who are investigating the cause of a fire at a Muslim family's home in that state.

CAIR-Ohio said local investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire on Monday in Hilliard, Ohio. The property had been vandalized with anti-Muslim graffiti at least twice, including an incident just two months ago.

"Because of the past bias incidents, we urge the FBI to offer its resources to local law enforcement authorities who are investigating the cause of the fire," said CAIR-Columbus Legal Director Jennifer Nimer.

Nimer said CAIR recently called on law enforcement authorities to investigate a bias motive for an attack on a Texas Muslim in which a portion of the victim's ear was bitten off.

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization has also called for federal hate crime charges to be filed against a man who allegedly said "f*** Osama Bin Laden" during an attack on a Wisconsin man of Moroccan heritage.

CAIR called for similar hate crime charges against a man seeking to "save his country" by allegedly stabbing a faculty member of the University of Illinois College of Law who he thought was "Middle Eastern."

Other recent incidents include the stabbing of a Sikh man at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in California and an assault on Hindu man in San Jose, Calif., by a group of men who called him a "terrorist." (NOTE: Sikh men who wear beards and turbans are often targeted by bigots who mistake them for Muslims.)

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

- END -

CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Staff Attorney Romin Iqbal, 614-451-3232, E-Mail:riqbal@cair.com; CAIR-Columbus Legal Director Jennifer Nimer, 614-451-3232, E-mail:jnimer@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, or 202-488-8787, E-Mail:ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-27T15:15:00.003-08:00

CAIR Director Meets Jordan's King Abdullah in D.C.
CAIR Blasts Gingrich for Bigoted Comments on Sharia (Fox)
[CAIR] on Wednesday condemned Newt Gingrich for saying he would only hire Muslims to his administration if they renounced the use of Islam's Shariah law as a tool for U.S. government.
- CAIR: Islamophobe Frank Gaffney Endorses Gingrich's Anti-Muslim Comments
- Islamophobia Watch: Profile of Anti-Sharia Extremist David Yerushalmi
  On Muslims: "It shall be a felony punishable by 20 years in prison to knowingly act in furtherance of, or to support the, adherence to Islam."
CAIR-NY: Are Muslims Under Fire Here in Queens? (Chronicle)

BREAKING NEWS:

CAIR: Arson at Ohio Muslim Family's Home Probed as Hate Crime

(COLUMBUS, OH, 1/19/12) -- The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) today reported that a fire at a Muslim family's home in that state has been determined to be arson and is being investigated as a possible hate crime.

Yesterday, CAIR-Ohio asked the FBI to help establish the cause of Monday's fire in Hilliard, Ohio, because the property had previously been vandalized with anti-Muslim graffiti at least twice, including an incident just two months ago.

Video: Fire at Ohio Muslim Family's Home was Arson (CAIR)
Authorities Investigate Arson as Possible Hate Crime (Dispatch)
CAIR: Hilliard Police Department News Release on Arson

"Now that we know the fire was arson, we hope a motive can be determined and the perpetrators apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," said CAIR-Ohio Legal Director Jennifer Nimer.

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

- END -

CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Staff Attorney Romin Iqbal, 614-451-3232, E-Mail: riqbal@cair.com; CAIR-Ohio Legal Director Jennifer Nimer, 614-451-3232, E-mail: jnimer@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, or 202-488-8787, E-Mail:ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-27T15:15:00.001-08:00

CAIR Asks Mich. School Not to Host Anti-Muslim 'Charlatan'
CAIR-CT: Conn. Coalition to Urge Reform Following Arrests of Police

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CAIR, PFAW ASK MICH. SCHOOL NOT TO HOST ANTI-MUSLIM 'CHARLATAN' - TOP
Self-proclaimed 'ex-terrorist' called 'fraud' by professor who researched his bizarre and unsubstantiated claims

(SOUTHFIELD, MI, 1/24/12) -- The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) and People for the American Way (PFAW) today asked a school superintendent in Allegan, Mich., not to host a "charlatan" who "spreads hatred and intolerance" at an event this week at a public high school in that state.

CAIR-MI says self-proclaimed "former terrorist" Kamal Saleem, whose real name is reportedly Khodor Shami, is scheduled to speak at the Allegan High School Events Center on Thursday at the invitation of a local political organization called Constituting Michigan-Founding Principles.

SEE: Alleged Former Terrorist Kamal Saleem to Speak in Allegan

In a letter to Allegan Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Harness, CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid and PFAW President Michael B. Keegan challenged Saleem's false and defamatory assertions about Islam and his "ridiculous" claims about his background as an "ex-terrorist" who entered the U.S. illegally.

The letter said, in part:

"While Saleem has every right to his bona fide beliefs, even if bigoted, we believe that the misinformation he conveys about American Muslims as a fifth column in our country is not only inaccurate but also promotes intolerance ... .
"We are asking that you not allow a charlatan that promotes misinformation and division among fellow Americans to use any Allegan school building. Allengan's schools have the intended purpose of educating our youth them to be competitive in a global economy and to embrace the American values of diversity and pluralism. Providing a venue for Saleem runs counter to that purpose."

Saleem has made a number of outlandish and unproven claims about his past as an "ex-terrorist." He recently told an audience in Michigan: "I came to the United States of America not to love you all. I came to be -- exactly -- to destroy this country as a terrorist. We crossed the Canadian border. We brought weapon caches right through cities, through Windsor."

He also claims to have been a member of both the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Muslim Brotherhood when he came to the U.S. in 1979.

Saleem claims that a near-fatal car accident led to his conversion to Christianity but has never identified what city or state the crash occurred.

His bizarre claim that "in my family was the Grand Wazir of Islam" promoted Calvin College history professor Douglas Howard to investigate Saleem's background. [NOTE: The title "Grand Wazir of Islam" has never existed.]

"I concluded this person is a fraud," said Howard after his investigation into Saleem's claims.

Howard says Saleem "preys on people's lack of information and their worries and their fears and their wanting to find a way to justify their own attitudes toward Islam and Middle East policy."

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation reported in 2008 that Saleem worked for Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network for 16 years and in 2006 launched Koome Ministries with the mission to "expose the true agenda of [Muslims] who would deceive our nation and the free nations of the world."

SEE: Self-Declared 'Former Terrorist' Speaks at Agema Rally
Fake 'Ex-Terrorist' Wants Sharia Banned in Missouri (Loonwatch)

Saleem is -- along with Walid Shoebat and Zachariah Anani -- one of the self-described "three ex-terrorists."

CNN aired a two-part series exposing Shoebat as an anti-Islam fraud.

Video: CNN Exposes Walid Shoebat's Terror Training Scam
Part 1, Part 2
SEE ALSO: USAF Pays Fake 'Terrorism Experts' Speakers to Bash Islam?

The third "ex-terrorist," Zachariah Anani, says he is an advocate against what he calls "the violent doctrines of Islam." (Michigan Daily, 1/30/07)

Terrorism experts also cast doubt on Anani's claims. "Mr. Anani's not an individual who rates the slightest degree of credibility, based on the stories that he has told," said Tom Quiggin, Canada's only court-qualified expert on global terror and a former RCMP intelligence and national security expert.

SEE: Doubt Cast On Anani's Terrorist Claims (Windsor Star)

- END -

CONTACT: CAIR-Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-559-2247, 248-842-1418, E-Mail: dwalid@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, or 202-488-8787, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

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CAIR-CT: CONN. COALITION TO URGE REFORM FOLLOWING ARRESTS OF POLICE -TOP

(HARTFORD, CT, 1/24/12) -- On Wednesday, January 25, the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT) will join with the Connecticut Civil Rights Coalition at a press conference to discuss the arrest of four East Haven police officers on federal civil rights charges and to stress the need for reform across the state.

SEE: FBI Arrests 4 East Haven Police Officers

WHEN: Wednesday, January 25, 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Room 1B of the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT

The coalition’s sponsoring organizations include the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, CAIR-CT, the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, the Civic Trust Public Lobbying Company, the Hart Monitor and Trinity College Stop the Raids, as well as Hartford City Councilman Luis Cotto.

MEDIA CONTACTS: CAIR-CT Executive Director Mongi Dhaouadi, 860-514-8038, E-Mail: mdhaouadi@cair.com, Jeanne Leblanc, ACLU of Connecticut, 860-471-8468, jleblanc@acluct.org

- END -

CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-27T15:14:00.003-08:00

Video: Ohio Arson Fire Investigated As Hate Crime (CAIR-OH)
- Video: CAIR Seeks Hate Crime Probe of Arson at Ohio Muslims' Home
CIA Lawyer Never Approved NYPD Muslim Spying Collaboration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR Questions Va. Bill Inspired by Anti-Muslim Racist
Muslim Group calls on House leadership to withhold support for bill

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/20/2012) -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today questioned why the Virginia legislature will hold a hearing on Monday to discuss a bill that was apparently drafted using a template written by David Yerushalmi, an infamous anti-Muslim extremist with a history of controversial views targeting Muslims, Jews, African-Americans, and women.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Virginia General Assembly Delegate Rick L. Morris (R-House District 64) introduced HB 631 on January 11. Morris' bill is clearly based on a template promoted by Yerushalmi in other states.

On Monday, the bill will be considered and possibly voted on by the House Committee for Courts of Justice Subcommittee #2 Civil.

CAIR said the Virginia bill is one of more than 20 similar pieces of legislation that have been introduced in state legislatures nationwide.

SEE: Alabama Anti-Shariah Bill Penned by Key Islamophobe

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit recently upheld a lower court's decisionto block implementation of an Oklahoma state constitutional amendment that had been designed to accomplish the apparent goal of the Virginia bill.

"Bigotry needs to be repudiated, not legitimized through the introduction of a bill that has such hate-filled and un-American origins," said CAIR staff attorney Gadier Abbas.

He called on committee and House of Delegates leaders to withhold any support from the bill.

Abbas said Yerushalmi is head of the anti-Islam hate group Society of Americans for National Existence (SANE), which on its now password-protected website offered a policy proposal that would make "adherence to Islam" punishable by 20 years in prison, called for the immediate deportation of all non-citizen Muslims and urged Congress to declare war on the "Muslim Nation," which SANE defined as "all Muslims."

SEE: A SANE Act to Deal with the Islamic Threat to America's National Existence(SADITANE)

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) named Yerushalmi a member of the "anti-Muslim inner circle."

SANE's mission statement included white supremacist language such as: "America was the handiwork of faithful Christians, mostly men, and almost entirely white." An online SANE article stated: "There is a reason the founding fathers did not give women or black slaves the right to vote." Another SANE article stated: "Race matters and affects your intelligence. Jews are the smartest white people around. Orientals smarter than Whites. Latinos next. Then Blacks."

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) noted that Yerushalmi has "a record of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-black bigotry."

Links to Background Information on David Yerushalmi:
David Yerushalmi: A Driving Force Behind Anti-Sharia Efforts in the U.S.
Meet the White Supremacist Leading the GOP's Anti-Sharia Crusade
The Man Behind the Anti-Shariah Movement (NY Times)
Anti-Islam Activist Yerushalmi Measures Imams' Beards (Forward)
Profile of Anti-Sharia Extremist David Yerushalmi

The New York Jewish Week newspaper reported that Yerushalmi "condemns democracy in the United States and, in comments that evoke classical anti-Semitic stereotypes, says he finds truth in the view that Jews 'destroy their host nations like a fatal parasite.'" (8/24/07)

In a March 2, 2006, article for The American Spectator, Yerushalmi wrote: "Muslim civilization is at war with Judeo-Christian civilization...The Muslim peoples, those committed to Islam as we know it today, are our enemies."

Yerushalmi is also staff attorney for Frank Gaffney, president of the Washington-based Center for Security Policy. Gaffney was a key witness for the plaintiffs in a controversial lawsuit against a mosque being built in Tennessee. Gaffney has also promoted the false belief that President Obama is a Muslim.

Gaffney: Mosques Want 'To Destroy Western Civilization from Within' (Video)
Frank Gaffney Claims Obama 'May Actually Still be' a Muslim

- END -

CONTACT: CAIR Staff Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, E-Mail: gabbas@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-27T15:14:00.001-08:00

CAIR: Va. Bill to Shun Foreign Law in Courts is Anti-Muslim
[CAIR] claimed that legislation by freshman Del. Rick Morris, an Isle of Wight Republican, would prevent courts from applying religious traditions to proceedings, such as the execution of a will, and is based on a template created by anti-Muslim extremists.
CAIR: Md. Mayor's Special Guest Says 'No Mosques in America'
NY: Interfaith Rally Held at Vandalized Mosque

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR to Santorum: Christians, Jews, Muslims Worship the Same God
GOP presidential hopeful claims concept of equality 'doesn't come from Islam,' but from 'the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob'

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/21/12) –- The Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR), the nation's leading Muslim civil liberties organization, today condemned "inaccurate and offensive" remarks by GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, who said yesterday that the concept of equality "doesn't come from Islam" or "Eastern religions." He claimed equality comes from "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

SEE: Santorum Says Equality 'Doesn't Come from Islam' But From 'God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob'

In a statement, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said:

"The Quran, Islam's revealed text, is the best refutation of Mr. Santorum's inaccurate and offensive remarks, which are unbecoming of anyone who hopes to hold our nation's highest office. Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the same God and share religious traditions that promote justice and equality.

"God states in the Quran: 'Say ye: 'We believe in God and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves.' (The Holy Quran, 2:136)

"The Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stress racial and gender equality. The Prophet said: 'All people are equal as the teeth of a comb.'

"As the Prophet said in his last sermon: 'All humankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab. Also, a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor does someone who is black have any superiority over someone who is white -- except by piety and good action.'

"The Prophet once told a companion: 'You are not better than people (of other races) unless you excel them in piety.' (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1361)

"Islam's holy text also promotes gender equality when it states: 'So their Lord answers their prayers, saying: 'I will never let the (good) work of any of you, whether male or female, be wasted. You are members one of another.' (The Holy Quran, 3:195) The Quran also states: 'The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another.' (Quran 9:71)

"The Prophet Muhammad said: 'Whoever has a daughter and does not bury her alive (a pre-Islamic practice forbidden by Islam), does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, God will enter him into Paradise.'

"We suggest that Mr. Santorum educate himself about Islam and the American Muslim community by reading the Quran that we will send to his campaign headquarters next week."

[NOTE: CAIR has an initiative designed to send free copies of the Quran to the nation's opinion leaders and policy-makers. The Qurans are sponsored and distributed through CAIR's ongoing "Explore the Quran" campaign.]

Hooper noted that CAIR recently called on Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and other GOP representatives to reaffirm their support of an American republic that treats citizens of all faiths as equals after Gingrich told a South Carolina town hall that he would only support a Muslim for the presidency if that person would "commit in public to give up Sharia [Islamic principles]."

SEE: CAIR Reminds Gingrich That All Faiths are Equal in America

A number of other 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

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

-- END –-

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-27T15:08:00.003-08:00

CAIR Applauds Supreme Court Ruling on GPS Monitoring
Court says warrantless monitoring violates Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/23/12) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR), the nation's leading Muslim civil liberties organization, today applauded a unanimous ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court stating that warrantless GPS monitoring of suspects violates the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

SEE: Warrants Needed for GPS Monitoring, Supreme Court Rules
You can read the entire decision here.

CAIR said the decision, published this morning, held that the installation of a GPS tracking device on a vehicle by law enforcement authorities constitutes a search as defined by the Fourth Amendment and therefore required a warrant. The decision resolves a conflict among lower courts about whether or not law enforcement agencies should be required to obtain a warrant.

In October of last year, CAIR filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief in the case (United States v. Jones) seeking the court's support for the requirement that a warrant be obtained before placing a GPS tracking device on any individual's vehicle.

You can read the entire CAIR brief here.

"We welcome this decision because it clearly shows that the nation's highest court has recognized that the warrantless use of GPS devices is a violation of Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure," said CAIR Legal Counsel Nadhira Al-Khalili, the attorney of record on CAIR's amicus brief.

She said CAIR's interest in the case stems from a lawsuit it is litigating on behalf of Yasir Afifi, a Santa Clara, Calif., resident who discovered a GPS tracking device placed on his vehicle in October 2010. FBI agents went to Afifi's home two days after the GPS device was discovered to retrieve it and interrogate him.

In March 2011, CAIR filed suit on behalf of Afifi against Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller. In September 2011, that case was stayed pending the Supreme Court's decision.

"This important ruling will serve to protect all Americans from further unchecked assaults on their constitutional rights," said Zahra Billoo, executive director of CAIR's San Francisco Bay Area chapter and Afifi's attorney.

SEE: Caught Spying on Student FBI Demands GPS Tracker Back

CAIR received reports from several American Muslims who have discovered GPS tracking devices on their vehicles. In each of these cases, there has not been a warrant.

- END -

CONTACT: CAIR Legal Counsel Nadhira Al-Khalili, 540-514-2093, E-Mail:nalkhalili@cair.com; CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo, 626-252-0885, E-Mail:zbilloo@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-27T15:08:00.001-08:00

adith: 'Obedience is Required Only in What is Good'
CAIR Asks Md. Mayor to Disinvite Islamophobe (Wash. Post)
- PFAW Calls on Ocean City to Reject Bigotry
CAIR-MI: Stop the Racial Pandering and Stick to Issues
- CAIR-MI: Bogus 'Ex-Terrorist' to Speak
CAIR: Lawyers for Calif. Muslim Hail Ruling on GPS Tracking
CAIR: Virginia Anti-Sharia Law Unconstitutional
- J.C. Watts: 'We've Not Encountered Sharia Law' in Okla.
Video: CAIR-St. Louis Protests Lowes' Decision on Ads
- More Than 200 Turn Out for CAIR-St. Louis Banquet

-----

HADITH OF THE DAY: 'OBEDIENCE IS REQUIRED ONLY IN WHAT IS GOOD' - TOP

A military commander appointed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once issued an improper order to his troops. When the soldiers asked the Prophet about how they should have reacted to the order, he said: "(There is) no obedience (required) for evil deeds. Obedience is required only in what is good."

Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Hadith 363

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CAIR ASKS MD. MAYOR TO DISINVITE ISLAMOPHOBE (WASH. POST) - TOP
Greg Miller, Washington Post, 1/23/12

It's been nearly eight years since then-Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin was reprimanded after giving speeches that cast the war on terror as a crusade against Islam, even while serving as a senior official at the Defense Department.

Boykin has moved on from his long career in special operations and intelligence, but the controversial speeches continue, prompting new complaints from Islamic groups.

Boykin is scheduled to appear Thursday at the city of Ocean City's annual prayer breakfast meeting. A story in the Ocean City Dispatch noted Boykin's involvement in seminal special operations events from the failed attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran to the 1993 operation in Somalia that came to be known as Black Hawk Down.

The story also quotes the organizer of the mayoral event, Bruce Spangler, as saying that Boykin is not only a "soldier's soldier," but also "an expert on Islamic history."

That's not exactly how some Muslims see Boykin, to say the least.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement urging Ocean City Mayor Richard Meehan to disinvite Boykin because of his "long, shameful history of extreme and bigoted views." (More)

SEE ALSO:

PFAW CALLS ON OCEAN CITY TO REJECT BIGOTRY - TOP
People For the American Way, 1/23/12

People for the American Way today called on the Mayor and City Council of Ocean City, Maryland to cancel the invitation to retired Lt. Gen. William "Jerry" Boykin to headline this week's Ocean City Mayor's Prayer Breakfast.

Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way, issued the following statement:

"Lt. Gen. Boykin has made his name by being one of the most bigoted and offensive figures on the national stage. While a top official at the Pentagon, Boykin gave inflammatory speeches framing the war on terror as a holy war against Islam, which earned him public rebukes from many, including President Bush. Since his retirement, Boykin has devoted himself to spreading intolerance of Islam and promoting outlandish and harmful conspiracy theories about President Obama and others.

"By inviting Boykin to speak at a prominent community event, Ocean City officials have effectively endorsed Boykin's hate-filled rhetoric. I hope that the invitation to Boykin was an oversight by city officials. Now that they have Boykin's full record, they should reject bigotry and withdraw Boykin's invitation to speak."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Friday for Ocean City officials to disinvite Boykin. ... (More)

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CAIR-MI: STOP THE RACIAL PANDERING AND STICK TO ISSUES - TOP
Detroit Free Press, 1/23/12

The national Republican establishment needs to address overt and subtle bigoted statements from GOP presidential candidates that are further polarizing our nation.

Though a number of boorish comments have been made during recent months of jockeying for the GOP presidential nomination, many comments made on and around our nation's marking of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day truly show the lack of sensitivity to our country's long history of racial and religious tension and how we need to move forward.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich calling President Barack Obama the "food stamp president" takes us back three decades ago to when the GOP began using code words referring to African Americans as a means of galvanizing support from working-class whites, primarily Southerners.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's black people on welfare comment (he claims to have said bleaugh people), despite the majority of American welfare recipients being white, is but another example of race-baiting to score cheap political points.

And as Santorum in recent months has openly called for Muslims to be profiled by law enforcement even though 94% of domestic terrorism attacks, thwarted or executed, within the last two decades have been committed by persons other than those of the Islamic faith, Gingrich also continues his Sharia fear-mongering discourse while Texas Gov. Rick Perry refers to the government of secular Turkey as "Islamic terrorists."

National Republican leadership should repudiate such racial and religious smearing and encourage presidential candidates to stick to the issues. Without it clearly and openly doing so, it will be seen as complicit in taking America back to a less tolerant time, which was not Dr. King's dream.

Dawud Walid
Executive director Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan (CAIR-MI) Southfield

SEE ALSO:

CAIR-MI: BOGUS 'EX-TERRORIST' TO SPEAK - TOP
Joe Stando, mlive.com, 1/23/12

ALLEGAN -- Allegan County political organization Constituting Michigan-Founding Principles will host a self-proclaimed former terrorist on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Allegan High School Events Center.

Kamal Saleem claims to have been a former Islamic radical and terrorist before converting to Christianity. He has since published a book detailing his experiences and makes regular tours speaking about his life and views.

"He had entered the U.S. and gotten in an accident, and received medical care," said Carol Dannenberg, of Constituting Michigan-Founding Principles. "He thought, 'Wait a minute, I don't want to hurt these people.' He was raised to believe that there was no hope, that killing was a good thing." ...

"I believe he's a complete fraud, and his claims are bogus," said Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR-Michigan, an American-Islamic relations council. "He says he's been reformed by the Holy Ghost. If he were an actual former terrorist who snuck into the U.S., the FBI or immigration services would've detained and deported him by now." (More)

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CAIR: LAWYERS FOR MUSLIM STUDENT HAIL SUPREME COURT RULING ON TRACKING DEVICES - TOP
KTVU.com, 1/23/12

Lawyers for an Arab-American college student from the South Bay hailed Monday's U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring authorities to obtain a search warrant before placing a secret tracking device on a car.

The student, Yasir Afifi, 21, of San Jose, is a U.S. citizen of Middle Eastern descent who was majoring in business marketing at Mission College in Santa Clara at the time of the judge's decision.

On Oct. 3, 2010, he discovered a global positioning system tracking device on the underside of his car after he stopped at a mechanic's shop for an oil change.

Fearing that the black rectangular object might be a bomb, he posted a picture of it on the Internet and learned it was a tracking device.

Two days later, FBI agents appeared at his doorstop to interrogate him and demand that he return the device, according a civil rights lawsuit Afifi filed against the FBI last year in federal court in Washington, D.C.

That lawsuit has been put on hold until the Supreme Court issued Monday's decision in a separate case concerning Washington DC resident Antoine Jones, who was convicted of cocaine conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison after authorities hid a GPS tracking device on his car for 28 days.

The high court said the use of the device amounted to a search and that conducting that search without a warrant from a judge violated the constitutional Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches.

Afifi's lawyers, who are from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the ruling resolves a conflict among lower courts and appears to support their arguments. (More)

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CAIR: VIRGINIA ANTI-SHARIA LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL - TOP
Press TV, 1/23/12

Watch the video here.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says a new law that has been proposed in the State of Virginia is anti-Muslim and unconstitutional.

Titled Morris' HB631, the new bill was introduced by Virginia General Assembly Delegate Rick L. Morris (R-House District 64) on January 11.

"Unfortunately, a state delegate in Virginia, has introduced a piece of legislation that is copied from an extreme anti-Muslim (and) racist who has made a template for such laws nationwide and they have been introduced in more than 20 states and now Virginia and Pennsylvania being the latest," CAIR's National Communications Director, Ibrahim Hooper, has told Press TV's U.S. Desk. (More)

SEE ALSO:

GINGRICH-BACKER J.C. WATTS: 'WE'VE NOT ENCOUNTERED SHARIA LAW' IN OKLAHOMA - TOP
Scott Keyes and Travis Waldron, ThinkProgress, 1/23/12

CHARLESTON, South Carolina -- Former Oklahoma congressman and Newt Gingrich-endorser J.C. Watts conceded late last week that despite his state's push to ban Sharia law, it has never actually existed in the Sooner State.

Gingrich has a long history of Islamophobic statements, from calling supporters of a mosque in New York City "hostile to our civilization" to saying that he would only support Muslim presidential candidates if "they would commit in public to give up Sharia." This last statement earned approval from notable anti-Muslim pseudoexpert Frank Gaffney, who declared on his radio show that "Newt Gingrich has, in my judgment, rendered a real public service." (You can read more about Gaffney and other Islamophobes behind the Sharia hysteria in the Center for American Progress' recent report: Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America.)

Yet for all the furor over the "creep of Sharia law" into the American legal system, it's incredibly difficult to find people who have actually encountered it. (More)

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VIDEO: CAIR-ST. LOUIS PROTESTS LOWES' DECISION TO DROP ADS FROM MUSLIM PROGRAM - TOP

Members of Occupy St. Louis and the Council on American-Islamic Relations joined forces Sunday afternoon to protest outside the Kirkwood Walmart and Lowe's over advertising dispute.

Organizers say they are protesting Lowe's decision to pull its advertising funds from TLC's television series "All-American Muslim". Protesters are accusing Lowe's of pulling the ads after pressure from the Florida Family Association.

Watch the video here.

SEE ALSO:

MORE THAN 200 TURN OUT FOR CAIR-ST. LOUIS BANQUET - TOP

(ST. LOUIS, MO, 1/23/12) -- More than 200 people turned out on Saturday for the first annual CAIR-St. Louis Banquet, with the theme "Making Democracy Work."

CONTACT: CAIR-St. Louis Executive Director Faizan Syed, 636-207-8882, 314-330-2946, E-Mail: info@cair-stlouis.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, or 202-488-8787, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-27T15:07:00.003-08:00

CAIR: Speaker's Views on Islam are Disparaged
People for the American Way and [CAIR] have sent emails to Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, asking him to disinvite Boykin from speaking at Thursday morning's breakfast at the Clarion Hotel.
CAIR-MI: Charges Against Football Players Based on Race
- Live Streaming of CAIR-MI News Conference at 3 p.m.
  A letter approved by [CAIR-MI], the newly formed Arab Civil Rights League and the local chapter of the NAACP has been sent to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy requesting the charges be dismissed.
CAIR-CA: Ruling On GPS Tracking to Impact Bay Area Cases
CAIR-CA: Supervisors Consider Local Control Over Intelligence Gathering
TX: Investigation Shows Prof Created Hostile Environment for Muslim Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Docs Reveal 1500 NYPD Officers Viewed Anti-Muslim Film
Muslim civil rights group asks department for plan to counter misinformation

(NEW YORK, N.Y., 1/24/12) -- The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today called on the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to offer a concrete plan to help counter the misinformation about Islam and Muslims provided to almost 1500 officers through the screening of "The Third Jihad," a notorious anti-Muslim propaganda film.

CAIR-NY is also asking for a review of all NYDP training on Islam and for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly to meet with Muslim community leaders and representatives of other minority and civil liberties groups to discuss allegations of anti-Muslim bias in the department.

The New York Times reports today that, despite NYPD denials last year, the propaganda film "was shown to more than a thousand officers as part of training in the New York Police Department." According to the film's narrator, the "true agenda of much of Islam in America" is to "infiltrate and dominate America ... This is the war you don't know about."

As today's Times article states:

"In January 2011, when news broke that the department had used the film in training, a top police official denied it, then said it had been mistakenly screened 'a couple of times' for a few officers. A year later, police documents obtained under the state's Freedom of Information Law reveal a different reality: 'The Third Jihad,' ... was shown, according to internal police reports, 'on a continuous loop' for between three months and one year of training. During that time, at least 1,489 police officers, from lieutenants to detectives to patrol officers, saw the film."

CAIR-NY: In NYPD Training, a Dark Film on U.S. Muslims

When the issue first came to light last year, CAIR-NY called on the NYPD to investigate how the propaganda film came to be used in mandatory counterterrorism training. CAIR-NY also called for new NYPD guidelines to ensure that officer training materials offer only unbiased information about any religious or minority community. Along with the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC), CAIR-NY sent several letters to Commissioner Kelly, but received little or no response.

SEE: CAIR Asks NYPD to Probe Use of Anti-Muslim Training Film
SEE: Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition

"The NYPD must come up with a concrete plan that will correct the misinformation that has been offered to so many officers. Only transparent accountability can begin to rebuild the Muslim community's trust in the department following this admission and other recent revelations of warrantless spying on innocent Muslims," said CAIR-NY Civil Rights Manager Cyrus McGoldrick. "This example is just part of a pattern of training that gives inaccurate and inflammatory information to law enforcement and security personnel nationwide."

He noted that the Obama administration said it would review and reform government training on Islam after CAIR and the other civil rights groups expressed concerns about persistent reports that FBI agents and other government and military officials are trained to view mainstream American Muslims with suspicion and to view the faith of Islam as the source of terrorism and extremism.

SEE: CAIR Calls for Reform of FBI's Training on Islam, Muslims
Manufacturing the Muslim Menace
How We Train Our Cops to Fear Islam
Islam-Bashing Bigots Train Counterterrorism Agents

McGoldrick added that a recent series of investigative reports by The Associated Pressrevealed that undercover NYPD officers in a so-called "Demographics Unit" spied on Muslim communities and houses of worship with the assistance of individuals linked to the CIA. NYPD officials initially denied the Demographics Unit existed, despite the AP's publication of an NYPD presentation that described the mission and makeup of the unit.

SEE: CIA Lawyer Never Approved NYPD Collaboration that Built Widespread Muslim Spying Programs
AP: NYPD Demographics Unit Presentation

Reports indicate that the NYPD even spied on Muslim leaders who figured prominently in community outreach efforts, and infiltrated Muslim student groups not suspected of committing any crime.

SEE: NYPD Even Spied on the Muslim Leaders Who Were Helping Them
SEE: NYPD Spying on Muslim College Students Now

"The Third Jihad" was produced by the shadowy non-profit group the Clarion Fund. A previous anti-Muslim propaganda film produced by the group and distributed to millions of voters in swing states just prior to the 2008 election was apparently backed by a $17 million donation from a "longtime contributor" to neo-conservatives and militant Israeli groups. The Clarion Fund also has links to the right-wing Israeli group Aish HaTorah.

SEE: Moneyman for Anti-Muslim DVD Campaign Revealed?

Today's Times article also notes: "[The Clarion Fund's] previous documentary attacking Muslims' 'war on the West' attracted support from the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, a major supporter of Israel who has helped reshape the Republican presidential primary by pouring millions of dollars into a so-called super PAC that backs Newt Gingrich."

- END -

2012-01-27T15:07:00.001-08:00

CAIR Asks Mich. School Not to Host Anti-Muslim 'Charlatan'
CAIR-CT: Conn. Coalition to Urge Reform Following Arrests of Police

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CAIR, PFAW ASK MICH. SCHOOL NOT TO HOST ANTI-MUSLIM 'CHARLATAN' - TOP
Self-proclaimed 'ex-terrorist' called 'fraud' by professor who researched his bizarre and unsubstantiated claims

SEE: Alleged Former Terrorist Kamal Saleem to Speak in Allegan

The letter said, in part:

"While Saleem has every right to his bona fide beliefs, even if bigoted, we believe that the misinformation he conveys about American Muslims as a fifth column in our country is not only inaccurate but also promotes intolerance ... .
"We are asking that you not allow a charlatan that promotes misinformation and division among fellow Americans to use any Allegan school building. Allengan's schools have the intended purpose of educating our youth them to be competitive in a global economy and to embrace the American values of diversity and pluralism. Providing a venue for Saleem runs counter to that purpose."

He also claims to have been a member of both the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Muslim Brotherhood when he came to the U.S. in 1979.

Saleem claims that a near-fatal car accident led to his conversion to Christianity but has never identified what city or state the crash occurred.

"I concluded this person is a fraud," said Howard after his investigation into Saleem's claims.

Howard says Saleem "preys on people's lack of information and their worries and their fears and their wanting to find a way to justify their own attitudes toward Islam and Middle East policy."

SEE: Self-Declared 'Former Terrorist' Speaks at Agema Rally
Fake 'Ex-Terrorist' Wants Sharia Banned in Missouri (Loonwatch)

Saleem is -- along with Walid Shoebat and Zachariah Anani -- one of the self-described "three ex-terrorists."

CNN aired a two-part series exposing Shoebat as an anti-Islam fraud.

Video: CNN Exposes Walid Shoebat's Terror Training Scam
Part 1, Part 2
SEE ALSO: USAF Pays Fake 'Terrorism Experts' Speakers to Bash Islam?

The third "ex-terrorist," Zachariah Anani, says he is an advocate against what he calls "the violent doctrines of Islam." (Michigan Daily, 1/30/07)

SEE: Doubt Cast On Anani's Terrorist Claims (Windsor Star)

- END -

-----

CAIR-CT: CONN. COALITION TO URGE REFORM FOLLOWING ARRESTS OF POLICE -TOP

SEE: FBI Arrests 4 East Haven Police Officers

WHEN: Wednesday, January 25, 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Room 1B of the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT

MEDIA CONTACTS: CAIR-CT Executive Director Mongi Dhaouadi, 860-514-8038, E-Mail: mdhaouadi@cair.com, Jeanne Leblanc, ACLU of Connecticut, 860-471-8468, jleblanc@acluct.org

- END -

2012-01-15T11:59:00.001-08:00

Verse: God is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth
CAIR: Muslims Played Key Role in Snagging Fla. Terror Suspect
- CAIR: Fla. Muslims Credited with Tip on Plot Suspect (Video)
- Video: CAIR-FL Rep Says Suspect Had No Understanding of Islam
CAIR: Federal Court Deals Blow to Anti-Shariah Efforts (MSNBC)
- Video: CAIR Rep Behind Lawsuit Reacts to Okla. Sharia Ruling
- CAIR-OK: Court Upholds Injunction Against Shariah Law Ban
- CAIR: Court Reminds Okla. It Can't Discriminate Against Muslims
Video: CAIR Works with Japanese-American Community
Audio: CAIR Rep Discusses Military Detention of U.S. Citizens
PA: Religious Right Targets Muslims' School Prayers
- MO: Muslim Doctors Open Free Clinic
More Murder of Iranian Scientists: Still Terrorism? (Salon)

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VERSE OF THE DAY: GOD IS THE LIGHT OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH - TOP

"God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche, and within it a lamp; the Lamp enclosed in Glass; the glass a brilliant star, lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive neither of the East nor of the West whose Oil is well-nigh luminous though fire scarce touched it. Light upon Light! God doth guide whom He will to His Light."

The Holy Quran, 24:35

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CAIR: MUSLIMS PLAYED KEY ROLE IN SNAGGING FLA. TERROR SUSPECT - TOP
St. Petersburg Times editorial board, St. Petersburg Times, 1/11/12

It was the Muslim community that helped the FBI snag terror suspect Sami Osmakac, the man accused of planning to bomb public buildings in the Tampa Bay area. That should not be forgotten as this case unfolds. Too often the threats of an extremist are extended to the broader Muslim community, which can lead to prejudice and discrimination. Just look at the objections to the Muslim leader who was invited to speak at a Hillsborough high school history class. Osmakac's case is a reminder that the Muslim community often partners with law enforcement, identifying dangerous extremists. The nation would be less safe without that help.

The allegations against Osmakac, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Kosovo, are stunning. According to the federal complaint, Osmakac plotted to carry out car bomb attacks, including at nightclubs in Ybor City. His intention, according to the FBI, was to do something "terrifying" in order to avenge the perceived mistreatment of Muslims. But Osmakac was considered no friend of the Tampa Bay Muslim community. His extremist rhetoric and intimidating behavior had already made him an outcast.

Osmakac was apparently banned by two area mosques, and police were called by the Islamic Society of Pinellas County, a mosque in Pinellas Park, to issue a trespass warning against him. Ahmed Bedier, founder of United Voices for America, a nonprofit group promoting Muslim participation in politics, said that he reported Osmakac to police and the FBI due to his behavior.

And thanks to an informant, who contacted the FBI in September to say that Osmakac had come to his or her business trying to find a flag that represented al-Qaida, Osmakac fully registered on the FBI's radar, according to the federal complaint. That informant became a linchpin of the investigation, introducing Osmakac to a connection who was an FBI undercover agent, so federal agents could track his activities.

It is these efforts by the larger Muslim community to subdue Osmakac and alert authorities that should stick in the mind when his name gets mentioned. (More)

SEE ALSO:

CAIR: FLA. MUSLIMS GRATEFUL FOR RECOGNITION IN FOILING PLOT (VIDEO) - TOP
Eric Glasser, WTSP, 1/10/12

Watch the video here.

Tampa, Florida -- Sami Osmakac, 25, may not be the only person the feds have their eyes on in the Bay area.

People in the Islamic community, praised for their role in helping to foil Osmakac's alleged terror plot, say the Pinellas Park man had three or four associates who were also asked to leave local mosques for their radical, disruptive behavior. They believe those associates have views as radical as Osmakac's, and the FBI should keep an eye on them.

Before ever showing up on the government's radar screen, Sami Osmakac was already know to Tampa Bay's Muslim community.

He was thrown out of two local mosques, and rejected by several others for what were perceived as "radical views, disruptive behavior, intimidating other worshipers, you know - getting into arguments with people," said Ahmed Bedier, a Muslim community activist.

Bedier says Osmakac physically threatened him for promoting Muslim participation in the democratic process, even calling him an infidel.

He and other Islamic leaders brought Osmakac to the government's attention nearly two years ago, but heard nothing until recently about his arrest. The government said it had been tracking Osmakac since last fall, leaving some to wonder what took so long? (More)

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VIDEO: CAIR-FL REP SAYS SUSPECT 'HAD NO UNDERSTANDING OF MUSLIM FAITH' -TOP
FOX13, 1/11/12

TAMPA - Terror suspect Sami Osmakac frightened many members of Tampa Bay's Islamic community, and in turn, members reported him to authorities.

The FBI said, in fact, Osmakac had turned radical.

Agents say they uncovered a chilling plan to kill with car bombs and grenades in Tampa.

CAIR executive director Hassan Shibly says preventing religious extremism is possible.

"Maybe we can work towards having a program where we can stop radicalization early on and work with law enforcement and the community to educate our youth," said Shibly. "I think the problem with this kid is that he was disturbed and he had no understanding of the Muslim faith."

Watch the video here.

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CAIR: FEDERAL COURT DEALS BLOW TO ANTI-SHARIAH EFFORTS (MSNBC) - TOP
Kari Huus, msnbc.com, 1/11/12

In a decision that Muslim legal advocates celebrated as a major win, a federal appeals court on Tuesday agreed with a lower court that blocked an Oklahoma law that would have barred state courts from considering or using Shariah law -- the Islamic code of conduct.

The law would likely dampen similar legislation proposed in at least 20 U.S. states over the last couple of years, said Noah Feldman, professor of law at Harvard University.

The decision "should have a good, positive, desirable chilling effect," said Feldman. "It should tell people in those jurisdictions that (similar laws) almost all will be judged unconstitutional."

In the November 2010 election, Oklahomans voted overwhelmingly for referendum SQ 755 -- described by its author, Rep. Rex Duncan, as "a preemptive strike against Sharia Law coming to Oklahoma."

The amendment stated that: "The courts shall not look to the legal precepts of other nations or cultures. Specifically, the courts shall not consider international law or Sharia law."

Muslim challenged law
A lawsuit filed two days after the election by Oklahoma resident Muneer Awad, a Muslim, charged that the law violated his First Amendment rights. In addition to stigmatizing him and other Muslims, Awad argued, the amendment would invalidate his last will and testament, which made reference to Islamic writings.

A federal judge in Oklahoma agreed that the amendment was most likely unconstitutional and granted a permanent injunction preventing its implementation until a final determination could be made.

On Tuesday, a judge for the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colo., agreed with the lower court and upheld the injunction -- rejecting an appeal by the state of Oklahoma.

"Because the amendment discriminates among religions, it is 'suspect,'" the higher court ruled, "and 'we apply strict scrutiny in adjudging its constitutionality.'"

The case returns to Oklahoma for a final determination, but the circuit court decision was met with enthusiasm by Muslim civil rights advocates.

"The decision today is an extremely strong signal that the Oklahoma anti-Muslim amendment will be stricken," said Gadeir Abbas, staff attorney for the Council on American Islamic Relations, who wrote the lawsuit.

"It's not as if the 10th circuit is a bastion of left-wing activism," he said. "This is coming from a very conservative court ... It is unequivocal that there are really serious, very clear violations of the constitution that this amendment poses." (More)

SEE ALSO:

VIDEO: CAIR REP BEHIND LAWSUIT REACTS TO OKLA. SHARIA RULING - TOP
NewsOn6.com, 1/10/12

Watch the video here.

OKLAHOMA CITY - A federal appeals court upheld a temporary stop to our state's ban on sharia law.

Voters overwhelmingly passed the constitutional amendment in November 2010, but it still hasn't gone into effect because of a fierce court battle.

The amendment bans state courts from considering international and Islamic - or Sharia - Law, when deciding cases.

The man suing the state says Oklahomans were asked to vote on something that was unconstitutional.

Muneer Awad has been fighting for this day for more than a year and the fight's not over.

"We're just hopeful that we can carry the momentum to continue to show politicians that this type of legislation, legislation that targets religious minorities, is unconstitutional," Awad said.

Awad is the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oklahoma. He filed a lawsuit that claims banning Sharia Law targets Muslims.

"It demonized Muslims by saying they are somehow a unique threat to the state of Oklahoma. The law says that on its face," Awad said. (More)

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CAIR-OK: COURT UPHOLDS INJUNCTION AGAINST SHARIAH LAW BAN - TOP
Robert Boczkiewicz, Tulsa World, 1/11/12

DENVER - An appeals court on Tuesday said Oklahoma's ban on the consideration of Islamic Shariah law in the state's courts "is likely unconstitutional" and kept in place an injunction against the voter-approved measure.

"While the public has an interest in the will of the voters being carried out ... the public has a more profound and long-term interest in upholding an individual's constitutional rights," the 10th U.S. Court of Appeals said.

The Denver-based court ruled 3-0 that the rights of an Oklahoma City Muslim, Muneer Awad, likely would be violated if the ban on Shariah law takes effect.

"When the law that voters wish to enact is likely unconstitutional, their interests do not outweigh Mr. Awad's in having his constitutional rights protected," the judges wrote in a 37-page decision.

Awad sued to block the "Save Our State" constitutional amendment, approved by 70 percent of Oklahoma voters on Nov. 2, 2010.

The measure, also known as State Question 775, bars Oklahoma state courts from considering or using Shariah law.

Awad contended the measure stigmatizes him and others who practice the Muslim faith, limits results Muslims can obtain from the courts and would prevent his last will and testament from being probated in Oklahoma because the will has references to Shariah law. (More)

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CAIR: COURT REMINDS OKLAHOMA IT CAN'T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST MUSLIMS -TOP
Bud Kennedy, Star-Telegram, 1/10/12

Thank goodness for Oklahoma.

Every time Texas begins to feel like some remote backwater -- say, during a presidential campaign -- Oklahoma is right there to make Texans feel downright civilized.

In the latest example of Oklahomans Gone Wild, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Sooner State can't ban courts from considering Islamic law.

An Oklahoma City lawyer, Muneer Awad, argued successfully that an "anti-Shariah" constitutional amendment discriminates against Muslim residents. He said it prevents courts from even probating a will if it mentions Islam.

State lawyers argued that the amendment was never meant to single out Islam or deprive Muslims of religious freedom.

Gosh.

That must be why the ballot proposal -- spelled Oklahoma-style -- forbids "using Sharia Law" and even added, "Sharia Law is Islamic Law ... the Koran and the teachings of Mohammed." (More)

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VIDEO: CAIR WORKS WITH JAPANESE-AMERICAN COMMUNITY - TOP

This is the first 5 minutes of the Passing Down the Legacy documentary. Watch the videohere.

Passing Down the Legacy follows the Bridging Communities youth program in Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco. This program was established as a proactive response by Japanese American Citizens League, Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress and Council on American-Islamic Relations to a number of incidents of hate and intolerance incurred by the American Muslim community in the long aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. R

ecognizing the similarities that Japanese Americans faced in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor ultimately resulting in Japanese American incarceration, Bridging Communities was meant to build solidarity and partnership between these two communities. This documentary captures the culmination of the program as the students visit Manzanar, Tule Lake and Minidoka where they must face history, connect to the present and learn the importance of taking action for the future.

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AUDIO: CAIR REP DISCUSSES MILITARY DETENTION OF U.S. CITIZENS - TOP
KBOO, 1/10/12

Listen to the interview here.

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PA: RELIGIOUS RIGHT TARGETS MUSLIMS' SCHOOL PRAYERS - TOP
Simon Brown, Opposing Views, 1/11/12

Religious Right zealots are always griping when they think public schools are infringing on Christian students' religious expression, but if there is even a hint that a Muslim student might be praying in school, they get very upset.

In the West Shore School District near Harrisburg, Pa., some parents have been getting pretty angry that Muslim children might be allowed to pray during school hours - even though it hasn't even been confirmed that any students are actually praying.

The "controversy" apparently arose when a district parent was on WHP 580 with talk radio host Bob Durgin and claimed that a multicultural awareness training session at West Shore included a discussion of Muslim prayer in schools.

Durgin, a right-wing agitator and Bill O'Reilly wannabe, went on to do several shows on the topic, and apparently he touched a nerve with some listeners.

According to the Harrisburg Patriot-News, one woman who called the newspaper said she thought Muslim students had received special privileges. The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said students are forbidden from singing religious songs at holiday concerts.

"It's accommodating one religion in lieu of all the others," she said.

Not exactly. (More)

SEE ALSO:

MO: MUSLIM DOCTORS OPEN FREE CLINIC - TOP
Mary Shapiro, Metro St. Louis Suburban Journals, 1/11/12

Athar Khan, of O'Fallon, Mo., had no insurance and no clue where to go when he started having knee pain.

"But I found out about the new Volunteers in Medicine West County Clinic through my mosque," he said Sunday afternoon, as he sat in the waiting room of the clinic in Manchester.

"If I didn't come here, I would have had to go to a hospital emergency room. I'm very glad they're here."

Helping those in the community and taking some of the pressure off jammed hospital emergency rooms are the goals of the new clinic, which is operated by medical and non-medical volunteers.

It's a public health project of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis, which pitches in by paying rent for the clinic offices. Many of the volunteers attend the mosque.

The two-month-old clinic is open from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays and offers free, non-emergency primary health care for uninsured, low-income people aged 18 to 64. (More)

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MORE MURDER OF IRANIAN SCIENTISTS: STILL TERRORISM? - TOP
Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com, 1/11/12

In general, the American covert war against Iran is extraordinarily dangerous and probably illegal (it's certainly unauthorized), but in particular, the assassination of Iran's scientists is just reprehensible. Now that it's actually happening, one wishes the reaction to it were even partially as aggressive as it was when a right-wing blogger suggested it. (More)

2012-01-15T11:58:00.001-08:00

NY: Long Island Man Charged with Mosque Vandalism

BREAKING NEWS:

CAIR Condemns Alleged Desecration of Bodies by U.S. Marines
Video shows Marines in combat gear urinating on 'Taliban' corpses

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/11/12) -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today condemned the alleged desecration of corpses in Afghanistan by members of the U.S. Marines.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said video on the TMZ website appears to show a number of Marines in combat gear urinating on several dead bodies. The person who reportedly distributed the video stated that it shows Marines from Camp Lejeune urinating on dead Taliban. A Marine Corps spokesperson said the incident allegedly shown in the video will be investigated.

SEE: U.S. Marines to Investigate Video of Soldiers Urinating on Corpses

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."

-- END --

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail:ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

2012-01-15T11:56:00.001-08:00

Muslim Who Claims Harassment Sues Conn. University
A Muslim woman is suing the University of Bridgeport, alleging that the school failed to investigate her claims that a fellow student sexually harassed her and instead retaliated by reporting her to the FBI based on a false claim that she was a terrorist.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR: Tea Party Speaker Says She 'Loves' Marines Who Desecrated Corpses

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/12/12) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR) today condemned remarks by Pamela Geller, the leader of an anti-Muslim hate group and a frequent speaker at Tea Party events, applauding the alleged desecration of Afghan corpses by U.S. Marines.

On her hate blog, Geller wrote in response to CAIR's condemnation of the desecration: "I love these Marines. Perhaps this is the infidel interpretation of the Islamic ritual of washing and preparing the body for burial."

SEE: Screen Shot of Pam Geller's Post

While Geller praised the desecration video, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called it "utterly deplorable." CAIR yesterday expressed concern that enemies of the United States will use the video to further their anti-American goals.

Hate-filled comments on Geller's post included:

"I've never been prouder to be an American!"
"My heroes!! Best video I've seen in awhile :)"
"Nicest movie I've seen in years."
"These sick mutts need to be urinated on. Defecated on too."
"Have you burned a Koran today. All around the campfire. Burn, baby, burn."
"The marines should have dumped the bodies in PIG BLOOD; soaked those bodies, in PIG BLOOD."
"Looked to me as though the marines were showing respect. They had their heads bowed and observed silence while rinsing off the corpses."

Desecration by urination is a favorite Geller theme. She has posted images on her blog that include a fake photo of President Obama urinating on an American flag.

Another image posted by Geller, headlined "Piss Be Upon Him," showed one of the controversial Danish cartoons of the prophet covered in urine. ("Piss Be Upon Him" is designed to mock the traditional phrase "Peace Be Upon Him" that Muslims use when mentioning any prophet of God, including Abraham and Jesus.)

Earlier this year, CAIR thanked Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Governor Rick Scott for declining to speak at a Florida Tea Party convention that featured a presentation by Geller and another Islamophobe. Two hotels, one in Texas and another in Tennessee, dropped scheduled Tea Party and anti-Muslim events that featured Geller as a speaker.

Another Hotel Turns Away Pamela Geller and Anti-Shariah Group

Geller is co-founder of Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), an organizationdesignated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and author of a new book offering step-by-step instructions on how to stop mosque construction in American communities. The SPLC named Geller as a member of the "anti-Muslim inner circle."

Geller has bragged that she uses a Quran, Islam's holy text, as a doorstop. She claims that "Hitler and the Nazis were inspired by Islam" and that Islam "mandates" lies and deception. In a 2010 blog entry, Geller posted a video claiming that Muslims engage in bestiality. Her hate blog was cited frequently by the terrorist who went on a killing spree last year in Norway.

SEE: Pamela Geller: The Looniest Blogger Ever

According to Geller, Muslim groups "control information and how it is processed at senior levels of the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon, and the various branches of the military."

Video: TV Host Exposes Pamela Geller's Anti-Muslim Bigotry
SIOA is an Anti-Muslim Hate Group

-- END --

2012-01-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

Verse: Qualities of the Righteous
CAIR-PA: What Does 'Sharia Law' Ruling Mean for PA Legislation?
- CAIR-WA: Muslims to Attend Lobby Day in Olympia on MLK Day
- CAIR-CA: Muslims Offer Forgiveness for Mosque Vandalism
CAIR: Anti-Muslim Blogger Says, 'I Love These Marines'
- CAIR: Anti-Muslim Blogger 'Loves' Marines Peeing on Corpses
- CAIR: Pam Geller's Praise for Desecration is Not 'Funny'
Video: CAIR Says Marines Who Desecrated Bodies Must Be Punished
- Video: CAIR-San Diego Reacts to Marine Video
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

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)