An American Muslim Journal

AmericanMuslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT) Calls for Probe Into FBI Shooting Death of Luqman Ameen Abdullah

A coalition of local and national organizations which includes the American Muslim Alliance (AMA), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), MAS-Freedom, Muslim Students Association - National (MSA-N), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), and United Muslims of America (UMA) issued a statement and press release earlier today calling for a probe of the shooting death of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah.

In the press release AMT states:

It is imperative that an independent investigation of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah's death make public the exact circumstances in which he died.

Locally, in the Chicagoland region at least one prominent American Muslim leader from the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago consultative body is urging the community's leaders to also make some noise in order to bring about an independent investigation of the shooting death of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah.  The crux of this leader's argument seems to be that since there is a presumption of innocence and Imam Luqman had not yet been proven guilty, the FBI shot and killed an innocent man.

In an email exhorting other Chicagoland leaders to step up in calling for an investigation into Imam Luqman's shooting this leader ridiculed the notion that Imam Luqman was anything but a peaceful man who fed the hungry, sheltered the homeless and worked for the community.  If Imam Luqman was looking to wage a war on America why hadn't he done it yet asked the local leader rhetorically?  Clearly Imam Luqman has at least one very passionate supporter in the Chicagoland leadership.

Others who were perhaps more close to Imam Luqman did not sanitize Imam Luqman's beliefs quite as much.  Dr. Ihsan Bagby, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of Kentucky and a board member of the Muslim Alliance in North America (a national African American Muslim institution on whose board Imam Luqman sat), reportedly told the Detroit News that Imam Luqman's organization - Ummah - is anti-government but does not advocate violence.

Many American Muslim leaders seem to want an independent investigation into th shooting death of Imam Luqman.  The facts surrounding this shooting support the call for an independent investigation.  Furthermore and under the circumstances, an independent investigation is an absolute must if the FBI is to regain/retain credibility with the American Muslim community.

The 43 page affidavit by FBI Special Agent Leone notes in multiple places, based on transcripts of audio recordings of conversations with Imam Luqman (purportedly recorded by undercover informants and without Imam Luqman's knowledge) that he was frequently armed, sometimes wore a bulletproof vest and spoke of dying in a shoot out rather than being arrested if he were ever confronted by law enforcement.  Regardless of whether or not these claims by Imam Luqman were true, clearly the FBI was on notice that this man may very well put up  a deadly struggle.  As such, why didn't they attempt to arrest Imam Luqman in a setting that would have lessened the chances of deadly shootout taking place?

One cannot help but think of the recent "raid" on a slaughterhouse in Kinsman, Illinois (this raid was in connection with the then sealed indictment against Tahawwur H. Rana on charges of providing material support to a terrorism conspiracy).  Unlike the move on Imam Luqman in Detroit which was based on an arrest warrat, the action on the slaughterhouse in downstate Illinois was based on a search warrant.  According to local news reports including eye witness accounts the FBI had a used a massive show of force including nearly 100 agents and even a helicopter.

It may be reasonable to assume that the FBI used a large team of agents and resources as a deterrent for anyone at the Kinsman, Illinois slaughterhouse who may want to resist the execution of the search warrant.  To a lay person this strategy of overwhelming force in order to protect law enforcement agents might make sense.  Furthermore, this strategy, whether it is so intended or not, has the benefit of protecting the lives of individuals upon whom the search warrant is served by deterring them for even trying to resist.

So, if a search warrant merits a small army of federal agents, then why would an arrest warrant (which seems to be a far more serious matter than a search warrant) not merit similar or even greater precautions and deterrence measures?  What did the attempted execution of the warrant on Imam Luqman and the others named in the arrest warrant look like?  Why has this not been discussed by the media thus far?

Also, given that the FBI believed, based on what they purportedly heard from two years worth of audio recordings and informant statements, that Imam Luqman is armed and is likely to resist arrest with deadly force, why did the FBI not attempt to arrest Imam Luqman in a setting where there was a greater element of surprise and where he had fewer options to flee?

Lastly, there remains the question of whether or not deadly force was necessary.  The news reports are not clear as to what exactly Imam Luqman did or did not do.  It is known that an FBI dog was shot and killed.  Reportedly the dog was killed by Imam Luqman.  Did the FBI agents kill Imam Luqman in a moment of retaliation in an already tense and deadly situation?

These and other and better questions need to be answered in a independent investigation of the shooting death of Imam Luqman.  American Muslim leaders have a responsibility to mobilize a grassroots civil action campaign to pressure the FBI into conducting an independent investigation. 

The credibility of the FBI within sectors of the American Muslim community is abysmally low as a result of its policy and program of conducting "assessments" of potential threats by "proactively" pursuing leads that take undercover FBI informants into otherwise legitimate, lawful and constitutionally protected gatherings (this policy was revealed with Muslim Advocates and other civil liberties groups recently successfully sued to get the FBI to turnover some of it surveillence policies).  The shooting death of Imam Luqman has the potential of escalating skepticism of the FBI's motives to the kind of deep-seeded distrust and even contempt or hate of the FBI as Imam Luqman was portrayed as having in the affidavit of Special Agent Leone.

This is not acceptable.  It is not acceptable for the FBI and the American Muslim community to be at odds with one another.  Like it or not, there are real threats out there.  There are people who wish to bomb and kill and terrorize Americans in America for political gain.  We know very well that the people who are responsible for this wanton violence are indiscriminate in their attacks and have no qualms about killing Muslims.  That means American Muslims are at as great a risk of being victims of future terrorist attacks as anyone.

At the same time, if the terrorists wish to use American Muslim institutions and resources and try to recruit within the American Muslim community, then it is imperative that there be a strong relationship between law enforcement and the American Muslim community based on mutual trust and respect.  American Muslims cannot possibly know what to look for and how to detect clues to extremist operations without the help and support of law enforcement (including the FBI).

An independent investigation into the shooting death of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah is a must for all of the foregoing reasons.  It is the right thing to do and it is the pragmatic thing to do as well.

Luqman Ameen Abdullah, David Coleman Headley, Tahawwur Rana, Najibullah Zazi, Ali al-Marri, Tarek Mehanna, Michael C. Finton aka "Talib Islam"

Luqman Ameen Abdullah.  David Coleman Headley.  Tahawwur Hussain Rana.  Najibullah Zazi.  Ali al-Marri.  Tarek Mehanna.  Michael C. Finton.  These names are dominating the headlines

These names and their stories are not what I want to focus on.  What I want to spend time on is my family.  I want to use some of my free time to do something meaningful and substantive on an issue like homelessness.  I want to take some time to deepen my knowledge about Islam and about other faiths.

But who has time for any of that?  There is little time for anything meaningful when so much time is spent reading about and then responding to allegation after allegation of American Muslims being arrested and prosecuted for alleged terrorism plots or for criminal enterprises.

And that's likely the case for a lot of American Muslims, and that is a shame for everyone.  There is a lot of time and energy being sucked up by the demands these cases are putting on honest, law-abiding American Muslims that is really needed for other important issues. 

It is not just the cases being brought against American Muslims that is forcing our community to redirect its energies away from issues that impact the common good.  It is also the constant flow of anti-Muslim rhetoric that comes from politicians (Sue Myrick's Freaky Foursome), rabid Islamophobes on the airwaves on on the internet, the FBI's aggressive information gathering on otherwise lawful activities in an effort to "proactively" develop "assessments" about whether people or organizations are involved in national security threats and on and on.

These cases have a deleterious effect on our leaders as well.  Knowing that so many cases have come before these new ones with a lot of hype about the terrorism charges but then fizzling into plea bargains resulting in relatively harmless non-terrorism charges, leaders in the American Muslim community take a very dim view of U.S. Attorneys' claims.  Often American Muslims focus on the excesses of law enforcement and on unconstitutional laws like the PATRIOT Act and the biases that underpin the investigations involving American Muslims.

I concur with the concerns of American Muslim leaders.  These concerns are real.  They are not, however, the only issues we should be thinking about when we hear about the allegations against individuals like Tarek Mehanna, Michael C. Finton (aka Talib Islam) and others.  Shouldn't the allegations also scare us?  After all, if these allegations are true then our family members might easily be among the innocent victims of these plots.

The mantra on our listservs is "innocent until proven guilty" when news of these cases become known.  It amazes me, as a former public defender, to hear people talking about "innocent until proven guilty" when some of these same people openly question the permissibility in Islam of defending alleged drug dealers and alleged pimps and alleged prostitutes (are they not entitled to the same presumption?).  I am committed to the principle of "presumed innocence" but I am more than a little skeptical of some of my co-religionists' apparent shared conviction.

I want to ask my friends within the American Muslim leadership if they would be so keen on focusing on the presumption of innocence if the alleged plot turned out to be against Muslims and the alleged would-be attacker were a neo-Nazi or a skinhead or some other violent anti-Muslim criminal?  In another post on this blog I recently wrote this:

A very disturbing story broke during the day today about a would-be terrorist in Boston who is Muslim.  His name is Tarek Mehanna.  He was born and raised in the U.S., and among other allegations Mehanna supposedly conspired to kill civilians with assault rifles in malls.

How should I react?

First, I’m going to imagine that he is not a Muslim.  Next, I’m going to pretend that he planned to attack and kill Muslims in the U.S.  I’m going to imagine that he was caught before he could carry out his plans and that law enforcement found Islamophobic literature on his personal computer and informant testimony implicates him in a plan to secure assault rifles to carry out an indiscriminate attack on a mosque or a Muslim elementary school.

How do I feel about this Islamophobic would-be mass murderer whom the authorities have apprehended?

My initial reaction would be horror and fear.  How could someone try to do something this evil?  How could someone target defenseless children?  This hits home.

I would also be very angry.  Frankly, I’d be thinking of ways to make sure prosecutors knew that the American Muslim community was watching this prosecution very closely and that the American Muslim community wanted this man prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

And yes, the lawyer in me would expect, buried deep underneath the fear, anger and disgust, that he receive a fair trial and be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Are these legitimate reactions to this fictional scenario?  I think so.  So then would it be fair to react this same way knowing that Tarek Mehanna is an American Muslim and that he is alleged to have been targeting fellow American civilians for a murderous shooting spree and that he may have been motivated by a perverted understanding of Islam?

Yes, it certain is.  There is absolutely no reason for me to feel any differently.

I think the answer is "NO".  This is understandable.  But it is not acceptable.

Today one of the most prominent leaders within the Chicago community made some comments which just smacked of hyperbole, exaggeration and fearmongering.  The gist of this leader's comments were that we must assume that none of the allegations surrounding the Chicago and Detroit cases from this week are true until we see the proof vis-a-vis the trial and that these cases are symptoms or the products of the PATRIOT Act and that if we (American Muslims) do not stand up and fight to repeal the PATRIOT Act then we will be a lot closer to a world where Muslims will be subjected to routine preventative detentions (which would be, in my opinion, an abrogation of habeus corpus).

While there is truth in his comments, the unsophisticated manner in which he conveyed his message (it lacked nuance and detail) has the effect of misleading the less informed within the community.  I fear that some leaders will take such a message and spread it among the American Muslim community.  Maybe that's what this leader wants.

It would be a shame if this particular leader's message, particularly if delivered in the same inarticulate, overbroad way and without nuance as I received it, is given to the community because it will backfire.  Fear can create a sense of urgency but it is a poor source of motivation to action in these scenarios. 

Telling people about the gross excesses of the PATRIOT Act and the impending imposition of mass domestic preventative detentions and so forth certainly creates fear and that fear creates a fight or flight reaction.  But when the odds are presented as so overwhelming and no meaningful strategy is provided to give direction and hope to combat these evils, then people will retreat into their homes and into their lives and will further remove their Islamic identity from public life.  How can that be helpful?

This particular leader's hyperbolic comments also help to role back the gains American Muslims are making with Americans from other faith communities. 

I have a lot of friends who are not Muslim.  I talk to them about politics and religion and terrorism and crime.  From talking with them I know that people beyond the American Muslim community are open to understanding the challenges we face as a religious minority (facing unprecedented public scrutiny of our faith).  People are willing to make up their own minds about the excesses of our government and overbroad and overreaching provisions in the PATRIOT Act. 

However, we need to retain our credibility when making our arguments to our friends in the interfaith community and part of that means being more nuanced in how we ourselves understand some of the actions and decisions of law enforcement officials. 

Let's remember that the FBI is not a monolith.  It is not in inorganic entity.  It is a group of men and women who have committed their careers to serving and protecting America.  We are wrong to vilify the FBI en masse.  No doubt there are policymakers and executives in the FBI who are making and executing bad policy and there are (as we've seen from time to time) agents who are biased, but we cannot allow their mistakes or bad acts to taint everyone in that organization.  The same goes for our lawmakers and our judiciary.

I would love to believe that no Muslim is guilty of the crimes with which they have been charged.  There is a real possibility that some of them will be exonerated.  Others will plead guilty and yet others will be convicted.  Let's hope and pray for the former but gird ourselves for the latter.

A time will come when the bad acts of some Muslims will no longer be imputed to the entire religious community.  We are going to have to work hard to get to that point.  We will work hard to get there not because that is an end unto itself.  I hope we will work to get to that point so that we can then use our time to address all the other, more pressing injustices that demand our attention.

Homeless families living in storage facilities

Today's Chicago Tribune spotlighted the plight of families in the Chicagoland area who are homeless.  These families break all the stereotypes we suburbanites have of the homeless.  The most heart-wrenching thing is that there are homeless children.

Homeless children?  In the northwest suburbs of Chicago?  I never thought I would see homeless families in my community in suburban Chicago.

I am from India.  Seeing destitute children living in squalid conditions is something that has always troubled me about my country of birth.  The image of homeless children in India is easier to understand because India, for all its military might and up and coming middle class, is still a very poor country. 

But America is the most affluent country in the world, right?

Frankly, I'm embarrassed and ashamed of myself.  I should have known better.  Thinking about the life of homeless families - finding restaurants where they can clean up early in the morning, keeping a lot of family possessions in the car and so on - are things I've seen but never focused on.

On more than a few occasions I remember seeing children with their parents at McDonald's for extended periods of time.  I used to use restaurants like McDonald's to get on the internet when I was traveling around town from meeting to meeting.  This would cause me to spend a good 1.5 to 2 hours in these restaurants.

I remember one occasion when I had dropped off one of my children to school and stopped off at a McDonald's to get some coffee.  I saw a father with two kids.  They had breakfast food set in front of them and it looked like they still had sleep in their eyes.  The father was very gentle and softly encouraged these two kids (I'm guessing they were grammar school aged) to eat their eggs.  I sat a few tables a away with my coffee and newspaper reading the sports page.  I didn't think much of the scene until I saw that the father finally ate the food leftover by his kids.

Wow, I thought!  That's frugal.  When we take our kids to McDonald's we inevitably order food for ourselves and the kids and the kids almost always leave food uneaten.  We usually make a big show of packing up the leftovers and taking them home but that food rarely makes the breakfast table the next day and soon thereafter its in the garbage.

Then the father gathered up his kids and as he got up I saw a duffle bag.  The father gently coaxed his kids off to the bathroom.  A bit later the kids re-emerged in different clothes and looking groomed and a bit more awake.  Now the family had my attention and I stared.  I watched as they manuevered through the restaurant and to their car.

And guess what I saw?  The car was packed with stuff.  The father got his kids into the back seat with stuff piled all around them.  I saw what I think were bags and boxes.  The family drove off and I thought to myself - that family is living out of their car and they are from around here!

I told some friends later that morning that I saw a local family that was homeless.  I remember one of my colleagues being skeptical.  He asked me why it wasn't possible that this family was on a road trip?

I could not say for sure that they were not.  But what kind of road trip could they have been on that would put them in suburban Chicago in the middle of the week and why would they be getting ready at a restaurant?

I have not thought about that family again until this morning when I read the series of heartbreaking stories in the Chicago Tribune.  Another point in the story that really shook me was the high percentage of homeless students in my children's public school district.  Our school district has a homeless student coordinator to help these children.  The problem is so prevalent that we have a staff member focused on this issue! 

We buy our kids new stuff for school, we spend lots of cash at Michael's and Hobby Lobby and other arts and craft places so the kids can have outstanding school projects.  Our kids get new clothes and new school bags and money for hot lunches.  We buy new books every month from the book club.  We never think twice about it.

And all the while there are likely other children in my kids' classrooms who are homeless...  What kind of people are we? 

This is precisely what Islam teaches us not to allow.  We've been told over and over again that if we go to bed with a full stomach when our neighbors are in need then we are in error - it is a sin.

So, what are we going to do?

Kinsman, Illinois raid update: owner of slaughterhouse in federal custody

A few days ago I wrote a blog post about a massive FBI raid on a slaughterhouse in Kinsman, Illinois.  The FBI brought a lot of firepower to the raid but, according to the news reports, no actual arrests were made, no information was given about what was being investigated and only some computers were confiscated.

In the earlier post I noted that the owner of the slaughterhouse, according to Illinois Secretary of State records, is a man named Tahawar Rana.  Well, it appears that this same man (today's news reports spell his first name a bit differently) was arrested on 10/18 and in an indictment that was unsealed today it was revealed that Mr. Rana is being charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism.

According to the New York Times Mr. Rana and another man named David Coleman Headley were working on a plot to attack a newspaper in Copenhagen.  The New York Times reported that:

Two Chicago men have been charged in what officials said was a plot to attack employees of a Danish newspaper that in 2005 published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that offended many Muslims, according to criminal complaints unsealed Tuesday in federal court in Chicago.

According to the New York Times article Mr. Rana is represented by attorney Patrick W. Blegen.  Attorney Blegen told the New York Times that Mr. Rana

adamantly denies the charges and eagerly awaits his opportunity to contest them in court and clear his and his family’s name.

I hope these allegations are false.  I hope there is a plausible explanation for all of it.  I've never heard of either of these two men, but after hearing about the Kinsman, IL raid I dropped in to see a local Muslim owned butcher shop.  I asked the owner about Bios Zabeeha Halal Foods (the assumed business name under which the slaughterhouse in Kinsman, IL was being operated) and about Mr. Rana.  The owner had heard about the raid and his opinion was that some competing halal meat wholesalers had made bogus allegations against Mr. Rana to hurt his business.

Until this morning this sounded plausible.  However, it seems like the allegations involve others not involved in the halal meat business and the investigation seems to have been ongoing for some time (the Muslim store owner suggested that there was a recent dust up between wholesalers and that was the suspected motive).  This does not fit the scenario given by the store owner I spoke to about this matter so I'm going to assume that the store owner's version may be more or less speculation.

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (the Council/CIOGC) issued a press release today "condemning" the "alleged terrorist plot".  It is not clear from the press release what the Council's position on the situation is because it appears that the Council is planning on condemning the allegations if, after a trial, they are proven to be true.  Here is what the press release said:

The Council also strongly condemns the actions of the alleged defendants if proven in a court of law.

I think it is reasonable to assume that the vast majority of American Muslims in Illinois condemn the alleged plot while reserving judgment on the guilt of the accused until after they have been fairly tried.  I'm not sure why the Council opted not to take this position.

Although there is a mention of the press release on the Council's home page, the body of the release is not available on the Council's website.  The link to the release is broken.  This is what I found:

 

It is important to know what the Council is saying on behalf of the American Muslim community so I'll reproduce the text of the press release rather than giving the link (which apparently is not working):

Chicago, Illinois – October 27, 2009 - The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (the Council) is very disturbed and concerned by the arrest of two Chicago men on federal charges for their alleged roles in conspiracies to provide material support and/or to commit terrorist acts against overseas targets. According to federal law enforcement officials today, these two men alleged to attack facilities and employees of a Danish newspaper that published inappropriate cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005. The Council urges all American-Muslims in Illinois to be alert and report any suspicious activity to the law enforcement agencies in their area. The Council also strongly condemns the actions of the alleged defendants if proven in a court of law.

The defendants charged in separate criminal complaints unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago are David Headley, 49 and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48 announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The complaints remained under seal temporarily after the defendants’ arrests, with court approval, so as not to compromise further investigative activity.

“The alleged plot is an attack on our values. The acts of these two individuals, if proven true, are despicable. The Muslim community in Illinois, like other faith communities, thank our law enforcement agencies for their vigilance, ask our community members and all citizens to be alert and report any suspicious activities to their law enforcement agencies, and appeal to our citizens and our media not generalize conclusions from these individual acts” said Kiran Ansari, the Interim Executive Director of CIOGC.

The Council rejects any association between this alleged plot and Islam. The Fiqh Council of North America re-affirmed Islam’s absolute condemnation of terrorism and religious extremism several years ago in a detailed statement which sets forth the textual authorities that prohibit terrorism and religious extremism (read here).

“The two alleged plotters are not representative of main stream American-Muslims. There are criminal elements in every faith community, whether Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim or Buddhists. An entire faith should not hijacked by the actions of disturbed or maligned individuals” said Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Chairman of the Council. “American-Muslims across the board condemn the alleged criminal violence of these two individuals” he added.

The public is reminded that a criminal complaint contains mere allegations that are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Council calls upon all mosques in Illinois to re-double their efforts to unequivocally remind American-Muslims of Islam’s unwavering prohibition against terrorism and religious extremism and to continue their vigilance in keeping Illinois mosques and Muslim community centers free of all criminality.

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago is a 17 year old federation of over 50 mosques and Muslim organizations throughout Illinois. The Council’s mission is to unify the diverse American-Muslim community in Illinois, to strengthen and sustain Muslim institutions and individuals through programming that builds skills and capacity and to organize and mobilize the 400,000 American-Muslims in Illinois to work in collaboration with the broader community to advance the common good.

It is an interesting press release.  There seems to be a certain amount of equivocating in the language. 

However, lest there be any doubt, I think it is safe to say that the community I know in Illinois condemns the allegations and the alleged plot.  You know who else knows where American Muslims stand on this issue?  The many wonderful Christians and Jews with whom we work every day in our interfaith dialogue.  I am confident that they will affirm the American Muslim community's commitment to peace and justice.

I hope the Council reaches out to our friends in the interfaith community to rally their support in the event the Islamophobes decide to malign our community with trumped up claims (the way they tried to do over the summer when Hizb ut Tahrir came to Chicago).

A "man", a "German" stands trial for stabbing to death Muslim woman

Alex W., a German of Russain origin, stabbed to death Marwa El-Sherbini, a pregnant Egyptian national in a German courtroom.  He allegedly hates Muslims.  Obviously his hate ran deep - he stabbed to death a pregnant, defenseless woman.

How would you describe him?  A coward?  A hatemongering murderer?  At least you'd call him an alleged racist, right?

I did a google news search and with the exception of the Irishh Times all the other top news story results describe him as a "man" or as a "German".  Hmmm?  Very descriptive.  If a Muslim stood accused of terrorism would the media refer to him in the same unassuming way?  I don't think so.

And how does one major German news publication describe Alex W.?  We're already getting the defense's mitigation case:

Instead of seeking medical help, he turned to alcohol and drank up to two liters of wine or 11 bottles of beer a day. Police found violent games on his computer. Alex W. himself says he had three addictions: "Smoking, drinking and gaming." He is shy and hadn't had lasting relationships.

Gosh, poor guy.  He was lonely.  He was addicted to tobacco and alcohol and video games!  Oh no!  Is it any wonder, then, given his horrible life, that he brought a knife to court and savagely butchered a pregnant woman? 

Is it just me or does this coverage smack of double standard?

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying Alex W. (btw - did you know that Alex had a mommy - just wanted to make sure you knew he was human) should be tried in the media.  I'm just pointing out that this defendant seems to be treated maybe even better than most criminal defendants and certainly better than Muslim defendants charged with violent hate crimes. 

Why is this the case?

Are Chicago-area mosques up to the challenge of helping Iraqi refugees?

Today's Chicago Tribune article on the challenges and struggles of Iraqi refugees in Chicago really hit home.  One of the last board meetings I attended at the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) had an add-on agenda item dealing with the needs of Iraqi refugees.  I'm pretty sure it was Ahlam Mahmoud, the woman referenced in the Chicago Tribune article, who visited us during the board meeting.

An important issue that was not raised in this series of articles but merits examination and further discussion is the support Iraqi refugees have received from mosques in the Edgewater neigbhorhood; or to be more precise, the lack of support.

When Ms. Mahmoud came to speak with CIOGC she did so because, as the "Council of Islamic Organizations", she assumed CIOGC would be able to help secure more support from the mosques in the Edgewater neighborhood.

Ms. Mahmoud pointed out that many of the families within the Iraqi refugee community are women-headed households.  I knew what the problem was going to be as I sat in that meeting this past summer.  I knew even before Ms. Mahmoud said anything that the families were not  being welcomed by the mosques in that part of Chicago.  That is because, in many instances, the mosques in the Edgewater/Rogers Park neighborhoods are men-only institutions.

This meeting took place in July 2009.  I know that nothing was done up until I left CIOGC.  From the time we met Ms. Mahmoud through the end of September CIOGC leaders directed the professional staff to do no programming beyond fundraising.  Too bad.  This is an issue that CIOGC could take up and which really needs the collective attention of the American Muslim community.

The UMMA Center in Waukegan is doing great work with refugee families in Lake County.  This is one of the few organizations (Muslim led) that works on refugee needs.  The UMMA Center's executive director, Ashfaq Mohiuddin, is a great guy.  I don't know the other staff but I feel comfortable saying that UMMA Center is a reputable organization based on my association with Ashfaq Mohiuddin over the past 10 to 12 years.  Check out UMMA Center's website and try to attend the UMMA Center's fundraising dinner this coming Friday (10/30).

Other organizations like Hamdard Center have some services for refugee families but they are not equipped to deal with the challenges on the scale described by the Chicago Tribune story.  This all begs the question: what do we (American Muslims) do from this point forward to address this problem (of unmet refugee needs within our community)?

There are numerous dedicated individuals working on refugee issues.  One person that anyone interested in refugee issues should get to know is Naazish YarKhan.  Although Naazish is a writer by profession, it seems her primary avocation is serving refugee families.  Over the years she's worked with and through the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park, IL to provide services to refugee families and she was the person who directed Ahlam Mahmoud to CIOGC back in July 2009.

One thing I gathered from talking to Naazish a couple of times on this issue is that the challenges of addressing refugee needs is a full time endeavor and cannot possibly be addressed adequately by volunteers.  She wanted CIOGC to take up this issue by possible bringing on someone like Ahlam Mahmoud to work exclusively on refugee services.  I told her that this would be wonderful except that the American Muslim community seems to have an aversion to funding human resources.

However, until we commit to funding full time professionals to serve the needs of the refugee community we are not going to be able to adequately address the longterm issues they are facing.  Mark my words, this article from the Chicago Tribune, if it sparks any sympathy from the American Muslim community, will promote fundraising for food, clothing, household goods and so forth.  The efforts will be focused on short term needs.

I can hear the arguments now: "At least we are doing something by helping them with these immediate needs.  This is our duty!"  This is true but the underlying although unstated assumption, that doing this and funding a longer term solution by funding one or more professionals to work with the refugee communities are mutually exclusive, is false.  We have money in the American Muslim community.  Given that we don't finance the building of our mosques we know that we have the capacity to raises millions of dollars every year not only to maintain the gigantic buildings we now possess but to expand them and to build new ones as well!

I'm not alone in the community when I say that we need to put a moratorium on bricks and mortar projects and begin funding human resources for needy and worthy projects like helping refugee families in need.  However, until people speak up and say no to more bricks and mortar projects and yes to funding services to refugee families, the powers that be will keep on building and expanding the mosques.  Meanwhile, families like those of Ahlam Mahmoud will continue to suffer.

Turkeys donated to the needy...by American Muslims

This is a wonderful story of Americans helping Americans during the Thanksgiving season.  American Muslims are raising money to purchase turkeys to be donated to needy families so that they may enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

The effort I'm talking about (I'm sure there are others around the nation by now) is in and around Chicago, Illinois.  Young American Muslims and their families donate money and that money is used to purchase turkeys for needy families.

ABC News covered the story last year:

Today, and for the past several years, this effort is led by Dr. Jihad Shoshara* and Dr. Sofia Shakir*, a wonderful husband and wife team, who are active in many local efforts to help the needy and to organize American Muslims for meaningful causes.  The effort was originally organized by another longtime community activist - civil rights attorney Kamran Memon.

Here is Dr. Shoshara's message for this year's Turkey Drive:

Assalaamu 'Alaykum,

In Sha Allah this finds you all in the best of health, and highest of Iman.

The Ninth Annual Chicago Muslim Turkey Drive is now underway! For the past eight years, the Muslim community of Chicago has risen to a need every autumn - to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves celebrate Thanksgiving, the national holiday that all Americans regardless of faith share in celebration. Together, we have given thousands of turkeys over these years to families who would otherwise go without; last year alone, you donated six hundred turkeys to needy Chicagoans in Jackson Park and Marquette Park, and God Willing, we aim to repeat our success once more! Once again, the main beneficiaries of our community's generosity will be needy families of the children at Emmett Till Academy (formerly McCosh Elementary School) at 65th and Champlain in Chicago.

As we have done in past years, we are again joining forces with the Sabeel Food Pantry. Sabeel has provided food for anyone in need for years on Chicago's North Side, and with the help of community volunteers to coordinate and distribute the turkeys will extend their services this Thanksgiving. Sabeel is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization in the state of Illinois; this means that once again, your contributions will be tax deductible, and all who donate to Sabeel can receive a receipt for tax purposes. (For more info, check Sabeel's website at www.sabeelpantry.org)

We are also blessed to have the support of the Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN), who will In Sha Allah distribute some of the turkeys to needy families in the area of its offices in Marquette Park.

We are now accepting donations for the drive. Please send your tax-deductible check written out to "Sabeel Food Pantry" with "Turkey Drive" written in the memo section to:**

Donations can also be given online via PayPal. To donate via PayPal, please go to www.sabeelpantry.org and click on "Donate".

The Annual Turkey Drive is a symbol of the true nature of our faith at a time when it is sorely needed. Please help us to continue it and make it grow!

Jazak Allahu Khairan,

Jihad Shoshara, MD

This is a great effort that gives meaning to the phrase "Faith In Action"!  Here is some more media coverage of last year's turkey drive:

At a time when food budgets are strained, a semitrailer loaded with turkeys is being given to families at Emmett Till Elementary School. The frozen turkeys are a gift from the Chicago Area's Muslim Community.

"It's just a gesture of neighborliness from the Muslim community of Chicago. You know most of us work here, live here, live our lives here," said Dr. Shoshara.

The school, located near 63rd and Cottage Grove, was selected because 99-percent of the population is below the poverty line. For many of the families, it's a real treat.

"Well they probably would have had the usual. McDonalds meals or whatever they could afford," said Mary Rodgers, principal Emmett Till Elementary School. "This is exceptionally nice."

It's the eighth time the group has donated to a Chicago school.

"I'm just glad to get this turkey. It's less for me to worry about," said one parent.

"Means a lot. Put some in our freezer and some in our stomach," said another.

After the September Eleventh attacks, the image of Muslim Americans took a terrible hit. That damage has yet to be repaired, but events like this are a step in the right direction.

"I think a lot of problems we have as a community (are) that we haven't been here very long so it takes awhile to integrate and get to know the Muslim community. It's one way to show what we think is the best part of our religion. To help serve the poor," said Dr. Shoshara.

This is a great effort so pass it on to your email networks!  Thanks!

_________________________________________________________________________________

* Jihad and Sofia are very close, personal friends

** The address was removed from the original email post - please direct donations to Sabeel Food Pantry!

Where are the majority of Congresspersons?

Today the Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Black Caucus and the Hispanic Caucus came together in support of American Muslims' right to actively and freely and openly participate in public life through civic and political engagement.

Led by Reps. Michael Honda (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) these three congressional organizations issued a strong joint statement condemning the un-American behavior of Reps. John Shadegg (R-AZ), Paul Broun (R-GA), Trent Franks (R-AZ) and Sue Myrick (R-NC).  As you may recall, these four members of Congress, whom I call the Freaky Foursome, tried to chill American Muslim participation on the Hill and in civic life by making outrageous assertions that American Muslims serving on Capitol Hill is tantamount to spying.

Bravo to the members of the Asian Pacific American, Black and Hispanic caucuses, numbering a total of 87 members, for speaking out against this grossly un-American behavior by the Freaky Foursome and their ilk.

As an American Muslim I am grateful for the support of these three minority caucuses.  I value their support.  But without taking anything away from their effort I cannot help but wonder - where is everyone else?

In Illinois, my home state, I thank Reps. Bobby Rush, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Luis Gutierrez and Danny Davis (all members of the supporting caucuses referenced above) for their support.  But honestly, in Illinois I expect to have the full support of the entire Illinois Congressional delegation for American Muslims. 

I know there are lots of important things going on in Washington, DC and in our nation as whole, but certainly speaking out against the McCarthy-like behavior of the Freaky Foursome is worth a few minutes to issue a formal statement that, if not condemning the stance of the Freaky Foursome, at least re-affirms the right and value of American Muslims in the civic and political arena.

American Muslims are a vital part of nearly every part of Illinois so it is reasonable to expect every Congressperson from John Shimkus to Donald Manzullo to Mark Kirk and all the others to clearly and unequivocally say that they support American Muslim participation and that their congressional offices are open to American Muslim candidates for paid and volunteer staff positions in their DC and district offices.

This is the joint statement released today by the Asian Pacific American, Black and Hispanic Caucuses:

Four of our colleagues, Reps. John Shadegg (AZ), Paul Broun (GA), Trent Franks (AZ) and Sue Myrick (NC) recently requested that the House Sergeant at Arms to launch an investigation of the civil rights group CAIR, or Council on American-Islamic Relations, to determine whether it was placing staff and interns in key Congressional offices who they fear are acting as “spies.”

This proposed investigation coincides with the launch of a book by Dave Gaubatz, an anti-Islamic activist and author of the book “Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld that’s Conspiring to Islamize America.” It features an introduction by Rep. Myrick, and was written after Gaubatz posed as an intern at CAIR in an effort to “infiltrate” the group.

These charges smack of an America of sixty years ago where lists of “un-American” agitators were identified. We should be affirming the importance of diversity and tolerance for all interns and staff who serve in Congress without suspicion of being identified as “spies.”

The idea that we should investigate Muslim interns as spies is a blow to the very principle of religious freedom that our founding fathers cherished so dearly. If anything, we should be encouraging all Americans to engage in the U.S. political process; to take part in, and to contribute to, the great democratic experiment that is America.

We all have experienced the sting of discrimination and we know that there will be challenges ahead. But our message should be firm that the America we believe in welcomes people of all backgrounds to the U.S. Congress.

We ask these charges be disavowed and we issue a hearty welcome to interns and staff of all creeds, color, ethnicities and sexual orientation.

Maybe the thing to do is for all Americans in Illinois, regardless of religious affiliation, to contact their respective representative, share with him or her the joint caucuses statement above and ask him or her to adopt the statement as well.

Here is Illinois' congressional delegation list:

Bean, Melissa L., Illinois, 8th

Biggert, Judy, Illinois, 13th

Costello, Jerry, Illinois, 12th

Davis, Danny K., Illinois, 7th (Black Caucus member)

Gutierrez, Luis, Illinois, 4th (Hispanic Caucus member)

Foster, Bill, Illinois, 14th

Hare, Phil, Illinois, 17th

Halvorson, Deborah "Debbie", Illinois, 11th

Jackson Jr., Jesse L., Illinois, 2nd (Black Caucus member)

Johnson, Timothy V., Illinois, 15th

Kirk, Mark, Illinois, 10th

Lipinski, Daniel, Illinois, 3rd

Manzullo, Donald, Illinois, 16th

Quigley, Mike, Illinois, 5th

Roskam, Peter J., Illinois, 6th

Rush, Bobby L., Illinois, 1st (Black Caucus member)

Schakowsky, Jan, Illinois, 9th

Schock, Aaron, Illinois, 18th

Shimkus, John, Illinois, 19th

Send a note or call each member of the Illinois delegation.  Convey your thanks and gratitude to the members of the Black and Hispanic caucuses in Illinois for supporting fairness and freedom in American public life.  For the rest, politely ask them to speak out in favor of equal protection of all people in America and for the time-honored values of freedom and equality.  Ask them to adopt the joint statement of the minority caucuses!

Massive raid on a slaughterhouse in Kinsman, IL

Mark Johnson of the Morris Daily Herald reports that a slaughterhouse was raided on Sunday (10/18) by a massive federal force consisting of agents, cars and helicopters.  Johnson describes the slaughter house as the "First World Management" meat locker.

About the FBI raid Johnson wrote:

Luckily, the raid didn’t result in any fireworks, or even any arrests. County Sheriff Terry Marketti, whose personnel were present at the raid, assures the public that there is no imminent danger. An FBI spokesperson called the meat locker abandoned, according to MDH reporter Jo Ann Hustis.

All the FBI will really say about the incident is that it is in the midst of an ongoing investigation. I think we’re all aware that the FBI wouldn’t come to Kinsman just to take the tour. I don’t want to speculate on the reasons the bureau decided to visit — well, I do, but I can’t — but bringing “dozens of law enforcement vehicles, two helicopters and a small airplane,” as Hustis reported, makes it clear that they were serious and visited with a purpose.

Maybe more will come of the situation, and more will come out in our newspaper in the coming weeks and months. Maybe it won’t. The FBI isn’t exactly forthcoming about all of its activities. But let’s hope that the bureau doesn’t have reasons to raid our area again any time soon.

A search of the Illinois Secretary of State's corporate database shows that First World Management Services Inc. does business as Bios Zabeeha Halal Foods.  Has anyone heard of "Bios Zabeeha Halal Foods"?  I don't recall seeing any of their products in my local Halal butcher shop's freezer.  Maybe they supply fresh meats?  I'm curious.

A google search of "Bios Zabeeha Halal Foods" results in a suggestion to search for "Bios Zabiha Halal Foods" and that search finds, among other things, a certification (expired) by the so-called Shariah Board of America website certification page where this company and its Kinsman, Illinois facility are in fact listed.

The president of the company, according to the Illinois Secretary of State's website's Corp/LLC File search function, is Tahawar Rana.  Sound familiar?  Not to me.

I reached out to the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA), a reputable American Muslim organization that seeks to provide accurate information to Muslim consumers on certifiably halal foods and other consumables to find out if they know anything about Bios Zabeeha Halal Foods or First World Management Services, Inc.  I just sent them an email tonight so it may not be until tomorrow morning that I get some feedback from the IFANCA staff.

Illinois has a halal food law that is several years old.  Over the last couple of years there have been some administrative rules passed as well.  Unfortunately the the law as passed may not be the best because it only gives the Illinois Attorney General a cause of action to pursue those who violate the law and the law as passed makes enforcement by the government dicey because it poses complicated religious interpretation issues.

I bring this up here because it seems that a strong and viable halal food act which provided for a private action option would empower the Illinois Muslim community to better regulate such businesses.  Since we don't know what the FBI is looking for it is impossible to say whether better self-policing through an strong halal food act would have been helpful.  The one thing we would be able to do, if there was a private action right in the halal food act, is have a better sense of who is doing business under the label "Halal" and "Zabiha/Zabeeha".

Halal/Zabiha food is big business.  I would imagine that a decent amount of money flows through these types of businesses.  It behooves us a relgious community to have a better handle on these companies.  We have some solid local Halal/Zabiha companies (check out Crescent Halal Foods for an example of what I think is a solid, reputable business in Illinois).  We need more.

The right wing folks are already salivating over this raid like hungry dogs over red meat!  The innuendo and guilt by association is not too far behind.  I applaud journalist Mark Johnson for refraining from jumping to conclusions in his article.

Tarek Mehanna alleged to have plotted domestic terrorism

A very disturbing story broke during the day today about a would-be terrorist in Boston who is Muslim.  His name is Tarek Mehanna.  He was born and raised in the U.S., and among other allegations Mehanna supposedly conspired to kill civilians with assault rifles in malls.

How should I react?

First, I’m going to imagine that he is not a Muslim.  Next, I’m going to pretend that he planned to attack and kill Muslims in the U.S.  I’m going to imagine that he was caught before he could carry out his plans and that law enforcement found Islamophobic literature on his personal computer and informant testimony implicates him in a plan to secure assault rifles to carry out an indiscriminate attack on a mosque or a Muslim elementary school.

How do I feel about this Islamophobic would-be mass murderer whom the authorities have apprehended?

My initial reaction would be horror and fear.  How could someone try to do something this evil?  How could someone target defenseless children?  This hits home.

I would also be very angry.  Frankly, I’d be thinking of ways to make sure prosecutors knew that the American Muslim community was watching this prosecution very closely and that the American Muslim community wanted this man prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

And yes, the lawyer in me would expect, buried deep underneath the fear, anger and disgust, that he receive a fair trial and be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Are these legitimate reactions to this fictional scenario?  I think so.  So then would it be fair to react this same way knowing that Tarek Mehanna is an American Muslim and that he is alleged to have been targeting fellow American civilians for a murderous shooting spree and that he may have been motivated by a perverted understanding of Islam?

Yes, it certain is.  There is absolutely no reason for me to feel any differently.

I am concerned about the blowback that comes every time a Muslim is alleged to have been involved in some form of domestic terrorism.  I am definitely concerned about the increase in Islamophobic reactions by bigots who not-so-secretly harbor venomous hate for Islam and Muslims.  And I worry about the message it sends to my neighbors and co-workers who don’t really know much about Islam because Mehanna’s actions certainly poison the well and create huge hurdles between them and an accurate understanding of the authentic Islam.

Also, I’m not naïve about the questionable track record of the FBI and federal prosecutors when it comes to domestic terrorism cases involving American Muslims.  I know about and worry about the encroachment of American Muslim civil liberties by the FBI and the exaggerations of federal prosecutors vis-à-vis terrorism cases against American Muslims in the past.  These are serious and legitimate concerns.

None of this should make me any less angry or outraged by the allegations.  I don’t know Mehanna.  I do not believe that there is a grand conspiracy by the Feds to suppress American Muslims.  I do know federal law enforcement officials personally and I respect the work they do.

Going forward I expect American Muslim leaders to speak out quickly and unequivocally on this latest news.  American Muslims in leadership positions will say unequivocally that any plans or plots to kill civilians is morally and religiously despicable and cannot be supported or justified by Islam.  I also expect American Muslim leaders to call for restraint and patience from our fellow Americans of all faiths so that we do not hastily impute the ugly ideologies and twisted aspirations allegedly espoused by Mehanna upon all Muslims.

I also expect American Muslim leaders to reach out to the interfaith community to speak with one voice on this issue.  American Muslims work with Christians, Jews and other religious communities to build tolerance first and then understanding and then friendship.  These are the times when these relationships can be used for the common good of our community.