An American Muslim Journal

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden - The Bumbling Balloon Boy Sheriff thinks killing Muslims is funny!

The bumbling baffoon doubling as a sheriff in Larimer County, CO - Jim Alderden - is now adding to his infamy.  You may remember Alderden from his oafish handling of the "boy in the balloon" hoax.

Now the man who couldn't find the little boy in a single family home and instead led first responders on a costly wild goose chase is showing off some more of his mental muscle.  He thinks killing Muslims is funny.  Or at least that's what he said to a group of Marines at a social function recently.  But don't blame the Marines in the audience for outing Alderden.  No, this self-described "straight shootin' John Wayne" posted his comments on his office website.  No, not on his personal blog, but on the sheriff's office website.  Nice job fella.

One reader at Coloradoan.com said this about Alderden:

One more ignorant statement from Jim is like one more tree in the forest. There's so many you hardly notice them anymore.

Another reader at Coloradoan.com said this:

Freedom of speech, yes, but not freedom from the consequences of speech.

Amen to that.

I am angry about Alderden's stupid words.  Bigots like him make it harder for good people like the ones who posted the comments on the Coloradoan.com website to build bridges within our communities.

Make no mistake - Alderden is a bigot.  He fits the definition - one who regards or treats the members of a group (racial, ethnic, religious) with hatred or intolerance - and that does not bode well for the people of Larimer County, because that kind of ignorance can be unleashed on others in the future.  That's not exactly a sought after trait among law enforcement.

Hopefully the good people of Larimer County will get rid of him.  Whether he apologizes or explains away his stupid comments or not, it's hard to feel secure knowing that the person charged with protecting the community is such an idiot.

Little Green Footballs, Charles Johnson speak out against Islamophobia? Where is Bizzaro?

I remember Little Green Footballs.  It is an anti-Islam, anti-Muslim blog where you're sure to find a healthy dose of Islamophobic ranting.  Right?

That's how I remember the blog.  Back in October 2001 LGF was promoting the notorious Islamophobe Daniel Pipes' and Pipes' bogus claims that Muslims largely supported Osama Bin Laden and his 9/11 attacks (click here to read his rant).  It's been a few years since I visited the site but it caught my attention today when I read a blog post by Eric Fingerhut of the Capital J blog about LGF and its creator/blogger Charles Johnson.

Apparently Mr. Johnson and his blog have finally  begun to see the light when it comes to deciphering radical extremism under the guise of Islam and Islam the religion adhered to by nearly a fifth of the world's population.  I visited LGF this evening and lo and behold: there was a blog post about some fascists in the U.K. and their Islamophobic activities.  LGF actually used the term "Islamophobia".  That's a milestone folks.

Now the bigots and hatemongers of the blogosphere have LGF in their cross-hairs.  I guess Mr. Johnson may get a taste of what it's like to demonized on the internet.

Maybe I can get Mr. Johnson to do an interview with me so he can tell us about where he stands on issues that are important to American Muslims!

Mr. Johnson - an email interview perhaps?

Switzerland, Muslims, Minaret Ban: Islamophobia or something else?

The The New York Times this morning reported that Switzerland is poised to impose a ban on the construction of minarets.  Minarets are a common architectural feature of mosques serving both an aesthetic and functional purpose.  Minarets are commonly used as symbols of Islam as well.

Why are a majority of Swiss voters supporting a ban on minarets in their country?  Why is there an anti-Muslim movement in a country thought to be tolerant?  Why is there such a misunderstanding of Islam among the advocates of the proposed ban on minarets? 

Of the 7 million people who live in Switzerland approximately 300,000 are Muslim.  Most Swiss Muslims are immigrants from Turkey, Bosnia and Kosova.  Switzerland is home to the United Nations humanitarian agencies.  Switzerland is famous for its international neutrality.  With 4% of the Swiss population claiming Islam as their religion and given Switzerland’s history of tolerance it is disturbing to see Swiss opinion turn so negative towards a large religious minority within Switzerland.

The existence of an anti-Muslim movement is no longer surprising (it is still disturbing of course).  All it takes is a small handful of bigots to create a group.  But in the case of the Swiss, the minaret-banning legislation is poised to pass and that suggests popular support (at least of the voting public).  This development should be troubling to anyone who values religious freedom and values free societies that support religious pluralism.

According to the same NY Times story an opinion poll from earlier in the month found that 37 percent of Swiss were in favor of banning minarets, 10 percent were undecided and 53 percent were opposed to it.  Assuming for the sake of discussion that the poll was scientific and accurate, it appears that at least a few people who publicly said they were opposed to banning minarets had a serious change of heart in a matter of a few weeks.  Another possibility is that some Swiss harbor anti-Muslim sentiments but they are not comfortable voicing these bigoted opinions in public.  A third possibility is the confluence of a generally low voter turnout and a higher than normal turnout from the supporters of the minaret-ban legislation.

What is fueling the anti-Muslim movement in Switzerland?  Are Swiss Muslims doing something to fuel the bigotry?  Are Swiss Muslims integrating into Swiss society?  Do Swiss Muslims work with Swiss of other religious affiliations for issues of the common good?  Is the fact that only about 11% of Swiss Muslims are citizens a factor?  Is it difficult to become a naturalized citizen in Switzerland?

What do you think is driving Swiss citizens to curtail Muslim rights in Switzerland?

"Islam is of the Devil": Wayne Sapp, Stephanie Sapp, Ludger Boecken, Heike Boecken sue Alachua County School Board to protect their hate speech

Two Gainesville, Florida area families, the Sapps and the Boeckens, sued the Alachua County School Board (Florida) in federal court seeking protection for their children’s anti-Muslim hate speech in public schools.  The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida represents the plaintiffs.

Wayne and Stephanie Sapp and Ludger and Heike Boecken filed the suit on behalf of their minor children who are students in Alachua County public schools.  The complaint was filed on November 23, 2009 in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District Court of Florida (Gainesville Division).

The lawsuit alleges that the Sapp and Boecken children were disciplined for and prohibited from wearing t-shirts imprinted with the hateful statement “Islam is of the Devil”.  The Sapps’ and Boeckens’ lawsuit seeks to have the school board’s policies that prohibit the wearing of the hate-speech imprinted t-shirts ruled unconstitutional.  The lawsuit also asks the federal court to enter an order stopping the school board from prohibiting the wearing of the clothing displaying the hate messages.

WHAT IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND DOES IT APPLY TO HATE SPEECH?

The freedom of speech is a fundamental right in the United States.  It is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and by similar provisions in state constitutions as well.
 
As a general principle it is easy to understand.  Application of the free speech principle, however, can be complicated.  When the speech being protected is pertains to equality, democracy, justice or other noble ideas it is easy to support.  But what about speech that promotes discrimination and bigotry?  The fact is that hate speech is protected under the First Amendment too.  Frankly, it would not be much of a right if this were not the case.

Over the years the First Amendment has been marshaled in defense of flag burning, cross burning, pornography, a Nazi march in Skokie, Illinois (at the time a predominantly Jewish town of Holocaust survivors), and fascist skinheads assembling and promoting their white supremacist venom in public.  Indeed, the First Amendment has a long list of very unsavory patrons.

While protecting hate mongers, racists and perverts is distasteful, the alternative is to fall prey to the tyranny of the majority and to the majority’s impulse to censor ideas with which it disagrees.  Censorship in one’s own hands never seems dangerous, but the true appreciation of its menace is had when one contemplates handing over the power of censorship to one’s ideological nemesis.  That is a frightening thought.

IS THE HATE SPEECH PROMOTED BY THE SAPPS AND BOECKENS PROTECTED?

The right to free speech under the First Amendment is very broad.  It is not, however, an absolute right.  The freedom of speech is limited by certain exceptions.  Speech that constitutes “fighting words”, or that is obscene or which interferes with another fundamental right, for example, would fall outside of the protection of the First Amendment.

According to the First Amendment Center speech within public schools is not unlimited.  First Amendment Center scholars note that minors are not accorded the same level of free speech rights as adults.  Additionally, when the government is acting as an educator (which is precisely the case with a public school) it has more leeway to develop and implement speech policies.  The overarching policy of a public school is teaching children in an environment that is safe and which is conducive to learning.

It is possible that the hate speech the Sapps and the Boeckens are promoting through their children’s attire falls outside of First Amendment protection.  The Sapps and the Boeckens’ complaint repeatedly alleges that the t-shirts worn by their minor children contained “non-vulgar” and “non-obscene” messages.  The plaintiffs are counting on their characterization of the messages (as “non-vulgar” and “non-obscene”) being taken as a matter of fact.  Their characterization should not be accepted at face value.  Their characterization should be vigorously challenged.

Is the statement “Islam is of the Devil” vulgar or obscene?  If it is considered vulgar or obscene, then the Alachua County school board is well within its rights to deem the message inappropriate and prohibit its exhibition in school.  This is the precedent established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bethel School Dist. No. 403 vs. Fraser.  In that case the majority of the Court concluded that:

Surely it is a highly appropriate function of public school education to prohibit the use of vulgar and offensive terms in public discourse.

The majority in Bethel also noted that:

The process of educating our youth for citizenship in public schools is not confined to books, the curriculum, and the civics class; schools must teach by example the shared values of a civilized social order.

The Bethel case sets out the rules or the law to be applied in the Alachua County case.  The question is only one of fact.

IS THE STATEMENT “ISLAM IS OF THE DEVIL” VULGAR OR OBSCENE?

Regardless of one’s proclivity vis-à-vis the First Amendment, most American Muslims would agree that the phrase “Islam is of the Devil” worn on a t-shirt by students in a public grammar school or high school would be seen as vulgar and obscene to fellow students who are Muslims.  I would also hope it would be deemed vulgar and obscene by classmates of other faiths as well.  Furthermore, the presence of such hate speech will inculcate lessons of divisiveness and incivility, both of which are antithetical to promoting “shared values of a civilized social order.”

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO UPHOLD ALACHUA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD'S DECISION?

First and foremost, it is necessary for the Alachua County School Board to commit itself to zealously defending its actions.  It is not a foregoing conclusion that Alachua County School Board will aggressively litigate this case.  The resources and expertise of the ACLU are formidable.  At the same time public schools across the nation are sorely cash strapped and as a result the vigor with which the school board battles in federal court may be dictated as much by finances as it is by its principles.

Furthermore, the case will hinge on whether the judge or the jury who ultimately hear this case at trial will find the statement “Islam is of the Devil” to be vulgar or obscene.  This will, in turn, depend on how well integrated the local American Muslim community is with the interfaith and community organizations in the region.

Hopefully the American Muslim community in that region of Florida has relationships of friendship with the broader community.  Hopefully the American Muslims of this particular region have allies in the interfaith community who know them, understand their religious values and know firsthand what it is that Muslims believe.  Whether or not the “Islam is of the Devil” statement is vulgar or obscene is not an academic question.  Bringing theologians to explain the articles of the Islamic faith and its roots in the Abrahamic tradition is not the solution. 

This is a question that has to be answered from the heart and from the gut.  In order for people of other faiths to share American Muslims’ sense of revulsion and disgust over this hate speech, they need to know American Muslims as real friends.

It will be up to Florida’s American Muslims to marshal their resources and their allies to aggressively defend against the Sapps’ and Boeckens’ hate speech lawsuit.  Ideally the battle will focus on the core legal issues and will steer clear of any advocacy that promotes censorship.  This is the kind of case where American Muslims stand to lose even in victory unless they are very thoughtful about how they tackle the crisis.
 

Best Buy wishes its Muslim customers "Happy Eid al Adha"!

 
Best Buy advertisement in 11/22/09 Sunday papers

Yesterday’s Sunday newspaper ads included a very pleasant surprise.  It was in the Best Buy ad insert, but no, it was not about a great deal on a cell phone or a laptop.  While the latest gizmos are very exciting, this time it was something else that caught my attention. 

The front page of the ad said “Happy Eid al-Adha”.  Can you imagine that - “Happy Eid al-Adha” on the front of a major American retailer’s advertising insert?  It is not something I was expecting but I am very happy about it.

Of course not everyone is going to be happy about Best Buy’s decision.  Islamophobes are zeroing in on the Best Buy eid greetings as proof of a nefarious plot to “Islamicize” America.  “It’s anti-Christian” some say.  At the other extreme, some Muslims will certainly berate me for thinking this is a good thing because, in their mind, I am trying to be an American.  Ba-Humbug them all!

Best Buy’s Eid al Adha greetings in the Sunday paper ad insert is a smart marketing decision.  They did it because it benefits their bottom line.  American Muslims are consumers like everyone else.  November 27 is Black Friday (the unofficial kick-off to the Christmas shopping season) and this year it also happens to be Eid al Adha, the second of two annual Islamic holidays.  Especially in this economy, it makes a lot of sense for Best Buy to leverage every possible gift-giving holiday to its advantage.

The extremist Christian right-wing bemoans practices that properly separate church and state because to them the state ought to promote Christianity only.  Not surprisingly then, these same extremist Christian right-wingers gets bent out of shape whenever Islam is appropriately acknowledged alongside Christianity, Judaism and the many other faith traditions in America.

The blogosphere is already buzzing with all the usual crack-pot Islamophobes frothing at the mouth and tripping over one another to whine and moan that Islam is being given special treatment.  Many of the most virulent Islamophobic websites are asking their hate-brigades of Pat Robertson-following, Mark Levine-loving and Rush Limbaugh-listening people to contact Best Buy to complain about their supposed “anti-Christian" behavior and to tell Best Buy they are boycotting the store (um, yeah, unless that really cool 52 inch HD flat screen dips under $600 – oh yeah, Hannity and O’Reilly in HD baby…).

On the flipside, there are the reflexively anti-American Muslims who will attempt to suppress any appreciation of Best Buy’s eid greetings because it is an invitation to be more American.  “Fear Allah brother!” they will surely exhort via email and at the mosque.  I know I’m going to get an earful of “The eid greeting is right above thanksgiving -  that’s a Christian holiday!  It’s proximity to the eid greeting makes it Haraam brother!”

Frankly, I am at my wits end with these nutty anti-American Muslims as much as I am with the Islamophobe kooks.  In response to their accusation about being more American I respond: guilty as charged…  brother. 

I am happy to see Muslim holidays making it into mainstream American life.  I am heartened to know that corporate America is taking notice that the American Muslim market is a goldmine for their bottom line.  It bodes well that phrases like “Happy Eid al-Adha” are making their way into the consciousness of America.

Whenever I can get an acknowledgement of Islam and Muslims in America, be it from an eid greeting from the White House or in a Best Buy advertisement, I am happy.  These little efforts go a long way in reinforcing the message I try to convey to my children: you have a right to be a devout and practicing Muslim and a patriotic and engaged American citizen at the same time.

Having grown up in an America that was a lot less aware of Islam and Muslims and having come of age at a time when Islam and Muslims were demonized in the media, I have a keen appreciation for accurate and positive images of Islam and Muslims.  The Best Buy greeting is a small but important milestone in the establishment of Islam in the pluralistic religious foundation of America.  When my kids see the eid greeting they react with a nonchalant “cool”.  Yes, it is cool.

Kenney, Abusumayah and a hate crime in Tinley Park, Illinois

 
Valerie Kenney

Richard Roeper does not understand the law.  At least, he does not understand Illinois’ hate crimes statute very well.  Perhaps I can help him.

Illinois’ hate crime law is straight-forward.  Under Illinois’ Hate Crimes Statute (720 ILCS 5/12-7.1):

“A person commits hate crime when, by reason of the actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or national origin of another individual or group of individuals, regardless of the existence of any other motivating factor or factors, he commits assault, battery…” (emphasis added)

In defendant Kenney’s case she battered Abusumayah when she pulled at her scarf and simultaneously made anti-Muslim comments to Abusumayah.  Her battery was motivated by her hatred of Islam and Muslims.  Her actions fit the statutory requirements of a hate crime.  The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office made the right call in charging Kenney with a hate crime.

Mr. Roeper is not happy about Kenney being charged with a hate crime.  He thinks it was merely stupid.  Yes, what Kenney did was stupid, but since it fits the definition of a hate crime, it makes sense for the prosecutors to bring the charge.  Kenney will have ample opportunities to defend herself against the hate crimes charge in court.  She may opt, as is her right, to be tried by a jury of her peers and allow the jurors to decide if she is guilty of hate crime.

The prosecutor has a mandate to protect the people.  It is not simply a matter of prosecuting people after they commit crimes but also about deterring crime by using the prosecutorial powers effectively.  I hope the thinking in Anita Alvarez’s office was that, post-Ft. Hood, there may be some very strong and misplaced anti-Muslim sentiments in the community and that it is a matter of public safety to deter people harboring such hatred from acting out criminally.  The prosecutor is doing all the ignorant would-be Kenneys in Cook County a favor by letting the community know that hate crimes against Muslims will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Mr. Roeper says that prosecuting Kenney under the hate crimes statute “cheapens the definition of a hate crime” because what Kenney did was merely “stupid and mean” but clearly he does not understand the role of prosecutors.  The prosecutors’ office creates public policy by exercising its discretion as to which crimes will be prosecuted and the manner in which they will be prosecuted.

There is a palpable anti-Muslim sentiment in the community.  The minority of Americans who espouse hatred for Muslims are vocal and, as is obvious with Kenney, they are willing to break the social contract by acting out against those whom they perceive to be Muslim.  Roeper would prefer that we waited until someone gets beaten or killed or until a mosque is vandalized or a Muslim family’s home is burned down by arsonists.  The law-abiding, hard working American Muslim families in Illinois are not willing to wait around for something even worse to happen.

It would have been better for everyone if Kenney would have kept her hate to herself in that grocery store.  Alas, Kenney chose to expose her bigotry to the public and engage in criminal behavior as well.  Now it is up to our criminal justice system to work it out.  Mr. Roeper can continue to use his column irresponsibly by whipping up the Kenneys of our community into a hateful frenzy by suggesting that she will go to jail for 3 years and be fined $25,000 for what she did.
 
Rather than taking this foolish route, what Mr. Roeper should have done is come out squarely against Kenney’s actions and acknowledged that, if proven, her actions are a hate crime.  By doing this he would have affirmed his commitment to basic decency and the rule of law, and then he would have greater legitimacy to advocate for a constructive punishment that takes into account the severity of the battery, the injuries to the victim, Kenney’s past criminal history (if any) and the possibility of contrition (by Kenney) and community service as alternatives to a long incarceration and or an onerous monetary fine.

Instead, Mr. Roeper used his public stage as a newspaper columnist to indict himself as ignorant and insensitive to the concerns and fears of a large community of his fellow Americans.  Way to go Mr. Roeper.

Congressman Don Manzullo - Republican - says Islam is a savage religion? Really?

 
Congressman Don Manzullo (R)
Illinois' 16th Congressional Dist

On Sunday (11/15) U.S. Rep. Donald Manzullo, a Republican member of the Illinois congressional delegation, said the detainees at Guantanamo Bay military prison follow "some savage religion."  All of the detainees at GITMO are reportedly Muslims or from Muslim majority countries.  It is safe to say Manzullo knows this fact.

Illinois is a great state and by and large the elected officials of this state have a good relationship with American Muslims.  That has a lot to do with the fact that American Muslims are very active and engaged in public and interfaith life in Illinois.  Even though we have some "less than enlightened" politicians run arounding still (i.e., Congressman Mark "It's okay to profile Muslims and Arabs" Kirk), it is still disturbing to hear one of our congressmen describe Islam as a "savage religion".

We all know that Islam abhors violence and mayhem and the killing of innocents and that oppression is considered reprehensible in Islam.  The world "Islam" means peace.  We also know that a powerful, multi-faceted and cunning campaign has been underway for many years even before 9/11/01 and those forces have tripled and quadrupled their vicious attacks on Muslims and Islam in America and abroad.

Manzullo's calling Islam a savage religion is sickening.  Thankfully Senator Durbin and Gov. Quinn have both come out to let Illinoisans know that what Manzullo is doing is pure fearmongering.  They pointed out that Manzullo's comments are meant to use fear of Islam to kill a plan that would bring GITMO detainees to a currently unused prison in far northwest Illinois.

Manzullo and other Republicans in Illinois can disagree with Sen. Durbin and Gov. Quinn about the effectiveness of selling the prison in Thomson, Illinois to the federal government for the purposes of housing and trying GITMO detainees.  Manzullo and his Republican colleagues should, however, try to use sound and persuasive arguments and not slip into bigotry.  That is wrong.  That is disgusting.

Whatever his true feelings are Manzullo is doing the right thing now by rephrasing and explaining his comments.  According to the Chicago Tribune Manzullo explained:

"I never once said that Islam is a savage religion. It is a false conclusion or assumption. These terrorists have perverted the peaceful nature of Islam for their own demented purposes."

Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago office of the Council on American Islamic Relations, was quoted in the same Chicago Tribune story as saying:

"It is outrageous and very sad that a representative of the people would partake in an attack against a global faith.  He could have said, 'a savage ideology' or 'a savage interpretation' or any type of nuance that a politician like himself knows how to do."

Rehab is exactly on point.  Manzullo should work harder to avoid defaming the faith of 6 million of his fellow Americans.  His 16th congressional district, which includes the cities of Rockford, Crystal Lake and parts of East and West Dundee, is home to many Muslims.  There are at least 4 mosques in his congressional district and the American Muslim constituents are hardworking and patriotic Americans.  Shame on Manzullo for being so callous.

Some argue that Manzullo should be given some slack for clarifying his comments.  Taking Manzullo to task in the media and hopefully through some targeted civic actions in his district is not about being harsh or vindictive.  It is about saying enough is enough to Islamophobic rhetoric by our leaders.  It is about sending a message to Manzullo that he needs to step up and defend American Muslims from Islamophobes like his fellow Republican congressman Mark Kirk (R - 10th Dist - IL) and national Republicans like Rudy Gulliani.

American Muslims have a responsibility to speak out against violence and extremism done in the name of Islam.  American Muslims have been doing this since long before 9/11 and certainly a lot more since then.  They do this not because they are responsible for the actions of other Muslims but because their fellow Americans deserve to know what Muslims really believe.  Given the power and reach of Islamophobes through extremist Christians like Pat Robertson and Franklin Graham and through the right-wing media such as Faux News and right-wing talk radio, it is up to American Muslims to share the truth one neighbor at a time if need be.

The battle against religious extremism cannot be won by using Islam and Muslims as scapegoats.  American Muslims are America's greatest asset in the battle against religious extremism and terror conducted in the name of Islam.  It is about time that Manzullo and others recognized this fact and stopped making the same old tired and bigoted comments.

Manzullo has the thanks of American Muslims for his after-the-fact explanation.  Better something than nothing and better late than never.  As a follow up act Manzullo needs to make sustained efforts to reach out to, connect with and help his American Muslim constituents just the same way he helps others in his district.  In order words, he needs to treat his American Muslim constituents fairly.

Are we at war with Islam? Only according to extremist, warmongering radicals

Have you noticed how extremist, warmongering radicals all see Islam at war with America?  Al Qaeda and its spawn certainly promote this belief.  And so too do extremist, warmongering radical Americans. 

That's right: extremist, warmongering radical right-wing Americans go to great lengths and leave no idiotic conspiracy theory that supports their warped worldview untapped in trying to convince themselves that Islam is evil and that all Muslims are openly and secretly trying to kill all non-Muslims.  It is about time we exposed these violence-prone fanatics who deceptively wrap the Stars and Stripes around themselves to mask the mix of Christian Identity, White Supremacy, Dominionism and xenophobia.

You know who these folks are - they are the people you see at rallies and protests, they are the screwballs who call into right-wing talk radio and lace their anti-Muslim diatribes with "God Bless America", "Amen" and "Yee Haa" and they are the entertainers pretending to be pundits and journalists on Faux News and on America Right satellite radio and are on the donor rolls of extremist Christian leaders like Pat Robertson and Franklin Graham.  They are the people shaving their heads and putting bedsheets on their heads and getting swastikas tattooed on their bodies.  They are the people bombing abortion clinics, killing doctors, going on shooting rampages against anyone who is not White and who target non-Christians with gun violence and random thuggery.  They have the blogs that rightly decry Al Qaeda organized violence and then go one indict every other Muslim for good measure.

These extremist Americans have more in common with Al Qaeda than with the rest of America.  Instead of allowing Americans to close ranks and deal with the fanaticism of Al Qaeda together, their hate ideology is extremely effective in keeping American Muslims off balance and consistently in a defensive posture.  Instead of spending time rooting out extremism, hours and hours of time is spent by American Muslims telling America who they are and what they believe.

Eight years ago American Muslims recognized that they would have to make the case for Islam as a religion of peace and for themselves as patriotic and loyal Americans.  For eight years American Muslims have been talking in interfaith gatherings, wearing the American flag on their lapels, blasting out press releases condemning terrorism committed by their co-religionists throughout the world and contributing day after day as productive citizens in all walks of life.

Today it is clear that American Muslims cannot do it by themselves.  They need the help and support of the rest of America.  They need the help of everyday Americans who know American Muslims as neighbors, co-workers, friends and classmates.  Do the math and you will understand why, in the face of a frenzied and high powered smear campagin by American extremists within this society, 6 million American Muslims cannot possibly share their aspirations, hopes, their hospitality and their love of America with the other 300 million Americans by themselves.

Americans need to unite against extremism.  American Muslims need to get out of their comfort zone and continue condemning terrorism and violence committed in the name of Islam.  The rest of America needs to rally behind those American Muslims who have stepped forward to speak truth to power and confront extremism within their own community as well as against the vicious bigotry of fanatical, righ-wing extremist Americans.  This is the need of our time and all Americans of good will need to do their part.

American Muslims, Veterans Day 2009, Ft. Hood Massacres and Islamophobes

The Ft. Hood murders made this year's Veterans Day a lot more meaningful than in years past.  This year I made a concerted effort to use this day (which I had off for the first time in about 8 years) to think about our veterans and to teach my children about the sacrifices our veterans make to serve and protect our society.

VETERANS DAY SPENT FOCUSING ON VETERANS - A FIRST

Over breakfast I talked to my kids about what they know about Veterans Day.  We talked about why we need a military and that the men and women in the military have families just like ours, and the big diffference is that the member of the family in the military is sometimes gone for a year or more and that their lives are at risk whenever they are working.

The concept of being away from family seemed to make an impact.  One of the challenges I've had in our family is being away a lot at work and they seemed to use that as a point of reference.

After breakfast we headed over to the local Veterans Day service.  We just made it in time.  My high school's band was at the service - which was remarkable because school was off today so these kids put on their uniforms and came out together when they could have remained at home.  They received a well-deserved round of applause for their commitment.

It was a decent turn out.  I have not been to a Veterans Day service in my hometown before so I cannot say whether it was bigger than usual.  When you take out the veterans, the first responders and the elected officials, the gathering was made up of about 50 or so senior citizens.  The people who turned out for this service are the same folks who come to the 9/11 remembrance every year (which is a service at which I speak annually so I have gotten to know that crowd).  Outside of the high school marching band my kids were about the only people there under the age of 18 years.

I'm glad I took my kids to the service.  Afterwards we visited the veterans memorial in our town.  The Marine Corps flag was at half-mast in memory of a local Marine who had died and was being remembered.  A young Marine Corps recruiter was at the service and my kids had a chance to meet him, shake his hand and say thank you.  As we walked back to the car we passed by two veterans who were at least 70 years old each.  Both were dressed in their military uniforms.  We took a moment to say hello to them and to thank them as well.

I was really pleased with my daughter later this afternoon.  As we left the library my son complained to me about not being able to see the Astro Boy movie.  We were not able to fit the movie into our schedule because we had attended the veterans day service.  Without a single word from me my daughter said "it's the least we can do to go and say thank you when they are dying to protect us - I think the movie theaters should be closed on Veterans Day."  I was very proud of her.

AMERICAN MUSLIM LEADERS OVERWHELMED & DIVIDED ON VETERANS DAY

Throughout the day I followed my emails on my blackberry.  With one crisis on top of another - dealing with the Ft. Hood murders' implications for American Muslims, the recent words of praise from an extremist imam (Anwar al Awlaki) for Nidal Malik Hasan's alleged homicidal rampage, a GOP-Illinois press release calling on a major immigrant rights organization in Illinois to cut its ties with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) over allegations of CAIR's alleged links to Hamas, the arrest of two Chicago men just a few weeks ago on allegations of terrorism, the shooting death of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah by the FBI in Dearborn, Michigan and the other arrests of American Muslims in Chicago, Dallas, Colorado and Massachusetts all alleging terrorism - the local leadership seemed to be overwhelmed and divided on how best to move ahead.  And as if this were not enough, it was discovered yesterday at a well-known hate group called ACT! for America (led by radical Islamophobe Brigette Gabriel) is planning to hold a "discussion" on radical Islam in St. Charles, Illinois on Saturday, November 14.

The emails went back and forth with well-intentioned and highly capable community leaders debating whether we should be speaking out and apologizing for the crimes and sins of other Muslims and whether it is tactically advisable to confront the Islamophobes in St. Charles and so on.  It is obvious that the confluence of multiple crises is beginning to seriously tax the largely volunteer administrations of American Muslim institutions in Illinois.

Still, despite the many challenges being confronted the the American Muslim community, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) did issue a thoughtful and timely statement for Veterans Day on behalf of Illinois' American Muslim community.  This was absolutely critical.  Had CIOGC missed this important opportunity to speak about the sincere sentiments of Illinois' Muslim community, the Islamophobes would have seized the oversight as an example of American Muslim disloyalty.  Here is what CIOGC said this Veterans' Day:

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago today asked fellow citizens to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the armed forces- in wartime and peacetime- in any capacity.
 
“Today we pay tribute to those who protected our freedom and our nation; we honor their legacies and their loved ones,” said Dr. Mohammed Zaher Sahloul, the Chair of the CIOGC. “We pray for all innocent victims of war and ask God Almighty to help us ending eight years of continuous senseless wars that added a lot of stress on our veterans, many of them returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with deep, long lasting physical and psychological injuries”.
 
The Council also expressed its support for a newly established fund by the Islamic Society of North America and the Texas-based Freedom and Justice Foundation, to assist the victims of the families of the Fort Hood tragedy. Recognizing the important sacrifices made by our soldiers and their families, it is imperative for all Americans to join hands in supporting those affected by this tragic incident.
 
"Two members of the armed forces lost their lives in the Ft. Hood tragedy are from Illinois, James Pearson from Bollingbrook and Francheska Velez from Chicago. We join their families in grieving their loved ones during the Veteran Day and we ask God Almighty to heal the wounds of the injured and bestow His solace and patience on the families of the victims and on our nation” said Interim Executive Director Kiran Ansari. "We are calling on all mosques and faith partners in Illinois to show support for the victim's families by contributing to the Fund."

Donations may be made to:

"Fort Hood Family Fund"
c/o ISNA
P. O. Box 808
Plainfield, IN 46168
 
Donate online at:
www.forthoodfamilyfund.com

ISLAMOPHOBES FLOODING THE INTERNET NARROW-MINDED, HATEFUL & IGNORANT CHATTER

It is indeed their right to blather on and on with their Islamophobic hysteria, but I do not have to like the bigots who spew this nonesense.  Plus, it is very hard to hear the outlandish lies and gross errors in describing Islamic beliefs and doctrines by some members of the media and many extremists in the blogosphere.

Today Mary Kate Cary published a very smart blog entry entitled "Muslim Leaders Need to Condemn Violence" and in her blog post Cary writes that she was asked if she thought Islam is a religion of peace and she said she did not think so.  Her reason for thinking so?  Here it is from her own blog:

The reason I don't think Islam is a religion of peace is that I am not aware of a single Muslim cleric stepping forward to denounce acts of violence committed in the name of Islam. This has happened over and over, and yet the mainstream Muslim leaders—presumably peaceful religious leaders who are not radicals—never step forward to call for an end to murderous rampages and terrorist acts committed in the name of Islam.

Cary suggests that Muslim religious leaders have not condemned terrorism.  She is wrong and she could have saved herself the embarrassment of appearing ignorant and lazy by doing just a little bit of online research.

In 2005 the Fiqh Council of North America issued a relgious ruling (a fatwa) against terrorism.  The statement was widely circulated to the national and international media at the time.  In part the ruling states:

The Fiqh Council of North America wishes to reaffirm Islam's condemnation of terrorism and religious extremism.
 
Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram - prohibited in Islam - and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not “martyrs.”
 
The Qur’an, Islam’s revealed text, states: "Whoever kills a person, unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land, it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a person, it is as though he had saved all mankind." (Qur’an, 5:32)

The text of the ruling appears on websites of many major American Muslim institutions and on Muslim blogs.  How Cary missed this is difficult to explain.  Perhaps she doesn't know about Google.

In May 2008 the Islamic seminary Darul-Uloom Deoband in India issued a ruling (fatwa) against terrorism as well.  According to The Times of India the ruling, signed by Darul-Uloom's grand mufti Habibur Rehman, 

asserts that "Islam rejects all kinds of unjust violence, breach of peace, bloodshed, murder and plunder and does not allow it in any form".

This was a very talked about ruling because Darul-Uloom Deoband is a major scholarly center for Muslims from India and Pakistan (which together account for at least 1/3 of the world's Muslim population).  Again, how did Cary miss it? 

In addition to these two examples there are countless statements by American Muslim institutions denouncing terrorism and condemning the targeting and killing of civilians.  These statements are posted on the websites of major American Muslim organizations.  They are sent to reporters throughout the media from U.S. News & World Report to the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, and everything in between.

Mary Kate Cary, a University of Virginia alumnus, is a professional political speech writer.  Most of her blog posts over the past several months seem to be about politics.  This recent foray into religion seems to be a relatively new undertaking for Cary.  As such, it may be that she is not an Islamophobe but rather a very uninformed journalist who really screwed up a blog post. 

If that is the case then she should write a mea culpa soon.  Clearly there are a lot of bigots who read her blog.  The comments were just disgusting.  Hopefully Cary does not not identify with the bigots who read her blog and hopefully she has the guts to set the record straight.

ACT! for America...She must be stopped...Brigette Gabriel is a Loon!

 

This is not something to be dismissed lightly.  People were reportedly passing out the above referenced flyer at the Schaumburg Township Public Library today.  This is a wake up call to decent people in the northwest and westerns suburbs of Chicago.  Agents of hate are in our midst.  I'm very saddened to see this day come to pass in our part of the state.

DETAILS OF THE COMING HATE SPEECH

According to this flyer a local group of Islamophobes is organizing a meeting to promote the notorious Islamophobe extraordinaire Brigette Gabriel and her self-promoting, bigotry-based profit machine ACT! for America group.  Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009

Time: 1pm to 3pm

Place: St. Charles Public Library, 1 South 6th Avenue, St. Charles, Illinois (Huntley Room)

Topic: "Islamic Radicalism" Discussion

We know the "discussion" is going to be Islamophobic because the local organizers are promoting a prominent purveyor of Islamophobia - Brigette Gabriel.  Brigette Gabriel is a hatemonger.  Why do I think this to be the case?  According to Clark Hoyt, Public Editor of The New York Times, Gabriel's beliefs include the following:

Every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim.

Although the Australian Jewish News has taken the interview down, we are fortunate that Sheila Musaji of the The American Muslim (TAM) quotes from that interview on her blog as follows:

When asked whether Americans should “resist Muslims who want to seek political office in this nation,” Gabriel said:

“Absolutely. If a Muslim who has—who is—a practicing Muslim who believes the word of the Koran to be the word of Allah, who abides by Islam, who goes to mosque and prays every Friday, who prays five times a day—this practicing Muslim, who believes in the teachings of the Koran, cannot be a loyal citizen to the United States of America.”

LOONWATCH.COM has a very interesting take on Gabriel.  The writers at LOONWATCH.COM describe Gabriel as

a notorious apologist for the fascist Phalange group, Kataeb, and the terrorist group, the South Lebanon Army (SLA), who were responsible for the Sabra and Shatila massacres that slaughtered 1700 to 2000 Palestinians (mostly women and chidren).

WHAT CAN BE/SHOULD BE DONE?

I do not know who the local organizers are, but one sure way to find out is to go to this meeting on Saturday!  Of course, it does no one any good to go to something like this ill-prepared or with anger in their hearts.  No, the better approach is to organize more speech to counter the hate speech sponsored by these local organizers.

A group of Americans from various different faith communities should go to the St. Charles Library to peacefully provide counter-points to the hate this local group is promoting.  Certainly we can gather a small group of Muslims, Christians, Jews and other faithful people to bear witness to the lies that this local group is promoting.

Safaa Zarzour, chairman of the board at the Council on American-Islamic Relations Chicago, sent leaders of the Chicagoland community an email message this evening saying that his organization is working on a strategy to counter this this group and this meeting.  This is a good development.  The Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs, a mosque on whose board I sit, is also taking note of this ugly development and is cooperating with CAIR-Chicago and others to help devise and execute a thoughtful response to this local group's hatemongering.

This evening I sent Ms. Diana Brown, Director of the St. Charles Public Library, an email message conveying some of my concerns:

Dear Ms. Brown:

Good evening.  I am writing to find out about a meeting that is taking place at the St. Charles Public Library this Saturday.  It is purportedly begin held in the Huntley Room from 1pm to 3pm on 11/14 to discuss "Islamic Radicalism".

I am a board member of the Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs and the former executive director of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.  I also sit on the board of the Muslim Bar Association.  Flyers for this meeting were being passed out at the Schaumburg Township Public Library this week so the organizers are looking to bring people from beyond the St. Charles community to this event.

There are several questions I wish to ask of you.  First, given that this meeting is being promoted to the public, do the organizers have the right to exclude people from it on the basis of religion?  Second, can you share with me the identities of the residents who reserved this room for the meeting?  Third, do you have space in the library where I or others may provide additional corrective information that seeks to balance the hate speech that I believe will be promoted within this meeting in the Huntley Room?

I am an ardent supporter of free speech.  While I would rather not have hate speech in my community, I believe that the best way to confront hate speech is to challenge it with truthful and accurate information and open and public debate.  I would like to work with you in making arrangements so that we can do just this at the St. Charles Public Library this Saturday.

Please feel free to reach out to me.  You can reach me at xxxxxxx@xxxx.com  or by calling me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.  I hope to hear back from you very soon.

Sincerely,
Junaid M. Afeef, Esq.

CENSORSHIP IS NOT THE ANSWER

As I told Ms. Brown of the St. Charles Public Library, I would prefer that we did not have hatemongering going on in our community.  Now that the hatemongering has arrived, however, I am not in favor of trying to chill or censor it.

I would actually like to know who all are behind this effort so that I can talk with them.  I grew up in this region and I have met all kinds of folks from the northwest and western suburbs.  I went to college with them and I work with them now.  We share so many of the same values.  We share so many of the same hopes and dreams and interests.  I would like to talk to the local organizers because frankly I do not believe they have met many Muslims and that is why they are susceptible to being duped by the likes of reputed radical Islamophobe Brigette Gabriel.

Islam, in its authentic form as practiced by over 1.4 billion people across the world, is a religion of peace and justice.  I am not afraid to put up my beliefs and my personal values as guided by my Islamic faith as a counter-balance to the hatemongering that is promoted by Brigette Gabriel.  I am also certain that there will be good people from other faith communities who would be willing to stand with me to bear witness to the tolerance, understanding and friendship that is possible between people of different faiths when good people come together.

That is why I hope St. Charles Public Library will afford us the space within the library to provide a forum that provides additional, corrective information to that which I suspect will be spewed by the local organizers for Brigette Gabriel.