Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

New York Neighbors for American Values – coalition formed to back Park51

Posted on by Bob Pitt

O'Connor, spokeswoman for the September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, speaks in support of proposed Muslim center Park51 in New York
Donna Marsh O’Connor of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows speaks in support of Park51

Muslim, Jewish, Christian and civic groups formed a coalition on Wednesday to back a plan for a Muslim center near the site of the World Trade Center attacks in New York that has sparked heated national debate.

The cultural center and mosque face fierce opposition from conservative politicians and people who consider its location insensitive to families of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 11 attacks by al Qaeda militants in 2001.

But the newly formed New York Neighbors for American Values, made up of more than 40 religious and civic groups, said the debate was creating fear and division and that it would fight for U.S. constitutional freedoms to be upheld.

“We were not attacked by the Muslim world,” said Donna O’Connor, spokeswoman for September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, whose pregnant daughter was killed in the World Trade Center attacks. “We 100 percent fully support the Islamic cultural center in New York City.”

“We reject the refrain of ‘freedom of religion but not in my backyard,'” Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, told a news conference to announce New York Neighbors for American Values.

Reuters, 25 August 2010

See also “Bloomberg launches another impassioned defense of Cordoba House”, Huffington Post, 24 August 2010

And “Our view on Ground Zero hysteria: Fear and innuendo drive opposition to NYC ‘mosque’ “, USA Today, 25 August 2010

Australia: NSW government opposes veil ban bill

Posted on by Bob Pitt

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally says her government will not support a ban on the burqa, the head and body veil worn by some Muslim women, because “such a ban has no place in multicultural NSW”.

Christian Democratic Party MP Fred Nile had called on both major parties to allow members a conscience vote on his private member’s bill, which was introduced into Parliament in June. Mr Nile wants NSW to follow a growing number of European countries trying to ban women from wearing in public the burqa and the niqab, a veil with a narrow opening for the eyes.

However, at an interfaith dinner with about 300 religious leaders last night, Ms Keneally announced that cabinet had decided to oppose the Full-face Coverings Prohibition Bill, which is modelled on legislation recently passed by the Belgian Parliament.

“We are fortunate to live in a largely harmonious state where differences in language, culture and faith are rightly seen as things which enliven and strengthen our society,” Ms Keneally said. “It is in this spirit that the NSW Government has decided to oppose the bill seeking to create a criminal offence of wearing a burqa in public places.”

Sydney Morning Herald, 24 August 2010

Netherlands: growing opposition to deal with Wilders among Christian Democrats

Posted on by Bob Pitt

With cabinet negotiations entering their third week, a weekend poll shows that 39% of Christian Democrat party members are against any form of political cooperation with Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam PVV.

The poll, carried out by TNS Nipo for the Algemeen Dagblad, also shows that 13% of the 67,000 party members would give up their membership if Wilders is involved in a new right-wing government.

Fewer than half the members, 49%, are in favour of a right-wing government with the involvement of Wilders.

Dutch News, 23 August 2010

Geller’s anti-Islam ads to be removed from Chicago taxis

Posted on by Bob Pitt

SIOA chicago cab ad

Yellow Cab Chicago requested today that a fleet of taxis remove controversial anti-Islam ads.

The ads, sponsored by the group Stop of Islamization of America, appeared on 25 Chicago cabs this summer. Beside pictures of young women who were allegedly killed by their Muslim fathers for refusing an Islamic marriage, dating a non-Muslim or becoming “too Americanized” was the message: “Is your family threatening you?” The placards also displayed the Web address LeaveIslamSafely.com.

Michael Levine, the CEO of Yellow Cab Chicago, said the signs were offensive to the city’s taxi drivers, an estimated half of whom are Muslim. The ads were carried by independent Yellow Cab affiliates, Levine said in a statement. The fleet owner was paid by a company that specializes in advertising atop taxis.

When Yellow Cab learned of the placards three weeks ago, it called the advertising company and asked to have the ads removed, according to Levine. Yellow Cab was told they were taken down, but found out Tuesday that three ads were still running atop taxis.

“They will be removed,” Levine said. “Yellow Cab does not regularly approve advertising content carried by our affiliates, but we do reserve the right to ask them to remove ads that offend either the drivers or the public.”

Chicago Breaking News Center, 24 August 2010

Imane Boudlal rejects Disney’s substitute hijab

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Disney substitute hijab

The Muslim restaurant hostess whom Disney has prohibited from wearing her hijab, a religious head scarf, while at work has rejected as “offensive” what the entertainment giant describes as an attempt to accommodate her.

The hostess has been sent home from work without pay seven times since Aug. 15 when, just days after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan began, Imane Boudlal, 26, wore her hijab to work. She was offered a choice between working in a location out of view of customers or going home.

Boudlal had tried for two months to reach an accommodation with the company, which said it was considering her request for a “religious accommodation,” requests Disney says it considers.

Disney officials yesterday offered Boudlal a hat to wear on top of a bonnet in place of her own white headscarf that the company has said doesn’t meet the “Disney look.”

After trying on the new uniform, Boudlal told her managers it does not meet her religious needs. Boudlal said she found the hat embarrassing, especially because she would be the only restaurant employee forced to wear it.

“The hat makes a joke of me and my religion, and draws even more attention to me,” Boudlal said. “It’s unacceptable.”

“They don’t want me to look like a Muslim,” Boudlal continued. “They just don’t want the head covering to look like a hijab.”

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Protestors against ‘Ground Zero mosque’ face counter-demonstration

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Ground Zero mosque supporters

Mosque hysteria reached fevered pitch Sunday as angry protesters opposed to building an Islamic center near Ground Zero squared off with supporters of the project.

The two groups were kept apart in penned-in protest sites two blocks way from each other – about 200 people gathered in support of the project and 300 against. The block where the proposed center would be built in a former Burlington Coat Factory was closed off with police barricades.

Opponents chanted “No mosque, no way!” and carried signs reading, “9-11-01: Never Forget,” as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” blared over loudspeakers. One group brought life-sized mock missiles with a dummy terrorist draped over top holding a sign that read: “Obama, your middle-name is Hussein, we understand. Bloomberg, what’s your excuse.” Supporters carried signs reading, “America! When did it become OK to be a bigot!”

“I am nervous when people from outside our city come here and tell us how to live in our city,” said Garth Silberstein, an Orthodox Jew from Crown Heights, who supports the project. “This has to do with racism. It has nothing to do with Ground Zero. It’s dangerous to think that freedom of religion only applies to your religion.”

New York Daily News, 22 August 2010

See also CNN Associated Press and WNYC

Update:  And see Glenn Greenwald, “The ‘mosque’ debate is not a ‘distraction'”, Salon.com, 23 August 2010

'Ground Zero mosque' opponents3

Connecticut: religious coalition to protest ‘Muslim bashing’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Stamford, Connecticut — As the country debates the construction of an Islamic community center in lower Manhattan, local religious leaders are banding together to protest what they see as increasing anti-Islamism both nationwide and within the community. “A lot of the public Muslim-bashing rhetoric has been getting to me,” said Kate Heichler, president of the InterFaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut. “It’s time to do something.”

The InterFaith Council, which seeks to promote conversation and collaboration among faith communities in lower Fairfield County, will host a vigil Tuesday night as a public display of support for the Muslim community. Religious leaders from local Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities will participate and a representative from Mayor Michael Pavia’s administration is expected to attend.

Joshua Hammerman, a rabbi at Temple Beth El in Stamford, said he plans to participate. “I think it’s really important that the Jewish community be represented because it’s in our interest here, in Israel and worldwide to reach out to our Islamic brothers and sisters across the divide,” Hammerman said. “We have much to share, much in common among our faiths.”

A recent protest outside a mosque in Bridgeport was one of several events that inspired tomorrow’s vigil, Heichler said. On Aug. 6, members of the Christian group Operation Save America, which is based in Texas, gathered outside Masjid An-Noor mosque on Fairfield Avenue and yelled insults at worshippers.

Connecticut Post, 22 August 2010

Virginia: Muslim soldiers penalised for not attending Christian concert

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Army said Friday it was investigating a claim that dozens of soldiers who refused to attend a Christian band’s concert at a Virginia military base were banished to their barracks and told to clean them up.

Pvt. Anthony Smith said he and other soldiers felt pressured to attend the May concert while stationed at the Newport News base, home of the Army’s Transportation Corps.

Smith, 21, was stationed in Virginia for nearly seven months for helicopter electrician training when the Christian rock group BarlowGirl played as part of the “Commanding General’s Spiritual Fitness Concerts.” Smith said a staff sergeant told 200 men in their barracks they could either attend or remain in their barracks. Eighty to 100 decided not to attend, he said.

“Instead of being released to our personal time, we were locked down,” Smith said. “It seemed very much like a punishment.” Smith said he and the other soldiers were told not to use their cell phones or personal computers and ordered to clean up the barracks.

About 20 of the men, including several Muslims, refused to attend the concert based on their religious beliefs, he said.

Associated Press, 21 August 2010