USA Today reports on the spread of sharia hysteria in the US.
Category Archives: USA
New York: men accused of subway attack on imam face hate crime charges
Two men accused of attacking a Muslim religious leader in a Manhattan subway station were the targets Thursday of a hate-crimes investigation.
The unidentified imam claimed the two men called him a “terrorist” and yelled ethnic and religious slurs when they assaulted him at the Canal Street station early Wednesday, sources said.
Eddie Crespo, 28, of Staten Island, was charged with third degree assault as a hate crime and two counts of second degree robbery, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said. Albert Melendez, 30, of Manhattan, is expected to be arraigned later Thursday.
The incident happened at 3:25 a.m. on the northbound A-train platform, prosecutors said.
New York Daily News, 9 December 2010
Update: See also TPM, 10 December 2010
Corvallis, Oregon: locals donate time to help repair burnt mosque office
Thursday morning, it was business as usual for the small crew of The Village Builder construction company. John Donohue of Albany and Bruce McVicar of Corvallis worked to secure new slabs of sheet rock onto exposed wall supports, while fellow crew members Peter Noone and Tom Olson measured and cut the next pieces to fit.
But, it wasn’t just any job, and the company wasn’t getting paid a dime. They wouldn’t have it any other way.
Village Builder owner Charlie “Chuck” Noone volunteered his crew’s services to help rebuild the fire-damaged office of Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center director Mohammed Siala. The contractor’s crew is donating labor to rebuild the office which that was heavily damaged by an arson fire Nov. 28.
Chuck Noone was shocked when he read about the arson at the mosque and dismayed at news coverage that reflected animosity and hate. “I thought this needed to be turned around,” he said. “Maybe a small amount of kindness would help turn things around a little … I thought if we did something nice in their time of need, that maybe other people would help and it would all kind of snowball.”
In addition to the fire damage, repairs are needed to replace windows and a door that was damaged when the fire department forced entry to quickly extinguish the blaze. The rest of the building – including the main worship area, was unharmed, and there were no injuries. The center’s insurance policy covered the cost of materials for the repairs. “I told (the mosque leaders) whatever their insurance didn’t cover, we would pick up the tab,” Chuck Noone said. “I don’t want them to have to pay for anything out of pocket.”
In addition to the sheet rock, Village Builder’s crew will replace the doors and trim. Noone will pay another contractor, Dan George, for taping and texturing the walls. Volunteers – including residents from the mosque – plan to paint the office.
Mosque members brought the work crew potato soup as a small thanks on Thursday. The arson was a terrible thing, Noone said. But, “it’s an opportunity for community to come together.”
Another mosque project seeks support, this time with Jewish help
Forward reports from Temecula, California, on the support given by the Jewish community to local Muslims in their bid to build a new mosque, in the face of an Islamophobic backlash.
Glenn Beck estimates there are close to 157 million Islamic terrorists
On his radio program this morning, Fox News host Glenn beck warned, as he often does, that there is a dangerous group of violent radical Communists who want to overthrow the government, and lamented that the mainstream media, including Fox News, refuses to cover this allegedly imminent threat. As a point of comparison to the dreaded Communists, Beck mentioned Islamic terrorists, saying he suspects that close to 10 percent of Muslims are terrorists:
BECK: What is the number of Islamic terrorists? One percent? I think it’s closer to 10 percent, but the rest of the PC world will tell you “oh no, it’s minuscule.” Okay, well, let’s take you at your one percent. Look at the havoc of one percent of Muslims causing on the rest of the world!
According to a Pew report from last year, there are 1.57 billion Muslims in the world. Thus, by Beck’s calculations, there would be 157 million Islamic terrorists – more than half the population of the U.S. Even at 1 percent, which Beck – noted headmaster of Beck University – claims the “PC world” believes, there would be 1.57 million Muslim terrorists.
California Muslims reported FBI provocateur … to the FBI
An FBI informer sent to infiltrate a California mosque was made the subject of a restraining order after scaring Muslim worshippers with demands for holy war.
Craig Monteilh was known to members of the Irvine Islamic Center as Farouk al-Aziz, an apparently devout and at times over-zealous Muslim. But when he began speaking of jihad and plans to blow up buildings, senior figures at the mosque reported him the FBI – the very people who sent him. Now the FBI is facing criticism for its use of such stooges which have backfired in a number of cases.
Monteilh claims he was already working for the FBI when he was approached about infiltrating mosques and was told “Islam is a threat to our national security”. He agreed and became Farouk al-Aziz, code name Oracle, a French Syrian in search of his Islamic roots. He was trained by the FBI and claims he was told to infiltrate mosques in Orange County and two other counties.
Worshippers said that in Monteilh’s 10 months at the mosque, he became almost manic in his devotion, attending prayers five times a day but he was secretly recording conversations. However, when he began to tell Muslims he had access to weapons they became convinced he was a terrorist and ironically reported the informant to the FBI.
See also “Mosque infiltration feeds Muslims’ distrust of FBI, Washington Post, 5 December 2010
Update: And see Wajahat Ali, “Time for FBI to stop spying on American Muslims”, Comment is Free, 7 December 2010
Colorado Muslim woman won’t remove headcarf for jail photo
A Muslim woman who refused to remove her headscarf for a Boulder County jail booking photo has been told she’ll have to explain her refusal to a judge.
Maria Hardman, 19, of Boulder, who says she converted to Islam three years ago, pleaded guilty to an alcohol violation and was sentenced to two days in jail plus community service.
She told the Boulder Daily Camera on Friday that removing her headscarf for the photo would violate her beliefs because the Quran calls for Muslim women to wear the scarf except in the company of close family.
A police report said Hardman’s blood-alcohol level was 0.19, more than twice the legal limit, after she crashed her motor-scooter in August. Alcohol consumption is generally considered to be banned by Islam. Hardman said she drank punch provided at a party without knowing it contained alcohol. She said she left after she found out.
Hardman said she was told to remove the scarf for the photo Wednesday, when she reported to the jail to do paperwork in preparation for a two-day work crew as part of her sentence.
She said her attorney spent three hours trying to persuade officials to let her wear the scarf for the photo. She said jail officials eventually allowed her to leave without taking her photo, but it’s not clear whether she began serving her sentence.
Larry Hank, who oversees the jail, said Hardman will have to explain her refusal to the judge in her case and that jail officials are preparing a motion to explain their reasoning.
The newspaper reported Hardman’s attorney is also working on a motion. No hearing has been scheduled.
Associated Press, 4 December 2010
Update: See “Student Voice: ‘I am a Muslim and I love this country'”, Colorado Daily, 6 December 2010
Political issues key to Muslim-West engagement, Gallup poll finds
As President Barack Obama reiterated his commitment to improving relations with global Muslim communities during his Asia tour, Gallup findings underscore the need to address political issues. Irrespective of where they live, individuals who are ready for Muslim-West engagement say tensions between majority Muslim and Western societies stem from differences in political interests, rather than religion or culture.
These findings are based on Gallup’s latest report, “Measuring the State of Muslim-West Relations: Assessing the ‘New Beginning’.” The report presents an in-depth analysis of Muslim-West relations – one of the core themes outlined in Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, which Gallup published in 2008.
Hundreds attend vigil to show solidarity with Oregon mosque after arson attack
CORVALLIS, Ore. — People of all faiths surrounded a local mosque Tuesday night to stand up against an arson attack that was possibly retaliation for the foiled bomb plot in Portland last Friday.
Side by side, hundreds of Christians, Jews and Muslims tolerated the rain to stand together outside the mosque.
“We’re here together to shine light toward our Muslim brothers and sisters and say our light and your light are here together,” said Benjamin Barnett, a rabbi.
Elizabeth Oettinger, senior minister of the First Congregational Church United Church of Christ, said a number of religious leaders organized the event to show support for the Muslim community. “We wanted to surround it in fire and light in solidarity and friendship,” she said.
“In the most strongest terms, we all abhor any act of violence against anyone,” said Mohammed Siala, the center’s administrator. He said members have already forgiven whomever set the fire.
“We forgive him or forgave them, not because (we are) outnumbered or because we are weak, but with your support here tonight and standing by your side, we tell them that there is no place for prejudice toward anybody, regardless of the faith or race or nationality,” he said.
“(The) person who did this to the mosque and that person who did this in Portland doesn’t represent the whole community as Muslims and Americans,” said Hassan Armutawa, a Muslim.
While local Muslims have felt the burn of hatred and Islamaphobia before, they said the light from Tuesday’s vigil outshines the hate. Members of the mosque said they were deeply touched and thank members of the community for attending.
Judge issues permanent injunction on Oklahoma Sharia law ban
A federal judge in Oklahoma has issued an order putting on hold the certification of a ballot measure that forbids state courts from considering or using international laws, as well as Sharia, or Islamic law. That permanent injunction will allow the judge more time to consider the constitutional issues raised by State Question 755, which was approved by voters earlier this month.
Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange had earlier issued a temporary restraining order in favor of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which had sued to nullify the law completely.
“While the public has an interest in the will of the voters being carried out,” wrote the judge in Monday’s order, “the court finds that the public has a more profound and long-term interest in upholding an individual’s constitutional rights.”
The language of her 15-page order indicated Miles-LaGrange has initial doubts about the constitutionality of the ballot measure. She said the case goes “to the very foundation of our country, our Constitution, and particularly the Bill of Rights. Throughout the course of our country’s history, the will of the ‘majority’ has on occasion conflicted with the constitutional rights of individuals.”