American Muslim Observer » Anti-Islam Rhetoric

American Muslims Will Still be Monitored During Worship

amobserver — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:20:22 +0000

Strong criticism has not changed the FBI’s mind about using informants to monitor activity in mosques. Not only were informants monitoring mosques but they have been monitoring local gyms in an effort to get information on local mosques. The FBI claims that they do not investigate places, but instead investigate people who are suspected of ties to terrorism.

An informant stated that he was instructed to lure members of a local mosque to gyms. The FBI would obtain security footage from the gyms and the informant would identify the men in the video. He would also be asked to provide additional information on the men and the FBI would run background checks on them. The purpose of the background checks was to find any information that the FBI could use to coerce the men into becoming informants.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/06/fbi-plans-to-continue-mosque-monitoring-despite-concerns-in-orange-county.html

Justice for All, except American Muslims

amobserver — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:44:34 +0000

It has long been held that using race, religion or ethnicity to prosecute a defendant violates the 14^th amendment right to equal protection. Someone should remind Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg of this. He has made repeated anti-Arab and anti-Muslim statements.

He has made comments about Muslim women and stated that Muslims believe that it is religiously acceptable to lie. Incredibly he has even promoted the notion that Muslims are killers due to their nature.

When representing the U.S. government last fall in front of a district judge he stated that a defendant could not be released to his daughter’s custody because “in this particular culture” the woman could not stop her father from fleeing. He has also made jokes about a Virginia man, Ahmed Abu Ali, being held and tortured in Saudi Arabia.

http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-justice-for-all-or-only-non-muslims

Group Told Muslims Trying to Overthrow America

amobserver — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:30:27 +0000

A local Texas activist told a Republican club that Muslims are intent on overthrowing America. Dorrie O’Brien was booked to speak at North Tarrant Republican Club. She angered Muslims previously by stating that most American Muslims support terrorism. A Tarrant County Medical examiner, who is a Muslim, denounced this as hate speech. He requested a chance to rebut her speech when he found out she was booked to make a similar presentation in Tarrant County.

In her presentation she states that Muslims are intent on converting the West to Islam. She speaks of a “stealth Jihad” that is seeking to subvert banks, schools and local government. She reviewed the five pillars of Islam and pointed out the one known as zakat, or giving a percentage of one’s income to charity. She state there is proof that zakat is funding terrorism.

O’Brien left before the medical examiner, Nizam Peerwani, gave his speech. He spent his time correcting factual errors in O’Brien’s speech and reminding people of examples of religious persecution; the Holocaust being one of these examples. He also stated that hate speech will destroy our country. For his part he says he gives his most of his zakat to organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=676&&ArticleID=25937&&name=n&&currPage=1

American’s View of Muslim World Bleak

author1 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:42:35 +0000

A recent poll reveals that only one in five Americans has a positive view of Muslim nations. Another poll shows that 46 percent of people asked have a negative view of Muslim nations. The poll also revealed that most Americans believe that Muslim countries have a negative view of Americans. The poll showed that people are split almost down the middle about whether it matters if Muslim nations have a favorable view of America. 53 percent of those questions said that it does matter; while 47 percent said that it does not matter.

President Obama said at a town hall meeting in Turkey that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam and 62 percent of Americans agree with that statement. Six out of ten people said that they believed that the Muslim world thinks they are at war with America. While the American view of Islam has improved since President Obama took office, it is far from positive.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/02/us.muslims.poll/index.html

Florida House Speaker Insults American Muslims Again

author1 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:34:58 +0000

Rep. Adam Hasner walked out of the floor of the legislature just before an Islamic prayer opened the session. He returned just after the prayer was finished. This is yet another reason to ask Hasner to step down. He cohosted and event where the Dutch politician Geert Wilders said that Muslims should not have religious freedom because Islam is not a legitimate religion.

American Muslims are being asked to call upon the speaker of Florida’s House of Representatives and ask that Hasner be removed from office. They are asking that the speaker defend religious freedom and interfaith tolerance and that Hasner’s actions are not befitting an elected official. Hasner has tried to block “Florida Muslim Capitol Day” and sponsored a screening of the anti-Muslim film “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West” for legislators.

http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=763&&ArticleID=25894&&name=n&&currPage=1

Radio Talk Show Host Who Previously Said to “Kill Muslims” was Pulled from the Air

author1 — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:56:36 +0000

A radio talk show host who had stated in 2004 that instead of befriending American Muslims, we should instead kill them; was pulled from the air for his racial slurs against Mexicans. In his 2004 comments he stated that Muslims were like a fifth column.

His comments against Mexicans were in light of the Swine Flu that was centered in Mexico. Jay Severin is a right wing host of an afternoon drive show. He has been suspended indefinitely for calling Mexican immigrants criminaliens, primitives and leeches.

http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=676&&ArticleID=25923&&name=n&&currPage=1

TSA Will Not Release Information in Imam Case

author1 — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:52:17 +0000

The Transportation Security Administration says that it will not release information for a federal case in Minnesota involving Imams who were removed from a flight because other passengers were uncomfortable. The six Islamic leaders sued the airline for discrimination. The Imams contend that they were taken from the flight due to racism and religious intolerance. All six were led from the plane in hand cuffs and questioned. They were praying before the flight and passengers claimed the Imams made them uncomfortable. The airline refunded their money and refused to let them fly.

The airline, U.S. Airways, has a motion for summary judgment that the lawyers for the Imams state they cannot respond to without knowledge of what is on the redacted documents. TSA states that the information that was redacted would pose a security risk if it were revealed. The TSA is not a party to the case and states that the information could be revealed under seal. This means that the judge could view the sensitive information in chambers and decide if it is relevant.

http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=676&&ArticleID=25905&&name=n&&currPage=1

American Muslim Settles Religious Discrimination Case with Hospital

author1 — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:38:10 +0000

The Southern Hills Medical Center is paying a former employee $70,000 to settle a lawsuit. The suit was filed because the hospital refused to give the employee time off to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. The hospital is admitting no wrong doing in connection to the case.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit on behalf of Wali Telwar in 2007. He is a Muslim and a former medical technician for the hospital. The hospital refused to let Telwar use 20 days of accumulated vacation time to make the trip. Muslims are required to make a hajj, or pilgrimage to the Saudi Arabian birthplace of Islam and its prophet, once in their lives.

Telwar had worked at the hospital for three years and was told that if he went on the hajj he would have to quit and be rehired when he returned. He resigned and was not rehired upon return. The hospital instead hired three other technicians.

http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=676&&ArticleID=25906&&name=n&&currPage=1

Distasteful Comments about Muslim Influence from Operator of Fusion Center

author1 — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:24:33 +0000

A fusion center in Collin’s County Texas is drawing negative attention upon itself and its operator. Fusion centers were established after 9/11 to help local law enforcement communicate more effectively. This one has come under fire not only for its questionable statements, but also for its spending habits.

The man who runs the fusion center from his home, Dr. Bob Johnson, is a computer scientist from Santé Fe, New Mexico. He is the son of local Congressman Sam Johnson. Kelly Stone, Collin County Emergency Management Director, says that he handpicked Johnson for the position for his credentials and not because of who his father is.

Last February Johnson issued statements about the growing Muslim influence in America. He made references to airport footbaths and prayer breaks for public school children of the Muslim faith. He began issuing “Public Awareness Bulletins” outlining his perception of threats. When the Department of Homeland Security found out about the bulletins, he was ordered to stop. The American Civil Liberties Union stressed that these bulletins set off alarms.

Another problem with Johnson and his fusion center is the budget that he is billing the county for. His start-up budget in 2004 was $67,000. This ballooned to a quarter of a million dollars in 2005, but went back down to $77,000 in 2006. This is the year the center actually opened. Unfortunately the bill grew to $368,000 in 2007. Collins County was billed half a million dollars last year by Johnson to add to the system and maintain it.

http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=25948&&name=n&&currPage=1&&Active=1

Geert Wilders and His Hypocritical Argument for Free Speech

author1 — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:23:24 +0000

The Dutch politician Geert Wilders has riled the American Muslim community by bringing his anti-Islam rhetoric to a conference in Florida. The conference was hosted by Rep. Adam Hasner who is the head of the state’s House Republicans. In recent online statements, Wilders has stated that Islam is not a religion and should not be protected under freedom of religion laws. He now complains that his rights to freedom of expression are being intruded upon because the Council on American-Islamic Relations and others have criticized his inflammatory statements; CAIR has also called for Senator Hasner to be removed from leadership because of his support of hatred and intolerance.

CAIR has never called for him to not be able to speak. The organization fully supports a person’s right to free speech. CAIR also condemned the British government for barring him entry into the country because of his hateful language. CAIR believes these bands to be selective and that only allow popular speech; while people are barred from expressing unpopular opinions.

Wilders claims to be a champion of free speech and at the same time is calling for a ban of the Quran in Holland. He has also called for the resignation of a Dutch Diplomat in Jakarta for delivering a “pro-Islam” speech. While people like Wilder are opportunists seeking the spot light, the American Muslim community and people of all faiths should band together to spread the message of peace and cooperation. Focusing on the hate that these individuals are spreading is only giving them the power they seek.

http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=25941&&name=n&&currPage=1&&Active=1