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    Muslim American News Briefs, August 22, 2007

Opinion Editorials

News

News Photos

* Verse: The Most Beautiful Message
* CAIR-CAN Urges Hate Probe of Muslim School Vandalism
* AZ: Muslim Family Stuck in Gaza, Dad Home Safe
            - CAIR: Israel Blocks Exit of U.S. Muslims From Gaza
* HLF Trial Update: Four Witnesses in One Day
* Video: New York's First Arab School Under Fire (Al-Jazeera)
* Islamic Spain a Model for Religious Tolerance (CS Monitor)
* MI: People with Arab Ancestry Play Vital Role in Area Economy
            - MA: Islamic Society Settles into Town
* Incitement: 'The Utter Hopelessness of Islam' (National Review)
* Analysts: Israel Does Not Serve US Interests (J Post)

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VERSE OF THE DAY: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE - TOP

"God has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful message in the form of a Book consistent within itself (yet) repeating (its teachings in different ways)."

The Holy Quran, 39:23

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CAIR-CAN URGES HATE PROBE OF MUSLIM SCHOOL VANDALISM - TOP

(OTTAWA, CANADA - August 22, 2007) - The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today urged Peel Regional Police to investigate the acts of vandalism at Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) High School in Mississauga, Ontario as a possible hate crime.

On Sunday night the school was attacked for the second time in less than a month. Vandals threw a slab of concrete into the school's control room, where lighting and temperature are regulated.

In a letter to Peel Regional Police CAIR-CAN wrote, "Two violent attacks against the ISNA High School in less than a month indicates the building may be the target of hate-motivated vandals."

The most recent attack occurred while 100 people were congregating in the school's prayer hall.

"Anyone remotely familiar with ISNA High School knows that it is an institution that Muslims regularly attend. This fact should compel police to investigate the attack as a hate crime.

"With reoccurring attacks against faith-based schools hate legislation should include religious centers, organizations and schools. Currently only places of worship are covered under the law," said Sameer Zuberi, CAIR-CAN Communications Coordinator.

On Sept. 15 ISNA High School is inviting the community to an open house as part of Doors Open Mississauga.

SEE: Muslim School Targeted By Vandals (The News Mississauga)
http://www.mississauga.com/article/6061

CONTACT: Sameer Zuberi, CAIR-CAN Communications Coordinator; (613)-795-2012 or (613) 254-9704.

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AZ: CHANDLER FAMILY STUCK IN GAZA, DAD HOME SAFE - TOP
Kevin Kennedy, NBC12 News, 8/20/07
http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/gazafamily0820-CR.html

It was supposed to be a wonderful, 30-day family vacation. It turned into a nightmare that just won't end.

Back in May Mohamed Hegazy, his wife Sohair, his daughters Somaya, 19, Asma, 18, Israa, 16 and his sons Sohaib, 14, and Mosab 11 went to the Gaza Strip.

The second week of their trip Hamas, a radical Palestinian political party seized control of the region in June. Gunmen stormed the apartment Moe and his family were renting. "The last night in the apartment we hear shooting as if we were in a war zone," Hegazy said.

The family escaped and went to stay with relatives nearby. A few days after the violence erupted Moe was evacuated with help from the consulate. However, authorities were unable to evacuate the entire family. "If I knew it would be this tough to get my family back I would have stayed," Hegazy said.

Sohair and the children have been stuck in Gaza for 60 days, they can still hear the shootings and bombings but tell Hegazy it has died down recently. It is still frightening for the kids, who according to Hegazy, cry themselves to sleep at night.

Hegazy says he has spoke to the State Department but has been told to wait and be patient. A spokesperson we contacted at the State Department would not discuss the case with us.

Moe and Sohair were born in Gaza but came to the U.S. 20 years ago. The couple's five children were all born in the United States. (MORE)

SEE ALSO: Israel Blocks Exit of TN, AZ Muslims From Gaza (CAIR) - TOP
http://cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=2925&theType=NR

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HLF TRIAL UPDATE: FOUR WITNESSES IN ONE DAY - TOP
The Holy Land Foundation Trial: The Family's Perspective
Freedom to Give, 8/21/2007
http://www.freedomtogive.com/node/51

His face was cherry red. He was outraged at this mockery of a trial. Defendant Ghassan Elashi's voice was loud and clear. As U.S. District Judge A. Joe Fish and jurors exited the courtroom after a mid-morning break Monday, August 20, 2007, Elashi let out his frustration toward the unjust judge. This is an extension of the Zionist occupation. We can't win the case with this judge because he is a bigot, Elashi said. The judge later replied, We can't have outbursts like that. I'm warning you that a further outburst won't be tolerated. If another outburst occurs, you will waive your right to be present in the courtroom. The jurors followed closely as four witnesses were put on the stand. The jury box was exceptionally colorful as the 15-member jury wore bright red, green, yellow, purple and blue shirts. Maybe they were in a jubilant mood. Or maybe they were eager to learn.

Defendant Mohammad El-Mezain's attorney, Josh Dratel, continued the cross-examination of Avi by displaying several posters that the prosecutors showed the jury. He pointed out that most of the posters that the Israeli government seized from the zakat committees in occupied Palestine were created after the U.S. government shut down the Holy Land Foundation in 2001. He specifically talked about a poster announcing the death of Hamas founder Ahmad Yassin. He made clear that Israeli forces assassinated Yassin with a missile in 2004 as he was being pushed in his wheelchair on his way back from a mosque in Gaza. Dratel wanted to conclude by showing the jury a 1993 document that would prove that the Israeli government permit the construction of a Jenin hospital, which was a zakat committee project partially funded by the HLF. The government objected to the document on the grounds of hearsay and the judge sustained their objection, thereby not allowing Dratel to discuss the document. This frustrated many people, including Elashi. (MORE)

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VIDEO: NEW YORK'S FIRST ARAB SCHOOL UNDER FIRE - TOP
Al-Jazeera English, 8/22/07
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV4aSWg4PNk

New York City's first- ever Arab cultural school is under a cloud of controversy before welcoming its first student. The school, which plans to teach the Arabic language and Arab culture is set to open this September. But opponents claim it's really an attempt to promote radical Islam and they're trying to stop it from ever opening its doors. Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey reports.

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ISLAMIC SPAIN: HISTORY'S REFRAIN - TOP
Alexander Kronemer, Christian Science Monitor, 8/22/07
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20070822/cm_csm/ykronemer

The past sometimes provides examples of glory and success that serve as models. Other times, as the philosopher George Santayana said, it warns of impending calamity for those who do not learn from it.

For the past several years, I've been immersed in a history that does both. As one of the producers for an upcoming PBS documentary on the rise and fall of Islamic Spain, I've witnessed its amazing ascent and tragic fall countless times in the editing room, only to go home and watch some of the same themes playing out on the nightly news.

Islamic Spain lasted longer than the Roman Empire. It marked a period and a place where for hundreds of years a relative religious tolerance prevailed in medieval Europe.

A model for religious tolerance
At its peak, it lit the Dark Ages with science and philosophy, poetry, art, and architecture. It was the period remembered as a golden age for European Jews. Breakthroughs in medicine, the introduction of the number zero, the lost philosophy of Aristotle, even the prototype for the guitar all came to Europe through Islamic Spain.

Not until the Renaissance was so much culture produced in the West. And not until relatively recent times has there been the level of pluralism and religious tolerance that existed in Islamic Spain at its peak. Just as the vibrancy and creativity of America is rooted in the acceptance of diversity, so was it then.

Because Islam's prophet Muhammad founded his mission as a continuation of the Abrahamic tradition, Islamic theology gave special consideration to Jews and Christians. To be sure, there were limits to these accommodations, such as special taxes levied on religious minorities. But in the early Middle Ages, official tolerance of one religion by another was an amazingly liberal point of view. This acceptance became the basis for Islamic Spain's genius. Indeed, it was an important reason Islam took hold there in the first place.

When the first Muslims crossed the straits of Gibraltar into Spain, the large Jewish population there was enduring a period of oppression by the Roman Catholic Visigoths. The Jewish minorities rallied to aid the Arab Muslims as liberators, and the divided Visigoths fell.

The conquering Arab Muslims remained a minority for many years, but they were able to govern their Catholic and Jewish citizens by a policy of inclusiveness. Even as Islam slowly grew over the centuries to be the majority religion in Spain, this spirit was largely, if not always perfectly, maintained. (MORE)

[Alexander Kronemer is a writer, lecturer, and documentary producer focusing on religious diversity, Islam, and cross-cultural understanding. His film "Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain" premieres on PBS Aug. 22.]

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MI: PEOPLE WITH ARAB ANCESTRY PLAY VITAL ROLE IN AREA ECONOMY - TOP
Elizabeth Schock, Press & Guide, 8/22/07
http://www.pressandguide.com/stories/082207/loc_20070822004.shtml

Wayne State University and the League for Economic Empowerment (LEE) released their Southeast Michigan Arab American Economic Impact Study in early May.

The purpose of this one-of-a-kind study of Arab Americans in Michigan is to gauge the economic impact that persons of Arab ancestry have on Southeast Michigan such as overall earnings, purchasing power, occupational/industry breakdowns and business ownership, according to LEE's Web site.

"The first step in this study was to identify employment of different industries in Southeast Michigan," said Lyke Thompson, director of Wayne State's Center for Urban Studies, where the study was conducted.

The REMI (Regional Economic Model Inc.) was used to conduct the study and crunch the numbers.

"We input the figures (employment range of industries) into the model," Thompson said. "Then the model produces the best estimated results after putting the numbers through numerous, complex equations."

Such a model would also be used to determine figures about the auto industry, or other aspects of the economy.

The study used employment figures from the United States Census Bureau's Decennial Census and American Community Surveys from 2000 and 2005.

"What I think is really important to take away from this study is that Arab Americans act as great ambassadors and very important bridges for the U.S. to the rest of the world," Thompson said.

"Some Arab Americans own their own businesses here, and in another parts of the world, most likely their home country. They help us build global relationships for the U.S., especially little landlocked Southeast Michigan."

The model generated estimates for employment contributions, earnings contributions, and tax contributions within four counties in Southeast Michigan: Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne. (MORE)

SEE ALSO:

MA: ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF GREATER LOWELL CALLS CHELMSFORD HOME - TOP
Andy Metzger, Chelmsford Independent, 8/22/07
http://www.townonline.com/chelmsford/homepage/x2110145687

Even without a minaret, the modest brick building on Stedman Street summons Muslims to prayer five times a day.

The Islamic Society of Greater Lowell moved from UMass Lowell to Chelmsford in 1993, said Farook Taufiq, one of the founders.

"We've grown quite a bit," Taufiq said. "We started perhaps with 20 to 30 families, and now we have 300 families."

Despite an alleged vandalism against the center earlier this month, the masjid has gotten along well with its neighbors, said Imam Hafiz Abdul Hannan.

"I live in Chelmsford," Hannan said. "They're always friendly." I have [great] respect and honor for my townspeople."

Hannan recalled an encounter that solidified his feeling of comfort in town.

The Imam was driving down the road, following a car; maybe he was following him too close, Hannan said.

The car pulled into a driveway and the driver made a rude gesture at him, Hannan said.

Rather than driving on, or returning the gesture, the Imam went back and asked the man, "Do you feel like I made some mistake?"

Hannan had been tailgating him, the man said, and then Hannan apologized, he said.

"He was so nice and kind afterwards," said Hannan. "He turned out to be a very, very decent fellow."

After that, Hannan felt good about living in Chelmsford, he said.

However, moving to New England, can take an adjustment from people who are used to living in places with a Muslim majority, said Javed Ahmad, a spokesman for the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell. (MORE)

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INCITEMENT: 'THE UTTER HOPELESSNESS OF ISLAM' - TOP
Mark Krikorian, National Review, 8/22/07
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MjdkZTY2ZmRhZjhmMmFj

N2RiMmM2N2NiMzA1Zjc5YWU=

The first part of this sentence is correct, but the second part is not - the result of Muslims recognizing the "utter hopelessness of Islam" will not be a Kemalism with Arab characteristics (i.e., a suppression of Islam by a secular state) but rather a fundamental change in the Islamic faith itself. The reason Kemalism is unraveling is that it couldn't bring about such a fundamental change - it was an example of premature anti-Islamism. After WWI, Turkey's elites were about the only people in the Islamic world who understood the utter hopelessness of Islam. . .

Here's the way it will play out: When Iran's Islamic regime finally unravels, some significant number of nominal Muslims will quickly become apostates, embracing Bahai or Zoroastrianism or Christianity (or Buddhism or even Judaism). As this becomes a more widespread and public thing, some of the many remaining fundamentalists will start beheading newly Christian school children and raping newly Zoroastrian women and blowing up newly constructed Bahai temples, intensifying the existing popular disgust with the Islamic faith and thus accelerating conversions to other faiths.

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US SURVEY RAISES EYEBROWS IN J'LEM - TOP
Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post, 8/21/07
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1187502427210&pag

ename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

A survey by a respected journal showing that 15 of 108 foreign policy elites in the US believe Israel does not serve US national security interests has raised eyebrows in Jerusalem. It precedes the publication in early September of a book by two US professors slamming the Israel-US alliance.

The journal, Foreign Policy, on Monday published its "terrorism index," co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress, asking a bipartisan group of former "secretaries of state, national security advisors, senior White House aides, top commanders in the US military, seasoned intelligence professionals, and distinguished academics" a variety of questions having to do with US national security issues.

When given a list of US allies and asked to choose the one country that least serves US national security interests, 14 percent of the respondents picked Israel. Russia led the list, with 34% saying it least served US interests, followed by 22% who said Pakistan, 17% who selected Saudi Arabia, and 5% each for Egypt and Mexico.

The journal billed the respondents as America's "top foreign-policy experts." Forty-five of the respondents described themselves as Democrats, 24 as Republicans, and the rest as Independents.

One diplomatic official in Jerusalem, while acknowledging that 14% is a considerable minority, said he was still worried by the trend.

"Considering the closeness and importance of our ties with Washington, this is something we need to watch," he said.

The official said that while in the past the notion that the US alliance with Israel harmed US interests was a belief relegated to individuals on the far right, such as Pat Buchanan, and the far left, like Noam Chomsky, this survey indicated that the idea was gaining prominence among the elites. (MORE)

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