Muslim American News Briefs, July 18, 2007

2tn20070710-0711ssj_tower.ii1.txt

When the Laaredj-Campbell family flew into Portland last month, they thought they had begun an idyllic summer holiday, coming from their home in Germany to visit relatives in Eugene.

But that was before U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials separated Abdel Kader Laaredj from his wife - a U.S. citizen - and two young sons at the airport, questioned him for hours, put him in a jail cell overnight and then booked him on a return flight to Germany the next day.

The experience stunned the family, who were shocked to learn there is no judicial avenue to challenge such actions, and instead have chosen to speak out about the experience in the hope of creating change.

Federal officials, who declined to speak specifically about the incident, said very few visitors are refused entry into the United States in a system that's designed to weed out criminals and terrorists but allow in the millions who come each year for business or pleasure.

The trouble began the morning of June 13, when the family got off their Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Portland. They were planning to visit Anne Laaredj-Campbell's parents, who live in Eugene, where Laaredj-Campbell grew up. (MORE)

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CAIR-TX ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF 'HUNGRY FOR JUSTICE' COALITION - TOP

(DALLAS, TX 7/16/2007) - The Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW) today announced the launching of the "Hungry for Justice" Coalition, a national coalition of Muslim and non-Muslim organizations calling for justice in the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) trial.

The coalition was launched at a rally yesterday at the Plano Civic Center in Plano, Texas, attended by some 600 people and a dozen national speakers.

The HLF trial opening statements are set to begin Monday, July 23, 2007 with jury selection starting today.

CONTACT: CAIR-DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll, 972-241-7233

SEE ALSO:

TX: AS MUSLIM GROUP GOES ON TRIAL, OTHER CHARITIES WATCH WARILY - TOP
Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 7/17/07
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/us/17charity.html

The strained argument between the United States government and nonprofit groups over how to deal with charities suspected of supporting terrorism is expected to play out in federal court here with the trial of the largest Muslim charity in this country, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.

[Jury selection in the trial began on Monday, and was expected to take most of the week.]

The government, in the lengthy indictment and other court documents, accuses the foundation of being an integral part of Hamas, which much of the West condemns as a terrorist organization. The prosecution maintains that the main officers of the Holy Land foundation started the organization to generate charitable donations from the United States that ultimately helped Hamas thrive.

The defense argues that the government, lacking proof, has simply conjured up a vast conspiracy by claiming that the foundation channeled money through public charity committees in the occupied territories that it knew Hamas controlled. The federal government, the defense says, has never designated these committees as terrorist organizations.

The defense is expected to liken a donation to the Holy Land foundation to one to a Roman Catholic charity in Northern Ireland that ends up helping poor Irish Republican Army sympathizers.

The case is being closely watched by a large number of charitable organizations, as well as Muslim-Americans, because its outcome might well help determine the line separating legitimate giving from the financing of banned organizations.

Critics of government policy say the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the Treasury Department has gone too far in using often secret evidence to condemn charities. The process unfairly destroys them, the critics say, though not one American charity itself has been convicted of supporting terrorism since the practice started in 2001. Some individual officers have gone to jail.

These critics say that in its zeal to prosecute, the government has lost sight of the fact that the charities were delivering millions of dollars to the poor and to victims of disasters.

They also say that undermining charities on the basis of little or no public evidence tarnishes the United States' reputation among Muslims globally, effectively helping the very groups the policy is supposed to subvert. . .

For American Muslims, whose religion stipulates that they give 2.5 percent of their annual income to charity, the shuttering of so many of their organizations without a hearing smacks of discrimination. (MORE)

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CAIR: DC-AREA MUSLIM VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR WOMEN'S SHELTER - TOP
Effort part of CAIR 'Muslims Care' volunteerism campaign

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/17/07) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on D.C.-area Muslims to volunteer on Sunday, July 22, at My Sister's Place battered women's shelter as part of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' (CAIR) "Muslims Care" initiative.

The Muslim volunteers will deliver much-needed items such as diapers, towels, sheets, toothbrushes and pillows. They will also assist in sorting and organizing donated items.

Volunteers will meet at CAIR's Capitol Hill headquarters at 9 a.m. before going to the shelter to begin working a four-hour shift at 10 a.m. (CAIR's office is located at 453 New Jersey Ave, S.E., Washington, D.C.) Lunch will be provided.

Please RSVP to participate in the event. Contact Maryam Jelvani at: mjelvani@cair.com

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com

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REMINDER: TUNE IN FOR PREMIER OF 'WITHOUT PREJUDICE?' - TOP

(WASHINGTON, D.C. 7/9/07) - This summer, GSN (The Network for Games) embarks on the Without Prejudice Project - an initiative centered around the network's groundbreaking new series - "Without Prejudice?" The Without Prejudice Project is GSN's initiative to help Americans address and combat prejudice in all its forms.

"Without Prejudice?" premiers tonight, July 17, at 9 p.m. EST.

SEE: http://www.gsn.com/withoutprejudice/

In cooperation with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other social justice partner organizations, the network will provide an online hub to encourage thoughtful discussion and provide helpful resources.

"We are pleased to partner with GSN in this important effort to eliminate intolerance and other forms of discrimination in our society," said CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin. "We encourage Americans of all backgrounds to take part in this worthy initiative and to openly discuss the need to challenge prejudice."

The "Without Prejudice?" series promises to provoke spirited national debate around hot-button issues and challenge viewers to examine their own preferences and prejudices. Hosted by Dr. Robi Ludwig, a renowned psychotherapist and award-winning journalist, this thought-provoking series features five contestants opening their lives to examination by five ordinary strangers who will decide which of the contestants, in their opinion, deserves to receive a one-time prize of $25,000.

As the contestants reveal increasingly more about their lives and beliefs, the panelists, representing all parts of the country and all walks of life, will inevitably say what viewers at home are thinking. The question is will their determination be made "without prejudice" and will their first impressions carry through to the end?

Catch "Without Prejudice?" every Tuesday at 9PM/8C on GSN starting July 17. For more information on the show and the Without Prejudice Project, visit: http://www.gsn.com/withoutprejudice/

CONTACT: CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

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CAIR: IS RAGEBOY THE UNACCEPTABLE FACE OF SATIRE? - TOP
BBC, 7/16/07
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/worldtoday/news/

story/2007/07/070716_rage_boy.shtml

Rageboy is causing something of a stir on the internet at the moment.

It is an image of the face of an angry Moslem protestor and it has been used by rightwingers in the United States to mock Islamic fundamentalists. The face appears on teeshirts and mugs.

There have been claims it is the face of one particular man and that his rights and privacy have been breached.

But the image is still being used and charged for by a group called Nose on your Face.

The World Today spoke to High Pankuck, aka potfry, from Nose on your face together with Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations.

AUDIO: Hugh Pankuck v Ibrahim Hooper

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MA: 4 ARAB-AMERICANS CLAIM DISCRIMINATION IN SUIT AGAINST FEDEX - TOP
Associated Press, 7/17/07
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1011797

Four Arab-American men claim in a lawsuit filed against FedEx Corp. that their supervisors subjected them to religious and ethnic slurs, called them terrorists and gave them less lucrative delivery routes.

"They all came to this country because they wanted a better life for their families, and this is what they got," said Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer representing the men.

FedEx spokesman Maury Lane, while refusing to comment on the specific allegations in the lawsuit, said the company does not tolerate discriminatory behavior.

FedEx has argued that the plaintiffs, who worked for the company's ground package division in Wilmington, were independent contractors and ineligible for protection under state antidiscrimination laws.

The suit seeks damages similar to a discrimination case filed last year by drivers of Lebanese descent in California. The jury in that case awarded $61 million to two FedEx employees who contended that a manager harassed them with racial slurs. A judge reduced the judgment to $12.5 million.

The lawsuit filed in Middlesex Superior Court claims Loay el-Dagany, originally from Kuwait; Montaser Foad Harara, who is of Palestinian descent; Oukhayi Ibrahim of Morocco; and Yasir Sati from Sudan, experienced a "pervasive hostile work environment and have been treated differently and less favorably than non-Arab, non-Muslim drivers in the terms and conditions of their employment."

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination ruled in March that the employees' complaints were valid, clearing the way for the drivers to pursue their case.

SEE ALSO:

MA: ARAB-AMERICAN DRIVERS ACCUSE FEDEX BOSSES OF DISCRIMINATION - TOP
4 say they were also ridiculed
David Abel, Boston Globe, 7/17/07
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/17/arab_

american_drivers_accuse_fedex_bosses_of_discrimination/

Four Arab-American drivers who said they were harassed by their supervisors at a FedEx Corp. facility in Wilmington have filed a lawsuit alleging they were subjected to a steady flow of vitriol and discrimination.

In a lawsuit the plaintiffs' lawyer said was served on FedEx yesterday, the drivers said managers called them terrorists, asked them if they were sending money to Osama bin Laden, made a call to the FBI that prompted one of them to be questioned, and restricted their delivery routes.

"FedEx has abdicated its responsibility of employers to make sure that their drivers are not discriminated against," said Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Boston lawyer representing the men. "This is a particularly egregious example of an employer abdicating its responsibility. . . . They [the Arab-American employees] all came to this country because they wanted a better life for their families, and this is what they got."

FedEx spokesman Maury Lane has declined to comment on the specific allegations in the lawsuit.

"The company has a zero tolerance policy on this kind of behavior," Lane said in a recent interview. "If this behavior is reported or seen, we will immediately investigate and terminate any employee at any level guilty of these actions. These contractors are our lifeline to our customers. We wouldn't do anything to jeopardize those working relationships."

In a complaint filed in July 2006 with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, Loay el-Dagany, from Kuwait, said his supervisor, David Goyette, repeatedly called him a terrorist and threw packages at him.

Goyette also asked Dagany if he was planning to send money to bin Laden or Al Qaeda, Dagany said. After Dagany complained about route changes, Goyette told him not to lose it and "blow up my car," according to the complaint.

In a phone interview, Dagany, 32, said the treatment made him so sick he developed a rash.

"We were treated as less than human beings," said Dagany, who has worked for FedEx since 2003. "I really just want people to know that in a big company like this, where a lot of foreigners work, people shouldn't be treated that way." (MORE)

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VA: MUSLIM BURIAL AND PRAYERS FOR MAJOR JAMES MICHAEL AHEARN - TOP

WHAT: Muslim burial and prayers for Major James Michael Ahearn, US Army (Civil Affairs Officer)
WHEN: 25 July 2007
WHERE: Arlington National Cemetery
TIME: 1000 (Tentative)

SEE ALSO:

NC: MUSLIM ARMY MAJOR DIES IN ATTACK - TOP
April Johnston, Fayetteville Observer, 7/9/07
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=266969

Her mother warned her: A soldier's business is war. There is no safety. There are no guarantees.

But the Iraqi daughter loved the American officer.

And so, in 2005 - two years after they met in Iraq - she left her country to move to his and become his wife.

And on Thursday - four years after her mother's warning - Lena Ahearn became a widow.

Her husband, Maj. James Michael Ahearn, 43, was killed in Baghdad when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb. Sgt. Keith A. Kline, 24, of Oak Harbor, Ohio, was also killed in the attack.

"Jimmy was the greatest gift I ever had," Lena said Sunday from the couple's home in Raeford. "I will never regret marrying him for two years and moving to the United States."

Ahearn, who had served in the Army for 18 years, and Kline were assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade at Fort Bragg.

This was Ahearn's third time in Iraq.

It was during the second tour that he met Lena. She loved the way he looked in his uniform and the way he used his own money to buy toys for Iraqi children.

When they married, Ahearn offered to convert to Islam for his bride.

"I only want you to convert if you believe in it," Lena told him.

He did.

And he used that belief to try to bridge the cultural gap between American soldiers and the Iraqi people on his third tour of Iraq.

"He told them there are no differences between people," Lena said. (MORE)

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DC: YOUNG AMERICAN MUSLIMS ENCOURAGED TO SEEK PUBLIC-SERVICE CAREERS - TOP
Group meets with U.S. officials, elected representatives in Washington
Jane Morse, USINFO, 7/17/07
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=

2007&m=July&x=20070717102301ajesroM0.8706629

Young American Muslims should make their voices heard in American mainstream society and consider careers in public service, U.S. government officials say.

Officials at the U.S. Department of State met July 12 with 27 highly accomplished individuals aged 20 to 25 from across the United States.

There is a "huge receptivity to ideas" at the State Department, according to Ambassador Shirin Tahir-Kheli. She said the State Department and the Bush administration are committed to reaching out to young Muslims.

Tahir-Kheli is the senior adviser on women's empowerment issues to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Of Pakistani heritage, Tahir-Kheli said she is the first Muslim to be appointed as a U.S. ambassador.

Among the State Department officials available to answer the young people's questions was Seema Matin, who joined the State Department in 2002 and currently is a public diplomacy officer working for Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes. Matin has been recognized for her contributions to one of Hughes' "War of Ideas" initiatives, which focuses on countering ideological support for terrorism.

Matin, who was born in the United States of Pakistani immigrants and chooses to wear the hijab, told the group of young American Muslims that her head covering signals the world that highly educated professional women can wear this expression of their faith proudly. (See related article.)

Matin told USINFO that she is grateful to see more young American Muslims becoming interested in careers in politics, journalism and nongovernmental organizations. (MORE)

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MN: 'LITTLE MOSQUE ON PRAIRIE' PUTS MUSLIMS IN A SITCOM - TOP
Curt Brown, Star Tribune, 7/17/07
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1306660.html

Kashif Saroya cringed when his e-mail inbox started buzzing about a new Canadian TV sitcom called "Little Mosque on the Prairie."

So the executive adviser to the Muslim Youth of Minnesota started downloading 10-minute snippets off YouTube.

"I just couldn't stop laughing," said Saroya, of Blaine. "Some people think it reinforces stereotypes about Muslims and Islam, but I think comedy is a great way to dispel those stereotypes by humanizing the Muslim character in a positive way."

The show, which centers on a mosque moving into an abandoned church in a rural Saskatchewan town, was a smash hit in its first season on the government-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Word about the show is spreading swiftly through Minnesota's growing Muslim community, Saroya said. And while some object to the show's tone, many have been delightfully surprised. (MORE)

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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: info@cair.com
URL: http://www.cair.com

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