Muslim American News Briefs, October 18, 2007

“When heaven will split asunder, obeying her Lord’s command as she ought to. When the earth will spread out and cast out all that is within her and becomes empty, obeying her Lord’s command as she ought to. That will be the Day of your accountability, O mankind! Surely you must strive toward your Lord, a hard striving, then you shall meet Him.”

When a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked what portion of the Quran the Prophet used to recite in the prayers on Eid ul-Fitr, he said, "(The Prophet) used to recite Qaf (Chapter 50) and al-lnshiqaq (Chapter 84)."

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/11/07) - A representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today joined 137 other Muslim leaders and scholars in sending a first-of-its-kind open letter designed to promote understanding between Muslims and Christians worldwide.

CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad signed the 29-page letter, titled "A Common Word Between Us and You," which was sent to Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and more than 20 other Christian leaders.

“Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.

“The basis for this peace and understanding already exists. It is part of the very foundational principles of both faiths: love of the One God, and love of the neighbour. These principles are found over and over again in the sacred texts of Islam and Christianity. The Unity of God, the necessity of love for Him, and the necessity of love of the neighbour is thus the common ground between Islam and Christianity. . .

“So let our differences not cause hatred and strife between us. Let us vie with each other only in righteousness and good works. Let us respect each other, be fair, just and kind to another and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill.”

“Mainstream Muslims are reclaiming the true message of Islam and assuring Christian leaders of the Islamic message of peace and reconciliation as stated in the Quran,” said Awad.

“We intend to take this important initiative to the larger Muslim community to seek endorsement and support,” said CAIR Board Chairman Parvez Ahmed.

CAIR, America’s largest Islamic 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 National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

Dozens of Muslim leaders from around the world will release the text of a letter to Christian leaders today in Washington that outlines proposed areas of understanding between the faiths and urges a search for "common ground."

Addressed to Pope Benedict XVI and the major leaders of Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Evangelical, Anglican, Orthodox churches and other Christian sects, the 29-page letter offers interpretations of both the Quran and the Bible on the love of God, love of neighbor and other spiritual concepts that are similar in Christianity and Islam.

"The Unity of God, the necessity of love for Him, and the necessity of love of the neighbour is thus the common ground between Islam and Christianity," 138 Muslim leaders, representing all branches and divisions of the faith, say in the letter titled, "A Common Word Between Us and You."

Local religious leaders say the document is likely to serve as a topic of conversation when Catholics and Muslims meet in Dearborn from Oct. 21-23 for the Midwest Muslim-Catholic Dialogue.

The news conference today at the National Press Club in Washington is extraordinary for two reasons, Muslims say: the importance of the proposed initiative and the unanimity among both Sunni and Shi'a leaders, the two sects of Islam.

"The Quran is a strong invitation to interfaith dialogue and respect for one another," said Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, of the Islamic House of Wisdom, in Dearborn Heights. "Especially at this time, when we are at a crossroads of either more violence and war and destruction or returning to reason and responsibility, it is necessary for all of us to work together."

The letter is being issued the day before Eid al-Fitr, the joyous feast that ends Ramadan, one of the major days on the Islamic calendar. It also coincides with the anniversary of a controversial speech given by Pope Benedict in Germany last year, in which he quoted a Medieval scholar about Islam in a way that many Muslims found offensive.

In the interfaith dialogue that followed, including a trip by Adam Cardinal Maida to the Islamic Center of America, in Dearborn, some Catholic leaders suggested that Muslims adopt a series of points of faith common to both traditions as a starting point for a far more intensive dialogue. The letter is intended as the Muslim response to that request. (MORE)

MA: RACIAL EPITHET USED AS MUSLIM BOY WAS BURNED - TOP
Medford police say story has changed
John R. Ellement, Boston Globe, 10/4/07

"I am hoping they are going to be punished," the Medford woman said in a soft voice yesterday. "They've ruined our life. They really hurt us as a family."

Seck was referring to three boys, one 13 years old and the two others 12, who are accused of burning Seck's 13-year-old son in August during a Medford sleepover while allegedly using racial epithets.

At a press conference in Boston yesterday, Seck and her husband, Martin, spoke out for the first time about the attack, which their attorney called a "lynching" because the goal was to deny the victim his rights.

According to the Secks and their lawyer, their son was invited to the sleepover birthday party by a 13-year-old friend. Around 4 a.m. on Aug. 27, the victim was about to use the bathroom when two middle school students grabbed him by the arms while the third attacked with an aerosol can he was using as a makeshift flamethrower, the family said.

When the can sputtered out, the attackers used a lighter, burning the victim on numerous places in his body. said Ozell Hudson Jr., the family lawyer.

He added that the Secks believe the host parents were home at the time, as was the victim's friend, but no one came to his aid as he shouted in pain.

"He screamed continuously," said Hudson. "We are not talking about one or two burns here." He said the child suffered nearly 20 burn marks over his body.

"My son, he trusted them until he was being burned," said Seck. "They have evil minds, evil minds. It's awful."

Hudson said the three suspects have been charged with criminal civil rights violations, but he faulted Medford police for what he said was their failure to immediately treat the case as a hate crime. (MORE)

CA: EVIDENCE EMERGES IN SLAYING OF ARAB AMERICAN LEADER - TOP
Federal and local authorities say the new information sheds light on the planning and execution of a bomb plot that killed Alex Odeh in Santa Ana in 1985.
Greg Krikorian, Los Angeles Times, 10/11/07

Federal and local authorities have uncovered new evidence in the bombing that killed a prominent Arab American civil rights leader in Santa Ana 22 years ago today, in one of the first acts of modern-day terrorism in the United States.

The undisclosed evidence, including statements from a now-deceased informant, is not expected to immediately solve the slaying of Alex Odeh, but law enforcement officials familiar with the long-running investigation said the information provided new details about how the attack on the onetime Western regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee was planned and carried out.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that the evidence developed in recent months by the FBI and Los Angeles Police Department in a Joint Terrorism Task Force could help investigators eventually bring charges in the case.

"It just adds more pieces to a puzzle that we have been trying to put together for years," one source said.

On Wednesday, Odeh's brother, Sami, said he was cautiously optimistic that the newly disclosed evidence would finally help solve the killing.

Contacted shortly after he had his first face-to-face meeting with case agents in about two years, Sami Odeh said: "They seemed to be optimistic [about the new evidence], and my reading of that is that it might be significant new information."

Alex Odeh, 41, was killed and seven people were injured Oct. 11, 1985, when a bomb exploded as he opened the door to the committee's Santa Ana office.

The attack occurred 12 hours after Odeh appeared on a local television broadcast and criticized the news media for linking the Palestine Liberation Organization to the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro.

Within days of Odeh's death, the FBI said it believed the militant Jewish Defense League was behind the attack as well as two other bombings months earlier on the East Coast. (MORE)

(LOS ANGELES, CA, 10/11/07) - On Wednesday, October 10, the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA), along with Muslim and interfaith community leaders, held a news conference in reaction to a weekend incident in which a group of people smashed car windows and attacked worshipers at the Islamic Center of San Joaquin Valley in Bakersfield, Calif. Slurs such as “Arab terrorists” and "go home terrorists" were allegedly used by the perpetrators.

At the news conference, CAIR-LA Civil Rights Coordinator Affad Shaikh commended local law enforcement authorities for their professional response to the incident, which is being investigated as a “hate crime” by the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.

“We thank the Kern County Sheriff’s Department for their prompt attention to the matter, and hope the perpetrators are brought to justice in a timely manner,” said Shaikh. “This incident highlights a national trend in which several mosques have been vandalized, burned or damaged in the past year alone based on either ignorance or bigotry.”

The Muslim advocacy group is conducting its own review of the incident and has contacted the FBI to ask that possible federal civil rights violations be investigated.

"We believe in our country's principles that allow everyone to practice their religion without any fear of intimidation or persecution and thank the Sheriff’s Department for upholding those principles," said Mohammad Mora, president of the Islamic Shura Council of Bakersfield. “We also are grateful for the support and solidarity expressed by the interfaith and other community members at this difficult time."

Rabbi Paul Gordon of B'Nai Jacob in Bakersfield said: "Think about how diverse our community of Bakersfield is. If everyone starts attacking each other, then we'll never have a safe place to go and worship God, or to come together and celebrate happy moments of life, or weddings or anything else.”

A letter of support was also issued by the Diocese of Fresno, in which Bishop John T. Steinbock stated: “While we still do not know all the facts about these incidents, we nevertheless deplore acts of vandalism or violence at any place of worship or against any faith community. This is particularly so if the violence results from ignorance, bigotry, or religious hatred.”

The California Council of Churches also extended support to the Bakersfield Muslim community.

"The attack on the mosque, the property of worshippers, and the spewing of hateful slurs against Muslims is abhorrent to us and to all people of good will, " said Council Executive Director Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser. "It is evidence of the thoughtless, knee-jerk reactions that have been perpetrated by people who know nothing of Muslims, our fellow Californians who add so much good to our society."

CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Coordinator Munira Syeda, 714-776-1847, socal@cair.com

CAIR-CA: ISLAMIC LEADERS CALL FOR PEACE AFTER MOSQUE ATTACK - TOP
KGET, 10/10/07

Was an Islamic mosque in Bakersfield the target of a hate crime? That was the question local Islamic leaders hope Sheriff's investigators and the FBI can answer.

Sheriff's deputies said 10-15 young men attacked Muslims attending prayer services early Saturday.

Mosque leaders said members were subjected to racial slurs, slashed tires, and rock-throwing.

But despite the violence, mosque leaders called for peace after a crime, they said, was not fueled by hate.

It was 4 a.m. when some neighborhood drunk teens showed up at an overnight Ramadan service.

The trouble began when the young men were asked not to disturb the prayers, but the Imam emphasized it may all have been a misunderstanding.

Witnesses said two intoxicated men ate some of the food laid out for the service and then began to argue with people there.

They returned shortly with about a dozen men, yelling slurs, busting windows, slashing car tires, and pelting rocks.

Affad Shaikh of the Council on American Islamic Relations welcomes the FBI to investigate the incident, but is also not ready to call it a hate crime.

"With that comes certain implications," Shaikh said. "It comes to federal prosecution and so forth. It's a heavy burden to carry when it comes to hate crimes and prosecution." (MORE)

CA: FBI INVESTIGATING BAKERSFIELD MOSQUE ATTACK AS HATE CRIME - TOP
Associated Press, 10/10/07

The FBI has joined local authorities in an investigation of a weekend attack on a mosque as a hate crime.

Deputies say the incident at the Islamic Center of San Joaquin Valley left windows broken, cars smashed and two worshippers with minor injuries.

Witnesses report that two intoxicated men entered the women's section of the mosque early Saturday morning and disrupted an all-night prayer service typically held during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

When a woman called for help, the suspects left while allegedly yelling "Arab terrorists" and "terrorists go home."

Later that night, the men allegedly returned with about a dozen people who yelled ethnic slurs and threw rocks at worshippers. The suspects fled before deputies arrived.

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CAIR: RAMADAN MEAL OFFERS CHANCE TO SHARE SPIRITUAL IDEAS - TOP
Ron Cassie, Frederick News-Post, 10/11/07

More than 70 people of all faiths gathered Wednesday night at the Frederick home of Imam Yahya Hendi for a traditional breaking of the fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The reception, known as an iftar, included beef kabobs, curried chicken, shrimp, rice and vegetables, as well as dates, which Muslims typically offer during Ramadan.

Ramadan began this year on Sept. 12 and ends today. It commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad and Muslims fast each day of the month.

"The idea (tonight) is having people from different backgrounds, from different faiths, from different jobs and for them to experience a loving God, a God of mercy, who wants us all to be united," said Hendi, imam for the Islamic Society of Frederick. "There are lawyers here, clergy, taxi cab drivers, engineers, law enforcement people and imams."

Guests included friends from Hood College, Fort Detrick and Frederick Memorial Hospital, as well as Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders.

Literally meaning "breaking the fast," iftar is not considered a time for solemn worship, though there are moments for prayer. It's more of a social occasion with spiritual themes.

"The Ramadan fasting starts before sunrise and ends every day at sunset and part of the religious aspect is that we try not to break our fast alone," said Irma Hafeez, president of the Montgomery County Muslim Council. "It's a time to be with friends, relatives and neighbors."

Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said iftar is traditionally an opportunity for Muslims to invite non-Muslims friends, neighbors and co-workers to their homes to take part in a celebratory evening dinner. . .

Last weekend, the Montgomery County Muslim Council helped the City of Baltimore Muslim Council with its inaugural Feed the People campaign. More than 1,400 meals were served during the event.

"During Ramadan, it's recommended that you always include someone who is less fortunate than you and you'd rather feed them first before you get something to eat yourself," Hafeez said. (MORE)

DC: SOME MUSLIM CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNERS TRY TO ENDURE DEMANDS OF FASTING DURING RAMADAN - TOP
Carl Little, Washington Post, 10/11/07

Juashaunna Kelly could have done without the Indian summer that's hit the area during the month-long Ramadan holiday. The longer the Theodore Roosevelt senior ran in the afternoon heat of a recent cross-country practice -- nine miles through Rock Creek Park, up Connecticut Avenue, then back to the Northwest school for a half-dozen 100-meter sprints -- the stickier and drier her mouth became.

She felt woozy, and lay down on the rubber track. Ten minutes passed before anyone noticed her sprawled on the surface. Roosevelt Coach Anthony Bowden and several of Kelly's teammates picked her up and helped her toward the locker room -- it was cool inside and she could find an ice compress -- but the ground-level entrance was locked, forcing her to use the one at the top of the bleachers.

"I looked up and it looked so far away," Kelly, 17, said. "I took a deep breath and started walking and it felt like I was about to fall."

For Bowden, diagnosing the problem was easy. Alleviating it proved more difficult. He couldn't have her drink plenty of water as he would his other runners. Instead, he gave her some ice, cooled her off, and told her to rest. A teammate gathered Kelly's gear and walked her home.

Kelly is one of many area Muslim cross-country runners forced to reconcile the commitment to her sport with her commitment to her faith during Ramadan, which started Sept. 13 and ends tomorrow. Ramadan, Islam's holiest holiday, requires Muslims to abstain from eating or drinking during daylight hours.

"I was really concerned," Bowden said. "You tell the kids to try to drink as much water as you can, get your body well hydrated before you come out. I'm not used to training runners that don't drink or eat."

Cross-country meets can last five hours or more, although the races themselves take approximately 25 minutes or less. To stave off dehydration before and after exhausting five-kilometer (3.1-mile) races, athletes usually chug water and sports drinks and devour granola bars, bananas and cookies.

"You reach a certain point," she said. "But I can control myself. It's not just about eating. Everything you have to do [during Ramadan] has to be positive."

Kelly has made the choice to continue to compete while honoring her obligation to fast. Fasting affects her times -- she covers 5K courses in more than 20 minutes during Ramadan, but hopes to be under that mark when she's at full strength. (MORE)

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NC: MUSLIM DEFENSIVE TACKLE OBSERVES RAMADAN BY FASTING - TOP
Natalie Sayewich, Sun Journal, 10/10/07

In football, “fast” is an adjective, often used to describe tailbacks or players in the defensive secondary. Used as a verb, the term rarely has a place in the sport’s vernacular.

But on the fields at Pamlico County, junior varsity defensive tackle Mohamed Saleh makes use of both senses of the word. He has spent the month of Ramadan abstaining from food or water during daylight hours despite practicing and playing in intense heat, as commanded by the Quran and the Islamic religion.

Saleh is allowed to eat before and after daylight hours, which is when coaches have encouraged him to drink a lot of extra water.

“Our families, in the past, they did it, and we have to do it,” Saleh said of the tradition.
It has been a challenging month for Saleh.

“It’s really hard to play without drinking” Saleh said, “but I drink a lot of water during the night and it makes it easier for me to practice.”

Aside from altering the way he practices, Saleh said fasting has changed his behavior at school in that he doesn’t go to lunch with the rest of the students, remaining in the classroom instead.

But the month hasn’t just been hard on Saleh. Coaches have watched him struggle through practices and games, without being able to offer any help except to tell him to take a break whenever he needs it.

“Really, with us, it’s been a big concern,” offensive coordinator Jere’ Baldwin said. “The main reason is because, with the heat we’ve had this year, we’ve had to watch him real close. With all the other kids able to get water and him not able to do that, if he says, ‘I need to take a break,’ we let him take a break.”

Because JV games begin at 6:30 p.m., the sun doesn’t set by kickoff time and the coaching staff got a scare last week.

“I had him on the sideline, stuffing Snickers bars down him, trying to get some sugar back in him as quick as we possibly could,” Baldwin said. “He had the shakes. He’s not going to quit. He’s going to go after it as hard as he can.”

“He’s probably first or second on the team in tackles, he’s a key player,” JV coach Alan Woodard said, “extremely fast.”

Saleh is surrounded by support from his coaches and teammates, which makes it a little easier for him.

“They’ve been pretty nice,” Saleh said of his teammates’ reaction to his fasting, “they say ‘It is easy, do not think about it,’ stuff like that.”

“I respect his commitment to his faith,” said Woodard, who is also a deacon at a Protestant church. (MORE)

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NY: EMPIRE STATE BUILDING TOWER LIT FOR ISLAMIC HOLY DAYS - TOP
Newsday, 10/10/07

The Empire State Building will be illuminated green this weekend to mark the Islamic holy days of Eid-al-Fitr (EED-ALL-FEET-er).

The joyous "Festival of Fast-breaking" marks the end of Ramadan, a month of intense spiritual renewal.

This year is the first time the famous skyscraper will be aglow for the Islamic holiday. A spokeswoman for the building's owner says it will be an annual event, in the same tradition of the yearly skyscraper lighting for Christmas and Hanukah.

In Islam, the color green symbolizes a happy occasion and the importance of nature. It will be illuminated from Friday through Sunday.

Ramadan is almost over, but Muslims won't know when to end their fast until tonight. They'll be looking to see if the new moon appears in the night sky. That will mark the end of the Islamic holy month and the start of the holiday, Eid al-Fitr, the next day. That new moon could appear tonight or tomorrow night. Malik Mujahid is Chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.

MUJAHID: Many people like the romantic aspect of it, that everyone is busy and thinking in anticipation whether it's tomorrow or the day after, and people think this is a part of the beauty of Eid celebration.

Some Islamic scholars say data indicates the new moon won't be seen until tomorrow. If that's the case, the Chicago area's 400,000-plus Muslims will break their fast on Saturday.

FL: CHARITY GIVES COMMUNITY A LIFT - TOP
Babita Persaud, Orlando Sentinel, 10/11/07

Like Muslims the world over observing the holy month of Ramadan, Aminah Hamidullah begins to prepare the evening meal as sundown approaches, signaling the end of the daytime fast. She throws 10 cups of uncooked rice mixed with pinches of salt and turmeric into scalding olive oil.

But the meals she will serve later that evening from large aluminum-foil pans will be for the homeless, most of whom do not share her faith.

As the wife of an imam, a Muslim clergyman, such charitable outreach is expected. But Hamidullah goes beyond what's expected, and that has earned her respect and recognition among Muslims and others in Parramore.

From a storefront office on Parramore Avenue, Hamidullah and a small staff offer classes on finance, computers and business management. The organization also runs youth leadership programs and wellness workshops.

She teaches widows how to handle their finances and new business owners how to write up business plans.

"She makes it realistic," said Nisha Khan-Henson, a participant who recently opened a family-run home-repair business.

Hamidullah, who wears her hair in a knotted scarf, does all these things because she thinks black Muslim women have long been regarded as invisible.

"It's like she's not there," Hamidullah said. "But she is there, working hard to better the community."

Three years ago, Hamidullah co-founded Knowledge for Living, a nonprofit educational organization that helps Muslims and non-Muslims.

"Her work uplifts the community," said Basimah Akbar, a retired dressmaker who attends Al-Haqq mosque on Central Boulevard. (MORE)

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CAIR: US JUDGE BLOCKS GUANTANAMO DETAINEE TRANSFER TO TUNISIA - TOP
Barbara Ferguson, Arab News, 10/11/07

A federal judge in Washington has taken the unprecedented step of blocking US plans to turn over a Guantanamo terrorism detainee to his home government in Tunisia. Judge Gladys Kessler of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the federal jurisdiction for the US capital, yesterday ordered the US to halt the transfer of Mohammed Abdul Rahman to his native Tunisia.

Judge Kessler said Abdul Rahman, who has a heart condition, was convicted in absentia in Tunisia, sentenced to 20 years in prison and allegedly would face torture there, demonstrating “the devastating and irreparable harm he is likely to face if transferred.”

Judge Kessler said that Abdul Rahman had asked to remain at Guantanamo, and claimed that transferring him to Tunisia would amount to a death sentence.

“It would be a profound miscarriage of justice,” said Judge Kessler, if she allowed the government to return him to Tunisia.

Abdul Rahman, who was captured in Pakistan and allegedly handed over for a bounty, was cleared for transfer after a military panel heard his case in 2005. He is among a significant group of detainees who would prefer to remain in US custody over returning to potentially brutal regimes at home.

Two Tunisians already sent home from Guantanamo have already reported through their lawyers having been abused and tortured. Officials at the Tunisian Embassy were not available for comment, an employee in the ambassador’s office said. Tunisia has denied Abdul Rahman’s claims that it practices torture.

However, a report by the US State Department published earlier this year said the Tunisian government continued “to commit serious human rights abuses.”

Citing human rights groups, the report said the Tunisian security forces used sleep deprivation, electric shocks, submersion of the head in water, beatings and cigarette burns.

One of Abdul Rahman’s lawyers praised the ruling, which he said was the first time the courts had acted to control the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. “The executive has now been told it cannot bury its Guantanamo mistakes in Third World prisons,” Joshua Denbeaux told the Associated Press.

“Our country should honor these treaties that prevent torture, and block the transfer of detainees from Guantanamo to a place where they may be subjected to torture,” said Nihad Awad, executive director of CAIR, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. “We praise the judge’s decision to uphold these values of protecting human rights because our country has been long time accused of transferring detainees to countries where human rights violations are known.”(MORE)

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CAIR-MI REP JOINS PANEL ON LIFE OF AMERICAN MUSLIMS ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES - TOP

(SOUTHFIELD, MI, 10/11/07) A representative from the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) yesterday participated in a panel discussion entitled “Islam and Muslims in America and on the Campus” at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The panel discussion, which was organized by the Association of Religious Counselors (ARC), focused on various issues that affect American Muslim college students including spiritual needs, social challenges and tensions related to Islamophobia on university campuses.

CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid was the lead speaker in the panel discussion, which was moderated by Rabbi Nathan Martin, the Associate Director of the University of Michigan Hillel student organization.

“We welcome such opportunities to inform religious counselors and student advisors about the needs of Muslim students and the growing amount of Islamophobia on university campuses,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid

CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, Tel: 248-842-1418, E-mail: CAIR: 'ALIENS IN AMERICA' ATTACKS MUSLIM STEREOTYPES - TOP
MARY STEGMEIR, Courier, 10/11/07

Sixteen-year-old Raja Musharaff, a character in the new CW series "Aliens in America," has a tough year ahead of him.

As a foreign exchange student in small-town Medora, Wisconsin, the Pakistani Muslim played by Adhir Kalyan will have to make new friends, adjust to life in America and convince his host mother and classmates that he is not a terrorist.

The 30-minute sitcom faces the usual challenges of a new show --- grabbing eyeballs while developing the program's plot. But this series faces another hurdle: Dispelling stereotypes without perpetuating prejudices.

So far, "Aliens" has done a good job of walking that line, said Radhi Al-Mabuk, a University of Northern Iowa professor and Muslim.

"I think the show really shows that you need to interact with other people to get beyond your initial stereotypes and misconceptions," he said. "Then you can reach the point where you can understand and accept and tolerate differences."

In the pilot episode, which premiered Oct. 1, the affable Musharaff wins over the affections of his host family, but not before the clan attempts to ship him back to Pakistan. The show ends with a friendly meal, but subsequent episodes continue to address stereotypes of Muslims that have been percolating in American society since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

The satire-laden "Aliens" scripts offer an avenue for dialogue between Muslim Americans and their neighbors, said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"I think it has the potential to raise issues for discussion that some people might be uncomfortable discussing otherwise, because it's raising them in a humorous way," he said. "The underlying issues are quite serious and I think they need to be addressed."

In the show's first episode, one of Musharaff's teachers asks his classmates for their thoughts on "Raja and his differences."

"I guess I feel angry because his people blew up the buildings in New York," answered one girl, as the rest of her peers nod their heads in agreement.

Hooper hopes that "Aliens" encourages Americans to talk about their views of Muslims --- even if he doesn't agree with all of their opinions.

"Sometimes there are people who are otherwise good people who hold these (prejudiced) views and do not express them," he said. "I think that if they were able to express them in a comfortable environment, some of their fears may be dispelled." (MORE)

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CA: MUSLIMS OFFER INTEREST-FREE REAL ESTATE SOLUTIONS - TOP
KGO, 10/10/07

A group of bay area investors has figured out how to buy a home without paying interest. They are using an Islamic banking system that follows religious principles laid down more than one thousand years ago and it protects them against swings in the housing market that have forced many people into foreclosure.

In 1996, a group of Muslims in Santa Clara got together and formed the country's first Islamic real estate investment trust. The trust is called Ameen Housing Cooperative and it strictly follows Shariah Law, the Islamic system of justice.

The main concern in Islamic banking is avoiding interest, or "usury". For many Muslims, that's as simple as paying off credit card balances every month to avoid a finance charge.

A thousand years ago, Muslim religious leaders railed against the idea of paying interest and against the rich who made their fortunes by charging it. Christians, Jews and Buddhists before had the same ideas.

"There are a couple of basic verses in the Quran that categorically prohibit usury. A verse in the Quran, says: 'all who believe, fear Allah, and do away with usury if you are indeed believers. If you do not, take notice of war from Allah and his messenger'," says Humayun Sohel, Director, Ameen Housing Cooperative.

Buying a home is the greatest expense most people will ever have and doing it without interest is almost impossible.

Ameen Housing offers a way to make it happen. The housing cooperative gathers a pool of money from Muslim investors, usually identified through local mosques. With that cash, and a thirty percent down payment from a home buyer, the co-op buys the title to a home.

The home buyer pays a fair, monthly rent to the cooperative, plus a small administrative fee. It's similar to a lease-to-own contract, and the home buyer ultimately buys out Ameen's part of the investment.

When that happens, the value of the home is reassessed at fair market value, and the appreciation on the home becomes profit for the original investors. (MORE)

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OH: WLW, CUNNINGHAM MUST BE MORE RESPONSIBLE TO COMMUNITY - TOP
Robert C. "Chip" Harrod, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/11/07

On Oct. 1, Bill Cunningham proclaimed on his radio show: "The war of this generation is the war against Islamic fascists. They do not live for life, they live for death. Only through death can they, they believe, be with the 72 virgins in heaven and have sex with children for eternity, which is the goal of that religion. It's despicable and it's wrong."

Such a false statement promotes a vastly inaccurate and unfair image of the faithful followers of "that religion."

The level of ignorance of Islam, one of the world's great religions, that such comments reflect is too profound to address here. Yet, it must be said that these comments are extremely harmful to a faith community that is especially vulnerable right now to bigotry and negative stereotyping.

WLW's pattern of permitting unchecked the socially irresponsible and hurtful insults from its "talk" medium is deplorable.

Our Muslim neighbors are just the latest in a long line of "talk" victims of Clear Channel and Cunningham. Previously, we have heard similarly reprehensible rhetoric from Clear Channel and Cunningham directed at African-Americans, Jews, gays, women and other easy targets of inter-group prejudice.

Most recently, the station aired comments and plastered advertisements on billboards around our city derogatory to our community's Hispanic population.

All of these comments are hateful, harmful, counter-community, and perhaps worst of all, designed to attract ratings for a radio program.

WLW's social irresponsibility hurts everyone and embarrasses our entire community. Cunningham has admitted many times in the past to pandering to his audience with reckless and outlandish comments merely to gain ratings.

As a community committed to inclusion and unity, we need to call WLW to task and discredit its tactics as a media outlet. (MORE)

COULTER: ‘WE’ CHRISTIANS ‘JUST WANT JEWS TO BE PERFECTED’ - TOP
Media Matters, 10/10/07

During the October 8 edition of CNBC's The Big Idea, host Donny Deutsch asked right-wing pundit Ann Coulter: "If you had your way ... and your dreams, which are genuine, came true ... what would this country look like?" Coulter responded, "It would look like New York City during the [2004] Republican National Convention. In fact, that's what I think heaven is going to look like." She described the convention as follows: "People were happy. They're Christian. They're tolerant. They defend America." Deutsch then asked, "It would be better if we were all Christian?" to which Coulter responded, "Yes." Later in the discussion, Deutsch said to her: "[Y]ou said we should throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians," and Coulter again replied, "Yes." When pressed by Deutsch regarding whether she wanted to be like "the head of Iran" and "wipe Israel off the Earth," Coulter stated: "No, we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say. ... That's what Christianity is. We believe the Old Testament, but ours is more like Federal Express. You have to obey laws."

After a commercial break, Deutsch said that "Ann said she wanted to explain her last comment," and asked her, "So you don't think that was offensive?" Coulter responded: "No. I'm sorry. It is not intended to be. I don't think you should take it that way, but that is what Christians consider themselves: perfected Jews. We believe the Old Testament. As you know from the Old Testament, God was constantly getting fed up with humans for not being able to live up to all the laws. What Christians believe -- this is just a statement of what the New Testament is -- is that that's why Christ came and died for our sins. Christians believe the Old Testament. You don't believe our testament." Coulter later said: "We consider ourselves perfected Christians. For me to say that for you to become a Christian is to become a perfected Christian is not offensive at all." (MORE)

Reason: Should we acknowledge that organized religion has sometimes sparked precisely the kinds of emancipation movements that could lift Islam into modern times? Slavery in the United States ended in part because of opposition by prominent church members and the communities they galvanized. The Polish Catholic Church helped defeat the Jaruzelski puppet regime. Do you think Islam could bring about similar social and political changes?

Hirsi Ali: Only if Islam is defeated. Because right now, the political side of Islam, the power-hungry expansionist side of Islam, has become superior to the Sufis and the Ismailis and the peace-seeking Muslims.

Hirsi Ali: No. Islam, period. Once it’s defeated, it can mutate into something peaceful. It’s very difficult to even talk about peace now. They’re not interested in peace.

Reason: We have to crush the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims under our boot? In concrete terms, what does that mean, “defeat Islam”?

Hirsi Ali: I think that we are at war with Islam. And there’s no middle ground in wars. Islam can be defeated in many ways. For starters, you stop the spread of the ideology itself; at present, there are native Westerners converting to Islam, and they’re the most fanatical sometimes. There is infiltration of Islam in the schools and universities of the West. You stop that. You stop the symbol burning and the effigy burning, and you look them in the eye and flex your muscles and you say, “This is a warning. We won’t accept this anymore.” There comes a moment when you crush your enemy.

Hirsi Ali: In all forms, and if you don’t do that, then you have to live with the consequence of being crushed. (MORE)

CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
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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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