www.ccun.org

    Muslim American News Briefs, September 12, 2007

Opinion Editorials

News

News Photos

* Hadith: The Gates of Heaven Are Opened for Ramadan
* MD Muslim Activist's Cars Targeted by Vandals
* Islam Op-Ed: 9/11 Evokes Painful Memories for U.S. Muslim
* CAIR: U.S. Muslim Group Blasts Bin Laden Video (UPI)
            - CAIR-NY: Muslims Mourn 9/11 Victims
            - CAIR-AZ Rep Reflects on Life After 9/11 (AZ Rep)
            - CAIR: Muslim American Reflects on Sept. 11 (NPR)
            - CAIR-CA Rep Reflects on Effects of 9/11 (OC Register)
            - Since 9/11, Muslims See More Inclusive Workplaces
* NY Mosque Calls Cops on Plot Against Mayor (Daily News)
* CAIR-OH: Arab Americans Feel at Home Even After 9/11
* CAIR-CA: Mosques Invite You to Celebrate Ramadan
            - CAIR-WA: Muslim Holiday Lasts All Month (Daily Herald)
            - OH: High Holy Days for Jews, Muslims (Plain Dealer)
* CAIR-OH Participates in 'Empty Bowls' Hunger Project
* CAIR Slams ADL for 'Smear Tactics' (InFocus)
* CAIR: Amr Khaled, Islam's Up-to-Date Televangelist (Wash Post)
* CAIR: Education Key in Understanding Muslims
* Obama Pulls Campaign Ad on of 'Israel Lobby' (NY Sun)

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HADITH OF THE DAY: THE GATES OF HEAVEN ARE OPENED FOR RAMADAN - TOP

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "When the month of Ramadan begins, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed. . ."

Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Hadith 123

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MD MUSLIM ACTIVIST'S CARS TARGETED BY VANDALS - TOP
Family that suffered past bias attacks has six tires punctured

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/11/07) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported today that vandals targeted two vehicles of a Muslim activist in Maryland whose family has suffered bias attacks over a number of years.

Samira Hussein of Gaithersburg, Md., reported to CAIR that six tires on two family vehicles were punctured sometime early this morning. Gaithersburg police told Hussein, a Palestinian-American, that the damage was inflicted with a double-edged knife.

Hussein's family has been targeted by hate a number of times in recent years. In 1998, an 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with a hate crime for vandalizing two cars owned by the family. Other incidents included family vehicles being marked with graffiti such as Nazi swastikas, "go home" and "pig."

"Given the past history of bias attacks on this family, we call on local and national law enforcement authorities to investigate this disturbing incident as a possible hate crime," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.

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

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ISLAM-OPED: 9/11 EVOKES PAINFUL MEMORIES FOR U.S. MUSLIM - TOP

ISLAM-OPED is a national syndication service of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designed to offer an American Muslim perspective on current political, social and religious issues. ISLAM-OPED commentaries are offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each market area. Permission for publication will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis.

CONTACT: ihooper@cair.com
TEL: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726 (c)

Please consider the following commentary for publication.

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ISLAM-OPED: 9/11 EVOKES PAINFUL MEMORIES FOR U.S. MUSLIM
By Danette Zaghari-Mask
WORD COUNT: 471

[Danette Zaghari-Mask is executive director of the Orlando chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Orlando). CAIR is the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group. Contact her at: dmask@cair.com For a photo, see: http://www.cair.com/Chapters.aspx#Orlando]

On the anniversary of 9/11, the memory of those once full of life evoke painful thoughts. I cringe at the panic that they must have endured, and join the mourning of fellow Americans who lost loved ones.

Even if we did not know someone directly effected by the tragedy, we know where we were when the towers fell or when the Pentagon was hit.
I delivered my first child 13 days after 9/11. In the days leading up to his birth, I wept.

I wept as a human, as an American and as a Muslim sickened by the reports of militants who claimed "victory" under the banner of Islam.
I gave birth and then cried as a mother for having endured, only to bring a new life into such a troubled world.

Since that time, opportunities have arisen to speak to my fellow Americans about Islam and Muslims. I, like millions of Muslims across the world, stood in solidarity against terrorism and a firm conviction that Islam, by its very definition, rejects terrorism.
Islam is an Arabic word that translates as "peace through submission to God."

Those who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks did not discriminate between people of different faiths; rather, they discriminated against every person who did not submit to their twisted ideology.

The perpetrators of 9/11, and those with an agenda to silence the moderate Muslim majority, want us all to believe that Islam itself is the instigator of terror. If we can defeat those ideas in our own minds, we can defeat the mesmerizing effect of those who seek interfaith division and discord.

There are an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims in the world who overwhelmingly desire peace and look to Islam for inspiration.

I am teaching my son the Quran, the Muslim holy book. He is learning that if someone kills another it is "as though he has slain all mankind, and he who saved one life should be regarded as though he has saved the lives of all mankind" (5:32).

He is learning the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad: "The best jihad is saying a word of truth in the court of an unjust ruler" and a believer is one "in whom all of mankind has a sanctuary for its life and property."

Today, I have more optimism and more reasons to be hopeful than six years ago.
My son celebrated his birthday early this year with contagious courage and spirit. His smile is so wide I think sometimes it will touch the creases of his brown eyes.

He and all of our children are, after all, the possibility beyond the borderline that creates "us" and "them." The memory of 9/11 motivates me to raise my son to achieve his full potential.

Our children are seeds of peace and, with the right nurturing, future friends of peace.

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CAIR: U.S. MUSLIM GROUP BLASTS BIN LADEN VIDEO - TOP
United Press International, 9/11/07
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/09/11/us_muslim_group_

blasts_bin_laden_video/6189/

A Washington-based U.S. Muslim advocacy group Tuesday condemned a new video in which Osama bin Laden praises a Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist.

Posted on Islamic Web sites, the video does not show bin Laden but has a still photo of the al-Qaida founder and about 14 minutes of bin Laden purportedly talking about one of the hijackers.

Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the hijackings and the suicide airliner attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon near Washington six years ago.

"The despicable actions of the 9/11 hijackers should be repudiated by all Muslims, not praised as examples to follow," a statement from the Council on American-Islamic Relations said. "There can be no moral, ethical or religious justification for such cowardly attacks on innocent civilians. CAIR joins with Americans of all faiths in mourning the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and asks that we all use today's anniversary to enhance our efforts to repudiate religious extremism and to promote mutual understanding." (MORE)

SEE ALSO:

CAIR-NY: MUSLIMS MOURN 9/11 VICTIMS - TOP

(NEW YORK, NY, 9/11/2007) -- The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) participated in a moment of silence for the victims of the 9/11 attacks at Sunday's "Muslim Day Parade" in that city.

Hundreds marched down Madison Avenue to celebrate their commitment to interfaith peace and tolerance. CAIR-NY Civil Rights Director Aliya Latif joined Senator Bill Perkins, Councilmember Robert Jackson and other community leaders to address parade attendees.

"CAIR-NY mourns with all Americans over the tragedy at Ground Zero," said CAIR-NY Community Affairs Director Faiza Ali. "We send our sincere condolences to the families of 9/11 victims. Their loved ones will not be forgotten."

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 33 offices, chapters and affiliates 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-NY Civil Rights Director Aliya Latif, 212-870-2002, 732-429-4268, alatif@cair.com

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CAIR-AZ: READERS REFLECT ON LIFE 6 YEARS AFTER 9/11 - TOP
Arizona Republic, 9/11/07
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/arti

cles/0911911reflections.html

Initially, Fawzia Tung didn't think the attacks on Sept. 11 really affected her life. She was wrong. She soon realized it had a big impact on the way she viewed her religion.

Tung, 50, is a Chinese Muslim living in Phoenix and working for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. But it was only after the attacks that Tung unconsciously took her life down a more politically active path.

At the time of the attacks, Tung was a stay-at-home mom to seven children. She felt very free living in the U.S., able to practice her faith openly. She had no qualms about wearing her scarf in public because nobody paid any notice. But things changed the day the four planes crashed.

"Right after it happened, I was terribly conscious I was wearing a scarf," she said. "I felt like everybody was looking at me."

Her husband urged her to stay home if she could. He would do the grocery shopping, a monumental offer. For Tung, it was stay home or heed her husband's advice to go out without her scarf, an option she had never until that moment considered.

"I know a number of friends who took it (the scarf) off right after 9/11," she said.

Tung was conflicted. She always considered her relationship with Allah a private one. But her scarf became a symbol in the wake of the attacks.

"It was never a social thing before. All of a sudden it became something different," Tung said.

A woman at a garage sale told Tung she supported her and held no ill will toward Muslims.

She decided to stand tall for her religion. Tung went to work at an Islamic school and later joined the staff at CAIR.

Looking back, Tung believes the social effects of the attacks had a positive influence on her.

"I didn't do anything particularly Islamic before that," she said. "I was just living my life."

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CAIR: A HIJACKED IDENTITY: MUSLIM AMERICAN REFLECTS ON SEPT. 11 - TOP
National Public Radio, 9/11/07

LISTEN: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14318955

The events of Sept. 11 changed the lives of many Americans, including American Muslims. Arsalan Iftikhar, a regular contributor, and former representative to the Council on American Islamic Relations, explains how the attacks impacted his work as a spokesman for Muslim Americans in the national media.

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CAIR-CA REP REFLECTS ON EFFECTS OF 9/11 - TOP
Munira Syeda, Orange County Register, 9/11/07
http://www.ocregister.com/life/style-span-font-1840625-bold-weight

Scurrying about my Berkeley apartment six years ago, I was preparing to leave for a journalism conference in Lake Tahoe. I turned on the TV, and noticed morning news programs running footage of the collapsing Twin Towers. On first impulse, I dismissed the coverage as a faraway international disaster.

Soon, reality hit me. Grief over loss of 3,000 innocent lives replaced indifference, and then quickly gave way to fear. I cringed, secretly praying - God, don't let it be Muslims. Before long, America learned al-Qaida was behind the attacks.

Over the years, I have spent considerable time educating co-workers, friends and strangers about the basic tenets of Islam, its principles of respect, brotherhood, establishment of human rights and peace and justice. However, I have also observed tremendous backlash against all things Muslim.

From prejudice to discrimination to outright hatred, the American Muslim community has been targeted frequently by a minority who view American Muslims as the "other." In fact, a USA Today/Gallup Poll conducted last year shows strong feelings against Muslims. Nearly 40 percent of the respondents claimed having at least some prejudice toward Muslims. Another estimated 40 percent also favored having Muslims bear special identification to prevent future terror attacks on our soil.

Despite that, there also has been much support and sympathy offered to the Muslim community after 9/11. Japanese Americans, the Latino and African American communities, Christian, Jewish and other faith observers have stood by Muslims during difficult times. They too had personally experienced, or witnessed discrimination and prejudice promoted against various other minorities. Native Americans were driven out of their homeland, Blacks were enslaved and segregated against, and Japanese Americans were interned. As new immigrants, Jews, Asians, Italians and Catholics weren't treated any better either.

As I write this column, I ponder the post 9/11 world we live in. I think about the irrational fear that has gripped us and impacts our judgment. The continued civil rights violations and the controversial Patriot Act, the aggressive call for profiling of Muslims and Arabs at airports and other places, the misadventure in Iraq, and the political turmoil the Bush Administration is embroiled in are all examples of this fear.

We proudly claim how 9/11 has not changed us or our values. Let us look around, though. We are now a nation consumed by an alarming level of polarization. The Democrat and the Republican split, the pro-war/anti-war camps, and the conservative versus liberal factions are a symptom of the deeper unrest and anxiety challenging our society.

Nonetheless, I believe in America as a great country for not only Muslims but people of all backgrounds and colors. Our nation's greatness lies in the founding principles of pluralism, inclusion and equality for all.

Americans used to converse with each other. We used to dialogue. Now, we bicker. We compete in who can shout louder. We feel so threatened by the other side that we quickly attempt to silence it.

We must change our ways. We must make a concerted effort to change our un-American policies and attitudes. Otherwise, we will have allowed al-Qaida to redefine America, and not for the better.

[Munira Syeda is Communications Coordinator for Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area.]

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6 YEARS AFTER SEPT. 11, MUSLIMS SEE MORE INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES - TOP
Yoji Cole, Diversity Inc, 9/11/07
http://www.diversityinc.com/public/2444.cfm

After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, many American Muslims encountered increased hostility in the workplace, both overt and subtle. But that has changed in the last few years, as more corporations have become increasingly aware of the need for religious inclusion.

Lina Sayed's parents didn't want their 24-year-old daughter to face ridicule fresh out of school at New York University (NYU). Their concerns grew stronger after Sayed decided she would wear a hijab at her new job with JPMorgan Chase, No. 9 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list.

Sayed's parents warned her about job discrimination, especially in the wake of Sept. 11. Seeing that the nation's collective fervor to get "them" before they get "us" led too many people to turn on their Muslim neighbors and coworkers, Sayed's parents were worried she would be isolated or an easy target.

"You can't deny that when you walk into an office [wearing a hijab, the headscarf worn by Muslim women], that's the first thing people notice," says Sayed. But in a way, that's precisely what she wanted.

"A lot of Muslims are sensitive and insecure and a lot of people are discriminatory," says Sayed, who decided to start wearing a hijab after graduating from NYU and attending a Muslim conference that took place at the Manhattan Center in 2005.

"It was a great experience, and after that, I decided to wear it," says Sayed. "Wearing it was very natural for me. I've always been Muslim but I have never looked the part. You have to look the part to deal with being the part. So for me to go out there wearing the hijab was a great experience." (MORE)

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NY MOSQUE CALLS COPS ON MENTALLY-UNSTABLE MAN'S PLOT AGAINST MAYOR - TOP
Alison Gendar, Kerry Burke and Michael White, New York Daily News, 9/11/07
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/09/11/2007-09-11_

mentally_unstable_muslim_convert_alleged.html

A mentally unstable Muslim convert tried to recruit help at a Brooklyn mosque to kill Mayor Bloomberg, prompting the NYPD to beef up security around the mayor, law enforcement sources said.

American-born Edwin Thomas allegedly spoke of his plot in August at the Al Farooq mosque in Brooklyn, the source said.

But worshipers promptly alerted the authorities. (MORE)

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CAIR-OH: RESIDENTS OF ARAB DESCENT FEEL RIGHT AT HOME EVEN AFTER TERRORIST ATTACKS - TOP
Stephen Huba, Independent, 9/11/07
http://www.indeonline.com/index.php?ID=19880&r=0&Category=1

Six years after the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, Americans continue to be shaped by that horrific day.

Arab-Americans, especially, have been affected, reporting instances of job discrimination, interrogation at airports and detention by federal authorities, according to the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

But not all Arab-Americans.

Massillon area residents of Middle Eastern descent say they haven't experienced blatant anti-Arab discrimination or prejudice, the way some have, in the years since 9/11.

"I think of 9/11 every day of my life," said Massillon Municipal Judge Edward Elum, "but I don't think it's impacted Arab-Americans in Massillon."

Elum, of Lebanese descent, said he hasn't even had to downplay his ethnicity in the years since 9/11. . .

Julia A. Shearson, executive director of CAIR's Cleveland chapter, said she's not aware of any anti-Arab discrimination cases coming out of Stark County in the last six years.

But nationwide, according the CAIR, the number of reported cases has increased each year since 9/11. There was a significant spike in 2003 with the onset of the Iraq war, Shearson said.

Most of the cases reported in Ohio have to do with excessively long detentions of Arab-Americans coming back to the United States from Canada, she said.

There also have been reported cases of Muslim Arabs being denied jobs or being unable to pray at work, she said.

The issue of what CAIR calls government overreaching since 9/11 is not unique to Arab-Americans, Shearson said. "The issue is what is happening to all Americans, and the civil liberties and privacy rights of all Americans," she said. (MORE)

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BAY AREA MOSQUES INVITE YOU TO CELEBRATE RAMADAN, A MONTH OF ENLIGHTENMENT - TOP

(SANTA CLARA, CA, 9/11/07) - On the weekend of September 29-30, the Council on American-Islamic Relations of the San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA) and nine bay area mosques will open their doors to host a dinner to celebrate Ramadan with neighbors and friends.

This outreach effort is designed to enhance understanding of Islam and to help Americans of all faiths meet their Muslim neighbors by participating in a complimentary Ramadan "iftar" or fast-breaking dinner. More than 1000 guests from all over the Bay Area have been invited, including local and state political representatives, interfaith leaders, professors, activists and law enforcement officials.

"We value the friendship and support of our fellow Americans. Considering that Islam and Muslims are often subject to misconceptions, it is our pleasure to bring people together in this educational initiative, especially in the spirit of Ramadan," said Amina Ansari, CAIR-SFBA Program Manager.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a special time for Muslims during which they abstain from food, drink, and other worldly pleasures from dawn to sunset daily. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, which serves as a spiritual and physical cleansing of the mind and body respectively.

WHAT: "Mosques Open Doors" Ramadan Open House
WHEN: Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30.
WHERE: To RSVP by September 24 and for participating mosques, please visit Ramadan Iftar

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

MEDIA CONTACT: Asma Nemati, CAIR-SFBA Media Relations Coordinator, 408-986-9874, anemati@cair.com

SEE ALSO:

CAIR-SEATTLE: MUSLIM HOLIDAY LASTS ALL MONTH - TOP
Ramadan puts focus on fasting, charity, prayer
Krista J. Kapralos, Daily Herald, 9/11/07
http://heraldnet.com/article/20070911/NEWS01/109110028

Every year, just before the ninth lunar month begins, Muslims wait until dusk, then look up.

If they see a hint of the new moon, they know the time has come for praying, for giving, for fasting.

The monthlong holiday of Ramadan begins with charity and ends with feasting. It is an annual reminder that earthly deeds bring heavenly rewards - or eternal suffering.

This year, the holiday may begin today. It could also begin Wednesday, or even Thursday, depending on who sees the moon, and when.

"Some believe in a universal sighting," said Zafar Khan, a Boeing engineer who worships at Masjid Umar al Farooq mosque in Mountlake Terrace. "If it is sighted anywhere in the world, Ramadan begins. Others say it's not credible unless it's sighted in the U.S., or in your own region."

For Muslims who believe in a universal sighting, their holiest of months could coincide with the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

That won't change the way they worship, local Muslims said.

"I believe every Muslim believes 9/11 has nothing to do with religion," said Jeff Siddiqui of American Muslims of the Puget Sound. "We don't consider it a linkage with faith. We consider faith to be a sacred thing, and evil to be just that: evil."

On Sunday, Muslims marched in New York City for the annual American Muslim Day Parade. They spoke out against the attacks of six years ago and against subsequent terror strikes.

For many Snohomish County Muslims, the season of Ramadan is entirely separate from anything having to do with terrorism and world politics. . .

Ramadan, the monthlong Muslim holiday, occurs in the ninth month on the lunar calendar. It begins at sundown, at the first sighting of the new moon.

Muslims believe the Koran, the Islamic holy book, was revealed to the prophet Mohammed during the month of Ramadan. Today, the month is marked with fasting, praying and giving to charity.

During Ramadan, mosques and other Islamic centers often plan meals to break the fast.

At Msjid Umar al Farooq mosque at 5507 238th St. SW in Mountlake Terrace, meals will be held after sunset on Sept. 22, Sept. 29 and Oct. 6.

For more information on meals and other Ramadan events held around the Puget Sound region, contact Arsalan Bukhari, president of the Washington State chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, at 206-931-3655.

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OH: HIGH HOLY DAYS FOR JEWS, MUSLIMS - TOP
Cleveland Plain Dealer, 9/11/07
http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living

-0/1189499588154300.xml&coll=2

In an unusual convergence of liturgical calendars, Jews and Muslims will enter their holiest periods of the year within a day of each other. Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year that begins a 10-day period of High Holy Days culminating with Yom Kippur, begins at sundown Wednesday. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins Thursday.

The two holy periods are rarely so close, because the beginning of Ramadan rotates throughout the year in accordance with the lunar calendar of Islam. Jews follow a modified lunar calendar that adds periodic leap months so festivals fall within several weeks of each other in specific seasons.

If the calendars often separate their observances, there are similarities in practices. Followers of both faiths will engage in periods of fasting, repentance and self-reflection. And these days are an opportunity for both Jewish and Muslim families to grow closer together in faith.

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CAIR-OH PARTICIPATES IN 'EMPTY BOWLS' HUNGER PROJECT - TOP

(COLUMBUS, OH - 9/11/07) - The Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Ohio office (CAIR-Ohio) recently partnered with members of St. James Episcopal Church in a community service event called the Empty Bowls Project.

At the event, members of St. James and CAIR-Ohio glazed more than hand-made ceramic bowls. On October 27, the bowls will be used to serve a simple meal of soup and bread. Guests will choose a bowl to use that day and to keep as a reminder that there are always Empty Bowls in the world.

In exchange for a meal and the bowl, the guest gives a suggested minimum donation of $10. The proceeds will then be donated to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, which can turn every dollar raised into approximately $9 worth of food to feed the hungry. For more information on the national Empty Bowls project, visit the Imagine/RENDER website at: http://www.emptybowls.net/ImagineRender.htm

The event was part of CAIR's "Muslims Care" campaign, through which Muslims are encouraged to get involved in community service. In addition to projects like Empty Bowls, CAIR-Ohio volunteers regularly participate in community service by preparing and serving food at the YWCA Family Shelter on the second Friday of every month.

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 33 offices, chapters and affiliates 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-Ohio Legal Director Jennifer Nimer, 614-451-3232

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CAIR SLAMS ADL FOR 'SMEAR TACTICS' - TOP
InFocus, 9/11/07
http://www.infocusnews.net/content/view/16398/135/

In an open letter addressed to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a leading Jewish advocacy group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group accused the ADL of contributing to growing Islamophobia in American society by using "smears and exclusionary tactics" in its latest attack on the due process of a group of American Muslims.

According to CAIR, those smears appeared in a recent ADL news release targeting members of a coalition defending the legal rights of officials of the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) Muslim charity currently on trial in Texas.

CAIR alleged the ADL falsely claimed in its release that members of the coalition have been "tainted by their own murky associations with radical organizations and individuals."

CAIR officials denounced the accusations.

"It is regrettable that the Anti-Defamation League, which claims to defend American civil liberties, would seek to exploit the growing level of Islamophobia in our society by using the same smears and exclusionary tactics that have in the past been used by anti-Semites to target the Jewish Community," Ibrahim Hooper, communications director of CAIR National, told InFocus.

In its Aug. 21, 2007, press release, ADL stated, "If CAIR truly repudiates acts of terror and murder, we would welcome a simple declaratory statement that no cause, no matter how just it may be, justifies the use of suicide killers, rockets or other means to target civilians."

Hooper accused the ADL of attempting to muzzle the First Amendment rights of American Muslims by smearing and demonizing them.

In its Aug. 29, 2007, open letter responding to the ADL's release, CAIR's National Chairman Parvez Ahmed and National Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote:

"A little research would have revealed a CAIR-coordinated 2005 fatwa, or Islamic juristic opinion, that states in part: 'All acts of terrorism targeting civilians are haram (forbidden) in Islam. It is haram [forbidden] for a Muslim to cooperate with any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence. It is the civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to protect the lives of all civilians.'

"Also, our 2004 'Not in the Name of Islam' online petition states: 'No injustice done to Muslims can ever justify the massacre of innocent people, and no act of terror will ever serve the cause of Islam.'"

Hooper also accused the ADL of being "shamefully hypocritical" on the issue of terrorism. (MORE)

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CAIR: ISLAM'S UP-TO-DATE TELEVANGELIST - TOP
Amr Khaled has bridged the religious and secular with his feel-good message
Robin Wright, Washington Post, 9/11/07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007

/09/10/AR2007091002312.html

The rhythmic clapping began the minute Amr Khaled stepped through the door of the packed Crystal City ballroom. Surrounded by security guards, the Egyptian preacher had to weave his way through the crowd -- men both cleanshaven and bearded, women both fashionably coifed and dressed in conservative Islamic dress -- that had come from up and down the East Coast to hear him. Two massive screens projected his image to those in the back.

"My goal is that you leave happy," Khaled began softly, once he finally got to the lectern. "My goal is to fulfill the hadith of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that says, 'Whoever puts joy in the hearts of the believers, his reward is not less than Paradise.'" The crowd ate it up. For the next 90 minutes, they laughed at his witticisms, smiled at his stories, nodded at his exhortations and clapped again -- spontaneously and often. But most of all, they listened intently.

The rock-star preacher in the designer suit, often called "the anti-bin Laden," had arrived in America with his new brand of upbeat, feel-good Islam.

For American Muslims beset by the tensions of the post-9/11 world, Khaled came to address a deep crisis of confidence. He tried to bridge the gap between conflicting allegiances, notably their U.S. citizenship and their fury at U.S. policy in Iraq and other Muslim countries.

"I feel what 9/11 has done to you. You are all crying aloud: 'This is not Islam. We reject this,'" he said at the appearance sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Islamic Society of North America. "At the same time, we don't agree with what is happening in Iraq. We feel confusion, pain. . . .

"You came to this country to provide for your families. Do we isolate ourselves from society? Or do we completely assimilate and forget our faith and our background? Do we hate the society we live in?" he asked. "No! The prophet Muhammad taught us kindness, justice, mercy, coexistence with others, that God created us different so that we can get to know one another."

In sermons, speeches and appearances throughout his first trip to the United States, in May -- he said he hopes to return often -- Khaled spoke consistently of compromise and coexistence. "My message is: Please be rightful representatives for your religion," he said in an interview. "Please show people here your good manners, your attitude of hard work, how you can succeed in this society, what you can add, your positive integration while maintaining pride in Islam -- so people know how really great this religion is." (MORE)

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CAIR: EDUCATION KEY IN UNDERSTANDING MUSLIMS - TOP
Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News, 9/11/07
http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=154120&zoneid=500

Omar Conteh was a 15-year-old student at Bangor High School six years ago.

Now a student at University College in Bangor studying mental health and human services, he said Monday that his relationships in the community haven't changed since Sept. 11, 2001.

Conteh, who has lived in Bangor for a decade and played soccer in high school, also said that Muslims who come to Maine from overseas to attend the college feel much more apprehensive than people who have roots in the community as he does.

"Some have concerns about safety in the back of their minds," Conteh said, "so they try to stay out of any situation that might be sticky."

Conteh knows most members of the small Muslim community in Greater Bangor through the Islamic Center of Maine in Orono. Fifty to 70 people, many of them students attending the University of Maine, worship at Friday prayer services, he said.

The mosque opened in January 2002 at the corner of Park and Washburn streets in Orono. Although Muslim communities in southern Maine are larger than the northern Maine group, the Orono community was the first in the state to own its own land and building.

Members of the Orono mosque, along with the Muslim Student Association at the university, have offered educational sessions on campus and at area churches over the past six years. Conteh said programs would be offered at UMaine and in the community again this year but dates have not been set.

Although on-campus groups in Orono, at the University of Southern Maine in Portland and on other campuses around the state have worked hard to educate their peers and the public about Islam, perceptions and stereotypes have been difficult to change off campus.

At least a dozen hate crimes have been reported to the Maine Attorney General's Office since fall 2001.

"We rarely had any cases before September 11," Thomas Harnett, assistant attorney general for civil rights education and enforcement, said Monday. "The number of incidents rose in the aftermath."

While any incident is troubling, Harnett said, his office has had approximately 12 reports of anti-Muslim incidents in the past six years. His office pursued six of those in court.

In working with students on Civil Rights Teams at schools throughout the state, Harnett said he and his staff make a point of talking about language Muslims and people with roots in the Middle East might find hurtful.

He said that is a step toward preventing future hate crimes like the one that drew national attention to Maine last year when on July 3, 2006, a Lewiston man rolled a frozen pig's head into a Lewiston mosque while 40 men were bowed in prayer.

Muslims are prohibited from eating pork, and the act was viewed by many as an insult upon the religion.

"My understanding is that the general feeling in the Muslim community is that most Americans feel [that Muslims] are connected to people who want to hurt us," Harnett said Monday.

A survey conducted in 2004 and 2005 by the Council on American-Islamic Relations bore that out. The Washington, D.C.-based organization founded in 1994 found that nearly one in five Americans had a strong anti-Muslim attitude. While 27 percent were found to be tolerant of Muslims, only 6 percent had a positive first impression of Muslims, according to the study results posted on CAIR's Web site. (MORE)

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OBAMA PULLS CAMPAIGN AD ON AMAZON.COM PAGE OF 'ISRAEL LOBBY' - TOP
Russell Berman, New York Sun, 9/11/07
http://www.nysun.com/article/62389

Wary of alienating Jewish voters, the campaign of Senator Obama has moved swiftly to remove an ad for its Web site that appeared on the Amazon.com page of a book critical of the Israel lobby.

A small ad for barackobama.com was one of a group of advertisements that rotated as "sponsored links" on the page for "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy," a book by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt that has drawn rebuke from supporters of the Jewish state. The Illinois senator's campaign said it had bought ads on Amazon.com to appear with the keyword category of "politics" through a subsidiary of the popular Internet shopping site.

The placement on the "Israel Lobby" page was unintentional, a campaign spokeswoman said, and the ad was gone hours after a New York Sun reporter notified the campaign of its location. "The ad has been removed from the site because the views of the book do not reflect the views of Senator Obama on the U.S.- Israel relationship," the spokeswoman, Jennifer Psaki, said.

In the book, Mr. Mearsheimer, a professor at the University of Chicago, and Mr. Walt, a professor at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, argue that a powerful "Israel lobby," which they say includes politicians, journalists, scholars, and students, has steered the government into supporting Israel in ways that run counter to American national interests.

Ms. Psaki said that although Mr. Obama had not read the book, he was familiar with its arguments and disagreed with them. " Senator Obama has stated that his support for a strong U.S.- Israel relationship, which includes both a commitment to Israel's security and to helping Israel achieve peace with its neighbors, comes from his belief that it's the right policy for the United States," she said. "The idea that supporters of Israel have somehow distorted U.S. foreign policy, or that they are responsible for the debacle in Iraq, is just wrong."

Like many of his Democratic rivals, Mr. Obama has courted Jewish voters, and he has won praise from pro- Israel groups. In April, he told the National Jewish Democratic Council that his commitment to Israel was "unwavering." The Amazon incident is the second time in a month that the Obama campaign has publicly acknowledged removing an inadvertently placed Internet ad, and it underscores the uncharted territory that campaigns are navigating as they look to lure potential voters to their expansive Web sites. In August, the Obama campaign removed an ad purchased through Google that appeared on a site dedicated to derailing his top rival, Senator Clinton, according to a report in the New York Observer's Politicker Web log. (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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