Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

GOP Voters in Deep South Still Think Obama is a Muslim,
GOP-Orchestrated Attacks on Shari'a Continue

Poll: GOP Voters In Deep South Think Obama Is Muslim, Unsure On Interracial Marriage

March 12, 2012, 10:06 AM25587988

Alabama and Mississippi Republicans are evenly divided on whether President Obama is Muslim and are still working out their feelings on the legality of interracial marriage, according to new numbers by Democratic pollster PPP. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are currently locked in a close battle in the two states, which hold primaries this week.

Asked whether Obama is Christian or Muslim, some 45 percent of Alabama Republican respondents picked Muslim; 14 percent correctly identified him as Christian. Another 41 percent said they were unsure. In Mississippi, a majority of Republicans, 52 percent, identified Obama as Muslim; 12 percent said he was Christian and 36 percent were undecided.

Interracial marriage laws were overturned by the Supreme Court in 1967, but a significant minority of Mississippi and Alabama apparently still long for their return, or are at least ambivalent about the idea. In Alabama, 67 percent of respondents said interracial marriage should be allowed, but 21 percent said it should be illegal and another 12 percent were not sure. Mississippi Republican voters were even more divided: Only 52 percent said such marriages should be legal, versus 29 percent who said they should be banned and 17 percent who were unsure.

The poll surveyed 656 likely Republican voters in Mississippi and 600 likely Republican primary voters in Alabama on March 10-11.

Poll: GOP Voters in Deep South Think Obama is Muslim

CAIR: How Does God's Word Sound? May Depend on Translation In the Islamic faith, "there is no official (English) translation of the Quran," said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director of [CAIR], a civil rights and advocacy group. "The only official version is in the actual Arabic."

 Video: CAIR-NY Rep Says NYPD Spying an Affront to Constitution

CAIR: 'NYPD Wasted Millions of Dollars Spying on Muslims'

Ky. Business Targeted by Anti-Arab Hate Will Close

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NJ Muslims Thank Lawmaker for Withdrawing Anti-Sharia Bill

(PATERSON, NJ, March 12, 2012) --

Leaders of the New Jersey Muslim community today thanked Assembly woman Holly Schepisi for her decision to withdraw bill A-919, which would have prohibited "application of foreign laws," from further consideration by that state's legislature.

Assembly woman Schepisi, who represents the 39th legislative district in Bergen and Passaic Counties, introduced the bill in late 2011. It was originally introduced in 2010 by Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk. Bills with similar language have been promoted by those seeking to target Sharia, or Islamic principles.

SEE: Bans on Court Use of Sharia/International Law

David Yerushalmi: A Driving Force Behind Anti-Sharia Efforts

Meet the Racist Leading the GOP's Anti-Sharia Crusade

Anti-Sharia bills were recently withdrawn or failed to pass in Minnesota, Georgia and Florida.

CAIR: Minn. Lawmaker Drops Anti-Sharia Bill CAIR Hails 'Sharia' Victory in Florida

"This is a wise decision by the esteemed assemblywoman," said Dr. Aref Assaf, president of the American Arab Forum, a think-tank based in Paterson, N.J. "Of course we want our Constitution to be the supreme law of the land. New Jersey need not follow other states that have either passed or attempted to pass similar legislation that has the principal objective of demonizing the faith of millions of American Muslims."

"Rather than strengthening constitutional protections, these bills undoubtedly violate religious freedom and weaken the independence of our courts," said Council on Amerinca-Islamic Relations-New Jersey Chair Nadia Kahf. "We thank Assemblywoman Schepisi for her decision in support of religious freedom and constitutional rights."

The American Arab Forum is the leading Arab-American organization in New Jersey. Its focus is to proactively advocate for Arab and Muslim-American affairs. GO TO: www.aafusa.org

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. 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:

American Arab Forum President Aref Assaf, 973-960-2673, E-Mail: allari58@gmail.com; CAIR-NJ Chair Nadia Kahf, 973-901-1618, E-Mail: nkahf@cair.com