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Chronology of Islam in America (2006)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
October 2006
Wait ends for father and son exiled by FBI terror inquiry
Oct. 1: Two American citizens of Pakistani descent returned to the United States today, five months after they were denied permission to fly home to California unless they submitted to an interrogation by F.B.I. terrorism investigators. The men, Muhammad Ismail, 45, and his son, Jaber, 19, of the Northern California farming town of Lodi, are an uncle and cousin of Hamid Hayat, a Lodi man who was convicted in April in federal court of providing material support to terrorists. Mr. Hayat's father, Umer, was convicted on a lesser charge of lying to investigators about the amount of cash he carried to Pakistan on a 2003 trip, but a jury deadlocked on terrorism charges. The Ismails were not charged in the case. Legal experts said the matter raised questions about balancing terrorism investigations against American citizens' right to travel freely without having been charged with a crime or detained as a suspect. (New York Times)
Supreme court declines to take case from parents objecting to teaching Islam to seventh-graders
Oct. 2: The Supreme Court today refused to consider a lawsuit by parents objecting to a three-week class for seventh-graders on Islam. Jonas and Tiffany Eklund say pupils at a public school in California were given pages from the opening chapter of the Koran to read and studied Islam's Five Pillars of Faith in a world history unit on Muslim culture. The Eklunds wanted the Supreme Court to find that the world history unit entitled "The Roots of Islam and the Empire" violates constitutional guarantees separating church and state. "Parents entrust public schools with educating their children, not indoctrinating them in religion," the Eklunds' lawyers stated in a brief asking the Supreme Court to take the case. "The public school here had children become Muslims for three weeks." The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the Islam program activities were not overt religious exercises and therefore did not raise U.S. constitutional concerns. (International Herald Tribune )
Minneapolis radio station apologizes for Muslim satire
Oct. 2: Top 40 radio station KDWB-FM (Minneapolis) has apologized for an on-air comedy skit called "Muslim Jeopardy." The skit included an announcer using a fake South Asia accent introducing contest categories such as "infamous infidels" and "potent portables." The skit also included a threat to behead a female host when she got an answer wrong. The station's Web site today contained a short apology: "KDWB does not condone making light of Islam and Muslims. We regret that listeners found the Muslim Jeopardy comedy skit of one of our on-air hosts to be insensitive." (Associated Press)
Workplace bias against Muslims, Arabs on rise, advocates say
Oct. 3: The restaurant manager from Morocco, the Armenian caterer from Syria and the Yemeni sailor aren't all Muslims and hail from different homelands. But all three say they suffered discrimination at work after Sept. 11, 2001, because of their national origin or perceptions that they were Muslim. Now, they are among those who have filed lawsuits through the California offices of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - reflecting increasing discrimination against people of Middle Eastern and South Asian descent, according to advocacy groups.
Reports of workplace discrimination against people perceived to be Muslim or Arab soared after the Sept. 11 attacks and then declined, government statistics indicate. But some advocates say they've seen a resurgence in the last year that corresponds to global political events.After 9/11, the EEOC introduced a category of employment discrimination against people who are or are perceived to be Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian or Sikh. Nationwide statistics from the EEOC indicate that such complaints - so far exceeding 1,000 - have decreased each year since 2002. (Los Angeles Times)
Dr. Maher Hathout honored by LA County Commission on Human Relations
Oct. 5: The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations today presented their prestigious John Allen Buggs Award for excellence in human relations to Muslim American leader Dr. Maher Hathout before a sold-out audience of more than 300 people. In his acceptance speech, Dr. Hathout, advisor to the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), thanked all the religious, civic and community leaders who stood by him publicly after a nasty smear campaign was launched by the Zionist Organization of America and the American Jewish Committee following the Commission's decision to honor him in July. "For those who opposed me with an extra dose of passion, in the spirit of this blessed time when the Muslim and Jewish holidays overlap, I am extending a hand of friendship, opening a mind of dialogue, and offering a heart of love. Your children and my children are stuck together in America. They better learn how to make it a better place." This award is a landmark for the Muslim American community, one which demonstrates their ongoing work to forge stronger bonds within their broader communities in civic, cultural and religious life. (MPAC Bulletin)
Group opposed to Roxbury mosque sues Boston Redevelopment Authority
Oct. 6: The David Project, a non profit Jewish advocacy organization, has charged in Suffolk Superior Court that the Boston Redevelopment Authority is withholding public records related to the authority's sale of land to the Islamic Society of Boston for construction of a mosque. The organization asked the court to order the BRA to surrender the documents, in particular copies of e-mails written and received by BRA deputy director Mohammad Ali-Salaam regarding the Roxbury land deal, and documents relating to travel by Ali-Salaam to the Middle East on behalf of the mosque project. The David Project is among numerous organizations and individuals sued by the Islamic Society for allegedly conspiring to circulate false and defamatory information about its leaders in order to prevent the building of the mosque. (Boston Globe)
Texas mosque vandalized three times in one month
Oct. 10: Vandals have struck a Lubbock (Texas) mosque three times in one month, prompting fear and calls for understanding among some in the religious center's community. Most recently someone used black spray paint to write the misspelled word "Redemtion" on the building. Vandals have also trampled the mosque's flower beds and smashed exterior lights within the past month. Members of Lubbock's Muslim community estimate the local population of Muslims to be between 500 and 700 people. (Associated Press)
2nd Quran found in toilet at New York City University
Oct. 17: The discovery of the Quran in a toilet at Pace University's lower Manhattan campus was the latest in a series of recent acts of vandalism tinged with racial or religious overtones at the school, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said. In September, a copy of the Quran was found in a toilet at Pace, and in October someone scrawled racial slurs on a student's car at the Westchester County satellite campus and on a bathroom wall at the campus in lower Manhattan. (International Herald Tribune)
ADC files lawsuit against DHS and ICE concerning the “October Plan”
Oct. 17: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its component U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit, which ADC filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), seeks information that would either validate or dispel the widespread perception that DHS and ICE have been misusing information from the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) to impermissibly target, or “profile,” Arab-Americans and Muslims for general law enforcement purposes. In particular, this lawsuit demands the immediate disclosure of government records concerning the national origin, ethnicity, race, religion, and gender of the more than 230 individuals detained by the government in connection with a law enforcement operation known as the “October Plan,” which federal law enforcement officials carried out in connection with the 2004 Presidential Elections. Community concerns about the potential for similar law enforcement activities during the upcoming national elections prompted ADC to file this suit today. (ADC Press Release)
Head-covering scarf is a symbol of faith
Oct. 21: More American women who follow the Muslim faith are wearing a hijab, the head-covering scarf that publicly identifies them as a follower of Islam. The hijab is a symbol of a Muslim woman's faith and modesty. Thousands of Muslim women in Michigan wear a hijab in public. Hijabs vary in color, cut and fabric, and women can treat them as fashion accessories to coordinate with their outfits. While some non-Muslims may consider the hijab a symbol of female oppression and second-class status, Muslim women say it was a choice they made to renew their relationship with God, and identify with their faith rather than stereotypes. Hijabis -- as women who cover their hair call themselves -- say they aim to strengthen their faith and challenge stereotypes about Muslims reignited in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (Detroit Free Press)
ACLU elects first Arab American to its national board of directors
Oct. 18: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) congratulates Laila Al-Qatami, ADC Communications Director, on being the first Arab American to be elected to the National Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Laila Al-Qatami was elected by the ACLU's national electorate to fill one of 30 at-large seats on the ACLU's National Board of Directors. She will serve a three-year term on the National Board, which includes representatives from the 53 ACLU affiliates across the nation, in addition to the at-large seats. Additionally, she was also elected to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for the ACLU National Capital Area (ACLU-NCA) affiliate by the members of the ACLU-NCA. The ACLU, which is nonpartisan and nonprofit, was founded in 1920, and over the years has significantly strengthened and solidified its position as the nation's guardian of liberty. (ADC Press Release)
Suit seeks data on immigration profiling of Arabs
Oct. 18: In an effort to establish whether the government is using prohibited profiling methods against Arab-Americans and Muslims, a civil rights group filed a suit yesterday against the Homeland Security Department and one of its branches, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The suit, by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, asked the Federal District Court in the District of Columbia to compel the immigration agency under the Freedom of Information Act to release the nationalities of 237 people arrested for immigration violations in October 2004.
The agency announced the arrests at the time in an effort to disrupt possible terrorist threats in the presidential elections.Over the past two years, two previous requests by the committee to obtain the information through standard channels failed. Refusing to release the nationalities leaves open a possibility that immigration laws are being disproportionately enforced against Arab-Americans and Muslims, said Kareem Shora, the new executive director of the committee, which is based in Washington. (New York Times)
U.S. security officials prevent an influential Islamic scholar from attending a conference in New York
Oct. 18: A leading member of Britain’s Muslim community, headed to New York for an academic conference, was forced to leave his transatlantic flight without explanation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier today. The removal of Kamal Helbawy, the 80-year-old founder of the Muslim Association of Britain, came just minutes before his American Airlines flight was due to take off from London’s Heathrow Airport. The incident is the latest instance in which U.S. security officials have denied prominent Muslim leaders entry to the United States. Helbawy, an Egyptian-born Islamic scholar, was for years a leading spokesman in Europe for the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization founded in Egypt that some U.S. officials say is dedicated to spreading a radical brand of Islam throughout the world. While not denying his affiliation with the Brotherhood, Helbawy described himself in a telephone interview today as a moderate who has publicly denounced terrorism “thousands of times.” He also noted that he serves on the Muslim Council of Britain—a semiofficial British government advisory committee that works to turn British Muslims away from violence. (Newsweek)
Veil costs her claim in court
Oct. 22: Ginnnah Muhammad of Detroit criticized Hamtramck Judge Paul Paruk: "I didn't feel like the court recognized me as a person that needed justice." Ginnnah Muhammad of Detroit was looking for her day in court. Instead, she said she felt as if a judge forced her to choose between her case and her religion in a small-claims dispute in Hamtramck District Court. A devout Muslim, she wore a niqab -- a scarf and veil to cover her face and head except for her eyes -- Oct. 11 as she contested a rental car company's charging her $2,750 to repair a vehicle after thieves broke into it. Judge Paul Paruk said he needed to see her face to judge her truthfulness and gave Muhammad, 42, a choice: take off the veil when testifying or the case would be dismissed. She kept the veil on. (Detroit Free Press)
South African Muslim scholar turned away from US
Oct. 22: An Islamic scholar from South Africa has been denied entry into the United States, prompting questions from Muslims in the San Francisco Bay area who had invited him to participate in activities marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Fazlur Rahman Azmi was detained by officials from US Customs and Border Protection when he arrived at San Francisco International Airport from London. Azmi, who had made previous visits to the country as recently as April without problems, was questioned for hours before being denied entry and sent on a plane out of the country the next day. Michael Fleming, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, confirmed that Azmi was forced to leave the country after a brief detainment. "His application for entry into the US was determined to be inadmissible," said Fleming, refusing to give any details of the case. Last month, another Islamic scholar from South Africa, Ismail Mullah, was denied entry into the country when he arrived at Dulles International Airport for a trip to visit Muslims in northern Virginia. (Main & Guardian of South Africa)
Muslim ousted from Phoenix Human Relations Commission
Oct. 25: Tensions in the Middle East are manifesting themselves on a Phoenix commission that is supposed to foster unity among people. Phoenix City Council members last week removed Marwan Ahmad, a Palestinian and Muslim, from the Human Relations Commission after more than five years of service, saying he was promoting messages of intolerance against Israel, the Jewish community and at least one member of the Islamic community. Ahmad said the City Council violated his freedom of speech and is mixing local and international politics. (Arizona Republic)
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