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Chronology of Islam in America (2014)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
June 2014 page two
Harassment of North Carolina Muslim Children, Mother
June 17: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on North Carolina law enforcement authorities to charge an individual who allegedly harassed a Muslim family in a grocery store with ethnic intimidation. The mother, who wears an Islamic headscarf (hijab), reported to CAIR that she was shopping with her three young children at a Harris Teeter store in Raleigh, N.C., on the evening of June 9 when she heard a man shouting "We speak English here, do you speak English?" "Hey, I said we speak English, do you hear me?" and "Get out of my damn country." According to the mother, the white male in his late 40s or early 50s allegedly knelt down to the level of her four-year-old and shouted "Go on, get out of here" and "We speak English here" while raising his arms and pointing in the direction of the door. He repeatedly shouted statements like, "Hey, did you hear me, get out of here, go on, go back to your damn country." She said several Harris Teeter employees failed to protect the Muslim customer and her children from the man's verbal assault. The mother called police, who arrived on the scene but failed to take any action against the harasser. [CAIR]
Calififornia Muslim woman basketball player denied right to play by FIBA hijab ban
June 18: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today repeated its request that the Switzerland-based International Basketball Federation (FIBA) change its rule banning Muslim women athletes from wearing Islamic head scarves, or hijab. Indira Kaljo of Los Angeles, Calif., told CAIR that she is seeking a professional contract in Europe, where she already played for two years before deciding to wear hijab. The 26-year-old native of Bosnia says that FIBA's ban on hijab is discriminatory and that players of other faiths do wear religious symbols and attire similar to the Islamic scarf. CAIR sent a letter to FIBA President Yvan Mainini, which stated in part: "No athlete should be forced to choose between faith and sport. Muslim women seek to participate in sporting activities should not face artificial and arbitrary barriers to that participation." [CAIR]
L.A. City to Celebrate Muslim American Heritage Month
June 18: Los Angeles has declared July 2014 as Muslim American Heritage Month. California is cited as having the largest Muslim community in the United States. It is also estimated that a majority of the Muslim population resides in Southern California. California is home to more mosques than any other state (except New York) in the U.S. The Los Angeles City Council adopted a resolution recognizing the contributions and activism of the Muslim American community and declared July 2014 as Muslim American Heritage Month. The resolution notes that the celebration "will promote and encourage awareness of the significant contributions made by the city's Muslim population in culture, social services, education, politics, business , technology, and the arts." Los Angeles is the second city to officially have a Muslim Heritage Month, according to Najee Ali, the founder Project Islamic Hope . Washington, D.C. is one of the first cities to have adopted Muslim Heritage Month. [AMP Report]
CAIR Names Ohio Attorney Roula Allouch as National Board Chair
June 20: America’s largest Muslim advocacy group has picked Ohioan female Muslim lawyer Roula Allouch as its new acting national board chair replacing previous chair Omar Zaki who stepped down after two years in his post. Allouch, an attorney practicing in Ohio and Kentucky, focuses on employment law, insurance defense and general civil litigation. Allouch is a member of the American, Kentucky, and Cincinnati Bar Associations and serves as public service co-coordinator for the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and is the Kentucky young lawyer delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. She has also served as vice chair of CAIR's board when Omar Zaki held the post of CAIR chairman. Allouch has also served as president of CAIR's Cincinnati chapter from 2008 to 2013.
Established in 1994, CAIR is a non-profit grassroots organization headquartered in Washington DC, with 35 offices and chapters across the US and Canada. It strives to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue , protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. This September, the organization celebrates 20 years in action to serve the Muslim community and correct misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. Though there are no official figures, America is believed to be the home of nearly 7-8 million Muslims. [OnIslam]
Georgia Congressional Candidate Says: Islam Does Not Deserve First Amendment Protection
June 22: Jody Hice, a Baptist minister and talk-radio host, is running for Congress in Georgia's 10th Congressional District as a stern defender of the First Amendment and religious freedom, but that freedom does not apply to those of the Muslim faith. "Although Islam has a religious component, it is much more than a simple religious ideology," Hice wrote in his 2012 book. "It is a complete geo-political structure and, as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection." The AJC said that Hice believes that the Muslim Brotherhood is infiltrating the United States, with the intent to impose Sharia law on all of us. Last month, Hice finished a narrow first in a seven-candidate field for the GOP nomination in the 10th District. He faces a July 22 runoff against runner-up Mike Collins, a businessman and son of former U.S. Rep. Mac Collins. The winner is all but guaranteed to win in November and replace U.S. Rep. Paul Broun. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
Man Shouting 'Go Back to Your (Expletive) Country' Stabs Muslim Food Cart Vendor
June 24: Amayan Shiha, an Egyptian native who manages a halal food cart on 28th street near Bellevue Hospital in New York, was stabbed repeatedly in broad daylight this afternoon. The victim had 25 stitches in the side of his head. He told CAIR-NY that he saw a customer arguing with another food cart vendor over a sandwich. When he approached the men engaged in the argument in an effort to calm the situation, the customer faced him and allegedly said, "You don't belong to this country. Go back to your country ," and stabbed him a total of 15 times. Police charged Luis Gracia with Felony Assault who was already out on bail. The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) called on local law enforcement authorities to thoroughly investigate the Tuesday stabbing of Amayan Shiha. [CAIR/Media]
No-fly list appeals process unconstitutional: federal judge
June 24: People who are placed on the government's no-fly list are denied their constitutional right to due process, because the government's procedures to challenge inclusion on the secretive roster are "wholly ineffective," a federal judge ruled. In a 65-page opinion issued today, U.S. District Judge Anna Brown ordered the government to come up with a new way for the 13 plaintiffs to contest their inclusion on the list that prohibits them from flying in or through U.S. airspace. The government must provide notice to the plaintiffs that they are on the roster and give the reasons for their inclusion, Brown wrote. She also ordered that the government allow the plaintiffs to submit evidence to refute the government's suspicions. The decision marks a big win for the plaintiffs -- all U.S. citizens or permanent residents -- and the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued the case on their behalf. The plaintiffs have all been denied boarding due to their placement on the list, they argue, despite never having been charged with a terrorism-related offense. The plaintiffs include Sheikh Mohamed Kariye, the religious leader of Portland's largest mosque, Masjed As-Saber. Kariye was refused boarding in 2010 and has been unable to travel overseas to visit his daughter or accompany his mother on a religious pilgrimage since. [Oregon Live]
Federal Court dismisses all charges against Dr. Sami al-Arian
June 27: The United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga today dismissed the indictment against Dr. Al-Arian, Jonathan Turley, his attorney reported. Al-Arian has been targeted by the government for his political activity for more than a decade. A 2005 trial in Florida ended in acquittals on eight counts and a hung jury on nine other counts, with 10 of 12 jurors voting to acquit Dr. Al-Arian of all counts. To avoid a threatened re-trial, Al-Arian pleaded guilty to one count, which also allowed for his deportation. But before his deportation, Al-Arian was served with a subpoena calling him before a grand jury to testify about Muslim organizations in Virginia. Al-Arian said the subpoena violated his plea deal and constitutional rights. In 2008, Al-Arian was indicted on two counts of criminal contempt for refusing to testify. The case has been in limbo since that time, with Dr. Al-Arain under house arrest while his appeals were considered. According to Attorney Jonathan Turley, Dr. Al-Arian’s case remains one of the most troubling chapters in this nation’s crackdown after 9-11. He went on to say: “Despite the jury verdict and the agreement reached to allow Dr. Al-Arian to leave the country, the Justice Department continued to fight for his incarceration and for a trial in this case. It will remain one of the most disturbing cases of my career in terms of the actions taken by our government.”
Reporting about dropping federal charges against Dr. Al-Arian, the Politico pointed out: “During the 1990s, Al-Arian came under suspicion in Florida over possible ties between a think tank he headed and figures in Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In a response to a Tampa Tribune series examining the issue, he denied any connection. After Jewish groups pressed for his removal at USF, professors’ groups complained that his academic freedom was being infringed. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Al-Arian was involved in a highly-publicized, confrontational interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who accused the professor of making anti-Israel statements and again raised questions about his think tank’s alleged ties to terror. Al-Arian received death threats after the on-air exchange and was suspended from the university.” [AMP Report]
Chicago car dealer to pay $100K in discrimination case
June 29: Tinley Park car dealership Rizza Buick GMC Cadillac , Inc. must pay $100,000 to resolve a religious discrimination lawsuit, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced. Under the terms of a federal consent decree, Rizza Cadillac will be required to submit periodic reports to the EEOC about discrimination complaints and provide training to employees about compliance with the Civil Rights Act, the EEOC said in a news release. The lawsuit, filed in September, alleged that Rizza Cadillac violated the Civil Rights Act "by subjecting three Arab Muslim employees to a hostile work environment based upon their national origin and religion," the EEOC said. "What we found was that Rizza's managers allegedly used offensive slurs, such as 'terrorist,' … and 'Hezbollah,' and made mocking and insulting references to the Qur'an and the manner in which Muslims pray," John Rowe, who supervised the EEOC's pre-suit administrative investigation, said in a statement. [Chicago Tribune]
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