|
Chronology of Islam in America (2014)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
May 2014
Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs are targets of violence: Obama
May 1: US President Barack Obama has acknowledged that even today a number of people from the South Asian origin — particularly those from Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities — are becoming victims of hate crimes in America. "Even today, South Asian Americans, especially those who are Muslim, Hindu and Sikh, are targets of suspicion and violence," Obama said in a presidential proclamation that recognised the contribution of Asian-Americans in the socio-political and economic milieu of the country.....Noting that May month marks 145 years since the final spike was hammered into the transcontinental railroad, an achievement made possible by Chinese laborers, who did the majority of this backbreaking and dangerous work, Obama said this May, they will receive long-overdue recognition as they are inducted into the Labor Hall of Honor. "Generations of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have helped make this country what it is today," he said. [Press Trust of India]
Alabama Chief Justice: First Amendment for Christians Only
May 3: Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, known for his defiance of federal church-state separation laws, is under fire for arguing in a speech that the First Amendment only protects religions that worship “the God of the Holy Scriptures,” by which he appeared to mean Christianity. The amendment’s mention of “religion,” Moore said, was meant to denote “the duty we owe to the Creator and the manner of discharging it,” quoting James Madison. (Ironically, the quote is from a 1785 Madison memorandum in favor of church-state separation.) Moore continued: “Buddha didn’t create us, Mohammed didn’t create us, it was the God of the Holy Scriptures on which this nation was founded.” Moore’s remark came during a January 17 address to the Pastors for Life Luncheon in Jackson, Mississippi. His appearance gained little attention at the time, beyond local coverage in Jackson that focused mainly on his lengthy attacks on same-sex marriage. On May 2, however, a video of his remarks was posted on the news site RawStory.com. [The Jewish Daily]
NY Muslim wrestler obtains NCAA waiver for beard
May 5: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said that a Muslim wrestler at the University at Buffalo in New York has been granted a waiver by the NCAA to wear a beard he believes is required by his faith. That action by the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee came after CAIR's intervention and after the civil rights group urged university officials to request the waiver. The Muslim wrestler will be allowed to compete with a beard during the 2014-15 season as long as he wears a face mask and chin strap. NCAA rules currently ban beards, but they are permitted in international competition, including the Olympics. "Now that this individual waiver has been granted, we will work with the NCAA to change its policy to allow beards for all competitors nationwide," said Sadyia Khalique, director of operations for CAIR's New York chapter (CAIR-NY). The wrestler's family initially contacted CAIR-NY, which brought the issue to the university. [CAIR]
New York Muslims Condemn Anti-Semitic Attack
May 5: The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today said that Muslims stand in solidarity with the Jewish community after anti-Semitic graffiti sprayed on cars and buildings on Saturday in Borough Park, Brooklyn. The spray-painted words were found on 15 vehicles and four buildings near the Bnos Zion synagogue and school run by the ultra-Orthodox Bobov community. One person was arrested and faces charges of criminal mischief as a hate crime and aggravated harassment. "The New York Muslim community stands in solidarity with the Jewish community in condemning this attack. We denounce all acts of anti-Semitism and hate when anyone is attacked based on their religion, ethnicity, gender, race, or sexual orientation," said CAIR-New York Director of Operations Sadyia Khalique. [CAIR]
9/11 museum board includes Islam critic
May 7: A Change.org petition is calling on the leadership of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum to relieve Debra Burlingame of her position on the museum's Board of Directors, after her Islamophobic tweets surfaced. She is currently a member of the ten-person "Program Committee" that determines museum content. The petition by Richard Idriss of Berkely, CA in part reads: Ms. Burlingame’s blanket assertion that “Islam is a transnational threat” is nothing more than hate speech deployed in a political manner which marginalizes all Muslim Americans. Her condoning, and active use of hate speech toward Muslims and Arabs does nothing but perpetuate an imprecise definition of who our country’s real enemies actually are, which has affected the lives of Arab Americans like myself in very tangible ways.... With the recent controversy over the six-minute video “The Rise of Al Qaeda,” which is to be featured at the 9/11 museum opening to the public on May 21st, it is especially important to be aware of the role board members play in shaping the content of the museum’s exhibits (Obeidallah). According to the Memorial Museum's FAQ, "The Program Committee of the 9/11 Memorial's Board of Directors ... has provided ongoing, critical oversight of the design and content of the Museum."
Muslim limo driver physically assaulted by passenger
May 7: Driving for Oklahoma City-based Kings Worldwide Transportation limousine service, the Pakistani-American Muslim man was “verbally, physically and emotionally assaulted” after the man, who recently had triple-bypass surgery, revealed his ethnic background to the bigoted passenger. This was revealed today during a press conference at the local office of Muslim civil-rights group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and their executive director Adam Soltani. The incident happened on April 29. Red Dirt Report later received a statement from OCPD Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow said the following: “This suspect was intoxicated and upset that he was dropped off too far from his destination, then assaulted the driver. Those factors seemed to be the driving force behind the assault….NOT the victim’s religious preference (regardless of a comment he made during the incident). Investigation is ongoing, and case will ultimately be presented to the DA’s office for review…but more than likely our suspect will face a misdemeanor citation for assault and battery." [Red Dirt Report]
‘Stop the Islamization of America’ is disparaging and can’t be trademarked, Federal Circuit says
May 13: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has refused a trademark for the phrase “Stop the Islamization of America” because it is disparaging to Muslims.The Federal Circuit ruled today against blogger Pamela Geller, who founded a group by that name and runs a website called “Stop! Islamization of America.” The ruling is based on a section of the Trademark Act that allows refusal of a trademark for matters that “may disparage … persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt, or disrepute.” The Southern Poverty Law Center views Stop Islamization of America as a hate group. [ABA Journal]
CAIR Counters D.C. Anti-Muslim Ad with Free Qurans
May 15: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today said it will offer a free copy of Islam's holy text, the Quran, to anyone who wishes to verify the inaccuracy of a new anti-Muslim bus advertisement in Washington, D.C. The anti-Muslim ad, which is sponsored by a hate group led by Pamela Geller, falsely claims that the Quran encourages Muslims to hate Jews. Her organization, Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), is designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). SPLC also named Geller as a member of the "anti-Muslim inner circle." Geller, who has bragged online that she uses a Quran as a doorstop, was the subject of a CAIR "Islamophobe profile" documenting the individuals and organizations involved in spreading anti-Muslim bias in the United States. CAIR also listed her as a member of the "inner core" of those promoting anti-Muslim bigotry. Her group SIOA was recently denied a trademark after an appeals court ruled that the name disparaged Muslims. [CAIR]
Canadian Muslim family fingerprinted, denied entry to U.S.
May 17: A Kitchener woman said she felt humiliated when her family was detained for hours at a U.S. border crossing and then denied entry into the United States. Mehdiya Hudda, 22, planned a short shopping trip in Lewiston, N.Y., near Niagara Falls, with her mother and husband on April 26, returning to Canada the same evening. The family is Muslim and both women wear head scarves. They ended up being fingerprinted and photographed, then held in a room at the U.S. border for about six hours, while their car, cellphones and belongings were searched. At about 1 a.m., they were told to return to Canada. Her family was denied entry to the U.S. in May 2003 when they were trying to attend an Islamic conference in Washington, D.C. Hudda was so upset by that incident she vowed never to attempt to go to the U.S. again, but thought attitudes might have eased more than a decade later. To her dismay, she found the fears that haunted the United States after the 9/11 terror attack persist. "This many years later and still it's the same thing, we're being treated like criminals," Hudda said. "After all these years, they've not changed. It just boggles my mind." She is a native-born Canadian, while her mother Sabira, 46, was born in Kenya but is a Canadian citizen who has lived in Kitchener for 25 years. Mother and daughter both had their passports with them for the trip to the U.S. Her husband had his Tanzanian passport, with a 10-year open visa to visit the United States, as well as his permanent resident's card allowing him to stay in Canada. [The Record]
Muslim leaders ask schools to give Islamic holiday equal billing
May 18: Muslim community leaders in Montgomery County (Maryland) this week asked that the Islamic holy day of Eid al-Adha be given equal billing as the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur on Montgomery’s 2015-2016 school calendar. They described the issue as symbolic but important. In 2015, both holidays will fall on Wednesday, Sept. 23, but a calendar draft does not give them the same weight. Yom Kippur — for which county schools will be closed — is listed beside the date. The Muslim holiday is included in a parenthetical notation: Eid al-Adha also falls on this date. Muslim leader Saqib Ali asked at a school board meeting this week that the calendar be changed to say: Yom Kippur/Eid al-Adha. “We need to see equal treatment,” Ali told the board. “Here is a case where, on a piece of paper — this is strictly a symbolic issue — but on this day when schools are closed, even on this day, the Jewish holidays are given sort of precedence or elevated.” [Washington Post]
Continued on next page
2014 January February March April May June
July August Sept Oct Nov Dec
|
