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Chronology of Islam in America (2014)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
November 2014 - page two
Washington National Cathedral hosts Friday prayer
Nov 14: Washington National Cathedral today hosted Friday prayer. It was the first time that the National Cathedral hosted a Friday prayer although the church has previously held Muslim prayers. “This prayer marks an historic moment, this prayer symbolizes a grand hope for our community. As we get to know each other … more bridges are built … and there’s less room for hate and prejudice to come between us,” Rev. Canon Gina Gilland Campbell, cathedral director said adding: “We here at the cathedral have embraced a steep challenge: to grow in our identity as a house [of worship] for people.” The Friday prayer was held with the support of Muslim leaders from the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), Masjid Muhammad (the Nation's Mosque), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). The service is for invited guests, but was also live streamed at the Cathedral's website. The idea for the Friday prayer emerged from a conversation between Rev. Campbell and South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, who delivered the sermon. The two friends met while planning a memorial service for the late Nelson Mandela. The prayer was briefly disrupted briefly by a protester woman later identified as Christine Weick. As the prayer began a well-dressed middle-age woman in the audience suddenly rose and began shouting: "We have built, and allowed you here in mosques across this country. Why can't you worship in your mosque, and leave our churches alone?" She was swiftly ushered out by security aides, and the prayer continued. [AMP Report]
Muslim cemetery vandalized; Bosnian refugees fear hate crime
Nov 20: The Bosnian community in Western Washington state was shocked to find headstones and memorials destroyed at their Snohomish County cemetery. The refugees who escaped bloody violence in their home country now fear hate has driven vandals to target the place where their loved ones are laid to rest. “They’ve died in peace, they can’t rest in peace,” said Meliha Babic, “This is unacceptable for any place to have your headstones turned over and your grave site vandalized.” For the Islamic Community of Bosniaks in Washington State, the Bear Creek Cemetery near Maltby is their final resting place. Babic’s mother and uncle’s bodies are buried at the cemetery. She said her uncle’s headstone was toppled and smashed some time after the weekend. “He came here to escape that, to start a new life and to live in a safe area, and now look what’s happening,” she said. But it’s what wasn’t damaged that has this immigrant community worried they have been targeted because of their faith. “We have two parts of the cemetery, one Christian, one Muslim,” Babic said. “It seems like all of the damage was in the newer part where the Muslim Bosniaks were buried.” The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said there’s not enough evidence to show hate is the motivation – but the immigrants believe the vandal’s intent is clear. [Fox news]
Ethnic groups wary of proposed 2020 census changes
Nov 24: Civil rights groups warned today that a possible change to how the Census Bureau asks about race and ethnicity in 2020 would end up clouding the picture more than it helps, and could skew the way the government distributes aid or enforces discrimination laws. In the last national census taken in 2010, people were asked to identify their race and to report separately if they were Hispanic. But Census officials are considering lumping those two queries into a single question that deals with both race and ethnic origin. Advocacy groups said they feared important information about individuals could be lost with the change. The current two-question system, for example, allows respondents who identify as “Asian” to check off a box signifying whether they are Chinese, Japanese, Filipino or a variety of other origins. But the new proposal would have them check Asian, then offer a spot for them to write in a specific origin if they want — but they wouldn’t be prompted by check boxes. The decennial census is politically charged, with interest groups arguing over how the count is done and how people are categorized. Some conservatives balk at what they say are intrusive questions, while liberal groups argue the questions need to be targeted to better find out communities’ needs for government help. Arab-Americans want their own identification option on the next census, saying they currently are classified as white, leaving no accurate way to count their community. Samer Khalaf, national president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said that’s a problem when they need to ask for funding for problems specific to Arab-American communities in the post-9/11 world. Mr. Khalaf said it’s especially difficult for people from countries like Sudan or the Nubian region of Egypt who are dark-skinned but come from Middle Eastern countries technically classified as white by the census. [The Washington Times]
The ADC statement on non-indictment in Michael Brown Case
Nov 25: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) supported peaceful protests in solidarity with the people of Ferguson, MO. On Nov 24, a grand jury failed to bring an indictment against Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed unarmed 18-year old Michael Brown. "The ADC strongly believes that the grand jury decision is reflective of the larger problem of law enforcement’s abuse of authority and profiling of communities of color, particularly African-American and Arab-American communities," an ADC statement said. The ADC President Samer Khalaf stated, “While we respect the grand jury process, we are concerned regarding the reports as to the way this grand jury presentment process played out. It seems that the grand jury was not given adequate instruction or information relating to the possible charges or legalities involved.” In light of the state’s non-indictment, the ADC reiterated the Department of Justice’s crucial responsibility to conduct thorough investigations into Michael Brown’s killing and allegations of unconstitutional policing by law enforcement in Ferguson. The ADC also called on Congress to pass the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA), which would prohibit disciminatory profiling by law enforcement at all levels. [ADC]
The ADC successfully raises money for release of Arab-American activist Bassem Masri in St. Louis, MO
Nov 28: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is happy to announce Arab-American civil journalist and activist Bassem Masri's release from jail in St. Louis, MO and would like to thank everyone involved in our collective mission to crowd source his bond. Bassem was placed under an unsual cash-only bond of $15,000 for dubious charges. There is reason to believe that his arrest was an attempt to silence his coverage of events in Ferguson, which has live streamed to audiences as large as 90,000 people. With the incredible spirit of the Ferguson community, we raised more than our goal of $15,000 in just over 24 hours. Upon his release, Bassem stated, "I am truly honored and thankful to have such a family of supporters. These intimidation tactics have been used on us in this community for years, and recent events have brought all these atrocities to light." [ADC]
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