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Media reports - December 2, 2008
Cal Thomas calls for ban on building
new mosques in America
In response to the attack on Mumbai, rightist columnist Cal Thomas writes in the Jewish World Review:
“At the very least, all non-Western immigrants to Britain and America should be told prior to their arrival that our intention is to westernize them. They must learn English, study and embrace the history of their host nation and, if they are Muslim, they will be allowed to worship only in existing mosques. No new ones should be built. Existing mosques must be monitored to make sure that hate is not taught and aggressive behavior toward their host countries is not promoted. If such behavior and speech are detected, the mosques should be closed and the imams arrested or deported.”
Commenting on his comments, Dallas Morning News writer Jeffrey Weiss said: Leave the First Amendment aside for a moment (in the US, anyway). His prescription lacks some practical details. How would he propose controlling worship? Ankle bracelets with audio transmitters? After all, both the 9/11 attack and the Mumbai attack were carried out by groups that would fit into a large living room -- no standalone mosque needed.
And who defines what "hate" is? Would he allow that kind of monitoring in churches? Say, this one? Or this one? There are parts of this country where a majority of citizens consider support of "gay marriage" as hateful. And other parts where the vice is versa. Ditto on the two sides of the abortion debate. Who gets to decide? Not all slopes are equally slippery, I aver. And he's right that this is a tough problem. But is this the right answer? Or even a possible one?
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/12/cal-thomas-incomplete-solution.html
Al Arabiya - December 9, 2008
Ex-marine sues to display anti-Islamic car decals
Courtney C. Radsch
The ex-Marine’s car left little doubt that he despised Islam and equated it with terrorism.
“ISLAM = TERRORISM” read one decal. Another showed a cartoon boy urinating on a man wearing a turban. Two featured a stop symbol over “The KORAN” and another over the star and crescent symbol. Yet another said disgrace my flag and I will (defecate) on your Quran.
Jesse Nieto was angry over the death of his son in the 2000 bombing of the U.S.S.-Cole in Yemen by Islamist militants. But officials at the military base where he worked told him he could not display the anti-Islamic decals on federal property.
The 25-year veteran has filed a federal lawsuit accusing base officials of violating his constitutional rights by requiring he remove them and preventing him from driving on federal installations.
Nieto’s youngest son Marc, 24, one of 17 U.S. Navy troops killed in the terrorist attacks, is buried at Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington D.C. The ban on driving the offending car in federal installations blocks him from visiting his son’s grave, the lawsuit alleges, though public transportation is readily available.
In July, Nieto’s supervisor at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where he worked as a civilian in an electrical shop, threatened to fire him if he did not remove the stickers and police issued him a ticket for displaying “offensive material.”…
But since the ban does not prohibit speech in public areas, but rather restricted speech in a military location, it is not a free speech issue, said Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
“I think it’s up to the military to decide what constitutes good order and discipline on military sites. I don’t think anyone is saying he can’t be an anti-Muslim bigot in public but we're talking about military sites,” Hooper told AlArabiya.net. ….
CAIR – December 12, 2008
Sanctions against anti-hijab judge sought
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 12, 2008 The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on Georgia Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker to bring sanctions against a judge in that state who has repeatedly barred Muslim women wearing religiously-mandated headscarves, or hijabs, from entering his courtroom.
Yesterday, a Muslim woman was jailed and then released following a dispute over whether she could enter the judge’s courtroom in Douglasville, Ga., while wearing her hijab. In the past year, other Muslim women have either been jailed under similar circumstances or barred from that judge’s court.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported today:
“Lisa Valentine, also known by her Islamic name, Miedah, 40, was arrested at the Douglasville Municipal Court for violating a court policy of no headgear, said Chris Womack, deputy chief of operations for the Douglasville police.
“Judge Keith Rollins ordered her held in jail for 10 days, but she was released Tuesday evening. The reason for the early release wasn’t immediately clear…
“Other Muslim women said the same judge has ordered them to remove their hijabs.
“Sabreen Abdul Rahman, 55, said she was asked to take off her scarf when she went to the municipal court last week with her son. ‘I can’t. I’m Muslim,’ she mouthed silently to the bailiff, who then removed her from the courtroom, Rahman said…
“Halimah Abdullah, 43, said she spent 24 hours in jail in November 2007 after Rollins held her in contempt of court for refusing to remove her head covering. Rollins could not be reached for comment.”
In a letter sent today to Attorney General Baker, CAIR National Legal Counsel Nadhira F. Al-Khalili wrote in part:
“We assert that Judge Rollins’ actions violate the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct…It is also our contention that a courtroom is a ‘public facility’ under Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and denial of access to the courtroom based on religious beliefs or practices is therefore discriminatory.
“In addition, we believe Judge Rollins’ actions are in violation of First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to freedom of religion and equal protection under the law. The United States Supreme Court has held that a state may not infringe upon the free exercise of a citizen's religious observance absent a compelling state interest.We believe that no such compelling interest exists in these cases.
“Judge Rollins’ policy of exclusion would prohibit court entry to all Sikh men wearing turbans, all orthodox Jewish men and women wearing yarmulkes or head scarves, all Christian women wearing religious head coverings, and all Muslim men and women who wear skullcaps or scarves…
“I would therefore respectfully request that you take appropriate action to ensure that the legal, religious and civil rights of Georgians of all faiths be maintained. I would also request a formal investigation into this matter, sanctions where appropriate, and an assurance that all those wearing religious attire be allowed in state courtrooms.”
CAIR also contacted the U.S. Department of Justice, which now says it is looking into the case.
Detroit News – December 18, 2008
Dearborn man sues Wal-Mart, alleging discrimination
By Doug Guthrie
A Dearborn man has sued Wal-Mart for $12 million, claiming the merchandising giant fired him because he complained about discriminatory harassment he suffered on the job at the hands of fellow employees and supervisors.
The lawsuit filed today in Wayne County Circuit Court by Louay N. Kezy, 42, alleges the company allowed anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias and taunting at the Dearborn Wal-Mart. Kezy worked in the stock department from the time the store opened last March until Aug. 14, when he was fired after filing a written complaint with managers. . .
Kezy was born in Iraq but is a naturalized U.S. citizen. He immigrated 28 years ago and speaks fluent English, said his lawyer. He doesn't wear traditional Arab clothing or headwear, but his physical appearance clearly identifies his ethnicity, said Ayad.
"They demeaned him, harassed him, called him names. They accused him of being a terrorist," Ayad said. "Supervisors ordered him to do jobs that were unrelated to his duties. They allowed a joke, a game to continue where co-workers would toss a ball near him and pretend it was a grenade, a bomb.
"Wal-Mart allowed this hostile environment to continue and they fired him when he complained," Ayad said.
Kezy's income from the Wal-Mart job supported his wife and children. He has been unemployed since his firing, his lawyer said.
Dawud Walid, executive director of The Council on American-Islamic Relations, said: "Unfortunately, this kind of thing is not as rare as the general public might think. There is quite a bit of discrimination against Arabs and Muslims in Dearborn, even though there is a large population there." …..
Cape May County Herald - December 23, 2008
The New Jersey Press Association president
calls Islam ‘internal’ threat to U.S.
Art Hall, the president of the New Jersey Press Association, write in an editorial that he believes Islam is an “internal” threat to the United States and seemed to support the exclusion of Muslims from American society.
In his editorial, headlined “Keep the Muslims Out?” and published in the Cape May County Herald, Art Hall wrote: “The internal-external threat is like no other we have ever faced. It is from Islam. While Christianity preaches peace, the Quran preaches conquest by force of arms…We were and are both a democratic and Christian nation in our fundamental structure. If we desire for America to remain thus, we must first recognize the current threats, and then develop the will to stand against those who are undermining them, those who detest what we cherish.”
Hall, who is publisher of the Cape May County Herald, also seemed to support the views of one of Europe’s leading anti-Muslim ideologues, Dutch politician Geert Wilders. Wilders has called for banning the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, in the Netherlands. Wilders has been quoted as saying: "I've had enough of Islam in the Netherlands; let not one more Muslim immigrate…I've had enough of the Quran in the Netherlands: Forbid that fascist book." (Associated Press, 6/30/08)
“In his editorial, Mr. Hall labels Islam and American Muslims as an ‘internal’ threat, seems to indicate that America is an exclusively ‘Christian’ nation and promotes the intolerant views of one of Europe’s leading Islamophobes,” said CAIR-NJ Public Relations Director Afsheen Shamsi. “As someone who holds responsible positions as both a newspaper publisher and head of the New Jersey Press Association, Mr. Hall should offer a clarification of these disturbing remarks and a right of reply for the American Muslim community.”
Here is the full article Keep the Muslims Out:
As we gather to celebrate the birth of Christ from a religious perspective, it is also worth pausing to consider what structure civilization would have attained, had he not come.
When large groups of people live together in close proximity, there must exist a code of conduct separate from the law, which establishes how we interact with each other. Are we polite, or are we rude? Are we refined, or are we vulgar? Are we truthful, or do we lie? Do we tip the waitress, or do we stiff her? Are we honest, or do we steal? Are we respectful of other people’s things, or do we abuse them? Are we true to our spouse, or do we cheat?
A nation of upright citizens thrives; a nation of vulgar, lying, dishonest cheats, declines.
I said it is important to think about it because things of value can slip away in the night if they are not guarded. Currently the America we love is facing two significant threats, one internal, the other both internal and external.
The internal threat is from a tiny, well-placed minority of anti-christians who stay up nights crafting schemes to convince us, against all historical evidence, that we are not a Christian nation, and that our biblical rulebook no longer has any place in society.
But the jihadists particularly despise democracy…an affront to the sovereignty of God,
================
The internal-external threat is like no other we have ever faced. It is from Islam. While Christianity preaches peace, the Quran preaches conquest by force of arms. Douglas Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy from July 2001 to August 2005, states:
“Jihadist leaders declare that the aim of their holy war is not to alter specific policies of their enemies, but rather to establish a universal Muslim state. Fighting and killing to implement this apocalyptic vision, they have a long list of grievances and hatreds, including against the rulers of most Muslim countries…But the jihadists particularly despise democracy.
They believe law-making and self-government by human beings is blasphemous, an affront to the sovereignty of God, who is the only proper source of legislation.”
Christ, on the other hand, was perfectly content to leave world affairs to people, and therefore this antidemocratic sentiment does not exist in Christian countries like America.
Geert Wilders, a Dutch politician, writes of a growing threat to his native Holland by immigrants from Muslim countries who do not share Western values. He desires to end Muslim immigration to the Netherlands, and warns the West of the need to diligently defend our principles.
On a recent trip to Europe, I spent numerous hours discussing the Muslim problem with an Austrian who travels extensively throughout Europe. He echoed Wilders fears, predicting widespread civil turmoil in many of Europe’s cities in the not-to-distant future.
In order to chart a course for the future, we must first remember who we were, review who we are now, and consider the national structure we want to bequeath to our children and grandchildren. We were and are both a democratic and Christian nation in our fundamental structure. If we desire for America to remain thus, we must first recognize the current threats, and then develop the will to stand against those who are undermining them, those who detest what we cherish.
Art Hall, publisher
http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/38241-keep-muslims-out
CAIR – December 24, 2008
Long John Silver apologizes on religious toy incident
ST. PAUL, MN, Dec. 24, 2008 - The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) today welcomed an apology from a Long John Silver’s restaurant in that state that distributed religious literature in children’s meals.
In November, a Muslim family visited the Long John Silver’s at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., and ordered a children’s meal for their three-year-old son. The Muslim parents noticed that the toy that came with the meal was a small notepad with the phrase “Build with Jesus” written at the top along with a quote from the Bible.
Although Muslims respect the Bible and believe in Jesus as a prophet of Islam, the family preferred a non-religious toy in the children’s meal. After requesting an alternative toy for their child, the family was shown variations of the notepad, each containing a different verse from the Bible.
Following intervention by CAIR-MN, the restaurant investigated the matter and found that the “families’ request was not handled in a manner consistent with company policy.”
In a letter to CAIR-MN, the Long John Silver’s franchisee owner Steve Oborn wrote: “In an attempt to support and respect a multitude of diverse needs and preferences, it is our policy to have an optional toy(s) available per request. Recognizing the needs of younger children, those with allergies, or disabilities, varying religious affiliation, or their parents that prefer treats containing no sugar, are amongst those sensitivities we hope to always accommodate and respectively respond to...Please extend our sincere apologies to this family.”
Oborn also wrote that the toy distribution policy has been reviewed with current management and staff to ensure that “proper procedure will be followed in the future and eliminate further occurrences of this sort.”
In addition to a written apology, the company will send the family a gift certificate to any Yum! Brands location and a replacement, non-religious toy for their 3-year-old child.
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