Remembering Homeless that Died

Robbyn Mitchell | Tampa Bay Times | [Full Article]

TAMPA - A name was said. Then a candle was lit.

At the end, 61 candles had been lit in memoriam for the people without homes who died in Hillsborough County in 2011....

Some 100 people prayed, listened and remembered those who may have been forgotten by everyone else.

Elizabeth Ann Kain, 30, was among the names called - one of five Salvation Army residents to die in 2011. She was found naked and stabbed to death in a check-cashing store parking lot Dec. 15.

"This service brings closure to the clients," said Maggie Rogers, 36, a program director at Tampa's Salvation Army.

The Homeless Coalition said the average age of death was 55. Only six of those who passed away this year were women.

Speakers at the memorial urged the crowd to take action.

"Each time a person dies homeless on our streets, a part of our humanity dies with them," said Hassan Shibly, executive director of Tampa's Council on American Islamic Relations...

Interview with Hassan Shibly: Our Constitution

                                         

Tampa Islamophobes: Hating "All American Muslim" for "All the Wrong Reasons"

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Kabulvision - A New Lowe
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

The Florida Family Association (FFA), David Canton's Tampa based organization has exposed itself as an anti-Muslim hate organization by calling on advertisers not to support TLC's "All American Muslim" because they claim the show "is propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values. "

See: The Daily Show (Sample Clip Above, Full Coverage Here)

The assumption of the FFA is that the majority of American Muslims are not "ordinary" but rather subscribe to an anti-American "agenda;" That belief in Islam is inherently tantamount to supporting extremism; that Islam is not compatible with American values; and that a balanced show on Muslim's should focus on extremists, terrorists, and woman-abusers.

This is clearly an affront on the entire American Muslim community and is no different than conspiracy theories promoted against Jews by Anti-Semites, or racist attacks against African Americans by white supremacists.

The FFA cites Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller, both of whom have been labeled as extremist hate group leaders by the Southern Poverty Law Center. In its profile on extremism the Jewish Anti-Defamation League states that Spencer's and Geller's hate group, Stop Islamization of America, "promotes a conspiratorial anti-Muslim agenda under the guise of fighting radical Islam. The group seeks to rouse public fears by consistently vilifying the Islamic faith and asserting the existence of an Islamic conspiracy to destroy "American" values."

While such bigoted remarks by hate group leaders would not normally merit media attention, the fact that a major corporation, Lowe's, caved into pressure by the hate groups and legitimized their claims, raises the concern of the Muslim community that conspiratory anti-Muslim rhetoric is increasingly becoming acceptable in the public discourse

 

See also: Lowe's Pulls Ads from Muslim Reality Tv Show

CAIR Tampa therefore calling on the community at large to use this as an opportunity to engage in dialog and to get to know your Muslim Neighbor. Contact the CAIR Tampa office to arrange an interfaith program, mosque visit, or civic engagement collaboration. Email info@tampa.cair.or call 813-541-4321 9am-2pm.

Listen to Hassan Shibly discuss the controversy surrounding this issue on 88.5 fm by clicking here.

Department of Defense: Islam is NOT the Enemy

At today's Capital Hill Hearing on extremisim, despite Rep. Dan Lungren's instance, assistent secratary of the Department of Defense, Paul Stockton made it clear that Islam was not the enemy and that saying so simply feeds al Qaeda's narrative.

Excrept:

LUNGREN: Sec. Stockton, are we at war with violent Islamist extremism?

STOCKTON: No, sir. We are at war with al Qaeda, it’s affiliates, and adherents --

LUNGREN: My question is, is violent Islamic extremism at war with us?

STOCKTON: No, sir. We are being attacked by al Qaeda and it’s allies.

LUNGREN: Al Qaeda – can it be described as a component of violent Islamic extremism?

STOCKTON: Al Qaeda are murderers with an ideological agenda --

LUNGREN: That’s not what I’m asking. My question was ‘Is al Qaeda acting out violent Islamist extremism?

STOCKTON: Al Qaeda is a violent organization dedicated to overthrowing the values that we intend to advance –

LUNGREN: Yes or no?

STOCKTON: Can I hear the question again?

LUNGREN: [awkward pause][disgusted look]

STOCKTON: I’ll make it as clear as I can: We are not at war with Islam.

LUNGREN: I didn’t ask that. I did not ask that, sir. I asked if we’re at war with violent Islamist extremism. That’s my question.

STOCKTON: No. We’re at war with al Qaeda and its affiliates.

LUNGREN: How does al Qaeda define itself? Are they dedicated to violent Islamist extremism?

STOCKTON: Al Qaeda would love to convince Muslims around the world that the United States is at war with Islam. That’s a prime propaganda tool, and I’m not going to aid and abet that effort to advance their propaganda goals.