Jihad Against Islam | Southern Poverty Law Center

[Note: The hardliners promoting hatred mentioned in this article are the same ones who have attacked me and my family. See blog post below fore more info- Hassan Shibly]

By Robert Steinback

Illustration by James Victore

Rarely has the United States seen a more reckless and bare-knuckled campaign to vilify a distinct class of people and compromise their fundamental civil and human rights than the recent rhetoric against Muslims.

It would also be hard to imagine a more successful campaign. In the span of the two years since the start of Barack Obama's presidency in early 2009, an astonishing number of people have turned into a kind of political wolf pack, convinced that 0.6% of the U.S. population is on the verge of trampling the Constitution and imposing an Islamic, Shariah-guided caliphate in its place. Like the communists that an earlier generation believed to be hiding behind every rock, infiltrated "Islamist" operatives today are said to be diabolically preparing for a forcible takeover.

Ironically, the Constitution seems more threatened by certain Americans who, prodded into paranoia by clever activists, opportunistic politicians and guileful media players, seem downright eager to deny Muslims the guarantees of religious freedom and the presumption of innocence.

"As an American Muslim, what is of most concern to me is that it is no longer only a small cadre of dedicated Islamophobes who are expressing bigotry and even hatred towards the American Muslim community — but sadly, also many among our elected representatives and government officials," Sheila Musaji, moderator of the website The American Muslim, wrote in an E-mail to theIntelligence Report. "It provides a veneer of respectability and reasonableness to what would otherwise be more easily perceived to be outright bigotry."

Read the Rest of: Jihad Against Islam | Southern Poverty Law Center

Copying a Copy: How to Distort Anyone's Words

How do you paint an advocate of peace into a supporter of terrorism? It is quite simple actually. Just take a statement of his out of context, change the wording and meaning a bit, and then pass on the distorted message to a  few other individuals, each who will add their own additions to it, until you have a completely different message than what was originally said.

Unfortunately, this is a common tactic used by those who wish to promote the idea that a large segment of Americans are "the enemy" and cannot be trusted because they have a different faith.

The same is true with how rumors develop.

When I was younger during Sunday School our teacher whispered a statement in the ear of one of the students and asked the student to whisper it in the ear of the student next to him and so on and so forth. By the time the statement made it to the end of the class, just like a copy of a copy, it did not represent the original statement at all. A statement like "Snickers candy is Sean's favorite " turned into "Sneakers are Candice's favorite Shoes."

Anyone who has attended middle school can easily understand how a message repeated many times by different people can warp into something completely unrepresentative of the original.

Likewise I find it quite amazing how my critics can pass rumors about me back and forth between themselves until they can make very alarming allegations about me which are completely unsupported by anything I actually said or did.

As a 19 year old student of political science, I once made a statement that Hezbollah was a guerrilla organization based on the criteria set out by Michael Walzer, in his book Just and Unjust Wars. I made that statement as a student of political science and it is a statement generally not disputed by political scientists. Then a sensationalist Islamophobe wrote an article claiming that I thus supported Hezbollah. based on that article, another was written that I heart Hezbollah, and based on that an article was written that I love terrorism and Hezbollah, and based on that an article was written claiming I wanted to actually fight with Hezbollah! What dirty tactics! All these claims are piggy backing off each other and depending on one statement I made that they are a guerrilla organizaiton and not a terrorist organization in the traditional sense. Since saying Hezbollah is a guerrilla organization, I have clarified and repeatedly condemned any terrorist attacks committed by the group. Amazing how Islamophobes can distort a statment of me saying hezbollah is a guerrilla organization to saying I love them and wanted to fight with them! That is dishonest and unfounded. Such tactics do not promote sincere honest or helpful dialog. It is the classic Straw Man Argument.

How did these rumors grow? Quite simply, each author ignored the basic element of investigative journalism, and embellished their article which was based on an already written article, based on another article, which was based on another article, which was based on a statement of mine that was twisted and taken out of context.

Lets have more integrity and honesty.

Let us stand together and stop these fearmongerors from attempting to discredit every successful American working to make America a better place to live for all faiths and cultures by distorting his words and message in order to promote fear and hatred of an American religious minority and to promote religious division within society.

Message to the Community: Importance of Friday

Asalam Alikom,

Jumuah (Friday) is the day of gathering for Muslims world wide. It gives us an opportunity to interact and exchange thoughts and ideas; remember our Creator; and unite as a community. In the Middle East, it has brought people together to call for freedom, democracy, and justice. In the past few months, the thoughts and ideas exchanged on Jumuah has lead to the downfall of oppressive dictators and a call for the protection of human rights and dignity.

Thus just as Muslims world wide gather together to reflect and worship every Friday, we thought it important to provide weekly updates of important news concerning Florida Muslims every Friday. It is critical we as a community stay informed and know what is happening around us. We must stay vigilant in protecting the liberties and rights that make America a wonderful nation. We can only do that when we are aware of what challenges our community and the community around us face. Only though knowledge can we bring about a positive change. Thus it is our hope that this weekly update will provide the Florida Muslim Community with important information about news that may have a direct bearing on our lives. Only when we as a community are aware of and understand the challenges we face can we together address the challenges and ensure our country remains the just and free nations we so cherish. The first step to empowerment is knowledge. Please take the time to read through the weekly updates and forward to your friends and family.

Waslam Alikom,

Hassan Shibly

CAIR Florida

Tampa Executive Director

CAIR-FL: SHARIA LAW IS NOT A THREAT

Nezar Hamze, Miami Herald, 6/16/11

You can't turn on the news these days or pick up a newspaper without seeing or reading about Islam, Muslims or Sharia law. Unfortunately, most of what you hear is from politicians with a religious viewpoint or media outlets creating an illusion of an enemy.

They sensationalize Arabic words to feed on society's fear. The hottest topic these days is the Sharia. They claim that "Moozlims" are trying to replace the U.S. Constitution with the Sharia. Before we all run out with pitchforks and protest signs, let's understand what Islam is, and then we can understand the Sharia.

Islam is an Arabic term deriving from two words: Salam, which means peace, and Tasleem meaning submit to the will of God. So the textbook definition for Islam is peace acquired through the submission to the will of God. Therefore, Islam conveys a practical application of God's word to all aspects of one's life.

Islam teaches humanity how to believe, worship and maintain their relationship with God. Islam teaches humanity the significance of family values and how to honor: mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles and cousins. Islam also teaches humanity how to deal with society, commerce, education, friends, neighbors, the poor, orphans, government, justice, property and, most important, the sanctity of human life... (more)

27 Florida Muslims Wrongly Charged with Terror Related Crimes

Interesting... terrorism related charges were dropped against 27 Arab Florida Residents. This story highlights how easy it is for law abiding citizens to be wrongly charged with terrorism related charges which are hyped up but not substantiated:

 FEDS TARGET ARAB SHOP OWNERS IN FLORIDA Jay Weaver, Miami Herald

Federal agents dubbed the case "Operation Cedar Sweep," zeroing in on South Florida head-shop owners of mostly Lebanese descent. Some were suspected of selling "cut" for cocaine and sending profits to the Middle East for possible terrorist activities.

But after a two-year FBI investigation with undercover police officers, Miami federal prosecutors lacked evidence to make terrorism support cases. And this week, prosecutors also decided to drop drug-related charges against 27 defendants, many of whom had been detained since their arrests early this year....

...Silverman, who represented Imad Mahmoud El Mokaddem, owner of the Sunshine Gift head shop in Miami, challenged the government in court papers on a different point. He accused federal agents of profiling Lebanese head-shop owners, calling the government's investigation "selective prosecution" of Lebanese Muslims....(More)

Mosques are a positive force in America

By Karam Dana and Matt A. Barreto, Special to CNN


...Despite news headlines often sensationalizing the potential for "homegrown terrorists" there is no systematic data whatsoever to support the claim that mosque involvement or religiosity among American Muslims is associated with anti-American attitudes or behavior. Anecdotes are not data.


By contrast, in the late 1990s when Eric Rudolph was wanted by the FBI for a series of anti-abortion bombings, his Christian identity and religious motivations for the bombings did not prompt the media to question the loyalties of all Christians, nor did Congress hold hearings investigating Christian churches as breeding grounds of terrorist abortion bombers. It was clearly seen that this was one bad apple and not representative of all Christians.


In our study, completed in 2008, and supported by a research grant from the Social Science Research Council, and in an independent survey by the Pew Research Center, the data clearly point to an American Muslim population that is middle-class, assimilating quickly and highly supportive of the American political system.... (READ FULL ARTICLE)

Recently, Hassan Shibly gave a talk at a church on Islam which was very warmly received. The talk highlighted the peaceful and just nature of Islam. In response an extreme right wing online magazine published an article claiming that Shibly was deceiving the American People. The author cherry-picked verses from the Quran taken out of context and meaning in order to show that Islam is really a violent evil religion and the presentation was deceptive by saying otherwise.

It is quite ironic that Islamophobes who are proud of their Judeo-Christian faith cherry-pick verses from the Quran to try to say that Muslims are liars when they support peace and justice, because the Quran has verses relating to war, when in fact, the Bible has many more and much harsher verses relating to war, and yet the are still proud of their faith!

It is time we stop being dishonest and stop hypocritically cherry-picking verses to say the Quran advocates violence, when similar verses are found in the Bible. Not to mention the verses taken within context offer a completely different meaning than what is portrayed. 

Islamophobes do not think Christians are evil deceptive people despite violent verses in the Bible and despite slavery, the inquisition, the crusades, which hunts, and so on. Why then do they claim Muslims are evil deceptive people because of a few war verses in the Quran and criminal terrorists attacks committed by a few?

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People should stop cherry-picking warlike quotes from the Quran

Leonard Pitts, Syndicated columnist | • Published March 29, 201

Below are four quotes. Each is from one of two sources: the Bible or the Quran, although, just to make things interesting, there’s also a chance all four are from one book. Two were edited for length and one of those was also edited to remove a religion-specific reference. Your job: identify the holy book of origin. Ready? Go:

 • “...Wherever you encounter (nonbelievers), kill them, seize them, besiege them, wait for them at every lookout post.”

 • “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

 • “If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and worship other gods’ ... do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death.”

 • “Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.”

All right, pens down. How did you do?

If you identified the first quote as being from the Quran (9:5) and the other three as originating in the Bible (Matthew 10:34, Deuteronomy 13:6-9, Numbers 31:17-18), I congratulate you on that degree in theology. If I have guessed correctly, most people will not have found it easy to place the quotes in their proper books. If I have guessed correctly, most people will have found a certain thematic similarity in them.

Yes, there is a point here: I wish people would stop cherry-picking warlike quotes from the Quran to “prove” the evil of Islam. You see this stuff all over the web. Just a few days ago, some anonymous person, angry with me for defending “Fascist/Nazi Islam” the writer says is trying to kill us all, sent me an email quoting Quranic exhortations to violence to prove that Islam is a “religion of hate and murder.”

As rhetorical devices go, it is a cheap parlor trick, a con job to fool the foolish and gull the gullible and for anyone who has spent quality time with the Bible, its shortcomings should be obvious. [READ MORE]

Harvard Law Expert Explains Sharia and Islam

Rising Islamophobic Rhetoric in the US?: Hamza Youssef Interview

Interesting to note that more people in the US have died due to dog bites last year than due to terrorist attacks.

Anti-Muslim hearing is an affront to patriotic Americans

Opinion: Anti-Muslim hearing is an affront to patriotic Americans

By Judy Chu

Special to the Mercury News

Posted: 03/10/2011 08:00:00 PM PST

This week, Republican Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, held a narrowly focused hearing on the supposed radicalization of American Muslims and homegrown terrorism.

After watching the devastation of the Oklahoma City bombing and Sept. 11, we must protect our citizens against terrorism originating from both within our borders and abroad. But I want to make clear to Peter King that Islam is not a terrorist organization, it is a religion. And Muslims living in the United States are not terrorists, they are Americans.

Muslims in America are from every background. They come from every corner of the world. They are white, black, Asian and other. They have immigrated to the United States, and they have been born here. They have traveled the world, and they have never left the United States. And while they may all share common beliefs, as a group, they are also patriots.

The committee's witch hunt for Muslim radicals will do little to make our nation safer. That's because it chose to target Muslims without evidence that there is a legitimate threat. The result is a conviction in the trial of the public arena, giving some in our society a chance to deepen their prejudices against Muslims....

[READ FULL ARTICLE]

....But many Americans remember a time when freedom was not something you took for granted. Over the past century, minority groups have seen their freedoms curtailed for political purposes. Let us not forget that the words "national security" were used to send 120,000 Japanese-Americans to internment camps in desolate parts of the country, causing them to lose everything they had. They were convicted in the trial of the public arena and put into prison camps with guns pointed at them. This is despite the fact that three-quarters of them were U.S. citizens. To this day, not a single act of espionage was proven.

King's hearing broadly targets an entire community solely on their faith and runs counter to the core values and beliefs that our nation was founded upon. While our nation has not always lived up to the promise of freedom, we as Americans must unite around the core belief in freedom for all our people.

JUDY CHU (D-32nd Congressional District, including East Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley) is chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and is the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress. She wrote this for this newspaper.

Court Case At Center Of Muslims' Stereotyping Fears

"That kind of thing makes Muslims angry and it should make all Americans angry," he said. "Because again, this is just not what law enforcement should be used for ... something that amounts to, or looks like, nothing more than garden variety profiling." 

[Listen to Full Story on NPR]

Response to the King Hearings: Debunking the Myths

Read "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response" submitted as testimony to Congress in response to the King Hearings.

"Is Islam a Religion of Peace" Lecture Monday 2/28/11 at First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown

Join us on Monday February 28th at 7:00pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, 100 Church St, Youngstown, NY for a complimentary lecture: "Is Islam a Religion of Peace?" by CAMU Director, Hassan Shibly.

The tragedy of a dream unfulfilled: In Memory of Aasiya Zubair

By Denise Jewell Gee

NEWS COLUMNIST, Buffalo News

"...Mother to two. "Amma" to two of [Mo] Hassan's children. She was an architect in her native country. In America, she was a force behind the country's first English-language Muslim American television network.

Her life has been overshadowed by the sensational trial that followed her death, but her efforts to erase misconceptions about Muslim Americans are still needed today.

"She really wanted to promote a world where people of all different faiths and cultures could just work together and understand one another and not stereotype each other and not hate each other," Hassan Shibly, a former Bridges producer, told reporters after the second day of the trial.

Mo Hassan hijacked that dream when he brutally stabbed Aasiya Hassan in the Orchard Park offices of Bridges TV. He did more to tarnish the image of Muslim Americans than the media stereotypes he said he wanted to counter when he and Aasiya started Bridges TV.

In the days after her murder, there was speculation that the crime was some sort of "honor killing." But the details of the years leading up to her death and the final days of her life portrayed by prosecutors couldn't have been clearer. This was classic domestic violence.

Mo Hassan was just one man. It was just one cruel murder. His bizarre and tragic actions represent nothing but himself -- not a culture or a religion.

One of the "tragedies" of Aasiya Hassan's death, Shibly said, was that people tried to use what happened to her "to counter what Aasiya dedicated her life to."

"I don't want to see her life go in vain," Shibly said.

The sad thing is that the misconceptions of Muslim Americans continue to pervade American culture.

From unwarranted concerns that Sharia law will take over the United States to the uproar over a planned Islamic community center near ground zero, anti-Muslim sentiment continues to overshadow real discussion of many issues.

Aasiya Hassan wanted to change the discussion. She lived a nightmare but wanted to make the world a better place for others. Let's remember her life for that." [READ FULL COLUMN]

....

US Government Terrorism Expert: Religious Muslims Least Likely to Become Radicalized

Important NPR story below highlighting the need to support and work with traditional Muslim scholars and imams, not to target, harass, and alienate them. Religious Muslims are in fact a great ally in the "war against terror," and we need to work with them, not target them for harassment. By targeting and harassing religious Muslim leadership and practitioners in the US, we may lose great leaders that promote the authentic, beautiful peaceful message of Islam. 

Because some FBI tactics have eroded trust between Muslims and the FBI, many religious Muslims justifiably may feel uncomfortable engaging in outreach with the FBI. The fear (right or wrong) is that instead of working against real threats to protect our security, some agents are simply looking to entrap innocent people to gain a promotion or other self-interest. However, even Muslims uncomfortable working with law enforcement are still a great ally in protecting our security because they nonetheless promote a message that is against violence. Thus we need to ensure such important leaders and allies are not subject to needless harassment resulting from ineffective and counterproductive security tactics.

Such law enforcement tactics, which engage in wide fishing expeditions harassing religious Muslims, are counterproductive. Such tactics are based on the completely false notion that religious Muslims are likely to become radicalized. Studies show the complete opposite is true however. Religious Muslims are the least likely to become radicalized and the most likely to resist radicalization. Religious Muslims call others to practice the authentic teachings of Islam which condemns the taking of innocent life. We need to base our security efforts around that reality.

----

New Terrorism Adviser Takes A 'Broad Tent' Approach

by DINA TEMPLE-RASTON

NPR, January 24, 2011

EXCERPT:

..."A number of years ago, before he [Quintan Wiktorowicz] went into government, he did some of the most path-breaking work not only on who was susceptible to being radicalized, but most importantly, who was the most resistant to being radicalized," says Christine Fair, an expert on terrorism and radicalization at Georgetown University. "And the findings that he came up with based upon his work really shattered some of the stereotypes we have about Muslims and radicalization."

As part of his research, Wiktorowicz interviewed hundreds of Islamists in the United Kingdom. After compiling his interviews he came to the conclusion that — contrary to popular belief — very religious Muslims were in fact the people who ended up being the most resistant to radicalization...

"One of the important things about counterradicalization is that about perhaps 10 percent of it is law enforcement and intelligence, 90 percent of it are things that have relatively little to do with that," he says. "Counterradicalization also has to include things like politicians visiting Muslim communities, messaging" and beefing up education about Islam among Muslims themselves, so they can better resist radical recruiters.... [LISTEN/READ FULL STORY]

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Four Reasons Why Religious Muslims Are Against Violent Radicalization.

1. It is against Islamic teachings. The killing of innocent civilians and all acts of injustice to anyone, regardless of their faith, is clearly against the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Islamic rules of when fighting is permissible and what conduct during fighting is permissible is very similar to accepted principles of Western Just War Theory. Simply put Islamic law is absolutely clear that a Muslim is "One from whom peoples blood and wealth are safe." (Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him). There is no room for killing, hurting, or even insulting an innocent person in Islam, regardless of their faith. Thus religious Muslims strive to live by Islam's peaceful and just message. To engage in wanton violence, to destroy property, and take innocent life, is against the explicit commandments of Islam.
2. Human Nature. A sane, rational human being would never accept harming a brother or sister in humanity.
3. Self-Protection. Muslims statistically are amongst the greatest victims of terrorism. Muslims are often double victims of terrorism. First, Muslims are often the targets and victims of terrorist attacks. Many American Muslims have lost their lives or lost loved ones and friends due to terrorist attacks. Then these same Muslims who are victims of terror, often face the backlash, when people in turn attack Muslims in response to a terrorist attack.
4. Self-Preservation. Religious Muslims are often deeply involved in the community. They may be frequent attendees of their local mosques, Islamic schools, charities, and other institutions. They value the freedom they have in America to practice their faith and recognize that terrorist attacks will impede the freedom they have to practice their faith and enjoy the liberties America offers. They value American freedom and would never want to do anything that could impede it. 

An important note: Law enforcement and the public must realize that American Muslims, as well as people of many faiths who are against war and violence, may sympathize with the suffering people in the world including: Egyptians, Iraqis, Kashmiris, Afghanis, Palestinians, Chechens, and many others. However, sympathizing with suffering people, and even voicing support for an individuals right to self-defense, in no way amounts to support or the condoning of violent acts of terrorism. 

For Example: The overwhelming majority of Muslims who are sympathetic to the Occupied Palestinians, and the hardships they face, in no way support violent acts of terrorism committed by some Palestinians, just as  devout Christians who are against abortion, in no way support the killing of an abortion doctor or bombing of an abortion clinic carried out by some Christians.  Similarly, a patriotic American who supports peace keeping efforts of the US military abroad, in no way supports incidents like Abu Ghuraib and other war crimes committed by some soldiers. 

Thus we cannot label Muslims who may be sympathetic to the plights of some suffering people as condoning the violent acts of terrorism carried out by a minority fraction of such people. Being sympathetic to suffering people abroad in no way equals supporting acts of terrorism. Rather the same people who are against the oppression and killing of innocent Palestinians are often the same people who are against the oppression and killing of innocent Jews or Americans, or people of any faith or country. 

Two Misconceptions

Two major misconceptions that fuel the debunked notion that religious Muslims are inclined to radicalization is that: 1. Most Muslims are terrorist, and 2. Most terrorists are Muslim. However many US government and academic studies show that the overwhelming majority of Muslims are against terrorism and the overwhelming majority of terrorists are not Muslim.