Tampa Rejects David Caton's Islamophobia

David Caton: A biblical bully who just needs to shut up

Daniel Ruth | Tampa Bay Times | In Print:  January 15, 2012 | [Full Article]

Perhaps the best way to get your hands around this latest example of theo-thugs gone wild is to think of local sanctimonious mouth foamer David Caton as the North Korea of faux piety.

For whenever Caton feels he's fallen off the publicity-hound radar and isn't being paid enough attention, the vicar of vituperativeness feels compelled to engage in some really daffy behavior as if to reassure the world he's just as loopy as ever...[Full Article]

...Now, fresh off his Florida Family Association campaign to make Lowe's look like corporate America's answer to a cowering puppy that just piddled on the kitchen floor, Caton, the Ernst Blofeld of the Bible, has set his myopic sights on Kelly Miliziano, a history teacher at Steinbrenner High School, who committed the unpardonable, unforgiveable sin of (dare it be said) educating her students.

For several years Miliziano has invited speakers representing various faiths to meet with her classes. The idea here is to expose students to a range of ideas and beliefs, which in the end will serve to make them better informed, discerning, well-rounded, independent-thinking, educated members of society.

Miliziano obviously posed a threat to Caton's recruitment efforts. After all, if these kids learn stuff, well, the next thing you know, they'll figure out obtuse gasbags like Caton are full of hooey. And that's bad for the bigotry business, which needs a steady stream of lemmings to keep the flames of malevolence burning.

So when Caton found out Miliziano had invited Hassan Shibly from the Council on American-Islamic Relations to speak to her class about Muslim stereotypes, human rights and the role of women in Islam, the ayatollah of intolerance [Caton] when into a full DEFCON1 liturgical lather....[Full Article]

...The Florida Family Association is a cabal of one squirrelly little biblical bully, armed only with an email list of like/narrow-minded self-righteous fellow travelers who wouldn't know the meaning of faith, hope and charity if they tripped over it.

David Caton is a plague of boils on the community's spiritual life. Enough.

Perhaps a giant sign erected in front of the FFA bunker imploring Caton to: "Please, for God's sake will you just SHUT UP!" would be in order....

Opinion

Tampa Bay Times

Betrayal of Islamic ideals

As a Muslim American, I am saddened to hear the news of the arrest of Sami Osmakac, who was accused plotting terrorist attacks in Tampa. What makes me sad is not his arrest, but him attributing his acts to Islam. In a video, he claimed that Muslim blood is more valuable than that of people who do not believe in Islam.

He should deeply reflect on Koran, which while promoting the sanctity of life - "whosoever killed a person, it shall be if he had killed the entire mankind; and whoso saved a life, it shall be if he had saved the entire mankind" - does not differentiate between Muslim and non-Muslim blood.

He has not only been disloyal to his country, but with the charge that he planned to act against the Koranic instruction to Muslims not to create disorder in the Earth, he has also been disloyal to his faith.

-Nasir Ahmad, M.D., Tinton Falls, N.J.

Rabble-rouser, not leader

...Caton is not representative of any mainstream constituency. Rather, he actively attempts to spread suspicion, hatred and prejudice through his misnamed Florida Family Association.

His most recent antics - opposing the All-American Muslim TV show for its lack of terrorist characters, and his current rabble-rousing over a religious leader visiting a classroom - are part of his ongoing war of words against Muslims. His sensationalist campaigns have spread hate toward a variety of targets including gays, Muslims and others over the years.

He doesn't stand for anything other than the destruction of those he attacks.

Neither the Hillsborough County School Board, the newspaper nor the administration of Steinbrenner High School should consider the opinion of Caton or his followers to be at issue in their decision making.
 -Amie Devero, Tampa

Teacher should be praised

As a teacher in Hillsborough County, I fully support Kelly Miliziano's choice of a Muslim guest speaker. I am both horrified and angry to see that David Caton's group is trying to spread their bigotry by emailing the school committee.

It may be worth noting that as a Jewish teacher, I find it refreshing that there is a teacher who tried to educate her students about a widely misunderstood religion and culture. Miliziano should be praised rather than vilified.
Caton's group has previously attacked gay rights activists and any other group that dares cross his line of what he finds "morally correct." Caton needs to learn that McCarthyism died in the mid 1950s - we don't need a newer version of the thought police, thank you. I can tell you that my own students are very good at thinking for themselves.

-Ronald Medvni, Tampa

Public 'Liberty' Rally Invites Anti-Muslim Speaker

Michael Van Sickler | Tampa Bay Times | In Print: January 15, 2012 | [Full Article]

 

It's an event with a name that sounds inclusive enough: "Liberty & Justice for All: A Rally for America's Future." 

Scheduled for Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at North Straub Park at 400 Bayshore Drive NE, it's organized by neurosurgeon David McKalip, a tea party activist who plans to run for City Council next year.

McKalip is spending $5,000 to hold the event, which he said is independent from the tea party and is not meant to serve as a platform for his council run.

While McKalip has infused the rally with a healthy dose of religion, specifically the Christian variety, he said everyone is invited...

...Hassan Shibly, [CAIR Tampa's] executive director, doesn't think the event is meant to unify. He points to Richard Swier, a religious leader who was invited to speak....

...Swier wrote "we are not fighting a war on terror or Al Qaeda. Rather we are fighting a protracted war against shariah Islam."

Shibly called Swier's views libelous and defamatory and said they had no place at a so-called unity rally.

"If they want to hold a rally, they have every right to do that," Shibly said. "But it's very irresponsible to invite speakers who are promoting bigotry and religious hatred...."

... But Shibly said it's hard to believe the event welcomes everyone if a speaker like Swier is featured.

"We're not going to protest it," Shibly said. "It's more of an issue of responsibility. They are alienating and making enemies of a substantial part of the Florida community. It's un-American. Our goal right now is to work together as Americans, and I don't think it's productive if you have speakers who don't believe in the freedom of religion and tolerance."

Tea Party Speaker & Caton's Florida Family Association Partner Says She 'Loves' Marines Who Desecrated Corpses

(TAMPA, FL 1/12/12) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today condemned remarks by Pamela Geller, the leader of an anti-Muslim hate group and a frequent speaker at Tea Party events, applauding the alleged desecration of Afghan corpses by U.S. Marines.

On her hate blog, Geller wrote in response to CAIR's condemnation of the desecration: "I love these Marines. Perhaps this is the infidel interpretation of the Islamic ritual of washing and preparing the body for burial."

SEE: Screen Shot of Pam Geller's Post

While Geller praised the desecration video, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called it "utterly deplorable." CAIR yesterday expressed concern that enemies of the United States will use the video to further their anti-American goals.

Hate-filled comments on Geller's post included:

"I've never been prouder to be an American!"
"My heroes!! Best video I've seen in awhile :)"
"Nicest movie I've seen in years."
"These sick mutts need to be urinated on. Defecated on too."
"Have you burned a Koran today. All around the campfire. Burn, baby, burn."
"The marines should have dumped the bodies in PIG BLOOD; soaked those bodies, in PIG BLOOD."
"Looked to me as though the marines were showing respect. They had their heads bowed and observed silence while rinsing off the corpses."

Desecration by urination is a favorite Geller theme. She has posted images on her blog that include a fake photo of President Obama urinating on an American flag.

Another image posted by Geller, headlined "Piss Be Upon Him," showed one of the controversial Danish cartoons of the prophet covered in urine. ("Piss Be Upon Him" is designed to mock the traditional phrase "Peace Be Upon Him" that Muslims use when mentioning any prophet of God, including Abraham and Jesus.)

Earlier this year, CAIR thanked Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Governor Rick Scott for declining to speak at a Florida Tea Party convention that featured a presentation by Geller and another Islamophobe. Two hotels, one in Texas and another in Tennessee, dropped scheduled Tea Party and anti-Muslim events that featured Geller as a speaker.

Another Hotel Turns Away Pamela Geller and Anti-Shariah Group 

Geller is co-founder of Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), an organization designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and author of a new book offering step-by-step instructions on how to stop mosque construction in American communities. The SPLC named Geller as a member of the "anti-Muslim inner circle."

Geller has bragged that she uses a Quran, Islam's holy text, as a doorstop. She claims that "Hitler and the Nazis were inspired by Islam" and that Islam "mandates" lies and deception. In a 2010 blog entry, Geller posted a video claiming that Muslims engage in bestiality. Her hate blog was cited frequently by the terrorist who went on a killing spree last year in Norway.

SEE: Pamela Geller: The Looniest Blogger Ever

According to Geller, Muslim groups "control information and how it is processed at senior levels of the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon, and the various branches of the military."

Video: TV Host Exposes Pamela Geller's Anti-Muslim Bigotry
SIOA is an Anti-Muslim Hate Group

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Florida Family Association Getting Desperate?

As a policy, I generally avoid answering back against the false accusations of hate groups. They are simply not credible and not worth my time.

Today I just found it silly how far David Caton's Florida Family Association will go to lie and how desperate they may be getting.  For kicks, I thought I would point out just one of their lies as an example.

The FFA website says: "Shibly opposed government detention of suspected terrorists." That is crazy...I never opposed government detention of suspected terrorists. What I opposed was the indefinite detention of American Citizens without trial or due process of law. Who wouldn't?

I could similarly point out each and every lie made against me by the FFA but I have better things to do with my time, this example should be good enough to show their lack of credibility on everything else.

Muslims Help Keep America Safe

Video: Fla. Plot Suspect Arrested with Help of Muslim Community (CAIR)

Muslims' Key Role in Snagging Terror Suspect

Tampa Bay Times Editorial | January 11 2012 | [Full Editorial]

It was the Muslim community that helped the FBI snag terror suspect Sami Osmakac, the man accused of planning to bomb public buildings in the Tampa Bay area. That should not be forgotten as this case unfolds. Too often the threats of an extremist are extended to the broader Muslim community, which can lead to prejudice and discrimination. Just look at the objections to the Muslim leader who was invited to speak at a Hillsborough high school history class. Osmakac's case is a reminder that the Muslim community often partners with law enforcement, identifying dangerous extremists. The nation would be less safe without that help....

...It is these efforts by the larger Muslim community to subdue Osmakac and alert authorities that should stick in the mind when his name gets mentioned. That would help to prevent another distasteful incident like the one at Steinbrenner High School in Hillsborough County.

After history teacher Kelly Miliziano invited Hassan Shibly of the Council on American-Islamic Relations to speak to her class about stereotypes, human rights and other topics, an objection was raised. David Caton of the Florida Family Association, a one-man force of anti-Muslim bigotry, wants the Hillsborough County School Board to end visits by Shibly. Recently Caton launched a campaign against the reality television series All-American Muslim that resulted in some advertisers dropping the show. His anti-Muslim views are well-known and should be disregarded, which appears to be what the Hillsborough School Board intends to do.

The Osmakac case will bring out the fearmongers like Caton who will use it to spread venomous claims about all Muslims. But what it really demonstrates is that all Americans face the threat of terrorism together and will defeat it together, too.

CAIR chief says criticism rooted in misconceptions

Linday Peterson | Tampa Tribune | January 11 2012 | [Full Article]

The head of a local Muslim organization, Hassan Shibly, found himself fielding questions about two radically different events Tuesday.

On Monday, with the aid of Shibly and local Muslims, the FBI arrested a local man suspected of terrorism.

Later that day, Shibly and the Hillsborough County school district came under fire from David Caton and his American Family Association for a high school program on Islam.

Shibly, head of the local Council on American-Islamic Relations, argues that the two events aren't so different. He says they both stem from the idea that Islam can't be part of a democratic society.

The man arrested Monday, Sami Osmakac, had reproached local Muslims, saying they were infidels because they didn't condemn democracy, Shibly said...

..."Ignorance leads to fear, which leads to hatred, which leads to violence," he said. He blames ignorance for the Osmakac episode.

Osmakac, 25, of Pinellas Park, alarmed Tampa Muslims with his extremist, separatist views, Shibly said. He fought with members. "He called us infidels because we weren't anti-American."

He was banned from two local mosques, and Shibly and others began advising fearful members to report their concerns about him to law enforcement.

On Monday, federal agents arrested Osmakac on charges of planning terrorist attacks in Tampa.

Shibly called Osmakac a "lone wolf," angry and misguided, like a lot of violent people. He fears the damage people like Osmakac do to Islam.

"My kids are going to grow up here. We don't want to grow up in an environment where people hate or fear them because of their religion. But Osmakac promotes the stereotype they have of Islam."

Feds: Man Planned Terrorist Attack in Tampa

The Tampa Tribune | Elaine Silverstein | [Full Article]

...O'Neill and Tampa's FBI chief, Steven E. Ibison, met with local Muslim leaders this morning to discuss the arrest, according to Hassan Shibly, executive director of the local office of the Council on American Islamic Relations.

Authorities wanted to thank the Muslim community for its help and assured it that Osmakac was considered a "lone wolf," Shibly said.

Shibly said Osmakac was banned from two local mosques, and local Muslims were so concerned about his extremist views that they reported him to law enforcement. His views were so extreme, Shibly said, that there were fears he might be mentally unbalanced.

Osmakac "had absolutely no support in the local Muslim community," Shibly said.

If the allegations are true, Shibly said, he wanted to thank the FBI for preventing a violent attack. However, he also cautioned that he wanted to make sure the plan was something initiated by  Osmakac and not something urged on by law enforcement to make an arrest.

"If he was instigated by the government, we're going to be very concerned about that," Shibly said.

Plot Highlights Extremist Views

Fox 13 Tampa Bay | [Full Article]

... CAIR executive director Hassan Shibly says preventing religious extremism is possible.

 

"Maybe we can work towards having a program where we can stop radicalization early on and work with law enforcement and the community to educate our youth," said Shibly. "I think the problem with this kid is that he was disturbed and he had no understanding of the Muslim faith."

Investigators describe Osmakac as a self-radicalized "lone wolf," meaning he was acting alone...

...International relations and military expert Colonel Mike Pheneger says religious radicalism usually has little to do with religion at all.

"There are a lot of terrorists who basically get a particular point of view in their religion that's very radical and out of the mainstream, and they find something in that view that resonates with whatever is going on with them personally," Pheneger said.

"I don't think anyone who truly loves religion or loves God is going to ever imagine of killing innocent men, women, and children," Shibly added.

The problem of religious radicalism is not unique to Islam.

"All religions, except possibly the Buddhists, have a fringe that basically can be manipulated," said Pheneger. "And there have been extreme Christians that have gotten involved in this sort of thing, and extreme Muslims."

Osmakac claimed to be the only good Muslim.  

Muslims Assist Authorities  

 Tamara Lush | Associated Press

...The area's Muslim community helped provide authorities with information, said Steve Ibison, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Tampa division.

"This case is not about the Muslim religion and it's not about the Muslim community," Ibison said. "It's about an individual who committed a crime."

Hassan Shibly, a Tampa attorney and the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he met Osmakac briefly over the summer. Osmakac was "ranting" about how CAIR was an "infidel organization," Shibly said.

"It was very clear he was very disturbed very angry and very misguided about the Islamic faith," said Shibly, adding that Osmakac did not appear to be a member of any of the area's mosques and had "disassociated himself" from those houses of worship. "He was very, very ignorant of Islam. He didn't know Arabic or anything about basic Islamic teachings about promoting peace."

Shibly said the CAIR office received calls from people in the Islamic community who were concerned about Osmakac's extreme views.

"Contact the authorities as soon as possible," Shibly said he told those people.

  

Suspect Too Radical For Muslim Community

The Tampa Tribune | [Read Full Article]

 ...Osmakac showed no respect to religious elders, who tried to steer him away from his extremist beliefs, community leaders said.

He repeatedly threatened one civil activist for encouraging Muslims to vote and promoting democracy....

  

Hassan Shibly, executive director of the Tampa office of CAIR, said Osmakac was banned from at least two Tampa mosques because of his extremist views. Shibly said he met Osmakac last summer outside a local mosque, where he was arguing with one of the elders.

Shibly said he stepped in because the elder appeared to be having a hard time and Shibly thought he could help calm the situation. When Shibly asked Osmakac which mosque he attends, Osmakac said he didn't go to any mosques because, "they're all infidels and because they allow organizations like CAIR to have a presence."

"At that point, I was really taken back," Shibly said. "Who is this young kid calling people infidels and giving people edicts and thinks he's right and everybody's wrong? The prophet Mohamed said, 'Whoever calls his brother an infidel is himself an infidel.'"

Osmakac "had no understanding about anything of Islam," Shibly said. "I asked him some very basic questions about Islam and he could not answer any of them. He was very clearly misguided."

Bedier agreed with Shibly, saying that Osmakac's understanding of Islam is "very shallow" and that he believes that Osmakac picked up his extremists beliefs "from the Internet."

Muslim Community Thanked for its Help in The Case

 Bay News 9

  

...Hassan Shibly, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Tampa, said he met with the FBI and the United States Attorney's Office. He said they wanted to thank the Muslim community for their help on the case.

  

"Sami Osmakac was against the Muslim community as much as he was against everyone else," Shibly said. "He had been banned from several mosques in the area. He had extremist views. CAIR has always encouraged people to report anyone with violent or extremist views...."

Attacks on Muslim class speaker unnecessary

The Oracle | Editorial | [Read Full Article]

Steinbrenner High School teacher Kelly Miliziano received more than a mere parent complaint when she invited a Muslim speaker to visit her class.

The history teacher is now facing a battle with David Caton's Florida Family Association (FFA) after having Hassan Shibly, executive director of the Council on Islamic-American Relations, speak to her students, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

This is not the first time Caton has been at the center of a controversy involving anti-Muslim sentiment. He was behind a December campaign against TLC's series "All-American Muslim" that successfully got Lowe's Home Improvement and other companies to drop advertising from the television show.

As with the "All-American Muslim" situation, Caton's actions demonstrate a still-lingering strand of anti-Muslim beliefs....

...Miliziano had also invited speakers of many different religious affiliations, including Christianity, to speak to her class, according to the Times. The goal of her class speakers seemed to promote diversity — something students will encounter as they continue their education.

As HCSB chairwoman Candy Olson said to the Times: "Our kids need to understand a lot of different perspectives. They're going to have to deal with everybody in the world, and they can't just be afraid of them because they don't know them..."...

Still, Caton seems to believe that Muslims solely come in the radical variety. He may be equating the Islamic community as a whole with certain violent Muslim individuals such as Sami Osmakac, who was arrested Monday and charged with plotting to attack Tampa locations with bombs and other weapons.

Yet, according to the Associated Press, Shibly was among those disturbed by Osmakac's beliefs, and told concerned members of the Muslim community to immediately notify the police about him.

This makes Caton's comments even more offensive. Shibly is not just far from a radical Muslim, but he actually aided in bringing a legitimate violent radical to the authorities' attention.

Every belief will have a few radical followers. Nonetheless, religion has shaped the world into what it is today, and a history teacher would not be doing their job if they did not expose others to those lessons. Education thrives on diversity, and individuals such as Caton and the FFA cannot bully others into one sole belief.

As HCSB chairwoman Candy Olson said to the Times: "Our kids need to understand a lot of different perspectives. They're going to have to deal with everybody in the world, and they can't just be afraid of them because they don't know them..."...

Still, Caton seems to believe that Muslims solely come in the radical variety. He may be equating the Islamic community as a whole with certain violent Muslim individuals such as Sami Osmakac, who was arrested Monday and charged with plotting to attack Tampa locations with bombs and other weapons.

Yet, according to the Associated Press, Shibly was among those disturbed by Osmakac's beliefs, and told concerned members of the Muslim community to immediately notify the police about him.

This makes Caton's comments even more offensive. Shibly is not just far from a radical Muslim, but he actually aided in bringing a legitimate violent radical to the authorities' attention.

Every belief will have a few radical followers. Nonetheless, religion has shaped the world into what it is today, and a history teacher would not be doing their job if they did not expose others to those lessons. Education thrives on diversity, and individuals such as Caton and the FFA cannot bully others into one sole belief.

Syrians Seek Freedom

"We want to be like you, we want to be like the western people, we want to be free...Bashar is killing us only because we want to be free like you."

Quotes of the Prophet Muhammad (God's Blessings Upon Him)

"Do not envy one another; do not hate one another; do not turn away from another; and do not undercut one another, but be you. O servants of Allah, brothers."

"The merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful; show mercy to those on earth, and the One in the heavens will show mercy to you."

"A believer is one from whom peoples blood and wealth are safe from"

"Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first"

"Shall I not inform you of a better act than fasting, alms, and prayers? Making peace between one another: enmity and malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots"

"A white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action"

"God will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind"

"A righteous act is one which gives you pleasure, an evil deed is one which rankles in your heart"

"Remember God in prosperity, and He will remember you in adversity"

"Do not say, that if the people do good to us, we will do good to them; and if the people oppress us, we will oppress them; but determine that if people do you good, you will do good to them; and if they oppress you, you will not oppress them"

"He is not a perfect muslim who eats his fill and lets his neighbor go hungry"

"Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever has no kindness has no faith"

"It is better for a leader to make a mistake in forgiving than to make a mistake in punishing"

"It is better for any of you to carry a load of firewood on his own back than to beg from someone else"

"The best type of struggle is speaking truth before a tyrannical ruler"

"Assist any person oppressed, whether Muslim or non-Muslim"

"Do not deal with the non-Muslims cruelly, because the victim's cry of anguish, caused by the ruler, will go straight to the heavens, as there is no barrier between it and God"

"The creation is like God’s family…the most beloved unto God is the person who does good to God’s family"

"Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave"

"It is a great treachery that you tell your brother something he accepts as truth from you, but you are lying"

"Shake hands and rancor will disappear. Give presents to each other and love each other and enmity will disappear"

"No man has given his child anything better than good manners"

"None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself"

"God does not like the man who considers himself superior to his companions"

"Beware of extremism, for verily, the nations before you were destroyed because of it"

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"

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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.