Politicians Say the Darndest Things! (Islam Edition)

Wardah Khalid | Blog.Chron.com | [Original Article]

"It’s election season, and you know what that means… time for a new edition of “Politicians Say the Darndest Things!” In this edition, we’ll be examining Presidential candidates and their views on Islam.

But why, you ask, are politicians talking so much about Islam? Don’t they have more important things to worry about like the economy and education? You’d think so, but alas, someone has to be the national scapegoat, and it looks like we Muslims lucked out this round. (Not to worry, immigrants/minorities/left-handed people, I’m sure you’ll have your turn next time)"...[Read More]

"... According to Perry, Turkey is ruled by “what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists” and has a questionable NATO membership...Turkey’s Foreign Ministry was not too pleased at the accusation, responding that Perry’s comments were “baseless and inappropriate" ..." [Read More]

"...[Newt Gringrich] As speaker of the House in the 1990s, he played an important role in creating a space for Muslims to pray on Capitol Hill and promoted Shariah-compliant finance, something which he now claims is “a mortal threat to the survival of freedom in the United States and in the world as we know it.”..." [Read More]

"...[Rick Santorum] “Where do you think this concept of equality comes from? It doesn’t come from Islam. It doesn’t come from the East and Eastern religions, where does it come from? It comes from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that’s where it comes from.”..."[Read More]

"...[Herman Cain] America, it is time to wake up and see these contenders for who they really are – smooth talkers who couldn’t care less about upholding our nation’s values when they block the path to their personal success. And that is no laughing matter..." [Read More]

At Geller-Spencer’s CPAC Panel, Anti-Muslim Activist Says He’s Proud of Attacks on Mosques

Charles Johnson | LittleGreenFootballs| Feb. 10, 2012 [Original Article]

"Speaking today at the unofficial CPAC panel “Islamic Law in America: How the Obama Justice Department Is Selling Us Out,” sponsored by Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, James Lafferty of the Virginia Anti-Sharia Task Force was “proud to say” that most of the mosques attacked in the US were in the South: CPAC: Anti-Muslim Activist James Lafferty Says He’s ‘Proud’ of Attacks Against Mosques"...[Read More]

James Lafferty of Virgina Anti-Sharia Task Force said in the video below "I went there and it was all Muslim officials speaking and they had all these pictures of some mosque somewhere, and it was usually in the South I’m proud to say where a guy would drive a pickup truck right into the mosque."...

..."This is far from the first example; Geller and Spencer are usually too cunning to express this kind of open support for anti-Muslim violence, but their associates … not so much: Pamela Geller Associate John Jay Openly Calls for Mass Murder"... [Read More]

Fear of Muslim Americans is Overblown

By Esther Cepeda |GazetteXtra| Posted February 13, 2012 [Original Article]

CHICAGO — It seems that every week, some really important news fails to get enough headlines. A story that crept by amid last week’s bloated political coverage was a study that showed how few Muslim-Americans are involved in terrorist activities... [Read More]

..."The author of the study, Charles Kurzman, a professor of sociology at UNC, wrote that “Muslim-American terrorism continued to be a minuscule threat to public safety last year. None of America’s 14,000 murders in 2011 were due to Islamic extremism.”...[Read More]

..."The majority have an unfavorable view of al-Qaeda, decry all violence in the name of their religion, rate their communities as excellent places to live and increasingly believe U.S. anti-terrorism policies are “sincere.” A month before that, a Gallup poll found that the Muslim-American community is more enthused and optimistic about its country than any other religious group—and without question Muslims are loyal to America"...[Read More]

..."Some, of course, will never be swayed. A Florida fundamentalist Christian group got Lowe’s to dump its sponsorship of the reality-TV show “All-American Muslim” because it felt the show is “propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values.” But the facts speak for themselves"... [Read More]

Tampa Trib: Islamic Open House Deemed a Success

By JOSÉ PATIÑO GIRONA | The Tampa Tribune

[Full Article]

TAMPA -- Debbie and Larry Golbom came to Friday night's open house because they were curious about the Muslim community and wanted to know more.

 

"I thought it was pretty enlightening," said Debbie Golbom, of Largo, who said she came to the event with "zero" knowledge and understanding of Islam. "I was taken by the similarities of the religions."

The Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations hosted the open house at the Islamic Community of Tampa, 5910 E. 130th Ave. The goal was to demystify the religion and introduce people to some of its followers.

Larry Golbom said the dialogue is needed.

"The stereotype is that Islam is a terrorist religion," said Golbom, a 59-year-old Largo pharmacist. "An outreach program such as this is certainly a tremendous benefit to this community."

Hassan Shibly, executive director of CAIR's Tampa chapter, headed the 90-minute program. He recounted the history of Islam, outlined its beliefs and took questions from the audience of around 50 people, about half of whom weren't practicing Muslims.

Although Shibly speaks regularly to various organizations, Friday's meeting came about after the Florida Family Assocation and others criticized Shibly and the school district for allowing him to speak about Islam to a Sickles High School history class.

Shibly told the audience people of different backgrounds should recognize their similarities and appreciate and be tolerant of their differences.

"The best weapon against ignorance is knowledge and getting to know each other at a human level," he said.

He said the people promoting "Islamophobia" don't want dialogue.

"It counters the message that they are promoting that Muslims are evil and can't be trusted," Shibly said. "By engaging in the conversation we can overcome the prejudice and misunderstanding that divides us."

In the audience were about 10 people from First Baptist Church of Temple Terrace. They have embarked on a course to learn more about Islam to help foster tolerance and understanding.

Marc Roath, a pastor at the church, said the program fit perfectly into their church class.

"(It's) getting a better understanding of how someone from a Muslim background feels about all kinds of things — their faith, political issues, life in general," Roath said.

"Our goal is to remove the fear that someone might have talking to someone from a Muslim background."

Shibly said he hopes to host similar events in the future.

New York Times Article Understates How Overstated Islamic Terrorism Threat Really Is

By Danios |LoonWatch.com| Posted on 08 February 2012 | [Original Article]

The New York Times recently reported on a study that showed how exaggerated the threat of “Islamic” terrorism is–how “Radical Muslim Americans Pose Little Threat.” The article is a good one, but in fact, it doesn’t adequately convey how truly minuscule the threat is. I’ll reproduce the article below and then briefly recount why Americans (and Europeans) shouldn’t fear Islamic terrorism at all:...

...Here are some key points that the article could have included to have truly conveyed how absolutely minuscule the threat of Islamic terrorism is to Americans (and Europeans):
According to the FBI’s own database (available from 1980-2005), less than 6% of terrorist attacks in America were committed by Muslims.
Europol has been documenting terrorism for the last half decade. Their annual terrorism reports show that less than 1% of terrorism in Europe involves Muslims.
Since 9/11–which was over a decade ago–zero U.S. civilians have been killed by Islamic terrorists.
Similarly, zero European civilians have been killed by Islamic terrorists in the last half decade. In fact, the only injuries incurred from Islamic terrorism were to a security guard who “was slightly wounded.” Perhaps the “anti-jihadist” blogosphere should find this one security guard and give him a medal of honor and declare him a martyr for the cause... [Read Full Article]

[While all violence is deplorable, this image show how we have a double standard when condemning people of different race, nationality, religion, or culture]

Radical U.S. Muslims Little Threat, Study Says

By SCOTT SHANE | New York Times | [Original Article]

WASHINGTON — A feared wave of homegrown terrorism by radicalized Muslim Americans has not materialized, with plots and arrests dropping sharply over the two years since an unusual peak in 2009, according to a new study by a North Carolina research group.

The study, to be released on Wednesday, found that 20 Muslim Americans were charged in violent plots or attacks in 2011, down from 26 in 2010 and a spike of 47 in 2009.

Charles Kurzman, the author of the report for the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, called terrorism by Muslim Americans “a minuscule threat to public safety.” Of about 14,000 murders in the United States last year, not a single one resulted from Islamic extremism, said Mr. Kurzman, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina...[Read Full Article]

Awesome Quote

“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men — not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular….We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.”

-Edward R. Murrow, Journalist and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, March 9, 1954

Free Event: Get to Know Your Muslim Neighbour

Arabs Desire Freedom

Students & Media Disgusted by Caton's Attack Against Muslim Speaker

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
No brainwashing exercise

By TBO.COM | Tbo.com 
Published: January 27, 2012

In regards to "Board chided about Islam" (Metro, Jan. 25): I am a student in Dr. Kelly Miliziano's AP World History class at Steinbrenner High School. I attended Hassan Shibly's presentation on Islam and found it perfectly appropriate, as it tied into our study of the post-classical era. I don't feel like I was being converted and certainly don't feel I was being "brainwashed."

I'm not sure if this so-called Florida Family Association is serious or just really stupid. It turns out this fundamentalist organization has a messy history of anti-Islamic messages. David Caton, founder and president of the FFA, goes as far to say, "Folks, we are watching Islamization of America in action."

Here's the problem: Caton can't get it through his thick skull that Shibly doesn't have the intention of converting or brainwashing us. Now, apparently, Caton wants to send some of his followers to spew a counterargument to Islam. Ridiculous. There's a fine line between preaching and teaching. If ignorance is bliss, then Caton must be the happiest man in the world.

Daniel Krasnove

In Hillsborough, a voice of reason in defense of learning world's religions

By Sue Carlton, Times Columnist
In Print: Friday, January 27, 2012 [ Full Article]

School board meetings tend to be dull if necessary affairs, filled with proclamations, test score talk and the latest lineup of principals. (Stifle yawn here.)

But at a meeting of the Hillsborough County School Board this week came a Serious Moment of Truth out of an elected official who spoke up for education and showing kids what's out there in the world. You could even say she rose up righteous.

As is tradition around here, the controversy du jour was ignited by fear and misinformation and the flames fanned by our own in-house cast of moral crusaders. You know, the ones who have a direct line Upstairs. Just ask them...[ Continue Reading Full Article]

Listen to Hassan Shibly's News Talk Florida's Radio Interview

Interview With Hassan Shibly: Islamophobia

                                                                 

                                          Part 2:

                              

                                          Part 3:

                                         Part 4:

Florida Says No to Islamophobia

School officials stand up to intolerant bullies
Tampa Bay Times | Editorial | In Print Today January 26 [Original Article]  

School yard bullying can take many forms. So Hillsborough County school superintendent MaryEllen Elia and School Board chairwoman Candy Olson are to be commended for standing up to the forces of bigotry and ignorance. The pair on Tuesday rightly defended Steinbrenner High School history teacher Kelly Miliziano, who recently invited a Muslim speaker to her classroom, much to the narrow-minded consternation of local political gadflies, conservative activist Terry Kemple and David Caton, executive director of the Florida Family Association.

Miliziano asked Hassan Shibly from the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations to speak to her class on world religions. Representatives of other faiths also have given presentations to the class. But Kemple and Caton ham-handedly equated Shibly's appearance with supporting terrorism. Their absurd complaint suggested that students in a college-level, Advanced Placement class on world religions would not benefit from a visit by a Muslim, whose faith is shared with nearly one out of every four people worldwide.

Facing down a vocal but ill-informed crowd at the School Board meeting, Elia and Olson aggressively defended Miliziano, stressing the educational importance of exposing students to various cultures and religious beliefs. Elia and Olson have more faith in Hillsborough County students to think for themselves than do the disciples of intolerance and demagoguery.

See Also:

Fox News (Video): Tea Party Opposes Muslim Speaker

Tampa Bay Times: Hillsborough superintendent defends Muslim leader's school visit

Tampa Tribune: Schools chairwoman rejects 'Muslim threat' complaints

Stuff The FBI Says (Funny)

Not a fan of the profanity in the title...its following the current "S*** X says" thats going on YouTube...nonetheless it was funny, entertaining, and educational.



Interview with Hassan Shibly: David Caton & Islamophobia

Part 2:                                                                     

                                           Part 3:

                                         Part 4:

Federal court deals blow to anti-Shariah efforts

By Kari Huus, msnbc.com [Full Article]

In a decision that Muslim legal advocates celebrated as a major win, a federal appeals court on Tuesday agreed with a lower court that blocked an Oklahoma law that would have barred state courts from considering or using Shariah law — the Islamic code of conduct.

The law would likely dampen similar legislation proposed in at least 20 U.S. states over the last couple of years, said Noah Feldman, professor of law at Harvard University.

The decision “should have a good, positive, desirable chilling effect,” said Feldman. “It should tell people in those jurisdictions that (similar laws) almost all will be judged unconstitutional.”

In the November 2010 election, Oklahomans voted overwhelmingly for referendum SQ 755 — described by its author, Rep. Rex Duncan, as “a preemptive strike against Sharia Law coming to Oklahoma.”

The amendment stated that: “The courts shall not look to the legal precepts of other nations or cultures. Specifically, the courts shall not consider international law or Sharia law."

Muslim challenged law
A lawsuit filed two days after the election by Oklahoma resident Muneer Awad, a Muslim, charged that the law violated his First Amendment rights. In addition to stigmatizing him and other Muslims, Awad argued, the amendment would invalidate his last will and testament, which made reference to Islamic writings.

A federal judge in Oklahoma agreed that the amendment was most likely unconstitutional and granted a permanent injunction preventing its implementation until a final determination could be made.

On Tuesday, a judge for the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colo., agreed with the lower court and upheld the injunction — rejecting an appeal by the state of Oklahoma.

“Because the amendment discriminates among religions, it is 'suspect,'" the higher court ruled, "and 'we apply strict scrutiny in adjudging its constitutionality...’”

Problem doesn't exist, lawyer saysAlthough Islam’s detractors suggest that “creeping sharia,” left unchecked, will undermine U.S. freedoms, Feldman says that these laws play on fears of a problem that does not exist...

“The Constitution of the United States, and the constitution of every state -- that is 51 constitutions -- already make it illegal to implement Islamic law,” said Feldman. “Just as Jewish law can’t be the law of the United States, and canon law can’t be the law of the United States, shariah law can’t be the law of the United States.”

“It’s like a law that says we absolutely ban alligators on the South Pole,” he said...