See John Esposito, “Tony Blair misreads Muslim terrorism”, Washington Post, 5 June 2013
And Nathan Lean, “Tony Blair is wrong about Islam”, Huffington Post, 5 June 2013
Category Archives: USA
Tennessee: Muslim group’s forum disrupted by heckling
Hundreds of people turned out at the Manchester Convention Center Tuesday evening for an event billed as a discussion of public discourse in a diverse society, with a particular focus on the Muslim religion.
People were turned away at the door because the facility was too full. Some grew angry and started hurling terms such as “communist,” “socialist” and “Muslim” at law enforcement officials.
The indoor event, sponsored by the American Muslim Advisory Council, was countered by a large group of protesters, both outside and inside the facility. Some who made it in before admission was cut off continuously interrupted the speakers. The interruptions were so intense at times that attendee Elaine Smith, 55, of Bedford County, said she was afraid of other audience members.
“I came here because I wanted to learn something … but I couldn’t hear because the audience was so disrespectful,” she said. “I cried when I got here. It makes me really sad especially because these people say they’re Christians. The God I worship doesn’t teach hate.”
Southern Minnesota mosque targeted by vandals
OWATONNA — Officials at Owatonna’s Muslim Society Center are looking for answers after a window was broken at their location on 12th Street Northeast.
Center officials say that its the second time in two weeks and third time in a year that a window has been broken at the facility. The most recent damage was done about 1 a.m. Saturday.
Texas man apologizes, pleads guilty to phoning in bomb threat to Murfreesboro mosque
A Texas man who threatened to blow up the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro apologized to the imam and mosque leaders on Monday, then pleaded guilty to a federal charge.
“I’ve been around with all types of people, and have all types of friends,” Javier Alan Correa read Monday in federal court in Nashville. “I also understand not all Muslims are terrorists. I was just ignorant at that time, plus I had been drinking alcohol so I wasn’t thinking very clearly which is why I made a very poor choice in calling. Sir, after making that phone call I felt really bad and guilty. I really felt awful and I knew what I did was wrong. I’m sorry for that.”
U.S. District Court Judge Aleta A. Trauger then sentenced Correa, 25, of Corpus Christi, Texas, to eight months of home detention and five years of federal probation, according to the terms of his plea agreement.
The charge came from a profanity-laced telephone call he made Sept. 5, 2011, to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro punctuated with, “On Sept. 11, 2011, there’s going to be a bomb in the building.” Correa told the judge that he had been drinking that night and had watched a CNN program called “Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door.” He said the show had enraged him and had prompted him to phone in the threat.
Missouri: Governor vetoes anti-Sharia bill
ST. LOUIS — Governor Nixon vetoes a bill that supporters say was passed to prevent the adoption of Sharia Law in Missouri. “There are certainly problems facing our nation and state today,” Nixon said, “But the problems attempted to be addressed by Senate Bill 267 isn’t one of those problems.”
CAIR seeks hate crime probe of Texas mosque vandalism
The Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, tonight called on state and national law enforcement authorities to investigate a paintball attack on a mosque in that state as a possible hate crime.
Officials with the McKinney Islamic Association in Mckinney, Texas, told CAIR that up to two dozen paintballs were fired at the mosque sometime between 11 p.m. on Saturday and 5 a.m. on Sunday. A vehicle owned by a member of the mosque’s congregation was also hit by a paintball after he left the facility. Worshippers have reportedly been verbally harassed recently by young people who gather near the mosque. Local police told mosque officials that they will recommend stepped up patrols in the area.
Muslim ex-caddie sues golf club for discrimination
A Muslim man is suing the exclusive Hamptons golf club where he worked as a caddie for 13 years, claiming that he was discriminated against, and even threatened, based on his race and religion.
Republican anti-tax campaigner exposed as secret Muslim
The Far North Dallas Tea Party posted a video this week of a PowerPoint presentation that Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum, gave recently on “Radical Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Appeals Court overturns mosque ruling
A Tennessee Court of Appeals panel ruled Wednesday that the Rutherford County Planning Commission did provide adequate public notice prior to approving construction of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.
“We have concluded that the (Rutherford County Chancery) Court erred in finding the notice provided to be inadequate under the Open Meetings Act,” said Judge Andy D. Bennett, who authored the opinion.
As part of the decision, the Appeals Court overturned the ruling by Chancellor Robert Corlew III, who has contended the Planning Commission should have utilized multiple media outlets given what he has described as the “totality of the circumstances” – a standard that is not required by law.
The ruling is a victory for the Rutherford County government, which has argued it followed the law.
CAIR lawsuit claims U.S. citizens detained, asked about religion
Four Americans citizens are suing U.S. Customs, Border Protection and the FBI. They claim their First Amendment right were violated when they were detained. The government wants the lawsuit dismissed.
One of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit says he actually lost a business because getting across the border became such a time consuming hassle. Now the Council on American Islamic Relations is trying to change that with this lawsuit.
“There is an actual policy that’s in place that instructs these border authorities and FBI agents at the borders to ask a certain set of questions,” says CAIR attorney Lena Masri.
Questions that Masri says cross the line.
“Which mosque do you pray at? Do you pray your morning prayer at the mosque? Who is your religious leader? Are you Sunni or are you Shia?” Masri says. “They’re invasive, and they’re unconstitutional.”