Category Archives: USA

Oslo Freedom Forum founder’s ties to Islamophobes who inspired mass killer Anders Breivik

Posted on by Bob Pitt

NORWAY-RIGHTS-OSLO FREEDOM FORUM

An Electronic Intifada investigation uncovers evidence that Thor Halvorssen, the founder of the Oslo Freedom Forum, receives significant funding from the same financiers who support the Islamophobes who inspired anti-Muslim Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik. Despite being presented with this evidence, the Norwegian government and Amnesty International are embracing Halvorssen, a long-time far-right activist and the scion of a politically-connected family tied to Venezuela’s US-backed opposition.

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Muslims of America sues Christian Action Network for libel

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Twilight in AmericaA Muslim group is accusing a Christian organization of defamation for publishing a book that accuses the Muslim collective of holding terrorist training in its enclaves.

The Christian Action Network refuses to back down, challenging Muslims of America Inc. to prove the allegations wrong in an upstate New York court.

The Muslim group has a community in Hancock, near Binghamton, N.Y., and others around the U.S. It calls the network’s accusations deliberate and damaging lies.

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Edmond, Oklahoma: mosque expansion plan backed by planning committee

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDMOND, Oklahoma — A local pastor stirred up controversy during a hearing about a proposed mosque in Edmond. Pastor Paul Blair spoke out against the mosque, making some serious allegations against the group trying to get it built. The fellowship hall will go up in a residential neighborhood in Edmond. The plan is to expand, demolishing a house and occupy an empty lot.

A proposal to build a Islamic Fellowship Hall in Edmond moves forward, but not without controversy as Pastor Paul Blair with Fairview Baptist Church fires off serious allegations about the group trying to expand their mosque. “The Islamic Society of North America, which is one of the applicants and North American Islamic Trust, which is also an owner of the property were both listed and proven by the United States Federal District Court in the Holy Land Foundation trials to be proven affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood and in particular with Hamas,” said Blair.

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CAIR-WA to seek ‘maximum penalties’ for threats to Muslim family

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA) will hold a news conference today to call for maximum legal penalties for a man who allegedly harassed and threatened a Muslim family at Seattle Center last month.

At the news conference, CAIR-WA will outline why this incident appears to be part of a pattern of recent harassment of and attacks on American Muslims and will ask the FBI to look into the case for possible federal charges.

On April 27, 2013, a Muslim family visiting Seattle Center was allegedly approached by 52-year-old Gregg Michael Burtis who reportedly asked two younger women in their party how many husbands they had. When the family asked Burtis to leave them alone, he allegedly became angry and began calling the family “Muslims” and “terrorists”. Family members feared for their lives and called the police when they reportedly heard Burtis say he was going to get a gun and “shoot them all.” Burtis was arrested and booked in King County Jail on $50,000 bail. He is awaiting trial for malicious harassment.

“This vicious hate incident at Seattle Center is part of a nationwide wave of hate-motivated threats and attacks against American Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim, following the tragic bombings at the Boston Marathon,” said CAIR-WA Civil Rights Coordinator Jennifer Gist. “In the wake of the Boston tragedy, Americans must unite and work to prevent any further loss of life from hate motivated attacks that threaten our nation’s security and our collective safety.”

Gist added: “All of us have a role to play. We need prosecutors to send a very strong message that those who make such threats will have to face the full force of the law. Elected officials and other law enforcement leaders should make public statements now declaring zero tolerance for this type of behavior.”

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Catholic soldier says her Muslim-sounding name made her a target for harassment in US Army

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Naida HosanSgt. 1st Class Naida Hosan is not a Muslim – she’s a Catholic. But her name sounded Islamic to fellow U.S. soldiers in Iraq, and they would taunt her, calling her “Sgt. Hussein” and asking what God she prayed to.

So before deploying to Afghanistan last year for her second war tour, she legally changed her name – to Nadia Christian Nova.

This did not solve her problems. Instead, matters escalated. Nova complained to her superiors about constant anti-Muslim slurs and jokes. She says they responded with a series of reprisals intended to drive her out of the Army, leading her to consider suicide.

“My complaints fell on deaf ears every time,” said Nova, 41, a member of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, N.C. “Any time I would say something about it I was treated like I didn’t know what I was talking about or that I’m an idiot or that I was a Muslim sympathizer. It was just a very lonely feeling.”

Determined to remain in the service for at least eight years, until she is eligible for retirement, Nova recently re-enlisted. But she agreed to tell her story to The Associated Press because “I don’t want this to happen to anyone else if I can help it. It’s a horrible to feel like people are against you when you are supposed to be on the same team.”

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Pew survey of US attitudes to Islam published

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Pew poll Islam violence

The public’s views of whether Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence have changed little in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Currently, 42% say Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among its believers, while 46% say Islam does not encourage violence more than other religions. These are similar to opinions about Islam and violence for most of the past decade. But in March 2002, six months after the 9/11 attacks, just 25% said Islam was more likely to encourage violence while 51% disagreed.

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Posted in USA