VOICE OF GLOBAL
UMMAH
Volume 219, March 17, 2013
Editors: Mohamed &
Rashida Ziauddin
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful
EDITORIAL:
We
have tried a different format in this issue classifying the contents
of this E-Zine into a different set of categories. We started off by
focusing on the positive developments both big and small pertaining
to global ummah followed with positive interfaith initiatives. We
also touched on the harsh realities of extremism, racism,
discrimination and harassment. We continue to warmly accept feedback
in terms of how we could better improve the quality of this E-Zine.
(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)
PART – I
POSITIVE NEWS:
Part I-a: Washington
DC, USA
(ED
NOTE:
We
strongly believe that the American Ummah must actively participate in
the civic, social and political life in the US. Muslims are part of
the American fabric of multiculturalism and are here to stay. The
anti-islamic elements can rattle all the hate and Islamophobia they
want, what they don't understand is that it only strengthens our
resolve and conviction to all the more hold steadfast to the rope of
Islam. The overwhelming majority of Americans are peace loving people
who, thanks to the anti-Islamic hate spewed by the minority, are all
the more convinced that this hateful rhetoric by anti-islamists are
indeed the true voice of the extremists. As American Muslims we must
however not only strive to maintain our Islamic identity but also
strive to be the best citizens not just in words but actions, follow
the rule of law and be open minded, tolerant and respectful to
differences. In below articles, we appreciate the awesome efforts and
initiatives taken by Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), United
Voices of America, New York Muslim Democratic Club and Council on
American- Islamic Relations for the benefit of American Muslims. We
were also glad to know that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah
has allowed the appointment of 30 women to become members of the
Shoura Council. We believe that this was long over due. It is better
late than never).
MPAC
DC Director Meets with President in Preparation for His Trip to
Middle East
(condensed
version)
MPACnews news@mpac.org
March 11, 2013
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
(Washington, DC –
3/11/2013) – Today, the Muslim Public Affairs Council along with
other Muslim and Arab American leaders met with President Barack
Obama to discuss issues that will pertain to his upcoming trip to the
Middle East. Haris Tarin, the Director of MPAC’s Washington, DC,
office, attended the intimate meeting with the President, as he
prepares his agenda for this visit to the Palestine, Jordan and
Israel.
The
group discussed with the President and his senior advisers how his
trip can be a catalyst for restarting the dialogue that will lead to
the implementation of a comprehensive peace plan in the coming
months. Ideas were also presented on how to engage the Palestinian
people, especially the burgeoning youth population.
Tarin
and others shared with the President some of the important work being
done by the Palestinian people in achieving their aspirations for an
independent and viable Palestinian state. The group also made
recommendations on key messages and policy issues that must be
considered by the Americans, Israelis, Palestinians and other people
in the region to ensure a just and sustainable peace process.
Founded in 1988, MPAC
is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion
and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in
government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to
developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and
civic participation of Muslim Americans. CONTACT: Marium Mohiuddin,
323-258-6722, marium@mpac.org
Part I-b: Washington DC,
USA
UNITED VOICES FOR
AMERICA:
INVITATION TO
AMERICAN UMMAH
3/12/2013
Asalaamu Alaikum,
Mark your calendar and
plan to join us in Washington, DC for this historic inaugural event.
Click here to register as a delegate. Hurry space is limited.
How else you can help?
we're looking for State, Community and Campus organizers to help
recruit and mobilize delegates. If you think you have what it takes,
please apply to become an organizer here.
Whether you can or plan
to join us in Washington, DC this May, we urge you to help this
awesome event by making a donation of $100. It will help bring other
delegates to the nation's capital.
Please forward this
message to 10 of your friends and ask them to also take action.
Salaam,
Muslim Capitol Day Team
Muslim
Capitol Day is organized by a coalition led by United Voices For
America. United Voices is a non-profit, non-partisan civic engagement
organization dedicated to increasing the participation of
disenfranchised communities in the political process. We're a IRS
approved 501c3 organization, donations are tax deductible. Tax id:
26-3167994. Our address is United Voices, 7320 East Fletcher Ave,
Tampa, FL 33637
Part I-c: New York,
USA
New York's first Muslim
Democratic Club launches, with a focus on local issues
(www.cair.com)
March
15, 2013
(condensed
version)
Linda Sarsour and Ali
Najmi.
Azi Paybarah
The
launch of New York City's first Muslim Democratic Club took place in
a lounge on West 38th Street—a common area of a fancy residential
building, with marble floors, leather couches and a glass-enclosed
fireplace.
Representatives
for New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former
comptroller Bill Thompson and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio were
also in attendance.
Robert
Jackson of Harlem, the only Muslim member on the New York City
Council, spoke to the crowd. So did Zead Ramadan, who is also Muslim
and is one of the candidates running this year to replace Jackson.
The
men wore suits, and some of the women wore hijabs covering their
hair. A few men met in the front of the rectangular room shortly
after 7 p.m. for evening prayers.
The
crowd of attendees was, in large part, second-generation Americans of
South Asian and Arab descent.
Two
of the club's founders who are appearing on New York 1 tonight,
respectively, are South Asian and Arab: Ali Najmi and Linda Sarsour.
The founders of the club have said they're hoping to recruit members
from the black and African Muslim communities also.
Najmi
and Sarsour stood in front of the crowd as they presented a slide
show of the potential strength Muslim votes could have in local
races.
According
to an analysis of registered voters' last names, the club estimated
that there are 105,000 registered Muslim voters in New York City,
with about 70 percent of those in the Democratic Party. Four of the
five neighborhoods with the highest numbers of Muslim voters are in
Queens.
There
are 6,500 Muslim voters in Glen Oaks and Floral Park, in Queens,
which is City Council District 23; Jamaica, City Council District 24,
has the second most, with "just under 6,500," according to
Najmi. Astoria, which is City Council District 22, was number three
on the list.
To
illustrate the potential power of the Muslim vote, Sarsour spoke
about a City Council race that took place three years ago, in
District 23. "4,300 hundred votes got [Mark] Weprin the
nomination of the Democratic ticket. Right? The total number of
Muslim registered voters in that district is 6,500. So think about
that," she said. "Imagine what that 6,500 hundred could do
in a race like that."
Sarsour
said, "We're a domestic policies, local issues, you know our top
two issues. Our top two issues are NYPD surveillance of the Muslim
community. We want candidates to take that straight on and we also
want to talk about Muslim school holidays: access to education and
civll right issues. So, those are our main issues."
(Attorney
Nermeen Arastu, a co-author of a report critical of that policy,
called Mapping Muslims, which urged imams and Muslim leaders to
declare "informants are not tolerated," was also in
attendance last night.)
Readmore:http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2013/03/8363065/new-yorks-first-muslim-democratic-club-launches-focus-local-issues
Part I-d: Washington
DC, USA
President Obama Meets
with the Sultan of Brunei
(www.whitehouse.gov)
Today, President Obama
hosted His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei for a bilateral meeting in
the Oval Office to affirm the relationship between our two countries
that dates back more than 160 years.
For more information read:http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/03/12/president-obama-meets-sultan-brunei-1?utm_source=031313&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=daily
Part I-e: United
Kingdom
UK launches 1st Islamic
finance Task-Force
(condensed version)
MENAFN
- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) - 12/03/2013
www.menafn.com
(MENAFN - Kuwait News
Agency (KUNA)) The UK government launched on Monday the first Islamic
finance task-force to "help to cement London's status as the
western hub for Islamic finance" by showcasing the UK as the
preferred choice for the Muslim world to invest in and do business
with.
From day one the Task
Force will support development of the UK's Islamic finance sector,
increasing inward investment and strengthening the economy, according
to a statement by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
The Task Force will have
three key objectives: to act as UK Ministerial Champions for the
World Islamic Economic Forum in London on 29-31 October; to engage
with the United Kingdom Islamic Finance Secretariat (UKIFS) and
others to promote and raise the international profile of the
industry; and to use Islamic Finance to facilitate inward investment
and strengthen the UK economy, including through our ongoing support
for Sovereign Wealth Funds looking to invest in UK infrastructure.
The World Islamic
Economic Forum, hosted in London in October, will be the Task Force's
first key milestone.
Part I-f: Melbourne,
Australia
Melbourne Mosque Get Go
Ahead From Local Council
Casey Weekly
12 March 2013
(condensed version)
A happy end to an
anti-Mosque campaign in Doveton’s industrial area.
Supporters
of a mosque in Doveton’s industrial area have urged anti-Islamic
cleric Pastor Danny Nalliah and his followers in the Catch the Fire
Ministries to learn to live with it.
Outside
Casey Council chambers on Tuesday night, supporters were quietly
jubilant after Casey councillors ticked off the mosque in accordance
with a recommendation from their planners. But Mr Nalliah, who has
led the campaign against the mosque, described the decision as “a
sad day for Australia” and said his group would appeal to the
Supreme or Victorian Court to overturn it.
A
spokeswoman for the applicants, Sherene Hassan, urged Mr Nalliah and
his followers to follow Jesus’ precept and “love thy neighbour”.
“That’s what we plan to do,” she said. “But we haven’t felt
much love from this group.” The mosque is being built next to Catch
the Fire’s new headquarters and church, and Ms Hassan said they
would welcome visitors from the neighbouring church.
Councillors
voted nine to one to approve the mosque despite 33 objections and 14
petitions containing more than 2000 signatures opposing it. They
accepted the recommendations of the planning department, whose report
stated that “fears of the unknown” were not valid grounds for
rejecting the mosque.
Objectors
cited traffic concerns, lack of public transport, loss of amenity for
neighbours, the height of the mosque, noise concerns and concerns
that Islam “teaches hate”.
In
their report, the planners cited an earlier ruling by the Victorian
Civil and Administrative Tribunal in relation to a Romanian Orthodox
Church in Narre Warren North which made it clear “fears of the
unknown” were not appropriate grounds for refusing a permit. “It
follows that religious or cultural differences (or fears) are not
within the realm of the planning scheme assessment.”
Part I-g:
Powerful Arab women:
MENAFN
Arab News – March 11,
2013
(MENAFN - Arab News) A
few weeks ago, I was discussing with a friend in London the BBC Radio
4 Woman's Hour Power List 2013, which ranks the 100 most powerful
women in the UK. Queen Elizabeth II topped this power list, followed
by other prominent personalities in different spheres.
"So what makes a
woman powerful"? I asked? My friend replied: "Well, I
assume she must have a strong personality and some kind of influence
or authority. She may also be a source of inspiration to other women
or a role model."
Then she asked me: "How
about you? Do you have powerful women in your region?" "Of
course," I replied, "we also have a woman's power list.
There are many Arab women who are influential and powerful and they
are acknowledged for their achievements."
And this reminds me of
all those remarkable Arab women who have been successful in their
jobs and prominent in their spheres, and who made significant
accomplishments. And those who were fruitful in introducing positive
changes to their society and those who made a difference to the way
they and others live their lives.
Arab women are not only
smart, ambitious, and determined but today, more than ever before,
they also hold power in their hands. Names flash through my mind;
names such as Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Trade, Lubna
Olayan, Saudi businesswoman, Zaha Hadid, Iraqi architect, Sheikha
Maha Mansour Salman Jasim Al Thani, Qatar's first female judge,
Tawakkul Karman, Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and many more.
Back in Riyadh I met two
women university professors and asked their opinion on powerful
women. Jawhara said: "For years, we have been stereotyped as
weak, submissive, and dependent on men. We have been labeled as
vulnerable and powerless, lacking leadership qualities. And men have
always been considered as more powerful, more capable and more
competent."
She continued: "But
today you can hear many female voices rising in the Arab region.
Women are not afraid and dare to speak their mind and act
accordingly. They are shaping and remodeling their traditional
societies into a more flexible one."
"Yes," I
agreed, "It seems clear that today the rules of the gender game
are changing swiftly, breaking the traditional domestic barriers of
our patriarchal society and wiping out gender stereotypes and bias."
Haifa, the second
professor, argued: "We are powerful and proud because of our
vital role as mothers carrying the true love of a mother for her
child and as educators of future generations:"
But is that all? She
went on: "I feel that we are stronger in our character than
before, we are better educated and more confident in ourselves,
sharper in our decisions, bolder in our actions, and more assertive
in realizing our potential."
The number of female
students has increased at all educational stages in Arab countries
and the number of young women enrolling at all levels of higher
education has even overtaken the number of male enrollments.
In the labor force,
women's participation is now greater, although it is still limited in
some countries of the region. Arab women are reaching positions that
were previously judged to be beyond their capabilities. They hold
professional and managerial decision-making positions as well as
prominent government roles. Arab women are also becoming
entrepreneurs, starting their own businesses, and excelling in
business and economy. By achieving results and attaining top merits
and awards, their competencies are emerging as equal to men's.
It has often been said
that behind every successful man there stands a woman. Nowadays, we
can also reverse this old saying. Let us not forget that powerful
women exist because powerful men inspire them, support them, promote
them, and help to pave their way. A woman strongly needs the support
of the men in her life, be it her father, brother, husband, or
mentor, to nurture her talent and to become successful. Unhindered by
cultural constraints, men and women have to help and cooperate with
each other, learn from and teach each other, complementing each
other.
Today, powerful Arab
women represent a force in their countries, preparing the ground for
future generations. Each one of those women has worked hard to become
a champion in her own field and a winner in her country. With
ambition and determination they seek endless horizons and successful
achievements. Never mind about where they rank on the power list:
there is no limit to their accomplishments to make each one of them a
Number One.
- Dr. Mona AlMunajjed is
a sociologist, author and adviser on social and gender issues.
Email:
mona.almunajjed@gmail.com
Part I-h Saudi Arabia
Saudi- Prince Charles
commends Women's Participation in the Shoura Council
MENAFN
Arab News
March 17, 2013
Shoura Council Chairman
Abdullah Al-Asheikh welcomes Prince Charles and his wife Camilla,
Duchess of Cornwall. (SPA)
(MENAFN
- Arab News) Prince Charles, who wrapped a day's visit to the capital
yesterday, commended the progressive move made by the Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in allowing women to become
members of the Shoura Council.
Prince
Charles made the statement during his visit to the headquarters of
the Shoura Council here. The visiting British crown prince held talks
with the Shoura Council Chairman Abdulah Al-Asheikh and senior
members of the council during his brief visit to the Shoura
headquarters here.
"The
decision to appoint 30 women as members of the Shoura Council is a
vital step toward national participation in decision making,"
Prince Charles told the Shoura Council members.
Part I-i: Tunisia:
Tunisia Opens Its First
Domestic Violence Shelter
March 5, 2013
wwww.msmagazine.com
By Camille Lafrance
(condensed version)
Sihem
Badi, Tunisia’s minister of women’s affairs, admits there’s
something wrong, at this date, in talking about the country’s first
public shelter for victims of domestic violence.
“We’re
late,” she says. “Look at Morocco. They have tens of shelters for
women. Here it’s the civil society who used to deal with victims
and it’s the first time the state is taking over this problem.”
From
its 1957 law granting women the right to divorce to its legalization
of contraception and abortion in the 1960s, Tunisia has long served
as a beacon of women’s progress in North Africa.
But
when it comes to domestic violence the country’s shining reputation
is missing polish.
Resistance
to confronting the problem is deeply rooted in Tunisian culture, says
Badi, whose hold on her post could change as the government, which
has been undergoing turmoil, restructures. “Some people,” the
minister says, “are afraid to see women gain autonomy; they fear
it’s going to break families.”
The
shelter opened in December 2012 on a large grassy plot on the
outskirts of the capital city of Tunis, about 12 miles away. Inside
there is brand new furniture, a nursery and computer room.
It
can accommodate 50 women and their children and offers legal and
psychological assistance.
About
47 percent of Tunisian women aged 18 to 64 have been the victim of
violence (ranging from harassment to physical violence) at least once
in their lifetime, according to the last survey by the National
Office of Family and Population, published in late 2010. In most
cases, the survey says, assaults occur in a domestic setting.
Part I-j: Missouri,
USA
Missouri: Bill would
stop Sharia Law
by Kevin McDermott
(StL.Today)
17 Mar 2013
Sen. Jamilah Nasheed has
spoken out against the proposed bill calling debates on the
subject ”a waste of
time and taxpayer money.”
JEFFERSON CITY • In
what has become a regular ritual here, a state Senate committee heard
testimony Tuesday on a bill that would prevent Sharia Law from taking
over Missouri.
The Senate General Laws
committee also discussed a measure that would outlaw any federal
attempts to regulate firearms in Missouri.
The committee hasn’t
acted on either measure, and both appear unlikely to have much chance
at becoming law. But they both touch on some of the hottest
ideological issues in the nation right now.
“They should call that
the Tea Party Committee,” Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, a
committee member, scoffed as she left the hearing. .......No one gave
verbal testimony against either bill. Nasheed, the St. Louis
Democrat, later predicted that both were dead on arrival.
Part I-k: USA
CAIR Welcomes S.C.
Jail's New Policy Allowing Hijab
cair.com
March 14, 2013
(WASHINGTON, D.C.,
3/14/13) -- The nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy
organization today welcomed a decision by a South Carolina jail to
allow female inmates to wear religious head coverings, called
"hijab."
The Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) made the request for a
policy change following a complaint from a Muslim woman who was taken
into custody on December 31, 2012, and was allegedly told to remove
her hijab so she could have her booking photograph taken. The booking
officer reportedly disregarded the woman's religious concerns and
"intimidated" her into removing her scarf in the presence
of a male officer. The Muslim inmate's husband was allegedly informed
that "all Muslim women take off their scarves" when in
custody.
In a letter to CAIR,
Ronaldo D. Myers, director of the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in
Columbia, S.C., wrote:
"As requested,
we have reviewed and updated our policies to ensure clarity with our
staff on the processing and searching of female detainees of the
Muslim faith, and specifically have exempted the wearing of religious
headwear from our facility's 'Prohibited Acts' policy."
"We welcome the
detention center's decision to allow detainees to exercise their
constitutionally-protected religious freedom," said CAIR
National Legal Director Nadhira Al-Khalili. "We have recently
received reports of denial of religious rights at correctional
institutions in other states and are working to achieve similarly
positive resolutions in those cases."
She said CAIR offers
an educational toolkit, called "A Correctional Institution's
Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," to help correctional
officers gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.
Earlier this year, the
CAIR's Washington state chapter welcomed a new policy in King County
that permits hijab in all jails and courthouses.
Part I-l: Kuwait
Kuwaiti woman offers
to adopt 'lost' boy Join our daily free Newsletter
MENAFN
Arab Times – March
13, 2013
(MENAFN - Arab Times) A
Kuwaiti woman who is believed to be in her 50s has reportedly offered
to adopt the three-year-old boy who was abandoned by his mother in
the Entertainment Park in Hawalli because the man with whom she had
an affair refuses to accept the boy, reports Al-Rai daily.
The woman has promised
to raise the boy and take good care of him. The woman also said she
is surprised at the silence of the concerned organizations and human
rights bodies.
Part II:
INTERFAITH
GOODWILL:
(ED
NOTE:
We
strongly believe and support in inter-faith relations. We must reach
out to our fellow brothers and sisters of humanity from the religions
of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism etc. Holy Quran clearly
states that: “Mankind is but one Community”. In below article, we
appreciate the Second Reformed Church to offer a place for Muslims to
go for their Friday prayers. In the subsequent article, we also
appreciate the Muslims in Bradford (UK) for raising funds to save
the Jewish Synagogue. We would love to see more of the same in terms
of people of one faith helping the other.)
Part II-a
Church offers Prayer
Space for Muslim community
loonwatch.com
17 Mar 2013
While the University
considers itself a diverse community, some students have felt left
out of the equation — until now.
The Second Reformed
Church, located at 100 College Ave., will now offer a place for
practicing Muslims to go for their Friday worship, Pastor Doug
Shepler said.
“The decision was a
natural outcome from the church,” he said. “The reformed church
has had a strong relationship with the Muslim community for a very
long time.”
Yusra Janajri, a School
of Arts and Sciences junior, said up until now, practicing Muslims
have had to pray in some uncommon places.
“As someone who tries
to find a place to pray — usually facing a stray wall, a doorway or
sometimes a bathroom — it is difficult,” she said. “This makes
things a lot easier for us.”
Saad Kahn, a School of
Arts and Sciences junior, said the idea to go to the church was
suggested while he was talking with a friend at a New Jersey Dream
Act Coalition meeting.
Kahn said some of the
major Muslim groups on campus, including the Muslim Student
Association and the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University,
came together to discuss the idea.
The
Muslim community’s use of the church has three goals, Kahn said.
“The
first prayer space, is going to be fulfilled by being able to use the
church,” Kahn said. “Next we need to bring the Muslim community
together, then finally we will need to sustain a space for the long
term.”
The
Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, a nonprofit
organization, works for the rights of the Muslim community at the
University, Kahn said. Their vision has been focused on finding a
place to pray.
He
said the Muslim community is going to have their first major prayer
kickoff at the church on Friday, March 15 at 1:15 p.m. The Muslim
community will be allowed to use the space provided to pray every
week on Friday for Salat al Juma, the Friday prayer.
Ibaad
Sadiq, a School of Engineering junior, said the prayer would be
welcome to all students, not just practicing Muslims.
“Anyone
who is interested in seeing the Friday prayer is welcome to come
out,” he said.
Shepler
said he hopes the decision to open the church’s doors to the Muslim
community will make them feel comfortable and at home on campus.
“I
hope it gives the Muslim community a sense of acceptance,” he said.
“They may have felt threatened, uncomfortable or unsafe before. We
wanted to give them a safe place for spiritual practice now.”
Abdul
Rehman Kahn, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said this decision
is a great representation of diversity on campus.
“This
is what interfaith is all about, helping another group,” he said.
“Helping another group thrive when they are at their weakest.”
Janajri
said she is relieved to have a place to pray and worship without
being in a random stairwell or bothering people.
Maha
Zayed, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said she thinks the idea
is a step in the right direction as well. She feels this will be a
great unifying experience for both the church and the Muslim
community.
“We
have been working for a place to be able to pray, and for [the
pastor] to open his doors and let us in every Friday, it really
promotes co-existence,” she said.
Part II-b:
British Muslims Save
Jewish Synagogue
(OnIslam)
12 Mar 2013
BRADFORD – Extending
their hands to their Jewish neighbors to save their worship place,
Muslims in the northern British city of Bradford are rallying efforts
to raise funds for preserving the last remaining synagogue in the
city.
“In Bradford we are
working hard to bring people of different faiths together, and to
support one another as good neighbors,” Zulfi Karim, secretary of
Bradford Council for Mosques, told Telegraph & Argus.
The umbrella group said
it would raise funds for local authorities to help renovate the
Bradford Reform Synagogue, the last remaining Jewish worship place in
the city.
“We are delighted by
the way people have rallied to save the Bradford Synagogue, which is
not only a work of art in itself, but represents so much in the way
of Bradford’s heritage, faith and culture,” said Karim.
Built in 1880, the
Jewish synagogue stands as an example of Moorish Victorian
Architecture.The synagogue is still
used for Shabbat and major festivals although the community is small
and has been in decline for years.
The Muslim help has
won praise from Jewish leaders in Bradford.
“The contribution of
immigrants to this region has been outstanding, and the current wave
has followed in that tradition of mutual help, communal involvement
and harmony,” said Rudi Leavor, chair of the Bradford Synagogue.
“We are all working
together to save the synagogue with the help of the local authority.”
Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.5 million.
The majority of the multi-ethnic minority has Indian, Bengali and
Pakistani backgrounds.
PART III:
UGLY HEAD OF
EXTREMISM, RACISM & INJUSTICE RAISES ITS HEAD YET AGAIN:
(ED
NOTE:
Our
heart goes out to all the victims including Christians in Pakistan
and Sudan and Muslims in various countries that have been discriminated, hurt,
injured or killed, lost their property etc all because of
initiatives taken by extremists and other prejudiced & anti-peace elements. We also appreciate the team of the newspaper YUMA SUN for making a bold decision to disable commenting on a story pertaining to a Mosque after those
sharing their thoughts turned to hate speech to get their message
across.).
PART III-a:
CAIR Condemns
Anti-Christian Violence in Pakistan
www.cair.com
12 March 2013
(WASHINGTON,
D.C., 3/12/2013) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR),
the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization,
today condemned anti-Christian violence in Pakistan, which this week
has included a church being burned and a number of people being
forced to flee their homes.
One
incident included an attack on a Christian neighborhood after a
report that the Prophet Muhammad had been defamed.
In
a statement CAIR said:
“Violence
and vandalism have no place in Islamic behavior. We condemn the
recent violence targeting the Christian community in Pakistan. If we
wish to honor the Prophet Muhammad -- peace be upon him -- we should
follow his example of forgiveness and not retaliating to alleged
insults.
“As
the Quran, Islam's revealed text, states: 'Had not God repelled some
people by the might of others, the monasteries, churches, synagogues,
and mosques in which God's praise is celebrated daily, would have
been utterly demolished. God will certainly help those who help His
cause.'" (The Holy Quran, 22:40)
CAIR
recently sent a letter to Pakistan's ambassador in Washington, D.C.,
to condemn a deadly bomb attack in that nation and to offer support
for efforts to promote pluralism.
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.
Part III-b:
Anti-Muslim
Discrimination ‘too common’ in Sweden
Loonwatch.com
(condensed version)
13 Mar 2013
Swedish
Muslims have slammed the government for failing to combat
discrimination, submitting a report to the UN with a list of proposed
measures, such as setting up an inquiry into the abuse of Somali
migrants in the tiny town of Forserum.
“Forserum
really showed what proportions Islamophobia as well as Afrophobia can
take when an entire town looks on as people have their human rights
violated,” Kitimbwa Sabuni told The Local on Friday.
Sabuni
edited the report submitted to the UN’s Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) by the Network of Swedish
Muslims (Nätverket Svenska Muslimer i Samarbete), a cooperation of
several different associations, in which representatives said Sweden
was failing to tackle discrimination against Muslims.
The
report estimated there are 350,000 Muslim Swedes, making it one of
Sweden’s biggest minorities.
It
asked the government to order an inquiry into how local authorities
failed to help Somali migrants, some of whom were too afraid to let
their children go to school after suffering verbal and physical
abuse.
“Not everyone partook
in the abuse, but many silently witnessed it and the authorities were
passive,” Sabuni said.
The report also urged
research into prejudices that ethnic Swedes who convert to Islam
face, in many cases from their own families. ”We’re talking not
only about excommunication, but also threats and violence that many
converts tell us about,” Sabuni said.
In another case cited
in the report, a Swedish woman who became pregnant with her partner
of Middle Eastern origin was beaten by her family. “They told her
they would ‘rip the Arab out of her belly’ among other threats,”
Sabuni said. “These are examples of honour crimes in ethnic Swedish
families, even though the term ‘honour crime’ is usually reserved
to people of non-Swedish origin.”
It also mentioned
housing segregation as a problem that could in part be solved by
allowing Islamic banking, which forbids interest rates, which could
unlock flat and house ownership for many Swedish Muslims.
The report also
addressed how Muslims were represented by the Swedish media, urging
that greater attention be paid to how Swedish news channels report on
matters pertaining to the minority community.
As
an example, Sabuni referred to Sverges Television (SVT) debate
programme Debatt on Thursday night featuring the topic “Repression
of women among Muslims”. “What kind of headline is that? And it’s
on public service television,” he said. “As though women’s lack
of access to education and not being able to support themselves
wasn’t a problem in Sweden and other western European countries
only 50 years ago, and that economic and social development weren’t
the keys, rather than religion, to their emancipation.”
Ann Törnkvist
Part III-c
District Attorney, Board
President Chiu, and City Leaders Denounce Islamophobia
SFBA-Presser
12 March 2013
(SAN
FRANCISCO, CA, 03/12/2013)
Yesterday,
the Asian Law Caucus, the Council on American-Islamic Relations San
Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA) and members of the American Muslim
community joined San Francisco city leaders to condemn Islamophobia
and the newest round of anti-Muslim hate ads placed on MUNI buses.
District Attorney George Gascón, Board of Supervisors President
David Chiu, and Supervisors John Avalos, London Breed, Malia Cohen,
Jane Kim, Scott Wiener, Norman Yee held a press conference to
denounce Islamophobic and racist advertisements by the American
Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) scheduled to run on MUNI buses
beginning yesterday morning.
District
Attorney George Gascón said: "When any community in San
Francisco is attacked, it affects all of us. I and the city leaders
standing with me today are exercising our speech rights in condemning
these ads and standing with the Arab and Muslim communities of San
Francisco."
"Hate
has no place in our City," said Mayor Ed Lee. "San
Francisco is a city that celebrates its diversity and hateful speech
and discrimination against our Arab and Muslim communities will never
be tolerated."
Board
President David Chiu said: "As a former civil rights attorney,
I'm proud to stand with our Arab and Muslim American families to send
a united message that San Francisco embraces diversity and tolerance,
not hate and bigotry."
"San
Francisco leaders have responded to these hateful advertisements: our
city respects free speech, but stands with our Arab and Muslim
communities in condemning Islamophobia and racist speech," said
Nasrina Bargzie, Staff Attorney at Asian Law Caucus.
"Our
city officials have truly shown leadership in standing up to
bigotry," said Zahra Billoo, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director.
"Today, we are sending a strong message to the world about what
it means for a society to commit to inclusiveness and equality."
AFDI's founder Pamela
Geller has been designated an anti-Muslim hate extremist by the
Southern Poverty Law Center. In August of 2012, San Franciscans were
outraged over AFDI advertisements on MUNI that referred to Arabs and
Muslims as "savages." Around the same time period during
which this first round of advertisements circulated on MUNI buses,
Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern and South Asian communities experienced
10 high profile incidents of hate violence across the country
including arson, vandalism and attacks targeting individuals. Arab
and Muslim community leaders say the new advertisements are even more
offensive as they wrongly suggest that all Muslims are defined by
extremism and violence, and baselessly target Arab and Muslim San
Franciscans who make invaluable contributions to the city's life and
culture.
The Asian Law Caucus was
founded in 1972 as the nation's first legal and civil rights Asian
American organization. Recognizing that social, economic, political
and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, ALC
is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors
of our society, with a specific focus directed toward addressing the
needs of low-income, immigrant and underserved Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders. The Asian Law Caucus is a member of the Asian
American Center for Advancing Justice.
Part III-d
Newspaper will not
Tolerate Hate Speech
(www.yumasun.com)
March 11, 2013
We made an unusual
decision to disable commenting on a story this week, after those
sharing their thoughts turned to hate speech to get their message
across.
The Yuma Sun recently
published an article about the mosque in Yuma, which is opening its
doors to the public for the first time this Saturday. The article
noted that the center wanted to invite Yumans to learn more about
Islam and the local Muslims.
The response by several
online was terribly inappropriate.
We are firm supporters
of free speech and in general do not moderate the comments on
YumaSun.com. However, the attacks on our local Muslim American
population were uncalled for, and the complaints we received about
the comments were justified.
The Center for American
Progress took a look at the myths surrounding Muslim Americans.
Here's what they
found in a Gallup poll in 2011:
• Muslim Americans
are the least likely of all major religious groups to say that
attacks on civilians are justifiable.
•
More than 9 out of 10
Muslim Americans say they are loyal to the United States.
•
Muslim Americans who
attend religious services at least once a week have higher levels of
civic engagement and report less stress and anger than those who
attend less frequently.
•
48 percent have
experienced religious or racial discrimination during the past year –
more than twice as much as other religious groups, except for
Mormons, which was at 31 percent.
•
92 percent of Muslim
Americans expressed tolerance and/or positive views of other faiths
Our
country was founded on a variety of principles, including freedom of
religion, which rightfully includes any and all religions.
Islamophobic rants by YumaSun.com commenters serve only to hurt a
population in Yuma which has done nothing to deserve that treatment.
Hate
speech is protected in the United States under our First Amendment
rights, but we as an entity don't have to allow it on our public
forums, nor will we. It won't be tolerated – either in print or
online.
Part III-e
loonwatch.com
(Guardian)
Muslim Helpline Reveals
Majority of Faith Attacks on Women
10 Mar 2013
(condensed version)
Some harrowing news
in light of the recently passed International Women’s Day. Muslim
helpline reveals majority of faith attacks on women
The majority of Muslims
physically attacked, harassed or intimidated because of their faith
are women, according to the first results from the UK’s official
helpline for victims of Islamophobia.
More than 630 incidents
were logged during the first 12 months of the helpline, launched in
an attempt to quantify the scale and nature of anti-Muslim violence
in Britain.
Some of the most
egregious attacks recorded include a family being forced from their
Nottinghamshire home, a five-year-old girl knocked over by a
hit-and-run driver and a Somali lady who had dog faeces placed on her
head by a white man while shopping in south London.
The attacks, collated by
the helpline, Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks), show that
Muslim women were targeted in 58% of all incidents.
Part III-f
Sudan: 'Sudan Security
Systematically Targeting Nuba Christians' – Report
Radio Dabanga
(Hilversum)
14 March 2013
(condensed version)
South
Kordofan — "According to HUDO's observation, it is clear that
the systematic campaign of the government [of Sudan] is part of a
plan targeting the native Nubians. Even the timing is arranged to
destroy all institutions that gather Nubians either religious or
social as the beginning of implementing the Univision (single Islamic
Arabian), denial of Nubian Christians' religion rights and Nuba
people's rights to practice their culture or social activities.
Part III-g
Christians told,
‘Protest again and you will die!’
By
Shamim Masih
(condensed version)
HUNDREDS
of Pakistani Christians became homeless in Badami Bagh, Lahore, on
Saturday, March 9 after an attack by a mob of 3000 fanatics. Two
hundred homes in the Joseph Colony were turned to ashes and poor
Christians of the neighbourhood are now living in the streets,
desperate for food and other needs. Their children cannot attend
school or college due to the destruction and fear. Many residents
have expressed great dismay and sorrow, and depression is seeping
through the entire community.
Stemming the
proliferation of RAT tools is an impossibility — there are too many
and “source code is in the wild.” But, advises Ars Technica,
there are some basic precautions one can take to avoid ratter slavery
(which largely boil down to “avoiding dodgy stuff”):
Use a solid anti-malware
program, keep your operating system updated, and make sure plugins
(especially Flash and Java) aren’t out of date. Don’t visit
dodgy forums or buy dodgy items, don’t click dodgy attachments in
e-mail, and don’t download dodgy torrents. Such steps won’t stop
every attack, but they will foil many casual users looking to add a
few more slaves to their collections.
PART IV:
UNFORTUNATELY
HARASSMENT TOWARDS WOMEN CONTINUES TO BE A UNIVERSAL TREND:
"May I Shake
Your Boob?" Creepy Boss's Alleged Sexual Harassment
March 12, 2013
Corporate
Accountability and WorkPlace
Courthouse News / By
Barbara Wallace
A California woman is
suing her boss for sexual harassment.
ROSEVILLE, Calif. (CN) -
It wasn't funny when her boss shook her boob as though he were
shaking her hand, it was sexual harassment, a woman claims in court.
Shannon Creek sued Labor
Ready Southwest, True Blue, and Mark Perry, in Placer County Court.
Creek says she was a
branch manager for the corporate defendants, both temporary staffing
firms, and Perry was the area sales manager.
She
claims Perry harassed her repeatedly with comments such as, "God,
your boobs look big today," and other "inappropriate
comments and compliments upon her figure."
The
limit came when Perry came to her home with another manager to pick
up a vase she was giving to a co-worker, Creek says.
"While
Mr. Perry and Ms. Creek stood outside (with Ms. Creek's daughter
present), Mr. Perry placed a small bottle of water in the cleavage of
Ms. Creek's breasts. Ms. Creek said, 'what the heck,' whereupon Mr.
Perry laughed, removed the water bottle with one hand, and touched
and shook one of Ms. Creek's breasts with the other," the
complaint states. "Ms. Creek was shocked and highly offended,
particularly in light of the fact that her teen-age daughter was
present." (Parentheses in complaint.)
Creek
seeks punitive damages for sexual harassment, failure to prevent
harassment, and civil rights violations. She is represented by Robert
Wasserman with Mayall Hurley, of Stockton.
THE END
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