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Executive Editor: Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Chronology of Islam in America (2016)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
February 2016
Dakota County (Minnesota) judge rules in favor of Islamic cemetery
Feb 1: An Islamic cemetery will be allowed in Castle Rock Township after a Dakota County judge ruled that the township's efforts to block it were "arbitrary and capricious." District Judge David Knutson granted a summary judgment last week that forces the Castle Rock Township board to issue a conditional-use permit for the cemetery, which would be built on 73 acres owned by the Al Maghfirah Cemetery Association. Castle Rock Township's zoning rules initially allowed for the cemetery to be built, and the local Planning Commission voted unanimously in June 2014 to recommend that the board approve it. But in August, the board denied the application after raising concerns about lost tax revenue, exclusion of non-Muslims from burial and fears that the property wouldn't be maintained. [Star Tribune]
Flyers circulating in Palos Park, Illinois, fighting new mosque
Feb 2: There's opposition in the southwest suburbs of Palos Park, Illinois, to a plan to turn an old church into a mosque. A flyer is being circulated against the proposal to open a mosque in Palos Park. The church building has been zoned under a special-use permit as a house of worship for more than 50 years. But by this summer, it is expected to house a Muslim group who will reportedly use it for daily prayer sessions. There is a growing Muslim population in the south and west suburbs. And they generally pray five times a day at a mosque. But some residents apparently don't like the religion moving in. Someone has been anonymously putting flyers into area mailboxes containing warnings about the mosque, that it will bring "-Large amounts of traffic...Large Muslim families moving in.....Women wearing burkas..... People will move out.....property values will decrease." "I thought, First Amendment... free to worship whatever religion you choose," said Dean Koldenhoven, former Palos Heights mayor. Koldenhoven understands the controversy better than most. He was mayor of Palos Heights 15 years ago when he defended a Muslim group that wanted to open a mosque in the community. They eventually pulled out because of community opposition. The organization that owns the church property needs no permits nor permission from the village to operate a church. It's unclear how opponents could prevent it. [ABC7Chicago]
USCMO announces the Washington Declaration
Feb 3: The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) organized the 1st International Conference of Muslim Councils in the West - a major initiative for Muslims in Western nations - in Washington, D.C., February 1-3 in Arlington, Va. This conference was the first of its kind to bring Muslim leaders around the world together to exchange experiences and to discuss common issues of concern to our communities. A conference of this scale, uniting the voices of Muslims across the Western Hemisphere and world, is vital to our continued growth and development as a global community. The 200 attendees included representatives from Muslim Councils and their member organizations from North America, South America, the Caribbean, Australia, and the Europe. International representatives presented reports on Muslims in their respective countries. Conference discussions focused on (1)Identifying and developing strategic priorities for the Muslim communities in the West, (2) Exchanging ideas and developing strategies to address the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry in the West, (3) Developing ways with which to challenge and counteract the problem of violent extremism in all its forms, (4) Enhancing the integration and positive contributions of Muslim communities in the societies in which they live, (5) Developing strategies for the resettlement of the new waves of refugees and exchanging experiences and resources. Founding members of USCMO: American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), The Mosque Cares (Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed). [CAIR]
NH GOP Rep: Giving public assistance to Muslims is 'treason'!
Feb 3: A Republican state representative in New Hampshire today submitted testimony to a state House committee hearing arguing that giving public assistance to Muslims amounts to treason. State Rep. Ken Weyler submitted the testimony for a hearing on a bill he co-sponsored that would prohibit "any member of a foreign terrorist organization from receiving public assistance, medical assistance, or food stamps." But Weyler's testimony went way farther than the bill purports to go. "Giving public benefits to any person or family that practices Islam is aiding and abetting the enemy. That is treason," Weyler wrote in his testimony, according to a copy of the testimony submitted by Weyler and provided to TPM by the state House Democrats' office. Weyler is one of 400 members in the expansive state House. In his written testimony, Weyler said that all "terrorist attacks of the last twenty years have been by Muslim fanatics" and referenced the Tsarnaev brothers. Weyler then launched into an argument that all Muslims are responsible for terrorism, charging that Islam is not a real religion. "Anyone who attends a mosque is expected to contribute. Ten percent of the contributions are labeled ‘zakat’ and are used to fund ‘jihad’ or religious war against us," Weyler continued in his written testimony. Rep. Cindy Rosenwald (D) told TPM that she was "disturbed" by Weyler's testimony. "We are not people who categorize an entire religion as our enemy," she said, adding that she hopes Weyler's view don't represent Republican leadership. In a statement, House Democratic Leader Steve Shurtleff condemned Weyler's testimony. "The outrageous claims made by Representative Weyler, including the false statement that ‘all terrorist attacks’ in the United States have been carried out by Muslims, could be the most outrageous, intolerant, hateful rhetoric that I have heard in over 12 years as a legislator," Shurtleff said in a statement. "The notion espoused by Representative Weyler that Islam is ‘intolerant and deceitful’ and ‘an ideology posing as religion,’ show that Representative Weyler has no understanding of the Islamic faith and the values of over three million American Muslims." [Talking Points Memo]
Texas Muslim Capitol Day marred by anti-Islam protesters
February 4: They came out by the hundreds from Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, mostly women and children, girls with silver-bowed shoes and pink owl backpacks. They sang the national anthem and prayed. But less than 20 feet from where the group of Texas Muslims gathered on the steps of the state Capitol in Austin, a small handful of protesters told them exactly how they felt about their visit. "We don't want you here!" shouted one. Others yelled, "Go home," "ISIS will gladly take you" and "remember 9/11." "You don't have to dress that way! Take it off!" came from a woman holding an Israeli flag. "Islam is the war on women!" Earlier in the morning, Rep. Molly White, R-Belton, commented on the gathering. "I did leave an Israeli flag on the reception desk in my office with instructions to staff to ask representatives from the Muslim community to renounce Islamic terrorist groups and publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws. We will see how long they stay in my office," she wrote on Facebook. Today’s marked the seventh annual Texas Muslim Capitol Day in Austin, when hundreds of adherents of Islam visit the Capitol to meet with lawmakers and learn about the democratic process. This year, however, is the first that's been marked by virulent anti-Islam protests, said Ruth Nasrullah, a prominent Muslim blogger from Houston who also hosted the event. "It's the First Amendment that allow us to be on the Capitol steps and them to be across the street," said Annette Lamoreaux, a Vice President on the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. "Democracy is messy." Neither the House nor Senate was in session today, and no lawmakers were on the Capitol steps. But at least seven staffers showed up "in solidarity" with Texas Muslims, including individuals from the offices of Sens. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso, Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, and Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston. "People of all faiths deserve to be treated with respect and dignity in our state's Capitol while they exercise their rights in a peaceful manner," Ellis said in a statement to the Chronicle. "We felt the need to stand in solidarity with Texas Muslims in the face of virulent hate speech and bigotry." [Houston Chronicle]
After Obama Baltimore Mosque Visit, Maryland Lawmaker's Bill Targets Mosques
Feb 4: A day after President Barack Obama visited a Baltimore mosque, a Maryland lawmaker said he is introduceing a bill that would target mosques suspected of promoting terrorism. If the bill passes, the Maryland comptroller, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, could investigate whether religious institutions, such as mosques and churches, as well as nonprofit organizations, have supported or promoted terrorism. The comptroller could take away the tax-exempt status of an organization found to have supported terrorism, WUSA-TV reported. The bill is the work of Republican Maryland state Delegate David Vogt, who said he has 24 co-sponsors for the bill, all of whom are Republicans. Work on the bill started after the November Paris terror attacks that left at least 130 people dead. [International Business Times]
Georgia man sentenced for anti-Muslim bomb 'hoax'
Feb 9: A Marietta man's 2014 bomb "hoax," designed to "prey on stereotypical fears" about Muslims, has earned him two years in prison, the U.S. attorney's office said today. Michael Sibley was sentenced to two years in prison after leaving a backpack containing two pipe bombs in Roswell's Vickery Creek Park in November 2014, according to the office of the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “He compounded the crime by preying on stereotypical fears and prejudices by making it appear the bombs were planted by a Muslim," U.S. Attorney John Horn said in a news release. On the bag containing the bombs, Sibley wrote a traditionally Muslim name, the U.S. attorney’s office said in the release. Sibley confessed to the incident and pleaded guilty in 2015 to a charge of conveying false and misleading information about a crime. In November 2014, a mother and daughter walking in Vickery Creek Park spotted the backpack, called police and the Cobb County police bomb squad was called to the scene. Inside the backpack, investigators found two inoperable pipe bombs and approximately 400 nails and screws, according to a previous AJC report. The backpack also contained an Atlanta Falcons schedule, a MARTA schedule, and two books, “The Rape of Kuwait” and “The Holy Qur’an,” to "convey threats" to other locations, officials said. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
American Muslim Community one year after the murder of three NC Muslim students
Feb 10: The Muslim American community observed today the first death anniversary of three North Carolina University Muslim students amid rising anti-Muslim bigotry and hate crimes. On February 10, 2015, Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha were brutally murdered simply because they were Muslim. A neighbor, who had expressed anti-Muslim animus in the past, fatally shot each of them in the home that newlyweds Deah and Yusor shared. Sadly, in the year since their senseless deaths, too many other people have lost their lives in communities across our country, says Farhana Khera adding: "And too many people in America have been living in fear after acts of vandalism and violence in their communities. In less than three months since the tragic attacks in Paris, we’ve seen more than 70 documented incidents of anti-Muslim hate violence." Amid mounting anti-Muslim rhetoric, President Barrack Obama visited Baltimore mosque on Feb. 3 where the President called on Americans to embrace their common humanity and reject the inexcusable political rhetoric emanating from the presidential campaign trail. It is easy to look at the dangerous pattern of anti-Muslim hate in our nation. The year 2015 was perhaps the deadliest year on record for the American Muslim community, with 63 recorded attacks on mosques till the first week of December. [AMP Report]
Judge OKs Muslim cemetery in Castle Rock Township, Minnesota
Feb 11: A Dakota County (Minnesota) district judge has cleared the way for a controversial Islamic cemetery in Castle Rock Township. Judge David L. Knutson ruled Jan. 29 that the township must issue a permit to the Al Maghfirah Cemetery Association. Knutson said the township board of supervisors’ decision last year to deny the permit was “arbitrary and capricious.” The association sued in May after the township rejected its application, claiming a loss of tax revenue and concern the property wouldn’t be maintained. In addition, the board objected that the cemetery could not be open to the public. “It’s a victory for the community and a victory for people of all different faiths,” Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Minnesota, said of Knutson’s ruling. The Al Maghfirah Cemetery Association plans to develop the first 20 acres of the 73-acre site to accommodate an estimated 35,000 burials. The association predicts the cemetery will serve Minnesota’s Islamic community’s needs for the next 200 years. While Minnesota already has two Islamic cemeteries in Roseville and Burnsville, they reportedly are nearing capacity. The Castle Rock cemetery will address a growing need as the metro Twin Cities Muslim population continues to grow, while also making Islamic burials more affordable for lower-income families, Hussein said. [Farmington Independent]
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