www.amperspective.com Online Magazine
Executive Editor: Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Chronology of Islam in America (2016)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
August 2016
CA: August is declared as 'Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month'
August 1: Taken a strong stand against a rising climate of Islamophobia in America, the California State Assembly has declared August as the 'Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month.' The Assembly today passed a resolution that declared August 2016 as Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month, as part of an effort to acknowledge the “myriad invaluable contributions of Muslim Americans in California and across the country.” The resolution (HR-59) was introduced by Assembly Member Bill Quirk and passed with bipartisan support. The sponsors of the resolution pointed out that California is home to over 240 mosques, more than any other state in the country. The resolution also decried the discrimination that Muslim Americans have had to endure in the years following the September 11 attacks. “Although the majority of Muslim Americans within California and throughout the nation strive to promote peace and understanding between all faiths, identities, and nationalities while upholding those values and principles that define the American people, they have nonetheless been forced to endure harassment, assault, and discrimination since the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and during the year 2015 alone, there were approximately 174 reported incidents of anti-Muslim violence and vandalism in the United States,” the resolution said adding: “It is therefore appropriate to acknowledge and promote awareness of the myriad invaluable contributions of Muslim Americans in California and across the country, and extend to them the respect and camaraderie every American deserves.” The text of the resolution says California is enriched by diversity and that the state is strengthened by the traditions of its people, including the contributions of those who practice the Muslim faith. "The history of Islam in this country dates back to before its founding, originating with African slaves who brought their Muslim beliefs with them to the Americas and who later contributed in numerous ways to the founding of the nation, and there are today millions of Muslim Americans, both immigrant and native-born, of diverse backgrounds and beliefs," the resolution reads. According to KCRA, the resolution simply recognizes August as Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. But the controversy is part of a larger fight in the country over the roles that Muslim Americans play in the military -- a fight in which Donald Trump has taken center stage. Trump commented about a Gold Star family, the Khans, Muslim Americans whose Army captain son was killed fighting with the U.S. military in Iraq. The father spoke to a national audience at the Democratic National Convention, but Trump later said, "If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say, you tell me." Zahra Billoo of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) said "Every time we think Donald Trump can't get worse, he continues to surprise us." “During these difficult times of increased anti-Muslim rhetoric and hate incidents, Assembly member Quirk’s resolution and recognition of Muslim Americans is uplifting for our community and immensely appreciated,” said Basim Elkarra, CAIR Sacramento Valley Executive Director. “It is truly a historic moment for all Californians.” [AMP Report]
France closed 20 mosques, prayer halls since December
August 1: French authorities have closed around 20 mosques and prayer halls considered to be preaching 'radical Islam' since December, according to the country's interior minister. He went on to promise that “there will be others.” "There is no place...in France for those who call for and incite hatred in prayer halls or in mosques, and who don't respect certain republican principles, notably equality between men and women," Bernard Cazeneuve said following a meeting with leaders of the French Council of the Muslim Religion on Monday, as quoted by AFP. "That is why I took the decision a few months ago to close mosques through the state of emergency, legal measures or administrative measures. About 20 mosques have been closed, and there will be others,” he continued. There are some 2,500 mosques and prayer halls in France. Of those, around 120 are considered to be preaching 'radical Salafism', a strict Sunni interpretation of Islam. [RT]
British Muslim woman detained under terror laws after cabin crew report her reading Syrian art book on plane
August 3: A Muslim NHS worker was detained at a UK airport and questioned under terror laws after a cabin crew member spotted her reading a Syrian culture book on board her honeymoon flight. Faizah Shaheen, who helps prevent teenage mental health patients from becoming radicalised, was returning from honeymoon in Marmaris, Turkey, when she was stopped by South Yorkshire Police at Doncaster Airport on 25 July. The 27-year-old was pulled over because a Thomson Airways cabin crew member on her outbound flight a fortnight earlier had reported her for suspicious behaviour. Police officers questioned her for 15 minutes under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act and told her the suspicions related to the holiday book she had been reading – Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline. The award-winning book by Malu Halasa is a collection of essays, short stories, poems, songs, cartoons and photographs from Syrian authors and artists. Ms Shaheen, from Leeds, said she was left angry and in tears by the experience – and with a feeling she had been discriminated because of her faith. She said she now intends to make formal complaints against the police and Thomson Airways. [Independent]
Ryan challenger seeks debate on deporting all Muslims
August 4: The Republican challenging House Speaker Paul Ryan said this week that the US should debate deporting all Muslims from the country. "I'm suggesting we have a discussion about it. That's for sure," Paul Nehlen said on 560 AM's "Morning Answer" in Chicago, when asked whether he would support deporting every Muslim from the country. "I am absolutely suggesting we figure out how do we, we -- here's what we should be doing. We should be monitoring every mosque. We should be monitoring all social media." Nehlen's longshot bid against Ryan garnered more attention this week after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump thanked him on Twitter for his support. Trump later declined to endorse Ryan, although Ryan said Thursday he still supports Trump, despite some sharp language distancing himself from the Republican nominee. In December, Trump unveiled a plan to temporarily ban Muslims from immigrating to the United States. Earlier in his interview Monday, Nehlen said he did not think that Muslims could be trusted to abide by the U.S. Constitution because of the existence of Sharia Law. Trump's views of Muslims in the US have reemerged as a campaign issue since Khizr Khan, the father of a slain US Muslim soldier, took the stage at the Democratic convention last week, and have led to turmoil inside the GOP and his own campaign. Trump aide Katrina Pierson accused Khan Wednesday of supporting Sharia law, even though Khan has specifically said he does not. [CNN]
Anonymous letter threatens attack on Charleston, SC, mosque unless Dylann Roof released
August 4: A downtown resident received an anonymous letter last month threatening an attack against a local mosque. According to an incident report from the Charleston, South Carolina) Police Department, the postcard contained a “mosque-like drawing,” white supremacist symbols, and the message “Charleston — The Sequel — Coming soon to a mosque near you onless Roff (sic) is released.” The person who contacted police first discovered the letter in her mailbox on July 11, but authorities were not notified until three weeks later, according to the incident report. The envelope containing the message did not have a return address or name written on it. The drawing on the postcard depicts what is described in the report as a mosque with the numbers 1488 written inside. These numbers are commonly used as a symbol by white supremacists. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the symbol represents a combination of two important numbers in the white supremacist movement — 14 corresponding to the “14 Words” slogan, which reads “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children,” and 88 standing for “Heil Hitler” due to the letter “H” being the eighth letter of the alphabet. Spelling errors aside, it appears the letter refers to accused Emanuel AME Church shooter Dylann Roof, threatening an attack if he is not released from police custody. Charleston Police spokesman Charles Francis says the incident is currently under investigation and the Central Mosque of Charleston has been notified of the threat. [Charleston City Paper]
Nearly 90 percent of Muslims say Islamophobia during the campaign has caused negative impact on them and their families
August 5: Mental health researchers—many of them Muslim—warn that an increasing number of America’s 3.3 (read around 7) [*] million Muslims are suffering trauma because of Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric. This campaign season has brought an unprecedented level of anti-Muslim rhetoric into presidential politics, including Trump’s call for a ban on all Muslims traveling to the United States. Most recently, Trump questioned whether Islam, and her husband Khzir Khan, forbade Ghazala Khan from speaking at the Democratic National Convention about her son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who died serving in the Iraq War. “There’s a lot of fear,” said Dr. Wahiba Abu-Ras, an associate professor of social work at Adelphi University who is studying the mental health of American Muslims. She shared preliminary results of her ongoing research with the Observer, and although the sample size of her survey is small—around 200 participants so far—the results merit concern. Eighty-nine percent of participants reported that Islamophobia during the 2016 presidential election caused “some” or “extreme” negative impact on them and their families. More than half of participants (57 percent) described their experiences as “extremely stressful” and 31 percent reported their experiences as “somewhat stressful;” six out of ten said their experiences were worse in the past month. Bias in the past had been less overt, noted Dr. Farha Abbasi, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Michigan State University and the managing editor of the Journal of Muslim Mental Health. “Up until now it was microaggressions,” said Dr. Abbasi, referring to the term for small acts of bias and casual degradation minority groups often experience. “But honestly, they aren’t microaggressions anymore,” Dr. Abbasi said. “They are ‘macroaggressions.’ ”
[*] This adjusted figure is based on the PEW survey of 2011 which initially claimed that the current population of Muslim Americans is no more than 2.75 million. Not surprisingly, it was based this calculations on its own 2007 survey that estimated the Muslim American population at 2.4 million which was closer to the estimates announced by the American Jewish Committee in October 2001. The AJC study – titled Estimating the Muslim Population in the United States – claimed that the best estimate of Muslims in the United States is 2.8 million at most, compared to the 6 or 7 million figure used by many researchers and Muslim organizations. The PEW surveys, just like the AJC report, seem to undercut the influence of American Muslims. It looks another desperate attempt to discount the role of American Muslims. Read More: Hidden agenda of Gallup Poll and PEW Institute http://www.amperspective.com/hidden-agenda-of-gallup-poll-and-pew-institute/ [Observer]
Muslim couple says they were kicked off Delta flight for using phone, saying ‘Allah’
August 7: Nazia Ali and her husband, Faisal, had recently boarded a flight bound for their home in Ohio after a trip to London and Paris, where they had celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. Unknown to them, a member of the Delta flight crew had informed the pilot that a Muslim couple in economy class had left her feeling uneasy, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The woman’s reasoning: Nazia was using a phone and wearing a headscarf, the Enquirer reported. Her husband, the crew member told the pilot, was sweating. The woman also claimed that she had heard the married couple use the word “Allah” — the Arabic word for God. The pilot informed the ground crew that he would not take off until the couple were removed from the flight, the Enquirer reported. “We had been in our seats for 45 minutes,” Nazia Ali, 34, told the Enquirer. “The ground agent said, ‘Can you step out with me? We’d like to ask you a few questions.’ So I said, ‘Do you want us to get our things?’ And he said, ‘Yes, please grab all of your personal belongings. You’re not going to be on this flight.’ ” Muslim advocates called the decision to remove the couple from the July 26 flight from Paris to Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport the latest incident of “religious profiling.” The incident occurred days after a woman returning to England after her honeymoon in Turkey was pulled from a passport line at Doncaster Sheffield Airport in South Yorkshire, according to The Washington Post’s Elise Schmelzer. Faizah Shaheen, a British psychotherapist employed by Britain’s National Health Service, said she was questioned for 15 minutes by authorities using their powers under the country’s 2000 Terrorism Act, the Guardian reported Thursday. The officers told her that a Thomson Airways attendant on a previous flight had reported her for “suspicious behavior.” Her crime? Reading a book about Syria. “I asked what was going on and they said I had been reported due to a book I was reading and was to be questioned under the Terrorism Act,” Shaheen told the Independent. [Washington Post]
Negative TV portrayals of Muslims breeds Islamaphobia
August 7: A study by Texas A&M University says 'overwhelmingly negative' depictions of Muslims in both news and entertainment TV programs 'bolster anti-Muslim attitudes of Americans, especially among Americans who have little or no contact with Muslims in their daily lives, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports. The study found a correlation between people who rely on media depictions of Muslims and having negative attitudes, versus those with direct interactions who were less likely to view Muslims negatively.
The study shows that pretty much every media depiction of Muslims today is negative, depicting Muslims in the U.S. as well as elsewhere around the world, as criminals, terrorists, and bombers, frequently depicting them as 'fanatic' and 'insane.' "Our findings show that individuals who rely on the media for information on Muslims have greater negative emotions toward Muslims and increased perceptions of Muslims as aggressive, which in turn leads to support for civil restrictions against Muslims and military actions against Muslim countries," the study concludes. The study finds that it is important for more Americans to 'step outside their comfort zones' and have regular interactions with Muslims, from attending Mosque services to making 'long term, meaningful friendships' with Muslims in the neighborhoods. "Building friendships in this manner may buffer the negative effects of media portrayals of Muslims," the study finds. It also calls on the media to 'work to improve the portrayals of Muslims by having more positive depictions.' [KG-97 San Antonio]
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