www.amperspective.com Online Magazine
Executive Editor: Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Chronology of Islam in America (2016)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
November 2016
Black church in Mississippi torched, defaced with ‘Vote Trump’ graffiti
Nov 1: A historic African-American church in Greenville, Mississippi, was burned down and vandalized with “Vote Trump” graffiti. Local and federal officials are investigating the fire as a hate crime. The Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church went up in flames around 9:15pm tonight, according to Greenville Fire Chief Ruben Brown. Nobody was injured in the blaze. The words “Vote Trump” were spray-painted on the side of the burned-out church, which was home to a congregation of 200 members. Photos of the graffiti on the burned-out church are already making the rounds on social media amid the tense pre-election atmosphere, as supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton were quick to blame Republican nominee Donald Trump’s supporters. “The animus of this election cycle combined with the potent racial history of burning black churches as a political symbol makes this event something we must not ignore,” says a GoFundMe page which has been set up to help repair the church. Greenville is a city of around 35,000 inhabitants in northwestern Mississippi, on the border with Arkansas. The vast majority of its residents are African-American. [RT]
Muslim women barred from Arkansas arcade over hijab
Nov 4: A 20-year-old UALR student says she was the victim of discrimination at a Sherwood (Arkansas) arcade tonight. Furdos Al-Ali has lived in Central Arkansas all her life but a typical Friday night out with friends ended with the UALR student being singled out. "We walked next to (Z82) Retrocade and as soon as we went in, the guy who works there said there's no headgear allowed," says Al-Ali. ''It didn't really surprise me that it happened, it happened before at other places," says Al-Ali. The arcade on Kiehl Ave in Sherwood has a sign at the entrance -saying customers will not be admitted wearing hats or headgear. This isn't the first time they've turned someone away. The owner of the arcade issued a statement saying: "We don't allow hats or headgear for security reasons" adding there are no exceptions; everyone is treated fairly by this rule. Leaving some saying it needs to change. "Religious headgear is different," says Rita Sklar, executive director of the ACLU in Arkansas. "It requires an accommodation." [www.arkansasmatters.com]
Traveling while Muslim complicates air travel
Nov 7: Passing through airport screening can be time consuming for any business traveler. But Nafees Syed, a lawyer and writer in New York, has additional obstacles. “I have to go an extra hour earlier than anybody else, because it’s not random checking,” Ms. Syed said. An American and a Muslim, Ms. Syed wears a hijab, or head covering. More often than not, she said, she is pulled aside at security checkin for secondary screenings and pat downs, the examiner feeling her head through the hijab. Ms. Syed, along with many of her American Muslim friends and Islamic rights advocates, is all too familiar with what many refer to as the stigma of traveling while Muslim. There are various ways, of course, that Muslims might draw unwanted attention from gate agents and security officials at airports, such as when a Middle Eastern or other foreign sounding name might result in being compared against nofly lists. But for followers of Islam who signal their identity through the way they dress, their clothing can sometimes feel like a red flag. Officials of the T.S.A., which conducts airport screenings, say the extra scrutiny is not a matter of focusing on religious groups but can be necessary because scanners can have trouble getting clear images under some types of clothing. But many Muslim Americans contend that, too often, they are simply targets. “Unfortunately, the global terror network created racial profiling against Muslims,” said Hilal Elver, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara and author of “The Headscarf Controversy: Secularism and Freedom of Religion.” In an email, Professor Elver said that airport screening can place a special burden on Muslim women whose religious beliefs dictate that they cover their heads or even more of their bodies. Ms. Syed, the lawyer, said her faith required her to cover her head in public. [New York Times]
CAIR report about American Muslims in the 2016 election
Oct 13: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released a report about American Muslims and the 2016 election. The report was written by Robert S. McCaw, CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department. Research for the report was conducted by Triton Polling & Research. In a press release CAIR said this report presents a detailed picture of American Muslim voter demographics and explores their views on a multitude of communal concerns and public policy issues several weeks before the 2016 presidential election. The survey results are drawn from a random sample telephone survey of 804 American Muslim registered voters. According to the survey: (1) 86% of registered Muslim voters intend to vote in this year’s presidential election. (2) 12% of Muslim voters are still undecided about who to vote for in this presidential election. (3) 72% of Muslim voters said they will vote to elect Hillary Clinton, while 4% said they will vote for Donald Trump, 3% will vote for Jill Stein, and 2% will vote for Gary Johnson. (4) The percentage of those who said they are closer to the Democratic Party remained constant, from 66% in a similar poll taken in 2012, to 67% today, after having increased from 49% in a similar poll taken in 2008. (5) Affiliation with the Republican Party remained relatively steady, 6% today, 9% in 2012 and 8% in 2008. (6) The number of respondents that said the Democratic Party was friendly toward Muslims grew from 49% in 2012 to 61% today, while those that said the Republican Party was friendly toward Muslims dropped from 12% in 2012 to 7% today. (7) 62% of respondents said that the Republican Party was unfriendly toward Muslims (compared to 51% in 2012), while 2% said that the Democratic Party was unfriendly (compared to 6% in 2012). [CAIR]
Arab American Uber Driver Called "Arab Terrorist" and "Sand N*****" on the Road
Nov 22: The land of dreams is becoming a land of racism for this Arab American who was called a “sand nigger” by a Trump supporter on the streets of Astoria. The U.S. has always been a diverse land, open to people from different nations. However, racism still exists among the most close-minded, shallow people can still surprise the country with their level of hatred and racism. Last week, a video went viral in which a white man insulted and verbally abused an Arab American motorist who was called: “sand nigger”, “Arab terrorist”, and “a loser”. The recipient kept calm, and didn’t say a word in return to the insults. Rather, he filmed the incident. The abuser showed no fear or hesitation to stop his tirade after learning that he was being recorded. The victim, Muhammed, moved to the U.S. from Morocco seven years ago. He did not record the video to report it as a hate crime and is still not sure if he will. He told the Washington Post that he recorded the incident because he was so shocked by the way this man behaved. Muhammed is an Uber driver, and after telling a client what happened that day, the client published the video to Facebook. Karim Metwaly, an Egyptian YouTube actor, posted the video, which has been shared over 60,000 times, and viewed by over a 5 million people. [Arab America]
Hate crimes against Muslims hit highest mark since 2001
Nov 14: Hate crimes against Muslims spiked last year to their highest level in more than a decade — an increase that experts and advocates say was fueled by anger over terrorist attacks and anti-Islam rhetoric on the campaign trail. Law enforcement agencies across the country reported 257 anti-Muslim incidents in 2015, up nearly 67 percent from the year before, according to FBI data released today. That is significant in its own right, but even more so in historical context. The last time the FBI recorded more than 160 anti-Muslim incidents was in 2001, when it reported 481. That was the year that militants attacked the World Trade Center, killing thousands and sparking a wave of anti-Muslim incidents. Hate crimes overall increased about 6.7 percent from 2014 to 2015, but the number of such crimes was still less than it was a decade earlier. Anti-black incidents rose by about 7.6 percent, anti-Jewish incidents rose by about 9 percent, and incidents based on sexual orientation rose by about 3.5 percent from 2014 to 2015. Before and after Trump’s election, there were reports of hateful acts across the country. The Southern Poverty Law Center, drawing on news accounts, social media postings and direct reports, said it had tallied 201 incidents of election-related harassment and intimidation as of Nov 11. [Washington Post]
As anti-Muslim attacks skyrocket, interfaith leaders demand denunciation from Trump
Nov 14: In the six days since Donald Trump claimed a victory against Hillary Clinton in their brutal battle for the White House, local interfaith leaders say Muslim-bashing has exploded nationally and locally, prompting them to call on the president-elect Monday to denounce hate attacks on Muslims and other minorities. “We’re here to affirm … that we accept the peaceful transfer of power as the result of the election,” said Jacob Bender, executive director of Philadelphia’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). “However we insist that the Trump administration respect the civil rights of all the residents of our country, notwithstanding the incendiary and bigoted statements against Muslims, Mexicans, and women made during the campaign by candidate Trump.” Leaders from the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faiths joined Bender in his call, urging followers to report anti-Muslim acts to police and to counter hate by various means. Rabbi Linda Holtzman of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Tikkun Olam Chavurah, for example, said she and others spent last weekend going door to door in West Philadelphia and other city neighborhoods to ask merchants to post fliers reading “Stop profiling Muslims” and “Standing with Muslims Against Islamophobia and Racism.” “As a Jew, I know what fear can do to a people. I know that living in terror is no way to live,” Holtzman said. Trump has been blunt in his feelings toward Muslims. He has called for the creation of a database of American Muslims, a ban on Muslim immigrants, and increased surveillance and identification cards for Muslims. Human-rights advocates say such rhetoric has helped fuel a spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes, which already were rising. Hate crimes against Muslims surged 67 percent last year over the previous year, with 257 incidents reported in 2015, compared to 154 the year before, according to the FBI. That’s the most Islamophobic incidents since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Experts attributed last year’s spike to anti-Muslim backlash from the terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California. This year is on pace to exceed that. During the three days after Election Day alone, for example, minorities reported more than 200 incidents of harassment and intimidation across the country, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. You don’t have to hunt hard to find examples of anti-Muslim hate crimes that have happened during Trump's campaign or since his election. [News Works]
ADC Demands Removal of Walid Phares and Stephen Barron as Chief Advisers for President-elect Trump
Nov 15: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is deeply concerned with President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Walid Phares and Stephen Barron as high level-advisers. These two right-wing ideologues pose serious risks to America and its values. Phares and Barron have a long history of bigotry and divisive racist ideologies. Their roles as top advisers endanger all communities of color, including Arabs and Muslims. ADC believes both Phares and Bannon should be removed from their roles as advisers immediately. A well-known sectarian propagandist and militant ideologue, Phares served as a high ranking political official in the “Lebanese Front,” The “Lebanese Front,” was a sectarian militia responsible for massacres during Lebanon’s brutal, 15-year civil war. Phares was also part of the “Guardians of Cedar,” a militia group with the slogan “Kill a Palestinian and you shall enter Heaven.” Phares joined Fox News in 2007, and often promotes Islamophobia under the guise of being a counter terrorism expert. Since being named as an adviser, contrary to longstanding U.S. policy Phares already publicly advocated and signaled major shifts in Middle East strategy, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. As Commander-in-chief, the U.S. President has supreme command over foreign policy and our military. The idea of a former sectarian militant and human rights violator having unlimited access to the President-elect regarding foreign policy matters is jarring. Stephen Bannon, the former Executive Chairman of Breitbart News, was recently named President-elect Trump’s Chief Strategist and Senior Counsel. Under his tutelage, Breitbart was identified as an alt-right media group that spews dangerous rhetoric. The announcement of his prominent role in the Trump administration was met with uproar by prominent civil rights groups, minority advocates, and a wide array of political commentators. On the other hand, his role is being celebrated by white nationalists around the country. In the past, Bannon has improperly suggested that African-Americans are “naturally aggressive and violent” and that rape culture is inherent in Arab and Islamic culture. Bannon has also made anti-Semitic comments in the past. The fact that two individuals with a well-known history of bigotry and ultra-right wing radical ideologies have the ear of the President is extremely troubling. ADC is adamant in its belief that these two individuals do not have the character or fitness to serve in our government. Their counsel and advice will have grave repercussions on our nation, both at home and abroad. [ADC]
ADC alarmed by hate crimes, threats to places of worship
Nov 15: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is alarmed by the significant rise in violent hate rhetoric and crimes targeting Arab and Muslim American communities, and communities of color. These attacks have intensified after the presidential election held last week. The recently released 2015 Hate Crimes Report shows that hate crimes have increased against Arabs and Muslims. The Southern Poverty Law Center has reported over 200 incidents of hateful harassment and intimidation since election day. The reported numbers post-election are higher than the immediate post-9/11 backlash. ADC urges community members to take all threats seriously, and work with law enforcement to protect all religious institutions, including mosques and churches during prayer services. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers a number of valuable resources which provide information on how to protect a place of worship. Much of the information provided is made available through the DHS – Hometown Security Program. If you feel you have been a victim of a hate crime, of if any individual or place of worship needs any assistance with any of the above, including dealing with law enforcement, please contact the ADC Pro Bono Legal Department at 202-244-2990 or to legal@adc.org. [ADC]
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