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Executive Editor: Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Chronology of Islam in America (2018)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
June 2018
Muslims in America: Public Perceptions in the Trump Era
June: “Muslims in America: Public Perceptions in the Trump Era” is the title of a study conducted by John Sides and Dalia Mogahed. According to the report, released in June 2018, Americans view many Muslims in the United States as insufficiently “American.” In fact, almost 20 percent of Americans would deny Muslims who are American citizens the right to vote. However, the negative perceptions of Muslim Americans do not match what Muslim Americans themselves believe. For example, large majorities of Muslim Americans express patriotic sentiments. The 2016 presidential campaign and the first year of the Trump administration brought a renewed focus on Muslim populations both inside and outside the United States. As a candidate, President Trump suggested that large numbers of Syrian refugees were terrorists and falsely claimed that thousands of Muslims in New Jersey cheered the Sept. 11 attacks. He proposed a national database to register Muslims, enhanced surveillance of mosques in the United States, and a ban on Muslims entering the United States. Nevertheless, as president, Trump has sought to carry out many of these policies — seeking to impose restrictions on refugees coming to the United States and on travelers to the U.S. from certain Muslim-majority countries. A Department of Homeland Security proposal called for long-term surveillance of Muslims in the United States who fit a certain demographic profile.
More recently, however, Trump’s selection of John Bolton for National Security Advisor and nomination of Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State attracted fresh concern because of Bolton’s and Pompeo’s previous statements about Muslims. A recently published investigation by two Buzzfeed reporters also identified many state and local policymakers, mostly Republicans, who have also made harsh comments about Muslims. Unfavorable views of Muslim Americans are more prevalent among Republicans and conservatives, as well as among people with a more circumscribed view of American identity — such as those who believe that being Christian is important to being American, or those who believe that ethnic diversity is harming the United States. Less favorable views of Muslims are also tied to less favorable views of many other minority groups, demonstrating how prejudicial feelings are part of a broader “syndrome” that includes not only Muslims but also Jews, black people, Hispanics, and gays and lesbians. Finally, there is substantial support for policies targeting Muslims — including restrictions on travel to the U.S. from Muslim-majority countries, surveillance of mosques in the U.S., and screenings at airports. Nearly one-in-five Americans would even deny Muslims who are U.S. citizens the right to vote. The civil rights and liberties of Muslim Americans have a tenuous status in American public opinion. Thus, the social equality of Muslims faces significant hurdles. These hurdles will be even harder to overcome given our present political discourse, when harsh characterizations of Muslims come not only from the fringes of American political life, but from elected officeholders at all levels of government. [Voters Study Group]
California family in shock after ICE arrests dad with legal status
June 13: Arleta, California, resident Jose Luis Garcíawent outside to enjoy his morning cup of coffee and to water his lawn. He had no idea his morning was about be turned upside down by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents waiting to arrest him. It’s a worry that hadn’t crossed his mind in the first place, as an immigrant with legal status: The arrest came as a shock to the 32-year-old [daughter Natalie] Garcia, who said that her father is a law-abiding, legal permanent resident who came to the United States nearly 50 years ago when he was 13-years-old. According to Natalie, ICE is targeting her dad over a domestic violence dispute from nearly 20 years ago, a case they thought was closed after he completed anger management classes and probation. But no one seems to be safe from Donald Trump’s ethnic cleansing campaign, now that his federal immigration agents are unleashed. [Daily Kos]
Austria closes mosques and deports imams
June 14: The right-wing conservative government in Austria is closing seven mosques and deporting up to 60 Turkish imams. The measure is a fundamental attack on the freedom of religion and expression and serves to stir up anti-Islamic and xenophobic sentiments. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (Austrian Peoples Party, ÖVP), his deputy Heinz-Christian Strache (Austrian Freedom Party, FPÖ) as well as two other ministers announced the measures in person in Vienna at a press conference. The government of Kurz’s right-wing conservative ÖVP and the far-right FPÖ justified the closure of the mosques with violations of Austria’s “Islam Act.” The government's action shows that it has now completely adopted the far-right program of the FPÖ. The basis of the measures is the so-called Islam Act. The Muslim clerics are accused of violating the ban on foreign financing. The government is focusing on the “Turkish-Islamic Union for Cultural and Social Cooperation in Austria” (ATIB), an umbrella organization that represents over 60 Islamic associations in Austria with more than 100,000 members. It belongs to the Turkish religious authority Diyanet and thus stands under the control of the Turkish government. The supposed reason for the charge against the association is that it does not work towards “integration” and builds “parallel societies.” The undemocratic nature of this accusation is shown by a comparison with the Catholic Church, which is dependent on a “foreign power” (the Vatican) to a much greater degree than is the case with ATIB with regard to Turkey. The same accusation could even be leveled against Jewish communities that have relations with the Israeli government. With the attacks on Muslims, the government’s right-wing course has reached a new stage. The government is making it clear that the closure of the mosques and the expulsion of the imams was just the beginning. Chancellor Kurz has threatened that there will be “zero tolerance,” and even mooted the dissolution of ATIB. Vice-Chancellor Strache (FPÖ) said, “We are just beginning.” Kurz and Strache have been ruling since last December. The crackdown on Muslims is part of a systematic attack on refugees and migrants. During the election campaign last year, they demanded harsher immigration controls, the swift removal of rejected asylum seekers, and taking up the fight against radical Islam. [By Markus Salzmann – www.wsws.org]
Giving a pass to Anti-Muslim bigotry
June 18: Arnold R. Isaacs, Maryland-based journalist and writer, says Islamophobia has entered the government. It is incorporated into the law, and becomes increasingly acceptable in America. Views like white nationalist Richard B. Spencer's ("This country does belong to white people, culturally, politically, socially, everything. We defined what America is") and alt-right sympathizer Kevin MacDonald's ("Given Jewish influence over the political process... it is vitally important for those of us attempting to reverse White dispossession to understand this, to call attention to it, and to combat it") certainly have a following, but are broadly seen as inconsistent with mainstream American values and beyond the borders of acceptable public discourse. When Muslims are the target of bigotry, however, the reaction is quite different. Evidence of that double standard abounds. Consider Brigitte Gabriel, not quite a household name but a leading voice in the Islamophobic choir. Gabriel, whose organization ACT for America is one of the most active and visible anti-Muslim groups in this country, has maintained longstanding and warm relations with various high-ranking political figures, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In rhetoric that is very similar in tone and logic to that of the white nationalists, Gabriel argues that the people she disparages are not true Americans: "A practicing Muslim who believes the word of the Koran to be the word of Allah, who abides by Islam, who goes to mosque and prays every Friday, who prays five times a day -- this practicing Muslim, who believes in the teachings of the Koran, cannot be a loyal citizen to the United States of America." In the last decade, at the conservative end of the American political spectrum anti-Muslim activists have become, as The Atlantic's Peter Beinart has written, "a legitimate constituency group, like people who support gun rights or oppose abortion." In fact, that description applies more broadly. Not just on the political right but in mainstream news coverage and in the political world generally, Islamophobes are criticized but are typically not treated as beyond the pale in the same way as anti-Semites or white supremacists would be. An Imaginary Menace: The imaginary sharia conspiracy, to take just one example, is completely at odds with both facts and common sense. Beyond any possible dispute, the sharia conspiracy is a fabrication, an imaginary threat conjured up to stoke public fear and hostility toward Muslims. No responsible official or opinion maker should give it any legitimacy. Yet, as the news agency Middle East Eye recently disclosed, it is presented as a real issue on the quintessentially establishment platform of President Trump's official campaign fund-raising website. A survey on the site, titled "Listening to America 2018," asks for visitors' views on a number of issues including, in question 27, "Are you concerned by the potential spread of sharia law?" Given the continuing well-funded campaigns by the Islamophobes and continuing support from their enablers in the Trump administration, starting with the president himself, it seems unlikely that this trend will be reversed any time soon. [OpEd News]
1 in 4 Muslim women in NY have been pushed on a subway platform while wearing a hijab
June 19: Muslims and other religious minorities in New York have experienced widespread bias, discrimination and harassment -- including physical assault -- in recent years, a new survey finds. Most of the respondents said they did not report the incidents to police or other authorities because they were afraid or suspected they wouldn't be taken seriously. The report, released today by the city's Commission on Human Rights, summarizes responses from 3,100 Muslim, Arab, South Asian, Jewish and Sikh New Yorkers. They described incidents between July 2016 and late 2017. For example, 27 percent of Muslim Arab women who wear a hijab said they have been pushed on a subway platform, the commission reported. "No one in New York City has permission to discriminate against or harass others because of who they are, where they pray, or what country they come from." said Carmelyn P. Malalis, the commission's chairperson. "The NYC Commission on Human Rights takes bias-motivated incidents very seriously and we are dedicated to combating them." Key findings: Harassment, vandalism, assault: Among the report's findings: a. Almost 2 in 5 (38.7%) told of verbal harassment. b. Some 8.8% reported physical assault c. Almost 1 in 6 (16.6%) said they experienced racial, religious or ethnic discrimination at work or while seeking a job d. Sikhs under 35 were verbally harassed almost twice as often as others surveyed e. Eighty percent of Jewish respondents said they were "very" or "somewhat" bothered by anti-Semitic vandalism or property damage. [CNN]
Senate adopts a resolution recognizing rights and contributions of American Muslims
June 20: The Senate today adopted a resolution recognizing the rights and liberties granted to people of all faiths in the United States, including American Muslims, and the many valuable contributions Muslims have made to the nation throughout its history. The resolution was sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), titled “Recognizing the freedom of Muslims of the United States to exercise their religion and participate in the civil systems of their country.” The resolution specifically raises awareness about the millions of American Muslim, who as a community, have contributed to the nation by serving “in the Armed Forces of the United States for generations,” and as “scientists,” “inventors,” “athletes,” “entrepreneurs,” “Members of Congress,” “Ambassadors of the United States,” “business owners, firefighters, police officers, physicians, laborers, service workers, and teachers.” A similar resolution awaits consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives, H. Res. 869, titled “Recognizing American Muslims' history and contributions to our Nation,” introduced by Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) and co-sponsored by 25 members of Congress. H. Res. 869 was introduced just days before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and recounts the history of American Muslims from the earliest arrivals brought here as slaves through their contributions in the military, architecture, sciences, sports, civil rights, and more. [Media Reports]
West Virginia father sues daughter's school after she was learning about Islam
June 20: A West Virginia father is suing his daughter's school after he believes she was given an assignment that went against his religious beliefs. The Thomas More Law Center announced that they will represent Richard Penkoski against Mountain Ridge Middle School. Penkoski's daughter is a 7th grader at Mountain Ridge and was recently given an assignment where she had to learn about the Islamic Religion. Penkoski, who is an evangelist and hosts an online Christian ministry, claims that the teacher dedicated more time on Islam than any other religion. Berkeley County officials released a statement on June 6th saying "tolerance and respect for differences should be the result of studying the historic background, and perspectives of varying cultures and religion." [WDVM-TV]
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