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Executive Editor: Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Chronology of Islam in America (2018)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
September 2018
Uzbekistan Imam sacked after urging president to lift ban on hijabs, beards
Sept 10: An Uzbek imam has been sacked after urging President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to lift a ban on personal religious symbols such as women’s hijabs and beards for men, in a case showing the limits of newly-proclaimed tolerance in the mainly Muslim country. Mirziyoyev, who came to power in 2016, has relaxed restrictions on religious freedoms as part of his campaign of liberal economic and political reforms in the former Soviet republic of 32 million. But his government stopped short of lifting a decades-long ban on religious clothes and attributes, and specifically barred female students from wearing headscarves known as hijabs in schools by a decree issued last month. [Indian Express]
Birth certificates have always been a weapon for white supremacists
Sept 11: The Trump administration’s decision to revive and expand the Bush and Obama-era practice of denying U.S. passports to Latinos born in South Texas should come as no surprise. From his assault on Barack Obama’s citizenship to his allegations that Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists to his promise to institute a Muslim ban, Donald Trump has made it abundantly clear that he believes the only true Americans are white. But long before Trump rode to prominence promoting birtherism, birth certificates were an important instrument for policing the racial boundaries of citizenship. In the Jim Crow era, states used these seemingly innocuous public records to ensure that the rights of citizenship were accessible to white Americans — and no one else. The best example of this comes from the career of Walter Plecker. Plecker, the state registrar of vital statistics in Virginia from 1912 to 1946, worked with the white-supremacist Anglo-Saxon Clubs of America to persuade the state legislature to pass the 1924 Racial Integrity Act. The act not only forbade marriage between any white person and any “colored” person, but also defined a person as white only if they had “no trace whatsoever of any blood other than Caucasian.” The law also made it a felony to falsely register a person’s race on a birth, death or marriage certificate. This law would later be overturned by the landmark 1967 Supreme Court ruling in Loving v. Virginia. But for nearly a half-century, it was the law of the land in Virginia. [Washington Post]
Study shows two-thirds of U.S. terrorism tied to right-wing extremists
Sept 12: A new terrorism database analysis shows almost two-thirds of the terror attacks in the United States last year were carried out by right-wing extremists. Researchers and journalists for the news site Quartz said they used data compiled by the Global Terrorism Database that has tabulated terrorist events around the world since 1970. The database is supported by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), affiliated with the University of Maryland. “A Quartz analysis of the database shows that almost two-thirds of terror attacks in the (United States) last year were tied to racist, anti-Muslim, homophobic, anti-Semitic, fascist, anti-government, or xenophobic motivations,” its posting says. The remaining attacks, the web site said, “were driven by left-wing ideologies … and Islamic extremism.” Globally, terrorist attacks dropped from about 17,000 in 2014 to about 11,000 in 2017, including a 40 percent decline in the Middle East, according to Quartz's analysis of the START data. But the United States has seen a recent surge in terror-related violence, with 65 attacks last year, up from six in 2006, it said. In a related post last month, Quartz said of 65 terrorism incidents last year in the United States, 37 were “tied to racist, anti-Muslim, homophobic, anti-Semitic, fascist, anti-government or xenophobic motivations.” The list includes the August 2017 incident at the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a man drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing Heather Heyer and injuring many others. The suspect, James Alex Fields, was photographed earlier that day marching with neo-Nazi hate group Vanguard America. Fields has been charged with first-degree murder and is awaiting trial in Virginia. In June, he was indicted on 30 charges of federal hate crimes related to the attack. The list also includes attacks on a gay bar in Puerto Rico, mosques in Washington, Texas, and Florida and a “vehicle decorated with Jewish iconography in New York,” the posting said. [Southern Poverty Law Center]
“Get Out the Vote” campaign in Maryland
Sept 13: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today launched an expansive statewide “Get Out the Vote” (GOTV) campaign in Maryland to promote Muslim civic participation and boost voter turnout in that state’s 2018 midterm election. CAIR’s 2018 Maryland GOTV campaign includes: (a) Organizing voter registration drives at mosques across the state. (b) Compiling the first-of-its-kind statewide voter guide produced by a Muslim organization. (c) Coordinating phone banking. (d) Offering free workshops on civic and political engagement. Earlier this month, CAIR cited the unprecedented level of civic engagement and grassroots effort displayed by more than 90 Muslim political candidates and their supporters that led to victories for many. In a recent commentary, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote: “[M]any American Muslims are rising to the occasion in cooperation with other communities–immigrant, Hispanic, African American, Sikh, Jewish – to uphold our American tradition of religious inclusion and diversity.” According to CAIR’s most recent report, the first quarter of 2018 saw a spike in prejudice against American Muslims in which government agencies were found to have instigated 31 percent of all bias incidents. A Summer 2018 report published by researchers from the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group revealed that some 20 percent of Americans support denying American Muslims their right to vote. [CAIR]
Jacksonville Man suspected of planning mosque shooting gets 5 years in prison
Sept 17: A 70-year-old man suspected of planning to carry out a mass shooting at a Jacksonville mosque was sentenced Monday to prison for an unrelated charge. The defense asked for probation and a sentence of time served, saying Bernandino Bolatete's health deteriorated significantly since his arrest in December. A federal judge denied the request and sentenced him to five years in prison. Bolatete was convicted in May after a two day trial, during which a jury was shown taped conversations he had with an undercover agent who sold him the silencer. Transcripts of the conversations with the undercover agent also show Bolatete talking about his plans to carry out a shooting at the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida, according to investigators. Investigators said Bolatete explained Muslims worship on Fridays, and he would have to shoot from the Mosque tower, as he would not be able to place a bomb at the center without being noticed. Despite the evidence, Bolatete was not charged for the statements about planning a shooting at the mosque. [News4jax.com]
Five-year prison sentence for man convicted of planning a shooting at Jacksonville Mosque
Sept 18: The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Florida) today welcomed the five-year prison sentence followed by a two-year supervised release sentence imposed on Bernandino Bolatete at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The convicted felon will be serving his sentence in federal prison after being found guilty of possessing an unregistered firearm silencer. Bolatete was not charged for hate crimes related to his recorded statement about planning a shooting at the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida. [CAIR]
Texas militia planned to assault Islamic convention participants in Houston
Sept 23: Earlier this month, a group of a few dozen armed members of the Texas Patriot Network — an extreme right organization supposedly fighting for the “true heart of Texas” — decided to protest the Islamic Society of North America’s conference in downtown Houston. The scraggly, unkempt group found themselves significantly outnumbered by counter protesters, and spent most of the day calling for convention-goers to either leave Texas or convert to Christianity. While they were largely peaceful, one Texas Patriot Network, as the Houston Chronicle reported, sprinted past a police barrier to punch a counter protester. However, new leaked chat logs show just how much violence the Texas Patriot Network was preparing for — and whom they planned on targeting. The logs, unearthed by left-wing blog It’s Going Down, reveal that Texas Patriot Network members — who were protesting alongside members of the Soldiers of Odin, a group founded by white supremacists — had planned to isolate and attack counter-protesters. Communicating via Zello, one of the Texas Patriot Network members said that “those mother f***ers are dead meat when they come out of that damn fence.” The Texas Patriot Network members also discussed how to assault counter-protesters where police couldn’t see them. (Said one, “I’m just gonna have to play this out and see if I get lucky. It depends on where the police are gonna be.”) For good measure, the Texas Patriot Network members also laced their back-and-forths with plenty of bigotry along the way, describing the day’s festivities at the conference as full of “stupid little goatfucking music.” “These leaked conversations, if authenticated, clearly indicate a coordinated plot by armed members of white supremacist and Islamophobic groups to harm innocent civilians,” CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement. “This potentially deadly plot must be investigated by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and the perpetrators brought to justice.” [Think Progress]
Federal appeals court revives challenge of no-fly list
Sept 24: The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has revived a lawsuit brought by a former Portland resident who alleged the government violated his due process rights by placing him on the no-fly list without notice. The appeals panel found that a U.S. District Court judge shouldn't have dismissed Yonas Fikre's lawsuit simply because the FBI had removed Fikre from the list while his lawsuit was pending. Fikre's removal from the no-fly list does not "completely and irrevocably eradicate the effects of the alleged violation(s)," the court wrote. Fikre, a Muslim American who had lived in Portland until 2009, contends the U.S. government placed him on the no-fly list while he was abroad to coerce him to serve as an FBI informant and provide information on the place where he worshipped, Portland's biggest Sunni mosque. Brandon Mayfield, who won a $2 million settlement against the FBI after the federal agency wrongly identified him as a suspect in the 2004 Madrid train bombings in a separate case, represented Fikre in the appeal. Fikre's entanglement with federal authorities began during a trip to Sudan in 2010. He planned to use his experience working for a cellular phone company in the U.S. to distribute and sell consumer electronic products in East Africa..... The 9th Circuit found that Fikre's removal appeared to result from a discretionary decision instead of a broad change in agency policy or procedure. The government also never repudiated the addition of Fikre to the list or why he stayed on it for about five years, the appeals court noted. "Absent an acknowledgment by the government that its investigation revealed Fikre did not belong on the list, and that he will not be returned to the list based on the currently available evidence, Fikre remains, in his own words, 'stigmatiz(ed) ... as a known or suspected terrorist and as an individual who represents a threat of engaging in or conducting a violent act of terrorism and who is operationally capable of doing so," the appeals court wrote. Mayfield praised the ruling as a "good, well-supported opinion that upholds due process." He said the appeals court understood that the FBI's pledge not to return Fikre to the list wasn't sufficient. [The Oregonian/OregonLive]
Spike in Hate Crimes Against Muslims in Connecticut
Sept 24: The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has reported that there’s a spike in hate crime against Muslims and is calling for stepped up security measures. The call comes after an envelope containing white powder and hate mail with derogatory comments about Islam were sent to a mosque in Groton. A 43-year-old man was exposed to the powder after he opened the envelope at the Islamic Center of New London at 16 Fort St, according to police. The Groton Police Department and the FBI are investigating the incident as a hate crime. “We are in contact with mosque officials and law enforcement authorities and will continue to monitor the situation,” said CAIR-Connecticut Executive Director Alicia Strong. “We advise all Connecticut mosques and other Islamic institutions to remain alert for any suspicious letters or packages. If you do receive anything suspicious notify authorities immediately and report the incident to CAIR-Connecticut.” Strong is also urging Islamic institutions to take extra security precautions using its “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” booklet. The advice in CAIR’s security publication is applicable to religious institutions of all faiths. [The Hartford Guardian]
Man pleads guilty to charges in Minnesota mosque bombing case
Sept 25: An 18-year-old Illinois man facing conspiracy and weapons allegations has pleaded guilty to the charges. Ellis Mack of Clarence entered his plea today to charges of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats and violence and unlawful possession of a machine gun. U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric Long in Urbana set sentencing for Jan. 9. As part of his plea deal, Mack agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in their cases against three other men. Prosecutors allege that Mack and the other men — Michael Hari, Michael McWhorter and Joe Morris — conspired to rob or attempt to rob Walmart stores, and attempted to extort Canadian National Railway by threatening to damage tracks if the railroad didn't pay ransom. Hari, McWhorter and Morris also are charged in Minnesota with the August 2017 bombing of the Dar al Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington. No one was injured. [Star Tribune]
Federal Court Ruling on San Diego School District's Anti-Islamophobia Initiative
Sept 25: This afternoon, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant denied a motion for preliminary injunction against the district filed by six SDUSD parents and two local organizations, Citizens for Quality Education San Diego and San Diego Asian Americans for Equality Foundation.The Court rejected plaintiffs' claims that the initiative - and a partnership with the San Diego office of CAIR(CAIR-SD) - gave Muslims students and Islam preferential treatment over other religions, in violation of the establishment clause of the Constitution. "It is simply not accurate for plaintiffs to suggest that the district excludes organizations with focuses on other religions or religious groups from the district," Judge Bashant wrote in her 54-page order. CAIR-CA, a non-party to the lawsuit, filed an amicus brief with the Court supporting opposition to the motion for preliminary injunction. The amicus brief was mentioned several times in the Court's order. Judge Bashant stated that "CAIR persuasively asserts, any benefit from these measures 'accrues to all the students at the School District by learning about the world,' including 'about the culture of a growing' segment of the Nation." "We appreciate that the Court recognized this for what it was-an attempt to further marginalize Muslims by rejecting the very idea that they can be victimized by Islamophobia," said Omar Hassaine, chair of the CAIR-CA board. "As a resident of San Diego and a parent, I am personally gratified to see the measures implemented to prevent Muslim students from being bullied will continue." [CAIR]
Hate crimes and hate incidents increase in Orange Country for 3rd year in a row
Sept 25: According to the 2017 Hate Crimes Report released by Santa Ana-based OC Human Relations, a nonprofit that partners with the county’s Human Relations Commission, 56 hate crimes and 94 hate incidents were reported countywide in 2017. In 2016, the county saw 50 hate crimes and 72 hate incidents and in 2015, 44 hate crimes and 43 hate incidents were reported. The numbers tell the story of a steady increase, which officials say is troubling. In 2017 alone, incidents involving race bias increased by 16 percent in Orange County — from 519 to 602. Hate crimes countywide ranged from vandalism where cars or park benches were covered in swastikas to violent physical attacks. In one incident, a Latino man was kicked and punched in a park along with verbal assaults denigrating his race. In another incident, an assailant tore a Muslim woman’s hijab off her head and struck her with a metal water bottle, causing bruising. That woman stopped wearing the head scarf after the attack out of fear, officials said. Muslims faced the highest number of hate crimes — 13 percent — followed by Jewish people (9 percent), while Caucasian and Native Americans were the least targeted in the county, the report stated. Muslims and those of Middle Eastern descent together accounted for 16 percent of hate crime targets in Orange County. The fear of being attacked has led to Muslim men shaving off their beards and women opting to go out in public without their head scarves, especially over the last two years when these incidents have burgeoned and created an unsafe environment for community members, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Los Angeles chapter. “Muslims are not only dealing with hate, but also discrimination in the workplace, at shopping centers and by government officials,” he said, adding that his organization has documented that 54 percent of Muslim students are bullied in California high schools because of their religion. [Orange County Register]
120+ Turn Out for CAIR-Ohio 2nd Annual Muslim Day at the State Capitol
Sept 28: Earlier this week, more than 120 Ohio Muslims took part in almost 50 meetings with lawmakers and their staff during the 2nd annual “Muslim Day at the State Capitol” event at the Ohio Statehouse hosted by that state’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio). The event focused on empowering Ohio’s American-Muslim community and advocating for fair policing practices, higher wages, and increased gun safety measures. The event’s attendance was twice as large as last year’s State Capitol Day. “This event is about empowering our community, understanding the importance of showing up and urging Ohio lawmakers to address the very serious issues of biased policing, income inequality and gun violence,” said CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator Usjid Hameed. “The fact that we doubled attendance in just one year shows how committed Ohio Muslims are to social justice. We know that we cannot sit on the sidelines while our fellow Ohioans are struggling.” Opening remarks and advocacy training were conducted by CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator Usjid Hameed. Following the training, a panel focused on leadership in service took the stage. Panelists included Ohio Black Legislative Caucus president, State Rep. Stephanie Howse, House Minority Whip, State Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes, and Columbus City Councilmember Elizabeth Brown. State Rep. David Leland addressed attendees during lunch.After lunch, the attendees, which included groups of middle school students, broke into groups to meet with nearly 50 members’ offices to advocate for: (1) SB 84 – “Prevent Biased Policing and Status Profiling” (2) HB 616 – “Prohibit Arrest and Citation Quotas” (3) HB 576/SB 277 – “Increase State Minimum Wage To $15 By 2025” (4) HB 585/SB 288 – “Revise Firearms Control Laws.” In addition, attendees urged legislators to oppose HB 228/SB 180 – “Regards Self-Defense and Handling Firearms,” a bill with a “Stand-Your-Ground” provision. The CAIR-Ohio affiliate has three chapters in Ohio – Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. [CAIR]
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