CAIR Condemns Attacks on Iraqi Pilgrims / MN Muslim Rep Joins Diplomacy Effort to Islamic World

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful


AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 3/6/07

* Hadith: A Polite Prophet
* CAIR Condemns Attacks on Iraqi Pilgrims
* Ad in Wash Post: Why is Sami Al-Arian Still in Prison?
* CAIR: MN Muslim Rep Joins Diplomacy Effort to Islamic World
* CAIR-OH Meets with British, State Officials
* CAIR-CAN: FIFA Must Take Stand on Hijab (Ottawa Citizen)
- CAIR-CAN: FIFA Hijab Ruling Deserves Red Card
* CAIR-CA: Refugees Denied Help by Patriot Act (Mercury News)
* NC: City Council Rejects Mosque Proposal (News-Argus)
* CA: Pipes Gets Silent Treatment at Cal-Poly Event

-----

HADITH OF THE DAY: A POLITE PROPHET - TOP

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) "never criticized any food (presented to him), but he would eat it if he liked it; otherwise, he would leave it (without expressing his dislike)."

Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 764

-----

CAIR CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON IRAQI PILGRIMS - TOP

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/6/07) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today condemned a series of attacks on Iraqi pilgrims that left more than 100 people dead and many more injured.

The pilgrims were heading to the city of Karbala to commemorate Arbain, the end of a 40-day mourning period since Ashura, which marks the death of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson in 680.

SEE: Attacks Kill 149 Shi'ite Pilgrims in Iraq (Reuters)

In a statement, the Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group said:

"We condemn these cowardly attacks on innocent pilgrims and demand that the perpetrators be apprehended and brought to justice. There can be no justification or excuse for these obvious attempts to divide the Iraqi people along sectarian lines.

"The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'A Muslim is the brother of (every other) Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down on him. . .All things of a (fellow) Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith; his blood, his wealth and his honor.'

"We call on our brothers and sisters in Iraq to reach out to one another in a spirit of unity and mutual respect and to begin a process of national reconciliation."

CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

-----

WHY IS DR. SAMI AL-ARIAN STILL IN PRISON? - TOP

[NOTE: this letter ran as a quarter-page ad in yesterday's Washington Post.]

An Open Letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales

Dear Attorney General Gonzales,

We the undersigned Americans - individuals and organizations - respectfully request that you support the immediate release of former Florida professor Dr. Sami Al-Arian so that he and his family may resume their lives in another country. Here are our reasons for seeking Prof. Al-Arian's release:

In December 2005, after 10 years of federal investigation and a six-month trial, a Florida jury refused to return a single guilty verdict against Dr. Al-Arian, rejecting the government's argument that he operated a cell for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

On May 1, 2006, the Justice Department agreed that Dr. Al Arian should be released within 30 days, and further agreed to assist in his voluntary departure from the country without other conditions, in exchange for a guilty plea to one non-violent offense.

In violation of their agreement, the Justice Department changed its position by attempting to force Dr. Al Arian to testify before a grand jury. Despite the plea agreement that freed him from further cooperation with the government, Dr. Al-Arian was recently given a sentence of up to 18 months in prison for refusing to testify before a grand jury in Virginia.

On January 21, Dr. Al-Arian began a hunger strike to protest the government's actions and the conditions of his imprisonment. Family members report that he collapsed after the 23rd day and has been moved from Virginia to a medical facility in North Carolina, where he is kept in solitary confinement, in effect under twenty-four hour lockdown.

Recently the respected human rights monitor Amnesty International sent you a letter expressing "concern about the treatment while in federal custody of Dr. Sami Al-Arian." Amnesty International communicated to you that his treatment in prison "is in breach of the USA's obligations under international standards and treaties, including Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which states that `all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.'"

In criticizing the unacceptably punitive conditions of solitary confinement of Dr. Al-Arian, Amnesty International went on to express concern over the reports of the prosecutor leading the grand jury case in Virginia who has expressed anti-Islamic sentiments in discussions with counsel for Dr. Al-Arian. This raises the obvious question whether these proceedings are being used to punish him for his political profile rather than for constitutionally legitimate purposes.

In May 2006, your department had promised to end the case by ending all further business with Dr. Al-Arian and to assist in his immediate deportation. Now your department is responsible for locking him up potentially indefinitely.

You have not kept your promise. Today, people all over the world are urging you to keep your promise and release Dr. Sami Al-Arian as scheduled so that he and his family can build their lives elsewhere.

Signatories:

American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections
Citizen's Committee for Equal Justice
California Civil Rights Alliance
Friends of Human Rights
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

-----

CAIR: FIRST MUSLIM ELECTED TO CONGRESS WILL SHARE HIS STORY WITH THE WORLD - TOP
Kevin Diaz, McClatchy Newspapers, 3/6/07
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/politics/16845516.htm

WASHINGTON - Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, had little good to say about President Bush's foreign policy when he ran for office in 2006.

Now, two months into office, the Minnesota Democrat has plans to meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other top State Department officials to talk about showcasing his story as part of their public diplomacy efforts in the Muslim world.

"Hey, my country first. We can work out our political differences later," said Ellison, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war. "I've said I'm willing to do whatever I can to make some friends for America."

Building on the international cachet he's built since taking his oath of office on Thomas Jefferson's Quran, Ellison has been profiled three times by the State Department's overseas press bureau. On Monday he did a Voice of America interview from his office, where an American flag was placed conspicuously behind his desk for the cameras.

He's scheduled to follow up Thursday in a teleconference with Karen Hughes, the State Department's undersecretary for public diplomacy. The teleconference has been tasked by the White House to promote American values and confront ideological support for terrorism around the world.

Muslim commentators and administration officials say that, whatever controversy Ellison has engendered at home, he can help America's image abroad, especially in the Arab world.

"It's a very positive development," said Voice of America's Faiz Rehman, a Pakistani native and senior political producer. "He is the most famous freshman congressman in the world."

Ellison's swearing-in in January turned him into one of the hottest journalistic commodities on Capitol Hill, particularly for the foreign press, which had to be ushered out of his office after he took his oath of office to make room for home-state news crews.

Now the State Department's public diplomacy arm is swinging into the act.

Ellison has now been featured in a series of articles written for foreign dissemination by the Department's Bureau of International Information Programs. The most recent, published last month, highlighted the diversity of his constituents in Minnesota, ranging from Swedes and Norwegians to "the largest Somali immigrant community in America." . . .

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American Islamic Relations, compared Ellison's overseas appeal to that of boxing icon Muhammad Ali, who refused to serve in Vietnam.

"Muslims around the world know that America has a tradition of religious tolerance," he said. "They'd like to see us live up to that tradition." (MORE)

-----

CAIR-OHIO MEETS WITH BRITISH, STATE OFFICIALS - TOP

(COLUMBUS, OH, 3/5/07) - Representatives of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) recently held a roundtable discussion with officials from the British Consulate in Chicago, Governor Ted Strickland's advisor on International Affairs and Special Projects, and Senator George Voinovich's State Director.

The British delegation was led by Mark Carrol, Director of Faith, Race and Cohesion at the British Government's Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Carrol is a key figure in developing the British Government's policy in the area of community relations. He was accompanied by a colleague from the DCLG, Jenan Hasan, and by a member of the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., Tony Lord, who serves as First Secretary, Justice and Home Affairs in the Foreign & Security Policy Group. Additionally, Samantha Nugent, Vice Consul-Political, Press & Public Affairs was present.

This is the second time in two years that CAIR-Ohio has hosted a delegation from the British Consulate-General. The meeting was part of a continuing dialogue between Ohio's Muslim community and British Policy Advisors. This year the meeting was opened up to representatives of Ohio State offices.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for us to discuss the challenges that face the American Muslim and British Muslim communities," said CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Adnan Mirza. "It allows us to learn from each others' experiences and can demonstrate how CAIR gives the worldwide Muslim community a voice in global affairs."

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. The CAIR-Ohio Chapter has three offices - Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: Adnan Mirza, 614-451-3232, E-Mail: amirza@cair.com.

-----

CAIR-CAN: SOCCER RULE-MAKERS MUST TAKE STAND ON HIJAB-WEARING PLAYERS, MUSLIM GROUP SAYS - TOP
Ambiguous position effectively bars millions of women
Bruce Ward, Ottawa Citizen, 3/5/07
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=62fb429d-30ba-4044-a643-4ece2c6b2c62&k=0

The hijab issue in soccer will not go away until the sport's governing body clarifies its position, says an Ottawa-based Muslim advocacy organization.

"I don't think crawling under the proverbial rug and hiding out until it's all over is going to work for FIFA," said Sarah Elgazzar, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN).

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which consists of FIFA and the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish soccer associations, sidestepped the issue last weekend when it decided not to rule specifically on whether players can wear the hijab in a game.

Ms. Elgazzar said a simple, creative solution would settle the hijab issue - if soccer's rule-makers were willing to show some leadership.

"It they were a little bit creative, they could say religious headgear is permissible as long as it is conceived for sports," she said Monday in a telephone interview from Montreal.

"There are sports hijabs everywhere in the world; they're very easy to make. It's a cotton tube. It's nothing more than a bandanna that's a little longer. I'm a soccer player and I'm not going to run out and wear a burqa-style headscarf. It's in my own interests to be comfortable, and to not hurt myself while I'm playing."

The issue hit the headlines in late February when 11-year old Asmahan "Azzy" Mansour was ordered to remove her hijab or leave the field during a tournament in Laval, Que. Her team - the Nepean Hotspurs Selects - walked off the pitch with her to protest the referee's ruling, which is backed by the Quebec Soccer Association.

"For decades, women have struggled to have equal opportunity and treatment on the playing field," Ms. Elgazzar said in a statement. "In remaining ambiguous on the question of hijab and backing the Quebec referee's decision, FIFA has effectively blocked millions of women from playing the sport.

Added Ms. Elgazzar: "On the one hand, FIFA promotes soccer amongst women by featuring hijab-clad women on their website; on the other, they have given free rein to individual referees to allow or prohibit the hijab. The situation is untenable." (MORE)

SEE ALSO:

CAIR-CAN: FIFA HIJAB RULING DESERVES RED CARD - TOP
Edmonton Journal, 3/6/07
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/opinion/story.html?id=59f06a4e-5043-4c33-b82a-acd43195b3e4

A group of 11-year-old soccer players demonstrated more wisdom than the adults officiating at their tournament last week near Montreal.

When Asmahan Mansour, 11, was suddenly told she couldn't play if she wore her Muslim headscarf, her young teammates walked off the floor in solidarity, and to show their dismay at the poor judgment of the referee.

The team from Ottawa, where there is no ban on the hijab, ultimately pulled out of the tournament rather than play without Mansour.

The rationale of the referee (who is also Muslim) was that the headscarf was a safety hazard, and soccer's international governing body, FIFA, has rules that players "must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player."

But this clashed with the fact that Mansour had already been allowed to play two matches earlier in the Laval tournament.

A closer examination also shows the Quebec ruling is clearly out of step with the rest of the provinces, including Alberta. Mario Charpentier, head of the Edmonton Minor Soccer Association, said Monday they've seen no evidence the hijab is a safety problem and allow girls to wear it on the field. Youngsters also play wearing sweat bands and small scarfs.

Canada's chief soccer referee, Joe Guest, was also surprised at the Quebec ruling because so far the hijab has not created any "on-field problems."

In Guest's view, FIFA rules mean that head gear is permitted, as long as it is safe.

"If you stick with Quebec's interpretation, players can't wear prescription eye- glasses. But they do," he told reporters.

When a religious obligation comes up against the rules of sport, the goal should be to find a way to be inclusive as possible. The alternative -- using rules to exclude a segment of the population for no practical reason -- is not appropriate and not in the spirit of Canada's multicultural society.

Sarah Elgazzar, who speaks for the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, says she played soccer wearing a hijab for several years in Quebec. There maybe a perceived safety problem because the hijab is tied under the neck, she notes, but that can be resolved with Velcro fasteners. (MORE)

-----

CAIR-CA: FLEEING REFUGEES DENIED HELP BY ANTI-TERROR ACT - TOP
Event focuses on those forced to aid U.S. foes
Jessie Mangaliman, San Jose Mercury News, 3/6/07
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/the_valley/16843034.htm

Some provided rice and water to rebels. A kindergarten teacher in Afghanistan paid a bribe to the Taliban. A Sierra Leone woman had sex with her captors.

To the U.S. government, their actions raise the suspicion that they're a threat to national security.

But an event tonight at Santa Clara University will tell a different story: They are desperate refugees from around the world -- from Afghanistan, Burma, Cuba, Iraq and Tibet -- caught in a conundrum called "material support," a government label that deems them, in effect, supporters of terrorist groups and denies their entry into the United States as refugees.

Refugees and their advocates will read the stories of those who have fled their own countries after being forced -- under threat of injury and death -- by terror groups to serve as sexual slaves or pay bribes in countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The groups, some fighting for democracy in military-ruled regimes, have been designated terror groups by the Department of Homeland Security. . .

The provision in the USA Patriot Act of 2001 is meant to prevent terrorists and their supporters from entering the United States. But international refugee groups said that law, and its broad application by the government, has resulted in denying sanctuary to victims of terrorism such as the sister of Hashmatullah Rustam, a San Jose resident and a refugee from Afghanistan.

Rustam's sister, Foziya Rustam, 32, a kindergarten teacher, paid a bribe to Taliban officials in order to flee the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan almost seven years ago.

Now Foziya Rustam, her two children and her husband have been stuck in a refugee camp in Uzbekistan for almost seven years, unable to join her brother in San Jose because, in effect, she and her family have been designated by DHS as supporters of a terrorist group. . .

"This reflects the status of human rights in our country," said Abiya Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Bay Area Council on American-Islamic Relations. "That law is leaving behind the victims of terrorism, the victims who are most at risk." (MORE)

-----

NC: COUNCIL REJECTS MOSQUE PROPOSAL - TOP
Andrew Bell, Goldsboro News Argus, 3/6/07
http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2007/03/06/council_rejects_mosque_proposal/index.shtml

Goldsboro City Council unanimously voted Monday night to not allow the construction of a mosque in the northern part of the city.

All six councilmen and Mayor Al King agreed with the planning commission's recommendation that the building plan was too large for the proposed site off Wayne Memorial Drive and the facility would not provide the required number of parking spaces.

Dr. Waheed Akhtar asked City Council last month to rezone his property on the southeast corner of Best Avenue and Wayne Memorial Drive to allow for the construction of a mosque. Akhtar said the building was necessary because he and other Wayne County Muslims have to travel to Greenville or Raleigh to worship.

The plans called for a 2,050-square-foot facility that would only be open for a few hours on Fridays and Sundays to prevent traffic congestion along Wayne Memorial Drive.

During a public hearing on Feb. 19, some of those opposed to the mosque did cite traffic concerns, but others simply did not want a mosque in their neighborhood.

King said neither he nor the council made their decision based on any personal beliefs.

"No one has anything against a mosque or any religion," he said.

Instead, the planning commission's recommendation focused on the scope of the site plans compared to the amount of available land.

The commission decided during its Feb. 26 meeting that the proposed site is not large enough to support the facility's parking needs. The site plans requested 13 parking spaces, but the city requires 31 spaces for a building of this size.

Also, Wayne Memorial Drive is expected to be widened in the next several years so the road can feed into the proposed U.S. 70 Bypass north of the city. The project would more than double the road's existing right-of-way, which would further limit the amount of land available for construction.

Following a short presentation by Assistant City Planner James Rowe, council unanimously denied the rezoning request.

After the meeting, all of the councilmen agreed that they were not opposed to a mosque, but said that the plans for the structure were not acceptable.

"The size wasn't right, and it didn't fit the neighborhood," Councilman Jackie Warrick said.

Councilman Bob Waller also said the "size was not appropriate," but added that the council would approve the construction of a mosque if it was planned on sufficient land.

Rowe said Akhtar cannot submit another rezoning proposal for another six months. If he does, King said he hopes the new proposal can be approved by the council.

"I hope they find a suitable site. If they do, I believe we will approve it," he said.

-----

CA: SCHOLAR GETS SILENT TREATMENT - TOP
AnnMarie Cornejo, San Luis Obispo Tribune, 3/6/07
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/16844232.htm

A controversial Middle East scholar was greeted at Cal Poly on Monday night by a candlelight vigil as students and others opposed to his critical views of radical Islam stood in silent opposition.

Daniel Pipes' presentation, "Israel, America, and Middle East Threats," included discussion of Israel's longstanding conflict with the Palestinians and the United States' need to protect itself from Muslim extremists.

He was invited to the university by Cal Poly Hillel - an on-campus Jewish organization.

Pipes said that America is at war with radical Islam, which he likens to totalitarianism.

"Radical Islam is a new, utopian totalitarian version of Islam," Pipes said. "It is an aggressive form of Islam ... because of it, we as Americans face an external threat."

The solution is to defeat the enemy and ultimately denounce radical Islam as having a future, he said.

Pipes' views are considered controversial by some people because he is a strong and vocal critic of Muslim extremism.

He told the audience of about 150 on Monday that Palestinians should acknowledge that they have lost their battle against Israel.

"The Palestinian dream is that there be no more Israel, and the Israeli dream is to be accepted as a state," Pipes said.

"The way forward is not negotiations," he added.
"We must convince Palestinians to acknowledge it is over."

Some students at Monday's talk raised concerns that Pipes' often pro-war stance was heard without a counterargument.

"From what we know of his ideology, he is not promoting peace and tolerance, but instead fueling flames and spreading hatred," Poly student Naiyerah Kolkailah said.

She is a member of the Muslim Student Association and the Students for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, which along with the Progressive Student Alliance organized the candlelight vigil.

"He is not trying to connect different communities and increase our understanding of one another - and that is destructive to our efforts," Kolkailah said. (MORE)

-----

CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: info@cair.com
URL: http://www.cair.com