Raising the Profile of Islam

The Buffalo [NY] News ^ | September 12, 2004 | Jay Tokasz

[quidnunc]

Muslims seek to refute cultural misunderstandings while they move into mainstream of WNY life

In the shadow of the large mosque at the corner of Sycamore and Sobieski streets, fear of the unknown sometimes occupies residents.

Muslims have bought dozens of homes, staking their property with tall, impenetrable fences.

The women journey with groceries from the market in long, flowing dresses and burkas that cover everything but their eyes. The men wear loose-fitting robes, skull caps and untrimmed beards, and walk five times a day to the mosque, Masjid Zakaria, for prayer.

Some of their non-Muslim neighbors wonder why they build their fences so high and rarely say as much as a hello.

"To me, they're very secretive," said Tom Zeiliski, who has lived on nearby Sweet Street for many years. "For the most part, they're pretty quiet, but it kind of makes you a little uneasy when you don't know.

"Some people could be hiding in this mosque. They could be hiding people in there. You don't know," he said.

Suspicion of Muslims lingers thick in Western New York and the rest of the country, buoyed by the 9/11 attacks, the beheading of Americans and others in the name of Islam and the arrest of Yemeni Americans in Lackawanna who had trained in al-Qaida camps.

Those doubts have prodded Muslims — here and elsewhere — into an intense struggle for the soul of Islam.

Three years after Sept. 11, 2001, Muslims in the United States are trying to raise their profile as patriotic people of faith, while distancing themselves from terrorists who act in the name of their religion.

-snip-

[clee1]

This begs the question: what do all these people DO to earn a living?

[quidnunc]

clee1 wrote: This begs the question: what do all these people DO to earn a living?

No, it poses the question, begging the question is a different thing altogether.

[MissAmericanPie]

Fifteen foot walls around their houses? And they fuss about Israels fence.

[Ethan_Allen1777]

I don't get it either...

[GSlob]

"what do all these people DO to earn a living?"
They "walk five times a day to the mosque, Masjid Zakaria, for prayer." And Allah is bountifully providing for them, without a doubt. Interesting, what is the going bounty rate per single prayer? Times five per diem, maybe even with additional allowances for large families...

[Klein-Bottle]

“"He views Muslim sympathy for al-Qaida and other terrorist groups as a "policy failure" of the United States as much as anything else."”

Even in this softball article, the lie is still repeated. Once again the claim is made that only if we changed our policies then we would be loved…

We gave billions in aid to Arab countries such as Egypt. We donated billions to the Pals, not our fault that Arafat stole it. We saved hundreds of thousands of Muslim lives in the Balkans. Fed many more Muslims in North Africa. The list goes on…

They do not care.

They hate us for who we are, not what we have done.

[Doe Eyes]

And Allah is bountifully providing for them, without a doubt. Interesting, what is the going bounty rate per single prayer? Times five per diem, maybe even with additional allowances for large families...

Matthew 6:26 Jesus said, "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?"

[ALLAH-ya-out-a-here]

it's called lying in wait, and were letting it happen,all over the country

[Old Professer]

Begging the definition, what do they do for a living?

[Arpege92]

"....Muslims who participate in terrorism or support groups like Al Qaida are influenced by culture or or politics, not religion."

Who gives a shiite why Muslims participate in terrorism or support groups. Terrorism is terrorism with a whole bunch of religion mixed into it. When they were chopping off the heads of Americans, were they not yelling Allah is great.

[Old Professer]

Click here for More on "begs the question"

[quidnunc]

Old Professer wrote: Begging the definition, what do they do for a living?

I don't know about in Buffalo but here in the C hicago area a lot of them are professional people, especially doctors and academician.

Others own retail businesses like convenience stores, and in the city a lot of the cabbies seem to be Middle-Eastern types.

[quidnunc]

Old Professer wrote: Click here for More on "begs the question"

These days "beg" is synonymous with "plead".

However in olden days when the term was coined "beg" meant to assume or take something for granted without proof.

[kapn kuek]

More than a third of Americans polled in July by the Pew Research Center said they had an unfavorable view of Islam. Nearly half of those surveyed said they believe Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among believers.

When will the other two thirds come on board?

[EdReform]

More" than a third of Americans polled in July by the Pew Research Center said they had an unfavorable view of Islam. Nearly half of those surveyed said they believe Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among believers."

It's justified:

Prophet of Doom - Islam’s Terrorist Dogma, In Muhammad’s Own Words

Islam is a caustic blend of regurgitated paganism and twisted Bible stories.
Muhammad, its lone prophet, conceived his religion solely to satiate his lust for power, sex, and money.
He was a terrorist.

And if you think these conclusions are shocking, wait until you see the evidence.

Radical Islam's 'plan' to take over America - Arab-American author outlines secret 20-year strategy to undermine country

[Publius6961]

In the shadow of the large mosque at the corner of Sycamore and Sobieski streets, fear of the unknown sometimes occupies residents.

Muslims have bought dozens of homes, staking their property with tall, impenetrable fences.

Please people, look up the story of (King) John Sobieski and join me in the most delicious irony imanigeable.
This has got to be an inside joke.

[Malesherbes]

That there is a large mosque on the corner of streets named Sycamore and Sobieski speaks volumes.

Incidentally, it was the Polish King Jan III Sobieski who, at the gates of Vienna, defeated the Moslem army that was poised to invade the heart of Europe. The date was September 11 (yes, September 11) 1683.

[Bobby777]

When will the other two thirds come on board?

not until about 6 or 7 more attacks on American soil I should think ... I would hope I was wrong but I don't think so.

and the Saudis will run more radio ads ... and Arafat will smirk