Posted on 03/27/2002 5:05:05 PM PST by scratchgolfer
CAIR: Fla. Mosque Attack Result of Anti-Muslim Rhetoric
U.S. Newswire
26 Mar 14:20
Florida Mosque Attack Result of Anti-Muslim Rhetoric, Says CAIR
To: National and State Desks
Contact: Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), 202-488-8787 or 202-489-5108;
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
WASHINGTON, March 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic
advocacy group, today said an attack Monday on a Florida mosque is
likely the result of the current barrage of anti-Muslim rhetoric by
right-wing commentators who paint Islam as a violent faith bent on
world domination.
At 7:30 p.m. on Monday, a pick-up truck was driven into the
front of the Islamic Center of Tallahassee. The man driving the
truck, 51-year-old Charles D. Franklin of Tallahassee, was arrested
and charged with burglary and criminal mischief. Authorities are
treating the incident as a hate crime because of statements
Franklin allegedly made after the attack.
A police news release issued today said Franklin was motivated
by "hatred of Muslims" and told officers he could have blown up the
mosque if he had put propane tanks on the front of his truck. He
also said he tried to join the military in order to "kill Muslims."
(Associated Press)
Mosque officials told CAIR the damage to the mosque exceeds
$3,000. The center had previously been vandalized on the night of
September 11, 2001. CAIR is calling on local authorities to offer
increased police protection for the mosque. The group has also
established a fund to repair damage to the mosque. (Contact CAIR
for details.)
SEE:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/26/tallahassee.mosque/index.html
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/2934975.htm
"On a daily basis, our office receives reports of deeply
offensive and defamatory attacks on Islam by right-wing
commentators who go far beyond legitimate political or religious
commentary to attack the faith of Islam. This constant drum-beat of
vicious attacks will inevitably lead a small segment of the
population to turn hate-filled words into violent deeds," said CAIR
Executive Director Nihad Awad.
"We urge opinion leaders and media professionals to publicly
reject this type of hate speech. We also call on elected officials
to avoid actions, such as recent 'fishing expedition' raids on
Muslim homes and businesses in Virginia and Georgia, that create a
sense of fear in the Muslim community," added Awad.
SEE: N.Va. Muslims Gather to Decry Raids
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17818-2002Mar26.html
Awad said the Middle East Forum's Daniel Pipes and author Steven
Emerson are two of the worst purveyors of anti-Muslim hate. Pipes
recently decried the teaching of Islamic history and beliefs in
public schools. Muslims say Emerson, author of the new book
"American Jihad," has a long history of defamatory attacks on their
community and that his book is a prime example of deceptive
anti-Muslim McCarthyism.
SEE: "Terrorists Under the Bed" --
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2002/03/05/emerson/index.html
"Who is Steven Emerson" -- http://www.cair-net.org/html/emerson.htm
"Who is Daniel Pipes" --
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=558&articletype=1
As some of the other numerous examples of recent Islamophobic
rhetoric, Awad cited televangelist Pat Robertson's almost daily
defamation of Islam, Franklin Graham's claim that Islam is a "very
evil and wicked religion," Free Congress Foundation's William S.
Lind's allegation that "there is no such thing as peaceful Islam,"
syndicated columnist Ann Coulter's call to invade Muslim countries
and convert the populations to Christianity, and the "sarcastic"
suggestion by an editor of the National Review that "nuking Mecca"
would send a "signal" to Muslims. These statements have gone
largely unchallenged by mainstream conservatives.
Just one day before the mosque attack, a columnist with the
Charlotte Sun in Charlotte Harbor, Fla., wrote: "The American
freedom of thought and speech -- which tolerates all religions --
infuriates devout Muslims...About the only thing we can do is
defend ourselves until Islam modernizes or self-destructs..."
SEE: http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/032402/cl2.htm
?date=032402&story=cl2.htm
Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, CAIR recorded more
than 1800 anti-Muslim incidents nationwide, including a number of
murders.
http://www.usnewswire.com
-0-
/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
03/26 14:20
Copyright 2002, U.S. Newswire
Where have I read this before... oh ya the quran.
Will Arafat be charged with sponsoring a hate-crime in today's murderous bombing in Israel?The concept of "Moral Equivalence" could be used to describe your reaction to this moqsue attack. Are you comfortable with that?
Let's face it people. All through out history, all of the way back to Noah's days, people have been afraid to speak the truth about other religions. But, eventually, somebody had to stand up and tell the truth. Well, here it is, Islam is an evil religion. It is demonstrated almost every day, in almost every Muslim country.
They are bent on world domination. That is why there are muslim groups in almost every country trying to take a part of that host country over for themselves. Just like virus in the body. Louis Farrakhan wants a piece of the USA, Abu Sayef rebels want a piece of the Philippines, Saddam Hussein wants the whole middle east, Hamas and Arafat want Isreal's land, the so-called "ethnic Albanians," with Bill Clinton's help, took part of Yugoslavia as Kosovo, the Chechnians (spelling?) want Russia, the Pakistanis want a piece of India, muslims are trying to take over Sudan, and the list goes on and on. Muslims are EVIL, EVIL, EVIL! The truth sometimes hurts. But, when one side calls the other side that has declared war on them peaceful, it shows pure cowardice and weakness of the leadership of the side refusing to recongnize the enemy.
Flame away.
Sorry, I missed the part where 20 people were blown to bloody bits and pieces and hundreds injured when that drunk driver drove into the Tallahassee mosque. Could you post that news clipping here?
Sorry, I missed the part where 20 people were blown to bloody bits and pieces and hundreds injured when that drunk driver drove into the Tallahassee mosque. Could you post that news clipping here?Correct me if I am wrong, but your logic is thus:
All believers in Islam are evil ( and are in cahoots with those that blow up 20 people).
The target of this "Mosque Attack" was Islamic.
Therefore, any concept of wrongdoing on the part of Charles D. Franklin is not applicable, and the Mosque deserved this attack.
Sounds like Moral Equivalence to me. Perhaps I don't understand the term. Would anyone care to enlighten me?
Those who commit violence against Muslims because of their religion are no better than Islamic terrorists. Now having said that, the claim of "attacks" against innocent Muslims by CAIR is an exagerated propaganda ploy, I bet only a handful of the *1800" are true physical attacks against persons. CAIR wants the media and our politicians to conduct a politically correct campaign to paint Islam as a peaceful religion. But the truth is, in the hands of some it is, and in the hands of many it is not. And their are millions of Muslims who sympathize with Bin Laden.
CAIR wants us to lie, when what they should be doing is to urge Muslims worldwide to quit conducting terror and live in peace with Jews, Christians, and others. THEN Islam WOULD be a peaceful relgion. Right now, its the most dangerous religion in the world.
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