Posted on 02/16/2003 12:06:53 PM PST by Indy Pendance
WASHINGTON, February 16 (News Agencies) – Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter the rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.
The campaign will kick off with an ad, headlined "We're All Americans," in the New York Times editorial page on Sunday, February 16.
CAIR's weekly ads, each explaining one aspect of Islam, will be available to Muslim communities around America for placement in local newspapers. ‘Which One Of Us Is a Muslim’ The first ad was titled with a question says “We're All Americans...but, which one of us is a Muslim?”
Then the answer came as the ad said “ we all are ..we are Americans Muslims, It's impossible to make general assumptions about Muslims because we represent more than one billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures - from the South Pacific to the horn of Africa.
“Only about 18 percent of Muslims live in the Arabic-speaking world. The largest Muslim community is in Indonesia. Substantial parts of Asia and most of Africa have Muslim majority populations, while significant minorities are to be found in the countries of the former Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe,” the ad clarified.
“American Muslims are an equally diverse group of people. We’re immigrants from across the globe who came here seeking freedom and opportunity.
We’re the children of immigrant parents, and descendants of Africans who have called America home for generations. We're converts of varied nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. We’re doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians, civil rights activists, mothers, fathers, students,” it stressed.
‘We’re Americans and we’re Muslims’
“Making our homes and raising our families in communities across America. What we all have in common is a shared faith and a shared commitment to our nation’s safety and prosperity. We’re Americans and we’re Muslims,” it added.
Omar Ahmad, board director in CAIR, said that without the availability of the correct and balanced information about Islam and Muslims, the normal American will be exposed to believe people who encourage hate against Muslims in the U.S. and around the world, those people are aiming at emblaze conflict between civilizations and religions.
“Muslims have to be initiative to define Islam to others, otherwise the definition process will be on the hand of people with political and religious Agenda aiming at encouraging conflict”, Nehad Awad, General Manager said.
The campaign will cost 4 million dollars, starting with ad published on Sunday in the widely spread American newspaper, New York Times, which circulate 1.6 million copy per day.
The one with bombs strapped to their waist?
Pundits estimate it will be strongly rebutted by Free Republic's "Truth in America" campaign.
We will use your civil liberties to stymie any attempt to defeat us!
We will stop at nothing to re-educate and overpopulate your country
We will profit greatly from your "Atheist Liberals" that undermine your efforts.
We will exploit your "Atheist Liberal Media" to cause civil unrest.
We will hide within our mosques. We will hide weapons within them.
Also, how about the Pakistani Muslim who was on FNC yesterday, claiming that he only joined the Marines for the educational benefits. Now, he wants to opt out of fighting against Iraq because it goes against his Muslim "teachings" of not killing!
I thought they did, though their press releases jump from
10/23/2001 Muslim Fast of Ramadan Begins November 17
to
7/2/2001 Jewish groups "Phony Fatwa" slammed as publicity stunt
For 9/11 info they link to Statements from Leading International Academic Organizations for the Academic Study of Islam, Religion, and Middle East, with links.
Monday, September 17, 2001
Dozens of scholars of Islam issued a statement today, condemning the violent attacks of September 11th.
“We are grief-stricken at these horrifying events,” they wrote; “the murder of innocents can never be justified and must not be tolerated.” In a lengthy statement, professors from major colleges and universities throughout the country expressed their compassion for grieving family members while also decrying the increase in violence against American Muslims this past week. “Anger and frustration are completely understandable and shared by us all,” they wrote “yet that anger must not be directed at individuals utterly innocent of these terrible crimes.”
In recent days, verbal and physical attacks against Muslims (and people who were thought to be Muslims) have been reported from California to Vermont. Muslims have been warned to stay home or to avoid wearing traditional dress. “Particularly distressing is the fact that many American Muslims have fled to the United States, seeking a haven from intolerant regimes in Kosovo, Afghanistan or Iraq. For them now to face intolerance and violence here is an abuse of our Nation’s most deeply cherished beliefs” they said.
======================================================
CAIR also offered for local use
Press statement from Council for Islamic American Relations:
(fill in the blanks to be used as press release)
U.S. MUSLIMS CONDEMN TERRORIST ATTACKS
([CITY, STATE]- 9/11/2001) -
Muslims in [CITY] today condemned the apparent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and offered condolences to the families of those who were killed or injured.
In a statement, local Muslim representatives said: "We condemn in the strongest terms possible what are apparently vicious and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians.
We join with all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators. No cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts.
"All members of the Muslim community are asked to offer whatever help they can to the victims and their families. Muslim medical professionals should go to the scenes of the attacks to offer aid and comfort to the victims.
Muslim relief agencies should contact their counterparts to offer support in the recovery efforts.
Individual Muslims should donate blood by contacting the local office of the Red Cross.
They should also send donations to those relief agencies that are on the scene of the attacks. "We further call on media professionals to exercise restraint and not draw premature conclusions as to who was responsible for the apparent attacks."
- END -
CONTACT: [NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS OF COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES]
Might be interesting to see just how much prevarication, misrepresentation, subterfuge, etc. 4 million bucks can buy these days.
Talk about putting lipstick on a pig....
"Put down the gun and step away from that bomb or I'll give you a .45 caliber eye in your forehead ... Hey, Arafat, I'm talking to you, too. Quit pumping Mr. Bonker's Bunz or I'll drill you." ... BANG !
Let God sort them out. I'm sick of their PR Bull, too.
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