Free Republic

Muslim beliefs are barely understood in the United States, if not intentionally distorted. It can also be hard for outsiders to know who speaks for Muslims, a diverse and complex group still finding its footing in America. **snip** Leaders hope that someday they will create a statewide body, a coalition for what may be the largest Muslim population in the nation.

After three-plus hours of testimony at a crowded public hearing Tuesday night, the mayor of Fremont broke a 4-4 council vote and killed a proposal targeting illegal immigrants The issue has stirred strong opinions. Tuesday's hearing drew comment from Fremont residents and many other from Omaha, Lincoln and other nearby areas. Supporters of the proposal expressed their frustration over lax enforcement by federal officials. They pointed to medical costs, job losses and increased crime among the impact illegal immigrants have had. Opponents, meanwhile, voiced concern about discrimination and worries the proposal could cause more problems than bring solutions. Fremont resident...

Al Qaeda 'Re-Emerging' in Pakistan Sanctuaries The U.S. military said Tuesday it expected Al Qaeda to continue its "re-emergence" in sanctuaries in Pakistan's tribal areas from where it supported attacks in Afghanistan. Sanctuary was provided to Al Qaeda and Taliban rebels after Islamabad signed a peace deal with militants in a desperate attempt to quell the unrest in its federally administered areas in September 2006, a U.S. military official said. The militants called off the deal in July this year after Pakistani security forces raided a radical mosque in Islamabad where rebels had massed. Dozens were killed in those...

Team expected to announce plan next week to get rights to land for a baseball-only stadium -- Cisco likely to be big sponsor - The Oakland A's are set to announce a major step forward next week in their plans to move down the Nimitz Freeway and build a 36,000-seat ballpark in Fremont. After months of negotiations, A's officials are ready to declare their intention to acquire the rights to a 143-acre site near the former Baylands racetrack, city-owned land that is now leased to Cisco Systems, sources close to the negotiations said Monday. The A's plan to announce...

The bold daytime killing Thursday of a woman who was walking in a tranquil Fremont neighborhood to pick up her daughters from school has her family pleading to know why anyone would kill the mother of six. Alia Ansari, 37, was gunned down in central Fremont at 2:40 p.m. by someone who pulled up in a car, fired, then drove away. "She was a very diligent housewife. She lived a very simple life. She was not an extravagant person. She did not splurge," said a cousin who requested anonymity. "Whoever did this must have done this for no reason at...

Fremont police have not made any arrests in the incident but did detain and question three students who witnessed the fight, according to police. The victims stumbled into the school's main office moments after the 9:45 a.m. stabbing, prompting administrators to call police and paramedics and lock down the school, Police Sgt. Jeff Swadner said. The 16-year-old victim was undergoing surgery this afternoon for a wound to the stomach, he said, and the second victim, a 14-year-old, was being treated for a "superficial" stab to the arm. Investigators believe the fight to be gang related, and may be connected to...

Relatives of a Fremont man connected to Tuesday's deadly driving rampage said he may have been distraught after returning recently from Afghanistan without his newlywed wife who iswaiting for a visa. Omeed Aziz Popal, 29, who sources said was being held by the San Francisco police, was normally a kind and gentle person, said Hamid Nekrawesh, 43, a first cousin in Fremont. But a recent trip to Afghanistan to participate in an arranged marriage could have caused him a lot of stress, Nekrawesh said. ``He was a very respectful, quiet, nice guy,'' Nekrawesh said. ``I've never seen him do anything...

An armed man held up two employees and robbed the HoneyBaked Ham Co. store in Fremont shortly after noon on Wednesday, Fremont police reported. The man reportedly forced the employees to give him cash from the store's register as well as from the safe snip Police describe the robber as a white man between 25 and 30 years of age, standing 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall snip The man's weapon is described only as a black handgun. snip

With his city's police force poised to become the first in California to stop responding to most burglar alarms, Fremont insurance salesman Dennis Wolfe is urging his fellow citizens to arm themselves. "I absolutely believe everybody should own a gun in Fremont now," Wolfe said Thursday. "If the police aren't going to protect us, we have to protect ourselves."

As the store's alarm rang, thieves made off with 32 rifles and handguns from a Fremont gun shop early Wednesday, less than two weeks after police announced they will soon ignore burglar alarms unless there was a confirmed crime. Irvington Arms owner Martin MacDonald was livid over the break-in at his shop, where burglars used an aluminum baseball bat to break the front door and smashed display cases with a crowbar before making off with $20,000 in weapons. MacDonald blamed the break-in on the Police Department's policy -- announced last month but not effective until Feb. 18 -- that officers...

It may surprise some people to learn that one of the linchpins in this nation's war on terrorism is the Bin and Barrel Mini Mart in Fremont. Manager Sonia Cheema certainly was when her dad bought the store two months ago.

In downtown Seattle, they light a big Christmas tree for the holidays. But in Fremont, they're going to light up -- what else? -- the big statue of Vladimir Lenin. Lenin will be lighted at 5 p.m. Dec. 3 at the corner of Fremont Place North and North 36th Street. (It's the intersection with the big statue of Lenin.) The monument will be bedecked with garland and lights -- and probably not just red ones. It will be the first time the 18-foot bronze statue has been lighted since it came to the Center of the Universe in 1995 by...

Three days after Election Day, Democrat Christine Gregoire clung to a narrow lead Friday in the nation's last undecided race for governor - a cliffhanger contest that could drag on for weeks while the votes are counted. Gregoire, Washington's attorney general, led Republican former state Sen. Dino Rossi by about 18,000 votes out of nearly 2.2 million counted. Election officials figured more than 600,000 absentee and provisional ballots remained to be counted before a Nov. 17 deadline. A Gregoire victory would mean the Democrats would preserve their 22 governorships nationwide. The Republicans already are assured of at least maintaining their...

Canyon Holds Ancient Civilization Secrets Mon Sep 20, 7:41 AM ET Add Science - AP to My Yahoo! By PAUL FOY, Associated Press Writer RANGE CREEK CANYON, Utah - The newly discovered ruins of an ancient civilization in this remote eastern Utah canyon could reveal secrets about the descendants of the continent's original Paleo-Indians who showed up before the time of Christ to settle much of present-day Utah. AP Photo Archaeologists estimate as many as 250 households occupied this canyon over a span of centuries ending about 750 years ago. They left half-buried stone-and-mortar houses and granary caches, and painted...

Free spirits frolic at Fremont festivities By Diane Brooks Seattle Times staff reporter It was a great day to be naked. But we only can hope those bicyclists mixed some sunscreen with all that psychedelic body paint and glitter that so vividly depicted the flamboyant heart of Fremont. Seattle welcomed summer yesterday with its 16th annual Solstice Parade, a joyous, 75-minute celebration of all things wild and pagan. "I love it, because it's not 64 big sparkly floats with beauty queens on top waving, and people politely applauding when they go by," said volunteer traffic controller Chelsea Teller, who coordinated...

California Congressman Pete Stark CURSES Soldier for Writing His Congressman a Letter. Leaves Insulting and Cursing Voicemail on Soldier's Cell Phone Voicemail  NBC TV News article Sunday, May 9th  Saturday, May 8th Oakland Tribune:   Read the Constituent’s Letter that Pissed off the Congressman   .WAV format of Stark’s Verbal Abusive Voicemail   Hear the angry voicemail from Pete Stark with Rush Limbaugh's comments:   See Saturday’s article in the Fremont ARGUS:  

State police trooper killed during standoffThe Associated Press 7/8/2003, 2:35 a.m. ET FREMONT, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan State Police trooper was killed Monday during a standoff with a barricaded man, state police said. Trooper Kevin Marshall, 33, was shot and taken to an area hospital Monday afternoon, where he died during surgery, state police said in a statement. Marshall was with the Newaygo post and had served with the state police for eight years. He was honored with the Michigan State Police Bravery Award in May, officials said. State police said the standoff in Fremont began early Monday morning...

The Fremont Police Department is releasing 10 photographs of their ten most wanted and requests the public's assistance in obtaining the whereabouts or more information about these individuals. If you have any information that could lead to the capture of any of the below fugitives, please contact your nearest law enforcement office or the Fremont Police Communications Unit at (510) 791-4200. Please be assured that your call or your message will remain "ANONYMOUS and CONFIDENTIAL". TAKE NO ACTION TO APPREHEND THIS PERSON YOURSELF. Unknown Dark Complexion - 6ft 210lbs Brn Blk Age 25 Sexual Assault Molnar, Joseph Steven [aka...