http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mosques/ en-us Wed, 2 Dec 2009 05:08:23 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398214/posts EDITORIAL Swiss Ban On Minarets Is Pure Discrimination Sunday's referendum is a reminder that cultural anxieties can be inflamed even in the most tolerant country. December 2, 2009 Integrating Islamic immigrants has proved to be a multifaceted challenge for European nations unaccustomed to religious and cultural diversity. But there's nothing complicated about the decision of voters in Switzerland to prohibit further construction of minarets. It's religious discrimination pure and simple. Sunday's referendum, in which 57.5% of voters approved the ban on minarets -- a traditional feature of mosques -- is a reminder that cultural anxieties can be inflamed even in... LATimes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398214/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 05:08:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397003/posts Vatican Criticises Swiss Minaret Ban 30 November VATICAN CITY: The Vatican on Monday endorsed criticism by Swiss bishops that a vote in Switzerland to ban the construction of mosque minarets was a blow to religious freedom. Antonio Maria Sveglio, president of the pontifical council on migration, told the ANSA news agency that "we are on the same page" as the Conference of Swiss Bishops. In a statement after Sunday's vote, the conference said it "heightens the problems of cohabitation between religions" while secretary-general Felix Gmur told Vatican Radio it was "heavy blow to religious freedom and integration". The decision by... Times of India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397003/posts#comment Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:28:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396260/posts Swiss media say that exit polls appear to show a 59% yes vote for banning the construction of new minarets on mosques. However a definitive result will be known later today. The populist Swiss People’s Party put forward the proposal – Switzerland has four mosques minarets with two more planned. Euronews.net http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396260/posts#comment Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:43:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396280/posts A right-wing campaign to outlaw minarets on mosques in a referendum being held in Switzerland today has received an unlikely boost from radical feminists arguing that the tower-like structures are “male power symbols” and reminders of Islam’s oppression of women. A “stop the minarets” campaign has provoked ferment in the land of Heidi, where women are more likely than men to vote for the ban after warnings from prominent feminists that Islam threatens their rights. Forget about tranquil Alpine scenery and cowbells: one of the most startling features of the referendum campaign has been a poster showing a menacing woman... Times Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396280/posts#comment Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:12:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395008/posts The Swiss are to decide this weekend whether to ban minarets on mosques, in what is in effect the first direct vote in a European country on Islam and the practices of Muslims. "The minaret has got nothing to do with religion. It's a symbol of political power, a prelude to the introduction of sharia law," argued Ulrich Schlüer, of the rightwing Swiss People's party, an architect of the campaign. UN experts and human rights activists condemned the campaign as overtly racist. The rightwing anti-immigrant lobby has led the campaign, but it has been joined by some secularist leftists and... Guardian UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395008/posts#comment Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:40:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385444/posts In what could be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, federal prosecutors sought to take over four U.S. mosques and a New York City skyscraper owned by a Muslim organization suspected of being controlled by the Iranian government. Prosecutors on Thursday filed a civil complaint in federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets. The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of schools and mosques in New York, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story Manhattan office tower. Confiscating the properties would... hosted http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385444/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:57:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385274/posts Prosecutors say building owners illegally funneled money to Iran NEW YORK - Federal prosecutors Thursday took steps to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government. In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets of the Alavi Foundation and an alleged front company. The assets include Islamic centers in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston, more than... msnbc.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385274/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:51:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385220/posts In addition to the Building, the amended complaint seeks forfeiture of all other assets of the Alavi Foundation and Assa Corporation, including bank accounts owned by 650 Fifth Avenue Company, the Alavi Foundation, and Assa Corporation; and real properties owned by the Alavi Foundation in New York, Maryland, Virginia, Texas and California. Web page http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385220/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:05:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385039/posts Federal prosecutors are taking steps to seize four U.S. mosques and a New York City skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization LA Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385039/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:09:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385068/posts NEW YORK -- Federal prosecutors Thursday took steps to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government. In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets of the Alavi Foundation and an alleged front company. The assets include Islamic centers in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston, more than 100 acres in Virginia, and a 36-story office tower... Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385068/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:46:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2381279/posts And so a personnel file already teeming with red flags gets another giant one. If you’re wondering how a British newspaper managed to track down this information when the U.S. military apparently couldn’t, you’re not alone. There’s no question now that we need congressional hearings into how the army missed the warning signs on Hasan, especially given the suspicions as to why they might have looked the other way. Chop chop, Messrs. Boehner and Cantor. Hasan, the sole suspect in the massacre of 13 fellow US soldiers in Texas, attended the controversial Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Great Falls, Virginia, in... Hotair http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2381279/posts#comment Sun, 8 Nov 2009 03:53:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2381203/posts Swiss Muslims Open Mosque Doors Swiss Muslims hope to promote better understanding of their religion Muslims in many parts of Switzerland have invited the public into mosques - three weeks before a vote on whether to ban the construction of minarets. Muslim organisations say they hope their open day will counter what they say are fears and prejudices. The conservative group that initiated the vote - the largest party in the Swiss parliament - says minarets are a symbol of Muslim political power. Opinion polls suggest the proposed ban will be rejected by voters. A Muslim community leader in Zurich,... BBC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2381203/posts#comment Sun, 8 Nov 2009 01:09:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2370749/posts The Left, champions of strict separation of church and state, have come out in support of an American theocracy. How can this be? Could this possibly be the same political machine that ritualistically goes from town to town scanning courthouses for explicit references to God, or even worse, the Ten Commandments? Or the establishment telling little Susie she cannot pray at school? Or the organization forbidding the reading of scripture, even on a purely non-sectarian, academic basis? Surely we can't be talking about the same ideologues. But there is no mistake. The Left supports theocracy, as long as it is... The American Thinker http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2370749/posts#comment Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:07:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2358193/posts "Muslim in Washington, DC: "I'm not scared to die! I will kill you! I will blow people up and the Metro!"" SNIPPET: ""Three blocks of Wisconsin Avenue Northwest were cleared of cars and pedestrians. Adjacent buildings and restaurants were evacuated..." "DC Security Scare Becomes Federal Case," by Bob Barnard for MyFoxDC, October 8 (thanks to Heidi): WASHINGTON, D.C. - A man who was arrested in a security scare in Northwest D.C. on Tuesday night threatened to blow up the Friendship Heights Metro station, according to a criminal complaint in the case. It was a chaotic scene Tuesday night in Friendship... (MyFoxDC) via JIHAD WATCH.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2358193/posts#comment Fri, 9 Oct 2009 09:45:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2342708/posts Day 1: The Journey Begins Tonight my friend Bassam Tariq and I came up with an insanely random idea: What if we prayed at a different mosque every single day for the month of Ramadan? Hence, this Web site was born. Tonight we prayed at Masjid Rehman, located on West 29th Street and Broadway. The place was insanely jam packed, you should have seen how many taxi cabs were parked outside the place. This is a true story: I was so cramped inside the masjid, that when I went down for sajdah (the prostration), some guy behind me had his... France24 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2342708/posts#comment Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:09:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2340014/posts http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.councillor.calls.for.action.against.megamosque.group/24166.htm "Christian councillor calls for action against ‘mega-mosque’ group" SNIPPET: "A Christian councillor is calling on an east London council to take action against the Islamic group planning to build a ‘mega-mosque’ close to the site of the 2012 Olympics." by Jenna Lyle Posted: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 14:04 (BST) SNIPPET: "Tablighi Jamaat has come under the close observation of intelligence services in recent years over suspected links to terrorism, despite the group’s insistence that it does not preach violence. This week it emerged that the leader of the airline plot terrorist cell regularly attended a Tablighi Jamaat-controlled mosque in... CHRISTIAN TODAY.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2340014/posts#comment Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:46:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2339993/posts SNIPPET: "The Tablighi Jamaat (TJ) name has come up before in connection with terrorism plots, including the October 2002 Portland Seven and the September 2002 Lackawanna Six cases in the United States, as well as the August 2006 plot to bomb airliners en route from London to the United States, the July 7, 2005, London Underground bombings and the July 2007 attempted bombings in London and Glasgow, Scotland. Over the past several years we also have received several queries about TJ from U.S. law enforcement officials who are concerned about the group’s presence and activities in the United States. U.S.... Bill Warner - blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2339993/posts#comment Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:14:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2328217/posts State officials are examining whether public money has been improperly used to pay for Islamic mosques on charter school campuses in Blaine and Inver Grove Heights. Chas Anderson, deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education, said officials will study Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy's (TiZA) use of state "lease aid'' grants, which were created more than a decade ago to help charter schools rent adequate facilities. "If it is subsidizing a mosque, in our view, that would be a violation of state and federal law,'' Anderson said. The probe is the latest in a series of church-vs.-state conflicts involving TiZA... Star Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2328217/posts#comment Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:18:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267704/posts FBI Director Defends Use of Informants in Mosques June 08, 2009 LOS ANGELES — FBI Director Robert Mueller on Monday defended the agency's use of informants within U.S. mosques, despite complaints from Muslim organizations that worshippers and clerics are being targeted instead of possible terrorists. Mueller's comments came just days after a Michigan Muslim organization asked the Justice Department to investigate complaints that the FBI is asking the faithful to spy on Islamic leaders and worshippers. Similar alarm followed the disclosure earlier this year that the FBI planted a spy in Southern California mosques. "We don't investigate places, we investigate... FoxNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267704/posts#comment Tue, 9 Jun 2009 02:23:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267421/posts Burhan Hassan's family says he was gunned down in Somalia. Hassan was one of about 20 young men who vanished from the streets of Minneapolis in November, only to reappear as warriors in Somalia. Abubakar Assadique is the mosque Hassan attended. Yesterday, there were prayers there for Hassan, but there are also allegations from Hassan's family: they say the mosque was responsible for the 17-year-old's decision to go to Somalia. They also say that his death may be connected to his decision to return to Minnesota. The mosque denies any involvement in any of the young men's decision to go... KAAL-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267421/posts#comment Mon, 8 Jun 2009 19:51:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2254310/posts Assailants have carried out arson attacks on four separate mosques in Istanbul, Turkish media reported on Tuesday. According to a report on HaberTurk television, no one was wounded in the attacks, and damage to the mosques was minimal. Mustafa Cagrici, the mufti or chief cleric for Istanbul, confirmed Tuesday that fires had broken out in four mosques. He would not say if they had been caused by arson. Last year, police arrested a mentally unstable man for a series of arson attacks on mosques in Istanbul. Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2254310/posts#comment Wed, 20 May 2009 00:14:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2244926/posts Italy: 60% of mosques run by Muslim Brotherhood 60% of the mosques in Italy are possibly controlled either directly or indirectly by Islamic fundamentalists, according to Alexandre Del Valle, a French researcher from the University of Paris and an expert on the Arab world. Del Valle says that more than 50%, maybe even 60% of the mosques in Italy are run by fanatical imams linked to the UCOII and the Muslim Brotherhood. He says the Italians should also be suspicious of financing initiatives by moderate Muslim states, such as Morocco. Del Valle also warns against halal butchers. While only 5%... islamineurope.blogspot.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2244926/posts#comment Tue, 5 May 2009 23:17:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2233324/posts I admire Congressman Peter King---he just doesn't give a rat's ass who he angers, he is going to suggest what's right whether it makes him popular or not. He created a fire storm suggesting its time for the US government to more closely monitor Mosques in the US. He fought the Democrats in congress to provide whistle blowers with “immunity for reporting suspicious activities and mitigating terrorist threats relating to transportation security,” He also was a fighter for the cause of "Libel tourism," and he told the truth about Gitmo Prison. Now he is being attacked by the Terrorist enabling... Newsday/The Lid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2233324/posts#comment Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:44:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2232773/posts Muslim leaders Saturday attacked as "bigoted" comments made by Rep. Peter King involving mosques and terrorism, although King shot back that he believes there is a "real problem" involving some mosques on Long Island. In response to a recent Department of Homeland Security report about right-wing extremism, King told MSNBC Friday the department "has never put out a report talking about look out for mosques. Look out for Islamic terrorists in our country. Look out for the fact that very few Muslims come forward to cooperate with the police. If they sent out a report saying that, there would be... Newsday http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2232773/posts#comment Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:19:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2231643/posts Months of deteriorating relationships between the FBI and major American Muslim organizations came to a head when revelations of a FBI informant posing as a convert in mosques became public in February 2009. The incident, combined with the FBI's disengagement from communications with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has lead several American Muslim advocacy groups to consider a suspension of ongoing outreach with the FBI. The growing tension was raised during a Senate hearing where FBI Director Robert Mueller was questioned about the Bureau's conduct about investigating Muslim organizations. Alleged FBI Informant at California MosquesThe activities of undercover FBI... OMB Watch http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2231643/posts#comment Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:30:22 GMT