Muslims assaulted

MUSLIMS WORRIED BY TIRADE AFTER FILM - TOPStephanie Innes, Arizona Daily Star, 5/5/06http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/127787.phpThe verbal abuse of three young Muslim women in Scottsdale by a couple who had just seen "United 93" is stirring concern among the Arizona Islamic community that the film will reignite furor at their faith. "Generally, what we try to do is turn a negative into a positive, so if there's a good initiative to take to educate people to show we're not responsible for violence or terrorism, that's what we will be looking at doing," said Bushra Khan, office manager of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Arizona chapter, based in Phoenix. About 60,000 Muslims live in Arizona ­ about 8,000 of them in the Tucson area. Khan, 24, was one of the three young women who say they were shopping at the Desert Ridge Marketplace in Scottsdale on April 29 ­ all of them wearing burqas, or head scarves ­ when they were approached by a middle-aged couple who asked if they were Muslim. Khan said she always welcomes inquiries about her faith and was happy to tell the couple yes. But what happened next was a shock, she said. According to Khan, the couple said they'd seen the movie "United 93" and then told the women to take off their burqas, swore at them, and told them to get out of the country. The couple quickly left and the women did not file a police report. "United 93," released last week, re-creates the flight of the fourth and final plane hijacked by Islamist terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. "The couple's verbal abuse had obviously been prompted by their associating all Muslims with those who took part in the 9/11 terror attacks," Khan said. "The best way to prevent this type of stereotyping and intolerance is to educate ordinary Americans of all faiths about Islam and Muslims." Khan said the council could reignite campaigns similar to those it sponsored post-9/11, among them "Not in the Name of Islam" public service announcements rejecting terrorism and religious extremism, and the ongoing "Explore the Life of Muhammad" initiative, which offers free DVDs and books on the life and legacy of Islam's prophet and founder. The council also continues to offer free copies of its holy book, the Quran. (MORE)