Couple fired for being Muslim

FEDERAL JUDGE ALLOWS MUSLIM COUPLE'S LAWSUIT TO PROCEED - TOPAssociated Press, 7/20/06
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspxid=17182
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. ­ A federal judge yesterday decided that a Muslim couple's civil rights lawsuit may proceed but without two of the four claims. The two remaining counts claim the couple's civil rights and First Amendment right to associate with whomever they choose were violated.The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in December 2004 on behalf of Aliakbar and Shahla Afshari, who claim that they were illegally fired from their jobs with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's facility in Morgantown.The Afsharis, who are Shiite Muslims and natives of Iran, were fired May 5, 2004, because they failed to pass a secret background investigation that was conducted on employees from countries considered a threat to the United States, including Iran, according to the lawsuit.The Afsharis passed background checks when they were hired in 1996 and in 1997. Their lawsuit, which was filed against NIOSH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services, claims the couple was fired because of their national origin and religious beliefs in violation of their First Amendment rights.

Xtian brought to court over harrasment

MAINE AG GOES TO COURT OVER PIG'S HEAD INCIDENT - TOP
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=38774
Maine's attorney general, citing the state Human Rights Act, filed a Superior Court complaint Thursday against a Lewiston man accused of targeting Somali and Muslim residents by throwing a frozen pig's head into a mosque during evening prayers.Attorney General Steven Rowe is seeking to have the court bar 33-year-old Brent Matthews from having any contact with the mosque or its members and to order him to abide by the state's anti-discrimination law.As outlined by Rowe's office, the complaint alleges that Matthews action was motivated by bias against the mosque members for their race, color, ancestry, national origin and religion.According to Rowe's office, the July Third incident constituted a threat of violence toward members of the mosque, interfered with the members' First Amendment right to freedom of religion and resulted in property damage.Defense lawyer James Howaniec was away from his office and not immediately available for comment.

Christians Burn Quran at Church service

ANTI-ABORTIONISTS' BURNING OF QURAN CALLED 'HATEFUL' - TOP Jean Gordon, Clarion-Ledger, 7/20/06
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060720/NEWS/607200393/1001/news
Jackson Muslims and a statewide interfaith group reacted with disgust Wednesday to reports that the national anti-abortion group Operation Save America burned a Quran during a Tuesday night gathering at a Pearl church."A group that acts in such a hateful way does not really represent the word of God," said Emad Al-Turk, co-founder of the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson.Activists from Operation Save America, formerly known as Operation Rescue, have been in Jackson since Saturday for eight days of protests against the state's only abortion clinic, the Jackson Women's Health Organization in the Fondren neighborhood.During a demonstration at the Capitol on Tuesday, anti-abortion activists tore up pages from the Quran, the Muslim holy book, along with a gay pride flag and copies of six U.S. Supreme Court rulings related to religion in public schools, sodomy and abortion.The group intended to burn the items at the Capitol but couldn't because it didn't have a permit, said Operation Save America volunteer Pat McEwen, a retired college professor from Palm Bay, Fla.Instead, the activists burned the Quran and other items Tuesday evening in the parking lot outside Making Jesus Real Church in Pearl, McEwen said. Police confirmed the burning.

Christian Terrorist Identified

FEDS IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS IN QURAN SHOOTING VIDEO - TOP Brian Lazenby, Chattanooga Times Free Press, 7/20/06
http://www.tfponline.com/QuickHeadlines.asp?sec=l&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fepaper%2Ewehco%2Ecom%2FWebChannel%2FShowStory%2Easp%3FPath%3DChatTFPress%2F2006%2F07%2F20%26ID%3DAr00104 A Chattanooga man under investigation for allegedly shooting a Quran and leaving it outside a local mosque was arrested in 1998 for throwing homemade bombs at a church, records show.A source close to the investigation identified Jason Thomas Mullican as the man using the name mully88 on a MySpace .com Internet site. On the site, a video showed mully88 and another man shooting a Quran with a military rifle and then leaving the Muslim holy book in front of the Chattanooga Islamic Center.Mr. Mullican, 33, was accused in Hamilton County General Sessions Court in 1998 of throwing plastic soda bottles filled with chemicals at First Calvary Baptist Church on Bell Avenue, records show. Mr. Mullican and two others were charged with reckless endangerment and disrupting a public assembly, according to court records.Prosecutors at the time conceded that the incident was a prank and not meant to hurt anyone. The charges for all three defendants were dismissed after 90 days of good behavior, records show.Tim Burke, FBI supervisor for the Chattanooga office, declined to comment on the identity of the men in the video but said they have been questioned and are cooperating with authorities."The investigation is ongoing," he said. "We are providing evidence in the case to the Justice Department so they can make a decision about whether there has been a violation of federal law."Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Sullivan declined to say whether a suspect will be charged. No timetable exists on when a decision will be made, he said.Authorities began investigating the incident last week after the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Justice Department officials to look into the shooting. (MORE)

Bomb threats made agaisnt masjid

NEW MOSQUE THREAT: "YA'LL GONNA GET BOMBED TONIGHT" - TOP WCPO, 7/18/06
http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/07/18/mosque.html
The FBI and Cincinnati Police are investigating after the Islamic Association of Cincinnati received threats Monday.In December, two pipe bombs exploded outside the Clifton Avenue mosque. No arrests were made.On Monday, someone called the mosque and threatened to blow it up, people at the mosque told 9News. They say someone also drove by, yelling threats."A car did come by and it said the exact words that 'ya'll gonna get bombed tonight,' to 'watch out ya'll gonna get bombed tonight,'" said Karen Dabdoub of the Islamic Association of Cincinnati.SEE ALSO:
THREATS PHONED IN TO LOCAL MOSQUE - TOP http://www.wkrc.com/breaking/story.aspx?content_id=840CC37FAB59426C-A81D-CF26B868D3D6The FBI is investigating threats phoned in to a local mosque. The caller reportedly made death threats targeting Muslims Monday evening.The mosque in Clifton is the same one targeted by two pipe bombs in December.An FBI spokesperson says agents will investigate Tuesday, and that the matter has been referred to Cincinnati Police.The local office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations says the mosque remained open for prayer, but security has been increased.---
FBI CHECKS OLD BOMB THREAT - TOP WILLIAM A. WEATHERS, ENQUIRER, 7/19/06
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20060719/NEWS01/607190347/1077 CLIFTON - The FBI is investigating whether there's a connection between a bomb threat to a mosque Monday and a pipe-bomb explosion at the mosque in December."That's one of the things we're looking into," Special Agent Michael Brooks, spokesman for the Cincinnati FBI office, said Tuesday.Karen Dabdoub, a spokeswoman for the Islamic Center of Cincinnati mosque in the 3600 block of Clifton Avenue, said someone called the mosque about 5:30 p.m. Monday and threatened to bomb it.Later, about 11 p.m. a car with several men inside drove past the mosque and someone shouted a threat to bomb the building, said Dabdoub, director of the Cincinnati Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations."We're going to bomb the place. We're going to bomb the place," someone shouted from the car, Dabdoub said. "It's pretty much what they said on the phone."Mosque officials are taking the threats seriously and security has been increased, Dabdoub said. "These threats are unacceptable in any community," she said. "They (worshipers) have the right to come here and worship in peace."Dabdoub said the December bombing, which caused minor damage to the building, failed to intimidate worshipers. (MORE)

Christian demonstrators destroy Quran

DEMONSTRATORS DESTROY KORAN, RAINBOW FLAG - TOP Andrew Hasbun, WLBT, 7/18/06
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5167436&nav=2CSf
Christian demonstrators Tuesday tore apart the Muslim holy book, the Koran. They wanted to set it on fire, but the group does not have the proper permits.Tuesday morning rallies became confrontational when police would not allow loudspeakers.

Muslim Guard harrased

PRISON PROBES RACIAL SLUR ON MUSLIM OFFICER'S LOCKER - TOP RICK HEPP, Star-Ledger, 7/19/06

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news4/1153288697257580.xml&coll=1 The state Department of Corrections is trying to determine who wrote a racial slur across the locker of a black Muslim sergeant late last week after the officer had a disagreement with colleagues at a youth correctional facility, his union representative said yesterday."It's a shame when an individual has to lower himself to the level of writing a racial slur on a locker," said Tom Moran, president of the New Jersey Law Enforcement Supervisors Association, which represents the department's sergeants. "Hopefully, as a department we can overcome these disagreements." He declined to name the sergeant.Corrections spokeswoman Deirdre Fedkenheuer confirmed there was "an incident" at the Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility in Burlington County but declined to describe it pending the outcome of an investigation by the department's equal employment division. The division investigates issues involving race, creed and gender.

christian leaders in town block the building of new Mosque

ISLAMIC GROUP CLAIMS BIAS BY THE TOWNSHIP - TOP JEFF DIAMANT, Star-Ledger, 7/18/06

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news4/1153201410233770.xml&coll=1

An Islamic organization in Wayne has sued the township, contending it has discriminated against the group's application to build a mosque on its 11-acre site.In the case filed yesterday in federal court in Newark, the Albanian Associated Fund asked for financial damages and for the court to stop the township's ongoing effort to condemn its land for open space.The lawsuit contends Wayne's planning board has for 3 1/2 years forced the group to take application steps not asked of non-Muslim religious groups. It claims the township has violated state and federal constitutional protections of religious freedom, as well as the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. (MORE)

Christians shoot at Muslims as they leave Masjid

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT CAUSING TROUBLE AT HOUSTON MOSQUE? - TOP Carolyn Campbell, KHOU 11 News, 7/17/06
http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou060717_cd_mosque5.216cce7e.html What's happening in the Middle East may be causing problems for members of a mosque in southwest Houston. Members said they had been attacked in the last few days.Shots were fired at people leaving the mosque on Tres Lagunas this past Saturday. Sunday, rocks and beer bottles were thrown at members leaving the mosque.The afternoon prayers go on as planned at the mosque in Mission Bend, but the weekend incidents have the leadership concerned. (MORE)

New threat received at mosque that was bombed

The Ohio office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) held a news conference today outside a Cincinnati mosque that has received two new threats after being damaged by explosions in December of last year.The Islamic Association of Cincinnati received one phone threat Monday afternoon, and before midnight, men in a car that drove through the mosque parking lot allegedly shouted that they were "going to bomb this place." SEE: New Threat Received At Mosque That Was Bombed (AP)CAIR says vandalism or other possible bias-related incidents have been reported recently at mosques around the nation. The Washington-based group is urging Muslim institutions nationwide to review security procedures using advice contained in CAIR's "Muslim Community Safety Kit."

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/15060403.htm

A mosque complex bombed in December received a threatening phone call followed by shouted threats from men in cars, a local Muslim leader said.
A person who called the Islamic Association of Cincinnati around 5 p.m. Monday made threats against Muslims in general, said Karen Dabdoub, director of the Cincinnati office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. And before midnight, a car full of men warning they were "going to bomb this place" drove through the parking lot behind the mosque, she said.

Christian minister continues to preach hate

POMPANO MINISTER WINS FANS AMONG FUNDAMENTALISTS, BUT LOSES SUPPORT IN GOP - TOPGregory Lewis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 7/17/06
http://www.sunsentinel.com/news/local/broward/sflcdozier17jul17,0,873009.story When the Rev. O'Neal Dozier called Islam "a cult" and derided Muslims as "terrorists," he damaged his relationship with Gov. Jeb Bush, whose office urged Dozier to resign from the Broward County Judicial Nominating Commission.Dozier's comments also likely tarnished his image among high-level Republican politicians who in recent years increasingly sought his blessing to sway black voters from their historic allegiance to the Democratic Party.To some Republicans, Dozier's political future is in jeopardy. Others say he has sealed his credentials as a strong Christian leader whom Republican officials must continue courting.But one thing is clear: Dozier is now a polarizing figure."I tolerated him because the Republican Party, I guess, was looking to garner the black vote," said Jack Majeske, president of the Broward Log Cabin Republican Club. "But this guy was homophobic and I figured him to be a racist a long time ago. He, as far as I was concerned, was way off the wall for a man of the cloth." (MORE)SEE ALSO:
FL: RHETORIC INCITES FEAR AND ANGER IN COMMUNITY - TOPGail Price-Wise, Sun-Sentinel, 7/17/06
http://www.sunsentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl39forum17jul17,0,2802083.story
Sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never harm me.The Rev. O'Neal Dozier should consider that words can in fact be harmful. By calling Islam a "cult" religion and mentioning terrorism, he incites fear and anger in the hearts of both Muslims and non-Muslims.The Muslim community -- made up of mothers, fathers, and children, students, intellectuals, doctors, engineers, business owners, and laborers -- hear the "T" word and wonder what will happen to them. Will I lose my job? Will I be forced to leave this neighborhood? Will my children be ridiculed in school? Will I or any of my loved ones be attacked?These fears are not unfounded. Words like those used by Dozier have been known to incite hate crimes. In the past two years, there has been an increase in threatening phone calls and vandalism perpetrated against Islamic centers in South Florida. (MORE)

MUSLIMS, MOSQUES TARGETS OF CHRISTIAN HATE

MUSLIMS, MOSQUES TARGETS OF HATE - TOP Aatif Ali Bokhari, Arab American News, 7/14/06
http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.phparticleid=5840

DEARBORN - American Muslims go to their places of worship increasingly under the fear of intimidation and violence.Bigots are launching hate attacks on Muslims at their places of worship with seeming impunity; their onslaught ranges from the frightening to the bizarre.The Council on Islamic Relations (CAIR) said that the attacks are "increasing," but this week marks a particularly aggressive surge of anti-Muslim violence.One Michigan City mosque in Indiana had its windows smashed and dome shot. At another mosque, in Tennessee, someone tossed a copy of the Qur'an, riddled with bullets, at the center's front door. And in Maine, worshippers were engaged in congregational prayer when a local tossed a dead pig's head into the prayer hall.In Michigan City, "on July 2, Porter County police received a report of bullets shot into the center's copper dome, leaving six holes. Also, two glass doors, 10 windows, and a spotlight were vandalized, possibly by a BB gun, according to a police report," said the "Northwest Indiana Times."In Tennessee, an FBI investigation has opened after a video of two men shooting a Qur'an and tossing it at a Chattanooga mosque surfaced on MySpace.com."In the footage, a 33-year-old man, who identified himself as mully88, is shown outside a Barnes & Noble Booksellers store holding a paperback copy of the Qur'an. He and another man then are seen shooting at the holy book in a wooded area with what is identified as a Colt M-16."In the last scene, mully88 is seen throwing the damaged Qur'an onto the sidewalk outside the Islamic Center at 1410 Cemetery Ave," reported the "Chattanooga Times Free Press."Mully88's website includes a montage of swastikas and illegal high-powered firearms, all while white supremacist music plays in the background.And in Lewiston, Maine, a man rolled a frozen pig's head into the local Islamic Center while Somali immigrants offered their prayers. Brent Matthews was arrested by police for the incident, an act which Matthews explained to police he had thought "was funny; it was going to be a big joke."

Suspect cooperating

QURAN SHOOTING SUSPECTS COOPERATING WITH AUTHORITIES - TOP Karina Gonzalez, Brian Lazenby, Chattanooga Times Free Press, 7/15/06
http://timesfreepress.com/QuickHeadlines.asp?sec=l&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fepaper%2Ewehco%2Ecom%2FWebChannel%2FShowStory%2Easp%3FPath%3DChatTFPress%2F2006%2F07%2F15%26ID%3DAr00700 Individuals responsible for a video posted on the Internet showing two men shooting a copy of the Quran and leaving it in front of the Islamic Center in Chattanooga are cooperating with federal investigators, officials said."FBI officials have determined the source of the video, and we have their cooperation," said Tim Burke, supervisor of the FBI's Chattanooga field office. "At this time, it remains under investigation."Mr. Burke said it would be up to the U.S. attorney's office to determine if the men will face charges.

Muslims shocked by hate directed agaisnt them

SEEKING A NEW MOSQUE, THEY FIND A CULTURAL TURF WAR - TOP MEG LAUGHLIN, St. Petersburg Times, 7/14/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/14/State/Seeking_a_new_mosque_.shtml POMPANO BEACH - Two years ago, the congregation of a small but growing mosque in Pompano Beach raised money to expand because it needed more parking.Mosque leaders, filled with hope, chose a patch of land in a predominantly black area."They picked that spot because they were sympathetic to the black struggle and believed the feelings were mutual, especially since the persecution after 9/11," said Altaf Ali of CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. . .What began as civil debate quickly plunged into an anti-Islamic diatribe with Dozier and his security force shouting at Ali that "Islam is evil" and "the Koran says to cut off heads."Besides the three dozen, mostly black, protesters from his church -- which his deacon says has "over 300 parishioners" - Dozier is supported by two other black ministers from the area and about four local Jewish supporters, led by Joe Kaufman, founder of "Citizens Against Hate" and the "Republican Jewish Coalition of South Florida." . . ."This mosque should not exist on American shores," said Kaufman, who got a standing ovation from the predominantly black audience. (MORE

Stop Bias Agaisnt Muslims

BIAS AGAINST ISLAM - TOP Our Opinion: Community Should Speak Out Against Religious PrejudiceMiami Herald, 7/14/06
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/15034596.htm
Shame on the Rev. O'Neal Dozier and his supporters for their brazen display of bigotry and ignorance in opposition to the planned construction of an Islamic mosque in a Pompano Beach neighborhood.Rather than challenge the location of the mosque on merit, the Rev. Dozier instead chose to attack Islam as a religion, and then to associate the religion with terrorists. He called Islam a "cult" and 'a dangerous religion." When challenged, he explained: "We feel this way because we know our country was attacked on 9/11 and is still threatened by radical Islamic terrorists."The Rev. Dozier asserts that he has the right to express his opinions -- and on that point he is correct. The U.S. Constitution protects his right to freely express himself so long as his speech isn't inflammatory. The Rev. Dozier's statements about Islam are harmful nonetheless. They also are irresponsible and flat-out wrong. He broad-brushes all who practice Islam -- and there are hundreds of millions of believers worldwide -- as belonging to a cult. Surely the Rev. Dozier and his supporters recognize that kind of blanket characterization as unmitigated bias. (MORE)

Christians bomb Muslim owned restaurant

RESTAURANT BLAST RULED 'SUSPICIOUS' - TOP Cameron Fullam, Pulse Journal, 7/13/06
http://www.pulsejournal.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/07/13/pj0713arson.html An explosion last week at a West Chester Twp. restaurant owned by a Jordanian immigrant has members of the Arab and Muslim community worried it was ethnically motivated.The blast was the fourth time the restaurant, Steak Thyme, 8179 Princeton-Glendale Road, had been damaged by fire since May 21.Musa Shteiwi and his family watch as investigators gather evidence at Steak Thyme last Thursday hours before a blast would send him and his son to the hospital.Karen Dabdoub, a spokeswoman for the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Muslim residents of the area talked to her over the weekend about the fires and expressed concern that similar attacks could happen again."Anytime an attack like this happens, the perception in the Arab and Muslim community is that it is ethnically or religiously motivated," Dabdoub said. "Especially in the absence of perpetrators being caught by law enforcement, that's the fear. Until that (motivation) is discovered, people speculate, rightly or wrongly."Investigators said they are considering the possibility the attack is a hate crime

Christians reject tolerance

RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IS BOOED LOUDLY - TOPFRED GRIMM, Miami Herald, 7/13/06
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15025174.htm
Willie Lawson invoked the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. The NAACP leader spoke of America's founding principles, the need for tolerance, the evil of discrimination.He was booed loudly. Disapproval fairly cascaded through the audience at Pompano Beach City Hall. It was a reception a civil rights leader hasn't endured in these parts since North Broward was a sprawling tomato patch ruled by racist rednecks.In the modern version played out Tuesday night, the bigots were black.They held signs and marched outside City Hall to protest city zoning approval of a mosque in northwest Pompano Beach.When the City Commission met an hour later, the dissidents' leader, the Rev. O'Neal Dozier of the Worldwide Christian Church, went to the podium and denigrated Islam, a "cult" he called it, and reduced all its practitioners to stark, one-dimensional bomb-wielding American-hating stereotypes.Dozier accused "Moooslims" (stretching out that first syllable for mocking emphasis) of picking a Christian neighborhood where they could convert young black men to Islam. "We don't need young black men to become more angry, to hate white men. We don't need any more violence."Dozier's words brought shouts of "Amen!" from the audience. His three-minute diatribe brought applause and then a standing ovation.When Lawson, president of the North Broward NAACP, rose to call for religious tolerance, it became an act of courage

Hate being taught in the churches

BIGOTRY FROM SOME PULPITS, BETTER SENSE IN THE STREETS - TOP Sun-Sentinel, 7/13/06
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-mayocol13jul13,0,7282860.column In Pompano Beach's Golden Acres apartment complex, across the street from the sign that says, "Rezoning of this property is under consideration," residents say they aren't bothered by the prospect of a mosque next door."Everybody is entitled to their religion," said Ruby McCloud.But a few ignorant ministers, such as the Rev. O'Neal Dozier of the Worldwide Christian Center, appear to have forgotten this American fact of life.Not only have they tried to block the move of the Islamic Center of South Florida, Dozier has inflamed the situation by repeatedly calling Islam "a cult" and fretting that a Muslim influx could make the neighborhood "a breeding ground for terrorists."In an interview on Wednesday, Dozier said "all Islam is radical" and he called the Quran "a dangerous, evil instrument" that's "the root of the problem." His proposed solution: banning Islam in the United States."There should be freedom of religion, but for one so dangerous as Islam, we ought to carve out an exception," Dozier said. "Every law has exceptions." . . .Altaf Ali, executive director of the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, spent 90 minutes talking to Dozier on Wednesday after both appeared on Fox News Channel."I told him, `I'm very surprised and shocked to see the position you're taking, because historically your people have been discriminated against in the way you're doing to us,'" Ali said. "He's adamant about blaming all Muslims for the actions of a few. ... He's espousing bigotry and hate."

Christian Ministers preach Hate

MOSQUE PROTEST AT CITY HALL - TOP DARRAN SIMON, Miami Herald, 7/12/06
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15016878.htm A group of christian ministers and dozens of their supporters took their protest of a planned mosque to the Pompano Beach Commission on Tuesday.Although the issue wasn't on the meeting agenda, the Rev. O'Neal Dozier addressed commissioners during public comments after leading a protest outside City Hall.Dozier, the pastor of Worldwide Christian Center Church, is leading the effort to block construction of a mosque in a ``black Christian community."Last week, he characterized Islam as "cult" and "a dangerous religion" on a radio show -- remarks that cost him a political appointment. On Tuesday night, he echoed that sentiment. . ."The position that Rev. Dozier has taken is one of bigotry," Altaf Ali, the executive director the Florida chapter the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in an interview before the meeting. "Islam teaches an individual to act with justice, to be kind to your neighbor."Ali attended the protest and challenged Dozier's characterization of Islam. (MORE)---
MORE THAN 60 CHRISTIANS GATHER IN POMPANO TO PROTEST CONSTRUCTION OF MOSQUE - TOP Gregory Lewis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 7/12/06
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sflctension12jul12,0,3900338.story
Led by the Rev. O'Neal Dozier of the Worldwide Christian Center, protesters carried signs opposing the relocation of the mosque from the city's northeast area. Some called Muslims "dangerous" and "terrorists."Dozier, who last week called Islam a cult, said in an interview commissioners face repercussions at the ballot box if they do not change the June 14 decision. If the commissioners didn't change their minds, Dozier said, he would sue the city.Inside the commission's chambers, Dozier also repeated some of the rhetoric that prompted Gov. Jeb Bush's office to ask him to resign from Broward County's Judicial Nominating Committee recently."We must remember that no matter how peaceful many Muslims seem to be, their core religion's doctrine allows for no other faith to exist peacefully alongside them," Dozier told the commissioners during a public comment period.Altaf Ali, executive director of the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also showed up at the protest and said Dozier knew little about Islam. He called Dozier "a bigot," but added, "Despite the hurt in our community, we still want to sit down with him.""The commission has already approved the mosque, so any noise Dozier makes is irrelevant," Ali said. (MORE)-----

Christian Hatemonger unrepentant

PASTOR APPOINTED BY BUSH WON'T APOLOGIZE FOR REMARKS ON ISLAM - TOP BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press, 7/11/06

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060711/APP/607110945
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Rev. O'Neal Dozier has two missions, and he has been outspoken about achieving both: saving souls and helping Republicans.A personable black pastor and former professional football player from Broward County, he has associated with Gov. Jeb Bush and recently introduced gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist at a meeting with other pastors - an event at which he said Jesus Christ told him Crist would be the next governor.But after Dozier called Islam a cult and began fighting a mosque planned for a largely black Pompano Beach neighborhood, Bush's office asked him to resign as a member of a commission that nominates judges for appointment. His views, criticized by Muslims, will mean his political involvement may be less influential, which he sees as a regrettable consequence to his primary mission."I need political influence in order to obtain the things that I think that I need to obtain for the Lord, Jesus Christ," he said Tuesday, two days after turning in his resignation. "I would love to be able to maintain that and at the same time win souls for the Lord. But I guess sometimes that's not possible."And so he offers no apologies and continues to say the Quran is evil. . .His attitude is a misunderstanding of Islam, Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations."He might take a look at his Bible again and see what Jesus what would do in these circumstances," Hooper said. "I doubt that Jesus, peace be upon him, would seek to increase divisions and hostilities in the society in which he lived. Jesus preached love and respect, not hatred and mistrust."

Hate crime Agaisnt Quran

QURAN VANDALISM PROMPTS SHOCK FROM LOCAL MUSLIMS - TOP Joe Legge, WDEF-TV News 12, 7/11/06
http://www.wdef.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WDEF/MGArticle/DEF_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149189087119 Federal officials say they're looking into whether an on-line video posted by a Chattanooga man involves a hate crime.The video, called "kill the koran," was posted last month on myspace.com, an on-line community.The website's author is a 33-year old Chattanooga man. He lists his occupation as a mechanic and paramedic. News 12 received calls today from viewers revealing the man's identity, and he does appear to be local.Chattanooga's Muslim community expressed outrage and fear after learning of the internet video showing two men, one reportedly local, shooting the Quran. Khaled Hashmi of Annour Islamic Community says "these acts are terrorist acts."Hashmi says Muslims treat their holy book more important than themselves. While local followers of Islam say they're in shock over the video, statements made on the man's website leave them frightened. "We don't know how many weapons they have and what their intentions are they just may go out and start committing crimes against us," says Hashmi. (MORE)

Investigation opening in Shooting of Quran

FBI INVESTIGATING SHOOTING OF MUSLIM HOLY BOOK - TOP Karina Gonzalez, Chattanooga Times Free Press, 7/12/06
http://www.tfponline.com/QuickHeadlines.asp?sec=l&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fepaper%2Ewehco%2Ecom%2FWebChannel%2FShowStory%2Easp%3FPath%3DChatTFPress%2F2006%2F07%2F12%26ID%3DAr00103 Findings from a preliminary FBI investigation into an online video of two men shooting a Quran and one of them throwing it on the ground outside a Chattanooga mosque will be turned over to federal prosecutors, an FBI agent said."The FBI has opened a preliminary (probe) to get the facts together," Gary Kidder, special agent with the FBI, said Tuesday. "There will have to be a decision from either the U.S. attorney's office or the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, as to whether the facts of this case trigger a federal (prosecution)."The video, titled "kill the koran," was reported to federal authorities by a national Muslim advocacy group after it was posted on MySpace.com, an online network service, in June.In the footage, a 33-year-old man, who identified himself as mully88, is shown outside a Barnes & Noble Booksellers store holding a paperback copy of the Quran. He and another man then are seen shooting at the holy book in a wooded area with what is identified as a Colt M-16. In the last scene, mully88 is seen throwing the damaged Quran onto the sidewalk outside the Islamic Center at 1410 Cemetery Ave.Officials with the Islamic Center filed a complaint to local law enforcement last summer when the incident took place, said Khalid Hashmi, a spokesman for the Annour Islamic Center in Chattanooga, another mosque. More details of the incident became available through the online posting of the video, he said. (MORE)

Will Christian hatemonger be prosecuted

PROSECUTORS HAVE OPTIONS IN MOSQUE CASE - TOP DAVID HENCH, Portland Press Herald, 7/12/06
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060712lewiston.shtml
When Vincent Hallowell burned a cross near the Augusta home of a black man and a family with biracial children in 1996, federal prosecution led to eight years in prison.Three years earlier, a Portland jeweler had been the first person in Maine found guilty of a racially motivated federal civil rights crime. Thore Aalto was sentenced to six months for harassing a black woman at a restaurant and threatening to burn her house down.The FBI is now investigating last week's incident in which Brent Matthews, 33, of Lewiston allegedly tossed a frozen pig's head into a mosque where men were praying, and the U.S. attorney will decide whether federal charges are warranted.Federal hate crimes prosecutions in Maine are rare, reserved for cases of the most serious behavior. Bringing federal charges would send a strong message that bigotry will not be tolerated, a leading Maine civil rights advocate said."We need to respond firmly and aggressively to efforts to intimidate Muslims not to practice the rights everyone else in Maine has the right to practice - their religion," said Stephen Wessler, director of the University of Southern Maine's Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence."Where people are able to engage in some of the most important, intimate and spiritual parts of their life, to have to do that in an atmosphere of fear, that's not what this country is about."Matthews, charged with the misdemeanor of desecrating a church, could face legal action locally, at the state level and by the U.S. Attorney's Office if investigators determine he was motivated by bias against a religion, race or national origin. Matthews is charged with throwing the frozen pig's head into the Lewiston-Auburn Islamic Center on July 3 while 40 men knelt in prayer. (MORE)

Islamic center vandalism being investigated

FBI OPENS INVESTIGATION ON VANDALISM AT MICHIGAN CITY ISLAMIC CENTER - TOP JERRY DAVICH, Northwest Indiana Times, 7/12/06
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/07/12/news/top_news/146c7ee2290a8cf4862571a9000a31c7.txt PINE TOWNSHIP The FBI has opened a federal criminal investigation into the potential hate crime vandalism recently at the Michigan City Islamic Center."We take these cases very seriously," FBI special agent Wendy Osborne said.Last week, Muslim-American leaders of the center, located at 1606 N. County Road 500 East, called the $8,600 damage to their mosque a "systematic hate crime." The mosque serves about 150 families.On July 2, Porter County police received a report of bullets shot into the center's copper dome, leaving six holes. Also, two glass doors, 10 windows, and a spotlight were vandalized, possibly by a BB gun, according to a police report.A national Islamic civil rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called on local and national law enforcement authorities to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime."Given the type of vandalism reported and the growing level of anti-Muslim rhetoric in our society, it is only prudent to investigate a possible bias motive in this case," said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper.Abraham Hakim, president of the Michigan City Islamic Center, said the FBI has contacted center officials and that it is important for his center's leaders "not to hide" from such incidents.At the least, the vandalism may have planted seeds of intimidation and the second-guessing of safety for Muslim-American center members, he said. He also noted that he has not heard from the center's neighbors or broader community after the incident was publicized.

Christian extremists shoot Quran

VIDEO SHOWS BULLET-RIDDLED QURAN THROWN AT TENN. MOSQUECAIR calls on DOJ to probe incident as violation of civil rights(WASHINGTON, DC, 7/10/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on the Justice Department to investigate an incident in Tennessee in which a bullet-riddled Quran was thrown at the entrance of a mosque as a possible violation of civil rights.CAIR said the perpetrators of the incident videotaped their actions and then posted the video online. (The video was placed online June 17, 2006, but the actual incident may have taken place last summer.) The two men are first shown shooting a copy of the Quran, Islam's revealed text, with a "Colt M-16." (An M-16 is a fully-automatic military weapon that is not legal for personal use.) They then take the Quran to a mosque and throw it at the entrance while shouting what sounds like "Jesus rocks."SEE: Kill the KoranIf the MySpace link is removed, SEE:http://www.cair.com/video/kill_the_koran/The Imam, or prayer leader, of the Islamic Center of Chattanooga said the minister of a nearby church told him he saw the men videotaping the mosque, "ran them off" and called local police.The author of the www.myspace.com/mully88 site identifies himself as "mully88" and claims to live in Chattanooga, Tenn. "White Power" theme music plays on the site and the author's profile lists as heroes "anybody that has killed a muslim or at least tried to kill a muslim." The site also contains slurs targeting Hispanics and African-Americans."By throwing the bullet-riddled Quran at the mosque, we believe the perpetrators went beyond the limits of free speech by taking part in an overt act of religious intimidation," said CAIR Legal Director Arsalan Iftikhar.Iftikhar compared the men's actions to those who burn crosses on the lawns of African-Americans. In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that states can punish those who burn crosses with the intention to intimidate.In addition, Iftikhar said the men's actions may have violated provisions of federal civil rights statutes. He cited Title 18, United States Code, Section 241, "Conspiracy Against Civil Rights," which makes it a crime to "conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person of any state, territory or district in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him/her by the Constitution or the laws of the United States."On Friday, CAIR called on local and national law enforcement authorities to investigate vandalism at an Indiana mosque as a possible hate crime. The vandals shot holes in the copper dome of the mosque, smashed a number of windows and scratched "KKK" on the center's sign.There have been a number of similar incidents targeting the American Muslim community in recent months.Just this week, a man was charged for throwing a pig's head into a mosque in Maine during evening prayers. Media reports indicate that investigators in Ohio are looking into the possibility that an arson fire and explosion at a business owned by a family of Middle East heritage was a hate crime. Last month, a hate message attacking the Prophet Muhammad and claiming "Muslims Worship Satan" was left near an Arizona mosque. In April, shots were fired into a Maryland mosque.

Christians desecrate Quran

FBI LOOKING AT WEB SITE SHOWING SHOOTING OF QURAN - TOP BILL POOVEY, Associated Press, 7/10/06Federal authorities are looking into a video that shows two men shooting a Quran with a military rifle, then throwing the bullet-riddled Muslim holy book at the entrance of a a Chattanooga mosque, an FBI agent said Monday.The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations on Monday had called on the Justice Department to investigate the incident as a possible civil rights violation. The group said it was the latest in a series of incidents targeting mosques in several states. . .The video, titled " kill the koran" was posted on MySpace.com last month, said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper. It could still be seen on the Web site on Monday.

(MORE)SEE ALSO:TN: FBI LOOKS INTO INCIDENT OF QURAN ABUSE - TOP Karina Gonzalez and Brian Lazenby, Chattanooga Times Free Press, 7/10/06

http://www.tfponline.com/absolutenm/templates/breaking.aspx?articleid=2615&zoneid=41 FBI officials began an investigation today of an online video showing a Chattanooga resident shooting a gun at and throwing a Quran at the entrance of the local mosque as a possible violation of civil rights, officials said."We're letting the attorneys look at it to make decisions about whether it appears there is a federal violation," said Tim Burke, supervisor at the FBI's Chattanooga office. . .

Christian Minister preaches hate

JEB BUSH ALLY SLAMS ISLAM - TOP Darran Simon, Miami Herald, 7/8/06
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/14992571.htm
The Rev. O'Neal Dozier, a Broward clergyman who has advised President Bush and is a political appointee of Gov. Jeb Bush, took to the air waves Friday to criticize Islam as a "cult" religion.The radio appearance by Dozier, who serves on the governor's committee that screens Broward judicial nominees, startled a local Muslim leader, and prompted the governor to immediately distance himself from the statements.Reached later in the day by The Miami Herald, a contrite Dozier said he was "concerned" his comments could jeopardize his position on Broward's Judicial Nominating Commission. But he did not disavow those comments."The Islamic religion in my view is a cult," Dozier said Friday, when asked to recap the controversial comments he made earlier on The Steve Kane Radio Show on WNN-AM 1470. "On the show I said that Islam is a dangerous religion."Dozier was on the program to address efforts by him and other black ministers to block a plan by the Islamic Center of South Florida to build a center in Northwest Pompano Beach. . .The black ministers' stance in opposition to the mosque has surprised some experts on Islam."For the first time, you are seeing a group of black pastors following the white fundamentalist leaders of our country," said Lawrence Mamiya, an activist and professor of religion and Africana studies at New York's Vassar College.Traditionally, blacks and Muslims in America have forged a healthy, harmonious relationship -- in part because their leaders tackle the same issues affecting their neighborhoods -- drugs, crime, racism and other social ills, Mamiya said. . .Asked on Friday to respond to Dozier's comments, Altaf Ali, executive director of the Florida Chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, said he has tried unsuccessfully to meet with Dozier."I want a chance to respond and refute these accusations," Ali said Friday. "It appears that he doesn't have that much knowledge about Islam."

Mosque Vandalism

MOSQUE VANDALISM: A 'SYSTEMATIC HATE CRIME' - TOP Jerry Davich, The Times, 7/8/06
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/07/08/news/top_news/7f9b044656dffafd862571a400827204.txt PINE TOWNSHIP Muslim-American leaders of the Michigan City Islamic Center say that $8,600 in recent criminal mischief damage to their mosque was a "systematic hate crime.""People here are shocked. It looks more like someone sending a message than random vandalism by bored teenagers," said Abraham Hakim, the center's president and a third-generation American.The center is at 1606 N. County Road 500 East.Hakim, whose family has lived in the Michigan City area for decades, cites the fact that all 10 windows were shot only once, costing the most money to replace. Thrill-seeking teenage vandals wouldn't be so methodical, he figured. . .On Sunday, Porter County police received a report of bullets shot into the center's copper dome, leaving six large and obvious holes. Also, two glass doors, 10 windows, a sign and a spotlight were vandalized, possibly by a BB gun, police reported. . .The letters "KKK" are clearly yet crudely scratched into the sign. (MORE)

Probing hate crime

MOTIVE IN MOSQUE INCIDENT PROBED - TOP JUSTIN ELLIS, Portland Press Herald, 7/8/06
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060708matthews.shtml
LEWISTON - The attorney for a man accused of throwing a pig's head into a mosque said the case needs to play out in the court system, not in public. James Howaniec said Friday that authorities should proceed carefully in a case that has grabbed the attention of local and national Muslim leaders, the FBI and the state Attorney General's Office."I would hope they would investigate this case and let the facts get developed in the court system," he said.Police say Brent Matthews, 33, of Lewiston admitted rolling a frozen pig's head into the Lewiston-Auburn Islamic Center on Lisbon Street as 40 men bowed in prayer Monday night. He turned himself in to police on Tuesday and faces a misdemeanor charge of desecrating a church.Muslims are prohibited from eating pork because they consider pigs unclean.Matthews told investigators he got the head from a pig roast and had been saving it in his freezer, and described his actions at the mosque as a joke, police said.Howaniec filed a not guilty plea Thursday in Androscoggin District Court for Matthews, who is free on $200 bail. An arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 6. Under the conditions of his bail, Matthews must stay away from the Islamic center.At a press conference at City Hall on Friday, local and federal authorities said they were working together to determine whether a federal civil rights case can be brought against Matthews.FBI Special Agent Todd DiFede said Friday afternoon that the agency has an interest in investigating civil rights cases involving race or religious discrimination. DiFede said investigators' findings would be turned over to U.S. Attorney Paula Silsby. (MORE)

BC comic swipes

ANOTHER SWIPE AT ISLAM IN 'B.C.' COMIC? - TOP Editor & Publisher, 7/7/06
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/syndicates/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002801803
NEW YORK Did "B.C." cartoonist Johnny Hart take another swipe at Islam in his July 3 comic? Several blogs -- including ComicsReporter.com and DailyCartoonist -- are wondering.In the comic, Hart shows his turtle character asking: "What makes a bite that's shaped like a crescent moon?" The bird standing on the turtle's shell answers: "A lunatic." A star is drawn near the turtle's "finger" to illustrate the location of the bite.A star/crescent moon is a symbol of Islam. There's also the possibility that Hart was making a "luna tick" pun instead of, or in addition to, making a negative reference to Islam.An executive at Creators Syndicate, which distributes "B.C.," could not be immediately reached for comment today.Readers previously wondered if Hart defamed Islam in his "B.C." strip of Nov. 10, 2003. In that comic, Hart showed a character walking to an outhouse, closing the door with a huge "SLAM" (inked vertically between the first and second panels), and saying: "Is it just me, or does it stink in here?" (MORE)

Christian man rolls pig head into Masjid

ME: FEDS INVESTIGATING INCIDENT OF PIG'S HEAD IN MOSQUE - TOP Associated Press, 7/7/06
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/special/7_07special1.htm
LEWISTON, Maine - The FBI is reviewing the case of a Lewiston christian man accused of tossing a frozen pig's head into a mosque.FBI agents have been conferring with police to determine whether federal hate-crime laws were violated, said police Lt. Michael McGonagle.Brent Matthews, 33, was charged with desecration of a place of worship, a misdemeanor, after the incident during Monday evening prayers at the mosque.Matthews could be more trouble if the state decides to prosecute him under Maine's civil rights statute. If found guilty, he could be fined $5,000 and ordered to stay away from the mosque and the city's Muslim community. . .The incident has inflamed the city's Muslim community. Muslims are prohibited from eating pork, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations calls the act an insult to Muslims.

Muslim Buisness Bombed

INJURY FIRE AT WEST CHESTER BUSINESS WAS ARSON, HATE CRIME SUSPECTED - TOP Jay Warren/Becky Freemal, WCPO-TV, 7/7/06
http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/07/06/fire.html
An explosion and fire at a West Chester business that injured three people Thursday night was intentionally set, police told 9News Friday morning.Investigators are looking into the possibility that the arson was a hate crime, because the business is owned by a Jordanian family.Thursday night's act is the fourth act of vandalism at Steak Thyme Subs on Princeton-Glendale Road in the past month. (MORE)

'KKK' reportedly scratched on sign, shots fired at dome, windows smashed

(WASHINGTON, DC, 7/7/06) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on local and national law enforcement authorities to investigate vandalism at an Indiana mosque as a possible hate crime.Officials with the Islamic Center of Michigan City (ICMC) told the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) that vandals shot holes in the copper dome of the mosque, smashed a number of windows and scratched "KKK" on the center's sign. The vandalism was discovered on Sunday, July 2. ("KKK" refers to the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group with a history of violence directed at racial and religious minorities.)A representative of the Porter County Sheriff's Department said the initial police report did note the broken windows and other damage, but mentioned only "scratches" on the sign. An officer will be sent to the mosque to confirm the racist graffiti.ICMC officials say their facility is the "first chartered Islamic center in the United States." It was established in May of 1924 and serves some 150 families."Given the type of vandalism reported and the growing level of anti-Muslim rhetoric in our society, it is only prudent to investigate a possible bias motive in this case," said CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.Hooper called on the FBI to add its resources to those of local law enforcement authorities. He also said there have been a number of similar incidents targeting the American Muslim community in recent months.Just this week, a man was charged for throwing a pig's head into a mosque in Maine during evening prayers. Today, media reports indicate that investigators in Ohio are looking into the possibility that an arson fire and explosion at a business owned by a family of Middle East heritage was a hate crime. Last month, a hate message attacking the Prophet Muhammad and claiming "Muslims Worship Satan" was left near an Arizona mosque. In April, shots were fired into a Maryland mosque.SEE: Feds Investigating Incident of Pig's Head in Mosque (AP)SEE: Injury Fire Was Arson, Hate Crime Suspected (WCPO-TV)

lewiston Hate crime

MUSLIM GROUP DECRIES DESECRATION OF MOSQUE - TOP
Associated Press, 7/5/06
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO22143/

LEWISTON, Maine -- An Islamic civil liberties group is decrying an episode in Lewiston in which a man threw a pig's head into a mosque.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling for stepped up outreach by Maine's Muslim community to educate people about their faith to promote greater understanding.

The incident happened Monday night at the Lewiston-Auburn Islamic Center. Police arrested 33-year-old Brent Matthews of Lewiston, who told police it was a "joke." He's charged with the misdemeanor crime of desecrating a church. . .

Spokesman Ibrahim Hooper says outreach is important. He says anti-Islam prejudice decreases when people get to know ordinary Muslims.

Christian talk show to record hate song

TALK SHOW HOST TO RECORD MARINE'S SONG - TOP
Mike Baker, Associated Press, 7/6/06
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060706/APE/607060501

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A radio talk show host will record and release a song a Marine corporal wrote about killing members of an Iraqi family, a spokesman for the show said Wednesday.

The song's author, Cpl. Joshua Belile, will not sing in the studio recording of "Hadji Girl," but he may receive royalties if "The Mike Church Show" charges for downloads. Church, the conservative host, will sing and release the song on the air next week, executive producer James Parker said Wednesday.

"We originally wanted Josh to sing the song, but the Marines are kind of gagging him on it," Parker said.

Officials at Camp Lejeune, which is adjacent to the Marine's air station, did not immediately return calls Wednesday, nor did Belile. Belile has said he wants the song publicly released on Church's program.

"Hadji Girl" first surfaced in a four-minute video circulated on the Internet. In the clip, Belile sings about a Marine who falls in love with an Iraqi woman and is then attacked by members of her family. The Marine, in turn, kills the family members.

The song prompted an outcry from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which brought the video to the Pentagon's attention. Spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said the song was insensitive and glamorized the killing of Iraqi civilians.

"It's unfortunate that anyone would try and exploit this situation for personal gain," Hooper said Wednesday. "We had hoped the song had been put to rest by the military's decision." (MORE)

Video: Mosque Attack

BIGOTRY ON DISPLAY IN LEWISTON MOSQUE INCIDENT - TOP
Portland Press Herald, 7/6/06
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/viewpoints/editorials/060706pig.shtml

Painting a swastika on a synagogue door.

Defiling a cross in a church sanctuary.

Those are rough equivalents for the offense that took place Monday when a Lewiston man desecrated an Islamic house of worship.

Police say Brent Matthews admitted he rolled a frozen pig's head through the open door of the Lewiston-Auburn Islamic Center into a group of 40 Muslim men as they bowed in prayer.

The 33-year old immediately fled the scene, as might be expected. He later confessed, telling police he "thought it was funny; it was going to be a big joke."

Where does one begin to confront such distorted thinking? (MORE)

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VIDEO: MOSQUE ATTACK - TOP
http://www.wgme.com/NewsWeather/story_9.shtml

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Mosque destroyed in terror attack

MOSQUE DESTROYED IN TERROR ATTACK NEAR RUSSIAN CAPITAL - TOP MosNews, 7/4/06
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/07/04/mosqueblast.shtml
The blast occurred in the town of Yakhroma, northwards from the capital. The building of the mosque was seriously damaged, a senior Muslim cleric told IslamNews news agency. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the explosion. Investigation into the attack has been launched.A mosque employee told the agency that the blast had entirely destroyed the main entrance, windows were broken. "Judging by the damage inflicted the explosive device was much more powerful than a grenade," he said. (MORE)-----

Paris Mosque plastered with racist Graffiti

PARIS MOSQUE PLASTERED WITH RACIST GRAFFITI, SWASTIKAS
- TOP Associated Press, 7/3/06
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/734168.html
Christian Vandals painted swastikas and anti-Muslim slogans on a mosque in the Parisian suburb of Courcouronnes, a mosque official said Monday.Abderrahmane Ammari said "extremists" attacked the walls of the mosque early Sunday, covering the exterior walls with slogans including "Islam go home," "France is white" and "We fight against Islam" early Sunday morning.

Christian Extremist throw pigs head into Mosque

PIG'S HEAD THROWN INTO MAINE MOSQUE DURING PRAYERS - TOP
CAIR calls for stepped up outreach to educate about Islam(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/4/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called for stepped up outreach efforts by the Muslim community in Maine after a severed pig's head was thrown into one of that state's mosques during prayers.CAIR said the frozen pig's head was rolled into the Lewiston Auburn Islamic Center late Monday as worshipers bowed in prayer. The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group said the use of pigs or pork products is a favorite theme of Islamophobic bigots who wish to attack or insult Muslims. Muslims are prohibited from eating pork.A 33-year-old Lewiston christian man told police on Tuesday that he had thrown the head into the mosque. He was charged with desecration of a church, a misdemeanor, and is out on bail.SEE:
Severed Pig's Head Thrown Into Mosque During Prayer Session
(AP)"All Americans should be able to offer prayers in their houses of worship without fear of attack or intimidation," said CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "We urge Muslims in Maine to increase their outreach efforts to educate people of other faiths about Islam."Hooper suggested a mosque open house and participation in CAIR's "Explore the Quran" and "
Explore the Life of Muhammad" campaigns. He said CAIR's research shows that anti-Muslim prejudice decreases when people get to know ordinary Muslims and when they have access to accurate information about Islam.Lewiston is home to some 2,500 Somali Muslim refugees. Somalis began moving to the state in 2001 in search of safer streets and cheaper housing. In 2002, the mayor of Lewiston set off a national controversy by asking Somali community leaders to stop the influx.

Muslim family recieves threats

MUSLIM FAMILY RECEIVES ANONYMOUS HATE LETTER - TOP Jennifer Golz, Daily Southtown, 7/2/06
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsnews/023abn1.htm
Just a month after the Mashni family lost a son, it now must deal with a new kind of grief.The Tinley Park family on Thursday received an anonymous hate letter in the mail, postmarked Wednesday from the Bedford Park regional post office.It reads, "Muslims go home to your country. You are not welcome in our community. Is your weekends training for making bombs? How many bomb experts you have living with you? Muslims get out NOW." (MORE)-----

Muslim Home Set Fire

LA: TWO HELD IN ARSON AT HOME IN KENNER - TOP Fires set in April; house not damagedMary Swerczek, Times-Picayune, 6/29/06

http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/library-106/1151567602128240.xml?ZZLIBB&coll=1

Two Jefferson Parish teen-agers were booked with simple arson in an incident where two bottles were set on fire outside a Kenner home in April, authorities said.Originally thought, at least by the victim, to be a hate crime because the resident of the house is Muslim and had reported several earlier incidents of vandalism, police now believe the motive behind the April incident was "mischief," said Capt. James Gallagher, Kenner Police Department spokesman.Gino P. Holmes, 19, of 3013 Independence Ave., Apt. B, Metairie, and Brook Ranshi, 17, of 3340 Maine Ave., Kenner, who lives near the vandalized house, are suspected of setting the fires.They allegedly removed a welcome mat from in front of a door of the house on Maine Avenue and placed it on the driveway topped with a plastic bottle of flammable liquid set on fire, Gallagher said.A second plastic bottle containing a flammable liquid was set on fire on the sidewalk leading up to the home, Gallagher said.There was no damage to the residence.Holmes and Ranshi have not been charged in the previous incidents of vandalism reported by the homeowner.In March, the resident reported that vandals threw eggs, bacon and condiments at his front door and car Muslims are forbidden to eat bacon.The resident also reported on Jan. 15 that eggs were thrown against his house and fireworks were set off on his front porch. (MORE)SEE ALSO: