(no subject)
ANTI-MUSLIM INCIDENTS IN CALIFORNIA, MICHIGAN AND ILLINOIS
Women verbally assaulted, father and son refused service, mosque threatened
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/20/2003) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights
group announced today that several anti-Muslim incidents have been reported
recently in California, Michigan and Illinois. The Washington-based Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) attributes these incidents to the
pro-war rhetoric leading up to last night's attack on Iraq and called on
President Bush to once again speak to the issue of anti-Muslim bias.
In California, four Muslim women from the northern part of that state
visiting a Venice restaurant on Sunday say they were verbally assaulted by
another patron who made references to raping Muslim women and threatened
them with physical assault.
The women, all wearing Islamic head scarves, say a white male began playing
a guitar and singing after they entered the restaurant. His song allegedly
contained lyrics such as: "Those goddamn Muslim terrorists attack our
country....They wear ugly robes that are so stinky...And they rape their
women all the time...but since their women like it, they don't need to get
it over there, we can give it to them here."
After the Muslim women reported the man's actions to the restaurant
manager, he became even more upset and threatened the women with physical
harm. The man was later arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department. CAIR
and the women's civil rights attorney are calling on local law enforcement
and the FBI to treat the incident as a hate crime and to prosecute the
alleged perpetrator to the full extent of the law.
In Michigan, a Muslim father and son report that they were refused service
at a Meijer store in Fraser, Mich. The store's cashier allegedly refused to
accept credit card payment for gas, saying, "We don't take credit cards…We
closed the machines," and shouted, "You Arabs get out of here…We don't want
to serve you guys…Go back to your country…Dirty Arabs." Another customer
also joined in the abuse. The victims' attorney is considering a lawsuit
against Meijer. (There is a surveillance camera videotape of the incident.)
In Illinois, a Glendale Heights Islamic center received a phoned bomb
threat Tuesday and was burglarized Saturday. The center has called for
increased police protection and is in the process of installing security
cameras and window grills. Local FBI agents are working with the center on
the case.
"There should be zero tolerance for anti-Muslim bigotry in our society. We
urge swift apprehension and vigorous prosecution of anyone who targets
other Americans base on their religion, ethnicity or national origin. At
this time of crisis, our nation should be unified in standing against the
forces of division," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Awad noted
that his group recently distributed a "Community Safety Kit" to help
protect Muslims in North America. SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/safetykit He
also called on President Bush to once again condemn anti-Muslim hate.
Awad noted that just last week, projectiles were fired at another
Chicago-area mosque and death threats were made against Muslim students at
San Jose State University in California. Other anti-Muslim incidents were
reported to CAIR within the past month. Physical assaults against Muslims
have been reported in Northern California, Southern California, Georgia,
New Jersey, and South Carolina. One incident in Yorba Linda, Calif., left a
Muslim teenager badly beaten by a group that allegedly included white
supremacists.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil and
religious rights of all Americans.
Women verbally assaulted, father and son refused service, mosque threatened
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/20/2003) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights
group announced today that several anti-Muslim incidents have been reported
recently in California, Michigan and Illinois. The Washington-based Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) attributes these incidents to the
pro-war rhetoric leading up to last night's attack on Iraq and called on
President Bush to once again speak to the issue of anti-Muslim bias.
In California, four Muslim women from the northern part of that state
visiting a Venice restaurant on Sunday say they were verbally assaulted by
another patron who made references to raping Muslim women and threatened
them with physical assault.
The women, all wearing Islamic head scarves, say a white male began playing
a guitar and singing after they entered the restaurant. His song allegedly
contained lyrics such as: "Those goddamn Muslim terrorists attack our
country....They wear ugly robes that are so stinky...And they rape their
women all the time...but since their women like it, they don't need to get
it over there, we can give it to them here."
After the Muslim women reported the man's actions to the restaurant
manager, he became even more upset and threatened the women with physical
harm. The man was later arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department. CAIR
and the women's civil rights attorney are calling on local law enforcement
and the FBI to treat the incident as a hate crime and to prosecute the
alleged perpetrator to the full extent of the law.
In Michigan, a Muslim father and son report that they were refused service
at a Meijer store in Fraser, Mich. The store's cashier allegedly refused to
accept credit card payment for gas, saying, "We don't take credit cards…We
closed the machines," and shouted, "You Arabs get out of here…We don't want
to serve you guys…Go back to your country…Dirty Arabs." Another customer
also joined in the abuse. The victims' attorney is considering a lawsuit
against Meijer. (There is a surveillance camera videotape of the incident.)
In Illinois, a Glendale Heights Islamic center received a phoned bomb
threat Tuesday and was burglarized Saturday. The center has called for
increased police protection and is in the process of installing security
cameras and window grills. Local FBI agents are working with the center on
the case.
"There should be zero tolerance for anti-Muslim bigotry in our society. We
urge swift apprehension and vigorous prosecution of anyone who targets
other Americans base on their religion, ethnicity or national origin. At
this time of crisis, our nation should be unified in standing against the
forces of division," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Awad noted
that his group recently distributed a "Community Safety Kit" to help
protect Muslims in North America. SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/safetykit He
also called on President Bush to once again condemn anti-Muslim hate.
Awad noted that just last week, projectiles were fired at another
Chicago-area mosque and death threats were made against Muslim students at
San Jose State University in California. Other anti-Muslim incidents were
reported to CAIR within the past month. Physical assaults against Muslims
have been reported in Northern California, Southern California, Georgia,
New Jersey, and South Carolina. One incident in Yorba Linda, Calif., left a
Muslim teenager badly beaten by a group that allegedly included white
supremacists.
CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices nationwide
and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil and
religious rights of all Americans.