(WASHINGTON DC -- AUGUST 26, 2010) The Islamic Information Center (IIC) is alarmed at the dramatic rise in hate crimes against Muslims, and general growing anti-Islam sentiment in the United States. Recently, there have been many high profile violent attacks against innocent American Muslims by other American citizens. The tone of conversation on various major news networks has contributed to such behavior, by encouraging fear and suspicion of innocent Muslims.
Two days ago, a Muslim taxi driver in New York City was brutally attacked by a passenger, who inquired "Are you Muslim?" and then viciously stabbed the taxi driver as he begged for his life. Luckily the assailant was captured, and the taxi cab driver survived the attack. The New York Times has the full report here.
In Gainesville, Florida, a fear mongering group has
decided to hold a "Quran burning" event this year on the anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks. Although this church has been condemned by most major Christian organizations, and the town's own mayor, the group has vowed to continue on with the effort. The event is considered so offensive, that
even right wing armed militia groups have opposed to event.
A
mosque in California was vandalized recently with a brick and hate signs referring to the controversy over a planned Islamic community center in New York City. CAIR said vandals targeting a Madera, Calif., Islamic center left signs stating "No Temple for the God of terrorism at Ground Zero. ANB," "Wake up America, the Enemy is here. ANB" and "American Nationalist Brotherhood."
An African-American man who was mistakenly thought to be Muslim
was harassed at an anti-mosque rally earlier this week in New York City. A crowd shouting "no mosque here" confronted the man and called him a "coward." The man is led away by rally organizers while one man shouts "Muhammad is a p*g." One person shouted "he must have voted for Obama." When some rally participants sought to defuse the confrontation, one man says, "we're against the Muslims, not each other."
For more than 30 years, the Muslim community in this Nashville suburb has worshipped quietly in a variety of makeshift spaces -- a one-bedroom apartment, an office behind a Lube Express -- attracting little notice even after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But when the community's leaders proposed a 52,900-square-foot Islamic center with a school and a swimming pool this year, the vehement backlash from their neighbors caught them by surprise. Opponents crowded county meetings and held a noisy protest in the town square that drew hundreds, some carrying signs such as "Keep Tennessee Terror Free."
Also this week, one of IIC's very own staff members was spat upon by a middle aged, professionally dressed woman, in a Philadelphia metro station as she boarded a train on the way to work.
Finally, according to surveys by the
TIME magazine: 28% of voters do not believe Muslims should be eligible to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. ~33% say Muslims should be barred from running for President — slightly higher than the 24% who believe Obama is a Muslim.
In response to these attacks and open hatred against the Muslim community, the Islamic Information Center advises Muslims to follow the teachings of the Quran, which states:
The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better,then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as if he were a warm friend. (41:38)
Accordingly, IIC advises Muslims in different communities hold events to welcome their neighbors with open arms. At the same time, however, the Islamic Information Center calls upon major news agencies to revise their programming and exercise proper restraint when speaking about Islam and Muslims; IIC also calls upon law enforcement agencies to pay particular attention to hate crimes against Muslims, as this trend has become a national epidemic.
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