For U.S. Muslims, a 9/11 anniversary like no other
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[url]http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39008916/ns/us_news-life/[/url]
[img]http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/ap/muslim%20fear--1030853619_v2.grid-4x2.jpg[/img]
[quote]
NEW YORK — American Muslims are boosting security at mosques, seeking help from leaders of other faiths and airing ads underscoring their loyalty to the United States — all ahead of a 9/11 anniversary they fear could bring more trouble for their communities.
Their goal is not only to protect Muslims, but also to prevent them from retaliating if provoked. One Sept. 11 protest in New York against the proposed Islamic center near ground zero is expected to feature Geert Wilders, the aggressively anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker. The same day in Gainesville, Fla., the Dove World Outreach Center plans to burn copies of the Quran.
"We can expect crazy people out there will do things, but we don't want to create a hysteria," among Muslims, said Victor Begg of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan. "Americans, in general, they support pluralism. It's just that there's a lot of misinformation out there that has created confusion."
Story: Hoping to correct image, Muslims greet fairgoers
On Tuesday, the Islamic Society of North America will hold a summit of Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders in Washington "to address the growing tide of fear and intolerance" in the furor over the planned New York mosque.
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Islamic centers in many cities are intensifying surveillance and keeping closer contact with law enforcement. Adding to Muslim concern is a fluke of the lunar calendar: Eid al-Fitr, a joyous holiday marking the end of Ramadan, will fall around Sept. 11 this year. Muslim leaders fear festivities could be misinterpreted as celebrating the 2001 terror strikes.
"We're telling everyone to keep their eyes open and report anything suspicious to authorities and call us," said Ramzy Kilic of the Tampa, Fla., chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
Other efforts around 9/11 aim to fight bigotry. Muslims will clean parks, feed the homeless, and give toys to sick children as part of Muslim Serve, a national campaign to demonstrate Islamic commitment to serving humanity.
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Separately, groups are distributing ads to combat persistent suspicions about Islam. One spot, called "My Faith, My Voice," features American Muslims saying, "I don't want to take over this country."
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1. For Muslims, a 9/11 anniversary like no other
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Sept. 11 anniversaries have always been challenging for U.S. Muslims, who have been under scrutiny since the attacks. This year, the commemoration follows a stunning summer in which opposition to a planned Islamic community center near the World Trade Center site escalated into a national uproar over Islam, extremism and religious freedom.
Islamic centers as far away as Tennessee and California faced protests and vandalism. In western New York, police said a group of teenagers recently yelled obscenities, set off a car alarm and fired a shotgun during two nights of drive-by harassment at a small-town mosque near Lake Ontario.
Usama Shami, board chairman for the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, said a new mosque the congregation has been building for years drew little attention until recently, when some resistance emerged in the neighborhood and from some in city government. Recently, vandals broke into the new building, spilled paint on the floor and broke expensive windows.
Shami believes the ground zero dispute is partly to blame for the trouble, along with passions unleashed by Arizona's strict new law that would require police to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are in the country illegally.
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"All of these issues came at the same time," Shami said. "When things like that happen, I think they bring out the worst in some people."
On Sept. 11 in Chicago, Zeenat Rahman, a 34-year-old native of the city, will visit a local nursing home with Muslim and non-Muslim friends to spend time with residents and help serve a meal.
"This is when people are going to look at our community, and when they do, what are they going to see?" said Rahman, a policy director for the Interfaith Youth Core, which promotes pluralism. "Sometimes, saying 'Islam means peace,' feels a little defensive and apologetic, whereas service is really core to our faith."
Unity Productions Foundation, a Washington-area group that specializes in films about Islam and Muslim Americans, will hold an interfaith talk on Sept. 11 at the Washington Jewish Community Center.
Speakers include Monem Salam, the subject of a Unity Productions film titled, "On a Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly." Unity recently launched groundzerodialogue.org, where visitors can view films and use them for community discussion about Islam in the U.S.
Salam, 38, of Bellingham, Wash., usually spends the Eid weekend with his wife and three young children, but said he persuaded his wife he had to participate in the event.
"I have to leave them and go across the country to answer questions about Islam," said Salam, a portfolio manager who was 4 years old when his family left Pakistan for the U.S. "It's unfortunate. [/quote]
sounds cool to me.
You know, besides the whole my country being full of stupid fucking dumbasses thing.
Religion is stupid. I have no respect for people who actually believe in a fictional book.
More to fear from Americans than Americans from them?
Whos yo terrorist now
[QUOTE=bobsmit;24606250]More to fear from Americans than Americans from them?
Whos yo terrorist now[/QUOTE]
People with explosives.
[QUOTE=johan_sm;24606242]Religion is stupid. I have no respect for people who actually believe in a fictional book.[/QUOTE]
You bash them for being intolerant, but you're doing the exact same thing.
I like those signs.
"Worship Is Spiritual Not [U]Political"
[/U]I couldn't have said it better myself.
"near ground zero is expected to feature Geert Wilders, the aggressively anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker. The same day in Gainesville, Fla., the Dove World Outreach Center plans to burn copies of the Quran."
What the fuck. Thats going way to far.
This actually sounds really great.
I can't believe I'm saying this but it seems the Islamics are ahead of the Christians.
It was 10 fucking years ago, a lot of things have happened since then.
People need to just let this go.
[QUOTE=johan_sm;24606242]Religion is stupid. I have no respect for people who actually believe in a fictional book.[/QUOTE]
The moderate members of Islamic religions are trying to make peace for their other members actions, even though they don't really have to.
Broke mah automerge.
[QUOTE=johan_sm;24606242]Religion is stupid. I have no respect for people who actually believe in a fictional book.[/QUOTE]
Hippocratic hipster alert :zoid:
Back on track ; You don't see Islamic people burning Bibles for every Christian soldier that killed a civilian.
[QUOTE=jjsullivan;24606453]This actually sounds really great.
I can't believe I'm saying this but it seems the Islamics are ahead of the Christians.[/QUOTE]
A few months ago a major leader said that they were okay with homosexuals. They are far ahead.
[QUOTE=doonbugie2;24606434]"near ground zero is expected to feature Geert Wilders, the aggressively anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker. The same day in Gainesville, Fla., the Dove World Outreach Center plans to burn copies of the Quran."
What the fuck. Thats going way to far.[/QUOTE]
Goddamn what is something called the "Dove World Outreach Center" doing burning books.
[QUOTE=OogalaBoogal;24606514]A few months ago a major leader said that they were okay with homosexuals. They are far ahead.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_topics_and_Islam[/url]
yeah okay whatever.
[editline]12:07AM[/editline]
[QUOTE=General J;24606513]You don't see Islamic people burning Bibles for every Christian soldier that killed a civilian.[/QUOTE]
maybe because the chances of obtaining a bible in an muslim country is slim to none.
[QUOTE=deloc;24606746][url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_topics_and_Islam[/url]
yeah okay whatever.
[editline]12:07AM[/editline]
maybe because the chances of obtaining a bible in an muslim country is slim to none.[/QUOTE]
There was a thread about it a while back. I promise.
[QUOTE=OogalaBoogal;24606514]A few months ago a major leader said that they were okay with homosexuals. They are far ahead.[/QUOTE]
Are you saying the Islamic world is farther ahead than the western world? Or that Islam is more tolerant than us? Either way you are way wrong.
[editline]04:30AM[/editline]
[QUOTE=OogalaBoogal;24606894]There was a thread about it a while back. I promise.[/QUOTE]
One leader doesn't speak for the whole group. That's the same line of logic that the anti-islamic groups have.
Hm. You know, /b/ has a program planned where they're going to pelt the 'ground zero mosque' with paper airplanes on 9/11. I wonder how they'd retaliate against that.
Anyhow, it's good to see they're taking steps to keep peace, explain to the public, protect themselves and support loyalty and peace.
[QUOTE=doonbugie2;24606434]"near ground zero is expected to feature Geert Wilders, the aggressively anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker. The same day in Gainesville, Fla., the Dove World Outreach Center plans to burn copies of the Quran."
What the fuck. Thats going way to far.[/QUOTE]
Not really. In Islam, the burning of the Quran is considered the only proper way to dispose of the book. All it's doing is emphasizing the stupidity and ignorance of the people taking part in this Quran-burning.
[QUOTE=OogalaBoogal;24606894]There was a thread about it a while back. I promise.[/QUOTE]
[URL]http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=918515[/URL]
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;24606331]You bash them for being intolerant, but you're doing the exact same thing.[/QUOTE]
How is he bashing them for being intolerant? he is calling them idiots for believing a fictional book.
[QUOTE=johan_sm;24606242]Religion is stupid. I have no respect for people who actually believe in a fictional book.[/QUOTE]
Says the man who lost his gold member ship.
[QUOTE=johan_sm;24606242]Religion is stupid. I have no respect for people who actually believe in a fictional book.[/QUOTE]
You're being just as bad as someone who's religious that bashes atheists. If it takes believing in some book to make someone happy then let them believe it as long as they're not forcing their beliefs down someone's throat. And if someone's perfectly fine in believing in no God and they're happy and not forcing their beliefs down someone's throat then I see no problem in both people co-existing. But if you're gonna be some intolerant asshole that bashes someone's beliefs because you think they're stupid for believing in God or some Jesus freak that screams at Gay people saying they're evil for being gay then by all means get out.
if you dont believe in religion, fine (im atheist myself) but dont go around bashing people for it, because youre no better than them when you do that
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;24606331]You bash them for being intolerant, but you're doing the exact same thing.[/QUOTE]
Tolerance doesn't = Respect.
If they get into religion, and can't get through their tiny brainwashed little heads that it's the major cause of war and suffering, then I'd say they have to suit themselves when shit hits the fan.
Same applies to ALL religions, I'm not one to discriminate.
[QUOTE=Vinze;24608674]
Same applies to ALL religions, I'm not one to discriminate.[/QUOTE]
Isn't that what you're doing right now?
[QUOTE=johan_sm;24606242]Religion is stupid. I have no respect for people who actually believe in a fictional book.[/QUOTE]
You do realize the religion existed long before the book did, right?
[editline]11:51PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Vinze;24608674]If they get into religion, and can't get through their tiny brainwashed little heads that it's the major cause of war and suffering, then I'd say they have to suit themselves when shit hits the fan.
Same applies to ALL religions, I'm not one to discriminate.[/QUOTE]
So without religion humanity would be all rainbows and unicorn farts?
[QUOTE=johan_sm;24606242]Religion is stupid. I have no respect for people who actually believe in a fictional book.[/QUOTE]
Hello mr. intolerant douchebag
[QUOTE=Trashcan_Man;24608944]Isn't that what you're doing right now?[/QUOTE]
Nope, if you do the bad kind of discrimination, it's stupid and for no reason, religion has a death toll of over two billion human beings. They've caused the holocaust, which was the birth of a major part of the discrimination we see today, they caused the spanish inquisition, which is pretty much the dictionarial referance to terror, they caused the IRA, the AL Qauida, all of the middle-eastern conflicts, they even paved the road to the cold war. Religion is a plague of mankind, only a lot more deadly, and it can't be cured.
Most people who discriminates in a bad way normally just don't like black people, but then again, black people aren't really the root of all evil, now are they? Whilst religion, well...
We got Mother Theresa who used the media to gain "chairty money", which she spent on more churches, whilst ignoring the poor and weak, why's that? Well, because in her own, insane hagbitch world, she thought "Suffering brings people closer to god.", so she wanted the downtrodden to starve to death, because of that god thought it was a good idea.
The above should somewhat explain just how fundementally insane religion is, but let's carry on to something a bit less subtle, shall we?
Now, about three hundred years ago, the pioneers had gained a foothold in America, after killing all those [I]heretic [/I]indians. So they began to establish things, but, they were a superstitious bunch, so whenever they saw an intellectual woman, they thought it was a good idea to burn her alive, on the offchance that she might just be a witch.
Again, a nice example of religious insanity, but let's carry on to the modern days, shall we?
Let's head down to the more... unsable parts of the world, where muslim fundementalists rules with an iron fist. Now, grantedly, not all muslims are bad, or, well, worse... so I am not one to prejudice, all I will go in on is the general policy down there. Which is that if a woman gets raped, she's accountable for the whole deal, and god dislikes when a girl deems herself rapable like that, since grantedly, he problably thought she had vaginal teeth. But anyways: the man is off the hook, after all, "he was used" by her, the rape victim, that is, and since she did such an horrific thing as to whelp and beg for mercy whilst experiencing what's problably the most horrific two minutes of her life, they stone her to death.
Nice, huh? Religious laws gives capital punishment to the victim. Now, that should show just what pscyhopaths we're dealing with here.
And if you find such sexism and brutal murder okay, well, then maybe you'd like to becomme a priest, but be careful, statistics have shown that a lot more child-related sexabuse occurs in the church, than on the street.
Now, there's a lot more worse things than that, such as opresson, discrimination, and other evils.
I can't say ALL religious people are bad, by all means, they're not. But, a portion is, pherhaps not a major portion, but they have masses, and yet masses of amounts of power and money, so I don't mind religious people as long as they keep their imaginary friends where they belong: Inside their heads. Not on the streets, not in the lawbook, not in the whitehouse, and definatley not in my home.
If god is everywhere, then he won't need any churches to fund the evil religious dominion furtherly.
Now, will that justify my dislikes of religion? Or must I keep bothering these good people with history most people know by now?
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