Islamophobia in the US, March 27, 2011: Religious Profiling at Border Crossing

A man once said to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Wealthy people have all the rewards; they pray as we pray; they fast as we fast; and they (also) have surplus wealth which they give in charity. But we have no wealth that we may give in charity (to gain reward from God)."

The Prophet replied: "Should I teach you phrases by which you may acquire the rank of those who excel you (in wealth)? ... (Say 'God is Most Great,' 'Praise be to God' and 'Glory be to God' after each prayer) ... and end by saying, 'There is no god but God alone, there is no partner, to Him belongs the Kingdom, to Him praise is due, and He has power over everything.' (The person who does this) will be forgiven his sins, even if they are like the foam of the sea."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 593

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CAIR SAYS MUSLIM AMERICANS HARASSED WHEN CROSSING BORDER - TOP Oralandar Brand-Williams and Santiago Esparza, The Detroit News, 3/24/11

The Michigan Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations says it has received dozens of complaints from local Arab-American and Muslim men and women about being targeted for harassment by border control guards on the U.S. side of border crossings from Port Huron to the Ambassador Bridge.

Four local men told journalists of various harrowing experiences with border guards during a news conference at CAIR-Michigan's office today. They said they were not only questioned by border guards when they came back into the United States, they were handcuffed, locked up for lengthy periods and groped in their genital areas by the guards.

"I had an American passport, and I was put in a cell for four hours," said Kheirreddine Bouzid, an Ann Arbor teacher who is of Algerian descent. "They asked me if I could give them the names of any terrorists."

Abdulrahman Cherri, a Dearborn Heights resident, recalled a recent incident when he was returning from visiting his fiancée in Windsor, Ontario, when he was stopped at the Detroit side of the U.S.-Canada border and his car was searched with dogs. (More)

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VIDEO: GROUP FILING FEDERAL COMPLAINTS OVER HARASSMENT - TOP

View the video.

The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said is filing federal complaints with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice over the treatment of Muslims at border crossings.

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VIDEO: DETROIT MUSLIMS UPSET ABOUT TREATMENT AT BORDER (CAIR-MI) - TOP

Watch the video here.

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Muslims in Metro Detroit are seeking a federal investigation into allegations that agents at the border are treating them unfairly.

The Michigan Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will hold a press conference Thursday to announce the filing of complaints with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.

Muslims who have crossed the United States-Canadian border claim customs and border agents have handcuffed them without just cause and even pointed guns at them.

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VIDEO: MUSLIM CAPITOL DAY IN MICHIGAN (CAIR-MI) - TOP

Watch the video here.

Muslim's for a better Michigan' is the theme of Muslim Capitol Day this year. Dozens from the Muslim community came to Lansing Wednesday to meet with state representatives and senators.

Organizers say the event gives Muslims an opportunity to talk about how they can enhance Michigan and also voice their concerns.

"Given that there's a lot of frustration and even some fears within the Muslim community concerning the rhetoric that's going on in politics regarding the Muslim community, so we really felt that this was the time to do something more effective and proactive," said Raheem Hanifa, Muslim Capitol Day Co-Chair.

Muslim Capitol Day is organized by a group of non-partisan organizations, including the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan, and the Council of American Islamic Relations of Michigan.

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ANTI-ISLAM BILL PASSES ALASKA HOUSE COMMITTEE - TOP Chris Stein, Associated Press, 3/24/11

JUNEAU, Alaska -- A state House committee has approved a bill banning the use of foreign law in state courts.(More)

----- FOR MUSLIM POLITICIANS, RUNNING FOR OFFICE IS THE AMERICAN WAY - TOP Assia Boundaoui, Special to CNN, 3/24/11

Editor's note: CNN's Soledad O'Brien chronicles the fight over a mosque's construction in the heart of the Bible Belt. "Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door" airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CNN.

Chicago (CNN) -- Rola Othman sits at her dining room table littered with papers, poring over school board minutes.

She's anxiously preparing to speak at the Reavis High School District 220 board meeting in Chicago's southwest suburbs, where 11 teachers are about to be laid off.

And she has had enough.

Othman, a mother of two, has a doctorate in education. She says that when her son's school cut Advanced Placement classes and slashed the budget for academic programming, it was time to act.

"I see my kid's school going in the opposite direction, it's kind of scary. You can only make calls for so long," she said. "You need to effect change by being in the place to make decisions."

For Othman, that means running for the school board in her hometown of Burbank, Illinois. If elected, she would become the only Muslim American school board member in Illinois. (More)

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MORE U.S. COLLEGES ADDING MUSLIM CHAPLAINS - TOP Matthew Daneman, USA TODAY, 3/24/11

ITHACA, N.Y. -- When Jainal Bhuiyan attended Cornell University, he and his fellow Muslim students were mentored and led in religious prayers by a collection of Muslim professors, graduate students and staff.

"That was our network that filled the void," says Bhuiyan, 28, and now senior vice president at the New York investment bank Rodman & Renshaw.

Cornell soon could join the growing ranks of universities with full-time Muslim chaplains working alongside the Christian and Jewish chaplains already common on college campuses.

Bhuiyan and other Muslim alumni have created the Diwan Foundation, which launched last month to raise money to establish such a position at Cornell.

"We're not thinking of this as trying to address a major deficiency, but rather a natural evolution," says Nadeem Shafi, a Cornell alumnus who is an assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine. "The idea of having a Muslim chaplain provide supportive services is not a new one. There are several (universities) that have them. It's time and appropriate for such a support system to be here (at Cornell)." (More)

--- CNN POLL: MOST AMERICANS 'OKAY' WITH A MOSQUE IN THEIR COMMUNITY - TOP By Debra Goldschmidt, CNN, 3/24/11

Editor's Note: CNN's Soledad O'Brien chronicles the dramatic fight over the construction of a mosque in the heart of the Bible belt. Soledad O'Brien Reports "Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door", Sunday at 8 p.m. E.T. on CNN.

Would you be "OK" with a mosque in your community?

According to a new national poll, most Americans say yes, they would.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Thursday found that 69%of Americans would be "OK" with a mosque in their area while 28% would not.

But there are big differences depending on where you live. Half of rural Southerners say they disapprove of a mosque in their neighborhood, while 42 % say they would be "OK" with it.

That rises to roughly three-quarters among those who live in cities and suburbs.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, anti-mosque activity across the country, ranging from vandalism to lawsuits, has occurred in 21 states over the past five years. (More)

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MY FAITH: AFTER MY MOSQUE WAS TORCHED - TOP By Daoud Abudiab, Special to CNN, 3/24/11

Earlier this month, my son and I attended the White House conference on bullying prevention. We heard stories of people being bullied for being black, gay, lesbian and Sikh. The stories were compelling and left me more critical of our culture, in which it is popular to act in ways that dishonor our traditions.

Some of my friends were interested in the details of my Washington trip. I commented on the diversity at the White House event. A friend made a joke about the composition of attendees reflecting a typical Democratic Party gathering.

I thought of it as a typical American gathering. But I have become aware that not all Americans honor my American citizenship.

In some circles, my Muslim faith is not even accepted as a religion.

And Muslims everywhere are feeling increasingly less welcome in America. We see our kids bullied in schools over their faith and our daughters, wives and mothers picked on and ridiculed for wearing hijab, the Muslim headscarf.

Mosques across America have been vandalized in recent years. Mine was one of them. (More)

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BRYAN FISCHER: MUSLIMS HAVE NO FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS - TOP Jillian Rayfield, TPM Muckraker, 3/24/11

Bryan Fischer, the "Director of Issues Analysis" for the social conservative group the American Family Association, says that when it comes to Islam, the First Amendment is a privilege, not a right. "Islam has no fundamental First Amendment claims, for the simple reason that it was not written to protect the religion of Islam," Fischer wrote today.

"The First Amendment was written by the Founders to protect the free exercise of Christianity. They were making no effort to give special protections to Islam. Quite the contrary," Fischer wrote on his Renew America blog. (More)

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NY: HARLEM IMAM STRUGGLES TO HELP STEM IVORY COAST SUFFERING - TOP Alva French, New York Daily News, 3/24/11

Imam Souleimane Konate is horrified by the turmoil roiling the Ivory Coast and he's struggling to find a way to help those suffering - including his elderly mother.

"They don't have food, no medicine," said Konate, who heads the 1,200-member Aqsa Mosque in Harlem.

"All hospitals are closed. My mother is sick, my poor mother," Konate said. "We have to send money for her medicine. But how can we do it if the banks are closed?"

Konate and many members of his congregation are funneling their concern into relief efforts that include drives to collect food, clothing, medical supplies and money. (More)

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