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Domestic Enemies Hate & Discrimination
Written by: Jamal S. Baadani
IT IS OUR DUTY TO ENSURE THE S
A
FETY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. When we swore to uphold and defend the
constitution of the
United States of
A
merica
against all enemies foreign and domestic; it meant that we would protect the
rights of all
A
mericans as it is guaranteed by our constitution. This duty is the most
beautiful responsibility that a citizen in a society can be bestowed: that of
defending the rights of the handicapped, the woman that believes in abortion or
not, the gay & the lesbian, the alcoholics, the republicans or the
democrats, the communist or the anarchist, the Christian, Muslim, Jew, or the
A
gnostic, and the
A
theist.
It is a responsibility not so simple.
Our communities are in danger now more than ever from what
I call pathetic domestic enemieshate & discrimination. How do we
combat these enemies? We fight it by using our uniform and our
distinguished service in the United States
A
rmed Forces as the catalyst and the bridge to our fellow
A
mericans awareness of hate & discrimination. By educating
our fellow
A
mericans of our
A
rab culture and religion,
A
merica
s sense of justice, compassion and resolve will overshadow casual thoughts of
stereotyping that have become imbedded in the subliminal psyche, presumptive
racial profiling, and (implied race superiority by non-
A
rab/Muslims) in certain segments of our society. Why does a small
percentage of our fellow military service-members still subscribe to hate &
discrimination? Why do some of our leaders in our government do the same?
Is it because they are a reflection of their communities? The late
President
Ronald Reagan once said - "
A
state is nothing more than a reflection of its citizens; the more decent the
citizens, the more decent the state.
It is our duty to reach out to our fellow citizens and
fellow service-members and educate them as to who we really are. We
have no terror ties, and to the contrary, we did not immigrate to
A
merica
on those planes on 9/11. I was already here for 26 years and previously
had 11 years of proud service in the Marine Corps.
A
rab
A
mericans and Muslim
A
mericans have hopes and dreams just like everyone else in
A
merica
, and we will do what ever it takes to defend those dreams against terrorism.
Our children dream of being the next
President
of the United States like Congressman Darrel Issa, or the next professional
quarterback like Doug Flutie, or the next motion picture actors like Selma Hayek
& Wendy Malek, or the next Joint Chief of Staff of the US
A
rmed Forces like General John
A
bizaid or General
George
Joulwan. We are proud to be
A
merican. We are willing and ready to die for
A
merica
if need be- because we are
A
merica
.
Ignorance is caused by a lack of education, and bigotry is
a by-product of ignorance. Education is the neutralizer for
ignorance and bigotry that fuel hate & discrimination. Theodore
Roosevelt says it best "To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to
educate a menace to society.
We dont want to lose another bright and talented
individual such as US
A
rmy Muslim Chaplain James Yee to misunderstanding. http://edition.cnn.com/2004/LAW/03/19/yee.charges.dropped/.
It is a travesty to the US
A
rmed Forces and this country because it depletes its critical human resources
for the global war on terrorism.
A
rab
A
mericans and Muslim
A
mericans bring their own unique ethnic and religious experiences from the
streets to the fight on terrorism- experiences and intrinsic characteristics and
abilities that can only be acquired in their neighborhood communities.
These are distinct street smarts that cannot be learned in a military classroom
or in a military specialty school.
Working together as
A
mericans to overcome hate & discrimination will in turn allow us to overcome
the threat of terrorism within our borders and abroad. Lets take heed from
the words of Charles Caleb Colton when he said We hate some persons because
we do not know them; and will not know them because we hate them.
Jamal S. Baadani
http://www.apaam.org/jamalbio2.htm
MOST RECENT C
A
SES OF DISCRIMIN
A
TION
July 1, 2004: During the attack, the aggressor shouted threats
and epithets, at one point saying, "You (expletive)
A
rab ... get out of my country," according to the organization's news
release. http://www.thesandiegochannel.com/news/3481735/detail.html
July 26th, 2004:
In contrast, Islamic leaders say the recent beheadings of foreigners by Islamic
militants in
Iraq
and
Saudi
A
rabia
have prompted a rash of hate crimes against Muslims in
A
merica
, despite efforts to educate the public that those actions don't represent the
values of the Muslim religion.
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/9243179.htm
BELOW,
more stories of Backlash and Discrimination since 9/11: It will take you a
long time to reach the bottom of this email
Study
Shows Sharp Increase in
A
nti-Muslim Hate Crimes in 2003
On July 26, 2004 Tallahassee Democrat reported,
"The Council on
A
merican-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based Islamic civil-rights group,
said there were more than 1,000 incidents of harassment or hate crimes against
Muslims last year, up from about 600 in 2002. C
A
IR officials say such anti-Muslim incidents are likely to be higher this year,
but they won't have any statistics until later. The C
A
IR Florida office said 32 incidents have occurred in the state this year...
Recent incidents in
Florida
and elsewhere include death threats, physical and verbal assaults, hate mail,
arsons, and vandalism of mosques, Islamic schools and cultural centers."
(July 26, 2004,
Tallahassee
Democrat/
A
P)
Read
the full story
Teens Receive Jail Sentences
A
fter "Ethnic
A
ssault" of Sikh in N.C.
On July 26, 2004 The Herald Sun reported, "Three
teenagers were found guilty of ethnic intimidation and assault inflicting
serious injury for attacking two UNC students after one of the teens called one
of the students 'Osama.' One of the victims, Gagandeep Bindra, an Indian Sikh...
testified during the trial in Orange County District Court on Monday that
Kenneth Perry passed by him in March on
Franklin Street
in
Chapel Hill
and called him 'Osama'... The teens then hit Bindra and his friend, Sean
Michnowicz, who tried to intervene after Perry threw the first punch. Perry, 19,
[from] Chapel Hill [was sentenced by] District Court Judge
A
lonzo Coleman... to 75 days in jail for assault inflicting serious injury for
the assault against Michnowicz, followed by 45 days in jail for ethnic
intimidation for the assault against Bindra... Perry's younger brother,
Frederick Perry, 17... and the other co-defendant,
A
ntonio Maurice Burnette, 18... were sentenced to 60 days each in jail for the
assault inflicting serious injury, followed by 45 days in jail for ethnic
intimidation."
(July 26, 2004, The Herald Sun)
Read
the full story
Muslim
A
pologist Becomes Victim of Hate Crime in FL
On July 22, 2004
A
P reported, "
A
fter appearing on Fox News and local television in Orlando and urging
A
mericans not to blame Muslims for the beheading of
A
merican businessman Nicholas Berg by
A
l-Qaida-linked militants in
Iraq
in May, [
A
reej] Zufari became a victim of the hate she had tried to discourage... Two men
confronted her inside a gas station's convenience store in
Orlando
, spewing out a string of vulgarities and sexually inappropriate remarks...
Islamic leaders say the recent beheadings of foreigners by Islamic militants in
Iraq
and
Saudi
A
rabia
have prompted a rash of hate crimes against Muslims in
A
merica
, despite efforts to educate the public that those actions don't represent the
values of the Muslim religion... The Florida C
A
IR office said there have been 32 anti-Muslim incidents in
Florida
so far this year."
(July 22, 2004,
A
P)
Read
the full story
Multiethnic Coalition Responds to Hate Crime
A
gainst Sikh in Queens, NY
Cross-references: Support
and Solidarity Sikhs
Reach Out Rajinder
Singh Khalsa Beating
On July 18, 2004 New York Daily News reported,
"Last Sunday's senseless attack on a Sikh man - a 54-year-old father and
community leader - in
Richmond Hill
, Queens, was the latest reminder that prejudice and hate are alive and well on
the streets of
New York
... That is why on Thursday, almost 100 people in a diverse, multiethnic
coalition of more than two dozen civil rights organizations, Public
A
dvocate Betsy Gotbaum, Queens Borough
President
Helen Marshall and other leaders and groups gathered on the steps of the Queens
Borough Hall to denounce the attack on the Sikh community and demand justice...
Pu-Folkes, who coordinated the protest, said the community demanded that police
be more responsive to hate crimes against immigrants and that the attackers be
prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks, 10 bias incidents have been reported to the
Richmond Hill
102nd Precinct, but no one has been prosecuted."
(July 18, 2004,
New York
Daily News)
Read
the full story
On July 16, 2004 New York Daily News reported.
"Outraged over a bias attack that left a Sikh man bruised and battered,
Queens
officials and community leaders condemned the incident yesterday at a Borough
Hall demonstration... Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 10 bias
incidents have been reported to the 102nd Precinct but no one has been
prosecuted in any of them, said
A
mardeep Singh, legal director for the Sikh Coalition."
(July 16, 2004,
New York
Daily News)
Read
the full story
On July 15, 2004 The Sikh Network reported, "The
A
nti-Defamation League (
A
DL) condemned the July 11 attack on a Sikh man by a group of men in
Queens
as a deplorable hate crime... 'This week, our community was shaken by a
deplorable crime, the attack on Rajinder Singh Khalsa in Richmond Hills,
Queens
,' said
Joe
l J. Levy, Director
A
DL New York Office. 'This reprehensible hate crime is evidence of the tragic
reality that hate remains a force in our communities and it must be fought. In
our diverse society, it does not matter whether the victim is Sikh, Hindu,
Muslim, Jewish or Christian. People of all backgrounds need to work together to
build a future that we can be proud to pass on to our children and
grandchildren.' "
(July 15, 2004, The Sikh Network)
Read
the full story
Coalition Responds to NY Hate Crime
A
gainst Sikh
Cross-references: Support
and Solidarity Rajinder
Singh Khalsa Beating
On July 15, 2004 NY Indymedia.com reported, "On
Thuesday, July 15, a multiethnic coalition is holding a press conference to
continue focusing on the need to address bias crimes in NYC... New Immigrant
Community Empowerment (NICE), a non-profit immigrant advocacy organization has
formed a multiethnic coalition of over two-dozen organizations to end bias
crimes in
New York City
. Coalition members include the United Sikh Coalition, the National
A
ssociation for the
A
dvancement of Colored People, Latin
A
merican Integration Center, the
A
nti Defamation League, the Council for
A
merican Islamic Relations, the Korean
A
merican League for Civic
A
ction, the Organization of Chinese
A
mericans, to name a few. The Coalition addresses the growing need for
communities to better relate and for greater public resources as
New York City
becomes increasingly more diverse and more tense in a post 9/11
environment."
(July 15, 2004, NY Indymedia.com)
Read
the full story
Witness Help
A
id in the
A
rrest of Man Charged With
A
ttacking Sikhs in NY
Cross-references: Rajinder
Singh Khalsa Beating
On July 13, 2004 Newsday reported, "
A
Long Island man was arrested yesterday in the
Richmond Hill
attack of an honorary Sikh priest that stemmed from an argument over the turban
the victim was wearing. Witnesses to the attack led police to arrest Salvatore
Maceli, 26, of
Valley Stream
. Police said Maceli was with a group of men who allegedly attacked Rajinder
Singh, 54, Sunday outside of Il Palazzo di Villa Russo, a catering hall on the
corner of
Lefferts Boulevard
and
101st Street
. Maceli was awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court last night on a
charge of third-degree assault as a hate crime. If convicted, he could face up
to four years in prison."
(July 13, 2004, Newsday)
Read
the full story
A
ssault on Muslim in C
A
to be Investigated as Hate Crime
On July 1, 2004 The San Diego Channel 10 News
reported, "
A
Muslim man reported being attacked outside a Mira Mesa supermarket by a man who
beat him while screaming racial slurs, according to 10News.
A
bdul Wahab
A
l-Sheikh said the assailant jumped him outside a Ralphs grocery store located at
9440 Mira Mesa Blvd.
about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, punched him in the face and knocked out a front
tooth. The incident reportedly stemmed from a case of road rage, and the Council
on
A
merican-Islamic Relations officials said they are asking police and the FBI to
investigate the assault as a hate crime."
(July 1, 2004, The
San Diego
Channel 10 News)
Read
the full story
Recent Beheadings Trigger Backlash
A
gainst Muslim-
A
mericans
Cross-references: Statements
on the Backlash
On June 26, 2004
A
P reported, "The recent beheadings of two
A
merican businessmen in the
Middle East
have added fuel to the angry backlash against
A
rab-
A
mericans and Muslims that began after the 2001 terrorist attacks... The murders
of Paul Johnson and Nicholas Berg triggered hate mail, verbal attacks and
anti-Muslim signs. Muslims received death threats and their mosques were
vandalized. Following Johnson's death, anti-Islam signs surfaced around the
rural
New Jersey
neighborhood where he once lived. One read 'Stamp Out Islam' next to a drawing
of a boot over a crescent and star.
A
nother, hung on a mailbox next door to Johnson's sister's home, was more
detailed."
(June 26, 2004,
A
P)
Read
the full story
Current Report on Hate Crimes Geared Toward Muslims
Cross-references: In
the Wake of September 11
On June 24, 2004 the
A
ssociated Press reported, "Since the Sept. 11 attacks and the
subsequent war on terror, many Muslim-
A
mericans report they've been victims of harassment and discrimination, violence
and vandalism." This six part audio series and report explores issues that
range from profiling concerns to the challenges faced by Sikh-
A
mericans mistaken as Muslim.
(June 24, 2004, WTOP/
A
P)
Read
the full story
Documentary Examines Gobind Sadan
A
rson
A
gainst Sikhs
Cross-references: Vandalism In
the Wake of September 11 Gobind
Sadan Fire
On February 9, 2004 The Oswego Daily News reported
that "North of 49" will be shown on WCNY, Central New York's PBS
television affiliate, on Thursday at 10 p.m. "Created by two Syracuse
University professors, with assistance from Ralph Singh, a co-founder and
spokesperson of Gobind Sadan US
A
, the film depicts, through the eyes of the Sikhs as well as several members of
the community, the rebuilding of two communities in the aftermath of what's been
described as 'an act of hatred and ignorance.' Four teen-agers from the
Parish-Mexico area set fire to the sacred place of neighbors who have beards,
wear turbans, and practice an unfamiliar religion rooted in an unfamiliar
culture, he explained. They believed the temple's name was 'Go Bin Laden,' and
people who worshipped there supported the terrorist who masterminded the attack
on the
World
Trade
Center
. Gobind Sadan means 'House of God,' and members of the Sikh religion travel
from as far away as
Ontario
,
Canada
, to worship at the center in
Palermo
."
(February 9, 2004, The
Oswego
Daily News)
Read
the full story
Update: Reward Offered for
Houston
A
rsonist in Fires Targeting Hindus
On December 10, 2003 KHOU News in
Houston
reported that "federal and local investigators have doubled the reward for
a serial arsonist suspected in at least 11 fires.
A
ll of the victims are of Indian or Middle Eastern descent. Three of their homes
have been burned twice. The reward is now $10,000 for information leading to the
suspect's arrest... The most recent fire was set the day after Thanksgiving.
A
Fort
Bend
County
investigator even came out in July to address temple members. 'We always
believe our community is like one house, one family,' says Sarala Patel,
VPSS
Temple
president. 'If something happens to someone, we all go together, stand shoulder
to shoulder, helping one another.'"
(December 10, 2003, KHOU News)
Read
the full story
Firebomb
Hits
A
rab
A
merican
News
Center
in
Detroit
On December 9, 2003 Detroit 4 News reported that
police believe someone tried to burn down the building that houses The
A
rab
A
merican News in
Dearborn
late Monday or early Tuesday. "Investigators say the building on
Chase Road
was hit with what appeared to be a homemade firebomb.
A
glass bottle was found shattered near the back entrance where the sidewalk was
charred from the fire, according to the station's reports."
(December 9, 2003,
Detroit
4 News)
Read
the full story
Fires Target Hindu Homes in
Houston
A
rson
Spree
On December 2, 2003 Houston Channel 11 News reported
on the fires targeting Hindu homes that have been sweeping the
Houston
area. Raju Shah, whose home has been set fire to twice in the last four months,
and three other arson victims all worship at a Hindu temple in southwest
Houston, where concern is running high. "These days an important message is
presented alongside the prayer. The faithful are warned every day not to keep
kerosene or gas in the garage and to be on constant alert.
A
Fort Bend County investigator even came out in July to address temple
members.'We always believe our community is like one house, one family,' says
Sarala Patel, VPSS Temple president. 'If something happens to someone, we all go
together, stand shoulder to shoulder, helping one another.' Investigators
released a composite sketch of a man described as a person of interest."
(December 2, 2003,
Houston
Channel 11 News)
Read
the full story
On December 1, 2003 The
A
ssociated Press reported that "almost a dozen fires have destroyed
homes of Hindus and others, with a two-county task force investigating the
suspected arson spree, and members of the religious community nervous about
future attacks. Federal, county and city investigators are reviewing evidence in
the blazes that have occurred over the past six months. The fact that victims
have included Hindus suggests that the community is being targeted, said
Natubhai Patel, a leading member of a Hindu temple. 'We don't know really who
would be behind it,' he told the Houston Chronicle in Monday's editions. 'It's
anybody's guess.' Patel and other members of the Hindu community believe the
victims of all 11 fires under investigation by the task force were Hindus."
(December 1, 2003, The
A
ssociated Press)
Read
the full story
Queens
Teenagers Charged in
A
ttack on Muslims
Cross-references: In
the Wake of September 11
On December 2, 2003 the Queens Chronicle reported,
"Two teenagers were arrested and charged in alleged hate crime attacks on
two Pakistani brothers outside a
Corona
mosque on Friday night. The alleged incident would make it
the second hate crime in western
Queens
in the last three months.
A
Sikh family was attacked outside their home in Woodside last
A
ugust.
A
lex Batista, 16, and Ivan Pracido, 18, were charged with assault in the third
degree as a hate crime, and harassment in the second degree. Both face up to
four years in prison if they are convicted of the charges.
A
ccording to Queens District
A
ttorney Richard Brown, the alleged attack happened outside the Masjid
A
l Falah mosque in
Corona
at about 9:15 p.m. on Friday. The two victims were leaving the mosque after
evening prayers when two youths walked past the brothers and glared at them.
The two young men, who were described only as being Hispanic,
reportedly walked past the brothers and then returned with Batista and Pracido.
One of the defendants allegedly told the two Pakistani brothers, 'Im going to
get you, Taliban.'
A
ccording to a published report, the defendants yelled other ethnic slurs at the
victims, calling them Osama Bin Laden and terrorists. It was also reported that
Batista and Pracido threatened to kill the brothers."
(November 20, 2003, Queens Chronicle)
Read
the full story
Wave of Violence
A
gainst
Sikhs
Leaves
Bay
A
rea Cabbies
A
fraid to Face the Night
On October 27, 2003 Pacific News Service reported that
Sikh cab drivers in the Bay
A
rea fear working at night following a string of violence that has left three
Sikh cabbies dead in the last two months. "Davinder Singh, 21, was shot to
death by two passengers early Sept. 13 in
Redwood City
. Gurpreet Singh, 23, was killed on July 2 in
Richmond
.
A
nother cab driver, Inderjit Singh, 29, was shot in the jaw on July 5th when he
responded to a call from his dispatcher. Most Sikhs share the last name of
Singh. Police in both
Richmond
and
Redwood City
determined robbery to be the primary cause of the shootings. But many Sikh cab
drivers say the crimes were about racial hatred."
(October 27, 2003, Pacific News Service)
Read
the full story
Muslim Mother
A
ssaulted in
Fairfax
County
; Hate Crimes
A
gainst Muslims on the Rise
On October 9, 2003 The Washington Post reported that
"a Muslim woman who said she was stabbed in the back outside a
Fairfax
County
shopping mall and called a 'terrorist' by her assailant is the mother of an
active-duty U.S. Marine Corps corporal who recently returned from a tour in
Kuwait
. Michelle Rothstein-Latif, 47, who was not seriously wounded in the Sunday
attack, said she was offended that anyone would think she supported terrorism.
'I don't believe in fanaticism, I'm just a regular
A
merican Muslim,' said the
Woodbridge
resident, who converted to Islam in 1987..." Mohamed Nimer, the research
director of the Washington-based Council on
A
merican Islamic Relations, said the council has "received reports of at
least 62 hate crimes against Muslims since the start of this year, a 50 percent
increase over the previous 12 months."
(October 9, 2003, The
Washington
Post)
Read
the full story
Legislation Condemns Wave of Violence
A
gainst Sikhs and South
A
sians
On October 8, 2003 Hindustan Times reported that
"Congressmen Frank Pallone and
Joe
Wilson have joined fellow lawmakers in supporting a legislation in the US House
of Representatives condemning bigotry and violence against Sikhs and others of
South
A
sian origin post September 11. The House is expected to approve the legislation,
sponsored by Congressmen Darrell Issa, Republican from
California
, and Marcy Kaptur, Democrat from
Ohio
... Pallone, who is a founder member of the Congressional Caucus on India and
Indian
A
mericans, said that many individuals in his constituency in New Jersey,
including 'Indian
A
mericans who are Hindu, Sikh or Muslim, have been the targets of hate crimes,
subjected to assault, verbal slurs and property damage'."
(October 8, 2003,
Hindustan
Times)
Read
the full story
On October 7, 2003 ,The
A
nti-Defamation League announced that they "welcome approval by the U.S.
House of Representatives of a resolution condemning bigotry and violence against
A
rab-
A
mericans, South
A
sian-
A
mericans, Muslim-
A
mericans and Sikh-
A
mericans."
A
braham H. Foxman,
A
DL National Director, added that "Now that both the House and Senate have
acted to repudiate bias-motivated violence, we call upon Congress to complement
their words with action through enactment of the Local Law Enforcement
Enhancement
A
ct. That measure, now pending before both houses of Congress, would enable the
U.S. Department of Justice to assist local prosecutions and, where appropriate,
investigate and prosecute cases in which bias violence occurs based on a
victim's race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or
disability."
(October 7, 2003,
A
nti-Defamation League)
Read
the full story
Update: Support for
Savannah
Islamic Center
A
fter
A
rson Fire
Cross-references: Support
and Solidarity
On October 2, 2003, Red and Black.com, the website of
the student newspaper of the University of Georgia, ran an article on a
fund-raiser held by the university's Pakistani Student
A
ssociation (PS
A
) to help members of the Islamic Center of Savannah after a fire destroyed their
mosque: "
A
pproximately 250 people of different ethnicities and religious backgrounds
showed their solidarity as they came together to help a religious group in need
Tuesday night. The University's Pakistani Student
A
ssociation (PS
A
) organized a fund-raising dinner at the
Tate
Student
Center
to help rebuild a house in
Savannah
which burned down... The program for the event stated, "We are coming
together in an effort to show that we stand in solidarity against all crimes of
hate -- regardless of creed, class, religion, or nationality." Sophia
Qureshi, a senior from
A
lpharetta [G
A
] and president of PS
A
, said Tuesday night's dinner raised $2,100, and the organization raised an
additional $700 from donations."
(October 2, 2003, RedandBlack.com)
Read
the full story
On September 7, 2003, WTOC 11 News in
Savannah
,
G
A
, reported that the Islamic community whose mosque was destroyed by fire several
weeks earlier held a peace rally to promote unity among members of various faith
communities and to dispel misconceptions about the Islamic community. "It
was a turnout that brought people from all walks of life to end hatred in their
community...What would normally takes place behind closed doors has been held
out in the open since the fire and while the Muslim community practiced their
faith, they encouraged people to stay and watch. 'I think this is the kind of
message we are giving to the people that we are all together for peace. People
of all different faiths came here. We not only see the community of Muslims, but
we have people from all over,' said assistant chairman of the Islamic Center of
Savannah, Dr. Masood
A
hmed
."
(September 7, 2003, WTOC 11 News (
Savannah
,
G
A
))
Read
the full story
On
A
ugust 30, 2003, the Savannah Morning News reported that local faith
communities were uniting to support the Muslim community, which has been the
target of recent violence, including a fire that destroyed the Savannah Islamic
Center. The paper reported: "
Savannah
's Inter-racial Interfaith Community and some members of the Unitarian
Universalist Church plan to place a newspaper advertisement reminding the
community about the right
A
mericans have to worship God in their own ways. Because the fire may be a hate
crime, and because they dislike the intentional destruction of any sacred place,
many other faiths are offering support."
(
A
ugust 30, 2003,
Savannah
Morning News)
Read
the full story
On
A
ugust 30, 2003, The
A
ugusta Chronicle reported that "members of a south Georgia Islamic
group whose mosque was destroyed by arson last week are finding support from a
local Baptist congregation that lost its own house of worship to fire nearly a
decade ago. The
A
ug. 24 fire at the Islamic Center of Savannah brought back painful memories for
the Rev. Matthew Southall Brown. He immediately thought of the challenges his
own congregation faced in October 1993, when
St. John
Baptist
Church
was lost to an accidental fire."
(
A
ugust 30, 2003, The
A
ugusta Chronicle)
Read
the full story
On
A
ugust 26, 2003 WTOC 11 News in
Savannah
,
G
A
, reported that a local peace coalition held a rally in support of the Muslims
whose mosque recently burned down. "[T]he Muslim members are feeling a
little better after attending a rally held in support of them by the Savannah
Peace Coalition. 'We're here in solidarity,' said Kelly Gasnick, who organized
the event. Nearly two dozen people showed up for the candle light vigil to rally
around the members of the Islamic Center. 'It's clear that the members of the
community were victims of racial and religious terrorism,' said Gasnick."
(
A
ugust 26, 2003, WTOC 11 News (
Savannah
,
G
A
))
Read
the full story
Report
Shows
Broward
County
Had Most Hate Crimes in
Florida
Cross-references: Civil
Rights and Profiling
On September 26, 2003 The Miami Herald reported that
"for the third year in a row,
Broward
County
had the dubious distinction of reporting more hate crimes in [
Florida
] than any other county. Figures released...by the state
A
ttorney General's Office showed that law enforcement agencies reported 306 hate
crimes statewide in 2002. Of those, Broward reported 52. In 2001, Broward had 51
reported hate crimes; 44 were reported in 2000. Of the 52, 30 of the crimes
reported in Broward were based on race or color, according to the report. The
crimes mostly took the form of assault, intimidation or vandalism. Broward's
increase in reported crimes from 2001 to 2002 bucked a state trend. The number
of hate crimes reported in the state in 2002 was down 29 from 335 the year
before."
(September 26, 2003, The
Miami
Herald)
Read
the full story
Sikh Community Offended by Cartoon Depiction
Cross-references: Civil
Rights and Profiling
On September 26, 2003 India West reported that "a
satiric piece of artwork that recently appeared in The Hartford Courant
newspaper in Connecticut so rankled the Sikh community across the country that
the legal team of the United Sikhs organization launched a petition drive that
accumulated a reported 2,500 signatures to demand a public apology from the
artist...
A
rtist Carol Lay depicted
A
ssociated Press photos of California Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante at a
press conference where a turbaned Sikh looms in the background and is referred
to by Lay as 'a shady character' and 'Osama's no good cousin, Randy bin
Laden.'..In a letter to Lay that accompanied the petition, the United Sikhs
legal team contended that the artwork and the references to Osama bin Laden were
'not only distasteful but simply dangerous and possibly life threatening for
innocent Sikh men in turbans.'" The United Sikhs organization issued a press
release on Sept. 25, 2003, stating that Lay had issued an apology.
(September 26, 2003,
India
West)
Read
the full story
On September 26, 2003, NCM reported that "a satiric
piece of artwork that recently appeared in The Hartford Courant newspaper in
Connecticut
so rankled the Sikh community across the country that the legal team of the
United Sikhs organization launched a petition drive that accumulated a reported
2,500 signatures to demand a public apology from the artist."
(September 26, 2003, NCM)
Read
the full story
On September 25, 2003, Sikhnet.com posted a copy of Carol
Lay's apology to the Sikh community for the inappropriate cartoon published in
the Hartford Courant.
(September 25, 2003, Sikhnet.com)
Read
the full story
Sikh Men
A
ssaulted in
Brooklyn
On September 26, 2003 the
A
ssociated Press reported "a Brooklyn man was arrested early Friday
on charges that he used racial slurs and assaulted three Sikh men on
Mott Street
in lower
Manhattan
, police said." The assailant "allegedly used the slurs against the
men at about 2:30 a.m., police said. He then allegedly punched and bit
them...Police said they were charging [the assailant] with third-degree
assault."
(September 26, 2003,
A
ssociated Press)
Read
the full story
Islamic Civil Rights Group Disputes Sentence of
A
nti-Muslim Bomber
On September 24, 2003 according to the Chicago Tribune
"an Islamic civil rights group Tuesday called for federal terrorism charges
to be brought against a
Burbank
man who pleaded guilty to a hate crime but was given probation, contending the
state is letting the man off too easy. Cook County Circuit Judge Robert
Smierciak sentenced Eric K. Nix, 24, to 2 years of probation and 200 hours of
community service.
A
nd he ordered him to attend anger management classes for throwing a fireworks
device into an unoccupied van of a Burbank Muslim family on March 21...The
Council on
A
merican-Islamic Relations called the sentencing a 'slap on the wrist' and said
Nix should be brought up on federal terrorism charges." The bombing was
Nix' second hate crime against Muslims. "In 2001, Nix spent 30 days in jail
for hurling a brick though the window of a Muslim-owned furniture store."
(September 24, 2003,
Chicago
Tribune)
On September 23, 2003 the Council on
A
merican-Islamic Relations (C
A
IR) reported that the Chicago office "will hold a news conference today
to demand that federal terrorism charges be brought against an Illinois man who
got off with just two years probation and 'anger management' classes after he
bombed a Muslim family's van."
(September 23, 2003, Council on
A
merican-Islamic Relations (C
A
IR))
Slain Sikh Cabdriver Honored by Procession
On September 19, 2003 The
A
rgus reported that 'hundreds of Sikh cab drivers lined the path" for
the funeral of 21-year-old taxi driver Davinder Singh on Thursday, September 18.
"Standing amid the crowd, Shamsher "Netajee" Singh, a driver for
California Cab in
San Jose
, said angrily: 'We are not criminals, we are here to work hard and we help this
community. We are not terrorists -- we are Sikhs.' "
(September 19, 2003, The
A
rgus)
Read
the full story
On September 18, 2003 The Mercury News reported that
"about 300 cabdrivers are expected to drive in a massive memorial
procession today honoring a Sikh cabdriver who was slain in
Redwood City
on Saturday. The man who died, 21-year-old Davinder Singh, was shot while
driving two passengers. One of the passengers, Lousa Mataele, 31, of
Menlo Park
was arrested soon after. Family members and cabdrivers say the shooting was
racially motivated because Singh was wearing a turban and long beard that some
Sikhs have said are mistaken for those worn by Osama bin Laden and his
followers. But
Redwood City
police have concluded that robbery was the primary motive. The procession
starts at 11 a.m. today at
620
A
irport Drive
in
San Carlos
and proceeds to a memorial service in
San Jose
."
(September 18, 2003, The Mercury News)
Read
the full story
On September 16, 2003, The San Francisco Chronicle
reported that "cabdrivers in
Redwood City
insisted Monday that a fellow taxi driver was shot and killed because he was
wearing a Sikh turban, even as police offered assurances that the slaying was
the result of a botched robbery -- not a hate crime. Daviner Singh, 21, died
early Saturday after a passenger shot him twice in the head through his
turban...Despite police assurances that the crime was unrelated to Singh's
religion or ethnic background, cabdrivers remain worried. Some drivers said they
had removed their turbans and shaved their beards even before the shooting. But
Gurmit Singh, who has been wearing his turban while driving his cab for the past
two years, said he has no intention of losing what is sacred to his religion.
Instead, he hopes that
A
mericans will do more to educate themselves about Sikh culture. 'Some people
think we should have weapons, but I don't think so,' Singh said. 'The people
here should be educated about who's from where.'
(September 16, 2003, The San Francisco Chronicle,
A
-19)
Read
the full story
On September 16, 2003 the Tri-Valley Herald reported
that "Muslim, Sikh and Hindu cab drivers throughout San Mateo County
converged on the steps of the Hall of Justice Monday, decrying the weekend
shooting death of one of their own that they believe was motivated by hate. They
joined together from different faiths to protest the killing of 23-year-old
Davinder Singh, a practicing Sikh originally from
India
. Singh had picked up two passengers in
Redwood City
during the early morning hours of Saturday, when his passenger shot him several
times in the head. Singh had been wearing a turban and had a full beard, which
cab drivers said made him an easy target...Ricky Dhillo, who said he is not a
practicing Sikh, said many fellow cab drivers had advised Davinder Singh not to
wear his turban. Dhillo said Singh refused, telling others he could not conceal
his faith. "
(September 16, 2003, Tri-Valley Herald)
Read
the full story
On September 15, 2003 The Mercury News reported that
"as dozens of Peninsula Sikh cabdrivers staged a work slowdown Sunday to
mourn a colleague slain over the weekend, many lashed out at the Redwood City
Police Department, saying their refusal to talk about details of the crime has
left them too terrified to pick up fares. Investigators have given no indication
that the shooting death of Davinder Singh early Saturday was a hate crime. But
many of the cabbies and most of Singh's relatives worry that the 21-year-old
driver was targeted because of his accent and orange turban. In the absence of a
public account of the incident, fear has settled in. 'These guys are just trying
to make a living, but they're really scared,' said Bikram Singh, 36, owner of
Yellow
Cab
Peninsula
."
(September 15, 2003, The Mercury News)
Read
the full story
East Tempe
,
A
Z
Mosque Vandalized
On September 19, 2003 the East Valley Tribune reported
that "swastikas and other symbols spray-painted on a
Tempe
mosque Thursday have stirred fears that hate crimes are on the rise. 'This is
classic Nazi skinhead graffiti, here,' said
Joe
l Breshin, the former regional director of the
A
nti-Defamation League in
Phoenix
."
(September 19, 2003,
East
Valley
Tribune)
On September 19, 2003, The
A
rizona Republic reported that "Muslim leaders and police spoke out
against the latest attack at a
Tempe
mosque after vandals spray-painted the front door early Thursday...Muslims and
Tempe Police Chief Ralph Tranter [spoke] at a press conference outside the
Islamic Cultural Center...This is the fifth incident of vandalism at the center
this year. In July, vandals set fire to a car parked there, and the three other
incidents also involved vehicles."
(September 19, 2003, The
A
rizona
Republic
)
Read
the full story
Editor
ial: Religious Leaders
Support Hate Crime Victim's Relatives
On September 15, 2003 in The Washington Times, Bishop
Melvin G. Talbert, Imam Feisal
A
bdul Rauf, and Rabbi Marla J. Feldman wrote that "two years ago, an angry
young man walked into a convenience store in Dallas and killed Waqar Hasan, an
innocent Pakistani man who was working hard to earn a living for his family and
to become an
A
merican citizen.
Mark
A
nthony Stroman shot Hasan to death, claiming that he 'did it to retaliate on
local
A
rab
A
mericans or whatever you want to call them...
A
s a result of Hasan's death, his wife and four daughters, who live in suburban
New Jersey, now face removal from the United States unless Congress acts to
permit them to remain in their adopted homeland.
A
s
A
merican religious leaders representing three faiths Islam, Christianity and
Judaism we believe that it would be inconsistent with our values as
A
mericans and as people of faith to allow this family to be deported."
(September 15, 2003, The
Washington
Times)
Read
the full story
UC-Berkley Forms Task Force to Combat Hate Crimes
On September 11, 2003 The Daily Californian (student
newspaper of the University of California--Berkley) reported that "just
days after a swastika and antisemitic slogans were found painted on doors,
hallways and classrooms in LeConte Hall, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl
announced the creation of a universitywide task force to combat hate crimes.
Making the announcement one day shy of the two-year anniversary of Sept. 11,
Berdahl said the announcement would send a message that the university would not
stand for hate crime.
A
lthough the task force has been meeting long before the graffiti was discovered,
members said the campus has seen a steady increase in hate crime incidents since
the
World
Trade
Center
attacks... The task force is working to include language about hate crimes in
the Student Code of Conduct, which is under heavy revision this year. Students
from groups that have been targeted or affected by hate crimes including the
Jewish Student Union, Sikh Student
A
ssociation and
A
frican-
A
merican groups are represented, along with staff and faculty."
(September 11, 2003, The Daily Californian)
Read
the full story
Sikh Recalls Post-9/11 Hate Crime Two Years Later
Cross-references: In
the Wake of September 11
On September 11, 2003 Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran a
follow-up article on Karnail "Kail" Singh, "a Renton resident,
India native, world traveler, poet, writer...SeaTac motel owner," and Sikh
who was the victim of a hate crime after Sept. 11, 2001. "Nearly two years
later, when someone asks him about the assault or when he hears about others
being attacked for their ethnicity or national origin, 'it reminds me of
everything.
A
ll the pictures come back,' Singh said. 'I become conscious of myself, what I'm
doing, where I'm going.'
Bethel
[the assailant] was sentenced last year to nearly two years in prison for
assault with a deadly weapon, which carries a stiffer penalty than malicious
harassment, the state's only hate crime. Two years doesn't seem a harsh enough
sentence, said Singh, a
U.S.
citizen. Though he took down his Sikh calendar in the motel lobby to be on the
safe side, he still sports a sticker in the back window of his SUV that reads,
'I'm proud to be a Sikh.'"
(September 11, 2003,
Seattle
Post-Intelligencer)
Read
the full story
Harrasment on
New York
Bus Proof to Sikh Man that "History Repeats Itself"
On
A
ugust 29, 2003 Punjab Express reported that Gurdayal Singh, 36, a
resident of Woodside, Queens and chairman of the local Sikh temple, was asked
for his papers by an immigration officer before being verbally and physically
harassed on a Greyhound Bus in
Syracuse
. Singh, a devout Sikh, wears a turban and has a long beard.
A
fter boarding the bus, Singh was taunted and called "Bin Lauden"
repeatedly by a fellow passenger while others laughed in response. "I told
him that I was a Sikh and not even a Muslim," recalls Singh. The bus driver
refused to intervene and asked both Singh and the man harassing him to leave the
bus. It was only after the intervention of an
A
frican-
A
merican passenger that Singh was asked to remain.
A
ccording to Singh, she said "Son, don't get off this bus. I know what
you've been going through. We've been through this before... history repeats
itself.'"
(
A
ugust 29, 2003,
Punjab
Express)
Read
the full story
Fire Destroys Islamic
Center
of
Savannah
On
A
ugust 27, 2003 the
A
ssociated Press reported that members of the Savannah Islamic Center were
gathering under a makeshift tent for worship after a suspicious fire destroyed
their worship building a few days earlier. "Muslims who attended the
mosque, where about 100 families worshipped, said Tuesday they would continue
praying openly--even in the 91-degree heat of the afternoon sun. 'In this tent,
we are seeing more people than we used to see in this air-conditioned house,'
said Saad Hammid, one of the center's board members. 'We already see our
community is stronger.'"
(
A
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