Islamophobia and Its Impact in the January 2009-December 2010 Same Hate, NewTarget

University of California, Berkeley Council on American-Islamic Relations Center for Race & Gender 453 New Jersey Ave., SE, 638 Barrows Hall #1074 Washington, DC 20003 Berkeley, CA 94720 Phone: 202-488-8787 Phone: 510-643-8488, Fax: 510-642-9810 Fax: 202-488-0833 This report is co-sponsored by the University of California, Berkeley’s Center How Can You Help? for Race and Gender and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The Center for Race and Gender is responsible for the special sections on Park 51 and the 2010 election. CAIR is responsible for all other material in the 1. Become a CAIR member report. This report was finalized on Dec. 1, 2010. All information is accurate to or renew your member- the best of our knowledge through that date. ship. Membership is just $30 per year and is open CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its to individuals and organi- mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect zations. civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote 2. Help us serve you. Monthly justice and mutual understanding. automatic donations, even The Center for Race and Gender (CRG) is an interdisciplinary research center $5 a month, help the most. at the University of California Berkeley that fosters explorations of race and Call 202-646-6045 for an gender, and their intersections. CRG cultivates critical and engaged research authorization form or visit: www.cair.com/support and exchange among faculty and students throughout the university, between the university and nearby communities of color, and among scholars in the 3. Take action. Use these Bay Area, in the US, and around the globe. tools and your own com- mon sense to challenge Direct questions about this report to: Islamophobia. Your activ- ism strengthens our com- Council on American-Islamic Relations, munity. Respond to CAIR’s 453 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003 action alerts, volunteer Tel: 202-488-8787 - Fax: 202-488-0833 - E-Mail: [email protected] at your local CAIR office or help establish a local Center for Race & Gender, chapter of CAIR. University of California, Berkeley, 638 Barrows Hall #1074, Berkeley, CA 94720-1074 Tel: 510-643-8488 - Fax: 510-642-9810

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2 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 A Message from Dr. Evelyn Nakano Glenn...... 4 A Message from CAIR’s National Executive Director ...... 5 Executive Summary...... 6 Background and Acknowledgments...... 8 Evolving Toward an Ever Greater Cultural Pluralism...... 10 Defining Islamophobia...... 11 The Best...... 13 The Worst...... 16 Where We Are...... 22 Islamophobic Acts...... 25 • Private...... 25 • Public ...... 26 • Media...... 28 Anti-Muslim Discrimination...... 29 • Hate Crimes...... 29 • Work Place...... 31 • School...... 33 • Public Accommodation...... 33 • Vandalism...... 34 • Profiling...... 35 • Other...... 36 Where We Want to Go...... 37 Recommendations...... 39 Special Section: Park 51...... 45 Oklahoma’s 2010 Anti-Islam Ballot...... 48 Special Section: The 2010 Election...... 54

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 3 A Message from Dr. Evelyn Nakano Glenn

In 2008, the UC Berkeley Center for Race and Gender (CRG) organized the groundbreaking international conference, "Decon- structing Islamophobia: Immigration, Globalization, & Constructing the Other." Scholars, researchers, policy makers, and organizers gathered to examine the pervasive and persistent problem of Is- lamophobia in the United States and Western Europe. Recognizing that, while scholars have sustained rigorous study of Islamophobia in Europe, similar long-term research on Islamophobia, its causes, and its consequences in the U.S. has only recently begun. Set in motion by the leadership of Dr. Hatem Bazian, UC Berkeley, our community partners at the Council on American-Islamic Rela- tions, Asian Law Caucus, Arab Resource and Organizing Center, and many active student groups, CRG established the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project (IRDP). IRDP has since worked with our partners to organize several widely attended and timely forums, including the December 2009 symposium, “Why? Questioning America’s Response to Fort Hood: Islamophobia, Media, & Civil Rights” and the October 2010 symposium, “’Ground Zero Mosque’ or Zero in America? Islamophobia & Critical Race Theory.” Scholars and activists at these forums have pro- vided sharp and historicized analyses revealing how Islamophobia deeply shapes media narratives, public discourse, and policy. IRDP has also launched an innovative course on Islamophobia that uses global media networks to broadcast the course to concerned people around the world. This allows us to extend our reach beyond the classroom and to develop intentional pedagogical relation- ships with local and international community organizations. IRDP has created a platform for more expansive and critical examinations of Islamophobia in the U.S. CRG is excited to announce the next step in this important work: the release of the research report, “Islamophobia and its Manifestations in the United States, January 2009 – December 2010.” This investigative report is a key step in exposing and examining the powerful force of Islamophobia in the U.S., including IRDP’s rigorous review of the role of Islamophobia in the public debate about an Is- lamic cultural center in City and in the 2010 midterm elections. It is our hope that this report will not only illuminate the ways that Islamophobia shapes media representations and encourages political pandering, but also highlight recommendations for transforming political and media culture. For more information about CRG’s Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project, please visit: http://crg.berkeley.edu/content/islamophobia

Prof. Evelyn Nakano Glenn Director, Center for Race & Gender

4 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 A Message from CAIR’s National Executive Director

Prejudice is a specter that has haunted humanity since the beginning of civilization. I believe followers of all faiths will give thanks to God in their own way on that future day when we all truly judge individuals based on personal merit, without concern for race, ethnicity, religion or any of the other factors commonly used to cause division among us.

Islamophobia—close-minded prejudice against or hatred of Islam and Muslims—is only one manifestation of this specter. However, its prevalence in our nation can be seen daily in the media and in polls that are trending toward ever more troubling levels of antipathy toward Islam.

This report seeks to identify where we are in terms of Islamo- phobia in the United States today. It also offers a vision of a time when being Muslim carries a positive connotation and Islam has an equal place among many faiths in America’s pluralistic society. Most importantly, the report offers ways to achieve that vision.

I would like to extend my thanks to the following people who contributed to the production of this report: Khadija Athman and Dr. Hatem Bazian. Special thanks to Imam Zaid Shakir for his comments on the draft report. I also greatly appreciate the time and insights of the people who were interviewed for the report.

The research assistance of Jamal Aladdin, Kristen Hayford, and Ann Shinn was vital to this report. Corey Saylor is the report’s primary author.

I pray that in the future, this report will be seen as one element in the movement to push back against individuals and institutions who promote hatred and fear of Islam as an American value.

In peace,

Nihad Awad

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 5 Executive Summary

American Muslim reflections lamophobic trends during the pe- ney and the Center for Security on Islamophobia in the United riod covered by this report: New Policy (CSP); Steven Emerson States occur in full recognition York Mayor ; and the Investigative Project on that virtually every minority in Loonwatch.com; Congressional Terrorism (IPT); ; our nation has faced and in Tri-Caucus; Rep. Keith Ellison the four members of Congress most cases continues to face (D-MN); Jon Stewart, Aasif Man- who called for an investigation discrimination. dvi and The Daily Show; Keith of Muslim Capitol Hill interns; Olbermann and Countdown Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda Islamophobia is close-minded with Keith Olbermann; Stephen and other violent extremists; and prejudice against or hatred of Colbert and The Colbert Re- Daniel Pipes. Islam and Muslims. An Is- port; Media Matters for America; lamophobe is an individual who interfaith leaders; and Rachel According to those interviewed holds a closed-minded view of Maddow and The Rachel Mad- for this report, on a scale from 1 Islam and promotes prejudice dow Show. (best situation for Muslims) to 10 against or hatred of Muslims. It (worst possible situation for Mus- is not appropriate to label all, or Some individuals, institutions lims) Islamophobia in America even the majority of those, who and groups were at the center of stands at a 6.4. Interviews were question Islam and Muslims as pushing Islamophobia in America conducted in September and Islamophobes. during the period covered by October of 2010. this report: Pamela Geller and Some individuals, institutions Stop the Islamization of America America is not an Islamopho- and groups deserve recognition (SIOA); Robert Spencer and bic nation, but it has Islamo- for their outstanding contribu- Jihad Watch; Brigitte Gabriel and phobic elements: tions to pushing back against Is- Act! for America; Frank Gaff- • The public’s favorable rating of Islam sank from 40 percent in November 2001 to 30 percent in August 2010 according to the Pew Research Center. • In late November 2010, the Public Research Institute found that 45 percent of Americans agree that Islam is at odds with American values. • A Time magazine poll re- leased in August 2010 found, “Twenty-eight percent of voters do not believe Muslims should be eligible to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. Nearly one-third of the country thinks adherents of Islam should be barred from running for President….” Interviewees for this report often cited their observation that there is a general societal acceptance

6 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 of derogatory commentary about ward seeking to earn the privi- Recommendations to Ameri- Islam. lege of public service. can Muslim Institutions CAIR’s vision regarding Islamo- Recommendations to Ameri- 1. Provide positive alternatives phobia in America looks toward can Muslim Individuals to Islamophobic events the time when being Muslim car- 1. Be an example of the Islamic ries a positive connotation and 2. Invest in community develop- traditions of patience and Islam has an equal place among ment reason many faiths in America’s pluralis- 3. Re-introduce Islam tic society. 2. Be an open neighbor 4. Begin to host Muslim achiev- 3. Be active in community life Among the indicators that this ers banquets vision is a reality would be the 4. Be active in political life following points: 5. Expose the Islamophobes 5. Document and report acts of • Islam has a 75 percent or Islamophobia and anti-Mus- 6. Promote volunteerism higher favorability rating among lim discrimination 7. Hold open houses the general public. 6. Confront Islamophobia in 8. Sponsor a CAIR “Know Your the news and entertainment A person’s Muslim faith is Rights and Responsibilities” • media considered an asset in private workshop in your area employment and public service. 7. Write a letter to the editor 9. Empower your community 8. Address Islamophobia on the • Politicians welcome and seek through civic engagement public support from Americans Internet of the Islamic faith. 9. Confront Islamophobia from 10. Continue and strengthen outreach to law enforcement • Association with anti-Muslim public figures movements or rhetoric discredits 10. Support local, regional and 11. Ensure the safety and secu- those who put themselves for- national Muslim organizations rity of your institution

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 7 Background and Acknowledgements

Remedies, a book published in In these future reports, CAIR 20 07. intends to review past recom- mendations, observe their The Preparation of the New impact and expand or re-for- Islamophobia Report mulate them, continually offer- CAIR staff and research assis- ing readers a set of pragmatic, tants reviewed the organization’s effective tools for challenging near daily news briefs and media Islamophobia. releases for the period covered Acknowledgements CAIR’s Status of Muslim Civil by this report. Additionally, we Rights in the United States reviewed a number of external CAIR is extremely grateful to the Reports 1995-2009 reports, news articles and publi- following people who contributed This publication is an evolu- cations. their time and expertise in grant- ing interviews for this report: tion of CAIR’s annual Status of CAIR staff and research assis- Muslim Civil Rights in the United tants also interviewed a number • Imam Benjamin Abdul-Haqq, States report. The former report of experts, activists and religious affiliated with Masjid Muhammad was a summation of incidents leaders in an effort to identify in Washington, D.C. and experiences of anti-Muslim their sense of where the United Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, di- violence, discrimination and States is in relation to Islamo- • rector of outreach for the Dar Al harassment reported to CAIR phobia, what vision we should Hijrah Islamic Center in Northern during a particular year. be working toward and how to Virginia CAIR published the civil rights achieve that vision. Imam Talib Abdur Rashid, report annually, beginning in The anti-Muslim discrimina- • religious and spiritual leader of the wake of the 1995 terrorist tion cases come primarily from The Mosque of Islamic Brother- bombing of the Murrah Federal CAIR’s civil rights database. Building in Oklahoma City, after hood in Harlem, New York City; which unsubstantiated linkage The Future of the Islamopho- deputy amir, Muslim Alliance in of “Middle Easterners” to the bia Report North America (MANA) terror act prompted stereotyping, This report establishes a base- • Aisha Al-Adawiya, founder, harassment and actual attacks line for analyzing Islamophobia Women in Islam, Inc. on Muslims and Arab-Americans in the United States. across the country. • Asad Ba-Yunus, lawyer; mem- In 2010, CAIR initiated a review ber-at-large, board of directors, CAIR and Islamophobia and update of its civil rights Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) An action alert issued by CAIR database. This included adding Islamophobia classifications in August 1996 appears to be Dr. Saud Anwar, pulmon- and reviewing the current civil • the organization’s first use of the ologist and president of the rights case classification defini- term “Islamophobic.” In 2005, Pakistani American Public Af- tions. CAIR held a two-day conference fairs Committee, co-chair of the on the twin problems of Islamo- CAIR intends to introduce the American Muslim Peace Initiative phobia and anti-Americanism. numbers of complaints received Ihsan Bagby, associate pro- CAIR’s research director later by the organization, reorga- • fessor of Islamic Studies at the documented that event’s pro- nized under these new defini- University of Kentucky ceedings in Islamophobia and tions, into future versions of this Anti-Americanism: Causes and report. • Rabbi Haim Beliak, co-found-

8 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 er of Jews on First, member of Muqtedar Khan, associate civil litigator, an administrator in the board of the Progressive • professor of political science at the Maryland ’s office, Jewish Alliance the University of Delaware a D.C.-based activist, a Christian Shahid Buttar, executive interfaith leader, a conservative • Amardeep Singh, executive director, Bill of Rights Defense • political activist and a Depart- director, Sikh Coalition Committee (BORDC) ment of Defense employee. • Aziz Huq, associate law pro- • Haris Tarin, DC office direc- The interviewees’ opinions are fessor, University of Chicago tor, Muslim Public Affairs Council their own. They do not necessar- (MPAC) ily reflect CAIR’s positions. CAIR Imam Sayed Moustafa al-Qa- • is responsible for all conclusions zwini, founder and director of the Interviewees also included a law presented in this report. Islamic Cultural Center of San enforcement professional, a pro- Diego, California; co-founder fessor of contemporary Islamic of the Council of Shia Muslim studies, a Muslim who has held A CAIR gave interviewees the option of Scholars of North America elected office, a private sector remaining anonymous.

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 9 Evolving Toward Ever-Greater Cultural Pluralism

American Muslim reflections on Islamophobia in the United States occur in full recognition that virtually every minority in our nation has faced and in most cases continues to face discrimination.

In his Pulitzer Prize-winning schools still existed in the 1960s. count slaves as partial human book Battle Cry of Freedom: The beings for the purposes of the It took until 1920, 144 years after Civil War Era,1 James McPherson distribution of taxes and rep- the signing of the Declaration of reports on English Protestant resentation in Congress, was Independence, to pass a con- Americans’ suspicion of German stitutional amendment granting removed from the Constitution. and Irish Catholic immigrants to women the right to vote. The Lilly We can look to Republican Presi- the U.S. in the nineteenth century: Ledbetter Act, signed into law in dent Abraham Lincoln freeing “More dangerous was the specter 2009, reminds us that women the slaves as a sign that people of ethnic conflict. Except for a in America must still struggle for of conscience work to push our sprinkling of German farmers in pay equal to that of men for equal nation to live up to its ideals. and in the valleys work. Equally, the Fifteenth Amendment of the Appalachian piedmont, and the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 Our nation placed Japanese- are inspiring reminders that our the American white population Americans in internment camps nation evolves. before 1830 was overwhelmingly following the 1941 attack on Pearl British and Protestant in heri- Harbor. The deeply troubling Icons like Lucy Stone and Susan tage. Cheap, abundant land and story of the African-American B. Anthony fought for and won the need for labor in a growing struggle for full equality is well universal suffrage for women. economy, coupled with the pres- known. sure of population against limited America was founded on a set of resources in northern Europe Sadly, it is commonplace for mi- ideals such as individual liberty, impelled first a trickle and then a nority groups and their leaders to freedom of speech and worship flood of German and Irish im- be painted as a threat and vilified, and equal justice under the law. migrants to the United States in even by the government. Mar- America was not founded as a the generation after 1830. Most of tin Luther King—a non-violent, place for any single religion, race these new Americans worshipped shining example of the civil rights or ethnic group. in Roman Catholic churches. movement who now has a federal Their growing presence filled holiday named after him and who That said, people of conscience some Protestant Americans with won a Nobel Peace Prize—was must continually remind them- alarm. Numerous nativist organi- branded “the most dangerous selves that the specters of big- zations sprang up as the first line and effective Negro leader in the otry, discrimination and second- of resistance in what became a country” in an FBI memo. FBI class citizenship are omnipresent. long and painful retreat toward Director J. Edgar Hoover labeled King a “degenerate.” 3 Muslims have the great fortune acceptance of cultural pluralism.” to receive guidance, support and While these facts are disconcert- Striving to “civilize” Native Ameri- wisdom from the many groups ing, it is important to recognize cans, the federal government who have fought bigotry before that our nation has historically instituted a practice of taking us. We also know that, by stand- evolved for the better. children away from their parents ing firm on Islamic and constitu- and placing them in off-reserva- The shame of the three-fifths tional principles, we will contribute tion boarding schools to learn compromise, by which southern to evolving America toward ever a culture not their own.2 These and northern states agreed to greater cultural pluralism.

10 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Defining Islamophobia

Questioning Islam or Muslims is not Islamophobia It is not appropriate to label all, or even the majority of those, who question Islam and Muslims as Islamophobes. Equally, it is not Islamophobic to denounce crimes committed by individual Muslims or those claiming Islam as a motivation for their actions. “A critical study of Islam or Muslims is not Islamophobic,” former CAIR Research Director Mohamed Nimer wrote in 2007. “Likewise, a disapproving analy- sis of American history and gov- ernment is not anti-American… One can disagree with Islam or with what some Muslims do with- out having to be hateful.” 4 “I would be careful to remind my Muslim friends not to character- ize anyone who is opposed to the Ground Zero center as a rac- ist or bigot,” said a conservative political activist during an inter- view for this report. “My argu- ment is there [are a few Islamo- phobes]…but the vast majority of Americans are people who’ve been misinformed, who don’t know the truth and don’t know the real facts.” Sources, Promoters, Receivers and Enablers of Islamophobia Sources of Islamophobia are those individuals and institu- institution or group of individuals. tions that produce and pack- Islamophobia is close-mind- age materials, ideas or rhetoric ed prejudice against or hatred An Islamophobe is an individual about Islam in order to promote of Islam and Muslims.B who holds a closed-minded view a skewed view of the faith and to of Islam and promotes prejudice induce fear, hate or prejudice in Islamophobic acts are directed against or hatred of Muslims. those who receive the materials. at Islam or Muslims in general. Anti-Muslim discrimination is B This definition derives from listings in the Oxford Dictionary and Princeton University’s Wordnet. Merriam- Webster does not yet have a definition for Islamophobia. CAIR’s definition of the term has evolved since we directed at a specific individual, issued our Islamophobia pocket guide in mid-2010.

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 11 Promoters of Islamophobia In the 2004 publication, the self-righteous in their religious are those individuals and insti- commission wrote the following beliefs, or as sincere and tutions who opportunistically explanation of open-minded and genuine use Islamophobic materials closed-minded views of Islam: 5 “whether Muslim criticisms of to advance their own agenda. • the so-called West are rejected This agenda is sometimes anti- “How can you tell the difference out of hand or whether they are Muslim in nature but can have between legitimate disagreement considered and debated other objectives. This category on the one hand and phobic frequently includes individu- dread and hatred on the other? • “whether double standards als seeking public office. It can In answer to such questions, the are applied in descriptions and include media outlets that pro- commission suggested that an criticisms of Islam and the so- vide a legitimizing platform for essential distinction needs to called West, or whether criti- people whose anti-Muslim fear- be made between what it called cisms are evenhanded mongering would be shunned if closed views of Islam on the one “whether no account is taken it was directed at other minori- hand and open views on the • of the fact that Muslims have far ties. It also includes a number other. ‘Phobic’ hostility towards less access to the media than of bloggers who cut and paste Islam is the recurring character- non-Muslims, and are therefore materials produced by others. istic of closed views. Legitimate disagreement and criticism, as at a competitive disadvantage Receivers of Islamophobia are also appreciation and respect, on an uneven playing-field, or the end users, those who pick up are aspects of open views. whether unequal freedom of and adopt Islamophobic views. expression is recognized Some of them are open-minded “In summary form, the distinc- “whether anti-Muslim com- people who have genuine ques- tions between closed and open • ments, stereotypes and dis- tions about Islam and Muslims views are to do with: course are seen as natural and and are seeking answers. Some “whether Islam is seen as ‘common sense’, or as problem- of them are closed-minded • monolithic, static and authoritar- atic and to be challenged. people who use Islamophobic ian, or as diverse and dynamic materials to validate views they “The words ‘open’ and ‘closed’ with substantial internal debates already hold. were derived from the title of a classic work on the psychology Enablers of Islamophobia are • “whether Islam is seen as of dogmatism, The Open and those individuals and institutions totally ‘other’, separate from the Closed Mind by Milton Rokeach, who are in a position to push so-called West, or as both simi- first published in 1960. Rokeach back against the phenomenon lar and interdependent, sharing was interested not primarily in and decide not to act. These a common humanity and a com- the content of bigoted people’s can include political figures who mon space minds but in how their minds fear the electoral consequences “whether Islam is seen as worked. Open-minded people of being seen as too close to • inferior, backward and primitive are ready to change their views Muslims. compared with the so-called both of others and of themselves The Commission on British West, or as different but equal in the light of new facts and evi- Muslims and Islamophobia’s • “whether Islam is seen as an dence, and are fair-minded in the Open and Closed Views of aggressive enemy to be feared, sense that they do not caricature Islam opposed and defeated, or as a or over-generalize, and do not Established in 1996, the Com- cooperative partner with whom to claim greater certainty than is mission on British Muslims and warranted. Open-mindedness work on shared problems, locally, Islamophobia published its first and fair-mindedness are com- nationally and internationally report in 1997. In 2004, the com- ponents of what is sometimes mission published Islamophobia: • “whether Muslims are seen termed civility, or moderation, or Issues, Challenges and Action. as manipulative, devious and the middle way.”

12 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 The Best Some individuals, institutions and groups deserve recognition for their outstanding contributions to push- ing back against Islamophobic trends during the period covered by this report. This list is neither compre- hensive nor offered in any specific order. However, those listed below do deserve particular credit for their contributions to American pluralism.

New York Mayor Michael in sowing fear of Muslims. Loon- people of all backgrounds to the Bloomberg watch also does an outstanding U.S. Congress.” job of calling attention to the Bloomberg frequent anti-Muslim statements Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) made strong, made by many of those who at- positive Ellison rep- tempt to portray themselves as resents the statements “experts” on Islam. early on in the people of Min- 2010 national Congressional Tri-Caucus nesota’s fifth conversation congressional After four members of Congress over the Park 51 Islamic cultural district. In 2006 attempted to smear Muslim center in lower Manhattan. Ellison proved to skeptics that a interns on Capitol Hill, the Con- Muslim can get elected to federal “Let us not forget that Muslims gressional Tri-Caucus came out office in the United States. His were among those murdered on strongly in favor of pluralism and charisma, integrity and nuanced 9/11,” Bloomberg reminded the in opposition to fear tactics. political positions also make him nation at an August 2010 press The Congressional Tri-Caucus is a symbol of what Muslims can conference with interfaith leaders an 87-member coalition made up contribute to the American politi- that featured the Statue of Liberty of the Congressional Black Cau- cal dialogue. as a backdrop. “We would be- cus, the Congressional Hispanic tray our values and play into our In a special issue of National Caucus and the Congressional Journal published in 2009, enemies’ hands if we were to treat Asian Pacific American Caucus. Muslims differently than anyone Democratic Party congressional In October 2009, the tri-caucus insiders ranked Ellison fourth on else. In fact, to cave to popular spoke out after four right-wing sentiment would be to hand a a “Which House member do you members of Congress sought to most admire?” list. Ellison deftly victory to the terrorists, and we stoke fear by accusing Muslim should not stand for that.” handled attacks on his deci- interns on Capitol Hill of “spying.” sion to use a Quran during his Loonwatch Labeling Dave Gaubatz, originator unofficial swearing in ceremony (www.loonwatch.com) of the accusation, “an anti-Islamic in 2007 by using a copy of the activist,” the tri-caucus wrote: Muslim holy book that had been The bloggers at Loonwatch owned by Thomas Jefferson. Elli- expose the deeply disturbing “The idea that we should inves- son crosses the country speaking attitudes of many of the nation’s tigate Muslim interns as spies to Muslims and urging them to be premiere Islamophobes, providing is a blow to the very principle of more active and assertive. highly readable, well-reasoned religious freedom that our found- and documented responses to ing fathers cherished so dearly. If Jon Stewart, Islamophobic arguments. anything, we should be encour- Aasif Mandvi aging all Americans to engage in and The Daily Loonwatch is a blog “…run by the U.S. political process; to take Show a motley group of hate-allergic part in, and to contribute to, the bloggers to monitor and expose great democratic experiment that Using comedy the web’s plethora of anti-Muslim is America. We all have expe- to expose the loons, wackos, and conspiracy rienced the sting of discrimina- absurd nature of much of the theorists.” The site’s volunteers tion and we know that there will anti-Muslim sentiment in America, produce well-sourced rebuttals of be challenges ahead. But our Stewart makes people laugh while many of the anti-Muslim narra- message should be firm that the delivering insightful comedy and tives put forth by those interested America we believe in welcomes mocking stereotypes.

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 13 Host and executive producer of on MSNBC to City cab driver, citing numerous The Daily Show, Jon Stewart has challenge nativ- past examples of The Post’s anti- consistently mocked all forms of ist and bigoted Muslim fear mongering.11 anti-Muslim sentiment. Stewart sentiment. highlights just how widespread On the August 12, 2010 episode Muslim bashing in this country has Olbermann of The Colbert Report, Colbert responded to a suggestion that become. Since 2006, The Daily is the host of America ban mosques, arguing Show has employed Aasif Mandvi MSNBC’s political commentary barns should also be banned as as a regular correspondent. Man- show, Countdown with Keith Timothy McVeigh used a barn dvi is an American Muslim. The Olbermann. The program is to plan his 1995 attack on the show often plays on both Mandvi’s consistent in its efforts to confront Alfred P. Murrah building in Okla- ethnicity and religion. anti-Muslim bigotry. homa City.12 Stewart was particularly vocal On August 16, 2010, Olbermann And on former Alaska governor about the Park 51 controversy. presented a “special comment” entitled, “There is no ‘Ground Sarah Palin’s argument that there On August 19, 2010, The Daily Zero Mosque.’” Remarking on is a logical analogy between the Show featured a segment on the rise of anti-Islam and anti- decision to build an Islamic cul- growing opposition to the project. Muslim bigotry surrounding the tural center in Lower Manhattan Stewart reminded viewers that Park 51 debate, Olbermann and the plan to burn the Quran, there were Muslim victims of the reminded his audience of the his- Colbert quipped, “Destroying a re- 2001 terrorist attacks. Stewart tory of intolerance in this country, ligious symbol and building a re- also addressed unfounded con- ligious center are really the same and how ridiculous those past 13 cerns aimed at one of the project’s intolerances sound today. thing if you don’t think about it.” key figures, referring to the “dan- Media Matters for America gerous game of guilt by associa- “In Manhattan today,” Olbermann tion.” Stewart went on to use the said, “we are being told to sell Media Matters monitors and same guilt by association tactic to our birth-right, to feed the maw of reports on misinformation in the tie to terrorism.6 xenophobia and vengeance and print, broadcast, cable, radio mob rule.” 9 and internet-based media. Its On the show’s September 13, reporting takes the form of both 2010 episode, Stewart noted that Stephen short rapid response pieces, and mosque opposition was by no Colbert and longer research findings. Media means limited to the area around The Colbert Matters has been instrumental Ground Zero, refuting the claim Report in exposing false media claims that, were the mosque moved, about Muslims and Islam. it would not generate similar Colbert has made significant controversy. “Why does everyone Media Matters for America is a contributions to highlighting and think America is divided?” Stew- media watchdog group founded satirizing Islamophobic incidents. art asked. “It appears distrust by journalist David Brock. Media of Muslims is the only thing that Matters consistently corrects er- 7 Stephen Colbert is the host of goes from sea to shining sea.” Comedy Central’s The Colbert rors in reporting of interest to the Stewart also remarked on those Report. Muslim community. who claim Islam is a violent Colbert exposes the ridicu- On July 14, 2010, the group is- religion, basing their argument lous tactics employed by those sued a report on Stop the Islam- on misinterpreted verses of the preaching anti-Muslim hate. ization of America co-founder Quran. Stewart satirically called Pamela Geller’s frequent media Christianity a violent religion, sup- For instance, Colbert railed exposure. The report, entitled, porting his argument with pas- against halal products, declaring “Memo to the Media: Pamela 8 sages from the Bible. halal cereals and soups a serious Geller does not belong on na- threat to America.10 Colbert also Keith Olbermann and Count- tional television,” concludes that mocked The New York Post for down with Keith Olbermann Geller is not a credible expert on its outrage over the violent, bias Islam as she claims, and allow- Olbermann uses his platform motivated attack on a New York ing her a platform on national

14 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 television is irresponsible.14 regards to the vilification of Islam who planned to burn a Quran and Muslims. on the 2010 9/11 anniversary. A “Geller’s history of outrageous, in- Bible society in Massachusetts flammatory and false claims, par- In 2010, Shabbat Shuvah—the planned to give away two cop- ticularly when it comes to issues Sabbath between the New Year ies of the Quran for every one related to Islam, demonstrate that and Yom Kippur—fell on Septem- that Rev. Terry Jones and his she cannot be expected to make ber 11. A group of rabbis used congregation burned on Septem- accurate statements,” Media Mat- the occasion to preach about ber 11.19 Hindu, Buddhist, Jew- ters said in its article. Islam, tolerance, and interfaith ish, Christian, Sikh, Zoroastrian unity.16 Similarly, a group of rab- In the latter part of 2010, Media and Muslim clergy spoke at an bis signed a letter in support of Matters dedicated significant at- interfaith symposium in Houston, tention to Bill O’Reilly’s persistent and then rallied at the site of the Texas, to discuss the sanctity of claim that terrorism is “a Muslim Park 51 Islamic cultural center in scriptures and the ill-treatment of problem.” Notably, the group lower Manhattan. religious books.20 refuted O’Reilly’s frequent claim A number of key interfaith leaders Rachel Maddow that mainstream Muslims have participated in an interfaith sum- and The Rachel not stood up to extremists and mit hosted by the Islamic Society Maddow Show terrorists. In fact, Media Matters of North America in Washington, found, Muslim-American leaders D.C. to discuss the need for mem- Maddow has have consistently condemned ter- bers of all faiths to protect the civil opened up the 15 rorism and advocated for peace. rights of Muslims.17 conversation to expose the sources of Islamo- Interfaith Leaders An Atlanta interfaith group decid- phobia. CAIR acknowledges that we ed to support the building of the cannot collect the names of and Islamic center in New York. The The Rachel Maddow Show cov- give due credit to all those in- Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta, ers a full range of current issues terfaith leaders who are shining formed after 9/11, is a coalition of in America, frequently highlight- examples of promoting American some 200 Jewish, Muslim, Chris- ing the absurdity of anti-Muslim pluralism. So many names were tian, Hindu, and Buddhist con- bigotry in America. recommended for this section gregations. The president of the Maddow efficiently highlights that it became inappropriate to group, Reverend Jill Ulrici, said: how the political right is profiting highlight any particular one above “Everybody on the board is com- financially and politically from the others. CAIR elected to simply mitted to building bridges between anti-Muslim rhetoric. collect them all in one category the faiths. We’re also committed and express our thanks on behalf to religious expression of every For example, on her September of Muslims across the nation. faith. And that’s really what, politi- 9, 2010, program, Maddow dem- cally, our country was founded on onstrated how public figures such During an interview for this that – on people wanting to have as Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin report, a Christian leader noted, religious freedom.” The group’s were planning a for-profit event “If there is a silver lining I think response was also fueled by to exploit the 9/11 anniversary. it’s that, once again, many an arson at the site of a future Similarly, she called attention to people are asking to learn more, mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. a video being promoted by Newt so that’s an opportunity. Not Gingrich that seeks to drive fear only for Muslim organizations Sixty interfaith leaders in Los associated with 9/11.21 but particularly for non-Muslim Angeles, Calif. met in response organizations, be they interfaith to the Park 51 controversy. They In that same broadcast, she organizations, or non-Muslim rallied in support of the center ar- noted how tremendous media houses of worship, congrega- guing that all Americans, whether focus was drawn to a planned tions, schools, etc.” Muslim, Hindu, Christian or Jew, Quran burning in Florida because were all attacked on 9/11.18 such acts are “…being carried This leader is correct. Almost into the mainstream by a current every interviewee remarked on Interfaith leaders in Gainesville, of extreme anti-Muslim ‘we are at the very positive actions taken Fla. united to discredit the ex- war with Islam’ rhetoric…” such as by the interfaith community in tremist pastor in their community the film Gingrich was supporting.

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 15 The Worst Some individuals, institutions and groups were at the center of pushing Islamophobia in America during the period covered by this report. This list is neither comprehensive nor offered in any specific order. However, those listed below do deserve particular note for their intentional efforts to spread fear and prejudice.

Pamela Geller and Stop the Kagan dressed as a Nazi. Spencer operates the blog “Jihad Islamization of America (SIOA) Watch,” which is notorious for its Geller has also accused Presi- depiction of Islam as an inher- Gellar’s pure, unabashed hatred dent Obama of anti-Semitism ently violent faith that is a threat of Muslims rings loud and clear and claimed the president does to world peace. through her blog. Geller is a the bidding of “Islamic over- leader in using the internet as a lords.”26 Spencer has referred to Islam’s tool for intolerance. Prophet Muhammad as a “con Geller posted images on her man. Someone who is knowing Geller, an “anti-Islam activist”22 blog purporting to depict Islam’s [sic] that what he is saying is who self-identifies as a “racist-Is- Prophet Muhammad. Several of 23 false, but is fooling his followers.” lamophobic-anti-Muslim-bigot,” those images show the prophet In the same video he asserts, runs the blog “Atlas Shrugs.” as a pig. Another image, head- “From a historical stand point, lined “Piss Be Upon Him,” shows Along with Robert Spencer, she it is not even clear that Muham- one of the controversial Danish is co-founder of the group “Stop mad existed.”28 cartoons of the prophet covered the Islamization of America.” in urine. (“Piss Be Upon Him” is SIOA has been labeled a “ra- In a special report, the indepen- designed to mock the traditional bidly anti-Muslim group” by the dent national media watch group phrase “Peace Be Upon Him” Southern Poverty Law Center. Fairness & Accuracy in Report- that Muslims use when mention- The United States Patent and ing (FAIR), identified Spencer as ing any prophet of God.) Trademark Office refused to one of the “Dirty Dozen: Amer- ica’s Leading Islamophobes” grant SIOA a trademark because: Geller is tied to the British hate “The applied-for mark refers to who systematically “spread fear, group the English Defense 29 Muslims in a disparaging manner League (EDL). The EDL is known bigotry, and misinformation.” because by definition it implies for their “street intimidation” and In that report, FAIR notes, “By that conversion or conformity to “violent rhetoric,” and is aligned selectively ignoring inconvenient Islam is something that needs to with neo-Nazi movements and Islamic texts and commentaries, be stopped or caused to cease.” 27 far-right racist groups. Deemed Spencer concludes that Islam is by the Southern Poverty Law Geller’s SIOA has run bus ads innately extremist and violent, Center to be a “thuggish anti- offering Muslims a “safe” way to and quotes Spencer as saying, Muslim street movement,” the leave Islam. In September, 2010, ‘Unfortunately, however, jihad as EDL has joined Geller in her Time magazine writer Bobby warfare against non-believers in campaign against the Park 51 Ghosh noted that this was, “the order to institute ‘’ world- initiative. Members of the group sort of exhortation directed at wide is not propaganda or ig- joined Geller at the September Jews and Roman Catholics in norance, or a heretical doctrine 11 protest of the Park 51 project. generations past.” 25 held by a tiny minority of extrem- Robert Spencer and ists. Instead, it is a constant Geller’s blog “Atlas Shrugs” Jihad Watch element of mainstream Islamic has posted a video suggesting theology.’” Muslims have sex with goats, Spencer offers an intellectualized a doctored picture of President Islamophobia through “selec- In 2006, Spencer participated in Obama urinating on an American tively ignoring” Islamic texts and a conference honoring anti-Mus- flag, and a fake image of U.S. principles that do not fit his view lim, anti-immigrant Dutch politi- Supreme Court Justice Elena of Islam as the enemy. cian Pim Fortuyn, who sought to

16 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 legalize government discrimina- very different from the God we Alinsky acolyte. They seem to tion in the Netherlands. believe [in].” fit an increasingly obvious and worrying pattern of official U.S. Spencer proudly highlights his Gabriel also stated: “America and submission to Islam and the participation in this conference the West are doomed to failure in theo-political-legal program the among his “Notable Speaking this war unless they stand up and 30 34 latter’s authorities call Shariah. Engagements.” Fortuyn’s anti- identify the real enemy: Islam.” What could be code-breaking Muslim views and the resulting evidence of the latter explana- backlash against Muslims living Frank Gaffney and the Center for Security Policy (CSP) tion is to be found in the newly- in the Netherlands are noted in disclosed redesign of the Missile the Department of State’s In- For all out Looney Tunes bigotry, Defense Agency logo.”37 ternational Religious Freedom American Muslims can always Reports for 2002 and 2005. count on Frank Gaffney’s Cen- In another conspiracy-theory ter for Security Policy for some piece that deftly paints President Brigitte Gabriel and Act! For Obama as a Muslim (interesting- America 1930s style minority-bashing. ly, throughout the piece Gaffney Gabriel makes no attempt to hide Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. is president attempts to maintain plausible her efforts to dehumanize Muslims of the Center for Security Policy. deniability that he made the and restrict them from public life. CSP asserts that it is a “non- assertion) Gaffney wrote, “The partisan national security orga- man now happy to have his ACT! for America leader Brigitte nization.” 35 Islamic-rooted middle name Gabriel once told the Australian featured prominently has en- Jewish News: “Every practic- In a November 10, 2010 letter, gaged in the most consequential after noting CSP’s “xenophobic, ing Muslim is a radical Mus- bait-and-switch since Adolf Hitler 31 anti-Muslim and hate-based lim.” Gabriel also claimed that duped Neville Chamberlain over tactics,” Rep. Betty McCollum 38 “Islamo-fascism is a politically- Czechoslovakia at Munich.” correct word…it’s the vehicle for (D-MN) wrote that the center, Islam…Islam is the problem.” “has earned a reputation for Gaffney has argued that some being radical in philosophy and senators’ decisions to question When asked whether Americans extremist in practice.” the wisdom of the war in Iraq should “resist Muslims who want should be treating as a “hanging Suhail Khan, a member of the 39 to seek political office in this na- offense.” He even attributed board of the American Conser- tion,” Gabriel said: a fictitious quote to President vative Union, says that Gaffney Lincoln to shore up his argument “Absolutely. If a Muslim who “issues baseless warnings to favoring ending dissent in Ameri- has—who is —a practicing members of Congress about can political discourse. Muslim who believes the word ‘creeping shariah.’”36 of the Koran to be the word of The Center for Security Policy Gaffney’s vision of ”creeping Allah, who abides by Islam, who and Gaffney actively promote the shariah” extends to profound goes to mosque and prays every racist and anti-Islam ideology of concern that not-so-subtle mes- Friday, who prays five times a David Yerushalmi, the center’s sages of the impending Islamic 40 day—this practicing Muslim, general counsel. Yerushalmi takeover of America are being who believes in the teachings has advocated outlawing the incorporated into U.S. military of the Koran, cannot be a loyal practice of Islam in America and logos. Following the unveiling of citizen to the United States of permanently closing all U.S. 32 a new logo for the Department America.” mosques. of Defense’s Missile Defense Along with her stated desire to Agency in 2010 Gaffney wrote: Steven Emerson and the In- have Muslims barred from public vestigative Project on Terror- office, Gabriel has also claimed “Team Obama’s anti-anti-missile ism (IPT) that Arabs “have no soul”33 and initiatives are not simply acts of that Muslims worship “some- unilateral disarmament of the Discredited in the late 1990s, thing they call ‘Allah,’ which is sort to be expected from an Emerson has used the post-9/11

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 17 era to rise again. His conspiracy point, that it was a bomb that Britain, politicians from fringe theories, guilt by association brought down TWA Flight 800 - parties say appalling things tactics and selective editing find not a missile, but a bomb...” The about Muslims, but there’s no- willing consumers in certain National Transportation Safety one in Europe with the stature agenda-driven law enforcement Board concluded that the cause of a former House Speaker who and government circles. of the tragedy was vapor in a seemed to equate Islam with Na- fuel tank, a tragic accident rather zism, as Gingrich did recently.” Emerson is founder of the In- than a deliberate bombing. vestigative Project on Terrorism On the show Fox and Friends on (IPT). IPT is little more than an Emerson’s credibility was further August 16, 2010, Gingrich said, anti-Muslim propaganda mouth- derailed in the late 1990s when “Nazis don’t have the right to put piece. Florida Weekly Planet newspa- up a sign next to the Holocaust per Senior Editor John Sugg museum in Washington. We Recently, the Tennessean quoted two unnamed Associated would never accept the Japa- revealed that the non-profit Press reporters who said Emer- nese putting up a site next to Investigative Project on Terror- son gave them a document on Pearl Harbor. There’s no reason ism Foundation paid Emerson’s terrorism supposedly from FBI for us to accept a mosque next for-profit company, SAE Produc- 45 files: to the World Trade Center.” tions, $3,390,000 in 2008 alone. Ken Berger, president of Charity “One reporter thought he’d On Saturday, September 18, Navigator, a nonprofit watchdog seen the material before, and 2010, Gingrich, speaking at the group said, “Basically, you have in checking found a paper Values Voter Summit, declared a nonprofit acting as a front Emerson had supplied earlier that “stealth jihadis use political, organization, and all that money containing his own unsupported cultural, societal, religious, intel- going to a for-profit. It’s wrong. allegations. The two documents lectual tools; violent jihadis use 41 This is off the charts.” The In- were almost identical, except violence, but in fact they’re both vestigative Project on Terrorism that Emerson’s authorship was seeking to impose the same end Foundation solicits donations deleted from the one purported state, which is to replace Western by convincing Americans of a to be from the FBI. ‘It was really civilization with a radical imposi- Muslim threat. his work,’ one reporter says. ‘He tion of sharia.” Such statements sold it to us trying to make it look cast suspicion on any individual Book Re- Muslim or Muslim institution in the view said Emerson’s 1991 book like a really interesting FBI docu- ment.’” 44 United States as possibly having Terrorist was “marred by factual nefarious purposes. errors...that betray an unfamiliar- Newt Gingrich ity with the Middle East and a The four members of Con- pervasive anti-Arab and anti- A consumer of the Islamophobic gress who called for an inves- Palestinian bias.”42 narrative produced by others tigation of Muslim Capitol Hill on this list, Gingrich’s credibility interns Emerson said of the 1995 and visibility as a former House Oklahoma City bombing, “This speaker makes his decision to Possessed by an impulse toward [the bombing] was done with adopt an anti-Muslim line in his the McCarthyism of America’s the intent to inflict as many pre-2010 election rhetoric dan- past, these four elected officials casualties as possible. That is a gerous. were apparently willingly led by Middle Eastern trait.” 43 Timothy an anti-Islam activist into casting McVeigh, a non-Middle Eastern Gingrich is a former Speaker suspicion upon young Muslims American, was later convicted of the United States House of who were seeking to serve their for committing the terrorist act. Representatives (1995-1999). country on Capitol Hill. He remains a political figure of In 1996, after a plane exploded national stature. In October of 2009, Reps. John off the coast of New York, Em- Shadegg (R-AZ), Paul Broun erson quickly asserted, “I have Writing in Time magazine, Bobby (R-GA), Trent Franks (R-AZ) no doubt whatsoever, at this Ghosh noted, “In France and and Sue Myrick (R-NC) held a

18 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 press conference during which congressional staff on Islamic Unfortunately, for many who they called for an investigation of finance. Even Daniel Pipes, one know little of Islam or Muslims, Muslim Capitol Hill interns. The of the nation’s leading Islamo- violent extremists have come to four asserted that young people phobes, is on record distancing personify both, fueling Islamo- entering public service jobs were himself from Yerushalmi be- phobia and allowing a space possibly spies. cause of the extreme nature of for Islamophobes to flourish. Yerushalmi’s views.49 The worldview of these violent The allegations were sourced extremists is a complete distor- to a book for which Rep. Myrick In February of 2007, Yerush- tion of Islam because Islamic had recently authored a fore- almi’s group, the Society of teachings clearly state that the ward. Later, when she was con- American’s for National Exis- killing of one innocent life is the fronted with one of the book’s tence (SANE), offered a policy moral equivalent to the killing of author’s virulently anti-Muslim proposal that stated in part: “We all humanity. statements, Myrick said, “Dave need to implement the Separa- Gaubatz did the investigating for tion platform with a Search and There can be no moral, ethi- it… And, quite frankly, Gaubatz Destroy Mission whenever Islam cal or religious justification for didn’t write a word of the book. raises its ugly head.” SANE has cowardly attacks on innocent And in that sense, it’s kind of a advocated prison terms for “ad- civilians. We condemn terrorism shame his name is on the book herence to Islam.” whenever it happens, wherever because he didn’t write it.” it happens, whoever commits it. Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda After reviewing a 2009 report ti- The 87-member Congressional and other violent extremists Tri-Caucus—comprised of the tled Deadly Vanguards: A Study Congressional Black Caucus, Islamophobia existed before of Al-Qaida’s Violence Against the Congressional Hispanic 2001, but it took the 9/11 terrorist Muslims, Ralph Peters, wrote Caucus and the Congres- attacks to truly industrialize the in New York’s Daily Post, “Al- phenomenon. Extremists who Qaeda does one thing extremely sional Asian Pacific American 50 Caucus—issued a statement claim Islam motivates, or worse, well: killing Muslims.” sanctions, their atrocities have responding to the allegations. In President Obama echoed this done deep harm to the reputa- that statement, the Tri-Caucus conclusion at a White House tion of the faith. members noted that, “We all Ramadan fastbreaking reception have experienced the sting of While bin Laden, Al-Qaeda and in 2010 when he noted, “In fact, discrimination,” and said, “These other violent extremists do not fit al Qaeda has killed more Mus- charges smack of an America our definition of Islamophobes lims than people of any other of sixty years ago where lists their terrorism and complete religion — and that list of victims of ‘un-American’ agitators were distortion of Islam provide the includes innocent Muslims who identified.”46 breeding ground for much of the were killed on 9/11.” Myrick subsequently endorsed anti-Muslim extremism dis- Daniel Pipes the group ACT! For America, cussed in this report. whose founder has said, “Every The grandfather of Islamophobia practicing Muslim is a radical To more than a billion Muslims in America. Pipes’ eminence Muslim.”47 In 2003, the Charlotte worldwide, Islam is a religion is fading but his contributions Observer reported, “In remarks that teaches tolerance, freedom to anti-Muslim intolerance in about domestic security threats, and compassion. Those who America cannot be overlooked. Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte understand Islam and know Daniel Pipes is director of the said, ‘Look at who runs all the Muslims as friends and col- convenience stores across the leagues realize that Islam is one Middle East Forum, a right-wing country.’” 48 of the three Abrahamic faiths think tank. In 1990, he said: and that Muslims are contribut- “Western European societies In early 2008, Rep. Broun invited ing members of societies around are unprepared for the massive David Yerushalmi to speak to the world. immigration of brown-skinned

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 19 peoples cooking strange foods cans in World War II.”58 Pipes has stated that the views and maintaining different stan- of far-right French racist Jean- President George W. Bush was dards of hygiene...All immigrants Marie Le Pen “represent an forced to bypass a Republican- bring exotic customs and at- important outlook in the national controlled Senate confirmation titudes, but Muslim customs are debate over immigration and process to place Pipes tempo- more troublesome than most.”55 rarily on the board of the United Islam” and said that he (Pipes) supports racial and religious pro- “This religion would seem to States Institute of Peace (USIP). filing of Muslims and Arabs. have nothing functional to offer,” Pipes faced stiff opposition to 56 his USIP nomination and would Pipes said of Islam in 1996. Pipes was a featured speaker not have been confirmed if his for a series of “Islamo-Fascism Speaking before the convention nomination was subjected to a of the American Jewish Congress vote. At a July 23, 2004, Sen- Awareness Week” lectures at in late 2001, Pipes said, “I worry ate committee meeting, Sens. university campuses nationwide. very much from the Jewish point Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Chris- Other speakers on that lecture of view that the presence, and topher Dodd (D-CT) and Tom tour included Islamophobes such increased stature, and affluence, Harkin (D-IA) all opposed his as Robert Spencer and Ann and enfranchisement of Ameri- appointment. Sen. Harkin, who Coulter. can Muslims...will present true was involved in the formation of Pipes also launched Campus dangers to American Jews.”57 the USIP, spoke at length about Pipes’ statements warning of the Watch, a website that included In 2004, Pipes said he support- “dangers” posed by the enfran- “dossiers” on professors and ed the widely-repudiated intern- chisement of American Muslims academic institutions he consid- ment of Japanese-Americans. and his “dossiers” on academic ered to be too critical of Israel He wrote: “Yes, I do support the critics of Israeli policies. Pipes or too sympathetic to Islam and internment of Japanese Ameri- only served an interim term. Muslims.

20 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 The State of Islamophobia in America

Interviewees for this report were asked, “On a scale of 1-10, with one being an America free of Islamophobia and 10 being the worst possible situation for Muslims in America, how would you rate the state of Islamophobia in America today?” Interviews were conducted in September and October of 2010.

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 21 Where We Are

supported that conclusion. tion reform, such as the Federa- tion for American Immigration Based on observations made by Reform (FAIR), the Center for our interviewees, our reading of Immigration Studies (CIS), and the news and assertions made NumbersUSA, have inflamed the in other reports, CAIR believes immigration debate by invok- that the trends pointing toward ing the dehumanizing, racist that leveling off began changing stereotypes and bigotry of hate in January 2009. groups. While these seemingly After the 2009 Inauguration, “legitimate” advocates against the Nation’s Tone Became illegal immigration are frequently “In the USA [the] situation of Angry quoted in the mainstream media, have been called to testify before Muslims did not improve…” In March 2009, Rep. Russ Congress, and often hold meet- -- the Organization of the Carnahan (D-Mo.) found a coffin ings with lawmakers and other Islamic Conference’s on his front lawn. This troubling public figures, their virulently Third OIC Observatory Report incident was one of many that anti-immigrant rhetoric veers on Islamophobia, May 2010 occurred during the national dangerously close to—and too conversation over health-care often crosses the line beyond— Is America Islamophobic? No. reform. reported others, civil discourse over contentious The revulsion expressed by most including “Rep. Tom Perriello’s 60 Americans in August and early (D-Va.) brother’s gas lines were immigration policy issues.” September 2010 over a pro- cut, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) The LCCREF also reports that posed Quran burning in Florida received death threats and Rules the combination of the “vilifica- is evidence of that fact. Committee Chairwoman Louise tion of immigrants” combined Slaughter (D-N.Y.) received a with economic downturn and the Is there an Islamophobic ele- message saying snipers were election of has ment in America? Yes. being deployed to kill children of contributed to a “surge” of white By 2008 Anti-Muslim Discrimi- those who voted for health care supremacist activity. 61 59 nation Was ‘Leveling Off’ overhaul.” Coming to a similar conclusion, In late 2009, CAIR reported: The Leadership Conference the Southern Poverty Law Center “Observing a second year’s on Civil Rights Education Fund issued a 2009 report noting, “the decline in reported hate crimes, (LCCREF) expressed concern resurgence of the antigovern- CAIR reaffirms its cautious that year over the tactics ad- ment militia movement across optimism that America may opted by some groups opposing the country, which has been immigration reform: be witnessing a leveling-off of fueled by fears of a black man in the White House, the changing demographics of the country, and “I think that the election of Obama and events after the election conspiracy theories increasingly provided a platform for the expression of both ill-informed and ill-in- spread by mainstream figures.” 62 tentioned views directed largely against Muslims in a way that was The enraged tone continued in not the case before the election,” observed Aziz Huq, an assistant 2010 with reports of members professor of law at the University of Chicago. of Congress being subjected to racial slurs and in one case, spat on. the post-9/11 backlash against “In one of the most disturbing Americans of the Islamic faith.” developments of recent years, A report distributed by the Data collected by CAIR in 2008 some groups opposing immigra- National Association for the

22 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Advancement of Colored People No Room for Leveling-Off (NAACP) in the latter part of CAIR released the report con- 2010 observes, “The has unleashed a still taining the “leveling-off” state- inchoate political movement who ment on December 3, 2009. are in their numerical majority, This was almost a month after angry middle class white people Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan mur- who believe their country, their dered of a number of American is soundly condemned by the nation, has been taken from service members at Fort Hood. Muslim community, they have them.” “Tea Party organiza- created a situation in which we tions,” the report’s authors go on In late December a Nigerian can no longer assert that anti- to say, “have given platforms to man tried and fortunately failed Muslim discrimination is level- anti-Semites, racists, and bigots. to blow-up an airplane heading ing off. Further, hard-core white nation- toward the United States. In May alists have been attracted to 2010, another man failed in his A Base for Prejudice murder plan when he attempted these protests, looking for poten- Polls consistently show that a to detonate a car bomb in New tial recruits and hoping to push sizable number of Americans York’s Times Square. hold prejudiced views toward “Islam is not only the religion In August and early September Muslims. that is the most frequently 2010 the dispute over Park 51 and A Time magazine poll released mentioned in television news a Florida pastor’s plan to burn in August 2010 found, “Twenty- in the United States, but also copies of the Quran kept Islam eight percent of voters do not a significant share of the and Muslims front-and-center in believe Muslims should be coverage is negative.” the public consciousness. eligible to sit on the U.S. Su- –Media Tenor “My view is it has been a very preme Court. Nearly one-third of recent spike since the start of the country thinks adherents of these (white) protestors towards the summer of 2010,” said a Islam should be barred from run- a more self-conscious and ideo- private sector civil litigator during ning for President….” 67 63 logical white supremacy.” an interview in late 2010. “If you CBS News released a poll in asked me the same question Significant Share of Media September 2010 finding that a [about the state of Islamophobia Coverage of Islam Reported majority of Americans (fifty-five in America] in January of 2010 I as Negative percent) know someone who probably would say there has not has negative feelings toward According to a report issued by been much movement in what Muslims as a result of the terror- Gallup in 2009, Media Tenor, has become worse with Islamo- ist attacks of 9/11. Approximately a research firm that monitors phobia since the inauguration.” and analyzes media coverage, one in five say they themselves found that: Though each of these incidents have such feelings. Forty per- cent of Americans do not know “Thirty six percent of statements The public’s favorable rating someone who harbors anti-Mus- about religion refered to Islam. of Islam sank from 40 per- lim feelings, and three in four say The tone of the media coverage cent in November 2001 to 30 they don’t personally have nega- of Islam was negative 40% of percent in August 2010 ac- tive feelings toward Muslims. 68 the time, while statements about cording to the Pew Research Christianity were negative 20% Center.65 In late November Public Policy Polling, a demo- of the time. Media Tenor found 2010, the Public Research cratic party-affiliated firm, found “that two-thirds of the television Institute found that 45 per- in October 2010 that more coverage about Islam associates cent of Americans agree that Republicans support the hypo- 64 Muslims with extremism.” (Me- Islam is at odds with Ameri- thetical construction of a strip dia Tenor’s report covered the can values.66 club than an Islamic center near period from 1/2007-3/2008.) Ground Zero. 69

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 23 In the early part of 2010, the Gal- phobia. In large part, this is in Anti-Muslim Discrimination lup Center for Muslim Studies re- reaction to President Obama’s The reality of anti-Muslim dis- ported, “43% of Americans admit election. Many bigots are upset to feeling some prejudice toward that we have a black president. crimination—the consequence of followers of Islam.” The study But because of the taboo as- the base for prejudice discussed states, “Americans are more sociated with anti-black racism, above—in America is well docu- than twice as likely to express they are constrained from openly mented. A number of incidents negative feelings about Muslims expressing it. So they falsely from CAIR’s civil rights database as they are about Buddhists, declare Obama is a Muslim and are included in this report. 70 Christians and Jews.” feel comfortable denigrating him For 2009, the FBI reports that 18.9 percent of the victim’s of “Clearly the public discourse has deteriorated to the point where Is- hate crimes in the United States lam and I think perhaps even more so Muslims are regarded as fair were “victimized because of a game,” said a professor of contemporary Islamic studies. “They re- bias against a religious belief.” In ally are the only community with which people in the general public all, “8.4 percent were victims be- as well as people from the so-called elite of society—socially, politi- cause of an anti-Islamic bias.”74 cally—can speak with complete impunity about Muslims in a way that they would not dare without recriminations about other groups.” LCCREF reports that hate crimes directed against Arab Americans, Muslims, and Sikhs escalated dramatically after A 2010 survey by LifeWay Re- for that,” said a Muslim who has the September 2001 terror- search found that 4 in 10 U.S. held elected office. Protestant pastors agree that Is- ist attacks. In 2009, LCCREF lam is dangerous and promotes Human Rights First also noted observed that crimes of hate violence.71 this trend: “Obstacles to freedom remain more prevelant than pre- of religion, widespread discrimi- 2001, though the number of hate The Pew Research Center re- nation, and anti-Muslim rhetoric crimes against these groups has ported, “Eight years after the ter- 75 in mainstream media and politi- declined. rorist attacks of 9/11, Americans cal discourse are an important see Muslims as facing more dis- part of the context in which A law enforcement profession- crimination inside the U.S. than violent acts are being perpetrat- al best summed up the general any other major religious groups. ed. Intolerant public discourse community feeling regarding Nearly six-in-ten adults (58%) that goes unchallenged fosters discrimination when the pro- say that Muslims are subject to a indifference to abuses commit- fessional told CAIR interview- 72 lot of discrimination. …” ted against members of minority ers: “On 9/11/2001, I respond- Growth and Acceptance of groups and promotes impunity ed to Ground Zero with some Intolerant Discourse for perpetrators of violent hate of my colleagues and as we crimes against them.” 73 were being driven to the site, Interviewees for this report often we saw many people lined up Critics may hold up NPR’s firing cited their observation that there on both sides of the road with of commentator Juan Williams is a general societal acceptance signs cheering and thanking of derogatory commentary about following his statement that air- us. On one of the train trips Islam. line passengers in “Muslim garb” home, we were accompanied make him “nervous” as evidence by several senators and con- “Among a certain segment of against this trend. However, both gressmen and some of them the population, the Tea-Party NPR sources and Williams have signed my helmet. Now it is and right-wing Republicans, said the termination was part of 2010 and I dare not go any- anti-Islam bigotry has become a longer running dispute. Thus, where near ground zero with mainstream and lost any taboo. CAIR does not believe the firing the fear of being attacked be- People are unabashed and was specific to Williams’ anti- cause I am a Muslim.” open in their displays of Islamo- Muslim statement.

24 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Islamophobic Acts

The cases below provide a snap- cal grocery store featured a man shot of some of the incidents of holding a sign that read, “Islam Islamophobia recorded by CAIR will dominate the world,” with in 2009 and 2010. The list is not Saleh’s face superimposed on comprehensive. Incidents related the picture to make it look like he to Park 51 and the 2010 elec- was holding the sign. The fliers tion are generally not included also included pictures of an Iraqi here as they receive their own cleric, the World Trade Center special sections toward the end tower burning, and a group of of the report. Cases not proved hooded terrorists standing over a in a court of law are reported as kneeling hostage. The flyer text allegedly occurring. read “Vote NO Muslims for the Bell City Council 2009.” Both Muslim candidates for the council PRIVATE SECTOR were defeated.78 February 1, 2009 - A “biblical December 10, 2009 - In St. group” allegedly harassed Mus- Cloud, Minn., “graphic, sexually lim worshipers at the Islamic So- explicit” anti-Muslim cartoons ciety of Tampa Bay Area. Over were posted on utility poles.79 20 people used “signs and a bullhorn to denounce the religion February 17, 2010 - A panel of Islam.” 76 discussion titled “Jihad: The Political Third Rail” was held to February 17, 2009 - Former launch the Freedom Defense Pennsylvania Senator Rick San- Initiative during the annual Con- torum delivered a lecture at the servative Political Action Con- University of Nebraska-Lincoln ference (CPAC) in Washington, on the subject of Islam. Santo- DC. Panel promoters asserted rum argued that Muslims’ reli- it was a discussion of Islam’s gious views cannot be changed, “war on free speech” and the so democracy does not “mesh” threat of Islamic law. Noted Is- with them. He proclaimed, “A de- lamophobes Pamela Geller and mocracy could not exist because Robert Spencer were among Mohammed already made the the speakers. Reporting on the perfect law. The Qur’an is perfect event, Fox News called Geller just the way it is, that’s why it is “a lightning rod for controversy,” only written in Islamic.” Santo- adding, “One [Geller blog post] rum is a self-proclaimed scholar last August questioned why the of Islam.77 (Note: The Quran is media were not reporting Presi- originally in Arabic and is avail- dent Obama’s ‘strange sexual able in translation in numerous predilections’ and suggested languages.) that Obama traveled to Pakistan in the 1980s ‘for the drugs and March 5, 2009 - Bell City Coun- came back with Jihad.’” 80 cil candidate Ali Saleh’s Muslim faith was the center of a political March 18, 2010 - CAIR-Philadel- attack. Fliers distributed at a lo- phia staff raised concerns over

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 25 a series of reference books said New York City buses opposing “Sharia law” would be imposed to portray Muslims as inher- the Park 51 center. The adver- on Murfreesboro citizens. One ently violent and as terrorists. tisement “juxtaposes a photo- resident called Islam a religion The 10-book The World of Islam graph of the World Trade Center, of power, and the mosque an series encourages children to seen in the instant before the attempt to spread Islam to the believe Muslims are immigrating second tower was hit, with a small community.88 Signs read- to America in order to transform rendering of the controversial ing “Keep Tennessee Terror American society, often through mosque and Islamic center Free” featured at protests. The the use of terrorism.81 planned for Lower Manhattan. In Muslim community behind the bold capital letters, the ad asks, project has lived and worshiped July 9, 2010 - The Emerald ‘Why There?’”86 in the town for more than thirty Coast Tea Party Patriots in- years. vited Brigitte Gabriel, head of August 18, 2010 - City officials the anti-Islam hate group ACT! in Florence, Ky., reported that August 25, 2010 - Stop the for America, to be the keynote someone was distributing fliers Islamization of America spon- speaker at the group’s rally in denouncing a mosque under sored ads atop 25 taxi cabs Fort Walton Beach, Fla.82 construction in that city and in Chicago; the ads imply that calling on residents to pres- leaving Islam may be dangerous July 18, 2010 - Asserting that a sure the city to stop the project. for women. Accompanying the mosque would create a “haven The fliers read, “Do your part to graphic photos is the message, for Islamic extremists,” oppo- stop the take-over of our coun- “Is your family threatening you” nents fought plans to build a try. Use your voice to speak and a website address. At the mosque in northeast Temecula, out. If anti-American people request of Yellow Cab Chicago, Calif. A local Baptist pastor who 89 do not like the way we are, they the ads were eventually pulled. opposed the project said, “The are free to leave. We are the Islamic foothold is not strong September 11, 2010 - On the United States of America not an here, and we really don’t want anniversary of 9/11, Pastor Terry Islamic Nation.”87 to see their influence spread.” Jones of Gainesville, Fla., threat- Mosque supporters noted that ened to burn 200 copies of the August 7, 2010 - Several their community had already Quran as part of a self-declared right-wing Christians angrily been active in the area for more “International Burn a Koran Day.” confronted worshippers out- than a decade.83 CAIR provided resources for the side a Connecticut mosque. Muslim community to respond The demonstrators carried July 22, 2010 - Members of Act! with its “Teachable Moment anti-Muslim signs and shout- For America requested that the Community Response Guide.” ed “Islam is a lie” and “Jesus Fountain Valley, Calif., school Under enormous pressure from hates Muslims.” One demon- board change state-approved public officials and interfaith strator confronted young chil- social studies textbooks that leaders, Jones eventually can- dren leaving the mosque and they said have a “cleansed” celled his publicity stunt.90 The yelled “murderers.” The orga- portrayal of Islamic history. The threat became a major interna- nizer of the protest wielded a group wanted the school board tional news story. to introduce supplementary bullhorn and pledged to con- material—that incorrectly quotes front worshipers at mosques or take quotes of the Quran out around the United States.85 PUBLIC SECTOR of context—from an independent September 4, 2009 - A Ten- think tank. The school board August 23, 2010 - A proposal nessee mayor circulated an unanimously declined to add the to build a mosque, school and anti-Islam e-mail to public supplementary material to the 84 swimming pool in Murfreesboro, officials. The e-mail urged textbook. Tenn., met with strong opposi- “patriotic Americans” to protest August 9, 2010 - Pamela tion. Speaking at a Regional a U.S. Postal Service stamp Geller’s Freedom Defense Initia- Planning Commission meeting, marking Eid al-Fitr and Eid al- tive paid for advertisements on residents expressed fear that Adha. Though the stamp was

26 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 originally issued in 2001 and is comments posted on Facebook periodically re-issued as prices by City Councilwoman Sherry increase, the e-mail claimed the Marquez. The councilwoman stamp was new and was ordered was reacting to the behead- by President Obama. The e- ing of a Muslim woman by her mail urged Americans to boycott husband, which was solidly the stamp. CAIR sent a copy of denounced by Muslims. The the Quran to the mayor and city councilwoman wrote, “This is council members.91 what the Muslim religion is all about—the beheadings, honor October 14, 2009 - Four Repub- killings are just the beginning of lican lawmakers accused Muslim what is to come in the USA.” 94 Capitol Hill interns of beings “spies.” Reps John Shadegg (R- March 17, 2010 - CAIR urged AZ), Paul Brown (R-GA), Trent Representative Sue Myrick (R- Franks (R-AZ), and Sue Myrick NC) to withdraw her support for (R-SC) made the claims upon the anti-Islam hate group Act! the release of an anti-Muslim For America. Myrick had circulat- book, which included a forward ed a letter promoting her support by Representative Myrick.92 for the group. Brigitte Gabriel, Act! For America’s leader, claims December 10, 2009 - Lynne that an American Muslim “cannot Torgerson, a challenger to Con- be a loyal citizen” and that “Islam gressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), is the real enemy.” stated her belief that Islam en- courages criminal behavior and July 27, 2010 - Tennessee Lt. should not be protected under Gov. Ron Ramsey, one of three the First Amendment. Torgerson Republican candidates running also indicated her distaste for for governor, suggested that people of “other” cultures enter- Islam may be a “cult” rather than ing the United States. Torgerson a religion: “You could even argue used strong anti-Islam sentiment whether being a Muslim is actu- in an attempt to win support, ally a religion or is it a nationality, way of life or cult, whatever you writing: “And, what do I know of 95 Islam? Well, I know of 9/11. Nine- want to call it.” teen (19) men from , August 18, 2010 - At a candi- all Muslim, hi-jacked planes, and date forum for high school and flew into the two (2) World Trade middle school students in Pana- Towers murdering thousands of ma City, Fla., congressional can- people, and tried to fly into our didate Ron McNeil told attend- Pentagon, and some believe ees Islam is “against everything they also tried to fly an airplane America stands for.” Comment- into our White House. From this, ing on the Park 51 Islamic cul- what I perceive is Islam conduct- tural center, McNeil expressed ing an act of war against my his sense that it should be built, country.” 93 “nine stories underground, so we can walk above it as citizens and January 28, 2010 - Members Christians.”96 of the Muslim community in Lancaster, Calif., attended a city November 9, 2010 - A news ar- council meeting to voice their ticle reports Fla. Congressman- concerns over inflammatory elect Allan West’s anti-Muslim

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 27 beliefs. West is quoted as a November 15, 2009 - A New government, illegal drugs, and saying, “Islam is a totalitarian York University professor au- by supporting the gay agenda.” theocratic political ideology, it is thored a column titled, “Going The ad also asserted, “It is not a religion. It has not been a Muslim: America After Fort projected that in 30 years there religion since 622 AD.”97 West Hood,” in which he speculated will be 50 million Moslems in the initially selected talk radio host that the United States is fac- United States.” 101 Joyce Kaufman as his chief of ing a new violent phenomenon staff. However, after pressure and coined the phrase “going August 13, 2010 - Bryan Fisch- on West because of Kaufman’s Muslim” as a spin-off of “going er, a writer and radio personality extreme views on Islam and postal.”99 for the American Family Asso- immigration, she withdrew from ciation wrote in his column that March 24, 2010 - Rightwing the post. no building permits should be commentator Ann Coulter told a issued to any mosque, anywhere Muslim student to “take a camel” in the United States.103 MEDIA as an alternative to flying. Coul- ter’s comment came after she August 20, 2010 - Well-known May 20, 2009 - The Simon previously told a gathering that televangelist Pat Robertson Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Muslims shouldn’t be allowed on claimed that Tennessee Muslims Tolerance held a screening of airplanes, and should take “fly- may bribe local officials to ex- the film The Third Jihad, which ing carpets” instead. The camel pand their influence. Robertson purportedly uncovers a Muslim comment came after a Muslim made his claim during a broad- American plot to kill all Ameri- student challenged Coulter on cast of the 700 Club following a cans. The film was produced by the remark, and told her that she report about the Islamic Center of the Clarion Fund, an ultra-right didn’t have a flying carpet.100 Murfreesboro. Local officials dis- wing group. The Clarion Fund missed the idea as ridiculous.104 produced Obsession: Radi- April 6, 2010 - An ad spon- cal Islam’s War with the West sored by the Granite City Baptist August 30, 2010 - Colum- and distributed it to voters in Church-Academy, featured in nist Cal Thomas claimed that 14 swing states just before the Minnesota’s St. Cloud Times, mosques across the country are 2008 presidential election in an asserted: “Moslems [sic] seek to being used as terrorist bases apparent attempt to influence influence the nation by immigra- from which to wage offensive voters.98 tion, reproduction, education, the attacks.105

28 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Anti-Muslim Discrimination

In 2009 and 2010, Muslims con- tinued to face barriers to their full and equal participation in Ameri- can society.

American Muslim institutions such as CAIR were not alone in making these assertions. Here are a few examples of organiza- tions that drew similar conclu- sions:

The Asian Law Caucus notes a number of specific cases of anti- fied as African in police reports, with second-degree aggravated Muslim discrimination in Return- were in a store when one man harassment as a hate crime, ing Home: How U.S. Govern- stepped outside to take a phone and a misdemeanor charge ment Practices Undermine Civil call. While talking on the phone, after threatening to kill a Muslim Rights At Our Nation’s Doorstep. the victim heard a man stopped mother and daughter. The at- (2009) in traffic yell at him to “speak tacker allegedly shouted racial English.” When the victim and religious slurs, and spat on Human Rights First lists a num- replied his English was not very the victims’ car. The man then ber of cases of anti-Muslim dis- good the man became enraged, threatened to kill the women crimination in Violence Against left his vehicle and verbally at- because of their religious beliefs. Muslims: An Update to HRF’s tacked the victim, resorting to Both women were dressed in 2008 Hate Crime Survey. the use of anti-Muslim slurs. loose-fitting clothing and heads- When the victim attempted to carves.108 The American Civil Liberties walk away, the attacker grabbed Union and the Rights Work- him and punched him twice. August 31, 2009 - CAIR called ing Group present a number of The victim’s friend tried to for federal and state hate crime cases of anti-Muslim discrimina- stop the assault, but was also charges to be brought against tion in The Persistence of Racial punched by the attacker, who two men involved in an assault and Ethnic Profiling in the United then threatened to kill them both of a Calif., taxi driver. The at- States. before returning to his vehicle tackers repeatedly hit the victim in the back of the head, causing The cases below provide a and fleeing the scene. Neither of facial lacerations and a bro- snapshot of some of the inci- the victims was seriously injured. ken tooth and called the victim dents of hate. This list is not Police investigated the incident 106 “Taliban” and “terrorist.” CAIR- comprehensive. as a hate crime. SFBA requested the attackers June 15, 2009 - A 14-year- be charged with a hate crime if Hate Crimes old Staten Island student was law enforcement hopes to deter beaten by a classmate. While future incidents of this nature.109 January 12, 2009 - Two men the assailant was beating the were verbally attacked and young man he stated that he October 8, 2009 - A N.Y. woman beaten in Seattle by a man who hates Arabs and hates the vic- was verbally attacked while on became enraged when he heard tim’s religion.107 her way to iftaar at her local one of the victims speaking a mosque. The man then physical- language other than English. August 27, 2009 - An alleged ly confronted the woman in front The two men, who were identi- attacker in N.Y. was charged of her two children. A criminal

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 29 complaint was filed, and the man as “raghead,” “terrorist” and subsequently fired a weapon was arrested and charged with “camel jockey.” The victim’s jaw outside of another at a mosque harassment in the first degree as was broken in the assault. The in New York. A member of the a hate crime, assault in the third victim’s mother was allegedly mosque was reportedly injured degree, and harassment in the assaulted by the same person when he was struck by one of second degree. He was released when she tried to defend her son. the vehicles. The teenagers without bail pending a court ap- were charged with disrupting pearance later that month.110 July 4, 2010 - A Muslim volun- religious services. One teenager teer staffing an information booth was also charged with criminal November 10, 2009 - A Greek outside an Inland Empire, Calif., possession of a weapon.114 Orthodox priest was attacked mosque was allegedly assaulted during his vacation in Florida. by two men on their way to a fire- September 9, 2010 - A vandal The priest asked a 28-year-old works show. The volunteer was scrawled anti-Muslim hate graffiti Marine reservist for directions staffing a booth that included a across a retaining wall in Reno, in Tampa. The reservist hit the sign that read, “Ask a Muslim.” Nev. The graffiti read, “Don’t priest over the head with a tire According to the victim, one burn the Koran. Why? Just burn iron and chased him for three of two men who were walking Muslims.”115 blocks. The reservist then called past saw the booth and yelled, 911 and claimed that an “Arab “This is bulls**t.” The Muslim September 10, 2010 - West man” was trying to rob him. The volunteer replied, “I’ll answer any Springfield, Mass. Muslims attacker also told the police that questions that you have.” Ac- reported increased hostilities the priest was a terrorist and that cording to eyewitness accounts, against them and their faith in the victim shouted “Allahu Ak- both men charged at the vol- the weeks leading to the an- bar.” The priest does not speak unteer and punched him in the niversary of the September 11 Arabic. CAIR-Tampa called for face. When one of the men was terrorist attacks. Members of hate crimes charges.111 being arrested he allegedly told the Muslim community reported the arresting officer to “kick out” graffiti on signs, a hateful tele- December 7, 2009 - An Idaho all the “ragheads.” phone message and one inci- Muslim reported that hateful dent where apples were thrown graffiti was scrawled on the side July 8, 2010 - Vandals spray late at night at the home of an of his truck, and a flier for the painted the phrase “Go Home” on imam.116 Aryan Nations left on his lawn. the exterior of the Hormud Market The man found the phrase “Go Home Sand N**ger” and a series of swastikas painted on his truck. August 25, 2010 - A Muslim cab driver was stabbed in what ap- Local authorities say this at- peared to be a bias motivated crime. A 21-year-old male hailed a tack has been part of a stream cab in Manhattan. He reportedly asked the driver “Are you Mus- of hate related incidents in the lim?” When the driver responded in the affirmative the passenger area.112 slashed the driver with a knife on the throat, arm and face. The driver stopped the cab and approached a police officer, who arrest- June 18, 2010 - An 18-year-old ed the assailant. The attacker has been charged with attempted Iraqi refugee and his mother murder as a hate crime, assault, aggravated harassment and crimi- were reportedly assaulted fol- nal possession of a weapon.113 lowing a softball game in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. During the game, supporters of the opposing team in St. Cloud, Minn. The market is September 11, 2010 - A Mus- allegedly shouted racial slurs at owned by a Somali Muslim. lim-owned store in Ohio was the victim and his team mem- vandalized on the ninth an- bers. After the game, the victim August 31, 2010 - A group niversary of the 2001 terrorist was allegedly hit in the jaw by of teenagers honked their car attacks. Someone spray-painted an assailant from the opposing horns and yelled obscenities “9/11” on windows and counter- team, who shouted slurs such during one prayer service and tops of the store. CAIR asked

30 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 law enforcement to investigate July 1, 2009 - CAIR-Chicago the incident as a possible hate filed a complaint in federal court crime.117 on behalf of a Muslim woman who claims to have suffered October 28, 2010 - A 31-year- harassment at her place of old African-American Muslim work. The woman, an Ameri- in N.C. reported that an older can Muslim of Turkish descent, man verbally assaulted her after alleged that she was harassed asking whether she was Muslim. repeatedly by co-workers and He allegedly yelled slurs and spit management at the Bridgeview in her direction. The man was Bank Group. The manager charged with ethnic intimidation failed to address the problem, and released. A court date has 118 and after being denied a transfer been set. to another branch, the woman 121 November 19, 2010 - A Mis- felt compelled to resign. souri man went to court for a July 9, 2009 - A Muslim man of bias-motivated assault against South Asian descent alleges he a worker of an Islamic center. suffered from workplace harass- The man claimed the center was ment and wrongful termination for “people not from the United from his position at Affiliated States” who are in fact, “trying Computer Services. The man to take over the United States.” claims he was repeatedly ha- The alleged assailant also re- rassed by coworkers because of on religious accommodation to portedly threatened the worker his race and religion. After at- comply with the Civil Rights Act with a knife and a handgun and 123 tempting to convert the victim to of 1964. claimed he was with an organi- Christianity, an employee began zation that was “going to see to it October 22, 2009 - A Muslim 119 targeting the man with slurs such that the building didn’t stand.” as “terrorist” and “Bin Laden,” employee of Sprint was termi- and in one incident sprayed nated after receiving a hate call aerosol cleaner into the Muslim at work. A customer, calling the Workplace worker’s eye. A manager also Oklahoma City service center escalated the harassment by inquired about the employee’s July 24, 2009 - CAIR-Chicago cutting the Muslim employee’s name and asked if he was a announced a verdict in favor of bonus in half, increasing his Muslim. When the employee an Arab-American correctional work load, issuing written com- replied in the affirmative the officer in a discrimination suit. plaints for minor incidents, and customer replied “Well I don’t CAIR-Chicago began litigation finally terminating the man with- want to talk to you, and you can on behalf of the officer in 2007, out justification. CAIR-Chicago go to hell.” The employee hung after the officer reported perva- filed suit.122 up on the customer and reported sive and sustained harassment the incident. One week later the by other correctional officers. September 17, 2009 - A woman man was terminated, without The officer, was called “terror- was denied employment at an prior notice due to a company ist,” “Hussein,” “Bin Laden,” and Abercrombie Kids store in Okla- policy that an employee should “camel jockey,” and reported the homa because of her decision never hang up on a customer. harassment occurred multiple to wear a hijab. The woman CAIR-OK has asked Sprint to times daily. Despite reporting was reportedly told that she apologize and review their policy the incidents, supervisors and would not be hired because her as it relates to hate calls.124 internal affairs failed to take hijab did not “fit the Abercrom- adequate action. The officer bie image.” CAIR-OK called on October 30, 2009 - A Muslim was awarded $200,000 in dam- Abercrombie to apologize to the doctor was denied her right to ages.120 woman and clarify their position wear a hijab in her potential work

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 31 place. The woman was told at April 9, 2010 - In January 2010, of fellow employees. Two of an interview in Texas that the DuPage County Board members the man’s co-workers routinely company’s no hat policy would voted 10-7 to deny a conditional- referred to him by anti-Muslim prohibit her from wearing a hijab use permit requested for a pur- stereotypes such as, “f***ing ter- to work. In a letter to the po- posed Islamic educational center rorist.” Though the man reported tential employers CAIR noted in Illinois. CAIR-Chicago filed a the crime, and two different that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 federal lawsuit asserting that the supervisors promised his com- requires that employers accom- zoning officials denied the permit plaints would be investigated, no modate the religious practices of on discriminatory grounds.128 action resulted. their employers within reason.125 April 9, 2010 - A former Miami May 12, 2010 - The ex-city February 26, 2010 - A 19-year- Beach Police Officer has sued manager of Homestead, Fla. has old woman of Indian and Paki- the department over racial slurs sued the city for discrimination. stani descent was fired by the endured during his employment. The man alleges the city council Abercrombie and Fitch com- According the complainant, his slowed his promotion process pany for refusing to remove her supervisor repeatedly called because he is a Muslim and headscarf. When she inter- him derogatory terms such as of Arab descent. Much of the viewed for a job at a Hollister “rag head” and “camel jockey,” complaint was directed at one store at a mall in Hillsborough, referring to his Arab-American council member in particular, the 131 Calif., she was told her hijab heritage.129 town’s Vice Mayor. would not be a problem. The April 13, 2010 – CAIR-MI filed August 20, 2010 - A Muslim young woman worked without an EEOC complaint against a woman who works as a hostess incident until the district man- McDonald’s restaurant in that at a Calif., Disneyland restau- ager paid a visit to the store. The state on behalf of a Muslim rant alleged that the theme park manager stated that the hijab who alleges denial of employ- would not allow her to appear in was not in compliance with the ment based on her ethnicity and front of customers while wearing “look policy” of the company. religion. During a job interview, her hijab. Disneyland requested Shortly thereafter, the woman the woman alleges one of the the woman hide in the back, was fired for refusing to take off restaurant managers asked away from the view of custom- her headscarf. CAIR-SFBA filed about her nationality and ethnic- ers. The woman has filed a law- a complaint with the U.S. Equal ity and informed her that wearing suit against the theme park with Employment Opportunity Com- 132 an Islamic head scarf, or hijab, the assistance of CAIR-LA. mission, alleging racial discrimi- would be a problem. nation. Abercrombie reached a August 30, 2010 – CAIR-Chica- $50 million agreement with the April 17, 2010 - A teller at a go filed a discrimination com- EEOC in 2004 over similar racial PNC Bank location in Ohio was plaint in federal court against discrimination complaints.126 allegedly fired for speaking out the Illinois State Police (ISP) against anti-Arab and anti-Mus- on behalf of a Chicago based March 15, 2010 - The EEOC lim discrimination endured in his imam. The ISP previously hired concluded that New York City’s workplace. The teller was fired, the imam as the first Muslim Department of Education without prior notice, very soon chaplain for its workforce, but wrongly fired a Muslim American after he complained about the later revoked its decision, citing school principal. The former discriminatory behavior of other an Internet report attacking the principal was pressured to resign bank employees. CAIR-Ohio imam. The report was written by after a burst of outrage over the has filed a lawsuit on behalf of an anti-Muslim blogger notori- woman’s attempt to explain that the teller.130 ous for fighting against American “intifada” is not synonymous with Muslim civic participation. The terrorism. The findings conclud- May 10, 2010 - CAIR-WA filed report claimed, among other ed that the woman was discrimi- an EEOC complaint on behalf things, that the Imam served on nated against due to her race, of a Muslim who suffered sus- the “Palestine Committee of the religion, and national origin.127 tained harassment at the hands Muslim Brotherhood.” CAIR-Chi-

32 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 cago’s lawsuit alleges discrimi- the student was told to never nation based on race, religion pray on school grounds again. and national origin. The suit also CAIR has called for the school cites denial of the imam’s First to allow the student her right to Amendment right to freedom of pray.136 association.133 March 25, 2010 – CAIR-Min- September 15, 2010 - An for- nesota asked the U.S. Depart- mer FBI agent sued the agency ment of Education to investigate for alleged job discrimination. reports of harassment in Min- The plaintiff, born in Cairo and nesota public schools, includ- raised in California, was passed ing a report of a bus driver who over for a promotion post-9/11 routinely left Muslim students even though he was one of the stranded in the middle of winter. few Arabic speakers employed Students also reported frequent by the Bureau. The plaintiff filed harassment from both students suit for another incident in 2003, and teachers. One teacher alleging the FBI retaliated after reportedly handed students a 134 he lodged an official complaint. can of air freshener and in- structed them to spray the room September 28, 2010 – CAIR-MI when Muslim students walked filed an EEOC complaint against into class. Students reported to a Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen October 13, 2010 - The par- CAIR-MN that school administra- restaurant on behalf of a Muslim ents of a Muslim youth in N.Y. tors failed to effectively respond who alleged denial of employ- 137 who was reportedly the victim of ment based on his religion. to the incidents. regular beatings at the hands of The complainant was hired for April 15, 2010 – CAIR-Cincinnati his classmates, met with school a position at a Detroit branch intervened on behalf of a Mus- officials to discuss the possibil- of the restaurant, but was later lim student at Kaplan College. ity of a transfer. The student has told to shave his beard before Initially the college told the allegedly suffered significant and beginning employment. Though student she needed to present sustained abuse at the hands of the complainant explained the a letter from her mosque before four classmates. On two sepa- religious significance of his she would be allowed to wear rate incidents, teachers failed to beard he was told he could not her hijab while she was in the adequately address the violence. The student, 16, receives psycho- begin his employment until he school facility. CAIR-Cincinnati logical counseling and his parents shaved the beard. CAIR-MI contacted Kaplan College, who urged the restaurant to review its report a significant mood change. agreed to provide religious ac- hiring practices to avoid religious Mayor Bloomberg’s office con- commodation for the student as discrimination.135 tacted the parents to express required by law. sadness about the attacks.139 June 14, 2010 - The University Schools of California Irvine banned the Public November 20, 2009 - A Muslim Muslim Student Union for one Accommodation student in Maine was denied her academic year and placed the constitutionally-protected right to organization on probation for one February 4, 2009 - A San Diego pray between classes. The 7th- additional academic year. The branch of Navy Federal Credit grade student had been praying group alleges the ban was po- Union denied a Muslim service discretely in a hallway corner litically motivated, and came in due to her hijab. Though the during her lunch break. When response to the group’s peaceful woman explained her head was the school officials discovered protest of the Israeli ambassa- covered for religious purposes, she was praying during breaks dor’s presence on the campus.138 the bank employees refused

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 33 December 8, 2009 - A Muslim ghanistan.” The sixteen-year-old woman has alleged verbal abuse driver, who is of Arab-American by a security guard at a Gresh- heritage, broke down in tears. am, Ill. branch of Citibank. Ac- CAIR –Philadelphia intervened cording to the woman, the guard on the woman’s behalf and the informed her it was against Delaware DMV issued a swift bank policy to allow individuals apology and allowed the woman wearing any sort of head cover- to re-take her photograph, with ing while conducting business hijab, free of charge at a different at the establishment. Another facility. to make an exception to a no Citibank employee allowed the hats, no hoods policy. The bank woman access, but insisted on June 3, 2010 - A San Diego released a statement explaining escorting her to the counter and woman will be allowed to retake that headgear of any kind includ- stood watching closely while the her driver’s license photo while ing hoods, sunglasses, and hats woman conducted her business. wearing her hijab. Despite a must be removed when entering Throughout the process, the California regulation that allows the bank for security purposes, woman reported, the security for religiously-mandated head while special considerations are guard made anti-Muslim re- coverings, the woman was asked at the discretion of the manage- marks. CAIR called on Citibank to remove her hijab for the photo. ment at a specific location. Ac- to apologize to the woman and CAIR-San Diego contacted the cording to CAIR, under this rule, address its policies to avoid fur- Department of Motor Vehicles Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, nuns, and ther discrimination.142 and arranged for the woman to cancer patients are all in danger retake her driver’s license photo of being discriminated against. April 2010 - CAIR received a wearing the hijab. CAIR also The Virginia based bank has stat- number of complaints against provided the DMV authorities the Washington D.C. Depart- ed that it will remind the branch with a copy of the CAIR report, ment of Motor Vehicles. Mus- that the “no hats” policy does not “Religious Accommodation in lim women who wear Islamic Driver’s License Photographs: A apply to religiously-mandated headscarves or hijabs were Review of Codes, Policies, and headgear, and has apologized.140 frequently required to push back Practices in the 50 States.”143 March 9, 2009 - A Muslim their scarves, exposing their woman was twice singled out hairline in their driver’s license Mosque Vandalism at a Navy Federal Credit Union photo. CAIR contacted the DMV branch in Maryland because of and suggested an alternative June 4, 2009 - A Cyprus, Calif., her decision to wear a hijab. The language for their head cover mosque was vandalized in the woman was removed from the policy. Instead of using the term early morning of July 4, 2009. line by bank officials and asked “including the hairline” to de- Graffiti was sprawled across the to conduct her business in one scribe how much of one’s face side of the building with state- of the bank’s back rooms. She must be visible, CAIR suggested ments such as “we’re going to the term, “up to the hairline with- kill you” and “US military is going was also told she would have to out exposing hair.” The DMV to kill you all.” This crime was re- conduct all future bank business agreed to the wording changes. ported in the hours prior to Presi- in a separate area. On March 7, dent Obama’s Cairo speech.144 the woman was again asked to April 13, 2010 - A Delaware conduct her business in a back Muslim woman was told to July 6, 2009 - Two teens were room. The woman refused and remove her hijab to take her arrested for vandalizing an left the bank. The bank informed driver’s license photo in accor- Islamic school in West Kendall, CAIR it would remind its em- dance with “national security Fla. The assailants, both 17, ployees that the bank’s ban on policy.” During the incident, an- were arrested for smashing two head coverings did not apply to other driver waiting in line for a windows on the school’s west religious head coverings. The photograph allegedly suggested wall with an iron rod and also policy, however remains vague.141 the DMV “send them back to Af- slashing two tires of a 2003

34 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Dodge van. Six months prior, sex with Allah. Later the same related to growing anti-Muslim the mosque was sprayed with weekend, someone attempted sentiment sparked partly by the bullets that left broken windows arson by cutting old gas lines. proposed Islamic cultural center and holes in the building’s dome. When their attempt to burn the in lower Manhattan.154 The year before, the center’s mosque was unsuccessful the sign was defaced with a Nazi assailants set fire to the mosque September 14, 2010 - Burned swastika and profanity.145 playground instead.150 Qurans were found outside mosques in Knoxville, Tenn., and August 26, 2009 - A South August 25, 2010 - A mosque in East Lansing, Mich. Local law Carolina mosque was vandalized California was vandalized with enforcement announced they with the phrase “Death to Mus- a brick and hate signs, some would increase security patrols lims.” The phrase was found of which referred to the contro- near the mosques in light of the scratched into the sidewalk versy over the proposed Park 51 incidents. The incidents followed outside the mosque. The same Project. Vandals left signs at a a Florida pastor’s controversial mosque was burned in an arson Madera, California Islamic center. proposal to burn Qurans on Sep- 155 attack in 1995.146 The signs read “Wake up Ameri- tember 11. ca, the Enemy is here. ANB,” No October 9, 2009 - An unidenti- September 18, 2010 - Work- Temple for the God of terrorism at fied man entered Houston’s ers discovered a burnt Quran Ground Zero ANB” and “Ameri- Turkish Center Mosque and outside a mosque in San Fran- can Nationalist Brotherhood.151 scrawled derogatory, anti-Islam cisco.156 147 remarks on the interior walls. August 28, 2010 - Equipment October 13, 2010 - Members at the construction site of the November 30, 2009 - An Or- of a mosque in Florence, S.C., Islamic Center of Murfreesboro egon mosque was targeted by discovered the mosque prop- was set on fire. Gasoline was bias motivated vandalism. The erty defaced with bacon. Van- poured on several pieces of mosque’s mail box was scrawled dals wrote the words “pig” and equipment at the site, but it ap- with the phrase “Allah is a pig.”148 “chump” in strips of bacon along peared the arsonist was fright- the walkway of the mosque. January 4, 2010 - A burned ened off before more damage When the messages were first Quran was found at the back en- could be done. One piece of discovered they were assumed trance of a Los Angeles mosque construction equipment was to be a simple practical joke; following Friday prayers. Vandals burned. One day after the at- however, the incident is now be- also defaced the Islamic com- tempted arson, shots were fired ing investigated as a potentially ponent to an interfaith holiday near the mosque while members bias motivated crime.157 display at a community center.149 of the congregation surveyed the fire damage.152 May 10, 2010 - An bomb ex- Profiling ploded late in the evening out- August 29, 2010 - A mock pig side a Jacksonville, Fla. mosque. inscribed with anti-Islam rheto- January 2, 2009 - CAIR filed a Worshipers at the Islamic Center ric was left at a Calif. Islamic complaint with the Department of of Northeast Florida heard a loud center. The pig was left in the Transportation after nine Muslim noise outside the mosque shortly mailbox of the mosque and was passengers were removed from before the evening (isha) prayer. inscribed with “No Mosque in an AirTran flight in Virginia. The NYC,” “Remember 9/11” and passengers were removed after July, 2010 - An Arlington, Texas, “MO HAM MED the Pig.”153 another passenger overheard a mosque was vandalized in what one of the party remark about the Islamic center’s president September 8, 2010 - An Arizona the safest seating location on an has labeled backlash against mosque had windows broken airplane. The passengers were the proposed mosque in Lower and was vandalized with graffiti. removed, denied re-boarding Manhattan. The parking lot was Representatives of the mosque, and barred from future AirTran covered with a graphic picture which is under construction, flights. The passengers have depicting Uncle Sam having suspect a bias motive, possibly since filed suit.158

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 35 September 11, 2009 - A college from their car, handcuffed and containing their passports. The student in Penn., was hand- placed in a cell. The couple was package was instead turned over cuffed and held for five hours separated and the woman was to U.S. Customs and Border Pro- by TSA agents because he had questioned inappropriately about tection (CBP) officials. Only after Arabic flash cards in his back- Islam. The couple was released CBP released the passports and 159 pack. and allowed to cross, but they agreed to cover the additional were never given a reason for December 27, 2009 - CAIR 162 travel costs incurred, were the their detention. 166 called attention to two separate pilgrims able to leave for hajj. airline incidents that appear June 17, 2010 - A United States to be tied to racial profiling. In citizen was placed on the no Arizona, to men were removed fly list after an eighteen-month Other from a US Airways flight and stay in Yemen. The man was June 14, 2010 - A peace march questioned by the FBI after stranded in Cairo and was told to show support for a proposed another passenger heard them he would not be allowed to board mosque in Sheepshead Bay, speaking in a language other the plane home to the United N.Y. turned ugly when counter- than English. The men were States. Civil liberties groups, demonstrators began shouting at released after questioning. In including CAIR, say this man’s the marchers. One man shouted Mich. a Nigerian man was re- case is part of a growing trend of “This is a Jewish neighborhood moved when other passengers placing citizens on the no fly list noted he had spent a consider- so federal authorities may ques- – build a mosque in your own able amount of time in the air- tion them overseas, without legal neighborhood,” and a woman craft’s bathroom. The extended counsel.163 yelled, “Muslims don’t love period in the restroom was due America. They hate America.” to the man’s illness.160 August 21, 2010 - A Pakistani couple was interrogated in a po- August 23, 2010 - An African- March 30, 2010 - A group of four lice car beneath a plane for sev- American man was mistakenly Muslim men were stopped and eral hours before being released. thought to be a Muslim and was detained for nearly an hour in Though they asked repeatedly, harassed at an anti-mosque rally Nevada. The men were driving the couple was not given a rea- in New York City. The crowd through Nevada and stopped to son for their detention. CAIR chanted “no mosque here” and pray in a parking lot. The men is looking into the incident on surrounded the man, calling him were stopped and detained for suspicion racial profiling may a “coward.” One demonstrator almost an hour based on “suspi- be responsible for the couple’s shouted, “Muhammad is a p*g” cious behavior.” Their names lengthy detention.164 were checked against a national and another, “He must have terrorism watch list. CAIR-LA October 31, 2010 - Four Mus- voted for Obama.” One man filed a complaint against the lim men were escorted off a who tried to diffuse the tension police officers.161 Delta flight when it landed at the reminded the protestors, “We’re Minneapolis-St. Paul Interna- against the Muslims, not each May 6, 2010 - A Muslim couple tional Airport. A flight attendant other.”167 report harassment each time had reported suspicious behav- they return to the U.S. from ior after one of the men dropped Vancouver. They believe they a pen while filling out a customs have been targeted because of form and bent down to pick it their faith, which is apparent both up.165 from the woman’s hijab and the man’s passport which indicates November 19, 2010 - 17 Virginia he has traveled to Mecca. Re- pilgrims missed their flight to cently, their car was surrounded participate in the annual Muslim by armed border patrol officials pilgrimage to Mecca when UPS and dogs. They were removed failed to deliver the package

36 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Where We Want to Go

“I would like to remind you that many of the students who at- tend our schools are of the Muslim faith. Many Muslims have died fighting for this country ... Are we now to dem- onstrate the same intolerance that the extremists demon- strate?” - John Shipp, head varsity football coach at Foun- The general consensus among negative connotation in Amer- tain Valley, California High our interviewees was that Mus- ica,” setting the mere absence School, speaking in opposition lims do not seek or even desire of negative associations as an to changing school textbooks special treatment in America. A ideal, rather than positive model to reflect Act! For America’s law enforcement official summed we ultimately chose. hate-filled agenda, 7/23/2010 up this attitude saying, “I do not want anything special just be- This early vision was presented cause I am a Muslim. I only want to attendees of CAIR’s leader- ship conference and 16th an- CAIR’s Vision Regarding Is- to see unyielding obedience to lamophobia in America the Constitution and respect for nual banquet in Arlington, Va., the principles that brought this in October 2010. Asked if this Our vision looks toward the great nation into existence.” was a future they supported, the time when being Muslim car- people in the room generally ries a positive connotation A Vision Beyond the Negative nodded agreement. and Islam has an equal place among many faiths in Ameri- “Ordinary” and “normal” were One voice, however, disagreed. ca’s pluralistic society. adjectives interviewees used fre- An individual seated in the back Among the indicators that this quently to describe the public’s of the room argued that we vision is a reality would be the view of Muslims in an America should move beyond simply not following points: that is generally free of Islamo- being disliked into being valued phobia. for the positive ethics—honesty, • Islam has a 75 percent or fairness, integrity, community- higher favorability rating among “[A person’s] religion should be focus—that Islam instills. the general public. irrelevant,” said a Muslim who • A person’s Muslim faith is has held elected office. The for- That individual set a higher bar considered an asset in private mer elected official then added, for us all. His insight is now our employment and public service. “People should not cast asper- vision. sions on [Muslims] publicly or • Politicians welcome and seek privately for their faith.” One Component of a Broader public support from Americans Goal of the Islamic faith. Indeed, the sense that Muslims • Association with anti-Muslim simply wish to not be viewed Obviously, Muslims are not the movements or rhetoric discred- as the ”bad guys” came up so only group in America facing dis- its those who put themselves frequently that when we origi- crimination. In focusing on push- forward seeking to earn the nally crafted our vision regard- ing back against Islamophobia, privilege of public service. ing Islamophobia in America we we do not intend to imply that wrote, “Being Muslim carries no we are ignoring the hatred we

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 37 concrete vision regarding Islam- Seeking the ’Reset’ Button ophobia in America. Our future vision of America In answering the question, many gives us direction. Our under- interviewees noted that opposi- standing that this future vision is tion to Islamophobia must occur part of a broader goal of ending in step with the struggle against discrimination in America gives all xenophobia and prejudice. us energy. The last component Imam Sayed Moustafa al-Qa- we need is hope. zwini sums up this consensus: “America without prejudice, Sometimes the daily serving of without discrimination, not only mosque opposition, political or see directed toward Hispanics, Islamophobia, is a paradise. I simply bigoted attacks on our Is- African-Americans, Mormons, look at it as a paradise. I look lamic faith, or reports of discrimi- Jews and other ethnic, cultural at it as the best place on Earth nation can seem overwhelming. and faith minorities. where people of many races While distressing, the current “While America has made major and ethnicities and creeds and situation is not insurmountable. progress in racial harmony, there cultures and colors they get is still a long road ahead of us to along well they live together they contribute to the richness of this reach our destination when all “America has a reset button,” society.” people are judged on the content a professor of contemporary of their character and neither “An America free of Islamo- Islamic studies told us. “It has on the color of their skin or their 168 phobia looks like the America the ability that once in a while faith,” CAIR’s former research the historical processes come director Mohammed Nimer wrote in the imagination of people,” a professor of contemporary to bear where the group that in a book on Islamophobia and previously had been margin- anti-Americanism in 2007. Islamic studies said in echo of the imam’s thoughts. “More alized, discriminated against, Knowing it was a utopian vi- specifically, it is an America that persecuted that America hits sion, CAIR interviewers asked has learned from its own history the reset button and that from the question, “What does an and is secure enough with itself that point on that group has America free of Islamophobia not to romanticize it in order to now become vested, that group look like?” to our interviewees. create a mythical America or a has become indigenized.” The intent was to try to define a mythical American history.”

38 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 In a well-known saying, Recommendations Prophet Muhammad instructed Muslims, “Whoever sees something evil should change Unchallenged, Islamophobia will it with his hand. If he cannot, “The best thing I could always continue to increase. For this then with his tongue; and if he first report, we are directing our suggest to an individual is to cannot do even that, then [he recommendations to the Muslim act by example. Their example should hate it] in his heart. And community in the United States. must be one that is calm and that is the weakest degree of While all of society should and collected. Reflect the teach- faith.” (Sahih Muslim) must be involved in eradicat- ings of Prophet Mohammad— ing all forms of bigotry from our even in the face of his greatest For this first Islamophobia nation, Muslims must be willing enemies and critics and peo- report, we are directing our to take the lead when it comes ple who threw garbage on him, recommendations toward to pushing back against Islamo- he treated people with the ut- American Muslims and their phobia. most respect and dignity,” said institutions. This is a reflec- Asad Ba-Yunus. tion of our belief that American There are many recommenda- Muslims must take the lead in tions below, but the key point is with whom you had enmity, will pushing back against Islamo- this: Put your faith into action. become your close friend.” (The phobia. We should not just Do something positive, however Holy Quran, 41:34) hate bigotry in our hearts; we small, on a consistent basis. should use all legal and peace- A Christian leader offered this ful means available to us to “It should not be one percent of observation during an interview change it with our actions. If our attention or one percent of for this report: we do not, how then can we our time or one percent of our ask our friends and neighbors wealth,” said CAIR Executive Di- “I think there is the double bur- to shoulder the burden? rector Nihad Awad. “We should den that American Muslims have be generous, as if we are giving of both having to explain and In a future report, we will offer to ourselves.” convey their faith to a group of recommendations to the public people who are non-Muslim who and private sectors. For now Recommendations to Amer- may be asking very ignorant and we offer the following requests ican Muslim Individuals silly questions but nonetheless to those who wish to help rid our country of Islamophobia ones that are genuine. I think u Be an example of the and other forms of intolerance: having an enormous amount of Islamic traditions of patience patience with non-Muslims is and reason 1. Elected officials should not necessarily a fair thing, but pass legislation banning racial Muslims should avoid responses nonetheless an important thing. profiling. that play into the agendas of Trying hard to explain their faith those seeking to smear our faith. as much as they possibly can 2. People in positions of lead- without going crazy but also hav- ership and influence should God states in the Quran: “(But ing patience and understanding speak strongly against smear- whatever they may say or do,) with non-Muslims who perhaps ing entire faiths or peoples. repel the evil (that they commit) should have a better under- with something that is better: We 3. All of us should refuse to standing but actually don’t, and I offer a legitimizing platform to are fully aware of what they at- think that’s an incredibly, incred- those who spout anti-Muslim tribute (to Us).” (The Holy Quran, ibly important thing.” bigotry or Islamophobia. 23:96) v Be an open neighbor 4. When intolerance occurs, And also: “(Since) good and people of conscience should evil cannot be equal, repel (the “I do not think that we as individu- band together and provide evil deed) with one that is bet- als have been forthright in being positive alternatives. ter. Then you will see that he able to express our values,” said

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 39 Haris Tarin, Washington D.C. of- public service, law, political w Be active in community life fice director for MPAC. “We have science, and media-related just taken for granted the fact that 1. Get involved in your neighbor- fields. our fellow citizens are good peo- hood watch or community 8. Create Muslims professional ple. They know me, so they do association. not need to know my values and associations and neighbor- my principles and my religion. 2. Pioneer or join a community hood organizations whose I think that has got to change. I clean-up or other neighbor- aim is to serve all members think the average individual to a hood improvement events. of your local community, e.g. certain extent needs to engage free clinics, supporting little in conversations that humanize 3. Join your children’s school’s leagues and pee wee leagues Muslims, humanize Islam. Be- Parent Teacher Association (which are drying up due to cause that is the way you defeat (PTA) or other community lack of funding), homeless Islamophobia on the ground.” organization. shelters, soup kitchens, etc.

CAIR’s research supports this 4. Put together a Ramadan or 9. Create blogs and websites assertion. Hajj display at a local organi- that put the Muslim-haters on zation, school or library. the defensive. Additionally, a Gallup study indicated that, “personal affilia- 5. Donate books, DVDs and y Document and report acts tion with a Muslim may help to other materials about Islam to of Islamophobia and anti-Mus- soften extreme prejudice, but is your local public and school lim discrimination. libraries. not enough to eliminate it.” Gallup Report such incidents to the adds, “One’s perception of the 6. Join or start a local CAIR appropriate authorities. Both faith is as strongly associated chapter. Human Rights First and the with tolerance, as is one’s per- Leadership Conference on Civil ception of the characteristics of 7. Submit an opinion piece to and Human Rights note that hate the faith group in general. Those your newspaper about an is- crimes are underreported in the who associate attributes such as sue of local importance. United States.170 This matches gender issues, peace, and inter- CAIR’s experience. faith acceptance with Muslims x Be active in political life are more likely to claim no preju- We understand that reporting an dice against the faith group.” 169 1. Attend school board meetings incident is often that last thing a and city council meetings. person wants to do, but it is the Suggestions: 2. Make sure you register to vote best thing for ensuring justice 1. Introduce yourself to your and cast your ballot in local, and protecting others from expe- riencing similar incidents. neighbors of all faiths, races state and national elections. and ethnicities. Take them food Perpetrators of discrimination 3. Volunteer to campaign for a or other small gifts on Islamic cannot be allowed to think their candidate you feel reflects holidays or on their holidays. crime carries no consequences. your values. Invite them to social occasions The public must see and share you host in your home. We 4. Contribute to candidates for the natural revulsion that accom- recommend discussing the issue political office. panies hearing and seeing the of religion if and when it comes results of bigotry. up naturally, whether that is to 5. Run for elected office. explain a dietary or other reli- Documentation is important. gious observation or as part of a 6. Write, call or e-mail the elect- Take pictures of vandalism; broader discussion of beliefs. ed officials who represent you record bigoted speech when you in Congress about issues that see it on TV. 2. Repeatedly speak out in a are important to you. clear and thoughtful manner To report an Islamophobic act condemning any form of bigotry. 7. Orient your children toward or an incident of anti-Muslim

40 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 discrimination, call CAIR at (202) copies of “American Mus- troversial, but avoid rhetoric 488-8787 or go here: http://www. lims: A Journalist’s Guide and defamation. cair.com/FileACase/tabid/62/De- to Understanding Islam fault.aspx. and Muslims” and distribute | Address Islamophobia on them to local media. the Internet z Confront Islamophobia in the news and entertainment 4. If these meetings do not yield 1. Leverage social media (i.e. media a satisfactory result, consider Facebook, Twitter) to network launching an advertiser cam- and promote a positive and accu- 1. Document paign. Contact CAIR for more rate image of Islam and Muslims. a. Note the date and time, detailed guidance on this step. a. One easy method is to channel or program, and { Write a letter to the editor re-post items distributed by the person who made CAIR. To join CAIR’s e-mail the Islamophobic com- To increase your chances of pub- list, go to www.cair.com ments. (Was it the host or a lication, follow these guidelines: and click on “Email: Join guest?) our mailing list” on the right 1. React quickly to the news side of the page. b. Try to obtain a transcript, of the day, negative cover- podcast or recording of the age or views you support. If b. Use your talent to start a incident. possible, have the letter in blog to increase knowledge the hands of an editor on the and familiarity with Islam c. Write down the advertisers same day. and Muslims. whose ads aired during the program. 2. Check online letter submis- c. Produce short educational sion guidelines for that par- videos and post them on d. If you are tracking a pattern ticular publication. YouTube. of Islamophobic discourse, begin recording the pro- 3. Address the letter to the me- d. Responding to insulting gram every time it airs. dia outlet’s opinion editor. chain e-mails or online comments with accurate 2. Report it to CAIR 4. Keep your letter to no more and balanced information than 150 to 250 words. about Islam can help stop a. To help us respond effec- the cycle of misinformation. tively, include as much of 5. State the purpose of the letter the above documentation in 25 words or less. 2. Gauge the influence of the as possible. source of Islamophobia on the in- 6. Pick one main topic and fo- ternet. Many obscure individuals 3. Act cus only on that one issue. or organizations are desperate a. Contact the editor, station 7. Be authoritative. If possible, to get the publicity a controversy manager, or other official speak on behalf of a local would bring them. We should try from the media outlet to organization in which you are not to give them more publicity express your concerns. involved. than they can get on their own. Always be polite, but clear In many such cases, the best and assertive. See “Writ- 8. Give background information response is not to react at all. ing a Letter to the Editor” on the issue or misconcep- below. tion. Cite impartial and objec- 3. If the Islamophobic content tive sources. comes from an influential source, b. Organize a coalition to ar- document it. range a community meet- 9. Offer a reasonable and fair ing with the outlet’s man- solution to the problem you a. Save the URL (Internet agement. are addressing in your letter. address) and note the date and time you accessed the c. Contact CAIR to obtain 10. Be passionate or even con- Islamophobic content.

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 41 b. Save a screen shot/print 4. Get involved. Consider joining CAIR chapter by visiting here: screen image of the Islamo- or forming community coalitions www.cair.com/Chapters.aspx phobic content. to meet with your local, state and federal elected officials. Recommendations c. Include as much information While meetings may be a good to American Muslim about the author and source response to Islamophobic com- Institutions as possible. ments by public officials, it is u Provide positive alterna- more effective to establish good d. Note the Internet service pro- tives to Islamophobic events relationships prior to an incident. vider or website host. If an elected official knows local 1. Organize events that provide e. Report Islamophobic content Muslims, and has heard their a positive community outlet for from influential sources to concerns and felt their sup- concerns related to Islamopho- CAIR. port, he or she is more likely to bia or other forms of intolerance. } stand up for the Muslim commu- CAIR believes that the best re- Confront Islamophobia nity when another public figure sponse to an Islamophobic event from public figures makes a bigoted or ill-informed is to offer a positive alternative. comment. 1. Document 2. Form community groups that 5. Sponsor copies of the Quran a. If you learn of Islamophobic promote mutual understand- to be sent to local public officials ing. This is best done before an comments made by a public and opinion leaders. Visit: www. incident occurs in the local com- official (elected or appointed explorethequran.com. official, candidate, school munity that requires a unified official, etc.), document the ~ Support local, regional response. source, date and any other and national Muslim v Invest in community pertinent information. organizations development b. If you hear Islamophobic com- “One thing individuals can do 1. Assist in the development of ments from public figures that … is to participate in mosque Muslim colleges that can pro- are not recorded, write them life and to encourage the par- duce graduates who think based down as soon as you can ticipation of the mosque and the on Islamic values and act in the and ask others who may have jamaat in American life,” said American pluralistic and consti- heard them to write what they Imam Talib Abdur Rashid during tutional context. heard, or at least to act as wit- an interview for this report. nesses to the comments. Unfortunately, many excellent Dr. Robert Crane echoes this suggestion: “Educate the young- c. If allowed by law, record local efforts are not fully capital- er generation with vision so that events such as town hall ized on or integrated with larger they can enter academia and meetings or other public gath- national endeavors. Frequently, help change entire paradigms of erings you attend. this is purely because the orga- nizers are unaware of others’ thought, or join and found think 2. Report Islamophobic incidents activities. We recommend that tanks in order to shape political or comments to CAIR. individuals, local and regional agendas, or even prepare for a groups form partnerships or career in politics in order to work 3. Organize a local letter-writing consider signing a memoran- proactively from an interfaith or call-in campaign to express dum of understanding with a na- perspective on specific policy community concerns to the per- tional organization to synergize issues unrelated to Muslims as a son responsible for the Islamo- their work, granting all better group or Islam as a religion.”171 phobic statements. Submitting results. letters for publication in a local 2. Establish systematic and newspaper can help make your Working with any of CAIR’s local comprehensive programs to position known to a broader chapters may serve to further educate interested Americans audience. your cause. Find the nearest about Islam in the form of class-

42 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 es in mosques based on a na- also to allow your neighbors to { Hold open houses tionally established curriculum. see the good work Muslims are doing. We recommend at least one w Re-introduce Islam open house per quarter for y Expose the Islamophobes “There is a real set of opportuni- mosques and Islamic centers. ties for national Muslim organi- 1. They are small in number and The event need not specifically zations to really, so to speak, they do not represent the major- focus on Muslim topics. CAIR’s change the brand for Muslims in ity of the public; however, they national headquarters hosted the United States. That is very can poison the general public by an open house during the 2009 hard to do,” Aziz Huq suggests. providing misinformation. presidential inauguration, offer- The goal he says is to “reconfig- ing attendees a place to recover ure people’s expectations about 2. In many instances, Muslim from the January cold. Simply what it means to be a Muslim.” institutions are placed in situa- showing thoughtfulness and tions where they must respond hospitality can change some “I do not think that we have been to material created by individu- people’s perceptions of Muslims. able to successfully put forth the als and institutions. Institutions counter narrative. Now the word should unify efforts to expose Advertising is crucial to diversify ‘shariah’ is the new ‘jihad,’ which the purposes and methods of the audience you are reaching. is being made over into a dirty funding of those who manufac- Many local radio and community word,” said Haris Tarin. ture Islamophobia. newspapers offer an opportunity for free announcements of such American Muslim institutions z Promote volunteerism community-building events. Ask must change the dialogue from the leadership of nearby church- what Muslims are not (terrorists, Acting in the Islamic tradition es and synagogues to announce extremists, here to remove the of volunteerism should be a your event to their congregants. Constitution) to what we are. constant push from commu- Ask everyone to post your event nity leaders, not only during announcement to their e-lists Suggestions: emergencies, but consistently and Facebook. encouraged during sermons 1. Support, promote and en- and at other opportunities. Expand your event beyond a courage books, movies and art Local institutions should offer simple display of posters or produced by objective people or their congregations or members ethnic food—host discussions by Muslims. regular opportunities to volun- on the issues of the day. Invite a 2. Unite scholars and communi- teer. We must better leverage spectrum of speakers. the deep professional resources cations professionals to counter | Sponsor a CAIR “Know the narratives that misrepresent in finance, law, and medicine available in our community. Your Rights and Responsibili- Islam, such as verses quoted ties” workshop in your area out of context, mistreatment of women in Islam, co-opted terms To schedule one for your com- “I think we really need to serve such as ”jihad” and ”shariah.” munity or company, please the society,” said CAIR-Na- Have them produce narratives email [email protected] or call tional Executive Director Ni- that are accurate, easily under- (202) 488-8787. had Awad during a discussion stood and formatted for forums about this report. “We need in which concise responses are } Empower your community to do service beyond our im- required. through civic engagement mediate circles, beyond the x Begin to host Muslim traditional religious functions. I CAIR offers civic participation achievers banquets think that is when the commu- training for those who are inter- nity will find itself at home and ested in improving the impact 1. Recognize local Muslims when other people will find the of the ideas and efforts. To and display their work, both to community worthy of respect.” schedule a training in your com- encourage young people and munity, call (202) 488-8787 or

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 43 e-mail [email protected]. between the groups.” which has been developed to better equip you and your com- Download a copy of CAIR’s Civic American Muslims strongly sup- munity with the knowledge nec- Participation Handbook, a man- port law enforcement and the essary to protect against anti- ual designed to help you roll up protection of our national secu- Muslim bigotry or attacks, and to your sleeves and start impacting rity. As Americans, we also value secure your basic legal rights. the public sector, here: the civil rights of all Americans. All Americans have the constitu- Download your copy of the http://www.cair.com/Portals/0/ tional right of due process and to “Muslim Community Safety Kit” pdf/CAIR_Civic_Guide.pdf be politically active. here:

~ Continue and strengthen If you know of any criminal activ- http://www.cair.com/ActionCen- outreach to law enforcement ity taking place in your commu- ter/CommunityToolKit.aspx nity, it is both your religious and In a 2004 press statement, Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin of CAIR- civic duty to immediately report Ohio said: “We would like to help such activity. law enforcement officials and Ensure the safety and Muslims have an appreciation for security of your institution each other’s needs and con- cerns. This way, we can improve You can obtain a copy of CAIR’s understanding and cooperation “Muslim Community Safety Kit,”

44 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Park 51 and Contestation of Muslim Religious Sites

In order to situate a discussion childcare service, bookstore, lics, Protestants, and Jews. 173 about the Park 51 project, also culinary school, art studio, food Another Quinnipiac University referred to as Cordoba House or court, and a September 11th Poll conducted in August 2010 Cordoba Initiative, it is important memorial; found a 54% majority of New York to clarify what the development is. • a public proposal that was State residents who agreed “that While acknowledging the enor- submitted in December 2009, because of American freedom of mously sensitive nature of the and approved by the local religion, Muslims have the right project, our effort here is to dis- community board in May 2010, to build the mosque near Ground cern fact from fiction, clarity from which attracted the attention of Zero.” 174 hysteria, and hope from cynicism. conservative bloggers Pamela Although not an exhaustive list, Geller and Robert Spencer Chronology of the “Ground the following highlights the most of Stop the Islamization of Zero Mosque” important and consistently mis- America (SIOA) who coined the (This text in this chronology sec- represented facts about the Park phrase “Ground Zero mosque”; 51 project. tion is authored by Justin Elliott • a platform for interfaith dia- and is part of his article “How the Park 51 is: logue and community building; Ground Zero Mosque fear mon- • a project that made into a po- gering began” which was pub- • not a “victory memorial” to litically divisive campaign issue lished by Salon.com on August Islam; 16, 2010. It is used with permis- in the 2010 midterm elections; 1 • not located on the site of the sion. ) • an issue that led to widespread former World Trade Center; protests of current and future Dec. 8, 2009: The Times pub- • not strictly a mosque (and mosque projects in other states; lishes a lengthy front-page look nothing is wrong if it was a at the Cordoba project. “We want • the subject of both criticism mosque); to push back against the extrem- and support by families and ists,” Imam , • not a site to recruit young survivors of 9/11, local Manhat- the lead organizer, is quoted as terrorists-in-training; tanites, residents of New York saying. Two Jewish leaders and City and the State of New York, • not a site to infiltrate the United two city officials, including the and the nation. States by foreign anti-American mayor’s office, say they support entities; the idea, as does the mother A Quinnipiac University Poll in • not the first Islamic institution to of a man killed on 9/11. An FBI June 2010 found that while a be attacked for planned con- spokesman says the imam has majority of New York City vot- struction or expansion. worked with the bureau. Besides ers opposed the construction by a few third-tier right-wing blogs, Park 51 is: fifty-two percent while a majority including Pamela Geller’s Atlas of Manhattanites supported the • a planned 13-story Muslim 172 Shrugs site, no one much notices project by fourth-six percent. the Times story. community center located two Two Marist Polls of registered vot- blocks from the World Trade ers showed that support of Park Dec. 21, 2009: Conservative Center site in Lower Manhattan; 51 had increased from thirty-four media personality Laura Ingra- • a center that would include a percent in August 2010 to forty- ham interviews Abdul Rauf’s prayer space, 500-seat audito- one percent in September 2010, wife, Daisy Khan, while guest-

rium, theater, performing arts indicating moderate increase in 1 To view Mr. Elliott’s piece in its entirety see: http:// center, fitness center, swim- support from liberals, whites, Af- www.salon.com/news/ground_zero_mosque/index. html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/08/16/ground_ ming pool, basketball court, rican Americans, Latinos, Catho- zero_mosque_origins

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 45 hosting “The O’Reilly Factor” on Robert Spencer, who makes his Analysis Fox. In hindsight, the segment living writing and speaking about What occurred with the Park is remarkable for its cordiality. the evils of Islam.) Geller posts 51 proposal and the resulting “I can’t find many people who the names and contact informa- controversy does not occlude really have a problem with it,” tion for the mayor and members the fact that mosques around the Ingraham says of the Cordoba of the community board, encour- country were already subjects project, adding at the end of the aging people to write. The board of intense scrutiny and, in some interview, “I like what you’re try- chair later reports getting “hun- cases, vandalized and violently ing to do.” dreds and hundreds” of calls and attacked as this report has indi- e-mails from around the world. * (This segment also includes cated. But this particular pro- onscreen the first use that we’ve May 8, 2010: Geller announces posal had two important effects seen of the misnomer “ground SIOA’s first protest against worth noting. zero mosque.”) After the seg- what she calls the “911 mon- First, the Park 51 proposal ment — and despite the front- ster mosque” for May 29. She became a flashpoint to mobilize page Times story — there were and Spencer and several other and solidify existing extremist no news articles on the mosque members of the professional anti-Muslim sentiment. In do- for five and a half months, ac- anti-Islam industry will attend. ing so, it transformed what was cording to a search of the Nexis (She also says that the protest a New York issue into a na- newspaper archive. will mark the dark day of “May tional campaign, and made any May 6, 2010: After a unanimous 29, 1453, [when] the Ottoman mosque – existing and future vote by a New York City commu- forces led by the Sultan Mehmet ones – vulnerable to an easy-to- nity board committee to approve II broke through the Byzantine use rhetorical weapon. defenses against the Muslim the project, the AP runs a story. Second, the inflammatory rheto- siege of Constantinople.” The It quotes relatives of 9/11 victims ric and subsequent anti-Islamic outrage-peddling New York Post (called by the reporter), who of- resistance can further undermine columnist Andrea Peyser argues fer differing opinions. The New any future development plans for in a note at the end of her col- York Post, meanwhile, runs a a mosque, cultural center, or any umn a couple of days later that story under the inaccurate head- other proposal linked with the “there are better places to put a line, “Panel Approves ‘WTC’ Muslim American community na- mosque.” Mosque.” Geller is less subtle, tionwide. The subsequent pro- titling her post that day, “Mon- May 13, 2010: Peyser follows up tests against proposed mosques ster Mosque Pushes Ahead in with an entire column devoted that were listed in this report Shadow of World Trade Center to “Mosque Madness at Ground are evidence of this trend. As a Islamic Death and Destruction.” Zero.” This is a significant mo- result, the prospects for religious She writes on her Atlas Shrugs ment in the development of the freedom, education, spiritual and blog, “This is Islamic domination “ground zero mosque” narrative: political leadership, and more and expansionism. The location It’s the first newspaper article importantly, the very symbol of is no accident. Just as Al-Aqsa that frames the project as inher- faith, will not only continue to be was built on top of the Temple ently wrong and suspect, in the heavily scrutinized in the public in Jerusalem.” (To get an idea of way that Geller has been fram- eye, but also potentially weaken where Geller is coming from, she ing it for months. Peyser in fact efforts at community-building. once suggested that Malcolm X quotes Geller at length and pro- This latter point is perhaps the was Obama’s real father. Seri- most sobering outcome stem- motes the anti-mosque protest ously.) ming from the Park 51 contro- of Stop Islamization of America, versy. May 7, 2010: Geller’s group, which Peyser describes as a Stop Islamization of America “human-rights group.” Peyser The Park 51 controversy reveals (SIOA), launches “Campaign Of- also reports — falsely — that how Islam and Muslim American fensive: Stop the 911 Mosque!” Cordoba House’s opening date communities will continue to (SIOA ‘s associate director is will be Sept. 11, 2011. be vulnerable to Islamophobic

46 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 attacks. It also demonstrates Historically, houses of worship organized and mobilized against how our communities are bound were all sites and symbols of a the manifestation of injustice, together more tightly than ever community’s moral conscience inequality, and dehumanization. before. One neighborhood’s and cultural identity. They had issue can have rippling effects undeniably positive effects, for To hear the call to retreat silently to other communities across the example, by transforming neigh- in the wake of the Park 51 con- country. borhood blight and reducing troversy is to mistake humility for crime into a thriving and prosper- However, the lesson of the Park weakness. Instead, the greatest ous community.175 51 proposal is not to condemn lesson about the historic role of community leaders for their lack Places of worship were also key houses of worship in the fight for of foresight and sensitivity, or sources for many of America’s struggle and equality is that faith to cease our efforts in commu- historical and contemporary compels communities to endure, nity building and retreat silently. movements for civil rights and to move forward and onward. Instead, the lesson to be learned social justice. From abolitionists takes its pages from the history of and anti-war protestors to sanc- In this sense, the struggle for houses of worship and communi- tuary movements and civil rights, equality and respect begins and ties of faith in the United States. communities of faith have always will end with the mosque. Vandalism, Islamophobic Rhetoric and Violence Targeting Mosques by Year

15 2010

12 2010

9

2009 2010 6 2009

3 2009 0 Vandalism Islamophobic Rhetoric Violence

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 47 Oklahoma’s 2010 Anti-Islam Ballot

the ballot measure. tion, and particularly, the Bill of Rights. Awad’s lawsuit, based on his own Shariah-compliant will, “Throughout the course of our said SQ 755 violates the First country’s history, the will of Amendment’s Establishment the ‘majority’ has on occasion Clause that bars government conflicted with the constitutional bodies from making laws “re- rights of individuals, an occur- specting the establishment of rence which our founders fore- religion.” saw and provided for through the Bill of Rights. . . CAIR says the ballot measure would infringe on the constitu- “Having carefully reviewed the tional rights of ordinary Okla- briefs on this issue, and having homans—including the right to heard the evidence and argu- Oklahoma’s wear religious head scarves in ments presented at the hear- 2010 Anti-Islam driver’s license photographs, ing, the Court finds plaintiff has choose Islamic marriage con- made a strong showing of a Ballot Measure: tracts, implement Islamic wills, substantial likelihood of success “Fundamental or to be buried according to on the merits of his claim assert- one’s religious beliefs. ing a violation of the Free Exer- Rights may not be cise Clause. Submitted to Vote” On Monday, November 28, 2010, CAIR applauded a strong- “As set forth above, plaintiff has The “Save Our State” amend- ly-worded ruling by a federal shown that the actual language ment (SQ 755), asked Oklaho- judge in Oklahoma granting an of the amendment reasonably, mans to ban their state courts injunction that barred certifica- and perhaps more reasonably, from considering or using either tion of SQ 755. may be viewed as specifically international or Shariah law. In singling out Sharia Law (plain- defining Shariah law, the mea- The ruling by Chief Judge Vicki tiff’s faith) and, thus, is not sure’s text said, “It is based on Miles-LaGrange of the United facially neutral. two principal sources, the Koran States District Court for the and the teaching of Moham- Western District of Oklahoma “Additionally, as set forth above, med.” To our knowledge, this is ordered a preliminary injunction the Court finds that plaintiff has the first instance of a law spe- to block the certification of the shown that there is a reasonable cifically aimed at discriminating amendment by the Oklahoma probability that the amendment against Muslims ever passing in State Board of Elections until would prevent plaintiff’s will from the United States. a final determination is made being fully probated by a state court in Oklahoma because CAIR monitored the voting re- based on the merits of Awad’s lawsuit. it incorporates by reference sults on November 2, 2010 and specific elements of the Islamic was prepared to act when the In her ruling in support of prophetic traditions. measure passed. A mere two Awad’s legal arguments, Judge days later, Muneer Awad, ex- Miles-LaGrange wrote: “Further, plaintiff has presented ecutive director of CAIR’s Okla- evidence that there is a reason- homa chapter (CAIR-OK), filed “This order addresses issues able probability that Muslims, a lawsuit as an individual chal- that go to the very foundation of including plaintiff, will be unable lenging the constitutionality of our country, our (U.S.) Constitu- to bring actions in Oklahoma

48 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 state courts for violations of the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act and for violations of their rights under the United States Constitution if those violations are based upon their religion.

“Finally, the Court finds that defendants have presented no evidence which would show that the amendment is justified by any compelling interest or is nar- rowly tailored.”

CAIR National Executive Direc- tor Nihad Awad (no relation to Muneer Awad) said of the ruling, “Today marks another day in American history in which our courts have defended the Constitution against those who would deny its protections to a minority community. We agree with Judge Miles-LaGrange and the U.S. Supreme Court that ‘fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote.’”

State Representative Rex Duncan (R-Sand Springs), the main sponsor of the ballot mea- sure, has in the past proposed legislation prohibiting Muslim women from wearing religious head scarves in driver’s license photos and refused to accept a Quran from a Muslim advisory council. Duncan said he refused to accept the Quran because, “Most Oklahomans do not en- dorse the idea of killing innocent women and children in the name of ideology.”

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 49 10 9 Vandalism, Islamophobic Rhetoric 8 and Violence Targeting Mosques 7 by Location 6

5

4

3

2

1 10 212316343115212711 0 Texa s Illinois Florida Oregon Arizona Georgia Michiga n Kentuck y New York California Wisconsin Tennesse e Mississipp i Washington Connecticut Pennsylvania North Carolina South Carolina Massachusetts

50 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 10 Vandalism Oakland, PA Miami, FL Cypress, CA Taylors, SC 9 Houston, TX Durham, NC Vandalism, Islamophobic Rhetoric Azusa, CA Phoenix, AZ Nashville, TN 8 Southfield, MI Bellevue, WA Wilson, WI and Violence Targeting Mosques Westbury, NY Hudson, NY San Antonio, TX 7 Lansing, MI Knoxville, TN San Francisco, CA Sacramento, CA by Location Chicago, IL 6 Florence, SC Islamophobic Rhetoric Antioch, TN Tampa Bay, FL Roxbury Crossing, MA 5 Morada, CA Madison, MS Lilburn, GA Euguene, OR Costa Mesa, CA 4 Murfreesboro, TN Brentwood, TN Wilson, WI Staten Island, NY Gainsville, FL Florence, KY 3 Santa Clara, CA Chico, CA Green Bay, WI *New York, NY Bridgeport, CT 2 Madera, CA Oshkosh, WI Violence Miami, FL 1 Detroit, MI Jacksonville, FL Arlington, TX 10 212316343115212711 Murfreesboro, TN *New York, NY 0 Carlton, NY Phoenix, AZ Corvallis, OR Other Naperville, IL Fairview Heights, IL Texa s

Illinois Sheepshead Bay, NY Florida Oregon

Arizona Temecula, CA Georgia Arlington, TX Michiga n Kentuck y New York California *New York, NY Wisconsin

Tennesse e Murfreesboro, TN Mississipp i , NY* Washington Connecticut Philadelphia, PA Pennsylvania North Carolina South Carolina Massachusetts *All Park 51

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 51 Vandalism, Islamophobic Rhetoric and Violence Targeting Mosques

Date of Mosque Location Incident Type Details Source Incident Roddy, Dennis. “Vandals hit Islamic Islamic Center Red paint was splashed on stairs of Jan-09 Oakland, PA Vandalism Center in Oakland,” Pittsburgh of Pittsburgh mosque. Post-Gazette, January 2, 2009. Council on American-Islamic Rela- Islamic School tions. “Shots Fired at Fla. Mosque, Jan-09 Miami, FL Violence Shots were fired at the mosque. of Miami Penn. Mosque Vandalized,” news release, January 2, 2009. Council on American-Islamic Rela- Islamic Soceity Islamophobic Protestors shouted slurs against tions. “CAIR Asks FBI to Probe Feb-09 of Tampa Bay Tampa Bay, FL Rhetoric Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Harassment of Florida Muslims,” Area news release, February 3, 2009. Someone broke a mosque window, Krupa, Greg. “Detroit Mosque Fire Apr-09 Tawheed Center Detroit, MI Violence poured gasoline in and set fire to Investigated,” Detroit News, April the gasoline. 4, 2009. Vandals smashed two windows of the school and slashed the tires of “Teens Accused of Vandalisng Islamic School Jun-09 Miami, FL Vandalism a van used to distribute food to the Mosque,” Justnews.com, July 3, of Miami homeless. Vandals admitted they 2009 believe “all Muslims are terrorists.” Muslim Ameri- Opponents to the proposed Paulson, Michael. “Dissent Greets Roxbury Cross- Islamophobic Jun-09 can Society, mosque claimed without evidence mosque opening,” boston Globe, ing, MA Rhetoric Boston Chapter the planners had terrorist ties June 27, 2009. Morada Area Assocation opposed mosque and filed suit. In an e-mail Torres, Jennifer. “Planned Morada Islamophobic Assocation claimed concern over Jul-09 Morada Mosque Morada, CA Mosque Faces Lawsuit,” Recordnet. Rhetoric “social and cultural implications. com, July 16, 2009. A nearby church was not similarly opposed. Council on American-Islamic Rela- Islamic Center Threatening graffiti on exterior wall tions. CAIR: California Mosque Jun-09 Cypress, CA Vandalism of Cypress of mosque. Targeted with Hate Graffiti, news release, June 4, 2010. Salter, Sid. “Madison Muslim Mississippi Opponents to the proposed Islamophobic Mosque Zoning Flap Reeks of Aug-09 Muslim Associa- Madison, MS mosque cited fear of radical Islam Rhetoric Intolerance,” Clarion Ledger, August tion as a motivation for opposition. 5, 2009. “FBI Investigates Vandalism at Islamic Center “Death to Muslims” scratched on Aug-09 Taylors, SC Vandalism Mosque,” foxcarolina.com, August and Masjid sidewalk leading to mosque. 26, 2009 “I am prejudice, I just don’t like Paluska, Mike. “Lilburn Resident: Dar-E-Abbas Islamophobic Muslims and I don’t want them Oct-09 Lilburn, GA “I Don’t Like Muslims,” cbsatlanta. Islamic Center Rhetoric taking over our neighborhood,” said com, October 23, 2009. one opponent of mosque. Wise, Lindsay. “HPD Investigating Turkish Center Anti-Islam graffiti scrawled on Possible Hate Crime at Mosque,” Oct-09 Houston, TX Vandalism Mosque center’s wall. Houston Chronicle, October 8, 2009 Baumgartner Vaughn, Dawn. Windows and doors at mosque Jamaat Ibad Ar- “Vandalism of Mosques Spurs Nov-09 Durham, NC Vandalism were smashed. Computer parts Rahman Masjid Safety Concerns,” The Hearld-Sun, were stolen. November 6, 2009. Abu-Bakr As- Islamophobic Oregon Mosque Targeted with Hate Nov-09 Siddiq Islamic Euguene, OR “Allah is a pig” scrawled on mailbox Rhetoric Graffiti (Nov. 30) Center Council on American-Islamic Rela- West Sacra- Vandals broke windows, damaged tions. “CAIR: Sacramento Mosque Dec-09 mento Islamic Sacramento, CA Vandalism religious wall hangings and a book- Vandalized,” news release, Decem- Center shelf that held Qurans ber 1, 2009.

52 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Vandalism, Islamophobic Rhetoric and Violence Targeting Mosques

Date of Mosque Location Incident Type Details Source Incident CAIR: Southern Califor- n i a M o s q u e Va n d a l i z e d Al-Fatiha Is- Broken windows and doors, exten- Dec-09 Azusa, CA Vandalism http://ca.cair.com/losangeles/news/ lamic Center sive interior damage. cair_southern_california_mosque_ vandalized Islamic Educa- Pak, Ellyn. “Police Consider Islamophobic Burned Quran left at mosque Jan-10 tion Center of Costa Mesa, CA Torched Quran a Hate Crime,” Rhetoric entrance Orange County Ocregister.com, January 15, 2010. Islamic Center Murfreesboro, Islamophobic Site of future mosque painted with “Muslims: Tenn. Incident is a Hate Jan-10 of Murfreesboro TN Rhetoric the words “not welcome.” Crime,” UPI.com, January 19, 2010. Snyder, Stephanie. “Phoenix Islamic Com- Vandals climbed on top of building, Mosque Vandalism Being Investi- Feb-10 munity Center Phoenix, AZ Vandalism painted words that were visible gated by FBI,” The Arizona Repub- of Phoenix from nearby interstate lic, September 8, 2010. Phillips, Sherry. “Community Vandals spray-painted “Muslims go Al Farooq Reaches Out to Local Islamic Cen- Feb-10 Nashville, TN Vandalism home” along with Crusader-style Mosque ter After Hate Crime,” The City Pa- crosses on a mosque. per (Nashville), February 11,2010. CAIR-Chicago sues DuPage County Board alleging that a Goldsborough, Bob. “Islamic Center Irshad Learning substantial burden was placed Apr-10 Naperville, IL Other Suing DuPage Board,’ Chicago Center on mosque supporters that was Tribune, April 9, 2010. not placed on supporters of other religious institions. Council on American-Islamic Relations. “CAIR Seeks Probe of Islamic Associa- Vandals broke windows twice in May-10 Southfield, MI Vandalism Bias Motive for Vandalism at Mich. tion of Michigan one week Mosque,” news release, May 16, 2010. Islamic Center Opponents to the mosque incited Islamophobic “Mosque Backers Give Up Plans,” May-10 of Williamson Brentwood, TN fear by claiming that planners may Rhetoric The Tennessean, May 28, 2010. County have ties to terrorists. At a hearing opponents of the Abel, Barbara and Julia Lieblich. Islamic Society Islamophobic mosque said, ‘You don’t believe in “Rural Controversy: A Mosque May-10 of Sheboygan Wilson, WI Rhetoric God; you believe in Allah,’ and ‘The in Sheboygan,” Time, August 19, County mosque will be creating terrorists. 2010. Council on American-Islamic Rela- Islamic Center Firebomb planted and detonated- tions. “CAIR to Offer Reward for May-10 of Northeast Jacksonville, FL Violence outside mosque while approximate- Info on Fla. Mosque Attack,” news Florida ly 60 people were inside. release, May 12, 2010. Feces smeared on a van outside Hicks, Joshua. “Feces Smeared on Islamic Center Jun-10 Bellevue, WA Vandalism the center. The van was decorated Van Near Bellevue Mosque” Bel- of Eastside with graphics about Islam. levue Reporter, June 25, 2010. Council on American-Islamic Rela- Sheepshead Sheepshead Threat of Vio- tions. “CAIR-NY: Brooklyn Resident Jun-10 Bomb Threat Leveled at Mosque. Bay Mosque Bay, NY lence Threatens to Bomb Mosque,” news release, June 28, 2010. Opponents to the mosque “Proposed Antioch Mosque Met Islamic Center Islamophobic expressed concern the mosque Jun-10 Antioch, TN with Opposition,” wkrn.com, June of Tennesse Rhetoric would become a terrorist training 29, 2010. center. Muslim Ameri- Following “fear of terrorism, distrust Vitello, Paul. “Heated Opposition can Society Staten Island, Islamophobic of Islam,” a church recanted on Jun-10 to a Proposed Mosque,” New York (Staten Island NY Rhetoric plans to sell an old convent to a Times, June 10, 2010. Branch) Muslim community. Islamic Society Chunks of asphalt used to break “Sheboygan Mosque Already Van- Jun-10 of Sheboygan Wilson, WI Vandalism windows; anti-Muslim rhetoric used dalized,” wtaq.com, June 11,2010. County by opponents to mosque

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 53 Vandalism, Islamophobic Rhetoric and Violence Targeting Mosques

Date of Mosque Location Incident Type Details Source Incident California Tea Party supporters Council on American-Islamic Rela- Islamic Center were told to bring dogs to harass tions. “CAIR: Calif. Tea Party to Use Jul-10 of Temecula Temecula, CA Other Muslim worshippers during Friday Dogs to Haras Muslim Worship- Valley congregational prayers. pers,” news release, July 27, 2010 Congregants of the Dove World Outreach Center, known for its Islamic Center Islamophobic “Islam is of the Devil” and “Interna- “G’ville Chruch Protests Mosque,” Jul-10 Gainsville, FL of Gainsville Rhetoric tional burn a Koran Day,” protested News4Jax.com, July 5, 2010. at a mosque, signs included “All cultures are not equal.” Scherer, Ron. “Ground zero and Islamic Center Flyers urging “stop the takeover Islamophobic beyond: four mosque battles brew Jul-10 of Northern Florence, KY of our country” were distributed in Rhetoric across US,” Chrsitian Science Kentucky opposition to an expanding mosque Monitor, August 19, 2010. Fire set in mosque playground. Two days prior anti-Muslim graffiti por- Mitchell, Mitch. “Arlington Mosque Dar El-Eman Jul-10 Arlington, TX Violence traying Uncle Sam and Allah in an Reports Vandalism, Fire,” Star- Islamic Center obscene position was discovered in Telegram, July 29, 2010. mosque parking lot. Opponent of a planned addtion of a Fernandez, Lisa. “Mosque’s 64- minaret to a mosque cited fears of Muslim Commu- Islamophobic foot minaret Okay’ed by Planning Aug-10 Santa Clara, CA “Islamic domination” and “Muslims nity Assocation Rhetoric Commission,” Contra Costa Times, taking over America.” Minaret was August 12, 2010. approved. A toy pig inscribed with “No Council on American-Islamic Rela- Chico Islamic Islamophobic mosque in NYC” and other state- tions. “CAIR: ‘No Mosque in NYC’ Aug-10 Chico, CA Center Rhetoric ments left at California Islamic Pig Left at Calif. Islamic Center,” Center news release, August 29, 2010. Islamophobic statements were made at a city council hearing.In one instance, Alderman Guy Zima Devries, Vickie. “Green Bay Council Islamic Society Islamophobic Aug-10 Green Bay, WI said, “But this religion on its depths, makes way for Mosque,” fox11on- of Wisconsin Rhetoric I don’t think really has the same line.com, August 18, 2010. interest as the American way of life or its values.” Violence/ Threat Major incident with stories in media of Violence/ ranging from December 2009 to Aug-10 Park 51 New York, NY Multiple Sources Islamophobic present. Peaked during August Rhetoric 2010.

Anti-Islam demonstrators carrying Council on American-Islamic Rela- signs saying “Islam is a lie” con- Islamophobic tions. “CAIR-CT Seeks Protection Aug-10 Masjid An-Noor Bridgeport, CT fronted and harrassed worshipers. Rhetoric for Muslim Worshippers,” news One protestor yelled, “Jesus hates release, August 7, 2010. Muslims.”

Menacing signs reading “Wake up Council on american-Islamic Rela- America, the enemy is here” and tions. “CAIR: Calif. Mosque Vandal- Madera Islamic Islamophobic “No temple for the God of Terror- Aug-10 Madera, CA ized with Hate Signs Referring to Center Rhetoric ism at Ground Zero” left in front of NY Controversy,” news release, Islamic Center. A brick was thrown August 25, 2010. through a window as well.

“Fire at Tenn. Mosque Building Islamic Center Murfreesboro, Construction equipment set on fire, Aug-10 Violence Site Ruled Arson,” cbsnews.com, of Murfreesboro TN nine shots fired near mosque August 28, 2010.

Opponents to the proposed mosque made unfounded claims New York Daily News, The Brooklyn Muslim Ameri- Threat of Vio- Sep-10 Brooklyn, NY that the center would be tied to ter- Paper, New York Community Media can Society lence rorism. One protestor threated to Alliance, The New York Post bomb the mosque.

54 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Vandalism, Islamophobic Rhetoric and Violence Targeting Mosques

Date of Mosque Location Incident Type Details Source Incident Akbar, Farah. “Controversy Over Vandals threw stones at cars in Islamic Center Islam and Mosques Spread Beyond Sep-10 Westbury, NY Vandalism the mosque parking lot shattering of Long Island Park 51,” gothamgazzette.com, windows. September 2010. Teens in two vehicles outside a mosque discharged a shotgun, Tokasz, Jay. “Incident Worries World Sufi Sep-10 Carlton, NY Violence honked horns and yelled obsceni- Memebers of Mosque,” Buffalone- Foundation ties. One car hit a moque attendee, ws.com, September 2, 2010. causing a concussion. Snyder, Stephanie. “Phoenix Islamic Com- paint spilled on floor, windows Mosque Vandalism Being Investi- Sep-10 munity Center Phoenix, AZ Violence broken by what appeared to be gated by FBI,” The Arizona Repub- of Phoenix gunshots, anti-Muslim graffiti lic, September 8, 2010. Thrre times in one month protestors http://www.masjid-aljamia.org/in- Sep-10 Jamia Mosque Philadelphia, PA Other greeted worshippers, one time try- the-news.html ing to block access to building. Three men charged with spray- “Arrests Made in Vandalism at Hudson Islamic Sep-10 Hudson, NY Vandalism painting a racial slur on the Upstate NY Mosque,” Associated Center mosque. Press, September 10, 2010. Vandals spray-painted symbols and Gardner, Noel. “San Antonio letters on mosque. A few days prior Islamic Center Mosque Vandalized Amid Na- Sep-10 San Antonio, TX Vandalism cars in the center’s parking lot were of San Antonio tional Tensions Over NYC Mosque,” spray-painted with anti-Muslim KENS5.com, September 6, 2010. messages.

Vandals left a burnt Quran. Feces Dorell, Oren. “Desecrated Qurans Islamic Center Sep-10 Lansing, MI Vandalism covered pages torn from the Quran Spur Security Patrols,” USA Today, of East Lansing surrounded the mosque. September 14, 2010.

Dorell, Oren. “Desecrated Qurans Sep-10 Annor Mosque Knoxville, TN Vandalism Vandals left a burnt Quran. Spur Security Patrols,” USA Today, September 14, 2010.

Council on American-Islamic Rela- Islamic Society San Francisco, tions. “CAIR:Burned Quran Found Sep-10 of San Fran- Vandalism Vandals left a burnt Quran. CA at San Francisco Mosque,” news cisco release, Septbemt 18, 2010.

“Burnt Copy of Quran found Out- Muslim Com- side Muslim Community Center,” Sep-10 Chicago, IL Vandalism Vandals left a burnt Quran. munity Center Chicago Tribune, September 14, 2010.

Saint Louis Fairview Threat of Vio- A man was indicted after threaten- Oct-10 BNO News Mosque Heights, IL lence ing to bomb a mosque.

Bollier, Jeff. “Neighbors Oppose Opponents to the center cited Ahmadiyya Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Islamophobic Muslim extremism and possible Oct-10 Muslim Com- Oshkosh, WI Oshkosh Chapter Plan,” green- Rhetoric violence as reasons to not approve munity Center baypressgazette.com, October 31, a permit. 2010.

Council on American-Islamic Vandals defaced mosque with Florence Islamic Relations. “CAIR: South Carolina Oct-10 Florence, SC Vandalism slices of bacon that spelled out the Center Mosque Defaced with Bacon,” news words “PIG CHUMP” on a walkway. release, October 12, 2010

Federal Bureau of Investigation. Salman Al- FBI reports an apparent attack on “FBI offers $10,000 Reward in Nov-10 Farisi Islamic Corvallis, OR Violence mosque. Fire and smoke damage Attack on Corvallis Mosque,” news Center to building structure reported. release, November 28, 2010.

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 55 Islamophobia: Fear, Bigotry, and Racism Find the Ballot Box in the 2010 Midterm Elections

During the 1988 presidential elec- and American Muslims synony- This isolation can push American tion, , the campaign mous with terrorism and to define Muslim youth toward disenchant- manager for George H.W. Bush, the religion and its adherents as ment and marginalization, which had Larry McCarthy produce threats to America’s values and can be manipulated into sense- what would become the infamous freedoms. If was less extremism and violence. “Willie Horton” advertisement. In the suburban mother’s greatest Hence, Islamophobia can be 1986, Horton, a convicted felon, fear, Islam and Muslims would be seen as designed, in part, to at- was given a weekend pass under America’s greatest fear. tempt to promote radicalization in a Massachusetts prison furlough the American Muslim community, program. He did not return to Why Make Islam the Enemy? providing further rationalization prison and resurfaced a year later In the 2010 midterm campaign for the “domestic war on terror” after raping a woman. Accord- season, elements of the Tea and all the funding and resources ing to PBS, the ad McCarthy Party movement employed mas- connected to it. produced, “used a menacing terfully crafted ads to transform mug shot of an African-American Islam into a singular, monolithic, At a time of deep economic criminal and was widely de- and all-encompassing ideological recession, Islamophobia provides nounced as appealing to racial and civilizational threat. A “threat- opportunistic politicians and 176 prejudices.” ening” ideology called Islam was partisan elites an easy target—an “alien” religious group who call The ad’s explicit goal was to constructed as the new evil. themselves “Muslims”—to present make Horton “every suburban Meanwhile, Islamophobes were to the American people, who are mother’s greatest fear.”177 Atwater able to cast themselves as de- frustrated about job losses, fore- described the desired outcome fenders of liberal democratic prin- closures, and future uncertainty. for the ad by saying: “By the time ciples by focusing their campaign this election is over, Willie Hor- In the 2010 midterm elections, 178 around this constructed ideology ton will be a household name.” rather than individuals or a group “Islam” and “Muslim” became a The ad proved critical in helping of individuals. The problem, they trope for opposition to healthcare Bush win the White House in were able to say, was not your reforms, unemployment, depen- 1988. Muslim neighbors and friends, dence on foreign oil, increases in defense spending, high deficits, During the 2010 midterm elec- who were as deserving of univer- delays and body scanners at long tions, Larry McCarthy, the Horton sal rights as anyone else, but the airport security lines, and death ad’s creator, began producing ideology of violence espoused by visited upon our troops who are Islamophobic television spots Islam. spreading democracy in distant for a number of political hope- The institutions and individuals and “backward” Muslim lands. fuls. McCarthy again appealed to producing and disseminating prejudice, seeking to exploit the Why Islamophobia, Fear, and Islamophobia in the United States average American’s fears and Racism at the Ballot Box? are seeking to disenfranchise the helping to normalize anti-Muslim growing American Muslim com- In his book Communication discourse in political and public munity. This is done by casting Power, Manuel Castells maintains campaigns. Islam as something to be feared that voters are mainly motivated The UC Berkeley Center for Race and as the un-American other. by feelings of fear and anxiety. and Gender maintains that a If successful, this campaign will Furthermore, Castells writes that central purpose of today’s gen- lead to isolation and distrust of “decision-making has two paths, eration of Islamophobic political the American Muslim community one based on framed reasoning, ads and rhetoric is to make Islam by the broader American society. the other directly emotional.”179 It

56 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 is often this emotional brain that their base while chipping away agenda of President Obama campaign issues are framed to margins from the opponents and the Democratic majority. engage. Fear, in particular, is an or alternatively bringing more Islamophobia can be seen in emotional trigger point. of the independents into their the 18 to 24 percent of Ameri- camp. Islamophobia worked cans who believe Obama to be While Castells argues that neural as planned and Tea Party and a closet Muslim, which in reality brain networks responding to Republicans candidates in gen- is finding refuge in expressing “self-referential stimuli” construct eral rode the effects to statistical opposition to the first African our reality, his use of the theory margins of victory in key races. American occupant of the White of affective intelligence provides House through the utilization of a more applicable framework Opposing Islam to Win Elec- Islamophobia. Thus, the 2010 for analyzing “political psychol- tions in 2010? election witnessed the use of ogy supporting the notion that Islamophobia as a race marker emotional appeals and rational The 2010 elections witnessed a and a substitute for using direct choices are complementary rising popular tide brought about 180 attacks on the President based mechanisms.” by the deep recession, massive lay-offs, and a nasty healthcare on his blackness. Interestingly, affective intelli- debate. This popular tide in-part Islamophobic Themes During gence theory proposes that two coalesced into the Tea Party the Midterm Elections emotions “are particularly rele- and was strategically redirected vant for political behavior”; these into a political campaign oppos- In the midterm elections, the emotions are “enthusiasm (and ing President Barack Obama’s Center for Race and Gender its opposite depression) and fear policies across the board. This documented the following mani- 181 (with its counterpart, calm).” strategy found resonance in the festations of Islamophobia: utilization and deployment of Ted Brader’s work on the role 1. Using the words Muslim and Islamophobia. of emotions elicited in political terrorist interchangeably advertisements and their trans- The community center or alternatively depicting lation into voting behavior in- in New York, also addressed in Muslims as being “terrorist dicates that “fear ads tend to another section of this report, sympathizers.” erode the opponent’s base of served as grassroots-mobilizing 2. Making Islam synonymous support among voters, while fuel for this well-financed Islamo- with terrorism; referencing heightening the importance of phobic opposition. The Park 51 Islam as something foreign voting for those viewers made community center was recast 182 and to be feared, the “other.” anxious by the ads.” Thus, by Pamela Geller, founder of the the usage of fear ads, which Stop the Islamization of America, 3. Politicizing the Park 51 cen- tend to “emphasize domestic 183 as the “Ground Zero Mosque” ter in New York and wrongly dangers,” is unsurprising in a and was an instrumental tool referring to it as a “Victory close midterm election with high in the efforts of Tea Party and Mosque” and “Ground Zero stakes such as control of the Republican activists to reshape Mosque.” Congress and the Senate. the debate into one focused on 4. Describing Islam as “a to- national security issues. In this case, national security talitarian, theocratic, political fears connected to 9/11 were By moving the debate into na- ideology,” or a cult. transformed into political ads tional security with a focus on 5. Making Shari’a into a major fashioned by right-wing ideo- Islam as an ideology, the Tea political issue and putting logues focusing on the pur- Party and Republican candi- ported domestic threat and it on the ballot in Okla- dates managed to avoid discuss- role or status of the American homa; describing Shari’a ing substantive policy issues. Muslim community in the “war as a “cancer.” Asserting, on terrorism.” The real strategic In this sense, Islamophobia, in despite a lack of supporting goal behind this approach is the mind of its advocates, stood evidence, that Muslims are to increase the voter turnout of for opposing the policies and “taking over” and America

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 57 faces an immanent enforce- didates of all parties indulged in and Allen West. ment of Sharia law. scoring political points with the Jeff Greene said, “President Park 51 project as a focus, par- 6. Using the internet as a major Obama has this all wrong and I ticularly after President Obama hub for Islamophobia pro- strongly oppose his support for spoke up on the topic. Demo- duction, dissemination, and building a mosque near Ground crat’s decided that the issue was then influencing the debate Zero, especially since Islamic bad for them politically, with one in the mainstream, without terrorists have bragged and “seasoned Democratic consul- fact checking or ascertaining celebrated destroying the Twin tant” saying Obama, “is right on the validity of any claims. Towers and killing nearly 3,000 substance [of Park 51] but wrong Americans.” Greene’s words 7. Using Muslim-sounding or on politics, and right now we echo the false “victory mosque” Arabic names and refer- need to focus on politics.”185 ences to mosques in ads allegation advanced by a num- to imply a sinister design or U.S. Senate seat contender Jay ber of candidates. Townsend (Republican) wrote conspiracy related to target- made opposition an open letter to Sen. Chuck ed candidates. to the Park 51 Islamic cultural Schumer (D-NY) calling the center a “centerpiece” of his 8. Making association with project “highly insensitive” but campaign.184 Lazio called on mainstream Muslim groups not indulging in Islamophobic the state’s attorney general into a point of attack. Using rhetoric while doing so. Simi- to investigate funding for the “the un-indicted co-conspira- larly Nevada incumbent Sen. project. In making this call he tor” label against a number of Harry Reid (Democrat), through implied that the Islamic center individuals and organizations. a spokesperson, expressed his was a public safety issue: “This feeling that the center should be 9. Weaving the Palestine-Israel is a time when we have to ask located elsewhere. conflict into Islamophobia serious questions that will keep production in the campaigns. Candidates Utilizing Islamo- the people of New York and the 10. Returning political dona- phobia people of downtown Manhattan tions from Muslims in order feeling — and actually being — Some of the most intensive or that political candidates not safe.” Lazio ran an ad asking troubling users of Islamophobia be identified as having cozy New Yorkers to call his opponent during the mid-term election relations with Muslims. to say “a ground zero mosque is included Rick Lazio, Carl Paladi- wrong.” Simple opposition to the Park 51 no, Sharron Angle, Renee Ellm- project is not Islamophobia. Can- ers, Dan Fanelli, Ron McNeil aired an ad in

2010 Governor Candidates Candidate Party State Result Jeff Greene Democrat Florida Defeated Rick Lazio Republican New York Defeated Carl Paladino Republican New York Defeated Ron Ramsey Republican Tennessee Defeated Rick Scott Republican Florida Won

2010 U.S. Senate Candidates Candidate Party State Result Sharron Angle Republican Nevada Defeated

58 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 which he said, “As Governor I will Angle asserts that a “militant terrorists haven’t won and we use the power of eminent domain terrorist situation’ has allowed should tell them in plain English: to stop [the Park 51 project] and Islamic law to take hold in some No, there will never be a mosque make the site a war memorial American cities. She specifically at Ground Zero.” The conflation instead of a monument to those cited “Dearborn, Michigan, and between Islam, Muslims, and who attacked our country.” He Frankford, Texas.” Frankford terrorism was evident in Ellmers’ also said the project was “about ceased to exist as a town in ad as well as in her media ap- the Islamists wanting to illustrate 1975 when it was incorporated pearances. Ellmers used refer- that they have conquered Amer- into Dallas. ences to “Ground Zero mosque” ica by taking down the World as a “victory mosque” 186 In a press release, Francis X. Trade Center.” Paladino also Becker asserted that the Park and made the issue a litmus test falsely alleged that the project’s 51 Islamic cultural center would for her opponent, while calling developers planned to place a “serve as a memorial for the on President Obama to oppose wall inside the cultural center people responsible for the at- or stop the building of the center. honoring the 9/11 terrorists. tacks.”188 In an interview with Anderson Cooper, Ellmers suggested that Ron Ramsey, Tennessee’s Lt. Kevin Calvey asserted that some “the organizers of Park51 are Governor who ran for gover- of the leaders associated with terrorists” before acknowledg- nor, said that first Amendment the Park 51 project “are clearly ing that she did not know much protections may not cover Islam terrorist sympathizers.” However, about Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, because it may be a “cult.” New York Police Department a primary figure associated with Florida gubernatorial candidate spokesman Paul Browne said, the project. “We’ve identified no law en- Rick Scott also ran with the Park An ad supporting Dan Fanelli’s 51 project theme airing an ad ti- forcement issues related to the proposed mosque.”187 bid for public office featured tled “Obama’s Mosque.” The con- Fanelli pointing a Caucasian flation of the President with Islam An ad supporting Renee Ellm- male and asking, “Does this look was interpreted as an attempt to ers’ election bid used the terms like a terrorist?” Next a darker exploit fears among some voters “the Muslims” and “the terrorists” skinned man seen earlier in the that Obama is a secret Muslim. interchangeably. The ad implied ad speaking Arabic steps into Among other distortions, the ad that the Park 51 Islamic cultural the camera shot, as Fanelli says, claimed the proposed Islamic center is a “victory mosque” ”Or does this look like a terror- cultural center was “just yards” celebrating the 9/11 attacks. ist.” Later in the ad, Fanelli points from Ground Zero. In the ad, Ellmers says, “The to an airplane saying, “This is an

2010 U.S. House Candidates Candidate Party State and District Result Francis X. Becker Republican New York, 4th Defeated Kevin Calvey Republican Oklahoma, 5th Defeated Renee Ellmers Republican North Carolina, 2nd Won Dan Fanelli Republican Florida, 8th Defeated Ronald McNeil Republican Florida, 2nd Defeated Ilario Pantano Republican North Carolina, 7th Defeated Dr. Marvin Scott Republican Indiana, 7th Defeated Lynn Torgerson Independent Minnesota, 5th Defeated Allan West Republican Florida, 22nd Defeated Lou Ann Zelenik Republican Tennessee, 2nd Defeated

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 59 airplane.” Fanelli then lifts up the our Pentagon…People say that got one raghead in the White darker skinned man from earlier, we can’t include the moderate, House. We don’t need a rag- now with a ‘turban’ on his head, peace loving Muslims. Well, I head in the governor’s man- and says, “And this is a terrorist.” agree. But, who are they? … I sion.” Haley was raised Sikh but cannot tell. It is not for me to go converted to Christianity. South Speaking to a group of middle and try and find them. Rather, it Carolina Republicans called on and high school students, Ron is their duty to stand up and iden- Knotts to resign, which he did McNeil said of Islam, ““That tify themselves, if there are any.” not do. Knotts eventually apolo- religion is against everything gized for the slur. America stands for. If we have Allen West is unabashedly Is- to let them build [Park 51], make lamophobic. An Iraq war veteran, The American Future Fund pro- them build it nine stories under- West was praised by many for duced an ad targeting U.S. Rep. ground, so we can walk above it discharging a weapon near an Bruce Braley (D-IA). The ad ad- as citizens and Christians.” Iraqi civilian during an interroga- vances the false allegation that tion session. The action resulted Ilario Pantano wrote of the the Park 51 project is a “victory in West paying a fine. As one Park 51 center, “This Cordoba mosque.” “For centuries, Mus- example of West’s anti-Muslim Mosque is not benign. It is not lims built mosques where they attitude, he said in a campaign about reconciliation or under- won military victories, the ad’s speech that “Islam is a totalitar- standing. It is about marking narrator says. “Now they want to ian theocratic political ideology; it religious, ideological, and territo- build a mosque at Ground Zero, is not a religion. It has not been rial conquest. This mosque is a where Islamic terrorists killed a religion since 622 AD, and we Martyr-Marker honoring the ter- need to have individuals that 3,000 Americans.” Braley won rorists who less than a decade 190 stand up and say that.” his re-election bid. ago killed thousands of us just two blocks away, and it must be Lou Ann Zelenik made oppo- An Oklahoma ballot measure, stopped.”189 sition to a mosque project in known as State Question 755, Murfreesboro, Tenn. a center- Dr. Marvin Scott invoked anti- specifically targeted the Islamic piece of her campaign. Zelenik Muslim rhetoric during his cam- faith for state-sanctioned dis- accused American Muslim of not paign against incumbent Rep. crimination. The measure was separating “…themselves from Andre Carson, one of two Ameri- passed by Oklahoma voters by a their evil, radical counterparts, can Muslims currently serving in large margin. The ballot measure to condemn those who want to the U.S. House. Scott ran used is covered in detail in another destroy our civilization…” Her Carson’s faith as a campaign section of this report. opponent Diane Black jumped tool. Scott stated on his web- on the bandwagon saying, “I’m Judson Phillips, founder of Tea site that “Radical elements of very concerned that violent Party Nation, called for the defeat Islam are funding and building is becoming the norm, of incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison mosques across America…I pas- not the exception in too much (D-MN) simply because of the sionately defend his [Carson’s] of Islam today, and American Congressman’s Muslim faith. right to become a Muslim... What communities have a right to be they do not have the right to do Elections Outcome and vigilant in ensuring that Islamic is to replace American law with Analysis institutions in this country do not extremist Muslim Sharia law.” aid the jihadist viewpoint.” The result of the 2010 elections On her web site, Lynn Torgerson was that fourteen candidates Some Additional Examples of wrote, “And, what do I know of using Islamophobic rhetoric lost Islamophobia during the 2010 Islam? Well, I know of 911. Nine- their races, while two won. Many Campaign teen (19) men from Saudi Arabia, factors contributed to these wins all Muslim, hi-jacked planes, and South Carolina state Senator and losses, so it is inappropriate flew into the two (2) World Trade Jake Knotts (Republican) said to draw a conclusion at this time Towers murdering thousands of Republican gubernatorial as to the overall effectiveness of of people, and tried to fly into candidate , ““We’ve the various campaigns’ Islamo-

60 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 phobic elements. On the other hand, the Demo- in designing part of the 2012 crats, in control of the White campaign. Failures to confront The Republican Party was the House and Senate, will be on Islamophobia on a structural most frequent abuser of Islamo- the defensive if the economy and strategic basis now will only phobic rhetoric; hence the con- and unemployment do not show result in greater impacts in the demnation of “Islamic terrorists” marked improvements before future and the affirmation of its has largely become associated Spring 2012. We expect de- utility as a wedge issue in up- with that party over time. We fensive-minded Democrats will coming elections. believe Republican candidates respond to anti-Muslim attacks will continue to view the use of in a fashion similar to Senator Furthermore, Islamophobia as a anti-Muslim themes as a way Harry Reid’s response to Shar- form of hate speech has already to increase voter turn-out and ron Angle in Nevada. translated into violence directed attain votes. at Muslim and Sikh individuals’ One of the most interesting Looking forward to the 2012 mistaken as Muslims, as well as 2010 outcomes are the elec- racist incidents against African elections and beyond, we expect tion victories of congressmen Americans, Latinos, and Asian Islamophobia to remain in cur- Andre Carson and Keith Ellison, Americans. rency among Tea Party Repub- both African American Muslims lican candidates and activists, running as incumbents against The American Muslim commu- which will pressure traditional Republicans who strategically nity, the interfaith community, Republicans to follow suit so as utilized Islamophobia in their ads and the civil rights community to prevent the fringe from gain- and public statements. The out- should be vested in a structural ing control of the party. come of both seats indicate that national response to counter Is- We expect to see a fight for the being a Muslim is not necessar- lamophobia. These communities Republican party with Islamo- ily a liability and is an encourag- should be prepared to mobilize ing sign for further engagement phobia taking center stage. As it of all needed resources toward of the American Muslim com- stands today, we believe that the this end. Islamophobia is a new munity in the political process, a Republican party has a serious wedge issue being employed fact that should be celebrated in Islamophobia crisis at its hands to bring the right-wing base to these difficult times. and its moderate elements must the polls, shift the independents muster the needed courage and Two years is a life-time in poli- to the right, and siphon away a leadership to challenge it and tics; however, the 2010 results few percentage points from the resist further efforts at monetiz- will be studied by all operatives Democrats. The Islamophobic ing racism and bigotry into votes from all parties, with the re- strategy is clear; the question is: and power for a short-term gain. search becoming instrumental what is the response?

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 61 (Endnotes) ist.com/islamophobia/in-wake-of-park- 29 Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. 51-increased-calls-for-interfaith-unity/. “Smearcasting: How Islamophobes Spread 1 McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Fear, Bigotry and Misinformation,” October Freedom, the Civil War Era. Oxford: Oxford 17 Islamic Society of North America, 2008. University Press, 1988. “View Full Video of ISNA Interfaith Press Conference and Unified Statement to Pro- 30 Jihad Watch. “About Robert 2 Bear, Charla. “American Indian tect Muslim Civil Rights and Safety,” ISNA Spencer,”. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story. php?storyId=16516865. 18 CNN Wire Staff. “California Interfaith Spencer, Robert. “About Robert Spencer,” Leaders Back ‘Ground Zero’ Islamic Cen- Jihad Watch, http://www.jihadwatch.org/ 3 Christensen, Jen. “FBI tracked ter.” CNN U.S., http://articles.cnn.com/2010- about-robert-spencer.html. King’s every move,” CNN, December 29, 08-20/us/california.islamic.center.contro- 2008, http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/31/ versy_1?_s=PM:US. 31 Hoyt, Clark “A Radical Islamo- mlk.fbi.conspiracy/index.html. phobe?” New York Times, 19 Huffington Post, “Christian Organiza- 4 Nimer, Mohamed “Islamophobia tions To Give Away Two Qurans for Every http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes. and Anti-Americanism”, Beltsville: Amana One Burned,” September 9, 2010. com/2008/08/21/a-radical- Publications, 2007. islamophobe/?scp=4&sq=%22brigitte%20 20 Ravat, Safiya. “Religious Leaders gabriel%22&st=cse 5 Richardson, Robin, e.d., “Islamopho- Decry Plans for Quran Burning,” Houston bia: Issues, Challenges and Action,” Trent, Chronicle, 32 Rodda, Chris. “Obsession “Stars” UK: Tretham Books, 2004. Have Lectured at U.S. Military Colleges; 21 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G U.S. Navy Uses Film.” The Huffington Post. 6 The Daily Show, Episode no. 15106, OezucD0Qho&feature=related http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-rodda/ first broadcast 19 August 2010 by Comedy iobsessioni-stars-have-le_b_126693.html. Central. 22 Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, “Tea Party Nationalism,” 33 Gabriel, Brigitte. 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Staff, . ters for America. http://mediamatters.org/ 7/27/2010.(4/26/2010) available at http:// blog/201010260019. www.livingscoop.com/watch.php?v=NDQ4, 41 Smietana, Bob. “Anti-Muslim crusad- Video accessed 7/27/2010. First reference ers make millions spreading fear,” The 16 Hip Hop Activist. http://hiphopactiv- is at 1:14. Second reference is a 0:29. Tennessean, October 24, 2010.

62 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 42 Edgar, Adrienne. “A Defector’s http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/06/the- cans Support Strip Club Over Mosque Near Story,” New York Times Book Review, May real-ground-zero.html. Ground Zero,” The Huffington Post. http:// 19, 1991. www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/08/poll- 55 Macdonald, Isabel and Steve Renda- republicans-strip-club-mosque_n_756259. 43 Sugg, John. “Steven Emerson’s ll. “Making Islamophobia Mainstream: How html. Crusade: Why is a Journalist Pushing Muslim-Bashers Broadcast their Bigotry,” Questionable Stories from Behind the Fair, November/December 2008 70 Gallup. “Religious Perceptions in Scenes?” Fair. http://www.fair.org/index. America: With an In-Depth Analysis of U.S. php?page=1443. 56 Council on American Islamic Rela- Attitudes Toward Muslims and Islam,” 2009. tions, “Who is Daniel Pipes?” Media Moni- 44 Rehab, Ahmed. “Steven Emerson’s tors Network. http://www.mediamonitors. 71 LifeWay Research, “Survey: Protes- Disturbing Track Record.” Media Monitors net/whoispipes.html. tant Pastors View Islam with Suspicion,” Network. http://usa.mediamonitors.net/ The Christian Post, April 23, 2010. content/view/full/42070. 57 Pipes, Daniel. “More on the Terrorist Threat” lecture during the American Jewish 72 Pew Research Center Survey 45 Media Matters. “What Fox has Congress’ National Convention Program, Reports, “Muslims Widely Seen As Facing wrought: Anti-Park51 protests full of Washington, DC, October 21, 2001. 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Fall, 2010. 78 Becerra, Hector. “Muslim Candidate 50 Peters, Ralph, “Killing Muslims, 64 Gallup. “Religious Perceptions in Targeted Over Faith,” Los Angeles Times, America needs to publicize Al-Qaeda’s America: With an In-Depth Analysis of U.S. March 4, 2009. main ‘Achievement,’” New York Daily Post, Attitudes Toward Muslims and Islam,” 2009. January 23, 2010. 79 Petrie, K. “Cartoons Target Muslim 65 Pew Research Center Survey Population.” St. Cloud Times, 10 November 51 Halloran, Liz. “Mosque De- Reports, “Public Expresses Mixed Views of 2009. bate Expected to Leave Scars.” NPR. Islam, Mormonism,” September 25, 2007 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo- and Pew Research Center Survey Reports, 80 Berger, Judson. “CPAC Session on way/2010/08/03/128955919/islamic-com- “Views of Muslim-Americans Hold Steady Jihad, Free Speech Attracts Complaints.” munity-center-debate-will-leave-scars-adl- After London Bombings,” July 25, 2005. FoxNews.com. http://www.foxnews.com/ president-tells-npr. politics/2010/02/17/cpac-session-jihad-free- 66 Public Religion Research Institute. speech-draws-protest/. 52 September Eleventh Families for “Old Alignments, Emerging Fault Lines: Peaceful Tomorrows. “9/11 Families Group Religion in the 2010 Election and Beyond,” 81 Matheson, Kathy. “Group Decries Announces Support for Islamic Cultural 2010. Textbooks on Islam as Inflammatory,” The Center in Lower Manhattan.” Peaceful Boston Globe, March 17, 2010. Tomorrows. http://www.peacefultomorrows. 67 Altman, Alex. “TIME Poll: Majority org/article.php?id=977. Oppose Mosque, Many Distrust Muslims,” 82 Rousseau, “NY Times Exposes TIME, August 19, 2010 Geller, Mentions Loonwatch,” LoonWatch, 53 Council on American-Islamic Rela- October 10, 2010. tions. “Muslim Victims of 9/11” http://www. 68 Montopoli, Brian. “Most Know cair.com/Portals/0/pdf/Muslim-Victims- Those with Anti-Muslim Feeling,” CBS 83 Willon, Phil. “Planned Temecula of-911.pdf News Poll. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301- Valley Mosque Draws Opposition.” Los An- 503544_162-20016593-503544.html. geles Times. http://www.fox5sandiego.com/ 54 Zakaria, Fareed. “Build the Ground news/kswb-temecula-mosque,0,553004. Zero Mosque.” Newsweek, 69 Terkel, Amanda. “Poll: More Republi- story.

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December 7, 2009. 99 Simmons, Tracy. “NYU prof: It’s no 86 Grynbaum, Michael. “City Buses to longer ‘going postal,’ it’s ‘going Muslim,’” 113 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Get Ads Opposing Islam Center,” The New USATODAY, November 13, 2009. tions, “NY Cabbie Stabbed After Asked ‘Are York Times, August 9, 2010 You Muslim,’” news release, August 25, 100 , “Ann Coulter 2010. 87 “Plans for Florence Mosque Meeting causes firestorm in Canada by telling Mus- Resistance ,” Fox19.com, http://www.fox19. lim to ‘take a camel’ as alternative to flying,” 114 Council on American-Islamic Rela- com/global/story.asp?s=12920148. The Palm Beach Post News, March 24, tions, “CAIR Seeks Hate Crime Charges 2010 in Assault on California Taxi Driver,” news 88 Grantham, Christian, “Islamophobia release, August 31, 2010. 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Assaulted in NC Walmart,” news release, October 28, 2010 92 Sherman, Jake, and Martin Kady II. 105 Hanifa, Raheem. “Thomas col- “Islam group ridicules Muslim ‘spies’ claim.” umn was fear mongering.” The Oakland 119 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/sto- Press. http://www.theoaklandpress. tions, “CAIR: Bias Attack on Mo. Mosque ries/1009/28283.html. com/articles/2010/08/29/opinion/doc- Worker Deserves Hate Crime Charge,” 4c7af2e66e453848237594.txt. 93 Van Denburg, Hart. “Ellison’s Foe news release, November 19, 2010. Torgerson Says Islam Promotes Criminal 106 Castro, Hector. “Beating Suspect 120 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Behavior.” Citypages. http://blogs.citypages. Sought,” Seattle Post-Inquirer, http://www. tions, “CAIR-Chicago Wins Bias Suit for com/blotter/2009/12/ellison_foe_tor.php. seattlepi.com/local/395858_beating14.html. Arab-American Officer,” news release, July 94 McGuinness, Chris. “Lancaster City 107 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 24, 2009. Councilwoman Sherry Marquez Faces tions, “CAIR-NY Seeks Probe of Bias Mo- Crticism Over anti-Muslim Comments.” An- tive in School Beating,” news release, June 121 Council on American-Islamic Rela- telope Valley Life. http://www.avnewstoday- 15, 2009. tions, “CAIR-Chicago Files Discrimina- online.com/LancasterPageMarquezCom- tion Complaint on Behalf of Muslim Bank ments.html. 108 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Employee,” news release, July 1, 2010. tions, “CAIR Seeks Federal Charges in Hate 95 MacKey, Robert. “Tennessee Attack on Muslim Mom, Daughter,” news 122 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Official Say Islam May be a ‘Cult’.” New release, August 27, 2009. tions, “Muslim Worker Alleges Harassment, York Times. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes. Unjust Termination,” news release, July 9, com/2010/07/27/tennessee-official-says- 109 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 2009. islam-may-be-a-cult/. tions, “CAIR Seeks Hate Crime Charges in Assault on California Taxi Driver,” news 123 Council on American-Islamic 96 “House candidate says Islam against release, August 31, 2010. Relations, “Oklahoma Muslim Denied Job America in Panama City debate,” August Because of Islamic Scarf,” news release, 18, 2010, http://www.wjhg.com/home/head- 110 Council on American-Islamic Rela- September 17, 2009. lines/101007049.html tions, “Queens Man Arrested in Anti-Muslim Hate Crime,” news release, October 8, 124 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 97 Zornick, George. “Allen West’s Hiring 2009. tions, “Oklahoma Muslim Spring Employee Of Hate Radio Host As Chief Of Staff Is ‘Po- Fired after Receiving Hate Call,” news tentially Problematic,’ House Official Warns 111 Council on American-Islamic Rela- release, October 22, 2009.

64 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 125 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Meet With School Bigs to Discuss Transfer,” Phoenix Mosque,” news release, Septem- tions, “Texas Medical Group Denies Muslim The New York Daily News, October 13, 2010. ber 8, 2010. Doctor Right to Hijab,” news release, Octo- ber 30, 2009. 140 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 155 Dorell, Oren. “Desecrated Qurans tions, “Second Muslim Customer Denied Spur Security Patrols,” USA Today, Septem- 126 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Service at Calif. Bank,” news release, ber 14, 2010. tions, “Abercrombie Hates Your Hijab,” February 4, 2010. news release, February 26, 2010. 156 Begin, Brent. “Burnt Quran Found 141 O’Brien, William F. “Woman Asked Outside Tenderloin Mosque,” The Examiner, 127 Neroulias, Nicole. “Panel: NYC Was to Leave Line at Bank Over Head Scarf,” September 18, 2010. Wrong to Fire Muslim Principal,” Beliefnet. Washington Post, March 10, 2009. com (blog), March 15, 2010. 157 Laventure, Alisha. “Florence Mosque 142 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Defaced With Bacon,” WMBF, October 13, 128 Goldsborough, Bob. “Group Sues tions, “CAIR-Chicago Asks Citibank to 2010. Over Zoning Denied to Islamic Center,” Apologize for Hijab Incident,” news release, Chicago Tribune, April 8, 2010. December 8, 2009. 158 Council on American-Islamic Rela- tions, “CAIR Files DOT Complaint After 129 Helberg, Tiffani. “Fmr. Miami Beach 143 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Muslims Kicked Off AirTran Flight,” news Cop Sues Dept. Over Racial Slurs.” CBS4. tions, “CAIR-San Diego: Calif. DMV Apolo- release, January 2, 2009. http://cbs4.com/local/feras.ahmad.mi- gizes for Hijab Incident,” news release, June ami.2.1620718.html (8 April 2010). 3, 2010. 159 Davies, Dave. “Student Air Passen- ger Handcuffed to Echoes of 9/11 Fears,” 130 33wytv.com. “PNC Bank Being 144 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Philadelphia Daily News, September 11, Sued for Discrimination.” http://www.wytv. tions, “California Mosque Targeted with 2009. com/content/news/local/story/PNC-Bank- Hate Graffiti,” news release, June 4, 2009. Being-Sued-for-Discrimination/Ku8DByaY- 160 Council on American-Islamic Rela- fEWekivDdUkFnQ.cspx. 145 Smiley, David. “Police: 2 vandalized tions. “Plane Incidents in Ariz., Mich. Raise mosque,” Miami Herald, July 4, 2009. Profiling Concerns,” news release, Decem- 131 Morales, Laura. “Fla. Ex-City Man- ber 27, 2009. ager Sues Homestead for Discrimination,” 146 Council on American-Islamic Rela- Miami Herald, May 11, 2010. tions, “FBI Probes Hate Vandalism at South 161 Dimartine, Mediha Fejzagic. “Prayer Carolina Mosque,” news release, August causes grief for local Muslim group dur- 132 Rhett Miller, Joshua. “Woman Files 26, 2010. ing trip through Nevada,” San Bernardino Complaint Against Disney Over Right to County Sun, March 30, 2010. Wear Hijab,” Fox News, http://www.foxnews. 147 Wise, Lindsay. “HPD Investigating com/us/2010/08/20/muslim-woman-files- Possible Hate Crime at Mosque,” Houston 162 Wissel, Paula. “Nightmare Border complaint-disney-right-wear-hijab/. Chronicle, October 9, 2009. ­­­­­­­Crossing for Muslims,” NPR, May 5, 2010.

133 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 148 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 163 Ruiz, Michelle. “Civil Rights Groups tions, “Bais Suit Filed Against Ill. State tions, “Oregon Mosque Targeted with Hate Decry US Muslim’s No-Fly Plight,” AOL Police for Sheikh Mustapha,” news release, Graffiti,” news release, November 30, 2009. News, June 16, 2010. August 30, 2010. 149 Coker, Matt. “Local Muslims Begin 164 Melendez, Lyanne “Pakistani couple 134 Walter, Vic and March Schone. New Year with Hate Crimes Against Them,” was singled out by flight attendant,” ABC, “Arab-American Agent Sues the FBI,” ABC OC Weekly, January 8, 2010. August 21, 2010. News, September 15, 2010. 150 Macedo, Diane. “Ground Zero Con- 165 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 135 Council on American-Islamic Rela- troversy Fueled Attack on Texas Mosque, tions, “CAIR-MN Asks Delta to Probe ‘Profil- tions, “CAIR-MI Files EEOC Complaint Islamic Center President Says,” Fox News, ing’ of Muslim Passengers,” news release, Against Popeyes,” news release, Septem- August 9, 2010. October 29, 2010. ber 30, 2010. 151 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 166 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 136 Council on American-Islamic Rela- tions, “Calif. Mosque Vandalized with Hate tions, “CAIR Questions Seizure of Hajj- tions, “CAIR Seeks Prayer Rights for Maine Signs Referring to NY Controversy,” news Bound Muslims’ Passports,” news release, Muslim Student,” news release, November release, August 25, 2010. November 9, 2010. 20, 2009. 152 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 167 Man Mistaken for Muslim Harassed 137 Council on American-Islamic Rela- tions, “CAIR Seeks Hate Crime Probe of at NY Anti-Mosque Rally [Video]. Au- tions, “CAIR Asks For Investigation Into Arson at Tenn. Mosque Site,” news release, gust 23, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/ Harassment Claims,” news release, March August 28, 2010. watch?v=vpZ_VpBHBuA. 25, 2010. 153 Council on American-Islamic Rela- 168 Nimer, Mohamed “Islamophobia 138 Bharath, Deepa. “UCI Bans Musliim tions, “’No Mosque in NYC’ Pig Left at Calif. and Anti-Americanism”, Beltsville: Amana Student Union,” The Orange County Regis- Islamic Center,” news release, August 29, Publications, 2007. ter, June 14, 2010. 2010. 169 Gallup. “Religious Perceptions in 139 Lysiak, Matthew. “Parents of Muslim 154 Council on American-Islamic Rela- America: With an In-Depth Analysis of U.S. Teen, Who Says He Was Beaten Regularly, tions, “FBI Asked to Probe Vandalism at Attitudes Toward Muslims and Islam,” 2009.

January 2009-December 2010 CAIR Report 65 170 Human Rights First, “Violence zero%20mosque&strArea=3;2;&strTime=12. 181 Ibid. p. 146 against Muslims: An Update to HRF’s 2008 Hate Crime Survey,” 2010. 175 Le, Judy. “The Muslim Call to Prayer: 182 Ibid. p. 151 A Nuisance or a Necessity?,” December 8, 171 Crane, Robert. “Institutionalized 2010: http://bed-stuy.patch.com/articles/ 183 Ted Brader. “Campaigning for Hearts Contempt for Islam, How do we Tackle the-muslim-call-to-prayer-a-nuisance-or-a- and Minds: How Emotional Appeals in it?,” December 20, 2008 http://iqu.co.in/ necessity. The article observes that: “many Political Ads Work.” University of Chicago wordpress/?p=36 Muslim storeowners say, the Masjid Al- Press. 2006. P. 10 Taqwa, built in 1981, helped create a safer 172 Quinnipiac University Poll, “New neighborhood. When the mosque was first 184 Cillizza, Chris. “Democrats split on N.Y. mosque issue; Many wondering how York City Voters Oppose Mosque Near constructed, Fulton Street between Bedford Obama’s stance will affect midterms,” Wash- Ground Zero, Quinnipiac University and Franklin Avenues was littered with ington Post, August 17, 2010. Poll Finds; Does Mosque Foster Under- crime, drugs and violence, said Assistant standing or Insult 9/11 Victims?,” July 1, Imam Osman Adam. The mosque worked 2010: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1284. 185 Barbaro, Michael. “Lazio finds an is- closely with the 79th police precinct to clean sue in furor over Islamic center,” New York xml?ReleaseID=1473&What=ground%20 up the neighborhood, said Maryam Leveille, Times, August 22,2010. zero%20mosque&strArea=3;2;&strTime=12 the mosque secretary. ‘It’s way safer now.’ According to Idris Conry, 58, owner of Abu’s 186 Veilkind, Jimmy. Paladino: Its about 173 Marist Poll, “Construction of Homestyle Bakery, the mosque’s presence stopping Muslim conquest,” Times Union Mosque Near World Trade Center Site,” did make streets safer, which encouraged Blog, July 29, 2010. August 2010: http://maristpoll.marist.edu/ commercial development and a more wp-content/misc/nycpolls/c100728/Bloom- vibrant local economy.” 187 Becker Speaks Out Against the Build- berg_RV/Construction_of_Mosque_Near_ ing of the Cordoba Mosque at Ground Zero, World_Trade_Center_Site.htm. See also 176 http://www.pbs. Becker for Congress Press Release, August Marist Poll, “Construction of Mosque Near org/30secondcandidate/timeline/ 20, 2010. World Trade Center Site,” September 2010: years/1988.html http://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content/ 188 “Fact Check: The ‘Ground Zero misc/nycpolls/c100902/Bloomberg/Con- 177 http://www.insidepolitics.org/ps111/ Mosque’ Debate,” Associated Press, August struction_of_Mosque_Near_World_Trade_ independentads.html 19, 2010. Center_Site.htm. 178 “Ingraham, Hannity Revived Claim that 189 Pantano, Ilario. “A Mosque at Ground 174 Quinnipiac University Poll, “9/11 ‘Al Gore Brought Up Willie Horton,’” Media Zero? What Else?” Military.com, June 11, Family Concerns Outweigh Muslim Right to Matters Research, February 16, 2005. 2010. Mosque, New York State Voters Tell Quinni- piac University Poll; 71 Percent Say Cuomo 179 Manuel Castells. Communication Pow- 190 Hancock, Jason. “American Future Should Probe Mosque Finances,” August er. Oxford University Press, 2009. P. 144 Fund launched against Braley fo- 31, 2010: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1284. cused on Islam,” Iowa Independent, August xml?ReleaseID=1493&What=ground%20 180 Ibid. pp. 145-146 25, 2010.

66 CAIR Report January 2009-December 2010 Excerpts from some hate e-mails sent to CAIR in 2010

From an IP in El Paso, TX, the racial cleansing of these vermin. In August 23, 2010 addition, all books and documents relating to Islam must be burned. If this sounds “It would be so nice to do to the people of similar to the political agenda of The Third Islam what Hitler did to the Jews. We don’t Reich; you’re right. I make no apologies want you here in America, period.” for it. The Nazi’s were great visionaries From Mike S., August 16, 2010 when it came to formulating a Final Solu- tion for disposal of “Undesirables”. How- “Islam is a plague caring hate and intoler- ever, they lacked the understanding of ance whoever it takes hold. There is only how to identify the true enemy. Although one cure for this plague.. The complete they correctly selected Semites for ex- eradication of every mosque, follower and termination, they mistakenly targeted the koran from the face of this earth.” Wrong subset, (Jews).”

From an IP in Phoenix, Arizona, Sent May 26, 2010: October 14, 2010 “It AIN’T gonna happen. I can promise “Our public eye is upon all Muslims… you that with a 100 million ‘angry’ Ameri- once you illiterate animals start any more cans....muslim blood will flow deep and violence in the Country of AMERICA you will be annihilated by the people of wide if any attempt to build a mosque AMERICA, YOU WILL CEASE TO EXISIT anywhere near that site is made…You in this Great Country of the U.S.A.! Just WILL cease to exist!” so you know, this is not hate speech, it is the truth and GOD is on our side and the From an IP in San Luis Obispo, CA, devil is you!” May 6, 2010 “The only good muslim is a dead muslim” From “J L,” sent August 8, 2010 “Now, with Muslim nations possessing From David Alexander, Impe- nuclear technology, the threat of Islam rial Klokard, Church Of The National has reached critical mass. This leaves Knights of The Ku Klux Klan, the West with only one solution. Unless February 24, 2010 we initiate a war of global annihilation “We have been the care takers of the and ethnic cleansing, our civilization is doomed. Muslim philosophy is incompat- Christian White Race in the United States ible with Western culture. Such a war for over 150 years and have seen them must have as its ultimate goal, the ex- come and seen them go and we wont termination of all Muslims. By allowing stop what we see as our holy crusade to them to survive, we risk their descendants rid the United Stated of your type of ilk! … taking up the cause of jihad, and again We realize that subhuman muds like yall threaten us. Muslims living in Western do inhabit this great White Nation of ours nations, not exterminated, must be placed so we are practicing a live and let live in labor camps and sterilized to insure policy for now.” Islamophobia and Its Impact in the United States January 2009-December 2010

Same Hate, NewTarget

University of California, Berkeley Council on American-Islamic Relations Center for Race & Gender 453 New Jersey Ave., SE, 638 Barrows Hall #1074 Washington, DC 20003 Berkeley, CA 94720 Phone: 202-488-8787 Phone: 510-643-8488, Fax: 510-642-9810 Fax: 202-488-0833