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March 7th, 2011
01:00 PM ET
Muslims anxious, active ahead of radicalization hearingsEditor's Note: CNN’s Soledad O’Brien chronicles the dramatic fight over the construction of a mosque in the heart of the Bible belt. “Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door”, airs Sunday, March 27 at 8 p.m. E.T. By Dan Gilgoff, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor Every day this week, American Muslim activists are working overtime to prepare for congressional hearings on "the radicalization of American Muslims" that open Thursday. Sunday saw Muslim demonstrators gather in New York's rain-drenched Times Square to protest the hearings, standing with celebrities like Russell Simmons and other non-Muslims who held signs declaring "I am Muslim, too." On Monday, representatives from the Council on American-Islamic Relations - a national Muslim advocacy group - met will sympathetic Capitol Hill staffers to discuss communications strategy and grassroots organizing to counter Islamophia. On Tuesday, a coalition of major Muslim, interfaith and civil rights groups will announce a new campaign and website to push back against politicians and others they say are trafficking in anti-Muslim rhetoric. And that's before the hearings even begin. “The community is anxious, uncertain and even fearful in terms of what this could become in this environment,” says Akbar Ahmed, an Islamic studies professor at American University who has met with Capitol Hill aides in advance of the hearings. “There is a generalized sense of Islamophobia floating around, and the hearings are not doing anything to assuage Muslim fears.” Days before the first in what Rep. Peter King, the House Homeland Security Committee chairman, has said will be a series of hearings on American Muslim radicalization, many Muslims are deeply nervous at the specter of being demonized from such a highly visible platform as Capitol Hill. The hearings may stretch out for more than a year. But King’s hearings also have galvanized American Muslims, perhaps as never before, in an attempt to counter what they call a rising tide of Islamophobia, to lobby Washington about their concerns and to help shape the national narrative about their community. The efforts come a little more than six months after many Muslims were blindsided by a wave of national opposition to a proposed Islamic cultural center near New York’s ground zero last summer. “There was this sense after last summer’s events of needing to be more proactive in stemming this activity that stokes anti-Muslim hate,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, a national legal advocacy group. “That’s why, as soon as we heard Rep. King say he planned to hold these hearings, we started coming forward to express our concerns,” Khera said. In February, Muslim Advocates spearheaded a letter to congressional leaders objecting to the hearings. It was signed by more than 50 organizations, including civil rights groups that had not previously been involved with the American Muslim community. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a leading Muslim advocacy group, used its annual lobbying day last month to visit 90 congressional offices to “start offering facts about American Muslims and their role in helping prevent attacks on our nation,” said Corey Saylor, the group’s national legislative director. Two other groups - the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Arab American Institute - held a briefing, “Islamophobia: A Challenge to American Pluralism,” for Capitol Hill staffers last Wednesday. The King hearings are also spurring mosques around the country to get more political. “Muslim Americans make vital contributions every day,” said Hadi Nael, director of the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley in California, whose congregation is calling and writing Congress to voice opposition to the King hearings. “They love this country just as every American does and should not be placed under suspicion of terrorism because of their religious beliefs or ethnic background,” he said. “King’s hearings would do just that.”  Muslims and non-Muslims demonstrated in New York Many Muslim activists said that recent remarks from King, a New York Republican, including his support for a theory that 80% of American mosques are controlled by radical imams, are evidence that he intends to target the American Muslim community broadly with his hearings, rather than focus on Islamic radicals. “Let’s not fall into the same ugly patterns that were prevalent in earlier years in America, when Jews were suspected of aiding communism and Catholics were suspected of supporting fascism,” said Eboo Patel, a leading Muslim activist, summing up his opposition to the hearings. “Let’s not repeat that history by blaming all Muslims for the extremist actions of a range of people in this country.” A White House official appeared at a Muslim community center Sunday to speak about the need to prevent violent extremism, saying U.S. Muslims are part of the solution. "The bottom line is this - when it comes to preventing violent extremism and terrorism in the United States, Muslim Americans are not part of the problem, you're part of the solution," said Denis McDonough, deputy national security adviser to President Obama. "Of course, the most effective voices against al Qaeda's warped worldview and interpretation of Islam are other Muslims." McDonough also said, "We must resolve that, in our determination to protect the nation, we will not stigmatize or demonize entire communities because of the actions of a few. In the United States of America, we don't practice guilt by association." A White House source said McDonough's speech was not meant as a "prebuttal" to King's hearings, while a spokesman said the administration is finalizing its strategy to help stop violent extremism. King called for the hearings on Muslim radicalization after Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in November's elections. He declined calls from some Democrats to broaden sessions to focus on extremists of all types, including neo-Nazis, radical environmentalists and anti-tax groups. “Al Qaeda is actively attempting to recruit individuals living within the Muslim American community to commit acts of terror,” King wrote in a letter last month to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee, who had suggested that King broaden the hearings’ scope. “Pursuant to our mandate, the committee will continue to examine the threat of Islamic radicalization, and I will not allow political correctness to obscure a real and dangerous threat to the safety and security of the citizens of the United States,” King’s letter continued. King told CNN's "State of the Union" with Candy Crowley on Sunday that "something from within" the Muslim community is a "threat" to America and needs to be explored. He compared the goal of the hearings to investigating the Mafia within the Italian community or going after the Russian mob in "the Russian community in Brighton Beach and Coney Island." "We're talking about al Qaeda," King said. "There's been self-radicalization going on within the Muslim community, within a very small minority, but it's there, and that's where the threat is coming from at this time." King has yet to release a full witness list for this week’s hearing, exacerbating Muslim anxiety. The sole witness whose name King has released is Zuhdi Jasser, an Arizona doctor who is Muslim but who has criticized his religion. King has also invited Rep Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota - the first Muslim elected to Congress - to testify. Ellison also appeared on "State of the Union" on Sunday, saying, "I challenge the basic premise of the hearings." "We should deal with radicalization and violent radicalization, but ... singling out one community is the wrong thing to do," he said. Democrats have invited Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca, who has praised Muslim leaders for building relationships with law enforcement authorities, to testify. A recent survey showed that 56% of Americans support the upcoming hearings, compared with 29% who think they’re a bad idea. The February survey, conducted by Public Opinion Research and the Religion News Service, found that seven in 10 Americans think Congress should refrain from singling out Muslims and should investigate all religious extremism. Not all Muslims object to the hearings. American University's Ahmed says that many first-generation American Muslims, feeling rejected both by their parents' culture and by their American peers, are at risk of being radicalized. "There's a new generation of Muslim Americans who are born here or have grown up here and are no longer fully accepted as Egyptians or Pakistanis, as their parents are," he says. "But America is also rejecting them, day and night Islam is being demonized… they’re suspended between two cultures.” "Whey you are 18, that can push you into a dangerous situation," Ahmed says. "You can go online and some idiot in the Middle East can push you in a dangerous direction. It has little to do with theology and a lot to do with anthropology." Other American Muslims interpret King’s hearings as the culmination of years of growing domestic suspicions of their community, dating back to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. “For the last 10 years, there has been a movement of intolerance against Muslim Americans, but it hasn’t been above the surface,” says Patel, who leads the Interfaith Youth Corps. “It’s now clear, from everything from the discussion around the Cordoba House (one name for the proposed New York Islamic center) to the way King has framed the hearings that there is an anti-Muslim sentiment in America that is reminiscent of anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism,” he said. “But I’d rather it be out in the open like it is now,” Patel continued. According to the Justice Department, there were 107 anti-Muslim hate-crime incidents in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available, up from 28 such incidents in 2000. With the 10-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the horizon and some likely contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination talking up the threat of Islamic law, or sharia, taking hold in the United States, many Muslims said they fear the worst is to come. But many are also feeling that their community is finally preparing itself to take on those challenges. “This is a very American thing, congressional hearings,” said Ahmed of this week’s King session. “Let’s present the complexity and sophistication of Islam so Americans understand it better. It’s a teaching moment.” CNN's Susan Candiotti, Bonney Kapp and Rebecca Stewart contributed to this report. soundoff (1,742 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Kings generalizations reminds me of Hitler.... this rhetoric is hate mongering. AND yes some Muslims have been responsible for acts of terrorism, but so have Christians, many others from other religions. the idea that you can control these thing is ridiculous, and This kind of mind set leads to horrible things. No nation is secure when a central government provides the security. that is what the state if for and then the state cant even provide security, that is what personal responsibility is for, and that's why we are an armed nation.
Germany in the late 1930 spouted all kinds of rhetoric about how the Jews were all criminals. And that lead to the most horrific spectacle known to man. And its people like King that perpetuate violence and ignorance, with a delusional desire to control. There is no radicalization of American Muslims, and if there is, its probably a small group, or select individuals. And i have no respect for a NATION that fears one individual or a small group.
GROW up KING its time to put this fear mongering behind us. its time to find out what we all have in common as Brothers and sisters of the Human race. To find our similarities and build society on a strong foundation of brother hood. Your delusional grasping for security is absurd, in this universe of "chaos and order" their is only a balance. SO SAYS SCIENTIFIC LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT, AND CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, AND THE LAW OF MOTION. anyone that disagrees with these laws, or develops policy against these laws, Is obviously incompetent, incapable of preforming their duties effectively, and should be removed from office, or any other position of authority. the best we can do as a nation and as a global society is to find a balance.
THE ONLY SECURITY THAT WORKS.. IS FORGIVENESS, COMPASSION, LOVE, AND FRIENDSHIP.
SO KING, AND all of you other hate mongers out there,, you can take that finger and point it up your @ss.
You seriously need therapy and I would seek help as soon as I could get it. A good shrink might be able to get some common sense into your head. On the other hand, maybe not.
I hereby forgive your compassion with love and friendship. Now go away please, you are VERY boring.
@chef dugan...I see some thoughtful and logical sense in this article. Of course, I try to see things using a 360 degree POV rather than a 1 degree POV. Keeps my perspective even and clear.
Read the Quran. It's worse than anything Hitler wrote.
Why dont you take your Quran and shove it up yours
Chris the oblogatory christians are terrorists to is really tiresome did any christians kill any soldiers at airport in germany last week ? No it was another radical muslim I have a list of terrrorist attacks I could post in recent years but this forum moderator is afraid of truth.
Chris you are so sensitive and loving.
If it's one thing I hate, it's muslims!
I do as well and it's about time people stopped being afraid to say so.We don't need them, we don't want them and they can take their woman-bashing religion and shove it.
It's one thing that I hate It's YOU!!!
Who pays you guys to post here? Did this article get on Megaphone or something?
TDiddy must not be a Christian. Christians are instructed by their Savior to be tolerant and love their neighbor. No one should judge muslims by the acts of a few any more than Christians or any good people should. Where are the adults in this conversation?
I was not an Islamophobe,...until after I read the Quran. It's astounding that Muslims even consider living in any other country other than a Muslim country. Sound ignorant to say such a thing? Then you should read the Quran.
I've read it too, but do you adhere adamantly to the first five books of the Bible? What about the promise of the coming of the Apocolypse (I've read the Bible too). My point – try to understand the "why" behind things that are written and realize that not all Muslims are so radical as to desire to implement Sharia law. We've enacted biblical law here – I live in a dry county for instance. So you see, it is all in the way one interprets the words. Also, if you understand the orgaization of the Suras, you realize why it reads the way it does. Moreso, if you know that the Qu'ran was not written by Muhammed (PBUH), but complied, edited and added to by many clerics in Messina YEARS after the prophet's death based upon what he passed as the word of Allah (God), you can see it is actually a doctrine for an organizational ideology, not much different than the Bible. Salam Alaykem – a Christian.
The term "Islamophobia" doesn't exist. It should be replace with Muslim phobia. What they are telling us is that we are afraid of them base on unfounded fear while Islamist leader try to deceit us into believing there's no compulsion in their religion and faith is peaceful – Thats what we call stealth Jihad ( Not violent Jihad ) also known as the art of deceiving the public . Just look persecution that happened in the islamic world even is the nation law doesn't prescribe death penalty for apostasy such as turkey and pakistan the community there still practice stoning and other form of killings for apostasy and blasphemer. Some here still believe that moderate muslim represent majority in their community but polls show otherwise since majority of world Muslim wants to be governed by Sharia embedded in their democracy. They called Islamic Democracy and thats not the democracy practice in the free world since there's no seperation of religion and state – without separation of religion there can be no freedom from tyranny.
I'm not saying all muslims are terrorist but majority are in fact islamist regardless how moderate they claimed to be. Nevertheless they're muslim moderate muslim usch as Irshad Manji , Palazzi and Zuhdi Jasser that are fighting for democracy but they're outnumbered since most muslim remained ultra-conservative
I am a christian, but I gotta agree white christian are just plain and simple weird. There own bogus fake version of christianity is just plain bizarre. Furthermore you might want to see who was here first ( natives) before you tell muslims or any other cultures for that matter that you were here first.
Really? White Christians? I love how people feel they can freely pinpoint white people as different than anyone else.
If a person had written Black Christian, Mexican Christian etc etc followed by what you posted there would be a cry of racism... but of course people can't be racist to whites right?????
so much for being a melting pot. i guess the older, white, southern uneducated men of the country are more scared every day that they are losing their power. blacks, jews, muslims, hispanics, asians...continue to become more and more relevant in our nation. i am not a muslim...i am, in fact, jewish. i feel for the muslim community, as they are humans too, no different than any of us in this melting pot. i love how the dying breed of old, narrow minded white men point fingers and raise fears...yet of course they never bring up how many of their kind have blown up federal buildings in oklahoma, attacked abortion clinics, killed abortion doctors, shot members of congress, shot presidents, etc. they are afraid of anyone unlike them...and muslims are just the latest target for these god bless america anti-un-american un-americans.
every one of your examples pales in comparison to the daily atrocities of Islam. Stay tuned for more bloody child murder and body parts in the name of Allah tomorrow.
you love them so much you bleeding heart libral can't wait for them to bomb you neck of the woods, why dont you move in with them? give them you wife and children. maybe you can all do taco's .
I am as well jewish, and you sound too ignorant to accept the fact that these Muslims hate you. Read any anti-Semitic attack statistics in Europe. They are 99% committed by Muslims. There were more anti-semitic attacks committed by Muslims in SWEDEN than total anti-Muslim attacks in the US in 2009 alone. Get your stuff straight
I don't care how you feel...but can you morons please keep your "Jesus is Lord" and "We Christians were here first" off of this blog. It's all a BS witch hunt just like the McCarthy hearings and they have a right to be here, too.
Why don't you shut your mouth Mikey?
Could not have said it better
Mikey your right
nice. am i wrong, or weren't there many religions before the fisherman's followers started publishing books about the fisherman 1700 or so years ago, and before they started traveling the world to take over land/nations in the name of god (and the desire to expand their real estate holdings...lol)?
Not a Christian, however, Islam stands against everything America stands for. The cult of Islam has no business here.
Theirs is the only religion in the universe that glorifies killing. They deny it when you confront them with this truth. They should explain what a fatwa is. I remember a moron who used to call their religion "religion of peace." How far from the truth is this. Look at trouble spots around the globe, who is doing the trouble? Yes it is the religion of peace.
What, all those stories in the old testament of the israelites going and slaughtering tribes down to the last man, woman and child don't count as glorifying?
Kyle, the stories in the Old Testament you refer to (which is the Torah, i.e. Judaism) does not glorify those massacres like i slam glorifies moh hamids numerous massacres, enslavements and mass raapes of all those who oppose i slam.
Additionally, the massacres in the Torah that you refer to were historical acts. In other words they happened but were never meant as a command to keep doing it, unlike allah's command to kill and/or oppress the non mosslim until they convert or pay protection money called Jizya.
J ews do not wage war throughout the world on all non J ews, islam does.
HOOAH, you're wrong. The Old Testament ABSOLUTELY glorifies massacre. I hope you're just being sarcastic. Otherwise you're just laughably wrong.
Its called takyida, just like our president, why didnt he ever tell us before the election that his name was hussein.
“For the last 10 years, there has been a movement of intolerance against Muslim Americans, but it hasn’t been above the surface,”
Neither has Islamic terrorism since 9/11 been above the surface. Muslims all over the world cause violence. This is what needs to be discussed. Not Jewish violence, not Hindu terrorists, not agnostic sucidide bombers, not Budhist Jihadists... no Islamic violence and terrorism all over the whole world. From killing school children in Russia to cutting off heads in Mindanao. From 9/11 to 7/7. From expoding shoes to exploding underwear. From exploding liquids to exploding people. From New York City to the gulf stream forest, Muslims are violent, won't respect our culture or laws and cause death every day.
Ed, u r wrong. Google saffron terrerism and u will know how good my Hindu brothers are.
King is right in his letter to call out how political correctness can obscure a real and dangerous threat to the country, and this is what Islam is banking on. What you have is a supposed holy book – the Koran – which dictates violence and killing against infidels (non-Muslims) that they believe was giving to them by Allah. You also have sharia law, which they believe supersedes U.S. law. Mix together, shake well, and what do you have? Wake up America...!
Sharia law already exists in this country...it's called the GOP. Look at what they are doing to women. Abortion, Planned Parenthood, mis carriage notes from your doctor. They treat the women in this country just about as they do in the mid east..without the stoning, but that will be next by these pigs.
Shut up Mikey!
You shut up tdiddy
Lies and tales. Where's the beef? That is where is your evidence?
Arduck,
It's in the Qur'an. Vile evil garbage invented by a madman.
Evidence is in Quran, Hadith, Sunnah, Sharia Law. Read online. Do so research. Muslims are expected to lie (taqiyya) to 'infidels' until their numbers increase enough to come right out with their demands for implementation of Sharia Law and 'infidel' conversions or submit to payments or be killed. Any friendly passages are overridden by the last spoken (cruel) by Mohammed, any compassion is directed to muslims only, not infidels – make sure not to take out of context and lose that meaning, as our PC leaders and news sources have spouted to us.
If you don't want to be here and be a loving, peaceful, free, and a law abiding citizen, then leave!!! Amen!!!
Pastor and Retired U.S. Army!!!
I'm a "loving, peaceful, free, and a law abiding citizen" who continues to be a victim of many different crimes by many different people. Many of them are "christian" criminals who think the laws of this country do not mean anything when their religion says different (or they conveniently "interpret" them that way..).
So you're a pastor and ex-army. So what? That does not give you any right to shove your religion in my face and subvert our government in the name of your skewed religious views. Put a sock in it and quit pretending that our Constltution is worthless before your religious beliefs.
Mr EO is a fraud who offers no proof to his fascist Leftist claims. i slam is evil, deal with it.
I couldd say that to a lot of people who call themselves good americans. Pastor John, how good is your knowledge of the whole scope of American History, 619 to present?
many Muslims are peace loving law abiding people but still get labeled as terrorists.So YOU PASTOR aren't the only "so called"peaceful one.
How can we the general public feel safe they are not wearing a big sticker on his/her head say that they can be source of danger.
I think we're all starting to get a little tired of this. Of course this story doesn't talk about all attrocities caused by radical Muslims. Only that they are victims. And isn't it funny when there is a terrorist attack by Muslims that these same people complaining about these hearings are nowhere to be found? Why do they never come out and condemn these attacks? And why is this even a story when two soldiers were killed in Germany last week at the hands of a radical Muslim but it barely makes the news? We are doomed.
Relax, John. Just put your head on the floor and your butt in the air. Now, was that so hard?
why does he need to get on his knees and raise his butt in the air? is he visiting his priest?
No they behave EXACTLY how christians behave, they point to the terrorist and say "they were not real muslims". How many christians take responsibility for Timothy McVeigh bombing? He was raised catholic and wrote in his journal RIGHT before the bombing that he knew god would bless him. How much of the protestant and catholic terrorism in ireland is held by christianity as their fault?
Amen, brother Kyle.
Actually KYLE, McVeigh was raised Catholic but admitted he never believed in Chris tianity when he was interviewed just prior to his execution. At the time of his terrorist attack he claimed to be agnostic and that his crime was not related to his Christian upbringing. At the time of his execution he claimed to believe in a higher power/being but the higher being was somehow related only science not particularly to any god.
So you see KYLE, your asinine attempt to drag Chris tianity into an argument dealing with i salm, and its terrorist ideology, is a bust. Go peddle your Politically Correct fascists nonsense somewhere else. is lam is evil, read the quran and deal with it!
there were these same kind of hearing after the mcveigh bombing into militant groups in the usa and i didn't see the militants wringing their hands and crying they were the victims nor did i see the media making a big deal out of it and asking that other groups be included so the militants would not be "offended". mcveigh is the only militant that has ever committed a suicide bombing in the usa or has ever tried to yet the entire american militant community was scrutinized
The story talks about how regular American Muslims are feeling stigmatized and treated as the enemy when there are 7 million law-abiding American Muslim citizens and there were only 19 illegal immigrant hijackers on 9/11.
@ Kyle
Timothy McVeigh's act of terrorism was not religiously motivated, it was strictly political, but I'll concede that one because he was a Christian anyways...So, how long ago was that, and how many bombings have been committed to advance Christianity since? How many gunmen have murdered politicians in the streets because they said something offensive to Jesus like the muslims do in Pakistan?
Not all Muslims are murderers, but why go on ignoring the fact that whenever the FBI makes headlines thesed days, it's because they've disrupted a homegrown terrorist who was plotting to hurt you, me, or our neighbors. When was the last time they foiled a Christian, Buddhist, Morman, Sceintology, Shinto, Jewish, Voodoo, or Hindu terrorist attack? Maybe they haven't because they're haven't been any attempted.
because mcviey didnt hold up a bible and proclaim it was for his religon as most islamic extremists do....
LOL spade!!!!
First of all McVeigh was an atheist and he t do what he did for religious reasons. Secondly and more importantly, he was executed for his crime. Just try executing a Muslim for a similar crime and watch the Muslims protest how he's being executed because he's a Muslim.
Given the recent revolutions in the mid-east I want to know when they will all be going home after the countries they came from have become democracies. Is there anything the we can do hasten their departure?
We don't ask you to convert to Christianity, so stop feeding us your lies. Enbrace this country and what Americans believe or get out.
How about my religon, Hindism???? they do not ebrace christanity. They play hypocrate, act good in front of you. Why single out one religon? My contrymen/women are taking away jobs, wealth etc and we still get scot free.... howz that? I don't think you fools could ever realize it
It's very clear "Agrawal Anil" does not follow "Hindism" ....it's also quite clear what follows...."think KA_BOOM in crowded place"
LOLOLOL
The Church condemns what you said
What part of the word Evangelical don't you understand?
I'm American. In fact, my fathers' side came over on the Mayflower and my mother's side are Choctaw. And I'm not Christian. Stop pretending that American = Christian. You know you really mean white, anyway.
Here's the answer, Lock all the Islamics and Christians in one big room.
Oh that's all, I'm not trying to fix anybody I just want them all to go away.
Sweet!
Quess what? You are no better than a racist. Isn't that what hitler wanted to do to the jews?
Way to go mini-hitler!
If the Muslims can't take the heat they should leave and go home.
wow. i guess you are angry because you live in such a melting pot. god bless america, land of the free...oh, i bet you hate that part of the sentence. i bet you'd like it to include "except unless you don't believe in jesus or if you are a n_ _ _ _ r, a j_ w or a_ _ _ n or h_ _ _ _ _ _ _c...in that case get the hell out, and if you don't nuts like me will come and burn a crucifix in your front yard in the name of a loving god." gotta love organized religion and the hatred they spread. god bless my independent thinking brain...i feel sorry for the narrow-mindeds like you.
Go back home? Let's take a reasoned look at this. Muslims have been immigrating here for a long time. The first wave of (non-enslaved) Muslims immigrated here from Syria in 1875. The first known Muslim organization was formed in 1915, the first mission in 1920, the first new construction intended to be a mosque in 1934. Those immigrants had children and grandchildren who were born here.
Then there is the African American thread. Originated as the Nation of Islam in the '30s (the NOI is really a spin-off religion), Warith Deen Muhammad later reformed the NOI into Sunni Islam. Louis Farrakhan left the organization with the intent of rebuilding the original NOI.
So, there are two threads to American Islam, and not all of them involve people fresh off the boat. Just so you know.
Peace.
Do you know how silly you sound?
if your going to quote the koran at least let people know that they were made from animals his wives uh huh think about that says it all right there
Perhaps you are the one who should go home.
Paperjihad... 66% of the Muslims In the U.S. are foreign born.
JESUS IS LORD!!!
Brainwashed!
In your mind I am sure he is, but others have different opinions. Peace,
agreed
with what MB said
so what your saying exactly is you worship a devout jew nice ....
Amen!
For some, but not others. Religions formed to fit the needs of the people in different parts of the world. Jesus is just one of the
leaders – Confucious, Mohammed, the Buddha, etc. Once we recognize each other's faiths, we can have peace.
Amen
All I got to say is that I'm a Christian and firm believer in the Holy Bible, and it'll take more than a bunch of Muslims to change that. Not even if they burn every Bible in America, and me along with them. If muslims want to love this country, then they better love us because we were here first, and so was our religion!
I believe the America Indians were here first. The ones we tried to Christianize with guns and hanging. GOD bless us perfect Christians!!!!
@Al nice response. I wish people would think before they speak.
al...perfect. once again, who cares about facts – sure, if you say this was our country loud enough, who will question it. we should all be thanking the religious zealots who came to steal a nation...as you pointed out, yup, it was those darn christians taking from the native americans. kind of like how they also tried to take the middle east during the crusades. and i could have sworn our country was ultimately founded by folks seeking religious freedom from the horrifically powerful church.
since our ancestors "stole" this country from the indians we should just sit quietly by while muslims steal it from us?
especially since we know that the great satan america is the only country in the world that was established that way
When has any Muslim tried to change that? Have any knocked on your door? Heck, have any even handed you so much as a flier? I'm a Muslim and the Quran says you can never try to force someone to convert. Let's live in peace.
@Sulayman F "the Quran says you can never try to force someone to convert. Let's live in peace." I agree with the latter part, but you're either ignorante of, or practicing taqiyah with the former. Haven't you read Sura 9:5?
"So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then IF THEY REPENT AND KEEP UP PRAYER and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Surah 9.5)
Keep in mind, surah 9 was supposed to be the second to last revalation. Per the Koran, later verses abrogate (supersede) earlier verses when the contradict each other.
@Call a Spade a Spade – I love your comment, minus the sarcasm. Put bluntly, it is very well said.
lol mussilums hate you because you worship a jew jesus ..... didnt know that did you
No, we weren't here first. When are we going to start educating people? This level of ignorance is way more frightening and dangerous than a muslim or two.
So Al your point would be you support radical islam and people like Major Hassan or the attempted bombing of times square last year or the radical muslims who want to see sharia law implemented in the United States.
Then prepare to die. north Africa, Syria, Turkey all use to be Christian territories
Muhamad was a child and camel humper.
Muslims Americans whine and cry and fear monger.
Yet still want to behave like they always have to scare people and force their violent beliefs into society.
What else is new.
So, I guess objecting to this is also whining?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutFkykjmbM
Hey Ty...when you say "Yet still want to behave like they always have to scare people and force their violent beliefs into society", you mean like Republicans who use fear, lies and such such tactics to excite their base against anyone who does not look or think like them? Remember how someone used WMDs and mushroom clouds to scare us into an unnecessary war?
stop blowing up innocent people and oppressing women and you wont have to worry!
Who are you talking to?? That's the problem; you don't really know. American Muslims are Americans, not terrorists.