Source: Springfield News

http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2003/03/26/local/news2.txt

On March 26, 2003 the Springfield News reported that "without supporting or opposing the U.S.-led war with Iraq, local law enforcement and community leaders gathered Tuesday in Springfield to denounce acts of hate against Arab and Muslim Americans... City, county, state and federal officials gathered at City Hall to warn potential trouble-makers they will face...

Source: National Council of Churches

On March 25, 2003 the National Council of Churches reported that "in a free society, all are responsible. That was among observations of four panelists - all religious leaders opposed to the war on Iraq - at a March 25 forum, 'From Winning the War to Winning the Peace: An Interfaith Dialogue on Resistance and Reconciliation...' More than 100 people filled the 'Great Choir' of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City for the forum, held in the early days of the war. 'This forum offers us a chance to reflect...

Source: Los Angeles Times

On March 25, 2003 the Los Angeles Times printed an editorial stating that "as the war in Iraq began last week, state and local leaders put police forces and emergency workers on alert against terrorist attacks. In Los Angeles, they also announced they would beef up their investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, a clear message that homeland security extends to Muslims and Arab Americans... Most recently, police are investigating as a hate crime the Feb. 22 beating of an 18-year-old Arab American by a pack of 30 young men in...

Source: Newsday

On March 25, 2003 Newsday reported that "those who knew Asan Akbar, suspected of hurling live grenades into officers' tents in Kuwait, described him yesterday as a studious and devout man whose alleged actions were 'totally out of character...' Akbar's mother, Quran Bilal [said] her son might have been accused because he is a Muslim and that Akbar had expressed fears he might be harassed because of his religion... [Sabir] El-Amin... a member of the Bilal Islamic Center in Los Angeles, where Akbar was a member... cautioned against associating...

Source: The Baltimore Sun

On March 25, 2003 The Baltimore Sun reported that "stop and chat with Anthony Romanus as he tends to his suburban garden and you'll realize, if you don't already, that the conflicting opinions can take place in a single soul as well - in this case that of a man who knew only a few English words when he came here from the Middle East at 21 and worked his way up from $5 a week as a shoe repairman to the board of directors of a bank and insurance company... He is one of more than 5,000 residents of Peoria [IL] - often viewed as the...

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

On March 24, 2003 the Chicago Sun-Times reported that "the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago will hold an interfaith prayer service for peace... at St. James Episcopal Cathedral, Wabash and Huron... The council includes bishops and leaders of diverse religious groups, including Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago; bishops of the Episcopal and United Methodist churches; various Protestant, Eastern and Orthodox Christian leaders; the head of the Chicago Board of Rabbis;...

Source: LA Daily News

On March 24, 2003 the LA Daily News reported that "although there's been no surge in hate crimes in the city since the war in Iraq began, Mayor James Hahn and other local leaders counseled tolerance Monday among the Los Angeles' many diverse communities... 'In this time of heightened anxiety and uncertainty, it's important to stay true to who we are as a people and as city,' Hahn said. 'No matter how stressful these times are, there is no excuse for anyone to treat anyone as a scapegoat or to rely on stereotyping...' Councilmen Dennis...

Source: The Boston Globe

On March 24, 2003 the Boston Globe reported that "Police are investigating the discovery of anti-Islamic leaflets found in Chinatown last week. The propaganda was allegedly issued by a group called the Massachusetts Para Military, a militia group based outside Massachusetts, according to Cliff Connolly, police spokesman. The leaflets, which were found on Stuart Street near the Buzz Club on Friday and were brought to the attention of police on Saturday, featured images of a skull and crossbones and a semiautomatic rifle and allegedly...

Source: Daily News

On March 24, 2003 the Daily News reported that "whether Christian, Jew, Buddhist, animist, Muslim or a practitioner of any other faith, Muriel Stockdale believes we're more alike than different... Though we may be divided by what we believe, we're united in our devotions to those beliefs, Stockdale said... That's why Stockdale, 50, has joined fellow filmmakers Manech Ibar and Casey Meade Rothstein-Fitzpatrick, both 27, to create 'New York Spirit,' a documentary of how we pray."

Source: National Council of Churches

http://www.ncccusa.org/news/03news23.html

On March 24, 2003 the National Council of Churches issued a joint statement with Secretary Generals of the Islamic Circle of North America and the Islamic Society of North America. It stated, "we are deeply saddened that military action against Iraq has begun. We pray now for a quick conclusion to this war, for the loss of as few lives as possible, and for peace. In the darkness of war, let us be...

Source: Star-Telegram

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/5468577.htm

On March 24, 2003 the Star-Telegram reported that "more than three dozen children heard from [Stan] Strauss, who investigates hate crimes for the Dallas office of the FBI. As the war in Iraq continues, some Muslims are concerned that they could become victims of harassment and hate crimes similar to ones that occurred during the first gulf war... Agents who spoke at the mosque also explained the FBI's efforts to interview...

Source: The Argus

On March 23, 2003 The Argus reported that "Japanese-American civil rights groups are joining Muslim and interfaith groups outraged over new wartime security measures calling for Arab immigrants seeking political asylum in the United States to be locked up until the government can verify their reasons for coming here... Officials with the Department of Homeland Security say the measures announced last week also are being taken to 'advise members of the Iraqi community of the FBI's responsibilities in protecting them from hate crimes...'...

Source: Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/la-me-sublopez23mar23,0,5305794.column

On March 23, 2003 the Los Angeles Times reported that "they've been gathering every Friday morning at 7 o'clock since Sept. 11, 2001, trying to keep the world from unraveling... Muslim and Jew, Hindu and Christian, Buddhist and Sufi, one of these and one of those. It's a Los Angeles crowd, for sure, and a nice idea... Love, peace, common ground... this flock of clergy and...

Source: News Observer

http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2366598p-2207123c.html

On March 23, 2003 the News Observer reported that "the United States is waging a war fraught with religious overtones, but leaders of Triangle churches, synagogues and mosques [in NC] are steering far clear of the fray. On the first weekend of war in Iraq, they are sticking to eternal themes of peace and love, saying the politics of war have no place in the pulpit. The reasoning is...

Source: Newsday

On March 23, 2003 Newsday reported that "in the midst of the weak U.S. economy and in the aftermath of Sept. 11, the EEOC has seen a spike in workplace bias complaints nationwide - but particularly in the categories of age and religious discrimination, which have skyrocketed... Although the filing of a complaint does not necessarily mean that anti-bias laws have been violated, age discrimination cases rose 14.5 percent in 2002 to nearly 20,000 nationwide compared with the preceding year. Some experts say the increase indicates that older...