Islam

Acts of Support and Solidarity Following the Backlash

September 18, 2001

Source: Al-Hewar Web Site

http://www.alhewar.com/september_11_condolences.htm

The Al-Hewar Center is maintaining a comprehensive web site which includes statements regarding the terror attacks and the backlash that followed. As noted on the site: "America will rebuild her buildings, but the real challenge is to keep her spirit of tolerance alive." The Al-Hewar Center describes itself as "an independent forum for...

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In the U.S.: Muslims, Sikhs, Arabs, South Asians Face Threats, Violence (September 17 - October)

September 18, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On September 18, 2001, The New York Times reported that "A continuing wave of attacks yesterday on Muslims, Sikhs and others who appear to be Middle Eastern brought condemnation from President Bush and murder charges against an Arizona man accused in a weekend shooting that has been deemed a hate killing." (See more extensive coverage of the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh from Arizona, below.) The article reported on ongoing threats and attacks, including an attack on an Islamic Center in a suburb of Cleveland; the incident...

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Religious Communities and Advocacy Organizations Issue Statements Regarding Backlash, Scapegoating

September 18, 2001

Source: ISNA and NCCCUSA

On September 18, 2001, the National Council of Churches of Christ USA (NCCCUSA) and the Islamic Society of North America reported on the Interfaith statement: "Deny them their victory: A religious response to terrorism." The statement noted, "We assert the vision of community, tolerance, compassion, justice, and the sacredness of human life, which lies at the heart of all our religious traditions. America must be a safe place for all our citizens in all their diversity." Statement, with signatures, on...

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Editorials Regarding Backlash, Scapegoating: (Sept 17 - October)

September 18, 2001

Source: The Arizona Republic

http://www.arizonarepublic.com/opinions/articles/0918prothero18.html

On September 18, 2001, The Arizona Republic published Steven Prothero's editorial, "Intolerance deeply rooted in ignorance of religions." It read, in part: "Times like these no doubt call for tolerance. All Americans need to be reminded that we are a nation not only of immigrants but also of religions, that Muslims and Sikhs are as welcome here as are...

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In the Aftermath: Reaching Out, Offering Assistance and Correcting Misconceptions

September 18, 2001

Source: St. Petersburg Times

On September 18, 2001, The St. Petersburg Times reported on the local Muslim community's proactive approach after the terror attacks. "Local Muslim leaders were quick to react against a backlash by expressing public support of the victims and condemnation of the terrorism. They took out full-page newspaper ads, 'A Message from Your Muslim Neighbors,' wrote editorials and showed up in full force to give blood. Sunday night, Muslim leaders invited local Christian churches to a prayer session at the Islamic school in Temple Terrace...

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Citizens Act Locally to Support Muslim Neighbors

September 17, 2001

Source: The Dallas Morning News

http://www.dallasnews.com/religion/472580_wedgwoodsider_.html

On September 17, 2001, The Dallas Morning News reported that "Forty Denton County clergy from all faiths and races stood on the grounds of the Islamic Society of Denton on Sunday afternoon, shoulder to shoulder, surrounding Imam Ahmed Alarafi, the leader of the society. They gathered to show their support for the Islamic congregation and its mosque, where a Molotov...

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The Murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi

September 17, 2001

Source: The Arizona Republic

http://www.arizonarepublic.com/news/articles/0917attacks-hate17.html

On September 17, 2001, The Arizona Republic reported that "Hundreds of people across the Valley on Sunday mourned the slaying in Mesa of a Sikh gas station owner whose only crime, his loved ones say, was that he looked Arabic and wore a turban." The article continued, "Throughout the weekend, hundreds of Valley residents visited the makeshift shrine set up...

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In the Aftermath: Reaching Out, Offering Assistance and Correcting Misconceptions

September 17, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On September 17, 2001, The New York Times published the article "'Allah Bless America'" about the march of Muslim Americans and Arab Americans in Brooklyn Heights, New York. "The marchers gathered along Atlantic Avenue, at the heart of the city's most prominent Arab-American neighborhood, before walking to the waterfront promenade, which until last week offered breathtaking views of the trade center. They held signs ('Terrorism is Un-Islamic'), sang songs like 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' and were joined by hundreds of others....

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Increasing Intolerance in US

September 17, 2001

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/gen.hate.crimes/index.html

On September 17, 2001, CNN reported that "Reports of hate crimes against Muslims and southeast Asians have risen exponentially across the U.S. in the wake of Tuesday's terror attacks." These attacks included some 300 reported attacks against Muslims; the firebombing of a Hindu temple in Matawan, New Jersey; and over 100 attacks against Sikhs, including an Arizona murder that may have been a hate...

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Americans of All Faiths Seek Solace, Understanding After Terror Attacks

September 17, 2001

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On September 17, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that "Throngs of people turned up at houses of worship in the Bay Area and across the nation yesterday for services that focused on last week's terror attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and western Pennsylvania. Churches were jammed with the kind of attendance that is usually only seen on Easter or Christmas. ...At Glide United Methodist Church in San Francisco's Tenderloin, the rafters shook during two full-house services. Scores of people were turned away...

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