Injustice against Muslims both up and down

2009-12-23T22:13:21Z

The California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) recently published an annual report revealing civil rights abuses, and harassment against Muslims in California.

Verbal harassment, employment discrimination and the denial of religious accommodation all increased by double digit percentage points, 41 percent 19 percent and 12 percent respectively, while the number of workplace incidents rose from 88 cases in 2007 to 103 cases in 2008.

In 2008 CAIR-CA processed a total of 480 incidents, a decrease from the 553 reported in 2007. The report noted that despite the number of incidents against Muslims is down from the year prior, certain areas of discrimination saw an increase.

The majority of the claims CAIR-CA processed were legal or immigration issues, with 29 percent.

The report provides a few examples of how the negative perception of Islam is spreading. In the unfortunate election year of 2008, Muslims faced yet another bastardization with a piece the Clarion Fund created and distributed.

The video opens up with a disclaimer that the video is not about peaceful Muslims but rather about violent ones, to make that non-racist distinction very clear to people who might confuse themselves.

The Clarion Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading Islamophobia.

The Clarion Fund has no inhibitions about being anti-education, according to the Clarion Fund website, “ …Information about Islamic culture is taught in public and private schools across the U.S. From Kindergarten to college, our children may be susceptible to mistruths about Islam and its relationship to the western world.”

According to the study the Clarion Fund churned out 28 million copies in presidential battleground states which outlined freakish and violent Muslim activities only to perpetuate a painfully erroneous representation of Islam.

The 32-page study is not without its recommendations to increase knowledge and acceptance of Muslims in society, ranging from work sensitivity training to open houses at mosques.

CAIR-CA states, American Muslims are encouraged to report any instances of perceived civil rights abuses to their local CAIR chapter to ensure a more representative account of civil rights abuses.”

Sacramento has seen a recent spat of harassment and thievery against Muslims. Just over a month ago Federal prosecutors seized a mosque in Charmichael forcing the 150 member congregation to move elsewhere.

The property where The Qoba Foundation rests is thought to be acquired with illegal funds by the Alavi Foundation. The members of the mosque are not the subject of inquiry or thought to have been involved with any wrongdoing.

In West Sacramento, the West Sacramento Islamic Center mosque was vandalized and robbed on Dec. 1.According to authorities, ‘they are looking into the case as a possible hate crime.”

Justin Smith can be reached at justinsmiths@gmail.com

Locals join national "Stop Lou Dobbs" campaign

2009-10-22T03:28:05Z

Noon-hour visitors to Cesar Chavez Plaza were able to view more than just a farmer's market Wednesday.

They also witnessed about 20 activists and members of the media in a press conference announcing the "Stop Lou Dobbs" campaign created by the national Latino community group, www.presente.org.

The group formed as a response to anti-Latino sentiment in the media, starting with who they feel is the worst offender: CNN's Lou Dobbs. According to the group's website, www.bastadobbs.com, Dobbs uses his news program "Lou Dobbs Tonight" to spread false information about immigrants and Latinos.

Held only hours before CNN debuts a four-hour documentary called "Latino in America," the group came together to challenge what it called "CNN's hypocrisy."

"I think that CNN can't continue to present this dichotomous view of Latinos as strong people and then (have Dobbs) trash our heritage," said Rafael Aguilera of Sacramento's La Raza network.

Gathering around the statue of Cesar Chavez, several of the speakers included Sacramento's Chicano Consortium director Efren Guttierrez, CSUS ethnic studies professor Eric Vega and Sacramento's Council on American-Islamic Relations director Basim Elkarra.

"The location has always been symbolic of Chavez, a humanitarian who fought for all of us, at the center of our hearts," Guttierrez said.

"Lou Dobbs and others have been spreading hatred through the airways," he said in a speech to the small group of local media and gatherers.

A press release from www.bastadobbs.com said that out of 140 broadcast hours from Jan. 1 to July 23 of this year, 77 hours of "Lou Dobbs Tonight" included segments on immigrants. The website stated, "Dobbs helps popularize the myth that Latino immigrants flood the U.S. with disease (and) a third of our prison system is made up of illegal aliens." The website states both claims are not true.

It also said that Dobbs promoted extremist groups such as Federation for American Immigration Reform and The Minutemen on his show.

"Incitement (of hate) leads to hate crimes," Elkarra said. "Organizations like CNN have a responsibility not to support hate."

"Dobbs hides behind the first amendment, and his speech leads to an increase in attacks against Latinos," Vega said.

Local photographer Francisco Dominguez said he thinks Latinos have suffered racism since this country's inception.

"(Racism) has no business on television (posed) as news," Dominguez said. "There needs to be checks on the program, (especially when) the No. 1 victims of hate crimes are Latinos."

Rob Griffith, a local reporter from Capitol Television News Service, said that while he's never watched Lou Dobbs' show, the Stop Lou Dobbs campaign is misdirected.

"The people behind (Stop Lou Dobbs) misunderstand how the first amendment works," he said. "Efforts to silence opposition violates American freedoms."

Guttierrez explained that www.presente.org has already received 70,000 signatures on a petition to pull Dobbs off the air, but the goal is 100,000. Though Guttierrez urged Latinos and others to watch the CNN program airing tonight, Domiguez said that he was ready to boycott CNN entirely.

"CNN will understand that," he said. "It's the same thing that Chavez did with the grape growers. He was a master organizer."

Guttierrez said that he would watch "Latino in America" out of respect for the people whom the program features. He mentioned that CNN is the most trusted name in news, but added "if this is how CNN builds trust, (they) will lose it."

Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "cair"

Injustice against Muslims both up and down

Locals join national "Stop Lou Dobbs" campaign