Good News from ANTI-CAIR

The good folks at Anti-CAIR sent out a terrific email Friday afternoon, 17 June 2005.

In Defense of the Constitution
News & Analysis
021/05 June 17, 2005

CAIR: Hurt Feelings in Lodi, California

The federal government indicted a father and son from Lodi, California on 16 June on terrorism related charges:

http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2005/06/16/terrorism/1_indicted_050616.txt

This is an example of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) getting around to doing its job properly; defending the United States from terrorist attacks. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has taken the usual tack of not addressing the crime and instead attacking the accuser.

These are the words of Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Sacramento chapter of CAIR:

"We have documented numerous reports of intimidating tactics used recently by some FBI agents. We've become disappointed and alarmed at reports of abuse by local FBI."

And:

http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2005/06/15/terrorism/1_allegations_050615.txt

"There have been threats of deportation, telling someone they can't have an attorney, when the attorney was on the phone they wouldn't speak to the attorney."

In addition, Elkarra made allegations that law enforcement threatened to detain people for jaywalking; conducted surveillance of a mosque, and grabbed a youth by the arm.

During one arrest, according to Elkarra, agents "knew there were three females in the house and five children, but they still came in with guns".

CAIR alleges egregious violations of civil rights, but then, in our opinion, fails to provide any proof. In the alleged case of the agents effecting an arrest with women and children in the house, would CAIR rather law enforcement knock politely and invite the terrorism suspect to come out for a quick chat on the stoop? Or does CAIR believe that terrorism suspects in America should use women and children as human shields, as they do in Iraq and Gaza?

What do local Muslims think of CAIRs interference?

http://www.recordnet.com/articlelink/061105/news/articles/061105-gn-3.php#

Apparently, not much.

According to the article, Lodi Muslims are not appreciative of CAIRs standing by the father and son as well as two local imams arrested on immigration violations. Local Muslims plan to protest at the Sacramento office of CAIR.

Lodi Muslim Mosque board member Nick Qayyum stated that the two imams:

".divided our families -- brothers against brothers, sisters against sisters. If (CAIR) is going to go out to support these people, we're going to protest.that's not a joke, either. As far as I'm concerned, (Khan and Ahmed) hijacked our religion and tried to hijack us "

A sizeable proportation of Lodi Muslims have chosen to stand up to CAIRs hateful tactics, rightly pointing out that it is their community and that CAIR clearly is on the wrong side in this latest battle against Islamofascism.

It looks to ACAIR that Lodi Muslims have rejected the hate, bigotry, and cheap tactics of CAIR; we're happy to note this development and hope that this is a continuing trend in the American Muslim community.

Andrew Whitehead
Director, Anti-Council on American-Islamic Relations (ACAIR)
Stockton CA USA
ajwhitehead@anti-cair-net.org
www.anti-cair-net.org

Anti-CAIR stated in the foregoing "What do local Muslims think of CAIRs interference?" and then gave this reference:
http://www.recordnet.com/articlelink/061105/news/articles/061105-gn-3.php#. Here is that article.

Muslim community: division and reflection

By Neil Gonzales and Howard Lachtman
Record Staff writers
Published Saturday, June 11, 2005

LODI -- The local Muslim community has tried hard this week to mask its divisions.

Those internal struggles may soon reappear in a public way. On Friday, Lodi Muslim Mosque board member Nick Qayyum said he and many others plan to protest at the Sacramento office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations for its part in standing by two local spiritual leaders arrested on immigration violations -- Mohammad Adil Khan and Shabbir Ahmed.

The two imams, as well as Khan's teenage son, were as Khan's teenage son, were detained as federal officials investigated two other men suspected of having ties to terrorists. Hamid Hayat and his father, Umer Hayat, were arrested Sunday on charges of lying to investigators.

Qayyum said the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, shouldn't be defending the two imams, who he thinks have tried to take control of the local Islamic community. The imams have been controversial in part because they came to Lodi from Pakistan.

Khan also spearheads efforts to build the Farooqia Islamic Center, where some Muslims hope to create a religious school. Lodi Muslim Mosque board members have sued over those plans, accusing Farooqia supporters with deception and fraud.

More than 3,000 Muslims from Pakistan live in the Lodi area. The community has been divided in part over the Farooqia center, but also over whether the community should be led by outsiders or those who grew up in area.

Qayyum said that Khan and Ahmed "divided our families -- brothers against brothers, sisters against sisters. If (CAIR) is going to go out to support these people, we're going to protest. We're going to try to get 400 to 500 people to go to the office in Sacramento. That's not a joke, either.

"As far as I'm concerned, (Khan and Ahmed) hijacked our religion and tried to hijack us."

Farooqia supporters dispute that they've been deceptive in planning for their center in southwest Lodi. Those supporters have spoken out this week on behalf of Khan and Ahmed and say the complaints are coming from a minority.

CAIR's executive director, Basim Elkarra, declined to comment Friday about the disputes.

Qayyum said some local Muslims have called Elkarra to protest CAIR's support of the imams.

Lodi Mayor John Beckman said he first learned about the possible protest just after a news conference held late Thursday afternoon. There, mosque board members and Farooqia supporters appeared together to speak to the media about the need to join together as a city to prevent hate crimes against Muslims.

Beckman said he was also present when Elkarra told an FBI agent that Farooqia opponents have been calling him and would protest outside his office. Elkarra told the agent that the Farooqia opponents told him to not fight any efforts to deport Khan and Ahmed, Beckman said.

Meanwhile, a message of spiritual reflection was preached at the Lodi Muslim Mosque during afternoon prayers Friday.

In the absence of the imams, lay people conducted the regular Friday sermon, or khutbah, and congregational prayer, or jummah, in Urdu, the language of Pakistan.

Worshipers said the service began with a traditional call to prayer: "God is most great, and I testify that there is no god except God, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God, come to prayer!"

A Quran reading reminded members that all are equal in God's sight, and spreading hatred between people is "an inexcusable crime," worshipers said.

Mosque President Mohammed Shoaib told reporters that the Islamic community is united.

"We will work together and solve the problem. We will resolve our differences," he said.

Contact Neil Gonzales at (209) 367-7428 or ngonzale@recordnet.com

Contact Howard Lachtman at (209) 546-8269 or lachtman@recordnet.com