Opinion Editorials, January 2011

BREAKING: CAIR-Chicago Says Muslims Barred from Public Pool

Video: CAIR Rep Discusses MEMRI Agenda on AlJazeera English

CAIR: WordPress.com Deletes Blog that Advocated Killing Muslims

 The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced today that an Internet blog containing posts that advocated burning mosques, making false bomb threats implicating Muslims, desecrating Muslim graves, and that recommended the “proper way to shoot a muslim [sic]” has been deleted by its hosting company.

CAIR said visitors to “Bootislam's Blog,” hosted by WordPress.com, now see the message: "bootislam.wordpress.com is no longer available. This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service."

Yesterday, CAIR called on American Muslims and other people of conscience to contact WordPress.com to ask that the Internet hosting company drop the blog for violating its Terms of Service, which prohibit blogs that "contain threats or incite violence towards individuals or entities."

Posts on the blog had headlines such as:

* Burning Mosques – A lovely idea * Training in desecrating muslim [sic] graves * The proper way to shoot a muslim [sic]

SEE: CAIR: Internet Host Asked to Drop Blog Advocating Killing Muslims

“We thank all those who took the time to contact Wordpress.com to express their concerns about the incitement to violence found on the blog,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “We also thank Wordpress.com for taking swift and decisive action in this case."

Awad said CAIR has reported the content of the blog to the FBI.

CAIR recently published a "Challenging Islamophobia" pocket guide, which offers tips on dealing with anti-Islam rhetoric on the Internet.

SEE: CAIR 'Challenging Islamophobia' Pocket Guide

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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CAIR Action Alert #631:

CAIR: Internet Host Asked to Drop Blog Advocating Killing Muslims Site urges mosque arson, grave desecration, false bomb threats, murder

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/29/2010) –- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on American Muslims and other people of conscience to contact WordPress.com to ask that the Internet hosting company drop a blog containing posts that advocate burning mosques, making false bomb threats implicating Muslims, desecrating Muslim graves, and recommending the “proper way to shoot a muslim [sic].”

The WordPress.com “Terms of Service” prohibit blogs that “contain threats or incite violence towards individuals or entities.”

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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE.)

CONTACT Wordpress.com at: [email protected]

Refer to the http://bootislam.wordpress.com blog and quote the incitements to violence referenced in this alert. Ask that Wordpress.com delete the blog for violations of its “Terms of Service” agreement.

SEE: http://en.wordpress.com/abuse/ COPY All Correspondence to: [email protected]

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CAIR said a post on “Bootislam's Blog,” hosted by WordPress.com, urges readers to make false airline bomb threats for “all flights to hajji lands” and recommends that the threats be made from “different payphone [sic] always on busy street. . .Rubber gloves at phone booth.”

In a post headlined “Burning Mosques – A lovely idea,” the blog’s author writes: “What else could an infidel want? Watching your local mosque, or, any mosque for that matter burning should gladden our hearts. I sincerely hope the 911 mosque joins that parade. Maybe we should get stickers ‘Beautify America – Burn a mosque!’”

One comment on that post states: “There was a nice attempt to burn a mosque in Oregon – after the FBI sting. Perhaps we will see more of this in the future. Let us pray.”

A Bootislam post headlined “Training in desecrating muslim [sic] graves” offers advice on “Locating muslim [sic] graves to desecrate,” “Supplies you will need to acquire to proceed” and “The proper way to desecrate a muslim [sic] grave.”

In a post titled “The proper way to shoot a muslim [sic],” Bootislam writes: “Drill into the bullet tip a short way, and place a mixture. [sic] of pork fat and full strength bugkiller [sic] concentrate. . .Even if you only scratch him, the bug killer will make his descent to hell slow and painful, but he will surely go. The pork fat assures that he will go to muslim [sic] hell for sure.”

“This blog goes far beyond the promotion of anti-Muslim hate to advocate specific acts of violence targeting ordinary Muslims,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “This is not a matter of free speech, which we defend on a daily basis, but involves incitement to the kind of violence American Muslims have experienced.

He noted that recent hate incidents targeting American Muslims include the arrest of an Idaho man for threatening a Muslim woman while she was shopping, an apparently bias-motivated attack on a Muslim woman outside an Ohio mosque, the harassment of a Muslim woman in Oregon, an arson attack on an Oregon mosque, and reports that mosques in Michigan and Ohio have been receiving hate mail.

Video: Idaho Man Arrested for Threatening Muslim Woman

CAIR: Muslim Woman Reports Attack in Car

CAIR: Group Calls for Investigation Into Gresham Hate Crime

Video: Metro Detroit Mosques Receive Hate Mail (CAIR)

Video: Ohio Mosque Received Anti-Muslim E-Mail (CAIR)

Awad said CAIR recently published a "Challenging Islamophobia" pocket guide, which offers tips on dealing with anti-Islam rhetoric on the Internet.

SEE: CAIR 'Challenging Islamophobia' Pocket Guide

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook Subscribe to CAIR's E-Mail List Subscribe to CAIR's Twitter Feed Subscribe to CAIR's YouTube Channel

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CAIR Seeks Hate Crime Charges for Assault on Idaho Muslim Man arrested for threatening woman, claiming concealed weapon

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/24/10) -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to bring hate crime charges against an Idaho man who allegedly threatened a Muslim woman while she was shopping Wednesday at a Walmart in that state.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the Twin Falls, Idaho, man allegedly approached the woman, who wore an Islamic headscarf and was with her two children, and asked if she was Muslim. When the woman said she is Muslim, the assailant reportedly told her he spent time in Iraq and "my friends were killed by you, I was blown up by you."

According to court records, the alleged assailant also shouted that the woman "didn't belong here in the U.S." and claimed he had killed Muslims and planned to kill more. He also reportedly told the Muslim woman that he had a concealed weapon. A loaded weapon was later found in the man's car.

The 42-year-old man was arraigned Thursday on a charge of felony malicious harassment.

Video: Idaho Man Arrested for Threatening Muslim Woman Twin Falls Man Arrested for Allegedly Harassing Muslim

"Concrete steps need to be taken by public officials and law enforcement authorities at both the state and national levels to stem the increasing attacks we are seeing on ordinary American Muslims," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "Silence in the face of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in our nation is taken as tacit support by bigots."

Hooper noted that earlier this week, CAIR called on the FBI to investigate an apparently bias-motivated attack on a Muslim woman outside an Ohio mosque as a hate crime.

CAIR: Muslim Woman Reports Attack in Car

CAIR's Michigan office reported that mosques, Islamic centers and Muslim organizations in that state have been receiving hate mailings. Similar anti-Muslim hate mail was received by an Ohio mosque.

Video: Metro Detroit Mosques Receive Hate Mail (CAIR) Video: Ohio Mosque Received Anti-Muslim E-Mail (CAIR)

CAIR's Washington state chapter called for a hate crime investigation into the harassment of a Muslim woman in Oregon.

CAIR: Group Calls for Investigation Into Gresham Hate Crime

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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CONTACT:

CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, or 202-488-8787,

E-Mail: [email protected]; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171,

E-Mail: [email protected]

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