[ALOCHONA] Hate Comes to Orange County

To whom it may concern.................

 

CAIR-LA Releases Video: Hate Comes to Orange County   The Islamophobia Machine Is in High Gear As a community, we need to respond     As-salaamu 'alaikum (Peace to you),   It's only the beginning of March, yet the challenges we face as a community are mounting daily. You can see it. You can feel it. The ISLAMOPHOBIA MACHINE is going into high gear. This is a fight we cannot afford to lose and we need your help to win.   CAIR's new staff attorney worked with local leaders to coordinate a statewide challenge in Tennessee to proposed legislation that would effectively make it ILLEGAL TO BE A MUSLIM. Despite our successful challenge to such bills in Oklahoma and Indiana, CAIR is being forced to divert staff and resources to deal with similar anti-Islam laws being introduced in more than a dozen state legislatures nationwide.   We will need your help to prevent these unconstitutional and un-American laws from being passed and implemented.   CAIR has also been in the forefront of the community's challenge to potentially biased congressional hearings to begin this coming Thursday by Rep. Peter King (R-NY).   We published an online toolkit designed to help community leaders respond to the hearings and launched a website called "Capturing the Facts" to solicit testimonials on community efforts to prevent violent extremism and examples of positive interactions between American Muslims and law enforcement agencies.  CAIR op-eds exposing Rep. King's history of anti-Islam rhetoric have been published in the New York Daily News and the Austin American-Statesman.   Because of the pro-active efforts of CAIR and others, Rep. King was forced to drop some of the anti-Muslim extremists he planned to call as witnesses.   In January, our lawyers filed suit to demand that the government allow an American Muslim citizen -- Gulet Mohamed -- to return to the United States after he was detained in Kuwait and questioned by the FBI without an attorney present despite his request for legal representation. Mr. Mohamed was allowed to return to America just days after CAIR filed its suit. These are just a few of the challenges CAIR is addressing on your behalf -- because we work to protect you and your family. In recent months, we launched a new department specifically designed to address the rising level of Islamophobia in our society and need to hire key professional staff to carry out a methodical response to all the challenges we face.   After seeking the help of Allah, we need your support to meet these challenges.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANAHEIM, Calif., March 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today released a video of a rally organized by anti-Muslim bigots to protest a February fundraising event held by an American Muslim relief group for relief work and charity in the U.S.   WATCH THE VIDEO:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoKd8CCdsxU&feature=related     A few hundred protesters showed up to the rally, which was sponsored by groups such as: "We Surround Them OC 912" (a local Tea Party group), Rabbi David Eliezrie of Chabad -- Yorba Linda, North Orange County Conservative Coalition, ACT! for America, and Pamela Geller (whose group "Stop the Islamization of America" has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center).   Elected officials Congressmen Ed Royce and Gary Miller, and Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly also attended and spoke at the protest rally.   The event -- held at Yorba Linda Community Center, a facility that has been frequented by Muslim families and businesses over the years -- first became a target of anti-Muslim bigots over two of the fundraiser's speakers, who were to speak on the importance of charity in Islam. Initial attempts of some groups to have the Yorba Linda Community Center and the Yorba Linda City Council cancel the fundraising event failed, followed by the protest.   In a statement, CAIR-LA said:   "We support the First Amendment right of protestors anywhere in America to voice their concerns, dissent, and even hatred. However, when our nation's foundational values of inclusiveness, pluralism and equality are attacked by some in favor of calls for advocating hate and violence, then all Americans have a responsibility to challenge and expose such bigotry and those who enable it.   "As the video shows, the rhetoric of the protesters became increasingly venomous toward the families and children who came to attend the ICNA fundraising dinner. Protesters shouted invective statements such as, "Go home terrorist," "Muhammad is a pervert, Muhammad is a child molester," "Go home and beat your wife, she needs a good beating," at the event-goers.   "Even more disturbing was the participation and encouragement of elected officials in promoting the hateful protest rally. Villa Park Councilwoman, Deborah Pauly, while addressing the crowd at the rally, appeared to threaten Muslim event-goers. Congressman Ed Royce (R-40), in a troubling trend of disparaging Islam and its followers, added fuel to the fire by encouraging protesters to continue on with their hate-mongering. The attendance of Congressman Gary Miller (R-42) was a clear surprise, since he previously has engaged with all constituents, including Muslims, toward a better America.   "We strongly urge all elected officials in attendance to distance themselves from such an exhibition of hate and bigotry. We further ask residents and elected officials of Yorba Linda, Orange County and other parts of our nation to speak out against such hateful rhetoric and the continued Islamophobia that plagues our nation."   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 http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational

 

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