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AMP Report - August 12, 2006
London terror plot:
American Muslims fearful of backlash
Muslims across the U.S. are bracing for a backlash against their community, which often occurs following headline-making events like London’s terror-plot revelations. While condemning all acts of terrorism, the Muslims are urging the fellow Americans not to stereotype an entire religion based on the alleged actions of a few.
Muslims are worried and offended by President Bush's characterization of those arrested in London's alleged airline terror plot as "Islamic fascists." "The name of Islam itself is something that is dear to every Muslim because it signifies the peaceful religion itself and whenever someone tries to link the word Islam with something as horrific as the word fascism, it is extremely offensive to all Muslims," Hussam Ayloush a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) said.
President Bush’s statement — made hours after authorities in Britain announced to have foiled the terrorist plot –- set the tone for both official and media reaction. Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Congressman Pete King went a step ahead and said that he was not satisfied with the Muslim reaction to the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.
Congressman King, who has been aligned with the Irish Republican Army - one of the most violent terrorist groups in the recent European history - recalled that many Muslims, including highly-educated physicians, called the Sept 11 attacks ‘an Israeli conspiracy’. Congressman King said he feared that the arrests in London could lead to attacks on mosques across America.
The London plot unveiled at a difficult time for the American Muslims and Arabs. In recent days, Arab, Muslim Americans have taken to the streets to protest the wars in Lebanon and Gaza. They believe that it was time to speak out. But they also know the risk they run in doing so, especially when the militia -- Hezbollah -- is identified as a terrorist group by the United States.
In the wake of reports of the foiled London plot, Muslim leaders leaped into their emergency routine, calming people, urging them to come forward with information about any suspicious activity and communicating with the public.
Every terror incident of warning has its predictable outcome for the eight million strong American Muslim community. Every time this happens and breaks out in the news, the community is definitely targeted for bigotry and discrimination. Muslim community is concerned that the alleged plan to blow up airliners flying from Britain to the United States could lead some to paint Muslims with the broad brush of extremism -- as they say many did after Sept. 11, 2001.
National, state and local Islamic leaders were quick to condemn the plot. Community leaders also sought to remind the public that Muslim tipsters helped uncover recent terrorist plots in Toledo and Miami. The Council on American-Islamic Relations recommended that mosques step up security to prevent vandalism.
In Detroit, with a large Arab and Muslim population, Dawud Walid of the Council on American Islamic Relations said that local Muslims are calling, saying they are being yelled at by people in cars, calling them terrorists and things like that and (asking) why don't they go back home.
In Los Angeles the La Mirada mosque was vandalized on the same night when the London terror plot was announced. Two windows of the mosque, which clearly displayed Islamic symbols, were damaged by projectiles, possibly gunshots. The mosque had been a target of hate incidents in the past. It received written messages such as, "The Muslim religion is a cult and that Mohammed is a terrorist and an outlaw,'' and, "No future for Muslims in the U.S.A.''
Since many suspects arrested in London are Pakistanis, the Pakistani community felt particularly vulnerable and some even urged others to look at the possibility of buying properties and businesses in Pakistan and ‘return home’ if possible, according to Dawn newspaper of Pakistan.
The community leaders noted that although Pakistan played a key role in catching the suspect, this was mentioned only fleetingly while American leaders competed with each other in eulogizing Britain. They also noted that while President Bush personally thanked Prime Minister Tony Blair and British officials, he did not say a word about Pakistan.
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