August 2010 – Page 4 – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

The Law, Human Rights, and the Right to Believe

Over thirty years ago, I came to Washington DC, and joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

My first job responsibility was to swear a promise to the United States of America, and I said:

“I, Jeffrey Imm, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.”

I swore this oath, because America cannot afford individuals in law enforcement that cannot defend the law of the land. If you can’t defend the Constitution of the United States, you have no business working for the American people. Amendment 1 of the Constitution supports the freedom of religion for all Americans.

To those who seek to promote human rights, I urge you to consider, can you unquestioningly support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? How credible are human rights activists that cannot defend the most fundamental international document of our universal human rights?

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

Notice Article 18 states “everyone,” not just those we like, those we agree with, or those who are popular. In our international Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there are no caveats creating exceptions to such human rights for Christian churches in Pakistan, for Ahmadiyya Muslim mosques in Indonesia, or even for Muslim mosques in America. Everyone has the right to believe.

This may not always be popular. In America today, there are endless news reports about the unpopularity of mosques in various parts of the country – from California to Florida – that are being protested by those who do not like Islam and by those who seek to challenge some Muslims’ right to worship.

But both law enforcement and human rights activism are really not a popularity contest. Certainly in every case, supporters of both seek popularity. But both are a commitment to a consistent application of the law and our universal human rights for all people – all the time.

Some people won’t like that. They won’t like laws that keep our society safe and civil when it inconveniences them. They won’t like human rights that apply to those that they may not like. They won’t care for those who flout their populist arguments with the law and with our universal human rights.

As a child, I remember the struggle in America for black Americans’ human rights in the 1960s and 1970s. There were plenty who did not like either the laws or the struggle for such human rights. Certainly if you had taken a poll in a nation which once had 4 million members of the Ku Klux Klan, you would have found there were plenty of people who would’ve opposed both the campaigns and the laws granting black Americans their human rights – and this in a nation whose national declaration is founded on equality and liberty. During those tumultuous days, there were protesting mobs that sought to stop racial integration of schools. I remember one populist campaigner Alabama Governor George Wallace whose racial segregationist policies were part of his campaign to seek to become president of the United States, and he had many, many supporters around the country.

I have seen first hand how such bitter disagreements on human rights can divide our nation, our cities, even our families. But we have an obligation to be a UNITED States of America, not just when it is easy, but also when it is difficult, when we have to make unpopular stands to be TRUE to the truths that we hold self-evident – as Americans.

Some people don’t like the law. Some people don’t like human rights. But the law is the law – and our universal human rights are our universal human rights, not just for those we like or people like us, but for everyone.

Today, CNN has now added to the ongoing furor in America on protests against Muslim mosques by doing a poll that shows that a majority of Americans object to a planned Islamic center on Park Place in New York City, about two football fields away from Ground Zero. It is clearly not popular to many people.

Many may not like the exercise of Constitutional rights or human rights by many people. If we took a national poll every time someone did something controversial, we can be certain of the results. But whether we like it or not, Americans and human beings have Constitutional rights and universal human rights. Don’t forget those are your rights too.

We cannot trade away our Constitution and our universal human rights to whatever CNN/Opinion Research Center finds through some telephone calls, what some people post on Facebook, or what some say with protest signs. Imagine if that was you that the nation was judging any time you did something unpopular or controversial. Imagine if that was you whose very freedoms were being assessed by cable television news hosts or the latest talk radio programs. We have the right to do and say things that may be unpopular, that many may disagree with, and that many may believe to be wrong. It is called FREEDOM.

Our Constitution, our law, and our universal human rights are not just toys for angry politicians, angry groups, and sensationalist journalism. Our Constitution, our Declaration, and our law are the foundation of America’s identity. Our Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the commitment of a pact by United Nations’ countries of the world, including the United States of America, after the horror of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany – as their way of saying “Never Again” and creating an international declaration for universal human rights and justice for all – all the time.

I may no longer be a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but my commitment to their goals of Fidelity – Bravery – Integrity to our Constitution and the truths that we hold self-evident that it is based on will not waver.

To those who seek to defy Americans’ Constitutional rights, remember there are those who vowed an oath to continue to defend such Constitutional rights – whether it is popular or not.

We urge all Americans to be consistently responsible for equality and liberty. It is the American way, and it is who and what America is all about.

Afghanistan: Pregnant Woman Whipped, Murdered by Taliban

In Afghanistan, a pregnant Afghan widow, Bibi Sanubar, was publicly flogged with 200 lashes and then shot three times in the head for “alleged adultery” by the religious extremist Taliban organization. Taliban leader Mullah Daoud reportedly claimed responsibility for the murder of the pregnant woman in a Taliban “court” along with two other Taliban chiefs. Another report states that a local Taliban leader, Mohammad Yousuf, carried out the execution.

Afghanistan Taliban "Police" Beat Women in Public - in Kabul - in 2001 - We Must Never Let Afghanistan Return to This — Afghanistan Taliban "Police" Beat Women in Public - in Kabul - in 2001 - Will Afghanistan Return to This?

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights for all people, men and women, and reject any ideological misogyny that seeks to oppress, victimize, mutilate, and murder women, wherever it may be, and whatever justification it uses for such hate against women. R.E.A.L. reject religious extremist rationalization for denying the human rights of women or of any other human being. We urge those whose hearts are burdened with hate to Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.

Afghanistan: Taliban Held Public Executions While in Power (File Photo: Dawn)

R.E.A.L. publicly and continually expresses concern over abuses in Afghanistan and by the Taliban against women and women’s rights. R.E.A.L. remains concerned that the Afghanistan constitution continues to be manipulated by those who seek to deny human rights. R.E.A.L. remains concerned that the Taliban is an ideological extremist force against women’s rights and human rights, regardless of those who believe that Taliban members can be readily integrated or reconciled within the political and social power structure of Afghanistan. R.E.A.L. believes that an effective policy against terrorism begins with human rights.

R.E.A.L.' s Jeffrey Imm Outside White House in Washington DC Protesting Calls for Taliban Reconciliation, Concern for Impact on Women's Rights

According to the UK Mirror: “Insurgent commander Mullah Daoud said the woman was whipped, then shot in front of locals after he and two other Taliban chiefs passed sentence. Daoud said: ‘We gave this decision so in future no one should have these illegal affairs. We whipped her in front of all the local people, to show them an example. Then we shot her.'”

AFP reports: “The Taliban publicly flogged and then executed a pregnant Afghan widow by emptying three shots into her head for alleged adultery, police said on Monday. Bibi Sanubar, 35, was kept in captivity for three days before she was shot dead in a public trial on Sunday by a local Taliban commander in the Qadis district of the rural western province Badghis. The Taliban accused Sanubar of having an ‘illicit affair’ that left her pregnant. She was first punished with 200 lashes in public before being shot, deputy provincial police chief Ghulam Mohammad Sayeedi said. ”She was shot in the head in public while she was still pregnant,’ Sayeedi said.”

Pakistan Dawn reports that “Local Taliban commander Mohammad Yousuf carried out the execution, Sayeedi said, before the woman’s body was dumped in an area under government control… Head of Badghis provincial council Mohammad Nasir Nazaari confirmed the execution and said the Qadis district is entirely under Taliban control.”
“The deputy head of the religious council for western Afghanistan, Mohammad Kabaabiani, said the execution ran counter to Islamic principles. Head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission in western Afghanistan, Abdul Qadir Rahimi, condemned the killing. ‘Any such trial is unacceptable and is a violation of human rights. All trials must take place in an authorized court observing every single measure of justice,’ said Rahimi.”

Ms. Magazine states that: “The execution of Bibi Sanubar is one of many recent murders attributed to Taliban. Other recent incidents include a woman who worked at a non-profit who was murdered while leaving work in April, a couple who were shot outside of a mosque last year after being accused of eloping, and a Kandahar provincial council member and women’s rights activist who was murdered outside of her home last year. During the Taliban’s rule from 1996 to 2001, public executions and amputations were commonplace.”

The Voice of America reports that “Authorities say Taliban militants kept the woman in captivity for three days before her execution Sunday in a remote area of northwestern Badghis province. They say she was first flogged 200 times and then shot in the head three times. Officials say a Taliban court had found the woman guilty of having an ‘illicit affair’ that left her pregnant. Afghan police say a local Taliban commander, Mohammad Yousuf, carried out the execution, but a Taliban spokesman Monday denied that the group was responsible.”

The Daily Mail reports that “‘Justice’, Afghan style, is still relatively harsh. Rape victims, for example, are prosecuted for having sex outside of wedlock. Under Afghan law Sanubar would have been jailed for up to three years if found guilty of adultery, but many women are then returned to their families to face traditional punishments, including so-called honour killings.”

Indonesia: Persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims, Mosque Expansion Destroyed by Local Police

The Jakarta Post reports on 300 police and 24 public order officers destroying the steel foundations of an extension of an Ahmadiyya Muslim Community mosque. Responsible for Equality And Liberty rejects such denial of our universal human rights of freedom of religion and freedom of worship.

— Jakarta Post: Worst to come for Ahmadiyah as more turn a blind eye
— “A single day erased a year’s worth of effort by the Jamaah Ahmadiyah congregation members to renovate their dilapidated, old mosque which has stood since 1977 in Cisalada village in Ciampea district, Bogor regency.”
— “On July 12, the district chief of Ciampea, Budi Lukmanul Hakim, accompanied by 24 public order officers and 300 police officers, destroyed the steel foundations for what was to be an extension of the mosque.”
— “The action caused Rp 250 million in losses for the congregation.”
— “‘It took us one year, starting from Lebaran, to collect donations from the congregation to achieve that sum of money,’ said Ahmad Hidayat, an Ahmadi cleric.”
— “The foundations were destroyed on orders expressed in a letter issued by the district chief after the administration was pressured by hard-line mass organizations in three surrounding villages, according to the Institute for Democracy and Peace (Setara).”
— “‘The demonstrators also demanded the local court and police disband Ahmadiyah and seal our mosques,’ he said, adding that the mosques had not been sealed thanks to good coordination between the congregation and local administration officials.”

Indonesia: Orders to close Ahmadiyya Mosque in Manis Lor and attacks by extremists
— “Manis Lor is a small village, located 45KM south of Cirebon city in Kuningan Regency, with a population of approximately 4,350 out of which 3,000 (70%) are Ahmadis. They have one big and seven small Mosques in Village.”
— “H. Aang Hamid Suganda, Head of Kuningan Regent, vide Warrant Number: 451.2/2065/SAT.POL.PP dated July 22, 2010, ordered Civil Order Police Chief Indra Purwantoro to close and seal all eight Mosques belonging to Ahmadiyah Muslim sect in Manis Lor. This order is in clear violation of constitution, which guarantees freedom of worship to all its citizens.”

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Responsible for Equality and Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights to freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience for all people of all faiths. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

We urge those who promote hate and intolerance to unburden the hate from their hearts.

Afghanistan: Aid Workers Murdered – Taliban Claims Responsibility

In the Afghanistan mountains of Badakhshan, 10 aid workers and medical volunteers associated with the Christian group International Assistance Mission (IAM), were murdered while helping people in need of care. Both the Taliban and Hizb-i-Islami have reportedly claimed responsibility for the massacre of the aid workers, which included six Americans, one German, one Briton, and two Afghans.

Portraits of Real Courage - IAM Aid Workers Killed in Afghanistan - (left to right) Row 1: Tom Little, Dan Terry, Cheryl Beckett, Brian Carderelli; Row 2: Dr. Thomas Grams, Glenn Lapp, Karen Woo, Daniela Beyer; Row 3: Marham Ali and Jawed. Most Photos from IAM website. Dr Grams Photo: Minnesota Star Tribune; Glenn Lapp, AP; Karen Woo, Nicholas Razzell.

The IAM aid group workers and volunteers killed were:

Tom Little - IAM Aid Worker (Photo: IAM)

— Tom Little, New York optometrist, America
— IAM states: “Tom was affectionately known as ‘Mister Tom’ amongst the many staff at the National Organization for Ophthalmic Rehabilitation (NOOR). He arrived in 1976, with his family, and worked as an Optometrist and Manager at NOOR, setting up clinics and ophthalmic workshops. He was much loved by both foreigners and Afghans, and was the inspiration for other IAM team members coming to Afghanistan. Tom leaves behind his wife and 3 daughters.”
— Media reports:
— Tom Little, man of peace
— Danger part of daily work

— Dan Terry, Wisconsin aid worker, America
— IAM states: “Dan came to Afghanistan in 1971, he had a heart for the rural areas of Afghanistan and worked for many years in Lal-wa Sarjangal. Dan specialized in relating to local communities and liaising with aid organizations and the government to improve services in remote areas. Dan is survived by his wife, 3 daughters, and one granddaughter.”
— Media reports:
— Wisconsin Native Killed In Afghanistan
— Aide worker killed in Afghanistan has Janesville ties

Cheryl Beckett, IAM Aid Worker (Photo: IAM)

— Cheryl Beckett, Knoxville, Tennessee interpreter (IAM lists Ohio), America
— IAM states: “Cheryl Beckett was working as an aid worker in Afghanistan since 2005 and had been involved in community development with a focus on nutritional gardening and mother-child health. She had been asked to assist the IAM medical team as a translator for women patients. Cheryl was a Pashto speaker who worked in a clinic in Pul-e Charkhi on the outskirts of Kabul. She is survived by her parents and 3 siblings.”
— Media reports:
— “Faith led daughter’s work in Afghanistan”
— “Afghan victim’s dad: group was not proselytizing”

Brian Carderelli, IAM Aid Worker (Photo: IAM)

— Brian Carderelli, Harrisonburg, Virginia videographer, America
— IAM states: “Brian Carderelli was a professional free-lance videographer. Brian served a number of other organizations in Afghanistan active in development and humanitarian efforts throughout the nation. Brian quickly fell in love with the Afghan people and culture and hoped to stay within the country for another year.”
— Media report:
— “Slain aid worker Brian Carderelli found beauty in daily Afghan life”

Dr. Thomas Grams, IAM Aid Worker (Photo: Minnesota Star Tribune)

— Thomas Grams, Durango, Colorado dentist (Minnesota native), America
— IAM states: “Dr Tom Grams was a dentist and personal friend of Dr Tom Little and had come to Afghanistan specifically for this trip to Nuristan.”
— Media reports:
— Durango dentist died doing what he loved, friends and family say
— Minnesotan among aid workers slain in Afghanistan

— Glen Lapp, Lancaster, Pennsylvania nurse, America
— IAM states: “Glen trained as an intensive-care nurse and worked in Lancaster, New York City City and Supai, Arizona, and had previously worked in the responses to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He came to Kabul in 2008, and initially worked in the IAM HQ. Then after 5 months of Dari language training he began his work with NOOR, he was responsible for organizing the mobile eye camps that reached the remote areas of Afghanistan.”
— Media report:
— “Mennonite worker slain in Afghanistan remembered”

Karen Woo, IAM Aid Worker (Photo: Nicholas Razzell)

— Karen Woo, surgeon, United Kingdom
— IAM states: “Karen was a General Surgeon who came on the Nuristan Eye Camp to be the team doctor and to bring maternal health care to the communities in Nuristan.”
— Media report:
— “UK medic may have been killed for working with Christian group”

Daniela Beyer, IAM Aid Worker (Photo: IAM)

— Daniela Beyer, Chemnitz, Germany
— IAM states: “Daniela was a linguist and a translator in German, English, and Russian. She also spoke Dari and was learning Pashto. She worked for IAM between 2007-2009 doing linguistic research and joined the eye camp so that she could translate for women patients. She is survived by her parents and 3 siblings.”
— Media reports:
— Bild (German): Das gefährliche Leben der Dolmetscherin aus Chemnitz

— Marham Ali, Wardak, Afghanistan
— IAM states: “Mahram Ali worked as a watchman at NOOR’s maintenance workshop since the end of 2007. He stayed guarding the vehicles in Nawa when the rest of the team walked over the pass into Nuristan. He leaves behind a wife and 3 children, at secondary school age and below.”

— Jawed, Panjshir, Afghanistan
— IAM states: “Jawed was employed as cook at the Ministry of Public Health’s Eye Hospital in Kabul and had been released from there in order to attend the Eye Camp. He leaves behind a wife and three children below school age. Besides being the team’s cook, he also assisted with the dispensing of eyeglasses. Jawed had been on several eye camps into Nuristan in the past, and was well loved for his sense of humor.”

Despite this murderous attack on aid workers, the International Assistance Mission plans to continue supporting those in need in Afghanistan. According to the IAM, “IAM works in Afghanistan as the guest of the people and the government. As long as we are welcome here, we will, God-willing, continue to stay and serve the Afghan people.”

The Independent has reported that the massacre of the IAM aid workers has made other charities “forced to rethink” their aid in Afghanistan.

The Baptist Press reports: “Ten workers affiliated with a Christian aid group were murdered in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan after providing eye care to people in a remote area of the country. International Assistance Mission, an openly Christian charity, has operated in Afghanistan for 44 years, negotiating with the Soviets, the mujahedeen government and then the Taliban for permission to continue its work assisting people in need of care. But on Aug. 5, only one member of a team survived an ambush by several men wielding guns. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the deaths of six Americans, one German, one Briton and two Afghans, though police have not ruled out an attack by thieves.”

According to the Washington Post, “The Taliban asserted responsibility for the attack, accusing the medical volunteers of being foreign spies and trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, accusations the group denies. Police in Badakhshan province have not ruled out that thieves unaffiliated with the Taliban could be responsible, as the victims’ belongings were ransacked after they were killed.”

The Washington Post also reports that “Dirk Frans, executive director of the International Assistance Mission, appeared at a news conference and confirmed the names of the 10 dead team members, whose mission to provide eye care for poor Afghans in dangerous and remote Badakhshan province ended in tragedy…. At the news conference, Frans repeatedly denied that the volunteers were proselytizing or working for the government.”

International Assistance Mission (IAM) Aid Convoy Traveling in Afghanistan (Photo: Reuters)

In the IAM public statement, the organization stated “IAM is a Christian organization — we have never hidden this. Indeed, we are registered as such with the Afghan government. Our faith motivates and inspires us — but we do not proselytize. We abide by the laws of Afghanistan. We are signatures of the Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs Disaster Response Programmes, in other words, that, ‘aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint.’ But more than that, our record speaks for itself. IAM would not be invited back to villages if we were using aid as a cover for preaching. And in particular, this specific camp led by Tom Little, a man with four decades experience in Afghanistan, has led eye camps for many years to Nuristan — and was welcomed back every time.”

The FBI reportedly will be conducting autopsies on the bodies of the 6 slain Americans to determine the cause of death.

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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) applauds the examples of real courage and commitment to our universal human rights, not just with words, but with deeds, of the volunteer aid workers of the International Assistance Mission (IAM), and we extend our sympathies to the families of the murdered aid workers.

To those who still fear to commit to our universal human rights with even words, we urge you to learn from the examples of selflessness and dedication to our fellow human beings of the IAM aid workers. To the Taliban religious extremists, it remains a disgraceful definition of their ideological commitment to hate against those they perceive to be different that Taliban figures would readily claim responsibility for this act, regardless of who is ultimately found to be responsible. In the perspective of such Taliban extremists, the life of a Christian has no value, even aid workers helping the Afghanistan people. This demonstrates the ultimate corruption and cancer of hate and intolerance that extremistviews by people of any religious, race, or identity group can become.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) unquestioningly supports our universal human rights for all. supports our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for ALL people, without qualification, whether it is in Kabul or New York City.

We urge all those who promote hate and intolerance to understand that the human rights of those you hate are also your human rights. When you attack the human rights of others, you also attack your own human rights as well.

We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.

Connecticut: Mosque Protest by Group, Declaring “War” on Mosques

On Friday, August 6, 2010, the Dallas, Texas based Christian group “Operation Save America (OSA)” held a protest outside of the Masjid An-Noor mosque in Bridgeport, Connecticut carrying signs that state “Islam is a lie.”

According to the Connecticut Post, Christian group “Operation Save America” (OSA) leader pastor Flip Benham called for taking a “war” to American mosques, stating “This is a war in America and we are taking it to the mosques around the country.” The Connecticut Post stated that “Flip Benham, of Dallas, Texas, organizer of the protest, was yelling at the worshipers with a bullhorn.” AP reported that the protesters were”yelling what mosque members described as hate-filled slogans.” NBC Connecticut reported that “Muslim leaders in Connecticut are asking police to ensure that they can worship without being harassed after a group was confronted on Friday.”

On July 23, 2010, the same OSA group led a protest against a Charlotte, North Carolina mosque as Muslims were going to Friday prayers to pass out tracts and broadcast over their sound system that “Islam is a lie.” The OSA Christian group promoted the Charlotte mosque protest on their web site as “The Slaying of Allah – We Came to Slay Your False God.”

Christian Group "Operation Save America" (OSA) Leader Promotes Message "Islam is a Lie" (Photo: YouTube)

The OSA group is also promoting the Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) planned September 11, 2010 protest in New York City against the Park Place Islamic center. (See OSA video.) The OSA’s Flip Benham is urging “thousands” of Christians to protest the NYC Islamic Center in September.

The OSA group has a long history of seeking to disrupt the worship services of Muslims and other religions. In September 2009, the OSA group sought to join efforts coordinated by the Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) group to disrupt a public Muslim prayer on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, where the OSA had placards reading “Islam is a lie.” The OSA called its September 2009 efforts to protest public Muslim prayer as “storming the gates of Hell in Washington DC.”

The OSA Regional Director of Charlotte, North Carolina, Ante Pavkovic, has also been previously arrested for seeking to disrupt a Hindu prayer in the Senate building in Washington DC. Ante Pavkovic’s efforts were applauded by the OSA leadership, as a Hindu religious leader was left dumbfounded by the angry outbursts against him.

Washington DC: Hindu Religious Leader Stunned as Christian "Operation Save America" Protesters Heckle and Shout Against Him in Senate Chambers (Photo: YouTube)

Religious extremist hate knows no boundaries or limitations to disrespect, contempt, and intolerance against others. Christians that support religious pluralism and religious freedom should speak up about the Christian extremist actions of the “Operation Save America” group in seeking to disrupt and deny religious freedom and religious worship to others.

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Responsible for Equality and Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights to freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience for all people of all faiths, including the freedom of religion supported under Article 1 of the United States Constitution. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

We urge those who promote hate and intolerance to unburden the hate from their hearts.

We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.

Far From Ground Zero, Opponents Fight New Mosques

— August 8, 2010 – Associated Press report: “Far From Ground Zero, Opponents Fight New Mosques”

— Murfreesboro, Tennessee: “Mosque leader Essam Fathy, who helped plan the new building in Murfreesboro, has lived there for 30 years. ‘I didn’t think people would try that hard to oppose something that’s in the Constitution,” he said. “The Islamic center has been here since the early ’80s, 12 years in this location. There’s nothing different now except it’s going to be a little bigger.'”

— See also Islamophobia

Photos of Recent Mosque Protests Across America: 1. Manhattan, 2. Tennessee, 3. Staten Island, 4. Florida - "Islam is the Devil", 5. Brooklyn, 6. Wisconsin, 7. California. (Photos: 1. YouTube, 2. John A. Gillis/DNJ, 3. NYT, 4. Facebook, 5. Picasa, 6. Sheyboygan Press, 7. KABC )

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Responsible for Equality and Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights to freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience for all people of all faiths, including the freedom of religion supported under Article 1 of the United States Constitution. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

We urge those who promote hate and intolerance to unburden the hate from their hearts.

We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.

Texas: Mosque Reports Continuing Harassment against Children

Texas Public Broadcasting reports on ongoing additional harassment against children at the Arlington, Texas Dar El-Eman Islamic Center mosque, where Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) reported previous vandalism and arson attacks over the past two weeks.

R.E.A.L. reported of how vandals wrote vulgar graffiti about “Allah” and how vandals burned down the children’s playground at the Arlington, Texas mosque. The Arlington, Texas police and FBI are still investigating the attacks, and have not yet determined the attacks as hate crimes.

Texas: Burned Children's Playground at Arlington Mosque (Photo: Arlington, Texas Police Department)

The Arlington, Texas police and mosque leaders met on August 4 to discuss the continuing harassment against worshipers.

In an interview with KERA Public Broadcasting, one of the children reported of how worshipers and children are being harassed at night and at the mosque, with one child telling KERA “It happened yesterday! They came, drove by and started um… Cussing us out a lot… Started cussing, and then they drove away.”

One of the mosque’s teachers, Fidaa Elaydi, tells KERA Public Broadcasting that: “A lot of people that come in the evenings, they say that people yell at them at night after the evening prayers and they still get bothered a lot at the mosque… I’m thinking when I come at night for Ramadan, I’m probably not going to go outside by myself at all. And we’re probably going to do something inside for the kids so that they don’t have to be outside either. So, you know, this time that is the most special time of the year for us is going to be a time filled with fear, and we’re not going to feel safe in our own place of worship.”

The Islamic center’s director, Jamal Qaddura, told KERA Public Broadcasting that: “When somebody draws pictures of Uncle Sam having sex with Allah, that just shows how sick that person is and to the extent how much that person carry hate against the American Muslims and against our own faith. This is placing fear in the hearts of American Muslims not to come and pray. And this is something very terrible. That’s terrorism.”

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Responsible for Equality and Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights to freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience for all people of all faiths, including the freedom of religion supported under Article 1 of the United States Constitution. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

We urge those who promote hate and intolerance to unburden the hate from their hearts.

We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.

Rifqa Bary Case: Judge Says Christian Convert Should Not Be Deported

In Columbus, Ohio, in the case of Muslim-to-Christian convert girl, Rifqa Bary, a Franklin County Juvenile Court Magistrate Mary Goodrich granted findings that would her to apply for “special immigrant juvenile status,” by Tuesday August 10, 2010, when she turns 18.

For the past year, since August 11, 2009, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) has been reporting and active in the case of Christian convert Rifqa Bary, who alleged on August 11, 2009 that her Muslim parents in Ohio threatened her with death for her religious freedom to convert from Islam to Christianity. There has been concern of her safety in America and concerns that if she was returned to Sri Lanka as an undocumented illegal alien that her safety may be in jeopardy, due to the alleged threats.

Columbus, Ohio: Christian Convert Rifqa Bary

Her parents refute the claims of such a threat. The Columbus Dispatch reports that “Rifqa continues to say that she is afraid of her parents, who have maintained that they love her and wouldn’t hurt her.”

Rifqa Bary had fled from Columbus, Ohio to Florida because of her fears. In October 2009, Rifqa Bary told the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) she was abused, and was supposed to have an arranged marriage. However, a Florida judge decided to return her to Columbus, Ohio to resolve the dispute with her parents, which has been ongoing since October 2009.

Regarding the latest court findings, the Columbus Dispatch quoted a member of the Ohio attorney general’s office, Ken Robinson, on the matter, stating: “An allegation of abuse is not usually sufficient. Still, immigration officials might be more lenient toward Rifqa, given the high-profile nature of her case, Robinson said.”

On November 13, 2009, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) held its own public awareness event on the campus of Ohio University and in the streets of Columbus, Ohio, where Rifqa Bary lives, in support of our universal human rights of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience for all people.

While some groups, such as the Dove World Outreach Center (that plans to burn Qur’ans) and others have sought to hold public awareness events to spread hate and condemn Islam, R.E.A.L. has held such events to promote our religious freedom for all faiths and identity groups.

Columbus, Ohio: R.E.A.L. Public Awareness Activities on Behalf of Rifqa Bary and Freedom of Religion

Women’s rights activist Phyllis Chesler wrote on August 5, 2010: “Kudos To The Legal Team of Angela Lloyd and Kort Gatterdam… She arrived here as an undocumented Muslim. Nevertheless, lawyers in both Florida and Ohio stepped forward to protect and defend her. The system-we-love-to-hate appointed these lawyers. No angry grassroots group, no Christian activist association did what the American state did: Actually pay for it all.”

The Executive Director of the Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) group has had different views on the Rifqa Bary legal team stating that it was an “inept, self-promoting, failed legal strategy,” led by “a clown,” “makes excuses for failure,” and “did not understand was the nature of the threat.”

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights of religious freedom, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for all people. R.E.A.L. rejects hatred and rejects the activities of those who seek to promote hatred towards identity groups and specific religions.

R.E.A.L. hopes for healing, peace, and safety in the case of Rifqa Bary. We recognize that this decision is not the end of her struggles, and we hope the immigration courts ultimately grant her sanctuary in the United States of America. We defend her and all others’ universal human rights.

Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.

Update: On August 10, 2010, Rifqa Bary turned 18 years old and Franklin County Children Services’ custody of her ended. In September 2010, Rifqa received permanent residence status and can apply for United States citizenship once she turns 23.

Update: On September 19 2014, the Columbus Dispatch reported that: “In a news release, publisher WaterBrook Press said Bary is now a college student living in an undisclosed location and still convinced her life is under threat.”

Why the Wall Street Journal is Wrong on Freedom of Religion

Nearly two weeks after the Wall Street Journal allowed (and continues to allow today) reader comments on a WSJ article on the mosque “at Ground Zero,” to call for a terrorist bombing attack on the mosque, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board’s Dorothy Rabinowitz writes of “Liberal Piety and the Memory of 9/11. “ It is troubling to see that the WSJ staff have more time to condemn a planned religious center than they have time to remove public calls for a terrorist attack against a religious center from its own website. R.E.A.L. repeatedly contacted the WSJ on this in July 2010.

Once again, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) points out the planned Islamic center at 45-51 Park Place is not “at Ground Zero,” as so frequently and inaccurately stated, but is two New York City blocks (600 feet – nearly two football fields) away. R.E.A.L. reported on this in detail in our June 3, 2010 article, including the fact that Islamic worship services on Fridays have been ongoing since at least December 2009, and some have stated they have ongoing since 2008. The owners of the 45-51 Park Place bought the property over a year ago on July 2009.

In her article, the Wall Street Journal’s Dorothy Rabinowitz states: “Liberal piety may have met its match in the raw memory of 9/11, and in citizens who have come to know pure demagoguery when they hear it.” Indeed we do. We also understand that American property rights and universal human rights cannot be bargained away because of bullying crowds of intolerance.

Wall Street Journal Logo (Image: Google)

Whether we agree or disagree with the leaders of the Islamic center project at 45-51 Park Place, in America, they have the right to do what they want with their property, according to the law and local governmental authorities’ approval of property use (May 24, August 3). Whether we agree or disagree with the leaders of the project at 45-51 Park Place, they have the universal human rights of freedom of religion and freedom of worship, not just as Americans under the Constitution, but also as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If we defend these freedoms for some, we must defend these freedoms for all. Because it not just their freedoms that we defending, but it is also our freedoms as well. In much of the world today, and especially in the war of ideas against religious extremists who seek to deny such freedoms – this is a core issue of human rights that we are fighting for.

Yet the Wall Street Journal’s Dorothy Rabinowitz writes complaining of “liberal piety” after these New York City governmental decisions, and the support of these governmental decisions and our universal human rights by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The NYC governmental decisions weren’t even a contest. The May 24, 2010 decision by the Manhattan Community Board was 29-1; the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission decision was a unanimous 9-0. Former Republican (now Independent) NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg was discussed as a possible VP candidate for Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. But now when NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg stands up for American Constitutional and for universal human rights, he is guilty of “liberal piety.”

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Boards’ Dorothy Rabinowitz is wrong. “Property rights” are not some “liberal piety,” but fundamental rights for all American citizens. Our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience, are not some “liberal piety,” but fundamental aspects of our identities as Americans, and rights that all human beings around the world deserve – regardless of your race, ethnicity, gender, nationality… or religion. These universal human rights apply to those we like and those we dislike. They apply to all people – irrespective of their political views – left, right, or center.

Ms. Rabinowitz and the Wall Street Journal use her August 4, 2010 article to also justify denying such freedoms based on “political Islam.” R.E.A.L. does not question whether or not there are political arguments or extremist arguments by some followers of Islam, Christianity, or any other religion. We know there are. When religious extremists make political arguments using religious words to justify denying anyone’s human rights, R.E.A.L. and myself have been there to challenge them on this, publicly and consistently. But we recognize that such political debates are ones that we will have in the political and public arena, whether the group making such anti-human rights or anti-democracy statements is the Hizb ut-Tahrir or the Westboro Baptist Church. But our challenges and disagreements with those who seek to deny human rights is never a challenge or denial of their freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience.

It is ironic that a member of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board should suddenly become concerned about “political Islam” as a rationalization to deny others their American Constitutional and universal human rights. Certainly, the Wall Street Journal has not been concerned about “political Islam,” when the Wall Street Journal has made money from some of its supporters as “economic growth opportunities.”

The Wall Street Journal and parent company Dow Jones have been significant investors in global Sharia financial organizations, some of which have involved “political Islam” figures, that the Wall Street Journal now claims to object to. We understand the need for ethical finance, and have no objections to financing supporting ethical objectives by financiers.

But the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones paid individuals to promote such financial organizations, regardless of their links to “political Islam.” A former employee of the Muslim Brotherhood-influenced International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) organization, Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo, was the Wall Street Journal’s representative at Sharia finance meetings, as the Wall Street Journal’s “Chief Shariah Officer.” According to the IIIT, one of their primary goals is the “the Islamization of knowledge.” Mr. DeLorenzo is also currently a member of the Dow Jones board. The Center for Islamic Pluralism states that “the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), [is] a major subject of the GreenQuest inquiry“… and that the “GreenQuest investigation has yet to be concluded.” According to the Washington Post, “The IIIT network was set up in the 1980s largely by onetime [Muslim] Brotherhood sympathizers with money from wealthy Saudis, Muslim activists said. A number of its members ended their Brotherhood ties years ago after concluding it was too inflexible but still advocate some of its principles, the activists said.” Another former employee of Dow Jones (WSJ parent company), Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani was a Dow Jones Sharia finance adviser, while he also promoted books on the need for “aggressive Violent Extemism.” The London Times reported that former Dow Jones adviser Usmani “believes that aggressive military jihad should be waged by Muslims ‘to establish the supremacy of Islam’ worldwide.” In his book, this Dow Jones adviser stated that “aggressive jihad must be made against… non-compromising non-Muslim states to subdue them” (Chapter 11).

Our pointing out these documented facts are not in any way intended to demonize Mr. DeLorenzo or Mr. Usmani. They have the right to express their opinions and political views, whether we agree or disagree. But we find it inconsistent for the Wall Street Journal to support such individuals with “political Islam” ties and views for a protracted (and in the case of Mr. DeLorenzo) continuing period, while a Wall Street Journal editorial board writer claims to object to “political Islam.”

The Wall Street Journal and its parent company, Dow Jones, is in no position to lecture to Americans on “political Islam,” certainly not until it addresses its own financial support for those who have supported “political Islam.” Nor is this some surprise to the Wall Street Journal, with a new member to its editorial board. Ms. Rabinowitz joined the Wall Street Journal in 1990.

The fact remains that we can challenge those political groups that promote religious supremacy of any religion, and who reject our consistent universal human rights and democratic values. But our human rights and political challenges does not give us the right to attack or condemn any one religion or all of it adherents.

Nor does our human rights argument, as shown in the case of the Wall Street Journal, give us the right to blithely ignore American Constitutional rights and our universal human rights – for all. It does not. Not at 45-51 Park Place, not anywhere.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for ALL people — without exception. We reject protests against houses of worship. We reject those views that seek to demonize those of any one religion or any one identity group. We also reject those views that seek to deny our universal human rights. To R.E.A.L., these are not contradictory or conflicting positions. They are the consistent message of those who are consistently responsible for equality and liberty.

Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.

New York Daily News Poll Shows Majority Support Planned Islamic Center

The New York Daily News (NYDN) reported on the unanimous decision by the Landmark Preservation Commission not to designate 45-51 Park Place as a NYC landmark, allowing for the creation a planned Islamic center at that location.

45-51 Park Place, Planned as Islamic Center, Currently Used for Friday Prayers (Photo: Lennihan/AP)

Along with the NYDN news report, NYDN also had a poll of readers on the issue, and 62 percent of them stated: “Yes there is no reason why it should not be there”

New York Daily News Poll Results on 45-51 Park Place Islamic Center