Imam assaulted, mosque vandalized in Detroit enclave

[Harper_is_Bush]

Imam assaulted, mosque vandalized in Detroit enclave
2/16/2006, 6:52 a.m. ET
The Associated Press

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (AP) — Authorities are investigating reports of an assault on a Muslim cleric and vandalism and harassment of worshippers at a Detroit-area mosque.

The FBI is involved in the case, and Gov. Jennifer Granholm has offered state aid if needed, according to The Detroit News.

The reports involve Al-Islah Islamic Center in Hamtramck, a city of about 23,000 surrounded by Detroit.
On Sunday, youths entered the mosque, took shoes that worshippers had left by the door and threw them at congregants, mosque officials say. They say twice this year, objects were thrown through mosque windows.

On Feb. 9, three men accosted Imam Muhammad Uddin, and he was hit with a shovel, said Al-Islah President Abdul Motlib. He said Uddin did not require treatment for a leg injury but was unable to attend the mosque for two days.

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-32/1140087244184050.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

And CNN reports the Mosque has had rocks thrown at the windows and also that there's been several muggings in the past weeks.

CNN was 3 hours ago and the AP was 13 hours ago. I searched, but it was not posted here.

[montanacowboy]

1. When will Cristal Nacht begin?

they are just going by the playbook

[Harper_is_Bush]

2. Certainly racist anti-immigrant types LOVED the cartoon hoopla.

Notice the large influx of new posters here during that posting frenzy?

[Rose Siding]

6. Coulter's doing her part to speed it along-

From the Fan The Flames file...

snip>
From Ann Coulter's February 15 column, "Muslim bites dog":

The "offense to Islam" ruse is merely an excuse for Muslims to revert to their default mode: rioting and setting things on fire. These people have a serious anger management problem.

So it's not exactly a scoop that Muslims are engaging in violence. A front-page story would be "Offended Muslims Remain Calm."

...

If you don't want to get shot by the police, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then don't point a toy gun at them. Or, as I believe our motto should be after 9/11: Jihad monkey talks tough; jihad monkey takes the consequences. Sorry, I realize that's offensive. How about "camel jockey"? What? Now what'd I say? Boy, you tent merchants sure are touchy. Grow up, would you?

http://mediamatters.org/items/200602160005

[saigon68]

9. She called him a CAMEL JOCKEY

Oh Boy--- that's original

[SpiralHawk]

3. Oh Oh

Southern cross churches going up. Mosques and Imams assaulted. Propet mocked. Muslims tortured and beaten all over the place.

This does not look good.

Heading for the mountain...

[Harper_is_Bush]

7. If you had to speculate...who would you say is torching churches

in the South?

[pop goes the weasel]

4. I hope they catch the punks

I take it that this time, there are eyewitnesses who can help find the losers doing these awful things. I hope it turns out that they are just obnoxious kids who are still at the point where they can be turned around.

Terrible about all the muggings, too. Would the assailants have been able to tell that the person they hit with the shovel was an imam? Special clothes or anything? It would be terrible if they were singling out community leaders on top of the random attacks against members of the mosque.

[Harper_is_Bush]

5. I think it's obvious they're targetting them because they're Muslims.

It is a community of under 30,000 so they probably know who the church leader is. Or, he was being a leader and attempted to approach them.
Either way, it's a targetting of Muslims.

Just punks? Are the 15 year olds throwing rocks during the Muslim demonstrations just "punks" also, or are they "extremists"?

[Igel]

8. Extremist versus punk ... rather depends on the motives.

I mean, you get 3k madrassah students in Pakistan taking on embassy row, or a mini-mob in Beirut going after a Xian neighborhood, and the claim is they're just riled up for political purposes. Hence, punks. The claim isn't completely false; but it's certainly a red herring.

Then again, I guess if the punks are doing it for an extreme thrill, they're extremists.

[Harper_is_Bush]

10. Yes if there's 3k demonstrators and an embassy is set on fire

they're all equally guilty, huh?

Your point about motive is interesting. Is the violence against Muslims motivated by the fact they are Muslims?

I thinkthe obvious answer is...yes.

[pop goes the weasel]

13. probably punks if they are kids

"It is a community of under 30,000 so they probably know who the church leader is. Or, he was being a leader and attempted to approach them.
Either way, it's a targetting of Muslims."

I don't know anything about the community, which is why I asked.

It's obvious that Muslims are being targetted. What isn't yet obvious, at least from the article, is why and who is doing the targetting. Remember in France the Jews who desecrated Jewish graves? Warped, warped thinking there, but it isn't uncommon for people to be so warped. Or it could be local hate groups, which needs to be crushed and quickly. Or, which is what I think is most likely and what I hope it is, it's stupid teenagers.

"Just punks? Are the 15 year olds throwing rocks during the Muslim demonstrations just "punks" also, or are they "extremists"?"

Yeah, I think 15 year olds throwing rocks are just punks--dangerous punks who need to be found and dealt with. At 15, kids feel things extremely, but they don't think things extremely. They know so very little. Their hearts will inform their heads what to learn, which is why it is important to get to young troublemakers before they start cementing together an evil worldview. Perhaps that is what the imam who was injured was doing, and if so, I am sure he will patiently try again to reach them.

[applegrove]

11. Same thing happened in Canada.

[Harper_is_Bush]

12. Happens a lot. "The silence is deafening"

After lurking at freakville, it's ironic to say it.

[noonwitch]

14. Man, I drove by it on Wednesday after work

This is the mosque that had the ignorant neighbors objecting to their call to prayer on a loudspeaker. Hamtramck is city surrounded by Detroit. It was originally a polish area, and still maintains a strong polish identity. There have been a lot of recent immigrants settling in that area, muslims not just from the middle east, but from the balkans, too. There are also a fair share of african-americans there, too, because the housing is better in Hamtramck than in much of Detroit.
There is some tension between the polish/catholics and the muslims, but it had always been angry speech in the past, not ugly actions. There is always tension between some arab/muslim shopkeepers and some african-american shoppers.

I have issues with Islam, mostly with the assumption that women are responsible when men can't control their lust. I'm glad to live in a country where I am free to choose my religion. But I also note that the religion practiced by the longer-term Hamtramck residents doesn't have the greatest track record as far as women are concerned, either.

[Scurrilous]

15. Palestinians riot after anti-Muslim graffiti defaces mosque

<snip>

"Palestinians discovered anti-Muslim graffiti on a West Bank mosque on Friday, for the second time in a week.

After the graffiti was discovered, Palestinian youths began rioting in the Azoun village near Qalqilyah. Security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at them in an effort to disperse the riot. Three were arrested.

The graffiti, written in Hebrew, said "Mohammed is a pig" and "Death to the Muslims." Residents of the village of Nebi Elias, where the mosque is located, have accused area settlers of the vandalism. No suspects have been arrested.

Israel Defense Forces soldiers removed the graffiti, and the army filed a complaint with the Judea and Samaria District police."

more

[genie_weenie]

16. I hope the police

investigate, catch those responsible, charge them with vandalism, assault, theft and any other pertinent laws.