Muslims initially blamed for bombing by agenda-driven terror
'experts'
WASHINGTON, April 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A prominent
national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today marked
the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Murrah Federal
Building in Oklahoma City by
calling on all Americans to challenge the recent resurgence of the
same anti-government extremism that lead to the bombing
masterminded by Timothy McVeigh and
Terry Nichols.
[NOTE: CAIR-OK Executive Director Razi
Hashmi attended the 15th anniversary memorial today in
Oklahoma City. He may be contacted
at: 405-248-5853, E-mail: rhashmi@cair.com]
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In a statement, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
National Executive Director Nihad
Awad said:
"As we commemorate the 15th anniversary of the terror attack in
Oklahoma City that killed 168
people and join the victims' families in remembering their loved
ones, we must also recognize that the same anti-government
extremism that lead to the attack is growing and is unfortunately
moving toward the mainstream.
"The Oklahoma City bombing was
a watershed event for our nation, and in particular for its
American Muslim population. Just as Muslims and Arab-Americans were
targeted in the immediate aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, they are being targeted
today by the same extremists and 'experts' who sought to blame them
for the 1995 attack.
"We must all challenge any form of hate rhetoric, stereotyping
and blind extremism that clouds rational thought, creates
unnecessary divisions within our society and will inevitably lead
to more acts of violence."
He cited the recent politically-motivated terror attack on the
IRS facility in Texas, the
shooting of guards at the Pentagon and the arrests of
anti-government militia members who allegedly planned to kill law
enforcement officers to spark an anti-government revolt similar to
that envisioned by the Oklahoma
City bombers.
Awad also noted the growing collaboration between
anti-government extremists and anti-Muslim hate groups nationwide.
A report by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), titled "Rage on
the Right," noted that "so-called 'Patriot' groups -- militias and
other organizations that see the federal government as part of a
plot to impose 'one-world government' on liberty-loving Americans
-- came roaring back after years out of the limelight."
SEE: CAIR Concerned About Reported Rise in Militias, 'Patriot'
Groups
http://tinyurl.com/riseinmilitias
Fla. Muslim Asks FBI to Probe Harassment by Hate Group
http://tinyurl.com/flamuslimsfbi
While many cautioned against a rush to blame any particular
group for the attack, Steven Emerson
was one of the so-called "terrorism experts" who initially blamed
Muslims for the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. He
told CBS News the bombing was a reflection of "a Middle Eastern
trait." (4/19/95) [One American
Muslim, Ibrahim Ahmad, was
even arrested following the bombing and held for two days before
being released without charge. Emerson is viewed by many as one of
the nation's leading Islamophobes who has made a career out of
promoting anti-Muslim conspiracy theories.]
SEE: Stereotyping Muslims
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogjm0DC-xAQ
Steven Emerson's Crusade
(Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting)
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1443
Smearcasters: Steven Emerson
http://smearcasting.com/smear_emerson.html
That and similar unsubstantiated rhetorical links sparked a wave
of anti-Muslim hysteria that resulted in almost 250 incidents of
harassment, discrimination and actual violence against American
Muslims or those perceived to be Middle Eastern.
According to the Daily Oklahoman newspaper: "Sahar Al-Muwsawi, 26, said... she was watching
reports of the bombing on television on April 20 when she heard a car's brakes squeal
outside her Oklahoma City home.
Then she heard objects hitting the window and thought people were
shooting at the house. Muwsawi, who was nearly seven months
pregnant, grabbed her 2-year-old daughter and another child in the
home and took them to the bathroom and locked the door. She said
she started bleeding and called her husband, who rushed home and
took her to the hospital. A stillborn baby boy was delivered
several hours later." (5/20/95) That baby boy was named Salaam, or
"peace."
Other incidents ranged from a suspected arson attack on a
mosque, to drive-by shootings at Islamic centers and assaults on
Muslim students. Many Muslim institutions around America also
reported phoned bomb threats, and in one case, a fake bomb was
thrown at a Muslim day care facility. Individual Muslims reported a
great increase in harassment by co-workers and in public. The
harassment led to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in the
Muslim community.
CAIR documented the anti-Muslim backlash following the
Oklahoma City bombing in a report
called "A Rush to Judgment." That report was the first of CAIR's
now-annual reports on the status of American Muslim civil
rights.
To view CAIR's annual civil rights reports, go to:
http://www.cair.com/CivilRights/CivilRightsReports.aspx
Shortly after the bombing, CAIR's executive director,
representing a number of Muslim organizations, met with the
governor of Oklahoma and delivered
to him checks totaling $21,000 for
the Victims and Families Relief Fund.
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.
CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726,
E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator
Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787 or
202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations