"New York Arson Attacks are Investigated as Hate Crimes"

Los Angeles authorities have arrested a suspect in a furious spate of arson fires, but New York police are still searching for a suspect in that city's string of arson attacks.

In a period of about two hours Sunday night, four buildings -- all within a mile of each other in the Jamaica area of Queens -- were attacked with bottle-bombs, according to police. Now a fifth attack in nearby Nassau County is being linked to those firebombings, which are under investigation as possible hate crimes.

The attacks occurred at an Islamic center, a home used for Hindu services, a 24-hour grocery store and two private homes. In three of the five attacks, the Molotov cocktails were made in glass Starbucks bottles, police noted. No one was reported injured, but at least one of the attacks led to significant damage in one of the homes The arson outbreak is small compared to the incidents that Los Angeles has experienced in the last week, but New York officials are taking it seriously. New York's Gov. Andrew Cuomoannounced Monday that he'd be asking the state police to follow up on the attacks; the city's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg condemned them as an anomaly that "stood in stark contrast to the New York City of today that we've built together."

The mayor also said that police were looking into whether there was any connection to the arson fires that occurred across Los Angeles in recent days.

Bloomberg was scheduled Tuesday morning to visit the Al-Khoe Islamic Center, where two small bottle bombs were hurled while about 100 people were inside worshipping.

"We don't know why," the acting imam Maan Al-Sahlani told the New York Daily News. "This is the first time this has happened at this center. ... We cannot accuse any religion or any party of any people. We do  not know what they believe. Hopefully, they will get them soon."

Police released a sketch of a suspect as well as a video showing a man throwing a flaming bottle at a private home that is used as a Hindu place of worship. (NY1 posted the video.) The bottle hit the front window of the house, then bounced onto the pavement, said Bejai Rai, 77, who was having dinner with his family when the incident occurred.

"It sparked but didn't catch a fire," Rai told the Daily News. "We were lucky." 

source - LA Times Blog

NY Mosque's Sign Smashed on 9/11 Anniversary

"BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) - Was the sign at a mosque on the city's east side intentionally damaged? What makes this incident suspicious is that it happened on Sunday, the 10 year anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on America.

Police are investigating and have not determined whether it was a was deliberate act, but some residents we talked to believe this was no accident.

Geneva's Auto owner Walter Johnson said, "That was deliberately done and I think it's awful."

A sign outside this a mosque on Genesee Street in Buffalo was wrecked on September 11th, the 10 year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers.

Buffalo Police Chaplain Bilal Abdullah said, "I guess it was a 9/11. People maybe looked at it as a way to get back at Muslims in general."

Dorothy Chandler says she saw it happen.

"He was doing about 90 to 100 miles-per-hour. Drove u pon the sidewalk, actually, and crashed into that sign," said Chandler.

Buffalo Police say a truck drove over the lawn in front of the mosque and smashed the sign, which we found in pieces around the parking lot.

Resident Ernest Rainey said, "Everybody has a right to have their own religion."

Rainey lives across the street from the mosque and adjoining school.

"They don't bother anybody. If they do park in front of my house, they don't say nothing to me. They might greet me, if that, and they don't do anything wrong," said Rainey.

Johnson said, "Everyone is not a terrorist. I mean, it's a nice mosque. I know a lot of these guys over here. I do a lot of work on their vehicles. And whoever it is needs to be caught."

The incident, whether intentional or accidental, has some neighbors, like Bruce Austin, quite upset.

Austin said, "I think this is a destruction of property. You know, everyone is not connected with the event that happened on 9/11 and I think it's very unfair."

Police Chaplain Abdullah says there needs to be a better understanding of cultural and religious differences, saying, "I think 9/11 is about bringing things together. Religious organizations together, and that Muslims, people don't look at Muslims as just a big terrorist organization. That's the farthest thing from the truth."

The good news is no one was injured, but it sure has shaken up the immediate neighborhood."

Source

"Muslims Called 'Enemy' at Hearing on Minn. Islamic Center"

"An Islamic Community Center is one step closer to moving into a Plymouth neighborhood, but not everyone in town is happy about it.

A downtown Plymouth post office doesn't use most of the space in their building and it's for sale. So, the Northwest Islamic Community Center made an offer to buy it.

That move brought a rare crowd into the Plymouth Planning Commission meeting Wednesday night.

It's because the Islamic group would like to share the building with the post office, leasing it back for rent, which means prayer services and postal services would be in the same building.

During a public hearing on whether the building should be used for religious purposes, citizens sent strong messages — on both sides.

"Aiding the enemy is treason," said one man opposed to the center.

"Those who are, you know, do not understand the religion, they are a small minority," said a man in favor of the center. "I hope we can reach out to them, and I hope they can come visit us and know us in person."

The Planning Commission gave unanimous approval for a conditional-use permit, which they believe can be used for religious reasons. They called it a win for both the Islamic center and the post office, which needed to sell the space.

The City Council will make the final decision next week."

"

Source

"MINARETS IN TEMECULA"

"America was founded on the concept of religious freedom, but the desire of the Muslim residents in Temecula, a city north of San Diego, to build a new place of worship is met with resistance from elements in the local community. We examine how this conflict plays out against a backdrop of national and global politics and explore the roots of the opposition, as well as the diverse nature of the support for the project."

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