Early Saturday morning, arsonist set a fire at the construction site of the future Murfressboro Mosque in an attempt to destroy four pieces of construction equipment left on the site, striking fear into the heart of local Muslims.
"The members of the community are very scared," said Camie Ayash, spokeswoman for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. "As I mentioned, it's Ramaadan. We try to come together as a community in the evenings to break our fast together. Our attendance level has been very low, because people are scared to leave their homes." (link)
This arson attempt recalls the intimidation and violence perpetrated by the Klu Klux Klan across the south in the sixties, when crosses were burned in the yards of Blacks who attempted to register to vote and churches were torched including the 1963 church bombing at a Birmingham church that killed four little girls.
The sign marking the future site of the Murfreesboro Mosque was destroyed twice in the last few months. In February 2008, a Mosque in Columbia, Tennessee was destroyed in a fire and graffiti left behind included swastikas and the words "white power." (link)
There has been a lot of opposition to the Murfressboro Mosque and it has been fueled by local radio talk show host and politicians. In the recent election for the 6th Congressional district seat, candidate Lou Ann Zelenik came out against the construction of the mosque and issued a statement including these excepts: (link)
Lou Ann stands with everyone who is opposed to the idea of an Islamic training center being built in our community. This "Islamic Center" is not part of a religious movement; it is a political movement designed to fracture the moral and political foundation of Middle Tennessee.At a demonstration against the Mosque in Murfressboro earlier this summer, demonstrator Evy Summers was quoted as saying, "No mosque in Murfreesboro. I don't want it. I don't want them here. Go start their own country overseas somewhere. This is a Christian country. It was based on Christianity." (link)
Radical Muslims are killing our servicemen and servicewomen every day. They say they want to kill us, and time and again they have backed up their words with action.
Until the American Muslim community find it in their hearts to separate themselves from their evil, radical counterparts, to condemn those who want to destroy our civilization and will fight against them, we are not obligated to open our society to any of them.
This sentiment is widespread. I hear it all the time in comments left on my blog, in emails I receive and people express it in private conversation. There are those who are determined to deny Muslims their property rights and Freedom of Religion. I fear that if opponents of Islam do not cool the rhetoric and denounce violence we will see a repeat of the Birmingham church bombing, but this time it will be little Muslims girls killed in a Mosque bombing.
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