A week after federal prosecutors in Dallas failed to win terrorism convictions against the Holy Land Foundation, once the largest Muslim charity in the United States, Dallas hosted a less-dramatic but interesting courtroom battle this week. As Jeff Mosier of the Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday (Oct. 30), Texas District Judge Ken Curry extended a restraining order against Joe Kaufman, head of a Florida-based group called Americans Against Hate.
The original restraining order was requested by a group of Texas Muslims attending an Oct. 14 Muslim Day event at the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in nearby Arlington, but were met by Kaufman and a small group of protestors, who accused the event’s sponsoring group, the Islamic Circle of North America, of supporting terrorism. The order, Mosier reports, tells Kaufman not to threaten, physically harm or incite violence against ICNA.
Kaufman’s website (http://www.americansagainsthate.org/), which advertises “CAIR Watch” buttons and “No jihad in our backyard” t-shirts, doesn’t mention the decision. Judges will next decide whether to issue an injunction against Kaufman.
Across the pond, Britain’s new Communities Minister, Hazel Blears, delivered her first major speech on Islamic extremism, telling some 500 government workers, police and academics that her department would invest 70 million pounds (about $145 million) to fight extremism. The money will be used for several programs aimed at Britain’s Muslim community, including training imams to better communicate with young people, incorporating women in mosque administrations, and providing literature with arguments against extremism.
“This struggle will be with us for years to come, and we must do more to support the next generation in winning it,” Blears told her audience. “That is why we will be putting work with young people and Muslim women centre-stage, giving the silent majority a voice.”
Blears may want to contact Yusuf Islam, the country’s most famous convert, better known as pop star Cat Stevens. After converting to Islam in 1978, Islam spurned music and performing as prohibited by his new faith. But Islam has loosened up a bit since, releasing “Another Cup” in 2006, his first album since converting. Last week, Islam released “Yusuf’s Cafe,” a DVD of his March 1, 2007 performance at The Porchester Hall in London, his first live performance in 28 years. Tunes from the set include “Peace Train” and “Wild World.”
Labels: anti-terrorism, britain, cat stevens, hazel blears, kaufman, yusuf islam