[proletar] U.S. Muslims detained at prayer seek understanding
November 3, 2005
U.S. Muslims detained at prayer seek understanding
By Gelu Sulugiuc
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five Muslims who were detained after praying at an
American football game want to turn the incident into a tool to teach
Americans about Islam.
While at a New York Giants against New Orleans Saints game at Giants Stadium
on Sept. 19, the New Jersey residents were removed from their seats and
questioned by FBI agents after other fans saw them bow to the ground as part
of the five-daily Muslim prayers.
"As Muslims, we just have to pray when it's time to pray," Sami Shaban told
a news conference in New York on Wednesday. "We thought nothing of it. I
pray in malls, I pray everywhere."
The 27-year-old law school student said he and his friends were questioned
for about 25 minutes, missing part of the second half of the game. After
they were released, an FBI agent told him they had been unwitting victims of
racial profiling, Shaban said.
The FBI said the men were questioned because they congregated near an air
duct at the stadium, not because they were praying. But the men dismissed
that explanation.
"Let's be real here, if anybody with my description even scratches their
ear, people get nervous," said Mostafa Khalifa, 27, who, like Shaban, wears
a long beard and was among those detained. "I did nothing wrong, I should
not change."
He pointed out that football players often huddle and pray on the sideline
as a teammate attempts a game-winning kick in the waning seconds of a game.
The fans said they would like to turn the incident into an opportunity to
teach Americans about Islamic traditions.
They teamed up with the Council on American-Islamic Relations and invited
anybody interested to join them in celebrating the end of the Muslim holy
month of Ramadan along with thousands of worshipers in New Jersey on
Thursday or Friday.
"We want to stop profiling. The more that people learn about Islam, the more
tolerant they become," said Wissam Nasr, the council's executive director in
New York.
Shaban said he has made giving Muslims a good name in the United States his
life's purpose.
"I've been a Giants fan since I was like six years old," he said. "I don't
want it to be that any time a Muslim goes to a Giants game they can't enjoy
the game ... because of the length of our beard or the way that we are."
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/11/3/worldupdates/2005-11-03T041547Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_-221966-1&sec=worldupdates
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U.S. Muslims detained at prayer seek understanding
By Gelu Sulugiuc
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five Muslims who were detained after praying at an
American football game want to turn the incident into a tool to teach
Americans about Islam.
While at a New York Giants against New Orleans Saints game at Giants Stadium
on Sept. 19, the New Jersey residents were removed from their seats and
questioned by FBI agents after other fans saw them bow to the ground as part
of the five-daily Muslim prayers.
"As Muslims, we just have to pray when it's time to pray," Sami Shaban told
a news conference in New York on Wednesday. "We thought nothing of it. I
pray in malls, I pray everywhere."
The 27-year-old law school student said he and his friends were questioned
for about 25 minutes, missing part of the second half of the game. After
they were released, an FBI agent told him they had been unwitting victims of
racial profiling, Shaban said.
The FBI said the men were questioned because they congregated near an air
duct at the stadium, not because they were praying. But the men dismissed
that explanation.
"Let's be real here, if anybody with my description even scratches their
ear, people get nervous," said Mostafa Khalifa, 27, who, like Shaban, wears
a long beard and was among those detained. "I did nothing wrong, I should
not change."
He pointed out that football players often huddle and pray on the sideline
as a teammate attempts a game-winning kick in the waning seconds of a game.
The fans said they would like to turn the incident into an opportunity to
teach Americans about Islamic traditions.
They teamed up with the Council on American-Islamic Relations and invited
anybody interested to join them in celebrating the end of the Muslim holy
month of Ramadan along with thousands of worshipers in New Jersey on
Thursday or Friday.
"We want to stop profiling. The more that people learn about Islam, the more
tolerant they become," said Wissam Nasr, the council's executive director in
New York.
Shaban said he has made giving Muslims a good name in the United States his
life's purpose.
"I've been a Giants fan since I was like six years old," he said. "I don't
want it to be that any time a Muslim goes to a Giants game they can't enjoy
the game ... because of the length of our beard or the way that we are."
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/11/3/worldupdates/2005-11-03T041547Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_-221966-1&sec=worldupdates
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