AMERICAN MUSLIMS-ISLAMIC STATE
American Muslims denounce terrorism on eve of 9/11
WASHINGTON (AP) β Muslim American leaders are condemning the Islamic State group 13 years after the 9/11 attacks that killed thousands of Americans.
Noting the renewed terrorist threat, they said American Muslims are working with law enforcement to fight recruitment of their young people.
At a Washington news conference, Virginia Imam Mohamed Magid (MAH’-jihd) said the Islamic State group has brought shame upon Islam and has “violated all the principles of the holy Quran and the prophet Muhammad.”
The Muslim clerics and advocates were joined by Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who said Islam is “a religion which helps people, not kills them.”
The news conference also featured several young Muslim Scouts, who recited a verse from the Quran and sang “God Bless America.”
Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed)
274-w-33-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Mohamed Magid, imam of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, and Muslim Scouts)–Muslim American leaders are condemning the Islamic State group 13 years after the 9/11 attacks that killed thousands of Americans. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (10 Sep 2014)
< 259-a-09-(Azhar Azeez, director of fund development, Islamic Society of North America, at news conference)-“sanctity of life”-Azhar Azeez, director of fund development with the Islamic Society of North America, says American Muslims must be united against terrorism. (10 Sep 2014) < 260-a-11-(Asma Hanif, executive director of the Islamic charity Muslimat Al-Nisaa, at news conference)-“is a Muslim”-Asma Hanif, executive director of the Muslim charity Muslimat Al-Nisaa, says Islamic State militants are not real Muslims. (10 Sep 2014) < 261-a-08-(Mohamed Magid (MAH’-jihd), imam of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, at news conference)-“the prophet Muhammad”-Mohamed Magid (MAH’-jihd), imam of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, has a message for Islamic State militants. (10 Sep 2014) < 262-a-09-(Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, at news conference)-“has been teaching”-Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick says Islam teaches brotherhood between religions. (10 Sep 2014) < 263-a-07-(Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, at news conference)-“not kills them”-Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick says the Islamic State group misrepresents Islam. (10 Sep 2014) < 264-r-14-(Muslim Scouts, at news conference)–Muslim Scouts sing “America the Beautiful” after reciting a verse from the Quran. (10 Sep 2014) < 265-r-19-(Muslim Scouts, at news conference)–Muslim Scouts sing part of “America the Beautiful” (10 Sep 2014) < DENVER TERRORISM CHARGE Colorado woman must aid FBI as part of terror plea DENVER (AP) β A 19-year-old Colorado woman has pleaded guilty to trying to help the militant Islamic State group under a plea deal in the terrorism case that requires her to give authorities information about other Americans with the same intentions. Shannon Conley, wearing a black and brown headscarf over her striped jail jumpsuit, entered the plea in federal court to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. She could face up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced in January. Prosecutors said they will seek a lighter sentence if she cooperates. Court documents say the FBI first became aware of Conley’s growing interest in extremism last November after she alarmed employees of a suburban church by wandering around and taking notes on the layout of the campus. The church, Faith Bible Chapel, was the scene of a 2007 shooting in which a man killed two missionary workers. Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed) 239-a-13-(Robert Pepin, attorney representing Shannon Conley, with reporters)-“led terribly astray”-Shannon Conley’s attorney Robert Pepin says his client got involved in circumstances that got out of control. (10 Sep 2014) < 240-a-14-(Robert Pepin, attorney representing Shannon Conley, with reporters)-“people controling ISIS”-Shannon Conley’s attorney Robert Pepin says a relationship got Shannon Conley, who he calls Halima, caught up in the Islamic State militants. (10 Sep 2014) < 241-a-06-(Robert Pepin, attorney representing Shannon Conley, with reporters)-“have saved her”-Shannon Conley’s attorney Robert Pepin says his client, who he calls Halima, realizes it was good that she was arrested. (10 Sep 2014) < IN GOD WE TRUST Pa. county council rejects ‘In God We Trust’ motto PITTSBURGH (AP) β A Pennsylvania county council has voted 8-6 against posting the national motto, “In God We Trust,” in its chambers. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald had threatened to veto the measure, which he called “a movement by the right-wing evangelical Christians across the country basically to impose Christianity” in public buildings. Fitzgerald is a Democrat, as are the eight council members who opposed the display, which would also have included Pennsylvania’s state motto “Virtue, Liberty and Independence” and another U.S. motto, “E Pluribus Unum.” All five Republicans on council voted for the display, as did Democrat Bill Robinson. A Democrat who co-sponsored the bill, Councilman Charles Martoni, voted against it saying, “The more I looked at it, it’s unnecessary.” Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed) 196-v-34-(Rita Foley, AP correspondent)–A Pennsylvania county has shot down the idea of posting the nation’s motto in its council chambers. AP correspondent Rita Foley reports. (10 Sep 2014) < 197-v-32-(Rita Foley, AP correspondent)–Lawmakers in one Pennsylvania county disagree about whether to post the nation’s motto in council chambers. AP correspondent Rita Foley reports. (10 Sep 2014) < CHRISTIAN TEACHER CONTROVERSY Students rally for teacher who talks about faith CANTON, Ga. (AP) β Students at a public high school outside Atlanta are rallying behind a teacher who says he’s standing up for his Christian beliefs and what he views as his right to talk about Jesus in the classroom. Hundreds of students poured into hallways at Sequoyah High School Tuesday, holding signs and chanting in support of history teacher John Osborne. Osborne told WXIA-TV that he didn’t feel supported by administrators, so he decided to take a few days off. He said he’s talked about God at school for years. Students mistakenly thought the teacher had been terminated, and staged the protest, according to Cherokee County Schools. They say he remains employed. Osborne said he’s using sick days to take time off and he isn’t sure when or if he will return. He told WXIA that he’ll “pray about it.” TEXAS HISTORY TEXTBOOKS History books becoming next fight in Texas schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) β The next ideological fight over new textbooks for Texas classrooms has intensified, with critics lambasting history lessons they say exaggerate the influence of Moses in American democracy and negatively portray Muslims. The first new social studies textbooks in Texas public schools since 2002 are slated for approval in November. Making the final decision is the State Board of Education, which last year approved new curriculum that teaches children that the phrase “separation of church and state” is not in the U.S. Constitution. Groups that led opposition to those changes are now girding for a new fight over social studies textbooks, which the board will publicly discuss at a meeting next week. A passage in one textbook says, “Moses was a lawgiver and a great leader. Like the founders of the United States, he helped establish a legal system to govern his people.” It goes on to say, “The Ten Commandments have been a guide and basis for many legal and moral systems throughout the world.” JESUS STATUTE-DESECRATION Police: Boy desecrated Jesus statue, posted photos EVERETT, Pa. (AP) β A 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy has been charged with desecrating a statue of Jesus by standing in front of it and mimicking a sex act, and then posting pictures of it on the Internet. Bedford County officials say the court papers against the boy are sealed, because they were filed in juvenile court. The Altoona Mirror reports the boy is charged under a rarely used 1972 law that makes it a crime to desecrate a venerated object. A college student was prosecuted under the same law when he urinated on a nativity scene in Wilkes-Barre in January 2010. The statue at issue in the new case belongs to Love in the Name of Christ, a Christian service organization. PHILIPPINES-POPE Before papal visit, Manila can take papal selfies MANILA, Philippines (AP) β In Asia’s most Roman Catholic nation, the Philippines, images of Pope Francis are getting the pop treatment. Life-size cardboard cutouts are being distributed to churches, schools and malls in Manila to generate “papal fever” before the pope’s visit. Church-run radio station Radio Veritas distributed them. Station president the Rev. Anton Pascual said Wednesday that the cardboard cutouts allow camera-loving Filipinos “to take a selfie with the pontiff.” Pope Francis is set to visit the Philippines on Jan. 15-19 and is expected to meet survivors of Typhoon Haiyan that devastated central provinces. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE-MUSICIAN FIRED Musician fired by Catholic Church meets cardinal CHICAGO (AP) β Chicago Cardinal Francis George has met with a former church employee who was fired after announcing his engagement with his longtime partner. Colin Collette emerged from Tuesday’s meeting, but offer specifics about his meeting with Chicago’s Roman Catholic archbishop. Collette was music director at Holy Family Church in the Chicago suburb of Inverness until he announced his planned marriage to his partner on social media. Collette says Holy Family Pastor Terry Keehan asked for his resignation. He said he left without resigning, but was later fired. The Archdiocese of Chicago wouldn’t comment on Collette’s dismissal, but has said those serving as ministers, including worship ministers, are “expected to conform their lives publicly with the teachings of the church.” Collette said Tuesday he is still unemployed, but remains committed to the Catholic Church. CHRISTIAN RADIO HOST-ABUSE Michigan radio host pleads guilty to sex assault BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) β A former host at a popular Christian radio station in western Michigan has pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct. John Balyo entered the plea Tuesday in Calhoun County curt. The 34-year-old had admitted to sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy at a Battle Creek hotel in May. Balyo in July pleaded guilty in a separate case to federal charges of sexual exploitation and possessing child pornography. He won’t be sentenced in Calhoun County until he is sentenced in federal court in November as part of his plea deal. A charge of second-degree criminal sexual conduct was also dismissed in the deal. Balyo faces at least 25 years in prison on the state charges. His state and federal sentences will run concurrently. FRANCE-TOPLESS ACTIVISTS Topless activists cleared over Notre Dame protest PARIS (AP) β A Paris court has thrown out a legal case against nine women who bared their breasts in a rowdy protest inside Notre Dame Cathedral, ruling that there was insufficient evidence of any material damage. Prosecutors had sought thousands of dollars in fines against the feminist activists who pounded a huge church bell in the landmark Paris cathedral in February last year to express anger at the Roman Catholic Church’s opposition to gay marriage. They also staged a mock celebration of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. The activists went on trial in July in a case pitting arguments for freedom of speech against proponents of freedom of religion. The prosecutor requested fines of more than $2,000 against each activist for charges of damaging property.
