PROPHET CARTOON CONTEST-SHOOTING
Mosque president remembers accused Texas gunman
PHOENIX (AP) — A mosque president in Phoenix says a man who a federal official identified as one of the gunmen who opened fire outside a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest had worshipped at his mosque for about a decade.
But Islamic Community Center of Phoenix president Usama Shami says Elton Simpson quit showing up over the last two or three months.
On Sunday, two men whom authorities identified as Simpson and Nadir Soofi opened fire in a Dallas suburb on a security officer stationed outside the cartoon contest.
Simpson and Soofi were wearing body armor, and one shot the guard in the leg. Officers returned fire and struck both men, killing them. The guard was treated for his injury at a hospital and released.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has condemned the attack, saying that a violent response is more insulting to Islam than any cartoon.
Sound:
321-a-16-(Kristina Sitton, attorney who represented Elton Simpson in a 2010 terror case, in AP interview)-“their religion was”-Attorney Kristina Sitton says she can see why Elton Simpson would have drawn the attention of federal authorities. (4 May 2015)
< 323-a-15-(Kristina Sitton, attorney who represented Elton Simpson in a 2010 terror case, in AP interview)-“the Muslim faith”-Attorney Kristina Sitton says she attributes some of Elton Simpson’s statements to his religious beliefs. (4 May 2015) < 320-a-09-(Kristina Sitton, attorney who represented Elton Simpson in a 2010 terror case, in AP interview)-“angle of it”-Attorney Kristina Sitton says she represented Elton Simpson when he was convicted in 2011 in Phoenix of lying to the FBI about whether he’d discussed traveling to Somalia. (4 May 2015) < 322-a-15-(Kristina Sitton, attorney who represented Elton Simpson in a 2010 terror case, in AP interview)-“were absolutely outrageous”-Attorney Kristina Sitton says she never saw any violent tendencies from Elton Simpson. (4 May 2015) < 292-a-14-(Alia Salem (uh-LEE’-uh SAY’-luhm), executive director, Council on American-Islamic Relations in North Texas, at news conference)-“center last night”-Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Alia Salem says she condemns the behavior of the two men who opened fire outside a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest. (4 May 2015) < 294-a-18-(Alia Salem (uh-LEE’-uh SAY’-luhm), executive director, Council on American-Islamic Relations in North Texas, at news conference)-“a violent response”-Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Alia Salem says the organizers of the Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest were trying to provoke people. ((note length of cut)) (4 May 2015) < 293-a-09-(Alia Salem (uh-LEE’-uh SAY’-luhm), executive director, Council on American-Islamic Relations in North Texas, at news conference)-“our great nation”-Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Alia Salem says the actions of the two gunmen do not represent most Muslims. (4 May 2015) < 274-a-08-(Usama Shami, president, Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, in AP interview)-“kind of actions”-Islamic Community Center of Phoenix president Usama Shami says his mosque teaches peaceful messages, so he does not know why Elton Simpson snapped and opened fire outside a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest before he was shot himself. (4 May 2015) < 273-a-08-(Usama Shami, president, Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, in AP interview)-“or extreme opinions”-Islamic Community Center of Phoenix president Usama Shami says the two gunmen who opened fire and then were fatally shot outside a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest, were not active politically. (4 May 2015) < 272-a-06-(Usama Shami, president, Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, in AP interview)-“to the mosque”-Islamic Community Center of Phoenix president Usama Shami says Elton Simpson, who was fatally shot outside a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest, never showed any signs of anger in all the years he worshiped in Phoenix. (4 May 2015) < 234-a-10-(Douglas Hayes, lives in complex above apartment associated with cartoon contest shooting suspect, in AP interview)-“driver’s side window”-Neighbor Douglas Hayes says officials made a lot of noise trying to break into the suspect’s parked van. (4 May 2015) < 233-a-12-(Douglas Hayes, lives in Phoenix apartment complex where cartoon contest shooting suspect’s van is parked, in AP interview)-“into the door”-Neighbor David Hayes says he was awakened by authorities arriving in the middle of the night, searching a van associated with a suspect in the cartoon contest shooting. (4 May 2015) < PROPHET CARTOON CONTEST-ORGANIZER Cartoon contest organizer known for anti-Islamic statements NEW YORK (AP) — The Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest that exploded in violence over the weekend in suburban Dallas was organized by Pamela Geller, a 56-year-old New Yorker who has warned for years that Islam threatens to destroy the U.S. The contest was offering $10,000 for the best depiction of Muhammad. In an interview with The Associated Press last month as the contest was being organized, Geller called it an attempt to stand up for free speech and said: “We will not bow to violent intimidation.” Geller has been involved in numerous lawsuits in recent years, many of them related to her efforts to place ads in public transit systems. New York City’s transit authority recently banned all political advertising after a judge upheld Geller’s right to run bus ads about Islam that said, “Killing Jews is worship that draws us close to Allah.” In 2012, the transit authority was forced to run Geller ads that read: “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” She paid for similar ads in San Francisco, Detroit and Washington. Sound: 271-v-33-(Warren Levinson, AP correspondent)–The organizer of the Texas cartoon contest where two gunmen were killed has been at the center of many anti-Muslim controversies. AP correspondent Warren Levinson reports. (4 May 2015) BALTIMORE-POLICE DEATH-REBUILDING Officials, church plan to rebuild burned community center BALTIMORE (AP) — A Baltimore church and developers say they’ll start rebuilding a senior housing center that was destroyed during rioting. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin joined members of Southern Baptist Church on Monday to announce the rebuilding of the Mary Harvin Center. The center was about 45 percent complete when it was destroyed by fire during riots last week. Officials say the building will open next year with 61 units of affordable senior housing with counseling and job training space. Rawlings-Blake says this is just one of the city’s first rebuilding stories. She says the city will be “better than where we were.” Mikulski says officials will work for summer jobs and after-school programs and then for bigger efforts like more housing and criminal justice reform. Sound: 260-w-36-(Julie Walker, AP correspondent, with Harriett Lashley, neighborhood resident and Pastor Dante (DAHN’-tay) Hickman, Southern Baptist Church)–Rebuilding is to begin immediately on the Mary Harvin senior housing facility and center in Baltimore, which was under construction when rioters torched it last week. AP correspondent Julie Walker reports. (4 May 2015) < 227-w-35-(Julie Walker, AP correspondent, with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, D-Baltimore and Senator Barbara Mikulski, D-Md.)–Leaders in Baltimore vow to rebuild the city after last week’s riots destroyed so much, they say they will come back stronger and better than before starting with that senior housing development that was torched. AP correspondent Julie Walker reports. (4 May 2015) < 261-a-14-(Bernard Corprew, neighborhood resident, in AP interview)-“of this thing”-Neighborhood resident Bernard Corprew says when he saw the senior housing facility burn down he was heartbroken, but now he’s excited about the rebuilding. (4 May 2015) < 262-a-10-(Harriett Lashley, neighborhood resident with Julie Walker, AP correspondent, in AP interview)-“happy and enthused”-Neighborhood resident Harriett Lashley says she ran out of her house last Monday to see the senior facility burn, and now she’s grateful it’s going to be rebuilt right away. ((cut used in wrap)) (4 May 2015) < 263-a-14-(Pastor Dante (DAHN’-tay) Hickman, Southern Baptist Church, in AP interview)-“these abandoned properties”-Pastor Dante Hickman, whose Southern Baptist Church spearheaded the building of the senior housing facility and center, says they will continue to rebuild. ((part of cut used in wrap)) (4 May 2015) < PRAYER LAWSUIT Judge: Rowan leaders must stop Christian prayers at meetings WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that North Carolina’s Rowan County commissioners must stop opening their meetings with prayers that almost always referred to Christianity. U.S. District Judge James Beaty Jr. ruled Monday that the way the commissioners opened meetings with prayers violated separation of church and state. Rowan County commissioners themselves delivered prayers before their meetings. Judge Beaty said the commissioners stood, almost always bowed their heads and asked audience members to also stand and join them in prayers that normally included references to Jesus, the Savior, and other tenets of the Christian faith. Beaty said that distinguished the case from a U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding prayers before public meetings as long as officials make a good-faith effort at inclusion. PASTOR-DEFAMATION LAWSUIT Pastor sued for defamation after labor complaints MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) — A former member of a church in McMinnville, Oregon, who reported his pastor to labor officials for not paying students in a church landscaping business is now suing the pastor for defamation. The News-Register reports that James Goings is suing Abundant Life Pentecostal pastor William Davies and his son Matthew Davies for $950,000. Goings previously complained to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries that Davies didn’t pay overtime or failed to pay at all for landscaping work done by his Christian Academy students. Eight teens filed wage and hour complaints. The state ordered the Davises to pay a total of $4,464 to the students. Goings claims he was excommunicated and discredited by the pastor in front of the congregation. A lawyer for Davies said the claims are “without merit.” CHRISTIAN FLAG REMOVAL Georgia city to remove Christian flag flying over city hall COCHRAN, Ga. (AP) — Officials in Cochran, Georgia, say they’ll remove a Christian flag flying over city hall. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Cochran city officials had voted to fly the Christian flag over city hall against the advice of the city attorney. That prompted a response by the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The group sent letters to city and county officials saying flying the flag violated the First Amendment. The group’s Executive Director, the Rev. Barry Lynn, said in a statement that flying the Christian flag gives the impression that city officials favor one religion over others. Cochran city officials said in a statement that they got a second opinion from a constitutional law attorney and voted 4-1 to remove the flag. SUPREME COURT-CONVERSION THERAPY Court rejects challenge to NJ ban on gay conversion therapy WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has turned away a challenge to New Jersey’s ban on so-called gay conversion therapy for patients under 18 years old. The justices did not comment on their order Monday. It followed similar action last year that left California’s therapy ban in place. Lower courts dismissed lawsuits challenging the ban, which New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed into law in 2013. Supporters of the therapy tried to interest the court in the issue by presenting it as a restriction on the free speech rights of counselors and doctors. NEW JERSEY FIRE 45 left homeless as fire engulfs church, apartment building PASSAIC, N.J. (AP) — Dozens of people have been left homeless but no injuries were reported when fire destroyed a New Jersey church and damaged several other buildings. Passaic authorities said the fire isn’t considered suspicious, but they said about 45 people were left homeless by the blaze, which spread to an apartment building. Mirna Cruz told WABC-TV, “It started with a piece of wood next to the church, and the church went on fire.” The Rev. Juana Perez, who used the building for services as pastor of Church of God Incorporated, told NorthJersey.com, “I have 24 years in that job, in that church. Now I have nothing. It’s terrible.” At least 12 buildings were evacuated and at least 75 people sought shelter in a nearby church. CHURCH CRASH-KIDS HURT Man crashes SUV into church, injures 3 children MACON, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man accused of crashing an SUV into a church and leaving three injured children behind has been arrested. The Macon Telegraph reports that Bibb County sheriff’s deputies arrested 25-year-old Dontavius Marquez King Sunday morning. Deputies say a 5-year-old boy, a 3-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl were injured in the crash, which occurred about midnight Saturday. Authorities say King fled the scene, leaving the children in the SUV. Officials say the 5-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl were not seriously hurt. The 3-year-old boy was critically injured, but his condition improved by Sunday afternoon. King was caught at a city hospital and charged with three counts of first-degree cruelty to children among other charges. ISRAEL-POLITICS Israeli foreign minister steps down to join opposition JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s foreign minister has dealt a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s effort to build a coalition by announcing Monday that he’s stepping down and that his secular party is joining the opposition. Avigdor Lieberman said he could not sit in the government after Netanyahu struck a series of deals with ultra-Orthodox Jewish partners. Netanyahu has been trying to cobble together a majority coalition in parliament by a Wednesday deadline. Last week, he signed up the center-right Kulanu party and the ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism. The deal with the latter party reportedly includes concessions for those avoiding the country’s military draft for religious reasons. Netanyahu Monday evening teamed up with Shas, another ultra-Orthodox party, and is still negotiating with the nationalist Jewish Home party. NEPAL-EARTHQUAKE-BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY Muted celebrations of Buddha’s birthday in Nepal BIDUR, Nepal (AP) — Celebrations of Buddha’s birthday are muted this week in Nepal, where Buddhists have turned their prayers to loved ones lost in the country’s massive earthquake and worry that the tragedy might portend a much larger reckoning. According to Buddhist scripture, when the land becomes burdened by pollution, overpopulation or simply too much evil, a cleansing may be in order. First there is an earthquake and then fire. Next, a storm and possibly a tsunami. Though Buddha is said to have been born around 563 BC as a prince in Nepal, Buddhists comprise just 9 percent of Nepal’s 28 million people. His birthday is celebrated by Buddhists during a full moon in April or May. But on Monday, temples were closed, congregations were vastly reduced and monastery life was disrupted by fear. Like Nepal’s majority Hindu population, Buddhists are searching for ways to understand and move on from the April 25 quake that killed more than 7,300 people.
