Japan was hit by a devastating earthquake today. I found this link over on Twitter and couldn’t ignore it.
The 50 Most Incredible Pictures Of The Japan Earthquake And Tsunami – Link
How To Respond – Hate Against Muslims During a Fundraiser for Homeless in Orange County
(The Post below was shared by Suhaib Webb on Facebook but I can’t seem to find who the original author is.)
Upset with the incredibly disgusting hate rally against Muslims in Yorba Linda? If you haven’t seen it yet, see:
It’s heart-breaking. Over 300 hate-mongers, waving American flags, shout at Muslims as they enter a fundraiser to raise funds for battered women and the homeless. Then let’s use our voices to stand against this.
You can contact the two congressmen who were at the protest:
Gary Miller: 714.257.1142
Ed Royce: 714.634.2340
OR
SEND A MESSAGE:
Contact: Gary Miller (R) California
Contact: City of Villa Park regarding Councilwoman Deborah Pauly
Contact: Ed Royce (R) California
Contact: Jerry Brown -Governer California
Contact: Other Congress Members
Dear [NAME],
I would like to bring attention to recent actions by elected officials of the State of California. On February 13th, a group of Muslims gathered to raise money for woman’s shelters and to help relieve homeless and hunger in the US at a Yorba Linda community center. Outside, there was what one could call a protest.
Although many of those attending this so called protest held American flags, their actions were the antithesis of what it means to be an American. It is an absolute right for anyone in this country to protest. But what happened on February 14th showed some of the ugliest display of bigotry and racism in the modern world. The Muslim attendees were called pedophiles, terrorists, and were repeatedly verbally abused. The fact that there were Muslim children attending the event could not stop the shrills of this angry mob.
Beyond the hate speech, local Councilwoman Deborah Pauly stated “as a matter of fact, I know quite a few marines who will be very happy to help these terrorists to an early meeting in paradise.” If this does not echo inciteful hate speech, I’m not sure what does. Other elected officials that were present included both Gary Miller (R-Caifornia) and Ed Royce (R-California). I want it on the record that this does not reflect the ideals of America. The notion that an elected official can issue a veiled death threat is deplorable. Whether her comment has any sort of legal consequence, should be left up to the lawyers.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
Concerned Citizen of the United States of America
More information about the Orange County event that was organized by ICNA can be found here:
Mom: Anti-Muslim mob “terrified” my kids – Salon.com
The 10 Most Wildly Racist Things from This Anti-Muslim Protest (Which a U.S. Congressman Attended) – Good.is
At Orange County Hate Rally, GOP Councilwoman Says She Wants Marines To Send Muslim Families To ‘Paradise’ – ThinkProgress.org
Bilal’s Stand – Film Review
My film review is based on a DVD of this movie sent to me by Chris Blayvelt, executive producer at Beyond Blue Productions. Still unreleased, Bilal’s Stand has been receiving rave reviews and the crew has been screening it all over the U.S. in colleges and universities.
Name of the Film: Bilal’s Stand
Director: Sultan Sharrief
Production notes: Shot in Detroit, Michigan in the year 2010.
Starring: Julian Gant as Bilal.
Synopsis
Bilal is a black Muslim teen and a high school senior who manages his family’s taxi stand – thus the name Bilal’s Stand. The taxi stand has been in Bilal’s Family for decades and his family works hard to make sure that it stays in the family for generations to come. Money is tight and Bilal’s mom has to work another job and they don’t have enough money to send Bilal to University. Bilal gets little selfish and submits an application to University of Michigan where he gets accepted. In order to pay for University, he takes a shot at the art of ice carving in order to win a scholarship. Time and again, his will for going to University is tested and he has to make decisions to either keep going or give up. The story is about a black Muslim teen’s struggle to achieve upward social mobility and still stay connected to what really defines him – “The Stand.”
Review
A boy named ‘Bilal’ has a dream of education. His background is no help; Black Muslim teen in Detroit area with no hope of better future. He wants to change the status-quo and achieve social mobility for the betterment of his family. The only way he sees this happening is if he gets the opportunity to go to University of Michigan. He is a hardworking student and is also trying to be a good Muslim at the same time.
Bilal’s Stand is a low budget, kindhearted, writer-director Sultan Sharrief’s true tale of growing up as a black Muslim teen in Detroit where his family has been associated with a taxi stand for decades. All that the family wants is to carry the legacy of “The Stand” forward and not work towards getting out of the poverty spiral by thinking outside the box. Bilal wants to break out of the spiral but it’s not going to be easy.
I enjoyed watching the movie for it sends a message to the audience about striving for a better future and not letting other people tell you that you are a “sell out.” That said, Islam or being a Muslim is not the focal point of the movie. Religion is a backdrop in the movie and not the theme. The problem faced by Bilal is a problem faced by most minorities and people living in impoverished areas.
Update 5/28/11: There is currently a social media campaign under way to turn Bilal’s Stand in to a Muslim Cosby-like TV Show. Visit the Facebook page for more information and get involved.
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