White supremacist found guilty for bombing of Minnesota Islamic Center

People of all faiths showed their support for the Islamic center after it was bombed.

A federal jury returned a guilty verdict against militia leader Micheal Hari, 49, for his role in the bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Aug. 5, 2017.

Following a three week trial, on Wednesday (Dec. 9) the jury convicted Hari on all five counts of the indictment, including intentionally defacing, damaging, and destroying any religious real property because of the religious character of that property; intentionally obstructing, and attempting to obstruct, by force and the threat of force, the free exercise of religious beliefs; conspiracy to commit federal felonies by means of fire and explosives; carrying and using a destructive device during and in relation to crimes of violence; and possession of an unregistered destructive device. 

Hari faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison.

“Michael Hari’s goal in bombing the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center was to spread hatred, instill fear, and threaten the constitutionally protected right to freedom of religion. This act of violence, driven by hatred and ignorance, shook our community,” said U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald for the Distirct of Minnesota. 

“This guilty verdict represents a condemnation of that hatred and upholds our fundamental right to live and worship free from the threat of violence and discrimination.”

As proven at trial, during the summer of 2017, Hari established in Clarence, Illinois, a terrorist militia group called “The White Rabbits,” according to court documents. Hari recruited several men, including co-defendants Michael McWhorter and Joe Morris, to join the militia group, which he outfitted with tactical vests and assault rifles. 

On Aug. 4 and 5, 2017, Hari, McWhorter, and Morris drove in a rented pickup truck from Clarence to Bloomington, Minnesota, with the mission of bombing the Dar al-Farooq (DAF) Islamic Center. Hari targeted DAF in an attempt to scare Muslims into believing they are not welcome in the United States and should leave the country.

As proven at trial, Hari, McWhorter and Morris arrived at DAF on Aug. 5, 2017, at approximately 5 a.m. Morris used a sledgehammer to break a window, which was part of DAF’s Imam’s office, and threw a plastic container containing diesel fuel and gasoline mixture into the building. McWhorter then lit the fuse on a 10-pound black powder pipe bomb that Hari had built and threw it through the broken window. McWhorter and Morris ran back to the truck, where Hari was waiting in the driver’s seat. The three men sped away from the building and drove back to Clarence. 

When the pipe bomb exploded, it ignited the mixture in the plastic container, causing extensive fire and smoke damage to the Imam’s office, in addition to water damage caused by the building’s sprinkler system. 

At the time of the bombing, several congregants were gathered in the mosque for morning prayers, but were uninjured.

On Jan. 24, 2019, McWhorter and Morris pleaded guilty to their roles in the bombing.

“The jury’s verdict confirms the fundamental principle that every person in this country has the right to exercise religion free from violence and fear,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division.

Delta Airlines penalized $50K for discriminating against Muslims

ASAM NEWS

The US Department of Transportation fined Delta Air Lines $50,000 fine last week for two cases of discrimination against Muslim passengers.

The two alleged incidents took place in 2016. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) requested a federal investigation into one of them, involving a U.S. couple of Pakistani descent, according to The Philadelphia Tribune. The passengers, Faisal and Nazia Ali, were headed home to Cincinnati after a trip to Paris, when a passenger told a flight attendant that their behavior made them “nervous.”

Flight attendants claimed that Faisal Ali was acting suspiciously, sweating and hiding his cell phone. They reported the couple to the captain who then had the Alis get off the plane to take an alternative flight. The couple was cleared by a security officer.

However, the captain refused to allow them back on the flight “because the flight attendants were not comfortable” having them onboard,” the Philadelphia Tribune reported. The couple was later able to board another flight the next day without further security screening.

The second instance involved a “Mr. A,” where a similar situation occurred, with passengers and airline employees reported suspicious behavior, and the captain had him removed and put on a later flight, according to Delta’s consent order.

In both instances, the passengers’ records had “no red flags.”

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Faisal and Nazia Ali

“Delta disagrees with the Department’s contention that it engaged in discriminatory conduct. While Delta does not dispute that each of these two incidents could have been handled differently, Delta asserts that this fact does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that Delta acted improperly,” Delta responded in the consent order.

The airline added that it “asserts that it has learned from the two incidents at issue here, and has improved its processes because of them.”

The Department of Transportation ordered the airline to revamp their service training and have employees retake such classes, including civil rights training, the consent order states.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations applauded the decision.

“We welcome this decision by the Department of Transportation, which determined that our clients’ removal from the flight was discriminatory and based on their perceived religion,” said CAIR-Ohio Civil Rights Attorney Sana Hassan in a statement. “We hope that this DOT order sends a message not just to Delta, but to all airlines, that discriminatory treatment of passengers on the basis of their race, religion and national origin is illegal and will not be tolerated.”

She added that the organization has a “Know Your Rights” pamphlet in multiple languages — including English, Arabic, Somali, Urdu, Farsi, Bengali, and Bosnian — for these situations.

Young girl forced to take off her hijab before boarding her flight

TWITTER

Fatima Abdelrahman says she feld "degraded" after being ordered to remove her hijab at a San Fraincisco airport.

Even though the 12-year old had already gone through airport security screening, Air Canada employees insisted that the Muslim American youngster to take off her hijab before boarding her flight.

Fatima Abdelrahman, a member of the US national junior squash team, had already gone through airport security  at San Francisco International Airport and was waiting at the Air Canada gate to board her flight early last month.

Air Canada employees ordered the youngster to take off her hijab in full view of San Francisco International Airport employees and passengers  on her way to Toronto to represent the US airport. She requested a he young girl requested a private screening room.

“The Air Canada agent said you need to take that off — he pointed at my scarf — and I said I can’t and he said you have to,” Abdelrahman told CBS television affiliate KPIX in a video call.

“Taking it off isn’t just like taking off a sock or taking off whatever, it’s almost like taking off a limb. It’s a big deal to me. It’s part of my Muslim identity and who I am as a person. So when someone tells me to casually take it off and hurry up, it’s degrading,” she said.

Fatima explained that she wears the head covering for religious reasons and repeatedly requested for a private screening area. However, Air Canada employees denied the request and forced her to publicly remove her hijab. According to Homeland Security policy, an individual can request a private screening when asked to remove a piece of clothing.

The Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights agency, is launching a formal civil rights complaint against the airline, according to the Toronto Star.

“CAIR-SFBA (San Francisco Bay Area), along with our client, are committed to ensuring that in the future individuals hoping to travel with Air Canada or other airlines are not subject to differential treatment based on their religious beliefs and how they choose to observe their faith,” said CAIR-SFBA’s Civil Rights & Legal Services Coordinator Ammad Rafiqi, in a statement.

“We hope Air Canada will show responsibility by coming to the table in good-faith to ensure that Fatima is made whole for having her right to privacy violated and the ensuing distress she felt during the trip."

Air Canada apologized to Fatima's family and said it is investigating the incident.

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People Acting Stupid: School trustee resigns for Islamaphobic posting

ASAM NEWS

A school board member has turned in his resignation after an Islamphobic post on his Facebook page.

District officials condemned Brian Wisniewski of the Plum School Board near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after stating on Facebook “Does it worry anybody that we have three devout Muslims in Congress who have unlimited access to our top secret government documents?”

The School Board accepted his resignation Friday (Feb. 8) as expected during a special school board meeting.

“This District is not affiliated with this posting in any way,” the district said in a statement. “We vigorously disagree with and condemn the content of the post, and we do so in the strongest possible terms.”

Wisniewski has since apologized while calling his post a “moment of frivolity
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Sunday Read Hate crimes rising, says FBI report

GRAPHIC FROM TWITTER

IN 2017, DONALD TRUMP'S first year in office, the number of hate crimes jumped up 17% from the previous year for a total of 7,175 hate crimes, the highest increase since 9/11.

It was the third year in a row that the FBI Hate Crimes Report has shown an increase. Part of the reason for the hike in hate crimes is that 1000 more jurisdictions are taking part in the voluntary program.
However, given that reporting hate crimes to the FBI is not mandatory, the FBI statistics likely represent only a fraction of such violence. Civil rights groups link the increase to Donald Trump statements and policies.

The report released Monday (Nov. 12) found that the majority of hate crime perpetrators were white, 50.7% followed by African Americans 21.3%.

Of the 4,832 single-bias hate crime offenses were motivated by race/ethnicity/ancestry, 3.1% were directed against Asians.

Of those hate crimes motivated by religion, the majority, 58%, were directed at those of the Jewish faith. Anti-Muslim, anti-Sikh and anti-Buddhist, faiths usually associated with Asians and Asian Americans, were targetted in 21% of the hate crimes.

"This report is a call to action—and we will heed that call," said Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker. "The Department of Justice’s top priority is to reduce violent crime in America, and hate crimes are violent crimes. They are also despicable violations of our core values as Americans,” 

WIKIPEDIA

Some say Donald Trump's rhetoric has emboldened racist movements in the United States. He said that "there were fine people on both sides," when he addressed the Charlottesville violence.

“I am particularly troubled by the increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes—which were already the most common religious hate crimes in the United States—that is well documented in this report.“

As alarming as the hate crime stats are, the actual number is likely much, much higher because of inconsistencies of the definition of hate crimes among the different agencies that choose to report the incidents. Also, not all law enforcement jurisdictions bother to gather the stats or even to report them to the FBI.

The Anti-Defamation League said some police departments in major U.S. cities didn’t report hate crimes as part of the annual report, including the Honolulu Police Department, Indianapolis Police Department and police in Kansas City, Kansas. Other departments, like the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and police in Miami, Florida and Newark, New Jersey, reported zero hate crimes.

There were also notable hate crimes missing from the FBI report. 

For instance, the murder of Indian American tech worker Srinivas Kuchibhotla is missing. According to FBI statistics, no hate crimes were reported last year in Olathe, Kansas. But on February 22, 2017, Kuchibhotla was killed at a bar in Olathe when a man shot him because of his perceived national origin. His friend Alok Madasani was also targeted but survived the shooting, as did a man named Ian Grillot who attempted to intercede.

The shooter, Adam Purinton, was convicted on federal hate crime charges but the local law enforcement agency didn't officially report it to the FBI as a hate crime. The FBI depends on those local agencies to report hate crimes in their jurisdictions.

Another example that was included in the FBI report was the car attack in Charleston that killed Heather Heyer. Heyer, who was protesting against the Unite the Right demonstrators, was killed when white supremacist James Allen Fields, Jr. drove his car into a crowd.

Although Fields was convicted of a hate crime under state law but authorities failed to include the incident to the Feds as a hate crime.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring on Thursday unveiled legislation aimed at preventing hate crimes and white-supremacist violence as reports of such incidents increase around the country.

It is his third attempt to pass similar legislation. The proposals have so far been blocked by Republicans in the state legislature concerned that they were overly broad and restricted gun rights.

"It is well past time to acknowledge the threat posed by hate and white-supremacist violence and take action to stop it," Herring said.

Next year, FBI personnel will provide training for law enforcement officers on how to identify bias-motivated incidents and report that data to the FBI’s UCR Program. Additionally, the Department of Justice launched a new hate crimes webpage, which has information for law enforcement on reporting incidents.

Some of the highlights of the FBI report includes the following:

Of the 6,370 known offenders: 

• 50.7% were White 
• 21.3% were Black or African American 
• 19.1% race unknown 
• Other races accounted for the remaining known offenders

Of the 5,131 known offenders for whom ethnicity was reported: 

• 25.0% were Not Hispanic or Latino
• 8.8% were Hispanic or Latino 
• 1.6% were in a group of multiple ethnicities 
• 64.5 ethnicity unknown 

In 2017, law enforcement agencies reported that 4,832 single-bias hate crime offenses were motivated by race/ethnicity/ancestry. Of these offenses:

• 48.8 percent were motivated by anti-Black or African American bias.
• 17.5 percent stemmed from anti-White bias. 
• 10.9 percent were classified as anti-Hispanic or Latino bias. 
• 5.8 percent were motivated by anti-American Indian or Alaska Native bias. 
• 4.4 percent were a result of bias against groups of individuals consisting of more than one race (anti-multiple races, group). 
• 3.1 percent resulted from anti-Asian bias. 
• 2.6 percent were classified as anti-Arab bias. 
• 0.4 percent (17 offenses) were motivated by bias of anti-Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. 
• 6.5 percent were the result of an anti-Other Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry bias. 

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,679 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-biased offenses showed:

• 58.1 percent were anti-Jewish. 
• 18.7 percent were anti-Islamic (Muslim). 
• 4.5 percent were anti-Catholic. 
• 3.2 percent were anti-multiple religions, group. 
• 2.4 percent were anti-Protestant. 
• 1.8 percent were anti-Other Christian. 
• 1.4 percent were anti-Sikh. 
• 1.4 percent were anti-Eastern Orthodox (Russian, Greek, Other). 
• 0.9 percent (15 offenses) were anti-Mormon 
• 0.9 percent (15 offenses) were anti-Hindu. 
• 0.8 percent (13 offenses) were anti-Jehovah’s Witness. 
• 0.5 percent (9 offenses) was anti-Buddhist. 
• 0.5 percent (8 offenses) were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc. 
• 4.9 percent were anti-other (unspecified) religion.

Civil rights organizations that maintain their own data on hate crimes, such as the ACLU,  the Anti-Defamation League, Southern Poverty Law Center, Council for American-Islamic Relations and South Asian American Leading Together mention the harsh rhetoric coming from the White House and Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric as a catalyst for behavior based on prejudice.

“While everybody should be horrified by these jaw-dropping statistics, these numbers still fail to paint a complete picture of the enormity of the problem,” said Sikh Coalition Legal Director Amrith Kaur.


The omission of the Kuchibhotla murder was spotlighted by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) in its critique of the report. 

In SAALT's 2018 report Communities on Fire report found that perpetrators of hate violence referenced Trump, a Trump administration policy, or a Trump campaign slogan in one out of every five hate incidents documented. 

"White supremacist violence, fanned by the flames of racist rhetoric and policies at the federal level, has devastated marginalized communities," said SAALT in a press release.  "Until this administration confronts this crisis, we will continue to face a surge in hate crimes aimed at our communities."

California had the greatest number of hate crimes, but that was due to the fact that it also had the greatest number of jurisdictions reporting hate crimes.

“America’s elected president has mocked the disabled, called Mexicans rapists and murderers, executed a Muslim travel ban, issued disparaging remarks about women and African Americans, and is working to roll back protections for members of our transgender community,” San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón told the San Francisco Chronicle. “The country’s increase in hate crimes should be a surprise to no one, but it should be alarming to all. We look to our elected leaders to set an example.”

As of this writing, Trump hasn't said anything about the FBI report.
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Texas mosque arsonist sentenced to 24 years in prison

VICTORIA MOSQUE

A new mosque replaces the one that was burned down in a hate crime in Victoria, Texas.

THE ARSONIST who burned down a mosque in Victoria, Texas was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison.

Marq Perez, 26, was convicted of hate crime and felony arson in July for setting fire to the Victoria Islamic Center in Texas on January 28, 2017.

"I do believe justice has been served," explained OMAR Rachid, Victoria Mosque Board Membe. "We certainly appreciate the judge giving complete consideration of the impact this crime had taken on us. And, also taken into consideration the sentencing guidelines and taken into consideration, most importantly, the constitution and the protection afforded to all Americans."
A jury found Perez guilty on July 16, for a hate crime in the burning of the Victoria Islamic Center (the mosque) on Jan. 28, 2017, and for the use of fire to commit a federal felony. In addition, the jury found that Perez possessed an unregistered destructive device for a separate but related incident that occurred on Jan. 15, 2017.

The town of Victoria, Texas was shaken last year when Perez set fire to the Victoria Islamic Centre, burning it to the ground while "jumping up and down like a little kid," according to one witness who spoke at his trial. Testimony revealed Mr Perez had conducted "recon" on the mosque in the days ahead of the fire and had a well-documented history of Islamophobic behavior on social media.

The witness testified that Perez said that he burned down the mosque, because he wanted to “send a message.”
“The Attorney General has said that the Freedom of religion is indeed our ‘first freedom’—being the first listed right of our First Amendment,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick. 

“The Department of Justice prosecutes violent and dangerous crime, but also, and particularly when that crime interferes with someone’s ability to practice their religious faith. Not only was this a dangerous and potentially deadly act, but also one spurred from hate. I am glad justice was served in this case.”

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Police chief's son arrested in attack of Sikh senior citizen

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister penned an apology.

UPDATED, May 9 to include arrest of second suspect.

ONE OF TWO assailants who beat a Sikh man in Manteca, Calif. is the son of a police chief.

Manteca police arrested Tyrone Keith McAllister as a suspect in the attack Wednesday. He is the son of Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister. Manteca is about an hour's drive east of Union City. Also arrested is a 16-year old boy whose identity was not revealed because he is a minor.

TYRONE McALLISTER

Before the family connection to the crime became widely reported, Chief McAllister wrote a heartbreaking public letter apologizing for his son's behavior.

The police chief posted a public apology on his Facebook page. “Words can barely describe how embarrassed, dejected, and hurt my wife, daughters, and I feel right now,” he wrote about his son, who has been estranged from the family and had been living on his own.

“Violence and hatred is not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values. Crime has never been an element of our household, our values, nor the character to which we hold ourselves,” continued the post.

The younger McAllister is the youngest of three children and the only son of Chief McAllister and his wife.

Sahbit Singh Natt, left, describes the attack to a relative.

The video footage of the attack on 71-year old Sahbit Singh Natt came went viral. It showed two men approach the senior citizen and then kicking him, knocking him to the ground. One of the men later returned and kicked Natt some more as he lay on the street.

"It's difficult for us to comprehend how one of three kids who grew up with the same parents, under the same roof, with the same rules and same values and character could wander so far astray," continued Chief McAllister's letter. "We simply don't know why, or how we got here. In the eyes of the public, no matter the irrelevance to the incident, the fact remains that the father of the perpetrator of this despicable crime is a police chief, period. One cannot expect the general public (our Sikh community in particular) to factor in any sentiment that would distinguish this from the integrity of my family name. I pray that we, as a community, in conjunction with my family, can get through this and be even stronger as a result."

Both suspects face charges of attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. McAllister will be booked into the San Joaquin County Jail and the minor into the county Juvenile Detention Center.

READ Chief McAllister's complete letter.

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Second anti-Sikh attack in California in a week

SCREEN CAPTURE / CBS

Neighbors and Sikh community members  rallied against the recent attacks on Sikhs in the Modesto, Calif. area.

ASAM NEWS

LESS THAN A WEEK  after a Sikh man was beaten and his truck vandalized, another Sikh man was assaulted in Manteca, Calif., reports the Modesto Bee. 

Video footage caught on Monday (Aug. 6) shows two adult males confronting Sahib Singh Natt, kicking him repeatedly, and spitting on him, in what the police are investigating as an attempted robbery.

In the video, Natt, in his 70s, attempted to walk around the two men after being confronted during his daily walk, but they followed him. After being kicked and knocked to the ground, Natt got up to defend himself, at which point he was kicked down again. After his attackers began to leave, one returned to kick Natt several more times while he was still on the ground.

“As the suspects left the scene, it is believed that one may have waved a firearm in the air,” according to a news release. “The elderly man was medically treated and released from a local hospital.”

“He was in such a shock,” said relative Parminder Singh Sahi, according to FOX40. “He was not able to tell us exactly what happened so he would tell us one thing and then he will mumble and say something else.” An epileptic seizure seven years ago has impaired Natt’s ability to communicate with others.

“We were disheartened, we were shaken, it was way worse than what we were thinking may have happened to him,” added Sahi.

According to officials, there are no indications so far that the assault was a hate crime, especially since Natt is unable to tell officers exactly what his attackers said.

The full confrontation is shown in the video below. Warning: contains disturbing content.

According to Buzzfeed News, Sikh Coalition Legal Director Amrith Kaur released the following statement: “We are currently investigating the case and looking to directly connect with the impacted community member to guarantee that his legal rights are protected and that all steps are taken to thoroughly investigate this crime. At this stage, we are closely monitoring the situation in order to determine what the evidence shows the motivation of this vicious attack to be. We hope to learn more soon and will share appropriate updates then.”

Last Tuesday, the words “Go back to ur country” and a Celtic Cross, believed to be a hate symbol used by White supremacists, were spray-painted onto a 50-year-old Sikh man’s truck. The victim was beaten to the ground and told by his attackers, “You’re not welcome here!” and “Go back to your country!” This incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

A Sikh man was beaten and his truck spraypainted with a hate message in California Aug. 1

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Missouri man sentenced to two years for threatening Muslims

Services at Islamic Society of Augusta (Georgia).

ANOTHER ISLAMAPHOBE will spend the next two years in prison because of his intolerance towards Muslims.

Preston Q. Howard, 50, of Wright City, Missouri, was sentenced July 24 by Chief United States District Court Judge J. Randal Hall to two years in prison for threatening to blow up a mosque and kill its members. The judge enhanced the sentence because Mr. Howard chose his victims based on their religion, thereby committing a hate crime. 

PRESTON Q. HOWARD

According to court documents, between June 22, 2017, and Aug. 8, 2017, Howard made dozens of early morning telephone calls to the Islamic Society of Augusta (ISA), during which he threatened to “kill,” “bomb,” “shoot,” “behead,” “slaughter,” “execute,” “light on fire,” and “murder” members of the mosque, to “hunt down” and “zone in” on Muslims, and to “blow up the mosque.” 

Howard pleaded guilty to these acts and obstructing or attempting to obstruct the mosque members’ free exercise of their religious beliefs.

When imposing the sentence, Hall noted Howard’s “disturbing pattern of intolerance of many groups of people,” and the Court’s intent to afford a deterrent to similar criminal conduct by Howard and others who may believe and act as he did.

During his sentencing, Howard said he has spent his time studying Islam and no longer has the hatred towards that religion that spurred his previous actions.
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Jury Convicts Texas man of hate crime in the burning of Texas mosque

SCREEN CAPTURE / CBS

A new mosque is being built in Victoria, Texas.

IT TOOK less than three hours Monday (July 16) for the jury to come back with a verdict saying a man committed a hate crime when he burned down a mosque in Victoria, Texas last year.

The jury found Marq Vincent Perez, 26, of Victoria, guilty for a hate crime in the burning of the Victoria Islamic Center on Jan. 28, 2017, and for use of a fire to commit a felony. In addition, they found he possessed an unregistered destructive device for an incident that occurred on Jan. 15, 2017.

“This is a statement from our country, from the USA, showing everyone is equal under the law. This verdict shows that this country upholds the law, whether you are a minority or majority,” Abe Ajrami, treasurer for the Victoria mosque, said Monday at the entrance to the federal courthouse moments after the verdict was announced.

“Justice has been served,” said Omar Rachid, a longtime mosque member who testified during the trial. “We are a land of laws.

“All people are entitled to live free from violence and fear, regardless of their religion or place of worship,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “Perez’s actions were criminal, unlawful, and dangerous. This Justice Department is committed to holding hate crimes perpetrators accountable under the law.”

The jury heard from a total of 19 government witnesses, including law enforcement officers, experts, and others who testified about communications with Perez, one of whom detailed how Perez called Muslims “towelheads.” An FBI agent took the stand and described hate-filled messages found on Perez’s Facebook account.  

Testimony in court detailed how Perez planned the event and revealed how he had done “recon” of the mosque in the days leading up to the fire. A witness who was with Perez on the night of the fire described how excited Perez was upon seeing the mosque in flames, explaining that he was “jumping up and down like a little kid.”

Additional evidence presented in court revealed that items taken during two burglaries at the mosque were found at his home, and also an improvised bomb similar to what was used in an attempted car-bombing approximately two weeks prior to the fire.

The jury also heard from an arson expert who concluded the fire was the result of an “intentional application of an open flame.”

Perez faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the hate crime and up to 10 years for possessing an unregistered destructive device. For use of a fire to commit a felony, the penalty is a consecutive and mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. All of the counts also carry a potential $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been set for October 2.

“Hate crimes are not only an attack on a specific victim, they threaten the cornerstone of diversity that America was built upon,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner. “Perpetrators of hate crimes, like Perez, aim to chip away at our nation’s foundations by instilling fear into entire communities with violence.”

While Ajrami said the jury's decision left him with optimism, he also admitted to suffering emotional trauma to the Victoria Advocate.

“Especially when the kids are around, I personally pray with my ears open, hoping not to hear the click of a weapon,” he said. “I often listen ... to ceremonies with my back against the wall, watching the front door. Anytime you smell something burning, it brings back the memories.”

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A divided Supreme Court upholds Trump's Muslim travel ban

The Supreme Court ruling on the Trump Muslim ban drew protests.

ASAM NEWS &
Views From the Edge

THE SUPREME COURT this morning (June 26) in a split 5-4 decision ruled President Trump’s travel ban against Muslims is constitutional.

This is the White House’s third attempt at a travel ban and the only one to be upheld.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that the ban fell “squarely” within the president’s authority, reports CNBC It rejected claims the ban was based on religious bigotry or hostility.

Roberts concluded the White House showed a “sufficient national security justification,” but added “We express no view on the soundness of the policy,” according to Reuters.

Under the executive order, immigrants, refugees, and visa holders from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen are banned from entering the US.

The vote among the nine justices was along party lines, Roberts was joined by conservative Justices Sanuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Anthony Kennedy.

RELATED: SCOTUS repudiates infamous Korematsu ruling

In desent were the liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.

In her scathing dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: “A reasonable observer would conclude that the Proclamation was driven primarily by anti-Muslim animus, rather than by the Government’s asserted national-security justifications. Even before being sworn into office, then-candidate Trump stated that ‘Islam hates us.’”

The majority did not take into consideration Donald Trump's numerous anti-Muslim statements during his campaign and which he continues to make since he has taken office.

The conservative justices basically ruled that the Chief Executive has the authority to limit immigration without making a judgement on the "soundness of the policy."

"Today's ruling sits alongside other similarly shameful Supreme Court decisions allowing Japanese American internment and segregation,” said Lena Masri, National Litigation Director for the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

"The Muslim community will join other advocates of civil rights to show the ban for what it is -- an illegal expression of anti-Muslim animosity," said CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas.

In a statement in reaction to today’s ruling, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

“This is a setback; not the end of the road. Today, the Supreme Court made it clear that the responsibility will continue to be on the American Muslim community and its allies to push for an end to the Muslim Ban.

“The Supreme Court's decision is an invitation to inject discrimination back into our immigration system. More than half a century ago, Congress abandoned a racist immigration system that preferred some races over others. This decision is an abandonment of that milestone.

“The Muslim Ban's bigotry should have been as clear to the Supreme Court as it is to the Muslims demonized by it. Apparently, everyone but the Supreme Court can see the decision for what it is: an expression of animosity.”

“This juncture in U.S. history is an ideological juncture–and it is one that has to contend with the histories of oppression that have marginalized and disenfranchised our communities for decades,” said Suman Raghunathan, Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together, said to AsAmNews.

“We at SAALT choose and have always chosen, to build a nation where families are not torn apart, where children are not detained in cages, where differences are not criminalized for partisan gain. Today as hate separates families and places our communities at the cross hairs of hate, we vow to continue the fight for justice, dignity and full inclusion.”

“In affirming President Trump’s bigoted Muslim Ban, the Supreme Court has given a green light to religious discrimination and animus,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates. “Not since key decisions on slavery, segregation in schools, and Japanese American incarceration, have we seen a decision that so clearly fails to protect those most vulnerable to government-led discrimination.

Since the Muslim Ban was allowed to go into effect late last year, the administration has separated families and loved ones; and denied people opportunities to work, travel, study, seek medical care, and better our nation, simply because of what they believe and where they come from. This decision puts the basic rights of all Americans at risk.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to allow some provisions of the Muslim Ban to go into effect:

“The Supreme Court has failed to consider the anti-American, discriminatory nature of President Trump’s Muslim Ban – an executive order that remains, in my view, unconstitutional and deeply antithetical to our country’s moral values,” said Jayapal. “Major courts across the country have already rejected the Muslim Ban, recognizing it as a threat to constitutional protections. In allowing parts of the ban to take hold before considering the case, the Supreme Court has done a grave disservice to core American values.

“Today’s ruling will have consequences that stretch far and wide: undermining our national security and hurting our economy by restricting tourists, who may have no relationships here, from entering the country," said Jayapal.

“Let me be clear – this decision is not a victory for President Trump,” Jayapal added. “The Supreme Court has not given him the green light to unilaterally ban travelers to the United States. In fact, the court makes it clear that Trump cannot restrict many immigrants from seeking a better life in the U.S.”The American Civil Liberties Union strongly condemned today's ruling, responding on Twitter that "this is not the first time the Court has been wrong, or has allowed official racism and xenophobia to continue rather than standing up to it."

Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, said in a statement that the court's "ruling will go down in history as one of the Supreme Court's great failures."

Lt. Gov. Doug Chin

 "Today is a dark day for our country," said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, She claimed the Supreme Court "handed the president unfettered power to continue to target minorities."

Hirono asked, "Is the president going to say that it's our national security to ban people from Canada? To ban people from Guatemala? From Honduras? Who's next?"

Lt. Gov. Doug Chin, who led Hawaii’s challenge against the travel ban when he served as attorney general, issued a statement to the Honolulu Star Advertiser saying, “I hurt today for Hawaii families and others who have experienced discrimination and scapegoating due to President Trump's bullying remarks and orders.”
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-CA, tweeted, "This decision from the Supreme Court upholds a policy that is an affront to our values. Trump's Muslim Ban is discriminatory and betrays our country’s history as a nation of immigrants."
“Today, our current vetting system is capable and successful at weeding out threats, which is why immigrants and refugees from these countries have not been terrorists or criminals, but instead have settled peacefully and are contributing to our communities," said Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, who is chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. "Many of them fled war and violence only to find opportunity and peace here. That’s how our laws should work. But now, the Supreme Court has given license to Trump to continue labeling all Muslims as threats, denying them a chance at a better life, and encouraging xenophobia and isolating communities.

"We should not repeat racist and discriminatory policies based on national origin that are hauntingly similar to the treatment of the Asian American community at instructive times in our national history," said a statement from AAAJ. "From the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to the unjust and inhumane incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II, our country has an unfortunate history of prejudicial laws that threaten this nation's founding ideals."

3 Illinois men indicted on civil rights & hate crime charges for bombing Islamic Center

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Suspects set off a bomb at the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota.

A FIVE-COUNT federal indictment, including federal civil rights and hate crime violations, were filed against three men in connection with an explosion at the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center (DAF) in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Aug. 5, 2017.

The three defendants, Michael Hari, 47, Michael McWhorter, 29, and Joe Morris, 22, are currently being held in custody in Urbana, Illinois,  were previously named in a criminal complaint filed on March 13, 2018, in the District of Minnesota, charging them with arson in attacking the Women's Health Practice.

Court documents say McWhorter said that the defendants did not intend to kill anyone, but they wanted to “scare (Muslims) out of the country” and to “show them hey, you’re not welcome here…” 

The indictments filed Thursday (June 21) allege the three were part of a militia group called the White Rabbits.

“All people – regardless of where they worship – have the right under federal law to live free from the threat of violence and discrimination,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore.  “This Justice Department will hold accountable under the law anyone who attempts to commit violent acts of hate by threat or action.”

“These three defendants allegedly plotted and executed a plan designed specifically to spread fear and threaten a fundamental right afforded to all, the freedom of religion,” said U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald. “In spite of the destructive and violent act alleged in the indictment, our communities have found strength in taking a unified stand against the attack.”

“Last year's bombing was more than just an attack against a single structure, it was an attack on the very religious freedoms we enjoy as Americans,” said Jill Sanborn, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Division. “The ability to worship how and where we want is a cornerstone of our country's foundation."

The indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that Hari constructed a pipe bomb and rented a pickup truck in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Hari, McWhorter, and Morris drove from Illinois to Bloomington, Minnesota, in the pickup truck, stopping along the way to purchase diesel fuel and gasoline. The defendants mixed these ingredients together in a plastic container.

The indictment alleges that, in the early morning of Aug. 5, 2017, Morris broke a window at DAF and threw the plastic container containing the diesel fuel and gasoline mixture into the building. It is alleged that McWhorter then lit the fuse and threw the pipe bomb in the broken window at DAF. According to the court documents, the window that was broken was part of the Imam’s office. When the pipe bomb exploded, it ignited the mixture in the plastic container, causing extensive damage in the Imam’s office. McWhorter and Morris returned to the pickup truck, where Hari was waiting, and sped off, driving back to Illinois.

As described in the complaint previously filed with the Court, a tip from a confidential source helped to lead investigators to the defendants.

At a press conference after the trio were arrested in March, he said, Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Muslim advocacy and civil liberties group Council on American-Islamic Relations. "We recognize the early motivations are exactly what the anti-Muslim organizing has pushed — to push Muslims out, to drive fear in our communities. But today we want to reaffirm that our community is going to be resilient."