Source: The Boston Globe

On September 13, 2001, The Boston Globe reported on the arrest, and subsequent release, of a Sikh man yesterday. Religion reporter Michael Paulson wrote, "The man on the Amtrak train from Boston had a green turban on his head, a long beard on his chin, and a blade strapped to his chest, and apparently, that was enough evidence for federal and local authorities." (The blade was a kirpan, a ceremonial sword worn by Sikhs.) The article noted that as the man was arrested, "teenagers shouted, 'Let's kill him,' and a woman yelled, 'Burn...

Source: Reuters

September 13, 2001, Reuters. Ari Fleischer, White House spokesman, announced that President Bush had declared Friday, September 14 as a day of prayer and remembrance. "Fleischer said Bush planned to attend a prayer service in Washington Friday and to urge U.S. citizens to take time out of their day to attend services at churches, synagogues and mosques 'to pray for our nation, to pray for the families of those who were victimized by this act of terrorism.'"

Source: American Jewish Committee

http://www.ajc.org/press/default.htm?show.asp?ID=255

On September 13, 2001, The American Jewish Committee issued the following statement: "The catastrophic terror inflicted on American soil must not become an occasion for stereotyping or scapegoating. Jewish history makes us painfully aware that, too often, times of crisis provide opportunities for expressions of bigotry. An entire people or religion should never be implicated because of the...

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On September 13, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Interfaith events in the Bay Area in which people of "a wide range of traditions called for a large outdoor interfaith memorial service where residents could mourn for the victims as well as meditate on the impact of racism." The article quoted Charles Gibbs of the United Religions Initiative: "'We need to draw distinctions between people who are dedicated to violence regardless of religion and people who are dedicated to peace regardless of their religion.'"...

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On September 12, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle reported on harassment in the Bay Area in the article, "Tolerance put to test in Bay Area; Muslims, mosques, Arabs find themselves targets of threats." Religion reporter Don Lattin wrote, "Yesterday's horrific terrorist attacks in New York and the nation's capital were not just a test of national security, but a test of national tolerance. It was a test of interfaith understanding, a test of whether Americans understand that the average American Muslim does not endorse...

Source: Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force Press Release

http://www.sikhmediawatch.org/latest_news.htm

On September 12, 2001, a press release from the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) stated, "the Sikh American community would like to join their fellow Americans in condemning the horrific acts that took place on the morning of September 11, 2001. We are saddened by the tremedous loss of life...and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims."...

Source: No source given.

On September 11, 2001, a joint statement was issued by the American Muslim Political Coordination Council (AMPCC) in condemning the terrorist attacks against the U.S. The statement read, in part: "American Muslims utterly condemn what are apparently vicious and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators. No political cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts."

Groups that signed the AMPCC statement included...

Source: The Boston Globe

http://www.wordscanheal.com

On Tuesday September 4, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that "a group headed by an Orthodox rabbi and backed by an array of US politicians and movie stars is launching a media campaign today to reduce gossip in everyday life...The National Education Association estimates that 160,000 children skip school each day because of intimidation by their peers." The group led by Rabbi Chiam Feld is called "Words Can Heal (http//:www.wordscanheal.com...

Source: The Boston Globe

On August 31, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that "a muslim subscriber sued America Online...claiming that anti-Islamic insults in AOL's chat rooms violate his civil rights...Saad Noah...visited...chatrooms set aside for discussions of Islamic religious topics...but quit AOL because other members frequently hurled insults against his faith...AOL's contract specifically forbids users from making bigoted or hateful remarks...But Noah claims that AOL Time Warner refused to take action against those who disrupted Islamic chat rooms,...

Source: The Times-Picayune

On August 26, 2001, The Times-Picayune featured an article on Donna Madere Pierite of New Orleans, a teacher and advocate of preserving Native American languages and culture. "She teaches French and Spanish at Abramson High School and also finds time to be the language program coordinator for the Tunica-Biloxi, working to keep the tribe's speech, songs, stories and culture alive... 'When I go to schools and do this little presentation, an adult will come up to me afterward with tears in their eyes,' she said. 'They said, 'I too...

Source: The Dallas Morning News

On August 25, 2001, the free medical clinic founded by Dr. Amer Shakil at the Dallas Central Mosque opened due to the needs of "the area's large immigrant population." But Shakil notes the clinic's purpose "'is to not only provide health care but to educate [patients] about how to access [other] health care'...Dr. Shakil is a family practice physician...his clinic, which opened in November 2000, serves more than 790 patients and has logged nearly 2,000 visits...Most visitors are Muslim but checkups and other services are open to all...

Source: The Boston Globe

On August 25, 2001 The Boston Globe reported that Tom Green of Utah, "a man with five wives and 30 children, was sentenced...to five years in prison...Polygamy is an open secret in Utah and elsewhere in the West, where there are an estimated 30,000 people practicing plural marriage." Green took the stand and "made it clear he has no regrets." He was sentenced "to five years on each charge he faced - four bigamy charges and one for failing to support his family. The sentences will run concurrently...He is still awaiting trial on...

Source: The Boston Globe

On August 23, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that "in response to racist and anti-Semitic leaflets dumped on lawns across town [in Sharon, Mass.]..., civic leaders have announced a candlelight vigil against the hateful messages in the town center...[The planned] vigil is similar to one that drew hundreds after several synagogue windows in Sharon were shattered more than two years ago."

Source: The Boston Globe

On August 22, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that "a convoy of semis and pickup trucks rumbled into [Klamath Falls, Ore.]...to protest the shut-off of federal irrigation water to farmers...Based on federal biologists' reports on the needs of endangered suckers in Upper Klamath Lake and threatened coho salmon in the Klamath River, the US Bureau of Reclamation shut off irrigation to 90 percent of the 220,000 acres of the Klamath Project [a federal irrigation system]. The action marked the first time in nearly a century that...

Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations

On August 22, 2001, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported on their report, entitled "Accommodating Diversity," which detailed incidents of anti-Muslim discrimination. The report may be downloaded at http://www.cair-net.org/civilrights. "CAIR issued its first report, called 'A Rush to Judgment,' within a month of the attack on the Murrah Federal Building."