An intriguing article on the ice cream jihad fallout among Muslims in Lodi. Note the position of CAIR, and the altogether positive prospect of Muslims planning to protest against it. “Muslim community: division and reflection,” from the Record, with thanks to Thomas:
LODI — The local Muslim community has tried hard this week to mask its divisions.
Those internal struggles may soon reappear in a public way. On Friday, Lodi Muslim Mosque board member Nick Qayyum said he and many others plan to protest at the Sacramento office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations for its part in standing by two local spiritual leaders arrested on immigration violations — Mohammad Adil Khan and Shabbir Ahmed.
The two imams, as well as Khan’s teenage son, were detained as federal officials investigated two other men suspected of having ties to terrorists. Hamid Hayat and his father, Umer Hayat, were arrested Sunday on charges of lying to investigators.
Qayyum said the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, shouldn’t be defending the two imams, who he thinks have tried to take control of the local Islamic community. The imams have been controversial in part because they came to Lodi from Pakistan.
Khan also spearheads efforts to build the Farooqia Islamic Center, where some Muslims hope to create a religious school. Lodi Muslim Mosque board members have sued over those plans, accusing Farooqia supporters with deception and fraud.
More than 3,000 Muslims from Pakistan live in the Lodi area. The community has been divided in part over the Farooqia center, but also over whether the community should be led by outsiders or those who grew up in area.
Qayyum said that Khan and Ahmed “divided our families — brothers against brothers, sisters against sisters. If (CAIR) is going to go out to support these people, we’re going to protest. We’re going to try to get 400 to 500 people to go to the office in Sacramento. That’s not a joke, either.
“As far as I’m concerned, (Khan and Ahmed) hijacked our religion and tried to hijack us.”…
It’s interesting that with all this religion-hijacking talk we have heard since 9/11, this is the first instance I can remember of rank-and-file Muslims in America actually doing something about it. Please refresh my memory if I am overlooking something.