Plans to build a mobile prayer room for Muslim attending the Pyeongchang Winter #Olympics dropped

Plans to build a mobile prayer room for Muslim attending the Pyeongchang Winter #Olympics dropped

    Saturday, February 10, 2018   No comments

Plans to build a mobile prayer room for Muslim visitors to Pyeongchang Winter Olympics have been scrapped after a strong backlash from local religious activists.

Kim Yeong-ju of Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) told Korea Exposé that the government’s top tourist body had originally planned to place a Muslim prayer room near the city hall in Gangneung, the biggest host city of the games.

But the plan had been dropped because of “strong complaints from local people… primarily for religious reasons,” Kim said. The backlash was so severe, he added, that local officials “could no longer do their jobs.”

Last week, KTO acknowledged the lack of facilities for visiting Muslims as a problem and declared its aim to create a “Muslim-friendly Korea.”

Iranian cancer researcher detained at Boston airport despite valid visa

Iranian cancer researcher detained at Boston airport despite valid visa

    Thursday, July 13, 2017   No comments

An Iranian cancer researcher traveling to the US on a valid visa has been detained at Boston Logan international airport with his wife and three children, two weeks after Donald Trump’s revised travel ban came into force.

Mohsen Dehnavi was traveling to the US to work as a visiting scholar at Boston children’s hospital, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. But when he arrived on Monday afternoon, he was not allowed to enter the country and may now be sent home along with his family, according to a friend who was due to pick them up from the airport.
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Saudi Arabia: 'Trump is a true friend of Muslims'

Saudi Arabia: 'Trump is a true friend of Muslims'

    Wednesday, March 15, 2017   No comments

ISR comment: The rulers of country that sent 15 of its citizens, under order from the Saudi leader of a UN designated terrorist organization, to kill nearly 3,000 American civilians on 9/11, and that is one of only two countries in the world that officially espouses Wahhabi Salafism--the theology that is also embraced by al-Qaeda and ISIL... these Saudi rulers assured Muslims around the world that a president who signed two executive orders banning Muslims from 6 (later reduced to 5) war torn Muslim countries (and Iran), and whose executive orders were struck-down by federal courts on account that his orders are in effect unconstitutional Muslim Bans, that he is a "true friend of Muslims." Thank you for the alternative facts.

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A senior adviser to the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave the following statement on the meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump:

The meeting between Prince Mohammad bin Salman and President Trump was a huge success, marking a historic turning point in bilateral relation of the two countries.

Relations had undergone a period of difference of opinion. However, today’s meeting has put things on the right track, and marked a significant shift in relations, across all political, military, security and economic fields. All of this is due to President Trump’s great understanding of the importance of relations between the two countries and his clear sight of problems in the region.

Prince Mohammed Bin Salman discussed with President Trump the issue of banning some citizens from six countries from entering the United States of America and that His Excellency is closely monitoring this matter from the beginning. Saudi Arabia does not believe that this measure is targeting Muslim countries or the religion of Islam. This measure is a sovereign decision aimed at preventing terrorists from entering the United States of America. President Trump expressed his deep respect for the Religion of Islam, considering it one of the divine religions that came with great human principles kidnapped by radical groups.

At the same time, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman emphasized that information from Saudi Arabia confirms indeed the existence of a plot against the United States of America that has been planned in those countries in secret by those groups that took advantage of what they assume a security weakness to conduct operations against the United States of America. His Excellency expressed his understanding and support for this vital and urgent precaution measure to protect the United States of America from expected terrorist operations.

Many of the economic files between the two countries have been discussed. They included huge Saudi investments in the United States of America in addition to exceptionally and largely providing American companies with the opportunities to enter the Saudi market.

This would not have been achieved without President Trump’s efforts to improve the climate for investments inside the United States of America

Prince Mohammed bin Salman has stressed how bad and very dangerous the nuclear deal is on the region and that it is going to hold the Iranian radical regime back for a short period of time in their quest for producing a nuclear weapon. This deal could lead to a more dangerous and continuous armament among the region’s countries that will not accept any Iranian nuclear military capacity.

The President and the Deputy Crown Prince share the same views on the gravity of the Iranian expansionist moves in the region. Iran is trying to gain its legitimacy in the Islamic world by supporting terrorist organizations with the aim of reaching Mecca, the Qibla of all Muslims, which gives them the legitimacy they lack in the Islamic world. Iran’s support of terrorist organization such as Hezbollah, al-Qaeda, ISIS and others along with its obstructing of any deal to settle the Palestinian issue, as a form of exporting its issues abroad, are nothing but another attempt to the gain the legitimacy it lacks among Muslims.

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source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-15/saudi-prince-sees-trump-as-true-friend-to-muslims-full-text

Muhammad Ali’s son detained at airport: ‘Are you Muslim?’

Muhammad Ali’s son detained at airport: ‘Are you Muslim?’

    Saturday, February 25, 2017   No comments

A lawyer says the son of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali was detained by immigration officials at a Florida airport.

Chris Mancini tells the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky (http://cjky.it/2lF3c4F ) that 44-year-old Muhammad Ali Jr. and his mother Khalilah Camacho-Ali, the second wife of Muhammad Ali, arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Feb. 7 after returning from Jamaica.

Mancini says officials questioned Ali Jr. for nearly two hours, repeatedly asking him, “Where did you get your name from?” and “Are you Muslim?”

Mancini says officials continued questioning Ali Jr. after acknowledging that he was Muslim. Ali Jr. was born in Philadelphia and holds a U.S. passport. source

‘This is not Trump’s America!’: Passengers rejoice when man accused of racism is kicked off flight

‘This is not Trump’s America!’: Passengers rejoice when man accused of racism is kicked off flight

    Thursday, February 23, 2017   No comments

“Goooodbyeee raaacists!”

That was the blunt — and unquestionably sarcastic — message one heated passenger delivered to a man and a woman as they were being kicked off a United Airlines flight Saturday evening for causing a disturbance that was blamed on racist comments.

The confrontation on Flight 1113 from Chicago to Houston began several minutes earlier, when a Pakistani man and woman wearing traditional clothing were boarding the plane, according to VHF affiliate KHOU.

Like many new American veterans, I owe my life to Muslims: Trump’s executive order is un-American, dishonorable and severely harmful to U.S. national security

Like many new American veterans, I owe my life to Muslims: Trump’s executive order is un-American, dishonorable and severely harmful to U.S. national security

    Monday, February 20, 2017   No comments

Like many new American veterans, I owe my life to Muslims — the Iraqi and Afghan comrades who fought alongside me during my multiple combat tours as a Green Beret.

I join fellow veterans in Seattle and nationwide in denouncing President Trump’s decision to temporarily ban people from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States. Trump’s executive order is un-American, dishonorable and severely harmful to U.S. national security.

This sweeping and ill-conceived order will further damage U.S. credibility in the Muslim world, and will fuel recruiting by insurgent and terrorist groups claiming that America is at war with Islam.

Moreover, this shortsighted move will backfire by curbing the immigration of people from the Middle East and Africa whose language skills and cultural knowledge are in short supply in the United States. From a national-security perspective, turning our backs on them undermines our long-term interests.

 This indiscriminate ban threatens to make it harder to recruit native-born translators to support operations in Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Yemen, as well as in future conflicts, jeopardizing the lives of U.S. troops.

Throughout my military career, loyal Iraqis and Afghans displayed incredible bravery under fire to protect me and my men. These linguists have proved their trustworthiness on the field of battle and undergone extreme vetting. Our nation pledged to resettle in America interpreters who put themselves and their families at risk by working for the U.S. government.

But Trump’s ban even temporarily blocked Iraqi interpreters and their families from the United States — exposing them to unnecessary danger. It took an outcry from veterans and concern inside the Pentagon to push the Trump administration to amend the ban on Thursday and allow these heroes to immigrate as promised.

The damage caused by a stroke of Trump’s pen is already being felt, disrupting thousands of lives — from the most vulnerable refugees to talented immigrant employees of major U.S. companies. Fear is spreading.  source