Hawai'i Muslims take precautions

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer

Haseeb Ali, 6, attended Friday prayers with his father, Hasrat Ali, at the Manoa mosque. After the service, leaflets were distributed advising worshippers to call police should they ever be "placed in physical danger" because of ethnicity. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

"Here," the professor had said, "they're indoctrinating terrorists."

Krim, who is from France, was horrified that his holy book was being referred to as a terrorist training manual.

Yesterday, after regular Friday prayers, the Muslim Association of Hawaii issued a pamphlet to its members to protect against possible backlash from the Iraq war, outlining steps mosque members can take if they were to become targets of discrimination.

Opposed to the Iraq war, leaders in the Muslim community have spent hours talking to church groups, schools and community organizations, spreading the message that their religion, Islam, is a religion of peace.

"We strongly disagree with the use of violence and war as a path to achieve peace," read a statement issued Thursday by the Muslim Association of Hawaii. "However ... as patriotic Americans, (we) believe that this debate is over and we close ranks, look to the future and pray that this nightmare ends soon. We are praying for the safe return of our young American men and women, many of which not only share our nationality but our religion as well, and the safety of the innocent Iraqi people."

Hakim Ouansafi, president of the association, said about 15 members of his mosque are in the U.S. military and have been deployed — many of them to the Gulf region.

"We are praying for them all," he said.

Muslim advocacy groups are concerned about what they see as growing anti-Muslim sentiment on the Mainland, "partly because of outspoken remarks against Islam by some political and religious leaders and partly because of the increased focus on Muslims in the U.S. war against terrorism," the Washington Post recently reported.

However, Ouansafi noted that few recent cases of discrimination have been reported here.

The two-page handout distributed to the 250 people who attended yesterday's service began: "Although Hawai'i is unlike other states, in light of ongoing war with Iraq and the historic pattern of hate crimes, abuse and discrimination faced by the Arab-American and Muslim communities ... prudent and necessary steps (need) to be taken during this conflict."

It suggested: "If you or someone you know is placed in physical danger because of your ethnicity, religion or national origin, call the police immediately."

The two-page handout lists the names and phone numbers of agents in the FBI — including the civil rights coordinator, the supervisor of the civil rights program and the head of the Honolulu office.

"We would rigorously investigate any violation of civil rights," FBI Special Agent Larry Futa said yesterday afternoon. "We've reached out to the Muslim community and they know we're here to protect their rights, just as we do the rights of any other U.S. citizen."

The association also listed these suggestions about going to places known to be frequented by Arabs or other Muslims:

"Make sure the location has an open line of communication with law enforcement, make sure you know all the exits to your building, make sure the location has a current emergency plan that is defined and can be implemented should the need arise."

The pamphlet also outlined steps for parents to take if their children feel threatened.

"The above is based on experiences in the communities during the 1991Gulf War and purely as a precautionary measure," notes Ouansafi in the handout.

He reiterated after the service that the Muslim association was being proactive.

"You have to be," he said, shaking his head.

In October, federal authorities and police investigated the dropping of hundreds of anti-Muslim leaflets over a fence and into the yard of the mosque. Investigators approached the case as a hate crime.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group, said those leaflets read in part: "During the war on terrorism, the vigilant, patriotic residents of Hawai'i will be keeping an eye on our Muslim 'friends'. ... Every curry fund-raiser will be checked to ensure that funds are not being funneled to support terrorist groups. Anyone found in violation will be strapped with explosives and shipped to Iraq."

No arrests were made in the case.