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http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Anti-Muslim-law-protesters-meet-opposition-at-San-11210927.php
Anti-Muslim law protesters meet opposition at Santa Clara rally
By Sarah Ravani Updated 4:26 pm, Saturday, June 10, 2017
Alice Hoagland, whose son, Mark Bingham, died in the 9/11 attacks, protests Shariah law with demonstrators in Santa Clara. Photo: Mason Trinca, Special To The Chronicle
Photo: Mason Trinca, Special To The Chronicle
.
Alice Hoagland clutched an American flag and screamed, “No Shariah in the USA.” She was joined by a few dozen other protesters in an anti-Shariah rally Saturday at Stevens Creek Boulevard and Winchester Avenue in Santa Clara — one of a number of rallies nationwide.
Hoagland’s calls were quickly drowned out by chants of “No justice, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” from across the street at Stevens Creek and Santana Row in San Jose, where a “Unity rally” had been organized in protest of the anti-Shariah rally.
ACT for America, which organized the anti-Shariah rallies, is a nonprofit that bills itself as “the (National Rifle Association) of national security.” The group argues that Shariah, the Islamic law code, “is incompatible with Western democracy and the freedoms it affords.” The organization is designated as the nation’s largest grassroots anti-Muslim group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Hoagland, 67, said she doesn’t hate all Muslims, but that the flood of Islam into the U.S. is something to be feared.
“All I need to know about Islam, I learned on 9/11,” the Los Gatos resident said. “I lost my son on 9/11. How broad-minded am I expected to be?”
Hoagland’s son, Mark Bingham, was aboard United Airlines Flight 93 when it crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa., after a group of passengers attempted to retake the plane from hijackers.
Hoagland said her son had plenty of Muslim friends and that she didn’t know if her son would approve of her presence at the anti-Shariah rally, but “I’m standing here.”
Standing nearby, Jack Smith, 20, waved a “Trump, Make America Great Again” sign. He was surrounded by people in red “Make America Great Again” hats and “Pro-Life” T-shirts.
The San Jose resident said he didn’t care if Muslims moved to the United States as long as they were properly vetted and would “conform to an American society.”
However, he had issues with the number of people he said were advocating for Shariah law, though he didn’t list any examples. And that wasn’t his only concern.
“Can you name one Christian country that’s throwing gays off rooftops?” he said. “Do you support women’s rights and gays rights?”
A Muslim man and several women in hijab came over with a box of store-bought cookies, offering it to the anti-Shariah protesters.
Most of the rally participants didn’t take them up on the offer.
They were met with signs that read, “Sharia (sic) Law Mutilates Little Girls” and “Women Are Bought and Sold As Slaves.”
Across the street, a large contingency from the Unity rally held signs that read “Everyone is created equal in the image of God” and “We all belong here. We will defend each other.”
They outnumbered the group of anti-Shariah law protesters and took up the entire sidewalk that led up to the entrance of Santana Row, a sprawling upscale shopping center in San Jose.
The Unity rally was organized by a Presbyterian minister and was co-sponsored by more than 100 other civil rights and interfaith groups including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Meet a Muslim and Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice.
The different groups kept to their sides, with a few stragglers from the anti-Shariah law side coming over and waving a “Sharia Law Opposes the Constitution” sign before hurrying back to their side. The rallies were both peaceful, police said.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/marches-against-islamic-law-held-many-us-cities-070332450.html
U.S.Rallies against Islamic law draw counter-protests across US
GENE JOHNSON,Associated Press 12 hours ago
SEATTLE (AP) — Demonstrations against Islamic law Saturday in cities across the U.S. drew counter-protests by people who said they stoked unfounded fears and a distorted view of the religion.Hundreds marched through downtown Seattle, banging drums, cymbals and cowbells behind a large sign saying "Seattle stands with our Muslim neighbors." Participants chanted "No hate, no fear, Muslims are welcome here" on their way to City Hall, while a phalanx of bicycle police officers separated them from an anti-Shariah rally numbering in the dozens.In front of the Trump building in downtown Chicago, about 30 people demonstrated against Islamic law and in favor of President Donald Trump, shouting slogans and holding signs that read "Ban Sharia" and "Sharia abuses women." About twice as many counter-protesters marshaled across the street.A similar scene played out in a park near a New York courthouse, where counter-protesters sounded air-horns and banged pots and pans in an effort to silence an anti-Shariah rally."The theme of today is drowning out racism," said counter-protester Tony Murphy, standing next to demonstrators with colorful earplugs. "The more racists get a platform, the more people get attacked."Michigan Anti-Muslim Law Protest Met by Counter ProtestersThe March Against Sharia Law was met by counter protesters in Lansing, Michigan, on Saturday, June 10. The two protests were held near a highway exit ramp with the two sides coming face to face before police separated the groups.
ACT for America was sponsoring the March Against Sharia Law in more than a dozen cities across the country, including New York, Austin, Chicago, and Seattle. In many cases, they were met by counter protesters, including those from socialist and anarchist groups. Antifa, an anti-fascist group, was present at many of the counter protests.The rallies, held in more than two dozen U.S. cities, were organized by ACT for America, which claims Islamic law is incompatible with Western democracy.The organization said it opposes discrimination and supports the rights of those subject to Shariah. However, the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, calls it the largest American anti-Muslim group."I don't believe Islam can peacefully co-exist with the Constitution," said Seattle anti-Shariah demonstrator Aaron Bassford, 29. "I'm not going to tell them they can come here and take away my Second Amendment right. We need unity in this country under no ideology and no banner except the Constitution of the United States of America."But the overwhelming majority of Muslims don't want to replace U.S. law with Islamic law, known as Shariah, and only "radical extremist groups" would call for that, said Liyakat Takim, a professor of Islamic studies at McMaster University in the Canadian city of Hamilton, Ontario.Shariah, Takim said, refers to guidelines or principles — how Muslims should live. "Fiqh" refers to jurisprudence, or specific laws. The values embedded in Shariah do not change and are shared among Muslims, he said, while fiqh is open to interpretation and change, and in fact differs among Islamic sects and communities.
"The Quran allows slavery, so does the Old Testament. That doesn't mean we allow it today, too," Takim said. "Laws are amenable to change."The marches come amid a rise in reports of anti-Muslim incidents in the U.S., including arson attacks and vandalism at mosques, harassment of women wearing Muslim head coverings and bullying of Muslim schoolchildren.In St. Paul, Minnesota, the demonstrations were mostly peaceful until some people leaving a rally inside the Capitol encountered counter-protesters outside.A confrontation that included shoving and punching occurred, The Star Tribune reported. The Minnesota State Patrol separated the groups and appeared to make at least one arrest.In California, small but raucous demonstrations were held in a handful of cities, including San Bernardino, where a husband and wife inspired by the Islamic State group killed 14 people and wounded 22 in a 2015 shooting attack.Clusters of protesters and counter-protesters gathered on four corners of an intersection at a memorial to the slain. Anti-Islamic law demonstrators marched past the building where the shootings occurred.Denise Zamora, 39, of Upland said the group wasn't opposed to all Muslims. "We're anti-Shariah. We're anti-radicals," she said."It's coming in very slowly, and a lot of the refugees are bringing that ideology here," Zamora said of Shariah. "All of it is just barbaric."No arrests were made at the San Bernardino rally, and there were no reports of violence, police spokeswoman Eileen Hards said.But it was noisy, with groups chanting, yelling and waving American flags and posters proclaiming various causes."There's an anti-Trump, a pro-Trump, anti-extremists, so there are a variety of messages here," Hards said. "There are so many messages going on that I'm not sure who's who."___
Associated Press writers Andrew Selsky in Portland, Oregon; Deniz Cam in New York; Jeff Karoub in Detroit; Kimberlee Kruesi in Boise, Idaho; Robert Jablon in Los Angeles; and Michael Tarm in Chicago contributed to this report.
Anti-Muslim law protesters meet opposition at Santa Clara rally
By Sarah Ravani Updated 4:26 pm, Saturday, June 10, 2017
Alice Hoagland, whose son, Mark Bingham, died in the 9/11 attacks, protests Shariah law with demonstrators in Santa Clara. Photo: Mason Trinca, Special To The Chronicle
Photo: Mason Trinca, Special To The Chronicle
.
Alice Hoagland clutched an American flag and screamed, “No Shariah in the USA.” She was joined by a few dozen other protesters in an anti-Shariah rally Saturday at Stevens Creek Boulevard and Winchester Avenue in Santa Clara — one of a number of rallies nationwide.
Hoagland’s calls were quickly drowned out by chants of “No justice, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” from across the street at Stevens Creek and Santana Row in San Jose, where a “Unity rally” had been organized in protest of the anti-Shariah rally.
ACT for America, which organized the anti-Shariah rallies, is a nonprofit that bills itself as “the (National Rifle Association) of national security.” The group argues that Shariah, the Islamic law code, “is incompatible with Western democracy and the freedoms it affords.” The organization is designated as the nation’s largest grassroots anti-Muslim group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Hoagland, 67, said she doesn’t hate all Muslims, but that the flood of Islam into the U.S. is something to be feared.
“All I need to know about Islam, I learned on 9/11,” the Los Gatos resident said. “I lost my son on 9/11. How broad-minded am I expected to be?”
Hoagland’s son, Mark Bingham, was aboard United Airlines Flight 93 when it crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa., after a group of passengers attempted to retake the plane from hijackers.
Hoagland said her son had plenty of Muslim friends and that she didn’t know if her son would approve of her presence at the anti-Shariah rally, but “I’m standing here.”
Standing nearby, Jack Smith, 20, waved a “Trump, Make America Great Again” sign. He was surrounded by people in red “Make America Great Again” hats and “Pro-Life” T-shirts.
The San Jose resident said he didn’t care if Muslims moved to the United States as long as they were properly vetted and would “conform to an American society.”
However, he had issues with the number of people he said were advocating for Shariah law, though he didn’t list any examples. And that wasn’t his only concern.
“Can you name one Christian country that’s throwing gays off rooftops?” he said. “Do you support women’s rights and gays rights?”
A Muslim man and several women in hijab came over with a box of store-bought cookies, offering it to the anti-Shariah protesters.
Most of the rally participants didn’t take them up on the offer.
They were met with signs that read, “Sharia (sic) Law Mutilates Little Girls” and “Women Are Bought and Sold As Slaves.”
Across the street, a large contingency from the Unity rally held signs that read “Everyone is created equal in the image of God” and “We all belong here. We will defend each other.”
They outnumbered the group of anti-Shariah law protesters and took up the entire sidewalk that led up to the entrance of Santana Row, a sprawling upscale shopping center in San Jose.
The Unity rally was organized by a Presbyterian minister and was co-sponsored by more than 100 other civil rights and interfaith groups including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Meet a Muslim and Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice.
The different groups kept to their sides, with a few stragglers from the anti-Shariah law side coming over and waving a “Sharia Law Opposes the Constitution” sign before hurrying back to their side. The rallies were both peaceful, police said.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/marches-against-islamic-law-held-many-us-cities-070332450.html
U.S.Rallies against Islamic law draw counter-protests across US
GENE JOHNSON,Associated Press 12 hours ago
SEATTLE (AP) — Demonstrations against Islamic law Saturday in cities across the U.S. drew counter-protests by people who said they stoked unfounded fears and a distorted view of the religion.Hundreds marched through downtown Seattle, banging drums, cymbals and cowbells behind a large sign saying "Seattle stands with our Muslim neighbors." Participants chanted "No hate, no fear, Muslims are welcome here" on their way to City Hall, while a phalanx of bicycle police officers separated them from an anti-Shariah rally numbering in the dozens.In front of the Trump building in downtown Chicago, about 30 people demonstrated against Islamic law and in favor of President Donald Trump, shouting slogans and holding signs that read "Ban Sharia" and "Sharia abuses women." About twice as many counter-protesters marshaled across the street.A similar scene played out in a park near a New York courthouse, where counter-protesters sounded air-horns and banged pots and pans in an effort to silence an anti-Shariah rally."The theme of today is drowning out racism," said counter-protester Tony Murphy, standing next to demonstrators with colorful earplugs. "The more racists get a platform, the more people get attacked."Michigan Anti-Muslim Law Protest Met by Counter ProtestersThe March Against Sharia Law was met by counter protesters in Lansing, Michigan, on Saturday, June 10. The two protests were held near a highway exit ramp with the two sides coming face to face before police separated the groups.
ACT for America was sponsoring the March Against Sharia Law in more than a dozen cities across the country, including New York, Austin, Chicago, and Seattle. In many cases, they were met by counter protesters, including those from socialist and anarchist groups. Antifa, an anti-fascist group, was present at many of the counter protests.The rallies, held in more than two dozen U.S. cities, were organized by ACT for America, which claims Islamic law is incompatible with Western democracy.The organization said it opposes discrimination and supports the rights of those subject to Shariah. However, the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, calls it the largest American anti-Muslim group."I don't believe Islam can peacefully co-exist with the Constitution," said Seattle anti-Shariah demonstrator Aaron Bassford, 29. "I'm not going to tell them they can come here and take away my Second Amendment right. We need unity in this country under no ideology and no banner except the Constitution of the United States of America."But the overwhelming majority of Muslims don't want to replace U.S. law with Islamic law, known as Shariah, and only "radical extremist groups" would call for that, said Liyakat Takim, a professor of Islamic studies at McMaster University in the Canadian city of Hamilton, Ontario.Shariah, Takim said, refers to guidelines or principles — how Muslims should live. "Fiqh" refers to jurisprudence, or specific laws. The values embedded in Shariah do not change and are shared among Muslims, he said, while fiqh is open to interpretation and change, and in fact differs among Islamic sects and communities.
"The Quran allows slavery, so does the Old Testament. That doesn't mean we allow it today, too," Takim said. "Laws are amenable to change."The marches come amid a rise in reports of anti-Muslim incidents in the U.S., including arson attacks and vandalism at mosques, harassment of women wearing Muslim head coverings and bullying of Muslim schoolchildren.In St. Paul, Minnesota, the demonstrations were mostly peaceful until some people leaving a rally inside the Capitol encountered counter-protesters outside.A confrontation that included shoving and punching occurred, The Star Tribune reported. The Minnesota State Patrol separated the groups and appeared to make at least one arrest.In California, small but raucous demonstrations were held in a handful of cities, including San Bernardino, where a husband and wife inspired by the Islamic State group killed 14 people and wounded 22 in a 2015 shooting attack.Clusters of protesters and counter-protesters gathered on four corners of an intersection at a memorial to the slain. Anti-Islamic law demonstrators marched past the building where the shootings occurred.Denise Zamora, 39, of Upland said the group wasn't opposed to all Muslims. "We're anti-Shariah. We're anti-radicals," she said."It's coming in very slowly, and a lot of the refugees are bringing that ideology here," Zamora said of Shariah. "All of it is just barbaric."No arrests were made at the San Bernardino rally, and there were no reports of violence, police spokeswoman Eileen Hards said.But it was noisy, with groups chanting, yelling and waving American flags and posters proclaiming various causes."There's an anti-Trump, a pro-Trump, anti-extremists, so there are a variety of messages here," Hards said. "There are so many messages going on that I'm not sure who's who."___
Associated Press writers Andrew Selsky in Portland, Oregon; Deniz Cam in New York; Jeff Karoub in Detroit; Kimberlee Kruesi in Boise, Idaho; Robert Jablon in Los Angeles; and Michael Tarm in Chicago contributed to this report.
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