(CAIR-SFBA) today condemned so-called “Islamophobic” rhetoric stemming from intolerance towards Islam rhetoric by San Jose City Council members related to Mayor Sam Liccardo’s planned trip to Qatar.
Doha News Mayor Liccardo’s plans to travel to the Qatari capital of Doha were rejected by the City Council through a 8-3 vote over alleged human rights concerns. The mayor was reportedly invited by authorities in Doha to attend Qatar Foundation’s Environment and Energy Research Institute from 11-13 June to learn about the institute’s water conservation efforts.
Speaking about the vote, Council member Devora Davis said: “There have been charges with human rights violations from Amnesty International as well as the US state department against Qatar, so I’m concerned about you [Liccardo] going there.
The most rejection of certain council members in San Jose’s Council City were due to the Qatar trip being a ‘bad’ representations to San Jose’s values.“We [City Council] voted to restrict city travel to American cities for less than the abuses and allegations that have been levelled against Qatar.”
Some council members reportedly cited Islam’s legal code – shariah, – in their arguments against the mayor’s trip. One council member reportedly said she would be scared to go to Qatar as a woman. The mayor reportedly said there were elements of Islamic law in Qatar’s legal system indicating the state is unjust.
Councilmembers Raul Peralez and Sylvia Arenas joined voices with Davis and spoke out against Liccardo’s visit to the Arab country, arguing that the trip was “not necessary nor a good representation of San Jose’s values.”
Maha Elgenaidi, founder and innovation director of the Islamic Networks Group, argued some of the claims that rose out of the council were tainted with Islamophobic sentiments, as certain remarks pinned the human rights abuses to Islam or Islamic law (sharia), as opposed to “criticizing Qatar” or “an unjust government.”
Elgenaidi said the way the council used Sharia to describe some of the injustices in Qatar are not related to what Islam outlines—so it’s not fair to blame Sharia or Islam.
Elgenaidi said the way in which City Council used sharia to “describe some of the injustices in Qatar” are not linked to what Islam stands for and therefore it is unfair to blame the Shariah or Islam. “My grievance is with the disparagement of Islam, which is directly consequential in impacting the level of hate and discrimination against members of the Muslim American community,” Elgenaidi told San Jose Spotlight.
Amnesty IntlWomen continued to face discrimination in law and practice in Qatar. Under the Sharia-law guardianship system, women remained tied to their male guardian, usually their father, brother, grandfather or uncle, or for married women, to their husband. Women continued to need their guardian’s permission for key life decisions to marry, study abroad on government scholarships, work in many government jobs, travel abroad until certain ages, and receive some forms of reproductive healthcare.
Family laws continued to discriminate against women by making it difficult for them to divorce. Divorced women remained unable to act as their children’s guardian.
The council conversation exhibited vivid intolerance towards Islam. Elgenaidi said the conversation is a clear indication that the City Council should go through anti-racist training. (What “race” is Islam?)
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:
“The Islamophobic rhetoric employed by San Jose officials is completely unacceptable. The arguments used against the Mayor’s trip to Qatar contain some of the oldest anti-Muslim tropes in the book, and the fact that the city council claimed to be concerned over human rights abuses while approving visits to serial human rights abusers Israel and Saudi Arabia is deeply hypocritical.
“We call on city council members and Mayor Liccardo to meet with representatives of our (Hamas-linked) organization and the Muslim community for dialogue and education on Islam and to correct some of what we call the “misunderstandings” apparent from this incident.”
Muslims rarely provide any details about what they call “Islamophobic” speech. They don’t list what the speech was and how it was islamophobic. More than likely someone spoke the truth, but Islam cannot handle the truth about itself so it must lie or obfuscate to hide the truth about Sharia and Islam.
These people blame others for what they institute themselves. They are a despicable bunch!
You shtting your self when you know them Muslims want to kill you at any time day or night. Tell cair to go and fuck them self’s. Cair there just for the money
Quran (3:56) – “As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help.”
Elgenaidi said the way in which City Council used sharia to “describe some of the injustices in Qatar” are not linked to what Islam stands for and therefore it is unfair to blame the Shariah or Islam. “My grievance is with the disparagement of Islam”
MUSLIM LIAR!
In the Quran War Book, Warlord Mohammad’s GOD of WAR instructs Muslims to commit atrocities and perpetrate SATANIC RITUAL ABUSE TORTURE/SLAUGHTERS on non-Muslims for the Sole Reason NON-Muslims don’t believe in Mohammad’s BLOODTHIRSTY god of MASS MURDER.
it’s what Muslims did to our precious, defenseless French brothers and sisters a few years ago at the Paris Concert. It was reported that Muslims outside in the streets CELEBRATED.
It’s what Muslim Turks did to MILLIONS of Christians in the Armenian Genocide just one hundred years ago. Turkey has NEVER asked for Forgiveness for their Great SIN Against the HOLY ONE and Terrible CRIME Against Humanity.
Turkey is UNREPENTANT.
https://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/violence.aspx
The Quran contains at least 109 verses that speak of war with nonbelievers, usually on the basis of their status as non-Muslims.
Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding.
Muslims who do not join the fight are called ‘hypocrites’ and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.