Hate Comes to East Lansing

by: smithj86

Sun Sep 12, 2010 at 17:46:45 PM EDT

I was dumbfounded.  "Here?  In East Lansing?"  

"Yes.  I'm from the Lansing State Journal, and I'm trying to find some people who found pages in the neighborhood."

"Yes.  You didn't find anything."

"No."  He thanked me and turned to leave.

"Good luck," I called as he left.

Still in denial, I checked the internet.  Here's what I found:

(East Lansing, MI, 9/12/2010) -- The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today said it has called on the FBI to launch a hate crime investigation of a burned copy of the Quran, Islam's holy text, found early yesterday at a mosque in that state.

CAIR-MI reports that officials of the Islamic Center of East Lansing say vandals left a burned Quran at the front entrance of the mosque and threw pages from holy text in the streets surrounding center. Torn pages of the Quran appeared to be smeared with feces. An unidentified substance was also found on the floor in front of the mosque's main door. CAIR-MI has contacted the FBI about the incident.

"The perpetrators of this unconscionable act of religious intimidation must be apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of state and federal law," said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid.

Inquiries - Contact the Pubic Relations Coordinator - Mr. Abdul Majid Katranji. You may send an eMail with your phone number to info@lansingislam.com, and your call will be returned.

A Press Conference is being planned. Information will be posted here as soon as the time is detrmined. Meanwhile, media inquires can be submitted via eMail:info@lansingislam.com, and we will get back to you.  

East Lansing, Michigan is the bluest town in one of the bluest counties in a blue state.  And some faceless coward or cowards desecrated a Koran in the dark of night-too craven to let the light of day show their bigotry to all-slinking away like a rat.  The virus of intolerance and ignorance that began with New York mobs intent on denying the right to practice one's religion-perhaps yet another part of the Constitution that our conservative friends what to cut-and spread to Florida has spread to mid-Michigan.

I am sickened that someone in my community did something so vile and hateful, let along a few blocks from where I live.  People of conscience must stand together against this hate.  The consequences of ignorance and bigotry, left alone, are too great.  

But what can we do?  Send an e-mail of support to the Islamic Center and wish them well.  Let them know you have their back.  Call your local reps and candidates-they need to take a stand RIGHT NOW and speak out against this.  Get moving, people!