December 9, 2010 – Ali Hazratji discusses the disturbing rise in anti-Muslim sentiment.

On Focus Western New England, Thursday December 9th, the Muslim American experience in western New England.

Almost a year after reminding UMass MSA students about the nefarious Jews and the necessity of warfare and violence, whether they liked it or not, Hampshire mosque president Dr. Hazratji will be making an appearance to discuss the racist bigots in Amherst and Pehlam that resisted his mega-mosque plans and other anti-Muslim activity in Western Massachusetts.

 Nine years after the World Trade Center attacks moderate Muslim Americans from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Amherst, Massachusetts are feeling the ripple effects of events from lower Manhattan to Yemen. Muslims in this region say 2010 in particular has seen a disturbing rise in anti Muslim sentiment.

In West Springfield, graffiti was thrown up on a mosque wall and threatening telephone messages were left. In Palmer, one business owner made his anti Muslim thoughts clear on his shingle. Coming a look at how Muslim and non Muslims are working together on this. No one is quite sure if this time in American history will be seen as a bump in the road or a long term strain. We’ll hear from a mosque official, a civil rights expert, Muslim college students, and YOU on the Muslim American experience in western New England.

Studio Guests:

Mongi Dhaouadi, Executive Director of CAIR CT The Councial on American Islamic Relations

Ilana Alazzeh, student at Smith College, active in Muslim campus community

Ali Hazratji, Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts, Hampshire Mosque

Phone Guests:

Subhan Tariq, graduate UMASS Amherst 2010, now at UMASS Dartmouth Law; grew up in NYC, was 13 when he saw the World Trade Center towers fall on 9/11.He’ll talk about what it was like to be a high school student then, and his work on campus in the multi-faith activism.

Chris Blauvelt, who grew up in Amherst and lives in Detroit now; he’s the Executive Producer of the film called Bilal’s Stand about a a Muslim high school senior in Detroit who faces many of the issues young (and not so young) Muslim Americans are facing right now. The film was in the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and will be touring schools starting in 2011 as a way to start conversations about “social justice, education, class and race, interfaith understanding”…