In a mind-blowing piece of investigative journalism, Tennessean religion writer Bob Smietana has uncovered a web of hate, fear, and charitable giving that is influencing public opinion, policy, and politics in Tennessee and across the country.
Steven Emerson has 3,390,000 reasons to fear Muslims.
That's how many dollars Emerson's for-profit company — Washington-based SAE Productions — collected in 2008 for researching alleged ties between American Muslims and overseas terrorism. The payment came from the Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation, a nonprofit charity Emerson also founded, which solicits money by telling donors they're in imminent danger from Muslims.
Emerson is a leading member of a multimillion-dollar industry of self-proclaimed experts who spread hate toward Muslims in books and movies, on websites and through speaking appearances.
The full article is a must-read on the influence of money on politics and charity, and exposes a network of fearmongering that is influencing American foreign and domestic policy.
Smietana's article is part of a full investigative report on Islamophobia in Middle Tennessee, illustrating the ways that Muslims have been falsely portrayed in the media and by political leaders. In addition to the full investigative report, Smietana also interviewed a Middle Tennessee Muslim, Azmi Mukahal, for a local picture of how Muslims are responding to being targets of religious hatred and political oppression.
Mukahal said he reads the Bible and Quran on a regular basis. Both, he believes, teach him to be a good citizen.
"The Quran says you need to be honest," he said.
"You need to be trusted. Don't steal. Don't kill. Is that the law in America or not? But I cannot say that the Quran is supposed to be the law."
The series of reports come on the heels of a show trial in Murfreesboro over the zoning and construction of a local Islamic center, located in one of the fastest growing communities in the United States and home to Middle Tennessee State University.
Attorney Joe Brandon Jr. fought through more than 20 sustained defense objections including badgering the witness, being argumentative and asking irrelevant questions.
"Isn't it true that in the Qur'an Mohammad had a six-year-old wife that he had sex with," Brandon asked a county commissioner on the stand. "Is that your idea of what a religion is?"
The U.S. Department of Justice filed an amicus curiae with the court Monday stating unequivocally that Islam is a religion and defended the Constitutional right of Americans to freely worship.
In addition to attacks on Islamic history, Brandon also argued that Islam is a cult, not a legitimate religion, and that Muslims were secretly plotting to force Sharia law in the United States government. This, despite an amicus brief filed by the US Justice Department which clearly stated that Islam is considered a legitimate religion and defended the rights of Muslims to assemble, worship, and build community centers for worship.
The department’s brief argues that Islam is a religion entitled to protection under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and points out that, “consistent among all three branches of government, the United States has recognized Islam as a major world religion.” It also argues that mosques are places of religious worship, and that Rutherford County properly determined that it must treat the mosque project as it would other proposals for construction of places of worship.
“A mosque is quite plainly a place of worship, and the county rightly recognized that it had an obligation to treat mosques the same as churches, synagogue, or any other religious assemblies. This is not only common sense; it is required by federal law. The Justice Department is committed to protecting rights of Americans of all faiths to build places of worship and to worship in peace,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
“Although this is presently a local matter, the U. S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee vigorously support the decision of the Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners in approving the site plans and authorizing construction of a mosque and Islamic center,” said U.S. Attorney Jerry E. Martin. “To suggest that Islam is not a religion is quite simply ridiculous. Each branch of the federal government has independently recognized Islam as one of the major religions of the world. As pointed out in our brief filed with the court, had the Rutherford County Government adopted the position the plaintiffs set forth, it would likely be in violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2000.”
It is important to note that the collaboration between for-profit "research" organizations and private charities is only the beginning of the story, since the Tennessee Republican Party has been using religion as a wedge issue to rally Christian voters against Democrats and civil libertarians. Earlier this year, Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey (voted Lt. Gov. by his Republican peers in the state senate, not by popular vote) ran for governor and claimed that there were serious doubts about whether Islam can be considered a religion. This kind of election year pandering is understandable in Tennessee, where 79% of residents say that religion is an important part of their daily lives and 72% of Tennesseans are Protestant Christians. But sadly, this approach to electoral politics routinely plays on the worst fear and hatred of a populace that is confused and concerned in the wake of 9/11.
Democrats are left to defend the constitutional rights of religious minorities, ethnic minorities, and other groups (e.g., the LGBT community) against a populist groundswell funded by Republican-backed groups. This is good campaign strategy for Republicans, but it is not good policy and it is not conducive to a healthy America.
Follow the money.