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Chicago Muslims Face Violent Backlash
By Ayub Khan
CHICAGO, Sept 13 (IslamOnline) - Tension is high throughout the Chicagoland area as Muslims and Arabs are increasingly being targeted for violence in the area.
Wednesday night, a noisy crowd of around 300 mainly white teenagers tried to march to the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Illinois, but was stopped by a 125-strong contingent of police officers.
According to Oak Lawn police, the teens initially gathered after school was let out on Wednesday outside Oak Lawn High School waving American flags and shouting anti-Muslim and anti-Arab insults at passing cars.
The crowd remained until 10 pm, when the police dispersed it.
Some demonstrators then regrouped near 95th Street and Harlem Avenue and began marching towards the Bridgeview Mosque Foundation located on 93rd Street, west of Harlem in Bridgeview. Police stopped the crowd two blocks from the Mosque Foundation and allowed it to demonstrate there. Bridgeview Police Lt. Tim Callahan said there were two arrests during the demonstration, two for disorderly conduct and one for reckless driving.
There were several other incidents of hate crimes reported from around the region. A man attacked a gas station attendant of Moroccan descent in Palos Heights with the blunt edge of a machete after inquiring of his racial origin. Robert J. Shereikis, 39, of Worth was arrested and charged with the hate-crime.
The Arab Educational School was the scene of arson early morning on Wednesday when someone threw a Molotov cocktail at the front door. A night caretaker put out the fire, which caused minor damage.
The Islamic Foundation, which has been the scene of several similar incidents in the past, received several threatening calls and a bomb threat. Abdul Hameed Dogar, director of the foundation said the caller said, "You are Muslim. All of you are bad people." No bomb was found.
All seven Chicago area Muslim schools remain closed as of today.
Muslim leaders have urged all Muslim women, especially those wearing hijab (headscarves) to remain indoors.
The Chicago Commission on Human Rights distributed 10,000 fliers in neighborhoods with large Arab and Jewish populations urging them, "Choose civility over ignorance.''
The Commission is also investigating a report that several cars drove on North Ashland Avenue Tuesday night displaying cardboard signs saying, "F--- all Arabs."
Chicago area religious leaders have come out in support of Muslims and urged everyone to promote tolerance.
Rev. Jesse Jackson of Operation Push Wednesday marched with a handful of other activists in downtown Chicago calling for people to not to associate Muslims or Arabs with terrorists.
An interfaith prayer vigil is scheduled to be held at the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago were Muslim leaders will speak.
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