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Roger Nomer / The Joplin Globe via AP file
Haaris Rebman and Hameed Ahmad look through remains of the mosque of the Islamic Society of Joplin on Wednesday for pages of the Quran.
Donations to help rebuild a Missouri mosque after it burned to the ground Monday in a suspicious fire hit $291,000 on Friday — soaring past the $250,000 goal, according to the mosque’s fundraising web site.
The contributions have come from mosques and individuals around the country and from overseas to rebuild the mosque of the Islamic Society of Joplin, said a report in the Joplin Globe citing Kimberly Kester, a member and spokeswoman for the mosque.
"I’m glad to see that, honestly, because this is what we expect from people who believe in tolerance and religious freedom," said Nihad Awad, national director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, speaking one day after visiting Joplin. "I think that is a powerful message. The building was burnt but the spirit is resilient."
The mosque, the only one within a 50-mile radius, had been targeted by an apparent arson attempt on July 4, when surveillance cameras captured a man throwing a lighted object onto the roof of the building. That fire damaged the roof but did not penetrate the building.
About 30 federal agents from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms are investigating Monday’s fire, which leveled the mosque, a one-story brick structure.
The fire was Monday morning during the Muslim month of Ramadan, which draws many more worshippers to the mosque than attend year-round. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, and then break the fast with a large meal called "iftar." Worshippers had been in the mosque until late the night before the fire, but the building was vacant when the fire broke out, the FBI said.
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"Unfortunately… our community is left without a home during the most precious time of the year," said a message on the fundraising page set up on Indiegogo. "While heartbroken, we are buoyed by the support of people around this country, of all faiths, who have come to our side in our time of need."
A group of Christian and Jewish congregations held an iftar celebration for the local Muslim community on Wednesday, and an activist at the local Ozark Christian College was organizing a rally in support of the mosque-goers on Aug. 25.
"One of the things that I keep hearing is even if (the fire) wasn’t an act of hate or a crime, still a faith community is hurting and we need to respond," said Jill Michel, pastor at the South Joplin Christian Church, one of the iftar organizers.
"What we went through in the tornado has made a difference in how people are responding now," she said, referring to the devastating tornado that hit Joplin in 2011. So many individuals, churches businesses — people who had never had to receive major help — have experienced what it is like just to have people come and offer a hand."
She said her congregation and others were planning to take up Sunday collections for the mosque, and local clergy continue to discuss other ways of helping.
"If tomorrow if somebody said, 'come help rebuild the mosque,' there are a bunch people who would be willing to do that," said Michel. "There’s really a lot of willingness not just to say 'oh that’s too bad' but actually show up and be helpful."
In the culmination of another mosque drama, Muslims in Murfreesboro, Tenn., held the official opening of a newly built mosque and Islamic school Friday after a two-year legal battle, bomb threats, protests and vandalism.
"This is the land of the free and we are going to celebrate the values of religious freedom and diversity," said CAIR’s Awad, who was on his way to Murfreesboro for the event.
As for those who have worked to block the building and opening of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, "we are confident that they don’t represent the majority in this nation," he said.
The opening was expected to draw protesters, but opponents of the facility were nowhere to be seen, the Associated Press reported. Instead the new facility was filled with smiling men, women and children, it said.
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Hope they install some security cameras so they can catch the nut-less wonders the next time they show up...
Once caught would not it be a shame if the arsonist own homes mysteriously burned down to the ground and they lost all possessions...
Last year's tornado in Joplin killed many and left many more homeless, yet we did not see this much display of compassion and help for their plight. Although most of the donation is coming from other mosques and "foreign countries", I suppose the Saudis, I wonder if the same "individuals" who donated to rebuild the mosque, ever helped the citizens of Joplin when they needed it.
"I’m glad to see that, honestly, because this is what we expect from people who believe in tolerance and religious freedom," said Nihad Awad, national director of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
I guess he must be refering to non-muslims, if not he's in self denial or is living with his head in the sand.
What muslim is tolerant or believes in religious freedom? They even kill their own children and wives for the stupidest of reasons let alone "non believers".
Taliban and al Qaeda must be returning some of the donations they received to help rebuild this place of ........... whatever it is.
It seems many here quote about contents from Quran without going though it. It is mostly 2nd hand and/or 3rd hand information which cause the misreporting. I am quoting English translation from One Sura which was first revealed to Moses and as a Muslim, we have too have faith on all prophets including Moses, Jesus Christ and divine revelations to them:
SURA ISRA OR BANI ISRAIL SURA No. 17
23. Thy Lord hath decreed
That ye worship none but Him,
And that ye be kind
To parents. Whether one
Or both of them attain
Old age in thy life.
Say not to them a word
Of contempt, nor repel them,
In terms of honour.
24.And out of kindness,
Lower to them teh wing
Of himility, and say:
"My Lord! bestow on them
The Mercy even as they
Cherished me in childhood".
25 Your Lord Knoweth best
What is in your hearts:
If ye deeds of righteousness,
Verily He is Most Forgiving
To those who turn to Him
Again and again (in true pentinence)
26. And render to the kindred
Their due rights, as (also)
To those in want,
And to the wayfarer:
But squander not (your wealth)
in the manner of a spendthrift.
27. Verily spendthrifts are brothers
of the Satans.
And the Satan
Is to his Lord (Himself)
Ungrateful.
28. And even if thou hast
To turn away from them
in pursuit of the Mercy
From thy Lord which thou
Doth expect, yet speak
To them a word
Of easy kindness.
29. Make not thy hand tied
(Like a niggard's) to the neck,
Nor stretch it forth
To it's utmost reach,
So that thou become
Blameworthy and destitute.
30. Verily thy Lord doth provide
Sustenance in abundance
For who He pleaseth, and He
Straiten it
For He doth know
And Regard all His servants.
31. Kill not your children
For fear of want: We shall
Provide sustenance for them
As well as for you.
Verily killing of them
Is a great sin.
32. Nor come nigh to adultery:
For it is an indecent (deed)
And an evil way.
33. Nor take life- which Allah
Has made sacred-except
For just cause. And if
Anyone is slain wrongfully,
We have given his heir
Authority (to demand Qisas
Or to forgive) : but let him
Not exceed bounds in the matter
of taking life; for he
is helped (by the Law).
34. Come not nigh
To the orphan's property
Except to improve it,
Until he attains the age
Of full strength; and fulfill
(Every) engagement
Will be enquired into
(on the Day of Reconing)
35. Give full measure when ye
Measure and weigh
With a balance that is straight
That is better and fairer
In the final determination.
36. And pursue not that
Of which thou hast
No knowledge; for
Surely the hearing,
The sight, the heart ]All of those shall be questioned of.
37. Nor walk on the earth
With insolence: the earth
Asunder, nor reach
The mountains in height.
38. Of all such things
The evil is hateful
In the sight of thy Lord.
38. These are among the (precepts
Of) wisdom, which thy Lord
Has revealed to thee.
Take not, with Allah,
Another object of worship,
Lest thou shouldst be thrown
Into Hell, blameworthy and rejected."
When you go by a Mosque at noon on Friday, a large part of your local hospital's Medical Staff is praying there. So breathe, everyone, and move on to other worries.
What I see is an Intolerant religion's need to have a public relations company speak for the brutal religion in order to create a false sense of safety from these barbaric people. The article is about money"pouring " in but where is it pouring in from? As I read the statement from the Islamic representatives I nearly choked on my ham sandwich.
The fact that they were preaching tolerance when anyone with eyes to see with knows that they literally murder non-believers and the sinners within their state sanctioned religions worldwide. google "Executions and see how their tolerance kills people every day for sins against the Koran and is shown with pride before the world. Do Americans really want that kind of brutal religion to take root here in America? We have created protections in our government to keep the Catholics and Puritans from any more inquisitions and witch burnings, but now we are to allow these murderers to gain power here?
I recently went to the web site for executions and saw where in Egypt(I believe) was going to execute Homosexual teenagers (boys) and the picture showed the boys crying as they were being led away to be killed. Is this the picture of tolerance? The radicals already here would applaud at the execution of Homosexuals but the liberal press here would have a field day.
But somehow the liberal press gives the Muslims a break in the news. Why is that, I wonder? The Muslims are using the same Apostolic Invasion theory as the Romans and Catholics used in the dark ages. Send in the priest and appeal to the gentle people, then once political power is attained through sheer numbers, take control. World domination without firing a shot(except for the assorted victims along the way). Accuse vocal resistance of intolerance to achieve the power to enforce your own will.
We should take the evidence of their own examples of Islamic governing to remove their credibility as a religion in our country and call them what they are, a violent, murderous cult.
I have often spoken of how our own religions here still adhere to the Hebrew/Jewish Writings and the laws of Moses as a basis for religious hate and the persecution of people in the name of God. Mohamed took the same hateful writings and adopted them as the basis for Islam in the 6-7th century. They since took the teaching of religious domination and hate throughout the known world. They were stopped in India and in Europe by military force. The Sikhs were one such people that refused to convert and totally whipped the Muslim's butts.
The Pope / Christians stopped them at Austria, else they would have marched all over Europe. They made a deal with the Orthodox Greeks of Russia much later, but only after their political power started to wain.
The early Hebrew Writings came from Egypt as that culture began to go away. The writings were from the Hebrew Slaves that spawned Moses. As a Result, we have historical documents that people have assigned Divine proclamation to and use it to murder other people in the name of God. Just two days ago there was a story about a handicapped boy about to be executed for blasphemy against God. Really, we have people with the power of God walking around here among us. I hope I have the opportunity to meet one of these self righteous, hypocritical, vectors of God's will so that I may benefit from the experience. I feel that anyone who assumes the power of God to kill another human in his name is Blaspheming and should kill themselves in God's name and leave all the other people alone.
Perhaps the great Chinese decision to exclude religion from their culture is not so bad when compared to people getting stoned to death by their neighbors in the streets of the various countries where religious intolerance exist. But as I understand it, even China is being infested with the same cancers as the rest of the world.
I truly believe that Jesus was the only source of a TRUE embodiment of a religious Icon. He rebelled against the Hebrew police state and was murdered for his rebellious ways.
Jesus was the Son of God, but I believe that he felt that God, his father was not the despotic killer that the Hebrews created to control the masses with. He said his father's house has many rooms and I believe that to mean he has room for all. The types of blood sacrifice that the Muslims adhere to are the same as when Jesus stopped the mod from stoning the prostitute. Thew were Jews hellbent on delivering the laws of moses not God. Moses wrote those laws to control his tribes that wanted to separate and settle at various places. But to keep them together, he threatened them with DEATH under the guise of God's Laws.
Lazarus