Mahmoud. el-Yousseph Recognizes America as Muslim-Friendly

Mahmoud el-Yousseph, who has been criticized as a Hezbollah apologist, sent me a letter published in the Marion Star. I would provide a link, but the Marion Star (Marion, Ohio) foolishly inhibits links, so I cannot. However, here are excerpts:

Believe or not, America is more Muslim-friendly since 9/11, and more so than the rest of the western world. In case you have any doubt, please read the three items that were reported this year:

June 2, 2007 AP wire service story about Bilan Nur, a 22 year-old Somali woman from Phoenix, Arizona: She worked for several years for Alamo Rent-A-Car. The company fired her for refusing the take off her hijab (headscarf). Nur registered a complaint at the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC sued the company. A federal jury said the company must pay her $288,000 for firing her for wearing the hijab. ... Yes, Justice is blind in America!

July 20, 2007: According to the Chicago Tribune, two Muslim women from the Cincinnati area were able to get their driver's license photographs wearing the hijab free of charge. This took place after clerks at separate bureau offices wrongly demanded that the women remove the scarves for the photo. Tom Hunter, spokesman for the Department of Public Transportation sent a message to 216 state registrar's offices informing staff that wearing the hijab while taking a photograph is allowed and legally exempt under Ohio law. Mr. Hunter stressed in his message that asking a Muslim woman to remove her hijab is like asking a non Muslim woman to remove her shirt. That is a man of honor and integrity!

Muslims were very proud and will never forget Sept.1, 2001, when the U.S. Postal Service expanded its Holiday Celebrations Series with a new stamp highlighting the Muslim holiday of Eid. The postage stamp was to honor and commemorate two important Islamic celebrations: Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. ...

For many years, the White House, U.S. State Department, the Pentagon, all branches of U.S. military and St. James Episcopal Church of Columbus, Ohio, host such an [Iftar, closing meal of Ramadan] event. They meet Muslims and get to know who they are, which helps break the stereotypes that Muslims face every day. To Muslims, that means recognition and respect.

America does not need to spend millions of dollars on public relations campaigns at Al-Jazeera and other satellite networks in the Middle East to promote a positive image. The aforementioned acts of respect and goodwill gestures I mentioned will win the hearts and minds of Muslims here and abroad. Thank you, America, for making this my best Eid ever!

Mahmoud, could tell CAIR about this? It would not make CAIR happy to know that America is already more Muslim-friendly that the rest of the Western world. And it certainly differs from CAIR's protrayal of America.