Muslim Children Gassed at Dayton Mosque After Obsession DVD Hits Ohio
Friday, September 26th ended a week in which thousands of copies of Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West -- the fear-mongering, anti-Muslim documentary being distributed by the millions in swing states via DVDs inserted in major newspapers and through the U.S. mail -- were distributed by mail in Ohio. The same day, a "chemical irritant" was sprayed through a window of the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton, where 300 people were gathered for a Ramadan prayer service. The room that the chemical was sprayed into was the room where babies and children were being kept while their mothers were engaged in prayers. This, apparently, is what the scare tactic political campaigning of John McCain's supporters has led to -- Americans perpetrating a terrorist attack against innocent children on American soil.
I read the story as reported by the Dayton Daily News, but this was after I had received an email written by a friend of some of the victims of these American terrorists. The matter of fact news report in the Dayton paper didn't come close to conveying the horrific impact of this unthinkable act like the email I had just read, so I asked the email's author for permission to share what they had written. The author was with one of the families from the mosque -- a mother and two of the small children who were in the room that was gassed -- the day after the attack occurred.
"She told me that the gas was sprayed into the room where the babies and children were being kept while their mothers prayed together their Ramadan prayers. Panicked mothers ran for their babies, crying for their children so they could flee from the gas that was burning their eyes and throats and lungs. She grabbed her youngest in her arms and grabbed the hand of her other daughter, moving with the others to exit the building and the irritating substance there.
"The paramedic said the young one was in shock, and gave her oxygen to help her breathe. The child couldn't stop sobbing.
"This didn't happen in some far away place -- but right here in Dayton, and to my friends. Many of the Iraqi refugees were praying together at the Mosque Friday evening. People that I know and love.
"I am hurt and angry. I tell her this is not America. She tells me this is not Heaven or Hell -- there are good and bad people everywhere.
"She tells me that her daughters slept with her last night, the little one in her arms and sobbing throughout the night. She tells me she is afraid, and will never return to the mosque, and I wonder what kind of country is this where people have to fear attending their place of worship?"
"The children come into the room, and tell me they want to leave America and return to Syria, where they had fled to from Iraq. They say they like me, ... , and other American friends -- but they are too afraid and want to leave. Should a 6 and 7 year old even have to contemplate the safety of their living situation?
"Did the anti-Muslim video circulating in the area have something to do with this incident, or is that just a bizarre coincidence? Who attacks women and children?
"What am I supposed to say to them? My words can't keep them safe from what is nothing less than terrorism, American style. Isn't losing loved ones, their homes, jobs, possessions and homeland enough? Is there no place where they can be safe?
"She didn't want me to leave her tonight, but it was after midnight, and I needed to get home and write this to my friends. Tell me -- tell me -- what am I supposed to say to them?"
When acting as a representative of Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), the 501(c)3 non-profit organization that I work for, I cannot engage in political activities. The distribution of Obsession, however, although a political campaign scheme, clearly crosses over into the mission of MRFF. So, I'm going to make two statements here -- one in my capacity as MRFF's Research Director, and another as an individual whose disgust at the vile campaign tactics of John McCain's supporters completely boiled over when I opened up the email about children being gassed.
My statement as MRFF's Research Director:
The presidential campaign edition of the Obsession DVD, produced and currently being distributed by the Clarion Fund, carries the endorsement of the chair of the counter-terrorism department of the U.S. Naval War College, using the name and authority of an official U.S. military institution not only to validate an attack the religion of Islam, but to influence a political campaign. For these reasons, this endorsement has been included in MRFF's second lawsuit against the Department of Defense, which was filed on September 25 in the Federal District Court in Kansas.
My opinion as an individual and thoroughly appalled human being:
John McCain has a moral obligation to publicly censure the Clarion Fund; to denounce the inflammatory, anti-Muslim message of Obsession; and to do everything in his power to stop any further campaign activities by his supporters that have the potential to incite violence.
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Sorry for innocent children getting hurt and scared.
On related news.
Gibson Square publishers that it would publish “The Jewel of Medina,” a novel about the early life of A’isha, one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad. Publisher, said that it was “imperative” that the book be published. “In an open society there has to be open access to literary works, regardless of fear,” he said. “As an independent publishing company, we feel strongly that we should not be afraid of the consequences of debate.”
Early Saturday morning, Mr. Rynja’s house in North London, which doubles as Gibson Square’s headquarters, was set on fire. Three men were arrested on suspicion “of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Sorry, but I don't really see what some people in England do has to do with this story.
Unless you're saying that because (presumably) some muslims in another country set a mans house on fire, this somehow justifies the GASSING OF CHILDREN?
FYI, England is very far away from Ohio
I'm an American Muslim and I find this to be so appalling. However, am I surprised? Definitely not. I always knew something like this would happen. I've heard of places down south that destroyed Mosques. So this is sad, but not surprising.
this is too sad. I live in Ohio and 99 percent of believe this a crime.My prayers go out to those muslim mothers and kids
Why am I not surprised? I had the Republicans' number years ago, I don't understand why no one else did. The Republicans are the worst of the worst. Just think of everything that has happened under their tutelage, the worst terrorist attack in US history, the waging of illegal war, the increase in the gross debt by 100%, the illegal spying on Americans, the use of torture against both US and international law, the outing of a CIA operative without penalty, the increase in fuel prices by 500%, the increase in food prices by 200%, the loss of the support of the rest of the world (except the UK), the total destruction of the economy, the increase in the emnity of 1 billion Moslems, the goading of Russia for no viable reason, the loss of respect in South America, the politicization of the US justice system, the venality of the whole Republican enterprise. The straw that broke the camel's back could be any one of these things or something I haven't even mentioned, it doesn't matter. Everyone now knows how despicable and incompetent this administration has been and how it has been supported by McCain and his gang of thugs.
Please, please, please forward this story to everyone you know. We need to get this out to the mainstream press!
This is horrible. Why isn't it being more widely reported? I did a google news search for this story, and just got three results from the local newspaper.
See Chris Rodda's Profile
That seems to be the big question. If a terrorist act like this had happened at a school or a Christian church, it would have been all over the cable news channels. I only found out about it because the email I quoted in this post was circulated within the organization I work for, which made me look for the story. Unbelievably, all I could find was the article from the local paper that I linked to.
That's right. If any non-white had done this to babies in a Christian church's nursury, it would be national news.
I got that damned DVD TWICE, once in the paper and then a week later in the mail. You know, they would just love it if they could incite Muslims here in the US to riot or do something violent before the election, and that would be national news too.
I wouldn't put anything past them, as the election gets closer and they get more desparate, they will take bigger chances.
Thank you for posting this article! It is indeed horrendous that this could happen in a country that says 'give us your tired and your poor'. This country was based upon freedom of religion - something that once made us all proud.
And, while we are all afraid of terrorism, terrorists have no nationality or religion - as much as it sounds cliche, not all Muslims are terrorists
To take our fears out on those different to us simply because they are different is not what MY America is about!
I and lots of folks are emailing this story around, but it has to get front page status. Chris - where do I go to lobby Huffington Post's staff to move this up to the front? (I suppose it won't get top-billing, considering what's currently up there, but this needs to get better placement.
This is... unspeakable. Fear mongering isn't just harmless, it preys and nurtures the exact same hate that terrorist attacks spawn from. For all the newspapers that allowed this DVD to go out, claiming that an ad is an ad is an ad, I hope they look into the faces of their own children and are more ashamed then words can possibly express. The greatest irony is that "Obsession" has proved that terrorists can be anywhere and from any religion.
This sick anti-American-like anti-Islamic sentiment has to stop. Ever since the conservative religious "moral" right started hi-jacking our culture, we have been going downhill in respect to our moral standing in the world. How is that for irony?
Why does Obama have to constantly defend himself against being called a Muslim? So what if he WAS a Muslim? Why doesn't anybody ever ask that? Its as if its okay to hate Muslims. What happened to freedom from religious persecution?
McCain knows many of his supporters are sick bigots, yet he refuses to confront the problem. He would rather create subliminally effective, racially charged attack ads (lipstick on a pig, sex ed) to silently invoke the fears of isolated hicks...ju
After John McCain stood at that podium on Friday night, all but wearing a sign that said "HEY! I'm the White Guy here!", I am not surprised. SHOCKED? ABSOLUTELY!
Then again, a Unitarian church in Memphis Tennessee was attacked by 'White Guys' who wanted 'to destroy liberals.' This latest attack was a clear signal as to what kind of 'anti-terrorism' we can expect from a McCain/Republican administration. I hope that the thugs that perpetrated this act are caught and prosecuted to the absolute FULLEST EXTENT of the LAW. Oh---and apparently, the perpetrators didn't check the calendar and were totally IGNORANT of what RAMADAN means to any practicing Muslim. CNN needs to get hold of this. MSNBC needs to get hold of this. And this needs to got to every MAJOR wire service in the country.
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