The South Valley Islamic Community is unperturbed by incidents of discrimination and backlash against followers of the Muslim religion reported nationwide in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.
The South Valley Islamic Community is unperturbed by incidents of discrimination and backlash against followers of the Muslim religion reported nationwide in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.
Bakri Musa, 66 of Morgan Hill, and Hamdy Abbass, 58 of Hollister, represent the small community – about 50 families – of active, practicing Muslim residents from south San Jose to Hollister.
They said in the past 10 years they haven’t heard any local formal or informal reports of hate crimes, threats or discrimination from a false association of the Muslim religion with the attacks.
The only thing that comes close is a flurry of comments posted to local web sites in response to the SVIC’s efforts to build a community center and mosque in San Martin, Abbass said.
Overall, local Muslims received more support than negativity from the community at large, with plenty of phone calls offering help immediately after the attacks, Abbass said.
Even before the terrorist attacks, the SVIC has always tried to reach out to the local community, to promote a dialogue of understanding among different cultures.
The group has worked with Gavilan College on academic efforts, as Abbass has given lectures on Islamic history for classes at the school.
Plus, the SVIC has hosted a number of local “open house” meetings in south Santa Clara County, inviting the public to join and share their knowledge and understanding.
The SVIC plans to continue conducting such meetings as they proceed with their plans for the Cordoba center in San Martin.
In the bigger picture, the SVIC and the Muslim community as a whole has always denounced the 2001 terrorist attacks, Abbass and Musa said.
“A great misconception about 9/11, is that (some) people think Islam is at war,” said Abbass, who is originally from Egypt. “Islam had nothing to do with 9/11.”
Islam is a peaceful religion that promotes understanding between neighbors, explained Musa, a surgeon at Saint Louise Regional Hospital and a founder of the SVIC.
Worldwide, Muslims were “victimized twice” by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
“We are all American. Our children grew up here. Any attack on America is an attack on us,” Abbass said.
They also know they couldn’t be more free to practice their religion than they are in America, as other Muslim countries govern along strict, yet distorted and discriminatory interpretations of Islamic law.
“Our faith has flourished in America because of freedom,” Musa said.
