Muslim Children Gassed at Dayton Mosque After "Obsession" DVD Hits Ohio
by Chris Rodda <http://chris-rodda.dailykos.com>
Sun Sep 28, 2008 at 08:50:29 PM PDT
/(From the diaries -- kos)/
On Friday, September 26, the end of 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
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erik-ose/pro-mccain-group-dumping_b_125969.html>
via DVDs inserted in major newspapers and through the U.S. mail -- were
distributed by mail in Ohio, 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.
* Chris Rodda's diary <http://Chris-Rodda.dailykos.com/> :: ::
*
I read the story as reported by the Dayton Daily News
<http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/09/27/ddn092608evacweb.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=16>,
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, 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
<http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/urgent%20_issues/complain_sept08.pdf>,
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,
the organization that produced /Obsession/ and is distributing the DVDs;
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.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/28/203016/697/536/613742
