BREAKING: Haaretz: An American tourist opened fire at a hotel in Eilat, Israel, killing at least two. “Army Radio reported that the shooter was working in Eilat within the framework of a program for American youth in Israel, and was recently fired from his job.”
Hatewatch: Dr. Mahjabeen Islam, president of Ohio’s Islamic Center of Toledo, said that Muslims and their places of worship “are clearly under attack,” after her mosque was fairly damaged after an arson attack just days ago. A fire was “deliberately set” in the mosque’s prayer area just minutes after worshippers had vacated the building last Sunday.
New York Times: “An Iranian-American man charged in a plot to assassinate a Saudi diplomat did not suffer from any mental illness that would have precluded him from knowingly consenting to questioning without a lawyer, federal prosecutors said in court papers Wednesday.”
CNN: “The beard that has stalled the court-martial of accused Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan will be discussed at a hearing next week, military officials said. The October 11 hearing at the Army Court of Criminal Appeals was called to address his continued refusal to shave before court appearances, the Army said.”
Huffington Post: Actor Martin Sheen accused Mitt Romney of ‘fundamental racism‘…”Sheen said the campaign’s racial dog whistles — like Romney’s race-baiting (and factchecker-disproven) welfare ads — demonstrate a willingness on the right’s part to use prejudice to win votes against the country’s first black president.”
The Horn: The University of Texas – Austin is courting controversy with students’ practice of throwing bleach-filled water balloons at students of colour. Concerned students countered with an anti-racism protest through campus.
Huffington Post: Chick-fil-A seemingly doubled down on its anti-gay marriage stance yet again after the company’s president re-iterated the restaurant chain’s support of “Biblical” families. Dan Cathy said, “Families are very important to our country. And they’re very important to those of us who are concerned about being able to hang on to our heritage. We support Biblical families, and they’ve always been a part of that.”
Book Excerpt: Alternet: Matt Kennard’s book, Irregular Army: How the US Military Recruited Neo-Nazis, Gang Members, and Criminals to Fight the War on Terror, is an investigative report that assesses the extent to which the army has adopted a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to extremism within its ranks; harbouring members of hate groups and white supremacists in the process.
Comment: Times Union: Fred McKissack Jr suggests that two trends challenge the notion that the US has entered a “post-racial era.” The first being rising enrollment in white nationalist groups, whilst the second is “the resegregation of our public schools.”
