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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two men suspected of being involved with an al Qaeda affiliate were arrested in Albany, New York, on Thursday in a scheme to launder money to buy a shoulder-fired missile, U.S. law enforcement sources said. The sources said the arrests on Thursday night were unrelated to the raising of the terror threat level over the weekend on intelligence that al Qaeda was targeting financial centers in the United States. Arrested were Ya Seen Arif, 34, and Mohammed Hoosain, 49, the sources said. Arif is the imam of the Masjid As-Salaam mosque in Albany, while Hoosain was the founder of the mosque, they said. One of the men is a U.S. citizen but the nationality of the other was not immediately available. Another source said the two were believed to be linked with Ansar al-Islam, an Iraqi militant group suspected of having ties to the al Qaeda network.

Link to Albany Story

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Central Florida woman was fired from her job after eating "unclean" meat and violating a reported company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises, according to Local 6 News. Lina Morales was hired as an administrative assistant at Rising Star -- a Central Florida telecommunications company with strong Muslim ties, Local 6 News reported. However, 10 months after being hired by Rising Star, religious differences led to her termination. Morales, who is Catholic, was warned about eating pizza with meat the Muslim faith considered "unclean," Local 6 News reported. She was then fired for eating a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, according to the report. "Are you telling me they fired you because you had something with ham on it?" Local 6 News reporter Mike Holfeld asked. "Yes," Morales said. Holfeld asked, "A pizza and a BLT sandwich?" " Yes," Morales said. Local 6 News obtained the termination letter that states she was fired for refusing to comply with company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises. However, by the company's own admission to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, that policy is not written, Local 6 News reported. "Did you ever sign to or agree to anything that said I will not eat pork?" Holfeld asked Morales. "Never," Morales said. "When I got hired there, they said we don't care what religion you are." Attorney Travis Hollifield is representing Morales in a lawsuit against the company. "It's just un-American," Hollifield said. "It's not in compliance with the laws of this country." Local 6 News reported that the case has precedent-setting issues because it addresses employee rights and religion in the workplace. "It's a classic case of religious discrimination," Hollifield said. "They have not articulated a single reason other than religious reason behind the policy." The CEO of Rising Star, Kujaatele Kweli, told Local 6 News that they have tried to create an office that accommodates anybody's religion -- not just Islam. "Clearly you're accommodating," Holfeld said. "Yes." Kweli replied. "And you have an ecumenical philosophy," Holfeld said. " Yes," Kweli replied. "(Then) shouldn't you be able to accommodate all faiths in the same lunch room?" Holfeld asked. "We do, we can," Kweli said. "But you've dismissed one of your employees for eating pork in the lunch room," Holfeld said. "Yes, pork is considered unclean," Kweli said. The Koran forbids Muslims from eating pork. And according to Kweli, Morales and every employee at the company is advised of the no pork policy. "Our point of view is to respect the laws of the land and the laws of the land as I understand it is to the accommodate people's right to practice their religions if you can," Kweli said. "Even if it impacts other people?" Holfeld asked. "Well, it always impacts other people," Kweli replied. Orlando attorney Mark Nejame is close to the Muslim community, Local 6 News reported. He said Kweli's intentions may cross constitutional parameters, according to the report. "They're making it seem that if you don't follow a certain set of religious practices and beliefs then you're going to be terminated and that's wrong," Nejame said. "If this case prevails, what it will mean -- the implications of this case -- is it will eliminate accommodations of religion." Both sides are steadfast in their belief that they are right. Morales is taking the company to court charging discrimination, Local 6 News reported.

Link to the Orlando story

So without commenting on the politics involved in either. Muslims will hide behind mosques in this country in an attempt to buy shoulder fire missiles to kill American citizens and down our airliners? Then on top of that will not even comply with employment law in our country?

I won't even tell you the responses these stories are getting on message boards I've seen. They're obscene. The enemy lives amongst us. Never forget it.

haha cool, more bad news. fuels the world.

I feel sorry for peaceful islamic worshipers. I really do. Look out catholacism. There's a new bully on the block. Islam is here.

I don't see the connection between the two stories other than they both involve muslims.

It reminds me of the lady in Florida that didnt want to remove her head piece for her drivers licence photo.

They sure sound pretty isolated to me. I suppose if you're an anti-Muslim nut you could probably link them somehow, though.

I know there are peaceful moslems out there, but another important fact is that Islam has been a source of trouble as well.

I have a little story to share as well. I know for a fact in the biggest moslem country in the world (Indonesia), religious tension between Catholic and Islam always presents. One time, there was a catholic stepped into a mosque wearing sandals. The moslems are furious about this and you know what they do for revenge? They burned a catholic church for that.

I am just stating the facts here...

Originally Posted by btantra I know there are peaceful moslems out there, but another important fact is that Islam has been a source of trouble as well. I have a little story to share as well. I know for a fact in the biggest moslem country in the world (Indonesia), religious tension between Catholic and Islam always presents. One time, there was a catholic stepped into a mosque wearing sandals. The moslems are furious about this and you know what they do for revenge? They burned a catholic church for that. I am just stating the facts here...

How is that any different from the Ireland and the differences between two Christianitys. There has been millions of deaths and billions of dollars of destruction done in the name of religion throughout the world and throughout the ages.

Both stories are sad (pathetic?) in their own ways, but they are not connected.

Originally Posted by jmcc They sure sound pretty isolated to me. I suppose if you're an anti-Muslim nut you could probably link them somehow, though.

no way, its not isolated at all...muslims are firing everybody!!! runnn!!!!!!

Originally Posted by btantra I have a little story to share as well. I know for a fact in the biggest moslem country in the world (Indonesia), religious tension between Catholic and Islam always presents. One time, there was a catholic stepped into a mosque wearing sandals. The moslems are furious about this and you know what they do for revenge? They burned a catholic church for that.

haha ever hear of the crusades?
..yeah

Originally Posted by punqsux haha ever hear of the crusades? ..yeah

And don't forget our own christian abortion bombers and Klan - putting the "fun" back into fundamentalism. [/sarcasm]

Islam is not the problem people. Terrorism is the problem. There are terrorist organizations of all faiths, including Christian (Operation Rescue). Do not let propaganda confuse you. When people start making blanket statements like, “…the ugly face of Islam in America…” then the terrorist have already won. The goal of a terrorist organization is not to kill a lot of people (although they do), it is to instill a sense of fear and paranoia in people and from what I’ve read here and other places they are doing a damn good job.

Fear+paranoia=racism

It's shit like this that makes me hesitant to even practice religion. Religious people can't seem to go about their business and keep to themselves. That's why we have all these issues. Mind your own business and you won't piss other people off.

Originally Posted by mario23air Islam is not the problem people. Terrorism is the problem. There are terrorist organizations of all faiths, including Christian (Operation Rescue). Do not let propaganda confuse you. When people start making blanket statements like, “…the ugly face of Islam in America…” then the terrorist have already won. The goal of a terrorist organization is not to kill a lot of people (although they do), it is to instill a sense of fear and paranoia in people and from what I’ve read here and other places they are doing a damn good job. Fear+paranoia=racism

Very well stated

Frankly, organized religion sucks... it is not much better than a mob.

Christians, Muslims, Jewish, Pagans, Wicca, and all the others... all have killed in the name of "God(s)" when they found it convenient to do so.

No one person, no one religion, is above reproach.

EDIT:
And of course, mario23air hit the nail on the head...

Originally Posted by mario23air Fear+paranoia=racism

I thought Fear + Paranoia = Schizophrenia

While I agree more or less with your post, the phrase "then the terrorist[s] have already won" is really rank. -1 point for resorting to a political buzz-phrase.

There is a very fine line between being a racist, and being carefully aware.

Our government has asked us, as a nation, to be carefully aware.

There are nuts on both sides of the fence. There are Muslims throughout the world who don't believe in a physical jihad. Then, there are the whack-jobs who feel it's their right to take the life of an innocent person. All for the sake of Allah. They believe that by killing themselves in a holy war (jihad), they will be guaranteed a spot in heaven with many virgins by their side.

On the other side of the fence, you have people like Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Who find it necessary to blow up little children because they are mad at the government.

We cannot only be on the lookout for people who have brown skin and talk with an accent. It just so happens that all of the extremists in the middle east are committing these acts in the name of Allah.

I think that you can dismiss the second story as just a story of an employer with his head up his ass. The first story should concern us. Why in the world would someone need to buy rocket launchers? Probably not for clay pigeons.

We just have to be aware. Try not to automatically hate someone for the way they talk or look. (kinda preachy, but it can never be said enough)

To clarify (since I didn't see it addressed), when the OP says 'are these events isolated?' he's not implying that they are connected by a specific event or person. I believe he is, in effect, asking 'is this what Islam has come to?' or 'is this what we can expect from Muslims?'

Wow, I knew you were a die-hard republican but I didn't think you were such a bigot. That's like every time a cross gets burned on a black family's lawn me saying "So that's what christians have come to". There's bad people in every religion, to even begin to characterize a whole religion based on the actions of a few people send you into a downward spiral of paranoia, racism, and hatred.

P.S. The department of homeland security had been notified that you are a potential right wing extremist. (Joking)