Fear, Mystery and Danger
With the spectacular exception of the Police Station, no building, no institution, no group in Culver City commands the sheen of fear and mystery that surrounds the King Fahad. Visiting out in the Simi Valley this morning, I met with two officers who believe the King Fahad is fraught with danger for their fellow Americans. One said it was extremely worrisome that some members of the King Fahad recently had their gun permits renewed for another year. Numerous officers talk about the 24-hour surveillance of the mosque by law enforcement. But they are watching us as closely as we are watching them, a man familiar with the mosque tracking habits told me. Culver City residents know more about the Taj Mahal than they do about the King Fahad. Maybe they are content at being kept uninformed. Maybe they are afraid of what they will learn. As a religious center, the King Fahad possesses certain senses of awe and mystery. But when your people not mine, not theirs are killing off non-believers daily by the hundreds, pal, you bear a responsibility that you presently are ducking in a cowardly way. New Police Chief Don Pedersen will be the guest speaker at the Oct. 11 meeting of the Culver City Democratic Club over at the Vets Auditorium. The Dems are open people. I dont hear of any parallel transparency at the King Fahad. Wouldnt you think that since the image of Islam has been badly tarnished that our hometown Muslims would be eager to demonstrate their innocence, their purity, their openness, their comradeship to their fellow citizens?