[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Sued for taking pictures of a mosque?

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Posted by Mary Madigan:
Sued for taking pictures of a mosque? 
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1158947000.shtml


   Tatyana of [1]Where the grass is greener may be sued for [2]taking
   pictures of a mosque.

     I have been discussing in one of the LJ the prohibition of the
     missionaries of non-judaic religious confessions in Israel. Then I
     turned off my computer and went to the BBG (photos are coming,
     don't you change this channel!), enjoyed the roses, took the train
     back home - and next door to my building noticed this stand, in
     front of the "Al-Bukhari Islamic center". I took out my camera and
     pointed it to the scene - and barely had a time to click when a
     very angry and not altogether coherent man in a dusty sack covering
     his heels jumped out the door. He was screaming and waiving his
     hands in front of my nose, almost touching me, in quite annoying
     fashion. [yes, it's his fist you see in the upper right corner].
     "Piktoores prohebeted! Stooupid wooman! against ze law! my table!
     miss, you ar stooupid!no piktoores! I say, go out! stoopid biiitch
     "(into my back).

     All my efforts of explaining that taking pictures on a public
     street is not against the law; that I have to ask permission only
     if I intend take pictures of people - and he doesn't interest me
     enough that I'd take his picture, etc etc - fell on deaf ears and
     more high-pitched insults and intimidating gestures.

     And now I'm thinking...should I take my camera again, go out and
     take more close-ups of this attempt of soliciting religious
     propaganda in public place? And if he'll try to stop me again, call
     the police so he will be familiarized with extent of American laws
     as they are, and not as he wants them to be?

   In [3]Brooklyn, where [4]there have been [5]incidents of [6]concern,
   the police didn't react the way [7]she thought they would..

     To make the story short: two policemen paged their superviser,
     (officer Higgins, said his badge), and his partner. The four of
     them had interviewed the other party at length. And then we had a
     conversation.

     I have to tell you: I was dissappointed in officer Higgins' take on
     things. He told me:

     1) that I can take pictures of storefronts, especially those that
     belong to muslims, only if I am affiliated with official
     organization and am doing it for official purpose: for a school
     project, a newspaper article and such.
     2) that taking pictures of the store (let me remind you - on a
     public street, a public sidewalk) is asking for trouble, because my
     actions are bothering the owner, and I am lucky that the owner
     didn't get physical with me. He said it in a tone of voice implying
     that the owner was justified to "get physical".
     3)that he advises me do not return to this place and stop bothering
     these innocent people. When I asked, am I prohibited to use the
     sidewalk on my way to the public transportation, which I use at
     least twice a day, he retracted his advice.
     4) that I should read the news (my, if I ever) and learn that it is
     a sensitive subject (the background whailing of "I'm Ameriken! I
     lif heer! My wife lif heer! I go to cort! It is a law - no
     piktures!" in a meanwhile continued). I said - yes, it is a
     sensitive subject for me, too. I am sensitive to prohibition and to
     being cursed at. 5)that I instigated this incident.

   The shopowner and his assistant, who appeared on the doorstep later,
   the one I had asked to photograph originally on Sunday, tried to get
   some distinctly anti-islamic statements out of me; asking me questions
   why I didn't want to know more about their peaceful religion? why
   didn't I take their brochure? where did I learn about islam? have I
   ever read the Quran? I said - this all has no relevance to the
   incident and that I can care less about their religion or the books
   they were trying to peddle.

   So, the result: I had filed a harrassment complaint and the screaming
   party did the same; the guy threatened me with a lawsuit. I will have
   to call tomorrow to get the complaint number.

   Does anyone know a good lawyer?
   [8]more here..

   There's a lot of commentary, mostly trying to figure out what the
   police were thinking at Tatyana's site and at Karol's post about the
   incident at [9]Alarming News. A few legal types had some ideas.

   If the "Al-Bukhari Islamic center" is also called the "Al Imam Al
   Bukhary Islamic Center", they may be conflicted about setting up a
   storefront. Like most mosques (or [10]Masjids, or Islamic centers) in
   the area, their name is spelled many ways, under many different
   identifiers. They have a website, but it's empty. However, there's
   [11]more info here, so maybe they're embracing capitalism after all.

   Businesses are suposed to encourage curiosity and publicity, guys.
   Photographs are a good thing. Just make sure they spell your name
   right.

References

   1. http://eta_ta.livejournal.com/
   2. http://eta-ta.livejournal.com/22405.html
   3. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_6_55/ai_98954240
   4. http://www.nysun.com/article/8445
   5. http://www.brooklynpapers.com/html/issues/_vol26/26_10/26_10bp.pdf#search=%22al-farooq%20brooklyn%20544%20Atlantic%22
   6. http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/530
   7. http://eta-ta.livejournal.com/22777.html
   8. http://eta-ta.livejournal.com/
   9. http://www.alarmingnews.com/archives/005185.html
  10. http://www.theislamproject.org/education/B02_CriticalThinkingonTerminology.htm
  11. http://www.islamicfinder.org/getitWorld.php?id=58665&&lang=english