E.L. to offer $10K reward for Quran burning info
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A $10,000 reward fund for information leading to the identification of the person or persons involved in the recent Quran burning in East Lansing will be announced today, East Lansing City Manager Ted Staton said Tuesday.
Staton made the announcement at the East Lansing City Council’s Tuesday work session at East Lansing’s 54-B district court.
The money will be taken from the city’s general fund and the city will be accepting donations, he said. The amount of money given to any individual who comes forth with information will be determined based on the value of the information obtained, he said.
“We have used this before,” he said. “We think oftentimes people who commit acts like this tend to talk about it. We might find out how extensive these conversations have been.”
The East Lansing Police Department, or ELPD, has been investigating the Quran burning case since early Saturday when officers were notified of remnants of the Muslim holy book outside the Islamic Center of Greater Lansing on Harrison Road. The pages were strewn up and down Harrison Road, said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR-MI.
According to the ELPD report, the incident occurred between 11 p.m. Friday and 1:30 a.m. Saturday. Investigation is ongoing and no suspects were known as of Monday.
The Islamic Center was informed of the reward fund’s creation Tuesday morning, Islamic Center spokesman Abdalmajid Katranji said. Support from city officials and the local community has been tremendous, he said.
“This is exactly what we know of the community of East Lansing,” Katranji said. “It’s a very welcoming community. It’s been a home to us for decades, and it will continue to be a home for us.”
It is believed by city officials and others involved in the situation that the perpetrator is not from the East Lansing area, said Thasin Sardar, a volunteer at the Islamic Center. The enthusiastic approach by the city and investigators hopefully will yield results in the search for the responsible party, he said.
“I was surprised at the rapidness with which they have issued (the reward fund),” Sardar said. “We are satisfied with the way the case is being pursued by the city of East Lansing and the FBI. They have taken it very seriously.”
The community will not find closure without the identification of the party responsible for the Quran burning, premedical freshman Abdelaziz Adawe said.
“The person that did this needs to be held responsible,” Adawe said. “This person needs to be caught to ensure the community’s safety.”
The city of East Lansing is an international community with diverse members, Staton said.
“We are proud to have a mosque, a synagogue and many other churches in our communities, and we want to protect them from any sort of actions of intimidation,” he said.
Staff writers Megan Durisin and Lauren McKown contributed to this report.
Commentary
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Steve S
(09/15/10 4:47am)Report
$10,000 seems rather high for someone whose only crime is trespassing. Burning a Koran is (or at least should be) an expression of speech protected by the First Amendment. This act is no different than burning an American flag or placing a crucifix in urine. Offensive, but in a free society, not a crime.
Chrissy
(09/15/10 5:15am)Report
Please I pray that I did not just read what I read…“This act is no different than burning an American flag or placing a crucifix in urine. Offensive, but in a free society, not a crime.” There is a huge difference…I am referring to the crucifix in urine…that is not free speak at all, sick! :( Lord help us all.
Joe D
(09/15/10 6:17am)Report
Free speech ends when it is used to intimidate others. Rest assured that person(s) responsible will be charged with a hate crime and the city will attempt to recover every nickel that they offer as a reward through restitution.
Richard Garyson
(09/15/10 6:51am)Report
This is madness. The burning of the Koran itself is free speech. Walking onto the Mosque’s yard or parking lot might be trespassing, and leaving the burnt Koran there is littering. Both of these are petty violations of the law, and they do not warrant the amount of time and money the city is spending to track down whoever did this. In fact, it is almost certain that the only reason why the city is doing this is to appease Muslims, which could be seen as a violation of the separation of church and state and the principle of equality before the law. In Islamic countries, Christians and other religious minorities are harassed, raped, and murdered with impunity, and there property can be vandalized or seized. There is very little efforts by law enforcement to punish the Muslim offenders. I am not saying this makes it okay to dump burnt Korans on Mosques, but the way Muslims treat others when they are in power should emphasize the pettiness of the act.
tax dollars for this
(09/15/10 6:56am)Report
Using tax dollars for this is stupid. If a private individual want to collect money that is fine. This is not place to use TAXPAYER money.
Tony
(09/15/10 7:36am)Report
Saying that the only crimes here are trespassing and littering is like saying when the Klan did cross burnings, they were just using up spare firewood.
The key here is doing it to intimidate. They didn’t burn a copy of the state news, after all.
Steve S
(09/15/10 7:53am)Report
Cross burning is associated with the murder of hundreds of people. Bit of a difference when it comes to claiming a burned Koran qualifies as intimidation.
@Chrissy
(09/15/10 7:57am)Report
Chrissy,
If someone owns a crucifix and chooses to defame it to make a point, how is that *NOT!” free speech? Where in the Bill of Rights does it state “Freedom of speech – except for urinating on a crucifix”?
You need to be careful what you claim falls under “free” because someone could just as easily claim that what you do everyday is not protected.
Jessica
(09/15/10 8:16am)Report
My question to the city is this: Had it been a Bible that was burned, would they still be offering a $10,000 reward to find the perpetrator? Of course not!
As a citizen of East Lansing, I’m appalled that my tax dollars are going to such a ridiculous and fruitless cause. Our government, whether city, state or federal, is in the shape it’s in because they waste time, energy and resources of stupid things like this rather than actually taking care of business that needs to be taken care of.
This is absolutely appalling.
alumnus
(09/15/10 8:53am)Report
Steve,
If the person is arrested, you “can’t see how it will not result in rioting”? Take a deep breath. Are you suggesting that students riot if the person is found out? My guess is that you are not a sympathizer with Muslims, and that therefore when you heard about riots across the world due to the burnt Qurans in the US you probably thought it was ridiculous. Yet, you’re proposing that members of the community do the same thing?
Spending money to find the culprit may be a bit over board, but can we at least agree that this act is rightly viewed as offensive by a large amount of people. If you are a student at MSU, I would have hoped that your exposure to a multiple amount of cultures and beliefs would have by now made you at least sympathetic toward them.
just wow...
(09/15/10 9:23am)Report
If religion didn’t exist none of this would be happening…. bottom line. Religion has fueled more hate, wars, and genocides than anything else in existance. While yes, there is unconditional love in some families that come out of it, the vast majority is hate. And chrissy, I completely agree with Steve S. While its extremely offensive, it is free speech. And I also am amazed they are going to this extent, and using taxpayers dollars to try and find someone who’s ONLY crime is trespassing and littering…
Lisa S
(09/15/10 9:23am)Report
@Jessica:
Excellent point. I think you should rally together those people in your community who feel the same as you do and go protest at City Hall. Let the city know that it is unacceptable usage of your tax dollars. Our country lacks the vigor and aggression of other nations who do not hesitate to make a public stand for their beliefs. Maybe this is why we are so easily pushed around by the American government. Good luck.
Observer
(09/15/10 9:27am)Report
I agree with those calling this madness… $10k reward? what? so they can issue someone a littering ticket? trespassing? this was a truly stupid and ignorant act, but if stupidity were outlawed in and of itself we could jump right out of this recession building prisons. EL has issued a statement and should leave it at that, despite the frustration involved in losing face over the issue that it happened in “our” town. we need to KEEP IT REAL!
wow indeed
(09/15/10 9:29am)Report
This is just furthering my belief that religion and the fighting involved will be the end of our world and existance.
Pull your head outta your a**
(09/15/10 9:35am)Report
What a waste of city dollars. Aren’t there any unsolved rapes, assaults, missing persons, etc that East Lansing should be more worried about? Furthermore, quit calling this a hate crime. MSU’s Muslim “Pied Piper” stalked and assaulted a Jewish senator, and no one has ever accused it of being a hate crime. And considering the bad blood between the Jews and Muslims, I am in utter disbelief that no one has made a connection. If Mohsen’s actions do not spell out hatred, than this little incident of vandalism and littering shouldn’t either. Quit picking and choosing who you protect from hate crimes. Hate speech, despite many universities who deem it unlawful, has been protected time and time again by the Supreme Court. No Muslim was assaulted nor threatened. Whoever did this act deserves no more than a mere fine for littering and misdemeanor charges for vandalism.
^^^^ up there
(09/15/10 9:36am)Report
What he said.
Bleh
(09/15/10 9:41am)Report
Do you really think that the person who did this didn’t want attention?
Besides, if this goes to court and the defendant has any legal common-sense whatsoever, it’s going to be thrown out. Cf. R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul, 505 U.S. 377 (1992) and Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 (1969).
The effort and money being spent to investigate this is incredible. If the perpetrator is caught the city’s going to be out $10,000 in reward money (which, incidentally, it cannot recoup in an action for restitution), hundreds of thousands of dollars in investigatory and prosecutoral manpower, and, even if the city does manage to get some meager punishment dealt out — plea bargain, anyone? — the world’s NOT going to be a better place for Muslims, and, if anything, this increased media attention is going to encourage this sort of thing.
Waste and Rewarsd
(09/15/10 9:55am)Report
This was a hate crime and it will probably take a tip to find the perpetrator. A reward may be necessary.
However, this puts a lie to Staton pleading poverty when there are things that the city needs to do and could be done for $10,000. There is a huge amount of waste by East Lansing government, with a city council that doesn’t have anyone on it who is understands finance (yes, this means Loomis) or anyone willing to take on the city manager’s budget priorities.
Anyway, given the history of East Lansing government, the only reason this issue is getting priority is because of bad national publicity. Real problems in East Lansing get ignored. But bad publicity requires action. Look at the disproportionate response and expenditures over Cedar Village riots.
Pull your head outta your a**
(09/15/10 9:56am)Report
Yes, the case and ruling of Brandenburg v. Ohio. This case certainly could be argued as inciting violence, yet the court decided to protect the KKK’s speech and actions. Certainly worse than burning a Koran and wiping one’s ass with its pages. Obviously this person owned the Koran, and one has a right to do with their property as they please. No hate crime occurred.
Tom
(09/15/10 10:05am)Report
This is a HUGE waste of my tax dollars. This city government is nothing but a bunch of reactionaries. What were the crimes? Trespassing, littering – nothing else. This is retarded!
I smell a protest!
(09/15/10 10:12am)Report
Airing your grievances here is great, but it also keeps your opinions tucked nicely away in this little virtual corner out of sight and out of mind of the governing body. Time to make more scenes like those folks did in the 70s, and let the world know when you have been pushed too far. Those on campus have an excellent forum. City Hall is open to the public daily.
Todd
(09/15/10 10:16am)Report
I have yet to see a media report on this issue that clearly states the ELPD or any other official entity is in possession of any evidence. Everything is phrased in terms of the authorities being “notified” or “told” by CAIR-MI or mosque spokespeople as to what happened.
So how about it SN? Can you run a picture of the evidence?
Duane
(09/15/10 10:18am)Report
http://quranburninginamerica.blogspot.com/
Skeptic
(09/15/10 10:23am)Report
This whole case is beginning to smell like sh*t. Or perhaps that’s just the Koran pages covered in feces that were recovered from the scene of the “crime.” Here’s a thought…NO WINESSES? a college town, with no one on the streets at 1 am on a Saturday night? Perhaps this was an elaborate hoax by the mosque….
@steve
(09/15/10 11:02am)Report
I agree with you, should this turn out not to be a hoax, once the person responsible is identified, his life will be in danger. I think we learned from the Danish cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad, and the South Park incident (for those who are unaware, Al Qaeda published the addresses of Matt Stone and Trey Parker on a Muslim website, pretty much asking someone to kill them for poking fun at the prophet), that acting out against Islam is a death wish.