(Washington, DC 09/08/02)  On Friday, September 6, the chairman of Islamic Supreme Council of America, Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, together with a handful of religious leaders, was honored to join President George W. Bush in an intimate ceremony at the White House Roosevelt Room. The president used the occasion to proclaim that Friday, September 6, through Sunday, September 8, 2002, would be observed for the first time as “National Days of Prayer and Remembrance.”

The president shared his personal religious convictions and called upon faith leaders of the nation to join him in observing religious services that honor the victims of September 11th, and to pray for the continued protection and safety of our country.

Expressing his feelings about the meeting, Shaykh Kabbani said, “While people around the world view President Bush as a great man of conviction and courage, very few get the unique opportunity to observe him as a sensitive, caring, religiously inspired individual. I expressed our community’s deep sentiment and support for President Bush, to which he responded with a heartfelt embrace. I am truly blessed by that experience and will share his act of friendship with our millions of supporters around the world.”

ISCA encourages its members, supporters and congregations around the world to join President Bush and people of all faiths in hosting services that commemorate the unspeakable tragedy our nation has endured. Further, we urge Muslims to let this first anniversary pass not only as a day of remembrance, but one of action.

On September 11, 2002, the Council unequivocally calls on all leaders of traditional Islamic communities and Muslims at-large to immediately establish “Community Watch” groups across the nation. While typically such groups are designed to prevent external threats, these community-based groups will protect our mosques, schools and centers from the threat within our ranks, the threat posed by extremist elements who attempt to hijack our peaceful religion. These watch groups will prevent extremists from using our places of worship for illegitimate and illegal purposes. We believe such action will demonstrate that Muslims are sincere, patriotic and upright citizens, committed to upholding the honor of traditional Islam and to preventing the Islamic faith from being manipulated by self-serving criminals.

We pray that our brothers and sisters throughout the Muslim world will see an end to the era of dictators and experience the same freedoms we cherish as citizens of this great nation. We also pray that traditional Muslims throughout the world will one day be liberated from the oppression of extremists who stifle universal human rights and destroy the sanctity of life.

As we approach the anniversary of September 11th, we at the Islamic Supreme Council of America stand united with our fellow Americans. We pray for swift victory in the war against terror and that all people will one day live in a world filled with peace, cooperation, and social justice.