From eric@axs2k.net Mon Mar 1 19:01 PST 1999
To: "Mateen Siddiqui" <mateens>
Subject: Fw: Major Muslim Organizations Condemn Kabbani's Statements
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 22:07:07 -0500
Below is a copy of the condemnation of "Mr. Hisham Kabbani" that was issued by CAIR, ISNA, ICNA, and the MSA. They were able to issue this combination because Shaykh Hisham, at their request, made public a transcript of his statement to the State Department.
I have copied and pasted from the Shaykh's actual words relevant passages that speak to the accusations enumerated below. I believe readers will be able to judge for themselves whether the accusations are substantiated. Interestingly, although I requested CAIR to attach the Shaykh's original statement with their condemnation, they have so far refused.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: cair1@ix.netcom.com <cair1@ix.netcom.com>
>To: cair-net@cair-net.org <cair-net@cair-net.org>
>Date: Thursday, February 25, 1999 5:11 PM
>Subject: Major Muslim Organizations Condemn Kabbani's Statements
>
>
>>In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
>>
>>MAJOR MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS CONDEMN KABBANI'S STATEMENTS
>>American Muslim leaders demand retraction and apology
>>
>>It is with heavy hearts that we, the undersigned national American Muslim
>>organizations, feel compelled to defend our community and its
>>representatives from false and defamatory allegations.
>>
>>In a January 7, 1999, presentation to a State Department Open Forum, Mr.
>>Hisham Kabbani, Chairman of the self-styled "Islamic Supreme Council of
>>America," made a number of unsubstantiated allegations that could have a
>>profoundly negative impact on ordinary American Muslims.
>>
>>In the State Department forum, Mr. Kabbani:
>>
>>1) Alleged that the "ideology of extremism has been spread to eighty
>>percent of the [American] Muslim population." Having also stated that
>>"extremists" gained control of American mosques through elections, Mr.
>>Kabbani further strengthens the impression that the Muslim community as a
>>whole is extremist.
Shaykh Hisham own words were that "extremism has been spread to 80 per cent of the Muslim population. Not all of them agree with it...We want to tell you that the Muslim community as a whole is innocent from whatever extremism and extremist ideology is being spread around the world."
Shaykh Hisham does not say that 80% of the US Muslim population is extremist. In fact, he expressly denies that. What he does claim is that the leadership of many mosques represent an opinion more radical, more 'extremist' if you will, than the majority of those who attend these mosques. Shaykh Hisham is not the first to express this opinion.
>>
>>2) Claimed that "there are many, many Muslim organizations, that they speak
>>on behalf of the Muslim community, but in reality they are not moderate,
>>but they are extremist...These people are very well supported, very well
>>affiliated with outside regimes, that they have been sponsored by billions
>>of dollars to be active within the United States..."
This seems to accurately reflect what the Shaykh said. Such allegations have been rampant both from the Shaykh as well as from others against the Shaykh. The way to settle the matter once and for all is to open the accounting books for public inspection. All organizations should be keeping accurate records of where their monies come from and where they are spent. In the US, contributors are often regarded as having a right to know.
>>
>>3) Claiming that the main national Muslim student organization is "being
>>run mostly by extremist ideology," Mr. Kabbani raised the bizarre specter
>>that the Bin Laden organization was "able to buy more than 20 atomic
>>weapons, atomic nuclear heads, from some Mafias in the ex-Soviet
>>Union...and now they are hiring thousands of scientists from the ex-Soviet
>>in order to make these atomic warheads into smaller partitions, smaller
>>particles, in order to be, like small chips to be put in any suit case,
>>even in a handbag, and be shipped anyplace, anywhere in the world...If
>>these small nuclear atomic warheads reach these (U.S.) universities, you
>>don't know, these students, what they are going to do, because their way of
>>thinking is brainwashed and limited."
While one is free to regard the Bin Laden issue as sounding far-fetched, that does not mean that the Shaykh's statement is not true. The scenario is possible and worrisome to say the least. In any case, one does not condemn someone for stating something one opines to be unlikely.
>>
>>Adding insult to injury, Mr. Kabbani even promoted and generalized an
>>allegation that Muslim women in Europe "who are during the day, covered
>>from top to bottom and, during the night, have dates. They are dating high
>>officials in many countries around the world to take the information from
>>them and to give it to the extremists."
Shaykh Hisham: "Recently they found in London, between London and France and all that area in Western Europe, that there is a big network of women that one of the very famous Arabic newspapers - either al Wasat or al Watan al Arabi - revealed in a big report two or three months ago. They found a network run by Muslim women who, during the day, are covered from top to bottom and, during the night, have dates. They are dating high officials in many countries around the world to take the information from them and to give it to the extremists."
The Shaykh was referring to articles run in a major Arabic newspaper and was not expressing his personal opinion. He clearly does not "generalize" that Muslim women in Europe act as prostitutes, but reports that, according to an Arabic news publication, there are some women, who posing to be good muslims, use prostitution as a means of gathering intelligence to pass on to extremists. Again, he is quoting a public source and does not claim to have personally verified the information.
>>
>>Through outrageous statements such as these, Mr. Kabbani has put the entire
>>American Muslim community under unjustified suspicion. In effect, Mr.
>>Kabbani is telling government officials that the majority of American
>>Muslims pose a danger to our society. Additionally, Islamophobic
>>individuals and groups may use these statements as an excuse to commit hate
>>crimes against Muslims of the kind witnessed following the bombing of the
>>Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City when Muslim-bashers, Steven
>>Emerson and others, offered similarly unsubstantiated claims that Muslims
>>were behind the attack.
>>
Actually, the Shaykh's intention is the opposite. He writes that "the Muslim community as a whole is innocent from whatever extremism and extremist ideology is being spread around the world." His intention is to make it clear to non-Muslims that the majority of Muslims are peace-loving and capable of peaceful co-existence and constructive dialog. Too often, "extremists" are the only ones speaking to the US non-Muslim population, whether by harsh rhetoric or violence. It is, therefore, imperative that they understand that such is neither the manner of traditional Muslims nor of their Prophet (SAS). The way to prevent hostility and violence toward the Muslim community at large is by making sure the government and US public understand that extremists speak only for themselves and not for Muslims in general.
>>We therefore ask Mr. Kabbani to promptly and publicly retract his
>>statements, to apologize to the American Muslim community, and to exert his
>>utmost effort to undo the damage these statements have done.
>>
>>The issue is not that of a mere difference of opinion within an American
>>religious community, but involves the irresponsible act of providing false
>>information to government officials. This false information can jeopardize
>>the safety and well being of our community and hurt America itself by
>>damaging its values of inclusiveness, fairness, and liberty.
Let's neither quibble at figures of speach nor twist words to distort their intended meaning. If something the Shaykh actually said is found to be incorrect, we, and the Shaykh himself, will be among the first to stand corrected.
As for inclusiveness, it is really at the heart of the Shaykh's approach to the US Muslim community, including its major organizations. Unfortunately, these organizations have a poor record of reciprocating that inclusiveness. He tried to cooperate with ISNA for years only to be spurned without an official hearing. Hostile organization have at various times refused to let him distribute or sell publications from booths rented at their conferences, have called him a cult leader after being invited to his conference, and attempted in many ways to sabotage the 2nd conference. Violating their own principles as contained in this "condemnation statement", they even accused him to many US government offices and told them that he represents a cult and is not accepted in Islam. The MSA has even stooped to making false accusations to the police.
Can't we do better than this? Most of this condemnation seems to me unjustified based on what the Shaykh actually said and, therefore, makes me suspect that the issues these organizations have with Shaykh Kabbani run far deeper than his statement to the US government. I suspect that the real issue is that Shaykh Hisham is the first major spokesman in the US for an Islamic perspective that includes tasawwuf. Why can't we agree to acknowledge a variety of viewpoints within all of our major organizations, especially a viewpoint like that of tasawwuf that has been championed, accepted, or tolerated for centuries by great scholars across the Islamic world? And real toleration must go beyond just calling on all to cooperate on points we hold in common, for that would effectively silence ahl al-dhikr. The leaders of these major organizations must come to realize that attacking Shaykh Hisham, even defeating him, will neither make tasawwuf go away nor keep us silent: Those who h!
ave experienced Allah's blessing
through the dhikr are compelled to express to Him their thanks and praise.
wa astaghfiru 'Llah,
Abdulmonaim
>>
>>Signatories (in alphabetical order):
>>
>>American Muslim Political Coordination Council (AMPCC)
>>[American Muslim Alliance (AMA), American Muslim Council (AMC), Council on
>>American Islamic Relations (CAIR) & Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)]
>>Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
>>Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
>>Muslim Students Association of USA & Canada (MSA)
>>
