Bismillah Arrahman Arrahim.

March 3, 1999



Council on American Islamic Relations
1050 th Street, N.W., Suite 490
Washington, D.C. 659-2247

Dear CAIR:

Over the years, I have readily responded to CAIR Alerts by writing, at
CAIR’s behest, to a variety of sources to defend Islam and the Muslim
Community, placing phone calls and taking part in peaceful
demonstrations.  This time, however, it is my painful duty to respond to
CAIR in a different fashion: I am writing to protest strongly against
the accusations which CAIR and other Islamic organizations in the U.S.
have leveled at Sheikh Hisham Kabbani, the Deputy for North America of
Sheikh Nazim Al-Haqqani, the Head of the Naqshbandi Tariqa.

You have received by now Sheikh Hisham’s response to your condemnation,
in concert with other Islamic organizations in America, of his State
Department address.  His  response refutes, point by point, the fanciful
fabrications leveled at him, fabrications which distort his views and
twist them to make him say the reverse of what he actually said.

Sheikh Hisham believes passionately that Islam is a religion of peace
and tolerance, not violence, and that the vast majority of  Muslims in
the U.S. - and elsewhere in the world -  are peaceful, upright and
law-abiding citizens.  Needless to say, the Muslim community, like any
other community in the world, has its radical elements.  It is those
elements - who attempt to misuse Islam in order to serve their own
agendas, thus endangering the security of the American Muslim community,
and distorting and besmirching the religion of Islam - who deeply
concern Sheikh Hisham.

Like many other fellow Muslims in America, I too must admit to fearing
a terrible backlash against the Muslim community here if those radical
elements were to commit some particularly hideous act of violence in
this country.  The memory of the internment of Americans citizens of
Japanese descent after Pearl Harbor leaps to mind ... I  believe Sheikh
Hisham’s denunciation of extremism and violence in all its forms and
whatever their source is fully justified, first and foremost for moral
and humanitarian reasons and out of concern for the innocent and hapless
victims of such violence.

Moreover, that  a man so full of love and concern not only for Muslims
and Islam, but indeed for all living creatures, should be accused of
willfully slandering the American Muslim community and endangering its
security is preposterous and totally untrue.  Sheikh Hisham is a man of
acute intelligence and discernment, a great Muslim scholar and a great
Sufi Sheikh.  His integrity is unimpeachable.  The character traits
which strike me most in him, though, are his humility and compassion,
traits which, I believe, have helped attract to Islam hundreds, not to
say thousands, of new converts since he came to the U.S. nine years ago.

I strongly believe that the only way we can successfully counter
discrimination, bigotry and all forms of violence against us is by
denouncing them and uprooting them even in our midst.  Otherwise we
would be playing in the hands of Emerson et al., the enemies of Islam
who need no excuse to tear at our religion and attempt to rip our
community apart.  I hope and pray that you truly consider what Sheikh
Hisham is saying instead of interpreting his statements.  May God Be Our
Guide!

      Sincerely,



      Rachida Roberts