The Washington Times
March 2, 1999, Pg. A8

Muslim cleric stands by statement on extremists; 
He accuses group of threatening him

Larry Witham; THE WASHINGTON TIMES

   A Muslim cleric who has been asked to retract his words about
"extremists" in U.S. Islamic circles refused to back down yesterday and
said one of the groups criticizing him threatened him at a State
Department forum.

"We both have freedom of speech," Sheik Hisham Kabbani, chairman of the
newly founded Islamic Supreme Council of America, said yesterday. "I
said that the extremists have spread an ideology that is separating
people from the religion of Islam."

The comments, made at a Jan. 7 State Department program, have prompted
six major Muslim organizations, "with heavy hearts," to ask Sheik
Kabbani to reverse his comments on American Muslims.

"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 damages these statements have done," said
the protest, organized by the American Muslim Council in the District.

"He has a right to criticize what he likes, but we are living under a
lot of stereotypes against us," AMC Director Aly R. Abuzaakouk said
yesterday.

The protest statement draws on quotes taken from a videotape of the
State Department forum and portrays Sheik Kabbani telling U.S. officials
that Muslim lobbying groups, student organizations and 80 percent of the
U.S. mosques were filled with extremists and funded by billions of
foreign dollars.

Sheik Kabbani said yesterday that his comments were taken out of
context, and that allies of the AMC openly threatened him at the forum.

He said it is well known that foreign money backs Islam in the United
States. His point, he said, was that a "few extremists" are taking over
leadership posts, despite a "majority of moderate Muslims," thus
"influencing 80 percent of the mosques."

The forums are part of a State Department program to assemble government
officials to hear public concerns on human rights and religious liberty.

After the forum ended, Sheik Kabbani's organization complained to the
AMC that someone using its name said to the sheik, "You are a dangerous
man, sheik."

"Your representative attempted to intimidate, embarrass and harass our
chairman with a barrage of questions, insinuations and accusations," the
Islamic Supreme Council's Hedieh Mirahmadi, a lawyer, wrote to Mr.
Abuzaakouk.

Miss Mirahmadi said the AMC has not responded to the letter.

The AMC, which is active in defending Muslim rights and fighting media
stereotypes and law enforcement prejudices, said Sheik Kabbani is a
self-styled leader whom nobody elected. "The only thing I know is the
man has got money," Mr. Abuzaakouk said.

In August, Sheik Kabbani came to Washington to incorporate the Islamic
Supreme Council of America and hosted the Second International Islamic
Unity Conference. It drew 3,000 participants and an array of experts and
leaders, including Mr. Abuzaakouk as a speaker.

At the same time, Sheik Kabbani said he wanted to be a voice against
terrorism and ideological extremists who use Muslims in America as a
vehicle for exploiting foreign political causes.

Before coming to Washington, Sheik Kabbani headed a Muslim charitable
organization in Los Angeles. Some Muslim leaders see him as a kind of
guru to an American following. "Our support comes from within the
country," he said.

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