At 10.13 28/02/1999 -0800, you wrote: >Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem was-salaat >was-salaam ala Rasulillah wa ala alihi wa >sahbihi wa sallam > >AsSalamu alaykum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatu > >It is regretful but revealing that AMPCC, >AMA[alliance], AMC, CAIR, >MPAC,ICNA,ISNA,and MSA would issue a >statement condemning Shaykh >Hisham Kabbani's speech to the state >department. I pray this be >a hoax and that these organizations declare >themselves innocent >of this slanderous statement. > >Notice that not one of Shaykh Hisham's >statements were refuted, >rather these organizations tried to quote out >of context to rally >Muslims away from a voice of moderation. The >condemnation is quoted >in full: > >>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. > >Notice in what follows no statement is shown >to be false or defamatory >to anyone, except that the statements >criticize extremism. > >As for the allegation that the Muslim >community needs a defense >against Shaykh Hisham, then this is a clearly >misleading statement >that falsely implies that Shaykh Hisham >accused the Muslim community >as a whole of extremism. His own words from >the speech refute that: > > "This is what I want to say to you, to >present to you from within > the Muslim community. 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." > >>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. > >Another attempt to rally "ordinary" Muslims >against Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, >again without substantiation. The derogatory >tone of the authors and >lack of respect for a Muslim Shaykh is >obvious. > > >>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. > >A statement purposely taken out of context, >here is some context: > >"...Extremism has been spread to 80 per cent >of the Muslim > population. Not all of them agree with >it..." > >Therefore the word "spread" is clearly >indicated to mean that the >extremist ideology has reached 80% of Muslims >and not that 80% of >Muslims accepted it and became extremist. >This is a Shame on the >leaders of the organizations below that they >have to resort to such >quoting out of context to slander a Muslim >Shaykh. Several lines >later Shaykh Hisham said to confirm his view: > >"...the Muslim community as a whole is >innocent from whatever > extremism and extremist ideology is being >spread around the world." > >As for the second allegation, it comes from >these words regarding >extremists: > >"They hijacked the mike, or they were elected >because they are > good speakers, but they give a wrong idea >about Islam." > >Note that Shaykh Hisham differentiates >extremists as follows: > >"There are two kinds of extremism: there is >the extremism ideology > and there is the extremist militant >movement." > >The former type is the one Shaykh Hisham >points to as having >"hijacked the mike". He explains the rise of >Wahhabism, and >its attempted reformation of Islam. > >Anyone who has been to many Islamic centers >in the US knows that >Wahhabi ideologies are widely spread among >leaders of many Mosques, >preventing Dhikr, cursing Tasawwuf, >preventing Mawlid et cetra. Notice >that overseas organizations that started >along similar Wahhabi trends >are now bombing Muslims in the Caucaus, Sudan >and many other places >in the name of purifying Islam from what they >view as 'Kufr, Bid'a and >Shirk', but in reality it is traditional >Islam they attack. > >>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..." > >These are actually parts of two different >paragraphs joined together >only in this letter by three dots "...". They >are actually paragraphs >apart. Here is more context: > >"...there are many Muslim organizations that >claim to speak on > behalf of the Muslim community but that in >reality are not moderate, > but extremist. They hijacked the mike, or >they were elected because > they are good speakers, but they give a >wrong idea about Islam." > >This is known to those with experience in >Islamic centers. Again >Shaykh Hisham confirms what the authors of >this letter try to hide, >that he views the Muslim community as >moderate. Shame on those >who slander Muslim Shaykhs with their lies. >The second half of that >(mis)quoted above comes in a different part >of the speech: > >"You are not hearing the authentic voice of >Muslims, of moderate Muslims, > but you are hearing the extremist voice of >Muslims. That's why they are > getting a wrong idea, because the extremists >are very well supported, > are very well affiliated with outside >regimes that have sponsored them > with billions of dollars to be active in the >United States." > >Again Shaykh Hisham confirms that Muslims in >general are moderate, >he states a well know fact that outside >regimes are supporting >extremist[ideological] views in the US. >Anyone who has been involved >in Islamic centers knows how certain >countries frequently will offer >to give free books with Wahhabi ideology, and >gradually take over or >have those who support their views take over >Islamic centers and >throw out authentic Muslims who speak the >truth. An example is the >preventers of Mawlid, celebration of the >birthday of the Prophet, >Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam, which is >practiced in nearly every >Islamic country, how many a Masjid today >following extremist leadership >has banned it and ridiculed its approval by >the overwhelming majority >of Islamic scholars. > >>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." > >Shaykh Hisham defined extremism as: > >"Extremism in Islam, or in religion, is when >you use religion to > label intolerance, to turn from religion and >take ideas that you > can extract for yourself, or deduce for >yourself, and use to make > a militant movement and disturb the peace in >your country or around > the world." > >He clarified that extremism may be >ideological or militant. Therefore >extremist ideology in Islam involves >intolerence and self deduced >Islamic rulings, and both of these have been >clearly seen from the >leadership of some Muslim student >oraganizations, some who frankly >say they do not care what the scholars of >Islam say, rather they >will deduce their own understandings of Quran >and Sunnah. Or they >demonstrate intolence to authentic Islam, as >Dhikr, Tasbih, Tasawwuf >et cetra, calling out "Bid'a", "Shirk", >"Kufr". > >As to Bin Laden and his plans, then the >authors of this letter >of condemnation are speaking in ignorance of >the truth, and >throwing serious allegations on issues they >do not have knowledge >of simply because they sound unlikely to >them. Why would not a >well connected multi-millionare as Bin Laden >be able to procure >a few of the 22,000 Russian nuclear warheads >and hire for his >cause Russian scientists for a steep price, >when the Russians >are in very hard economic times. If he were >to find someone to >do a devious deed for him in this country, >and he has stated his >intention to get American blood, then is it >so absurd to believe >he would recruit a disgruntled misguided >student who has been >brainwashed into thinking he must get even >with America. > >>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." > >Another lie and quotation out of context. It >is truly amazing >that all these Muslim organizations who >signed below, if this is >truly their signature, would stoop this low >to slander a Muslim >Shaykh. > >The lie: > >"promoted and generalized an allegation that >Muslim women in > Europe..." > >Here is the proper quote in context from >Shaykh Hisham's speech >after explaining how extremist organizations >are not following >Islam as is well known many sell drugs to get >cash for weapons >and supplies, he adds the following: > >"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 Watat 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. We > have to ask ourselves: is this Islamic or >un-Islamic?" > >Note this is NOT generalized to Muslim women, >and again the point >which the authors of this condemnation try to >hide is that Sahykh >Hisham is defending Muslims from false Islam, >not as they falsely >claim attacking Muslims. > >>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. > >Notice that not a single statement quoted >above justified the false >conclusion of the authors. The letter builds >itself up then ends up >being a slanderous baseless shameful gang >attack on a Muslim Shaykh >who has worked hard to promote Islamic unity >and understanding. > >>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. > >The authors seemed to have missed the whole >point of Shaykh Hisham's >speech. There is no justification for >terrorism. There are no excuses >for hate crimes. Muslims will not stand >behind those who commit crimes >in the name of Islam. Islam is not extremist, >a few Muslims may be, >the Muslim community is innocent of their >deeds. > >Furthermore the worst "Muslim-bashers" are >those who commit terrorism >and say it is Islam and that they are good >Muslims. Islam is more >harmed by those among us that "excuse" >extremism, than by those >outside us who may falsely allege that islam >is itself extreme. >In the latter case many people are wise >enough not to take a >non-Muslims view about Islam as being very >accurate. > > >>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. > >It seems that the apology should be from the >undersigned to >Shaykh Hisham for falsely representing his >speech as is clear >above and to the Muslim Community for lying >to them. > >>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. > >The undersigned seem to commend America for >its values of >"inclusiveness, fairness, and liberty". Yet >some affiliated >with them have notoriously banned and >slandered Shaykh Hisham >Kabbani. Shaykh Hisham held the Islamic Unity >Conference and >invited all, yet a concerted effort by >hypocrites was to prevent >people from attending a conference where >Terrorism was condemned >and Islam was declared innocent of Terrorism. >Those hypocrites >showed no inclusiveness, no fairness and no What kind of microcontroller is Shaykh Kabbany? Motorola? Microchip? Atmel?