09 September 2010By
El-Hajj Mauri’ Saalakhan
I’ve been in the New York
area for much of the past week, and I have been
repeatedly asked my opinion (by Muslims and
non-Muslims) on two related issues that will come to a
head on Saturday,
September 11, 2010: (a)my position on
the so-called “9/11 Mosque” project; and (b) the
question of whether or not Muslims should demonstrate
on September 11?”
Insha’Allah,
this will constitute both my own personal position,
and our organization’s official position, on
these two very important questions.
Let me begin by saying, I
am aware of the position taken by the
Majlis
Ashura
(leadership council) of
New York City
on this matter. If I understand the council’s position
correctly, it has reportedly decided to respect a
request made by 9/11 families to not
demonstrate on that day. Does this position comprise
the view of ALL 9/11 FAMILIES? I doubt it. A majority?
Perhaps (surely ALLAH knows best).
While I respect the
decision made by the majlis on a very difficult,
deeply emotive and controversial issue, I am compelled
by the dictates of my own conscience to respectfully
disagree; and this brings me to the reasons why I feel
I must support the rally on
September 11th.
The reasons are as follows:
Reason #
1. Because Islam and the Muslim
community had NOTHING to do with the attacks of 9/11!
That said, the ugly controversy surrounding the
proposed Cordoba Center - aka,
”Park 51,” aka the “Ground Zero”
or “9/11 Mosque,” aka the
“Victory Mosque,” - (and this year's
observance of the 9/11 attacks) does bear a silver
lining. It provides the Muslim community, and
justice-oriented non-Muslim progressives in
America, with a unique opportunity to push back on the
official 9/11 narrative in a big way. For too long
Muslim leaders and organizations in America have been
apologizing for the tragedy of 9/11; and this totally
unwarranted apologetic stance has been used to help
justify the unrelenting persecution of Muslims the
world over.
Reason # 2.
Because the Muslim community (both here and abroad)
has been the most impacted community as a
result of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001;
resulting in a succession of 9/11 type tragedies
(often far greater in magnitude and long-term
consequence) being carried out in different parts of
the
Muslim
world in the name of a “war on
terrorism.”
Reason # 3. Because
of the lies and disinformation surrounding The
Cordoba Project controversy; and this brings me to
the reason why I favor the use of the original name
applied to this project. A prominent, but shameless
political chameleon by the name of
Newt
Gingrich (a self-described
non-credentialed historian) has engaged in a pattern
of lies and distortions concerning the nature of
historic
Cordoba of
Muslim Spain, leading to the inflammatory label
affixed to the Cordoba Project “the victory mosque.”
In the epilogue of my book titled Islam &
Terrorism: Myth vs. Reality, I referenced the
religious and intellectual freedom that marked this
historic period in world history, through the
writings of a fully credentialed non-Muslim authority
on the matter. In a book titled Moses
Maimonides And His Time – edited by Eric L. Ormsby,
and published by the Catholic University of America
Press – can be found an essay by Professor Norman
Roth, with an excerpt that reads as follows:
“In a recently published
book on
Maimonides, I noted that were he to have
been born in another land, France or
Germany, for instance, he would at most
have become another one of those almost anonymous
rabbis who wrote endless commentaries on commentaries,
on the
Talmud. In that case, he would be of
interest to no more than a small handful of Jewish
scholars who specialize in such matters. Instead, this
man became the greatest genius ever produced by the
Jewish people. His productivity and creativity were
prodigious.”
Reason # 4. Because
our friends in the non-Muslim community have decided
on the need to organize a public response to the
multiple manifestations of rabid islamophobia that
will unfold on that date (see below). I believe, as a
committed Muslim, that it is important to stand with
our non-Muslim neighbors when they attempt, on
occasions like this, to stand with us. I also believe
that to allow the islamophobes to dominate the public
discourse on September 11th would be a
strategic mistake.
Reason # 5.
And finally, because of the
prophetic admonition:
“When you see an evil action you must change it
with your hand; if you cannot do so, with your tongue;
if you cannot do so, detest it within your heart, that
is the weakest degree of faith.”
With this said, I encourage
my brothers and sisters (in Islam) who read this
commentary to follow their own respective consciences
on the matter; but whatever you decide, let the
decision be based on what you truly believe in your
heart to be the right thing to do. Don’t allow your
decision to be motivated by fear of anything other
than ALLAH!
And if you decide to
participate in a public demonstration on 9/11, don’t
allow anyone to encourage, prod or instigate
you into the type of public reaction which at the end
of the day will do nothing but serve the interests of
the opposition. Let us be dignified and
disciplined in whatever public statement we make
on that day. (Let us remember, a good example is the
best dawah, and the best
jihad,
on the battlefield of propaganda.)
In the struggle for peace
thru justice,
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments
Save