RE: eek what have I gotten into--response to response

salam,

i don't understand why certain muslims (and i'm not talking about those mentioned in this e-mail alone) refer to judaism as 'tribal' religion. judaism is not any more tribal than islam is. judaism is a universal religion, followed by diverse people as russians and ethiopians, chinese and brazilians.

whenever i bring this point up to those who promote it, they 'remind' me the fact that judaism 'came' from a tribe in the desert. uhm, no. the only difference between islam and judaism... is that muslims just have one more line to claim (post-jesus islam.) i wonder if the same muslims would believe islam is tribal religion... just because it was brought to us through a tribe named qureish -- coincidently -- living in the desert in the 7th century.

that said, the whole article, of course, seems to be islamophobic. however, the article contains (however painful for some of us) facts. isna is certainly changing. mohamed nur abdullah, the current president of isna (muzammil hasn't been president for over three years), from sudan, seems to be more 'moderate.' and under his leadership, isna has shifted from rather radical dungeon to a respectable organization. ingrid mattson, the current us-vice president for isna, also is a moderate woman.

so, while these islamophobes can concentrate on isna's past, i'm happy to look forward to its future :)

your brother,

afdhere

Afdhere Jama
Editorial Director
HURIYAH Publications
S A N F R A N C I S C O
[email protected]
http://www.huriyahmag.org

>From: [email protected] >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected], [email protected] >Subject: [Progressivemuslimsnetwork] eek what have I gotten into--response to response >Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 13:16:32 EST > >PM Eastern Standard Time >From: Iamourhaj >To: EvanGahr, [email protected], [email protected] > > >In a message dated 12/31/03 11:46:59 AM Eastern Standard Time, EvanGahr >writes: > > > You criticize Emerson for many things but you don't offer any specifics. > > Where precisely, as you claim, did he make statements without any facts. > > Moreover, you dodge certain facts in the article. > > >Dear Evan ----- >(and I hope others will not mind being copied--please say so if you do) > >Well not "dodge" intention
ally. I would say "not address". This is a big >subject and I am not able to deal with it all at once. I am not ISNA's spokesman! >However you quote S. Schwartz, on page 250 of his book, etc, and I respond: > >Well this seems to me boilerplate religious talk. I mean. OF COURSE I >imagine all Abrahamic religions agree that " If you continue doing injustice, and >tolerate injustice, the wrath of G-d will come." Are you (or is Schwartz) >implying this is rationalizing terrorism? > >I do not hear this at all, and again must caution against taking specific >statements out of context. This is bad habit of bad secular and religious >scholars alike. I would say that here Mr Schwartz (with his very intemperate and >wild chapter on contemporary American Islam-- derided by such reputable scholars >as Clifford Geertz) is taking statements out of context. Woul
d it not be >more useful to look at WHO in the leadership is in fact more consistently >negative and irresponsible? > >Therefore, no, I do not see this statement as "immoderate". Perhaps >old-fashioned. >You also mention a statement by Hamseh Yousef. Now I have hard some of his >recent tapes, and find them very appealing, balanced and humanistic. I am not an >expert on all he has ever said, however. The quote you repeat from 1995 that >"the Jews would have us believe that G-d has this bias to this small tribe in >the middle of the Sinai dessert and all the rest of humanity is just rubbish. >I mean that this is the basic doctrine of the Jewish religion and that's why >it is a most racist religion"-- well, while somwhat rude in form, it is indeed >what many Muslims believe-- we contrast the universality of our own faith with >the tribalism of jud
aism. > >If this is wrong the issue can and should be debated. While the concept of >the "Chosen People" sounds problematical to us Muslims, there may be a way for >us to understand this with more sympathy. And yes some of our Muslim brothers >and sisters are also rather exclusivist as well, we can admit it, though this >is also a problem. But I do not think that Hamseh Yousuf has a bad interfaith >record. > >Also you assert: "You have failed to establish that the criticisms in the >article are any different than those that would be directed at a bunch of white >Christians who indulged similar sentiments as those above". But I am not >bringing race into it. Well, but I would say that given that the Muslim community >has since 9/11 faced a mix of hate talk on radio, hate crimes in the street, >discriminatory laws like the NSEERS Special registra
tions as well as immigrant >sweeps that target arabs, south asians and those with Muslim names, plus >articles that casually imply terror links being not uncommon, yes I believe these >articles can correctly be termed a witch hunt. I think more academic rigor, more >precise research, more cultural knowledge, more respect and finally more >dialogue is necessary. Yes this is a reponsibility we all share. > >Adem Carroll > > >Date: 12/31/03 11:46:59 AM Eastern Standard Time >From: EvanGahr >To: Iamourhaj, [email protected], [email protected] > > > >I appreciate (no sarcasm intended) the civil tone of your reply not >withstanding the emotions this kind of issue is likely to raise for everyone involved. > >You criticize Emerson for many things but you don't offer any specifics. >Where precisely, as you claim, did
he make statements without any facts. >Moreover, you dodge certain facts in the article. > >Schwartz, on page 250 of his book, writes that Muzammil Siddiqi of Islamic >Society of America, told an anti-Israel "Jerusalem Day" rally on October 28, >2000 that "America has to learn . . . if you remain on the side of injustice, the >wrath of G-d will come. Please, all Americans. Do you remember that? If you >continue doing injustice, and tolerate injustice, the wrath of G-d will come." > >Is the above statement by an ISNA reader emblematic of the group's >moderation? If not, why have other ISNA officials failed to denounce it. > >You spoke about the diversity of ISNA conventions. If any other convention by >any group had hosted a speaker like the one below, they would have been >forced to apologize. Finally, you liken the plight of Jews and homosexu
als. > >Moreover, in his 1998 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee >Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Government, Steve Emerson said that Hamza >Yousef, who serves on CAIR's board of advisors, told a 1995 meeting of the >Islamic Society of North America that "the Jews would have us believe that G-d has >this bias to this small tribe in the middle of the Sinai dessert and all the >rest of humanity is just rubbish. I mean that this is the basic doctrine of >the Jewish religion and that's why it is a most racist religion. > >Finally, you say Jews and homosexuals should be--presumably given past >experiences although you don't specify--sensitive to the witch hunt now directed >against Muslims. Which hunt, though? You have failed to establish that the >criticisms in the article are any different than those that would be directed at a
>bunch of white Christians who indulged similar sentiments as those above. > > > > > > >In a message dated 12/31/2003 1:04:19 AM Eastern Standard Time, Iamourhaj >writes: > > > Dear Sirs/mesdames: > > > > I am writing to you regarding your most unfortunate article ("Anit-Gay >Group Allied with Terrorists? Alliance For Marriage includes ‘radical’ Islamic >group") which repeats the "terrorist" slander against the largest Muslim >American organization. > > > > I have attended and spoken at ISNA Conventions. While I regret that most >of our Muslim organizations are so socially conservative, membership is diverse >and discussion frequently interesting. Many of our religious traditions make >value judgements that frequently appear to others as intolerant. But when >even the Episcopalians (arising in green a
nd bawdy Britain rather than the >Deserts of Arabia Felix) face a crisis over recognition of homosexual rights.... >well from an Abrahamic point of view, it is not surprising that alternative >lifestyles would be condemned. > > > > More to the point, however, this article wallows in the mud that Steve >Emerson has been hurling indiscrimately at the Muslim world. If you read his books >carefully it becomes clear how few of his assertions about "terror-links" and >extremism he backs up with clear facts. His work is irresponsible and >dishonest and true scholars know it for what it is. Can you imagine how it is to be >called terrorist these days? > > > > Moreover, the concept of Jihad is misused in your article. It has many >meanings, and "holy war" is a meaning assigned by westerners to describe one >aspect of this "holy striving". It
is clear to the vast majority of Muslims that >jihad cannot include the killing of innocents, or terrorism. ISNA and the other >major Muslim organizations have made this clear. So yes Jihad is promoted, >but responsibly. I consider this letter part of my jihad for justice. > > > > Finally, let me urge you to consider that our Muslim community is willing >to reflect and to correct mistakes where needed. However, we continue to endure >what feels very much like a witch hunt. Both Jews and Homosexuals should >understand what > > that feels like. > > > > Sincerely, > > > > Adem Carroll > > Islamic Circle > > 166-26 89 Ave > > Jamaica NY 11432 > > 917 602 4450 >

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