New effort by CAIR to distance itself from Terrorism
Reader comment on item: Moderate Muslims March in Phoenix

Submitted by Chris Chrisman (United States), May 14, 2004 at 12:12

The Los Angeles Times published an article today giving voice to CAIR and a petition they are circulating to declare that terrorism betrays Islam. This is such a hollow statement from THAT organization, at least, I was moved to write a letter to the editor. I doubt if it will ever get published, so I will share it with you.

Dear Editor,

While I applaud the Los Angeles Times for wanting to publicize activities of moderate Muslims, giving free airing to blatantly untruthful statements with no expert, balancing commentary does a disservice to your readership as well as the experts themselves. It would be tantamount to allowing some wacko to say that trees are blue. I'm referring to the statement by Aslam Abdullah, editor of the Minaret, that severing the head of American Nick Berg is 'un-Islamic." There are plenty of experts who would take exception to that remark.

In the chapter of the Koran titled Muhammad it says quite clearly, "When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield strike off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly." (Surah 47:3) Chopping off heads has been the favorite form of Islamist execution for more than 14 centuries, beginning with Mohammed's own grandson, Hussein bin Ali. Other decapitated Americans include William Buckley (1986) and Daniel Pearl (2002) .

As for the petition effort by the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to declare that terrorism betrays Islam and that American Muslims abhor it, your readers need to be reminded that CAIR was founded by officers of the militant Islamic Association of Palestine, a fact thoroughly documented by many experts, including Steven Emerson, the executive producer of the PBS documentary "Jihad in America." The definition of "terrorism" by Palestine as well as the other 21 members of the Arab League specifically excludes "all cases of struggle by whatever means, including armed struggle, against foreign occupation and aggression for liberation and self-determination, in accordance with the principles of international law." Said another way, CAIR would be opposed to terrorism except when it comes to resisting occupiers in Iraq and fighting for self-determination in Israel.

I would submit that any effort by CAIR to distance itself from terrorism should be seen by your readers as a tactical ploy lacking in sincerity. To denounce terrorism and cutting off heads, Muslims would have to denounce the Koran where these activities are mandated on all Muslims. (Surah 2:216 of the Koran says, "Jihad is obligatory for you, much as you dislike it.")

Meanwhile, there are sincere, moderate Muslim organizations such as the American Islamic Forum for Democracy which organized a small rally condemning terrorism in Phoenix on April 25. There was no mention of that effort in your newspaper.

Chris Chrisman

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