• American Muslims and the Liberal Media Stereotype

March 16, 2012 - By Manda Zand Ervin
American Thinker

When a group of us — American Muslims — went to New York City to voice the concerns of the silent majority and support the law enforcement there, we were confronted by the mainstream media’s unabashed hostility.

• Part of a Pattern: Chicago Police Chief and CAIR

March 13, 2012 - By Ryan Mauro, Radical Islam.org

The Islamist pressure campaign against major law enforcement agencies is bearing fruit. They have put the NYPD on the defensive, thanks to some help from deceitful articles in the New York Times.

• ZUHDI JASSER DISCUSSES NYPD SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM AND SUPPORT FROM A SILENT MAJORITY OF MUSLIM-AMERICANS

March 11, 2012 - The Blaze

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, founder and president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, appeared on Fox and Friends Saturday to discuss the support from “a silent majority” of Muslim-Americans for security measures like the controversial NYPD surveillance program of Muslims

• NYPD Deserves Praise, American Muslims Agree

March 9, 2012 - By ELISHA MALDONADO, International Business Times

On Monday, roughly three dozen members and supporters of the American Islamic Leadership Coalition gathered in front of police headquarters in lower Manhattan to symbolically stand beside the NYPD.

• Op-Ed: The Anti-Islamist Muslim Voice

March 8, 2012 - By Phyllis Chesler, Arutz Sheva

There are Muslims out there who do not believe in extremism, says the writer, and who have organized to give voice to their views. She has met some of them.

• Rep. King Praises NYPD’s Counterterrorism Efforts

March 7, 2012 - Christian Broadcasting Network News

The chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security and several Muslim leaders commended the New York City Police Department for its surveillance of Muslim students.

• The Third Jihad and Syria: A wide-ranging Interview with Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser

March 7, 2012 - By Jerry Gordon, New English Review

On March 5, 2012, an unusual rally was held at One Police Plaza in lower Manhattan.

• Reaction To Spying On Muslims Rally

March 6, 2012 - PIX 11 Morning News (New York)

This morning we spoke to C. Holland Taylor and Samir Abdelkhalek, who were part of the American Islamic Leadership Coalition who organized Monday’s rally showing support for the N.Y.P.D. in the wake of the Muslim spying controversy. See the video.

• American Muslims Show Support for NY Police

March 6, 2012 - By Jack Kemp, American Thinker

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, founding member American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) www.americanislamicleadership.org said his words at a podium in front of New York Police Headquarters to voice his support for Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and dispel the politically correct trope that the police are spying on mosques.

• Islamic leaders support NYPD

March 6, 2012 - By Eric Benson, Washington Square News

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition, a group of North American Muslim leaders and organizations, held a press conference at the New York Police Department headquarters yesterday.

• Muslims rally in support of NYPD program

March 6, 2012 - The Boston Globe

The rally, held by the American Islamic Leadership Coalition outside police headquarters, illustrated a division even among the faith’s adherents about how far authorities should go in seeking to protect the nation’s largest city from terrorists.

• Kelly meets with Muslim leaders to talk surveillance

March 6, 2012 - By AP, ABC News

Muslim leaders from around the city met with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly on Tuesday, expressing their concerns with reports that the department was secretly monitoring Muslims, and offering suggestions on how to ensure the police and Muslim communities work together to combat terrorism.

• Muslims at rally: NYPD surveillance keeps us safe

March 6, 2012 - Arab News

Members of an Islamic coalition stood in front of police headquarters with signs to support the New York Police Department’s aggressive counterterrorism efforts, saying the agency is doing what is necessary to protect the city - and Muslims.

• Muslims: Hoo-Ray!

March 6, 2012 - By JESSICA SIMEONE, New York Post

A group of Muslims yesterday rallied in support of the NYPD’s controversial anti-terror surveillance of area mosques and Islamic social organizations and student groups.

• The Roots of the Christie-King Border War

March 6, 2012 - By Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

Why exactly did New Jersey Governor Chris Christie join the mob bashing New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly last week over the force’s surveillance policies?

• Moderate Muslims denounce Islamists

March 6, 2012 - By Tarek Fatah, The Toronto Sun

Since 9/11, New York City has been the target of 14 terrorist plots by jihadi groups or individuals. Not one of them succeeded. Thanks to the NYPD, all the conspiracies were nipped in the bud by their counter-terrorism and intelligence units.

• NYPD Using Surveillance on Suspected Muslim Terrorists

March 6, 2012 - Fox News Insider

Last week, we learned that the New York Police Department is now using surveillance techniques on suspected terrorists within the Muslim community.

• ‘WE ARE THE REAL MUSLIMS’: RECAP OF THE RALLY HELD IN SUPPORT OF NYPD MONITORING PROGRAM

March 6, 2012 - By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze

“The police, they come to us and say, `Is everything OK? How can we help you?” he said Monday. “They are not trying to hurt us. For this, I want to say thank you and tell them I support them.”

• M. Zuhdi Jasser: ‘We thank God every day for the NYPD’

March 5, 2012 - AIFD Commentary

• Muslims at rally: NYPD surveillance keeps us safe

March 5, 2012 - By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press

Members of an Islamic coalition stood in front of police headquarters with signs to support the New York Police Department’s aggressive counterterrorism efforts, saying the agency is doing what is necessary to protect the city - andMuslims.

• The Anti-Islamist Muslim Voice

March 5, 2012 - PJ Media

Where are the responsible Muslims? Supporting the NYPD in Manhattan today.

• Muslim Leaders Rally in Support of Police Dept.

March 5, 2012 - By Liz Robbins, New York Times

About three dozen American Muslim leaders and activists assembled outside the headquarters of the New York Police Department on Monday morning to defend and commend the Police Department for its surveillance of Muslim communities.

• The Anti-Islamist Muslim Voice

March 5, 2012 - By Phyllis Chesler, The Phyllis Chesler Organization

The media was there in droves: CNN, FOX, the New York Times, ABC, AP, Newsday, and, of course, PJMedia. They quoted the speeches and interviewed the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) speakers.

• NYPD’s Muslim Surveillance Efforts Get Show Of Support

March 5, 2012 - NY1 News

Muslim leaders joined Long Island Congressman Peter King Monday in support of the New York City Police Department’s efforts that some say unfairly targets the Muslim community.

• Muslim Americans rally to support NYPD’s surveillance

March 5, 2012 - By JESSICA SIMEONE, New York Post

A group of Muslim Americans gathered outside NYPD headquarters this morning to support the Police Department’s surveillance of Muslims.

• Rep. Peter King, Muslim leaders back NYPD in spy controversy

March 5, 2012 - By ROCCO PARASCANDOLA, New York Daily News

Backed by a large banner that read “American Muslims Support NYPD,” Rep. Peter King and a group of Muslim clerics and activists Monday praised how the NYPD conducts surveillance as part of its anti-terrorism operations.

• Muslims Rally In Support Of NYPD Mosque Surveillance Program

March 5, 2012 - By Jaweed Kaleem, Huffington Post

Standing in front of a large red, white and blue banner that read “American Muslims Support NYPD” with signs denouncing the Council on American Islamic-Relations and the New York Times editorial board, which have strongly opposed the surveillance program, members of the American Islamic Leadership Coalition took turns voicing their concerns.

• Peter King Slams ‘Left Wing Rumormongers’ In Media For Criticizing NYPD’s Treatment of Muslims

March 5, 2012 - By Hunter Walker, Politicker

Republican Long Island Congressman Peter King held a rally outside One Police Plaza this morning to support the NYPD and Commissioner Ray Kelly in the wake of Associated Press and The New York Times reports critical of the department’s monitoring of the Muslim community.

• New York Muslim Group Rallies in Support of NYPD

March 5, 2012 - Islam Today

Members of an Islamic organization stood in front of police headquarters with signs Monday to support the New York Police Department’s aggressive counterterrorism efforts, saying the agency is doing what is necessary to protect the city - and its Muslims.

• Muslim groups rally in support of NYPD surveillance

March 5, 2012 - By MATTHEW MCGRATH, NorthJersey.com

Muslims groups gathered in support of the New York Police Department in Manhattan this morning following revelations the NYPD set up surveillance of Muslim communities in two New Jersey cities and on 16 college campuses.

• Police Spying Fans Feud

March 4, 2012 - By HEATHER HADDON AND JESSICA FIRGER, Wall Street Journal

NYPD Intelligence Program Sparks Debate Among New Jersey Muslims, Officials

• AIFD/AILC EVENT: American Muslim leaders gather with Cong. Pete King (R-NY) to support NYPD

March 2, 2012 - American Islamic Leadership Coalition Press Release

Join us Monday, March 5, at 10:00 AM EST at a press conference we are holding at One Police Plaza where American Muslim Leaders will gather to support the New York Police Department after months of scurrilous attacks against the courageous police and counterterrorusn programs of the NYPD.

• American Muslims Speak Out Against Radical Islam, Support NYPD

February 29, 2012 - Forbes

On Monday, March 5, Muslim activist M.Zuhdi Jasser will lead a coalition of American Muslims and their supporters at One Police Plaza in New York as they demonstrate their support of the NYPD against accusations by such organizations as CAIR, The New York Times, and radical Islamic groups that they are unjustly targeting the Muslim community.

• Islam & the NYPD

February 29, 2012 - By QANTA A. AHMED, New York Post

The relentless campaign to paint the NYPD as Islamophobic is itself an offense to Islam. In fact, our faith compels American Muslims to stand with the NYPD - both to protect the faith, and by its direct dictates.

• Islam And Islamism: The New York Times’ Misinformation Campaign

February 26, 2012 - By Abigail R. Esman, Forbes

NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

American Muslims condemn massacre in Kandahar

Killing not representative of US Military’s otherwise stellar conduct in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, DC (March 15, 2012) — The American Islamic Leadership Coalition condemns the March 11^th massacre of Afghan men, women and children in the village of Balandai, in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.  As American Muslims, we express our deep sympathy with the families of those who were killed and injured, and with the people of Afghanistan, who have suffered innumerable tragedies since the Soviet invasion over 32 years ago. 

The AILC is confident that the U.S. military justice system will appropriately charge the soldier involved in this killing, and impose swift punishment for any and all crimes he committed, through the commission of a reprehensible act that has betrayed the trust of both the Afghan and American people.

Without in any way minimizing or excusing the horrific nature of this massacre, we believe that the act of a single U.S. soldier should not be allowed to impugn the honor of hundreds of thousands of U.S., NATO and other allied troops who have dedicated the past ten years to helping Afghanistan develop a more advanced administrative, economic, educational, health and transportation infrastructure, while safeguarding its population from the Taliban’s medieval and brutal rule. We also realize that thousands of our brave compatriots in uniform have made the ultimate sacrifice to render Afghanistan a safer place, with often little to no appreciation for their efforts.

The Taliban leadership and other enemies of Afghanistan and the West are now seeking to exploit the despicable actions of one lone killer, in order to portray themselves as the defenders of Afghan pride and honor.  This is completely untrue.

Whereas the U.S. military justice system has already begun to adopt swift and effective measures to punish the U.S. sergeant involved in this massacre, and thereby discourage others from imitating his example, the Taliban has deliberately massacred tens of thousands of Afghans and Pakistanis over the past twenty years, and continues to implement this brutal policy on a daily basis.

The U.S. government’s response to the despicable act committed by one of its soldiers highlights a clear distinction between the massacre that occurred in Balandai, and the systematic targeting of Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims by Islamist supremacists, acting in furtherance of their ideology.  Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Boko Haram and other such groups deliberately attack churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, schools and other “soft targets,” in order to inflict maximum casualties upon those they regard as their enemies.

Yet despite this vivid distinction between Islamist extremists and the U.S. military—which seeks to minimize and prevent civilian casualties in a war zone—we should not lose sight of the possibility that the brutal murders committed in the village of Balandai may represent another manifestation of the “Breivik syndrome,” in which an individual commits a horrific act of violence motivated by intensely anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim sentiments. 

The combination of relentless acts of violence committed by Muslims with a supremacist political agenda (i.e., “Islamists”)—and the refusal of Western elites to directly explain and address why this is happening—is clearly prompting more and more Europeans and Americans to conclude that Islam itself is antithetical to the West, and that Muslims in general are “the enemy.” 

“If we extrapolate outward from the Breivik and Balandai incidents,” said AILC member C. Holland Taylor of LibForAll Foundation, “both could be warning signs about the growing radicalization of Western opinion, and to the potential for civil conflict in Europe and North America, if we fail to head it off.”

“I lay the blame for this polarization at the feet of Islamists, and Western elites who refuse to address the virulent ideology of Muslim supremacism,” said AILC member Tarek Fatah, who helped to establish the Muslim Canadian Congress.  “To fight malaria we need to drain the swamps, not kill individual mosquitoes,” he added.

“For the past few years I’ve been warning Muslims that if Islamist extremists commit another major attack on U.S. soil, the retaliation from our fellow Americans may go off the charts,” said AILC member Jamal Hasan of the Council for Democracy and Tolerance.  “It will be a tragedy of inconceivable proportions, if Muslim extremists provoke the West into behaving in a manner similar to that of the Islamists themselves.”

We are certain that the actions of the soldier who committed this atrocity do not represent the implementation of any U.S. policy.  On the contrary, we understand that the U.S. military in Afghanistan operates under strict rules of engagement designed to protect civilian lives and prevent the unnecessary destruction of property. Despite these rules of engagement, we realize that the stress of combat can, on rare occasion, trigger psychiatric illness and inexplicable acts of rage to which our soldiers are not immune. 

“There is no moral equivalence between the deranged act of a lone U.S. soldier, and the systematic violence and ideologies employed by Islamists to achieve their goals,” said AILC member Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, who served eleven years as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy.  “Islamist terrorism is fueled by a pervasive ideology of hatred, supremacy and violence, and is completely antithetical to the ethical and spiritual teachings of Islam itself and other religions as well.”

The AILC wishes to remind both Muslims and non-Muslims that the ISAF presence in Afghanistan was established at the request of the United Nations Security Council.  The explicit purpose of this military intervention is to eradicate al-Qaeda from Afghanistan, and to deliver ordinary Afghan men, women and children from the horrors of Taliban rule.

About the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC)

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) is a diverse coalition of liberty-minded, North American Muslim leaders and organizations. AILC’s mission advocates for defending the US Constitution, upholding religious pluralism, protecting American security and cherishing genuine diversity in the faith and practice of Islam. AILC provides a stark alternative to the Islamist organizations that claim to speak for what are diverse American Muslim communities. For more information on AILC, please visit our website at http://www.americanislamicleadership.org/.

MEDIA CONTACT:     Gregg Edgar

Gordon C. James Public Relations

gedgar@gcjpr.com

602-690-7977

###

http://www.aifdemocracy.org/library/AILC-NYPD_Release_Final.pdf

American Muslims show support for NYPD counter-terrorism programs

 American Islamic Leadership Coalition gathers at One Police Plaza to stand with NYPD in its efforts to counter Muslim radicalization

NEW YORK (March 5, 2012) – Representatives of over 20 Muslim organizations and activists affiliated with the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) will gather on Monday, March 5, 2012 at One Police Plaza in New York City to demonstrate their support of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).  The event starts at 10:00 AM EST and will be joined by Congressman Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security.

Since the 2007 release of its Intelligence Division’s landmark report, “Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat,” the NYPD has come under a systematic and coordinated assault by highly-politicized Islamist organizations and their enablers, intent on dismantling the NYPD’s successful counter-terrorism and counter-radicalization programs. These groups would prefer to see American Muslims shackled to a mindset of victimization, and thus alienated from American society at large, rather than confront the very real issues we face in our communities, including the threat of extremist ideology.

It is important to note that published NYPD documents clearly and appropriately distinguish between the religion of Islam, and the highly politicized ideology of hatred, supremacy and violence characteristic of political Islam (i.e., “Islamism”), and especially the subset thereof known as “jihadi Salafism.”  Significantly, since the attacks of 9/11, the NYPD has displayed far greater courage in acknowledging and addressing the ideological factors that cause radicalization among Muslims, than have the majority of federal agencies explicitly tasked with defending our nation and its people. 

The AILC deplores the widespread tendency of government officials, journalists, academicians and activists to assume that Islamist organizations historically linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, Jamaat-e-Islami, Wahhabism and Salafism represent mainstream American Muslims or our concerns.

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition recognizes and regrets the widespread fear of Islam and Muslims that has arisen in recent years in North America and Europe.  However, we ascribe this rise of anti-Islam and anti-Muslim attitudes primarily to the actions of Muslims themselves (i.e., Islamists), whose efforts to establish an Islamic caliphate, an Islamic state, and/or to impose an antiquated and falsely-divinized human understanding of Islamic law upon others by force, dominate our daily headlines, and inevitably generate a strong sense of disgust—and visceral mistrust—among many of our fellow citizens.

Any and all efforts to conceal the Islamist agenda, or render its discussion beyond the pale of acceptable discourse—by branding such talk as “Islamophobia” or “hate speech”—threatens not only our common freedom and security, but the very future of Islam itself.   For the Islamists’ prime goal is the silencing of Muslim opposition, and of any voice in the Muslim world that would challenge their monolithic, sterile and shallow understanding of Islam, which lacks the spirituality that enables religion to serve as a true path to God.

A campaign of vilification waged by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its allies against the NYPD has reached new heights over the past six weeks, with no less than eight separate stories having appeared in the New York Times from January 24 – February 15, 2012, including an editorial from its editorial board and a page one feature, which concern the screening of a film entitled The Third Jihad to some 1,400 NYPD officers while they waited for a training program.

In light of the swirling controversy over the New York Police Department’s counter-terrorism and counter-radicalization practices, we feel it is our civic, moral and religious duty to publicly address a number of issues raised by this controversy.

We have viewed The Third Jihad, and regard the information presented therein to be both factually accurate, and important for our fellow Muslim and non-Muslim citizens to understand, debate and address.  The Third Jihad is narrated by Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, an AILC founding member, and a devout Muslim, physician and former Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy.  At the very outset of the film Dr. Jasser states, “This is not a film about Islam. It is about the threat of ‘radical’Islam. Only a small percentage of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims are radical.”

The Third Jihad explicitly distinguishes between the religion of Islam, and the highly politicized ideology of religious hatred, supremacy and violence characteristic of Islamism.  While the film does not examine the pluralistic, tolerant and spiritual traditions of Islam that lie at the heart of our own understanding thereof, this does not imply that the film is inaccurate in its depiction of what it specifically terms “radical Islam,” as exemplified by movements such as al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Wahhabism (aka “Salafism”) and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Notwithstanding Islamist claims to the contrary, we believe there is nothing inappropriate about the NYPD or other security agencies using the film The Third Jihad to help their staff understand and recognize the ideology that underlies and animates Islamist terrorism.

In recent weeks, other media outlets have targeted the NYPD for its community policing, and its monitoring efforts on college campuses, alleging that these constitute religious discrimination and profiling.

The AILC affirms that all inhabitants of the United States are entitled to equal protection under the law, regardless of race, ethnicity and religion.  However, there is a major distinction between alleged religious profiling and sound law enforcement.  As Mayor Bloomberg stated recently:

“We cannot repeat the mistakes we made after the 1993 bombing and slack in our vigilance…Reacting after the fact is not enough…We do not target individuals based on race or religion…We follow all possible leads wherever they take us.” 

The issue at hand is not “improper surveillance.”  Rather, it is the responsibility of the NYPD to know the communities it must serve and protect, and to anticipate any terrorist threats thereto, including those that arise from the ideological indoctrination of Muslims with a “jihadi-Salafi” mindset. In regard to the legality of the NYPD’s activities, we note that according to the modified Handschu guidelines, “[f]or the purpose of protecting or preventing terrorist activities, NYPD is authorized to visit any place and attend any event that is open to the public, on the same terms and conditions as members of the public generally.” 

To our knowledge, no NYPD counter-terrorism cases have given rise to departmental abuses of power.  Nor have any of the scurrilous attacks directed against the NYPD cited specific legal improprieties known to have occurred.  We find it particularly disturbing that while seeking to undermine public confidence in the NYPD through innuendo—and issuing calls for “oversight,” “corrective training” and “participation” by the “Muslim community” (i.e., Islamists!) in all counter-terrorist programs initiated by the NYPD—none of these reports have cited a single case in which the NYPD has been admonished by executive or judicial authorities for the tactics it employs to prevent terrorist attacks. 

Unlike those who dream of establishing an Islamic state or caliphate, members of the AILC are dedicated to the separation of state and religion and the defense of our constitution, which guarantees equality before the law and the right of all individuals to worship as they see fit.

Thus, we come to New York City as a coalition, to proclaim that American Muslims are not monolithic, and that a broad spectrum of Muslims support the courageous work of the NYPD to defend this city, and our nation, from attack.

About the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC)

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) is a diverse coalition of liberty-minded, North American Muslim leaders and organizations. AILC’s mission advocates for defending the US Constitution, upholding religious pluralism, protecting American security and cherishing genuine diversity in the faith and practice of Islam. AILC provides a stark alternative to the Islamist organizations that claim to speak for what are diverse American Muslim communities. For more information on AILC, please visit our website at http://www.americanislamicleadership.org/.

###

MEDIA CONTACT:         

Gregg Edgar, Gordon C. James Public Relations

gedgar@gcjpr.com - 602-690-7977

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) is a diverse group of U.S. and Canadian Muslim leaders who have joined together to defend our nations’ constitutions, uphold religious pluralism, promote international peace and security, and cherish genuine diversity in the practice of our faith of Islam. 

For far too long, ideologically-motivated groups closely linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, Jamaat-e-Islami and Wahhabism have dominated public discourse among Muslims in North America and Europe.  While portraying themselves as the voice of “mainstream” Islam, these groups actually pursue a highly political “Islamist” agenda inimical to the interests of Muslims themselves, and humanity at large.  Islamism, or political Islam, is founded upon the notion of Muslim supremacism, and calls for the establishment of an Islamic state or caliphate.

The founders of the AILC recognize that the majority of Muslims in North America, Europe and the Muslim world do not adhere to the tenets of Islamism.  This “silent majority” of pluralistic, tolerant and peace-loving Muslims deserves appropriate representation in the public sphere, especially when it comes to discussing and formulating public policy with regards to Islam and Muslims.  Unfortunately, Muslim groups that oppose Islamist ideology lack the immense financial backing often enjoyed by Islamists, who serve and benefit from the petrodollar-financed spread of Wahhabi and Muslim Brotherhood ideology.

The inordinate degree of influence that Islamists have obtained in Western societies—enabling Muslim supremacists to impact and at times even dictate government policies, as well as public discourse among the media, academia and society in general—compelled us to establish the American Islamic Leadership Coalition.

Our goal in doing so is to counter Islamist influence and provide a genuinely American representation of our faith community, by amplifying the voice of the majority of Muslims who live in North America, and are grateful for the blessings of freedom we enjoy here, rather than resentful or antagonistic towards the prevailing laws and culture of the West

What we stand for:

1.      A firm conviction that the primary message and purpose of Islam is to share God’s infinite love and compassion with all creatures. Any actions committed in the name of our faith that obviously contradict or obstruct this primary message and purpose arise from a deluded—and often, highly politicized—interpretation of Islam.

2.      Definition of a Muslim as anyone who identifies him or herself as a Muslim. Period.

3.      Equality before the law of every human being, regardless of race, gender and/or religion.

4.      Separation of state and religion, and freedom of thought, expression and conscience, in accordance with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Articles 18 and 19 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

5.      Profound respect for Islamic scholarship, combined with a firm belief that no one claiming to be a scholar has the right to compel others to live according to his interpretation of Islam, and/or his legal dictates.  We believe that every Muslim is equally entitled to his or her opinion concerning the religion of Islam, and to practice his or her faith in an environment free of intimidation, reprisal or violence.

6.      We recognize the importance of religious values in encouraging people to live an honorable life of service to God and humanity, but firmly reject the Islamist claim that there is a theological requirement for Muslims to establish a so-called “Islamic” state and/or caliphate, or to formalize shari‘ah as positive law, governing the lives of Muslims.

The AILC seeks to:

1.      Provide Islam’s silent majority with a vehicle to reclaim our precious faith from those who seek to exploit it for worldly purposes, including the acquisition of political power.

2.      Offer a platform through which the silent majority of Muslims may express their diverse views of Islam to a wider audience, including policy makers, public intellectuals, the media and our fellow citizens in general.

3.      Provide a distinct alternative to Islamist ideology.

4.      Educate Muslims as well as non-Muslims regarding the difference between Islam as a pluralistic and tolerant faith, and political Islam, or “Islamism.”

5.      Expose the theological betrayal of the Qur’an and Sunnah (i.e., the example of the Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) by Islamism, and its disastrous impact on Muslim communities across the globe.

6.      Educate Muslims about the personal and societal benefits, and strong theological legitimacy, of non-political Islam, which serves as a true path (shari‘ah) to God. 

7.      Inspire Muslims to live in the “state of islam”—or self-transcendent awareness of and surrender to divine will—while recognizing and rejecting the deluded Islamist claim that God has commanded Muslims to establish an “Islamic state,” or that their falsely divinized and all-too-human understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah is identical to God’s will, which must be imposed upon others by force.

8.      Reclaim the concept of ummah to signify the broader faith community of all humanity, as well as individual faith communities other than Islam; and reject any and all politicized use of the term ummah to describe a segregated and supremacist Muslim community. 

9.      Foster the development of an intellectual, social, cultural, legal and political environment that encourages the free and open discussion of Islam, including the difficult questions that must be addressed to transform Muslims’ understanding of Islam, in order to live at peace with modernity and those of other faiths, while maintaining a profound and healthy respect for our own scripture (the Qur’an and Sunnah).

The AILC seeks to prevent:

1.      The instrumentalization of Islam for political purposes, and/or the exploitation of our faith community for political gain, whether by Islamists and their non-Muslim allies in the West, or their opponents.

2.      The imposition of laws based upon a falsely divinized human understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah, as often occurs when Muslims idolize shari‘ah without understanding it.

3.      The preferential treatment of, or discrimination against, any community based upon its religious beliefs.

4.      Legitimizing the practice of deception, intimidation and/or violence in the name of Islam.  

The AILC rejects:

1.      The persecution of Shi’ites, Ahmadis, Ismailis, Druze and Bohras, as well as those Muslims who have turned away from Islam and become agnostic, atheists or converted to another faith.

2.      The persecution of non-Muslims in Muslim-majority states. 

3.      The practice of ‘takfir,’ which allows so-called “scholars” and clerics to label fellow Muslims as apostates, and impose a death fatwa (religious opinion or ruling) upon them.

4.      The judicially- and/or extrajudicially-coerced observance of any religious or cultural practice that strips the individual of his or her autonomy and equality.

Conclusion:

Some members of the AILC were born in North America, while others immigrated from various parts of the world, drawn by the freedom and opportunities offered by the West.  Characterized by diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, some of us are strongly secular in orientation, while others are deeply rooted in the traditions of our faith, and thus intimately acquainted with its complex intellectual, theological, legal and spiritual dimensions.  Regardless of our individual backgrounds, however, we share a common pride in our Muslim heritage, and optimism regarding Islam’s ability to contribute to the further development of Western society, and humanity at large. As American and Canadian Muslims, we also explicitly embrace the U.S. Constitution and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as among our foundational and guiding principles.

We acknowledge that extremism is a major problem within the Muslim community, which brings shame and discredit upon all of us, while empowering those who seek to denigrate Islam as a religion of hatred, supremacism and violence.  Rather than adopt a “victimization” mentality or be offended by such claims, we view them as a challenge to bring forth a profoundly spiritual, practical and beneficial manifestation of Islamic life and teachings.  For we are convinced that the primary message of Islam is universal love, and that religion, properly understood, must function as a blessing, and not a curse, for all humanity. 

The AILC thus looks to the future, and not to the past, for the best days of the Muslim community: a community that we hope will fully integrate and participate with other North Americans to morally and spiritually enrich a society that has long served as a beacon of hope, peace, joy and well-being for the rest of the world.  May our nations, peoples and varied yet complementary faiths serve as a cornerstone for an emerging global civilization, in which different cultures and religions serve to mutually enrich, rather than threaten or destroy one another. 

“And if God had so willed, He could surely have made you all into a single community, but [He willed otherwise] in order to test you by means of that which He has vouchsafed to you.  Vie, then, with one another in doing good works!  For unto God must you all return; and then He shall make you truly understand all that on which you were wont to differ.”  (Qur’an 5:48)

http://aifdemocracy.org/news.php?id=7495

For Immediate Release

American Islamic Leadership Coalition gathers to stand with NYPD in their efforts to counter Muslim radicalization

WHO:

American Muslims under the leadership of the The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC), representing over 20 North American Muslim organizations and activists will come together in New York City to demonstrate their support of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The event will feature remarks from Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy; Tarek Fatah, Founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress; Manda Zand Ervin, Founder of the Alliance for Iranian Women; C. Holland Taylor, Chairman and CEO of the LibForAll Foundation; and Congressman Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. 

WHAT:

A press conference by a diverse, broad based group of American Muslim leaders who have come together to address recent controversies surrounding the counterterrorism programs of the NYPD. The public discourse concerning Muslims and NYPD has been dominated by a perception that American Muslims feel targeted. This press conference will give voice to a large coalition of American Muslims who feel otherwise and reject Islamist representation of their voices. AILC stands with the NYPD in its belief that the best way to fight terror is to identify its roots causes and address them head on.  

WHEN:

Monday, March 5, 2012

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

WHERE:

1 Police Plaza

New York City, NY

MEDIA:

Open Press

ABOUT AILC:

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) is a diverse coalition of liberty-minded, North American Muslim leaders and organizations. AILC’s mission advocates for defending the US Constitution, upholding religious pluralism, protecting American security and cherishing genuine diversity in the faith and practice of Islam. AILC provides a stark alternative to the Islamist organizations that claim to speak for what are diverse American Muslim communities. For more information on AILC, please visit our website at http://www.americanislamicleadership.org/.

Media Contact: 

Gregg Edgar

Gordon C. James Public Relations

gedgar@gcjpr.com

602-690-7977

We are honored to have a distingushed group of members devoted to our cause.  

Golam Akhter, Bangladesh-USA Human Rights Coalition Inc, Washington, DC

Zainab Al-Suwaij, American Islamic Congress, Washington DC

Bahman Batmanghelidj, Alliance for Democracy for Iran, Mclean, VA

Abdirizak Bihi, Somalian Community Activist, MN

Khurshed Chowdhury, Ph.D., Silver Springs, MD

Manda Zand Ervin, Alliance of Iranian Women, Washington, DC

Tarek Fatah, Muslim Canadian Congress, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Farid N. Ghadry, Reform Party of Syria, Washington, DC

Tawfik Hamid, Islamic Reformer, Washington DC

Jamal Hasan, Council for Democracy and Tolerance, Baltimore, MD

Farzana Hassan, Ed.D., Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Arif Humayun,  President and co-founder of Circle of Peace

Ahmed Hussen, Canadian Somali Congress

M. Zuhdi Jasser, American Islamic Forum for Democracy, Phoenix, AZ

Hasan Mahmud, President Toronto Chapter Free Muslims Coalition 

Kamal Nawash, Free Muslims Coalition, Washington, DC

Raheel Raza

Raquel Evita Saraswati, Activist and journalist

Behrooz Sarshar, 

C. Holland Taylor, LibForAll Foundation, Winston-Salem, NC

Jalal Zuberi MD, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Muslim Americans ask Clinton to ensure justice for Ambassador Husain Haqqani

WASHINGTON, DC (January 13, 2012)- AILC has joined a group of prominent American Muslims that has appealed to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking her and President Obama to intervene in the matter of the former Pakistan Ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani who is under house arrest in Pakistan and expressed a fear for his life.

The letter signed by among others, Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser and author Irshad Manji, asked Clinton to “let Pakistan’s military chief General Kayani and ISI boss General Pasha know that they will be held responsible for any harm that comes to Ambassador Haqqani.”

Ambassador Haqqani’s travails began after it was alleged that he had initiated a letter to the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, following the US military action inside Pakistan in which Osama Bin Laden was killed. The letter reportedly asked for American intervention in Pakistan in order to forestall a military coup.

Ambassador Haqqani vehemently denied these allegations, yet honorably offered to resign his position and return to Pakistan to clear his name and answer any questions. He acted in good faith, but Pakistan’s military-judicial establishment and the country’s anti-American media have “convicted him” in the court of public opinion, without the benefit of any criminal charges.

In the letter to Mrs. Clinton the American and Canadian Muslim leaders also asked for the safety of Ambassador Haqqani’s wife. The letter said, “We also ask you to ensure the safety of Ambassador Haqqani’s wife, currently in the US. She is constantly followed by ISI agents working inside America. She should have the ability to live here free from intimidation and threats.”

“We American and Canadian Muslims have watched with increasing anxiety the situation of the former Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani. Motivated by our deep concern for the life and safety of Ambassador Haqqani we write to you to ask you to speak on his behalf. Ambassador Haqqani is living under virtual house arrest in Pakistan. Pakistan’s security agencies confiscated his passport and the judiciary, under pressure from the military, has restricted him from travelling outside Pakistan,” the letter added.

The signatories of the letter to Mrs. Clinton said, “… Ambassador Haqqani … represented moderate Islamic values and was vocal in his opposition to radical elements in Islam, which was a source of pride for moderate Muslims in North America. During his stay in the United States, Ambassador Haqqani was an effective, intelligent and articulate refutation of all the negative stereotypes associated with the Islamist leadership inside America.”

Read the Letter Here

About the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC)

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) is a diverse coalition of liberty-minded, North American Muslim leaders and organizations. AILC’s mission advocates for defending the US Constitution, upholding religious pluralism, protecting American security and cherishing genuine diversity in the faith and practice of Islam. AILC provides a stark alternative to the Islamist organizations that claim to speak for what are diverse American Muslim communities. For more information on AILC, please visit our website at http://www.americanislamicleadership.org/.

Media Contact: 

Gregg Edgar

Gordon C. James Public Relations

gedgar@gcjpr.com

602-690-7977

NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Muslims around the world must unite to condemn attacks on Christians

Washington, DC (December 30, 2011) - The American Islamic Leadership Coalition, a group of diverse American Muslim leaders released the following statement regarding the awful tragedy that struck Christian communities in Nigeria on Christmas Day.

“The radical Islamist organization Boko Haram, which murdered and maimed innocent Nigerian Christians on Christmas Day, does not represent the majority of Muslims around the world. Boko Haram is a radical Islamist group (“boko haram” means “Western Education is Sinful”) that attacked churches last year as well and has vowed similar attacks in the future. Their actions should be condemned by all Muslims, especially by Muslim leaders.

Islamist groups like Boko Haram want to create an Islamic state based on their interpretations of shariah (Islamic jurisprudence). The Christian presence in Nigeria is perceived as a great impediment to this mission (48 % of the Nigerian population is Christian). The choice Christmas Day to perpetrate their wanton violence illustrates the hateful fascistic sectarian state Boko Haram seeks to impose upon the Nigerian people.

Boko Haram is guided by militant Islamism and its medieval notions of society. For them, full citizenship is limited to those who share their religious beliefs and affiliation, and their Christmas Day act demonstrates the depravity to which they will stoop in realizing that grim vision. The Nigerian government has thus far been unsuccessful in preventing attacks on its Christian citizens, despite a crackdown against the militant group by paramilitary agencies.

The Vatican and secular Western leaders have rightly condemned the attacks on Nigeria’s Christians as heinous, evil, and cowardly. We would like to hear unequivocal denunciations of Boko Haram and other radical Islamist groups terrorizing Christian and other minority communities from every respectable Muslim leader in the free world. Muslim scholars, activists, politicians, and community leaders must respond forcefully to the murderous and supremacist tendencies of Muslim extremist groups, and support the enforcement of the rule of law against such groups. The world must not tolerate or excuse carnage against fellow citizens on any day in any country. All Muslims, and all civilized governments around the world, must put an end to the madness and hatred expressed in brutal acts such as the Christmas attacks in Nigeria.

We hereby declare our total condemnation against the supremacist Islamism which feeds groups like Boko Haram, and call upon all our Muslim brothers and sisters to stand for pluralism, freedom, and the unyielding and equal respect of universal human rights for all people, especially in Muslim majority nations.”

About the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC)

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) is a diverse coalition of liberty-minded, North American Muslim leaders and organizations. AILC’s mission advocates for defending the US Constitution, upholding religious pluralism, protecting American security and cherishing genuine diversity in the faith and practice of Islam. AILC provides a stark alternative to the Islamist organizations that claim to speak for what are diverse American Muslim communities. For more information on AILC, please visit our website at http://www.americanislamicleadership.org/.

AILC Coalition Signatories

Golam Akhter, Bangladesh-USA Human Rights Coalition Inc., Washington, DC

Bahman Batmanghelidj, Founding Member, Alliance for Democracy in Iran, Virginia, USA

Abdirizak Bihi, Somalian Community Activist, Minnesota, USA

Khurshed Chowdhury, PhD., Silver Springs, MD

Manda Zand Ervin, President, Alliance of Iranian Women, Maryland, USA

Tarek Fatah, Founder, Muslim Canadian Congress

Farid Ghadry, President, Reform Party of Syria

Jamal Hasan, Council for Democracy and Tolerance, Baltimore, MD

Farzana Hassan, Ed.D., Past President, Muslim Canadian Congress

Arif Humayun, Circle of Peace, Vancouver, Washington

M. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., President, American Islamic Forum for Democracy, Phoenix, AZ

Hasan Mahmud, Free Muslim Coaltion, Toronto, Canada

Raquel Evita Saraswati, activist and journalist,www.raquelevita.com

Behrooz Sarshar, Virginia, USA

Jalal Zuberi, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics,Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

MEDIA CONTACT: Gregg Edgar

Gordon C. James Public Relations

gedgar@gcjpr.com

602-690-7977

###

A Tree Called ‘Kennedy’    Happy 40th Birthday Bangladesh!

By Tarek Fatah, Founder, Muslim Canadian Congress & Member, American Islamic Leadership Coalition

 Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/tarek-fatah/happy-birthday-bangladesh_b_1153208.html

In the late hours of March 25, 1971, as the citizens of Dhaka slept, the Pakistan Army launched a war on its own people. By the time the sun rose, thousands of students in two university residential halls were dead and countless more lay wounded.

Dhaka University had been a hotbed of political activism for decades. To the generals of the Pakistan Army led by president Yahya Khan and his feared commander in then-“East Pakistan,” General Tikka Khan, it had to be vanquished. The army also had a score to settle with an old tree on the campus grounds that was rumoured to have cast magical spells of rebellion on the young men and women who mingled underneath it.

After the first massacres, soldiers were sent to kill the giant banyan tree, lovingly known as “Bawt Tawla.” Under its branches, many generations of Bengali students had gathered, conspired and then gone out to change the world.

[To continue reading, click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/tarek-fatah/happy-birthday-bangladesh_b_1153208.html

American Muslim leaders express dismay at Secretary Clinton’s  closed door conference with Islamic Bloc countries

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 15, 2011) - A group of American Muslim leaders have expressed disappointment with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the U.S. State Department for giving a platform to the Saudi-Based Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) campaign to suppress freedom of thought, expression and conscience, by hosting a 3 day conference in Washington, D.C. The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) issued a statement which said:

“This conference was hosted in the name of ‘combating [religious] intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization’, but in fact is likely to encourage the opposite. The U.S. is in danger of becoming a tool in the OIC’s aggressive efforts to suppress freedom of speech for Muslims and non-Muslims alike throughout the world.” 

We ask the U.S. State Department to defend the interests of the United States—and of sincere people of faith throughout the world—by vigorously defending the First Amendment values that encouraged our families to come to this country; values that we cherish, and that allow us to study, discuss and practice our faith far more freely than is permitted in most Muslim-majority nations.  

Rather than be intimidated by charges of “Islamophobia” or “defamation of religion,” the U.S. and other Western governments should challenge OIC member states to realize the highest values of Islam, by allowing their citizens full freedom of thought, expression and conscience—as expressed in Qur’anic exhortations “to think,” “remember,” “inquire” and “understand deeply”—for “there shall be no coercion in matters of faith” (Qur’an 2:256).

We ask the State Department not to provide autocrats with a platform from which to divert attention from the systematic oppression of women, minorities and their citizens in general, which is characteristic of many OIC member states, including those at the forefront of the OIC’s “defamation of religion” campaign. 

If Secretary Clinton truly wants to advance ‘respect, empathy and tolerance,’ the ostensible goal of this meeting, she would do better to look to the millions of Muslims—at home and abroad—who adhere to a pluralistic, tolerant and peaceful understanding of Islam that encourages respect for freedom and human rights.”

About the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC)

The American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) is a diverse coalition of liberty-minded, North American Muslim leaders and organizations. AILC’s mission advocates for defending the US Constitution, upholding religious pluralism, protecting American security and cherishing genuine diversity in the faith and practice of Islam. AILC provides a stark alternative to the Islamist organizations that claim to speak for what are diverse American Muslim communities. For more information on AILC, please visit our website at http://www.americanislamicleadership.org/.

AILC Coalition Signatories

Bahman Batmanghelidj, Founding Member, Alliance for Democracy in Iran, Virginia, USA

Abdirizak Bihi, The Somali Education and Social Advocacy Center (SESAC), Minneapolis, MN

Manda Zand Ervin, President, Alliance of Iranian Women, Maryland, USA

Tarek Fatah, Founder, Muslim Canadian Congress, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Farid Ghadry, President, Reform Party of Syria, Washington, DC

Jamal Hasan, Council for Democracy and Tolerance, Baltimore, MD

Farzana Hassan, Ed.D., Past President , Muslim Canadian Congress, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Arif Humayun, Circle of Peace, Vancouver, Washington

M. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., President, American Islamic Forum for Democracy, Phoenix, AZ

Hasan Mahmud, Dallas, TX

Raquel Evita Saraswati

C. Holland Taylor, Chairman & CEO, LibForAll Foundation, Winston-Salem, NC

###

Media Contact:

Gregg Edgar, Gordon C. James Public Relations, gedgar@gcjpr.com, 602-690-7977

Do Anti-Terrorism Act Amendments Threaten Free Speech?

Farzana Hassan

Author/Writer

 http://www.huffingtonpost. ca/../../farzana-hassan/anti- terrorism-act-canada_b_ 1104538.html

It’s good that the Ministry of Public Safety has decided to introduce amendments to the existing Anti-Terrorism Act of Canada. These recommendations, if approved, will strengthen measures to address the ongoing threat of radicalization and terrorism in the country. The revised Anti-Terrorism Act would outlaw terrorist training, as well as the glorification of terror, martyrdom and violence.

One would have imagined that such provisions were already in existence under Canada’s terrorism laws, as they must be considered an imperative in today’s tense political climate. Outlawing incitement to violence and prohibiting the dissemination of its mechanisms seem logical and necessary. Even so, such measures may engender considerable controversy under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Glorifying terror and its related ideologies may appear especially controversial as it was in the United Kingdom a few years ago. Multiculturalists or Islamist apologists may very well invoke the freedom of speech argument to prevent the proposed amendments from materializing.

Certainly freedom of speech is important, but even more important is the prevention of terrorist attacks consequent to radicalization. The radicalization process is complex and can occur in a number of ways. First, the narrative on jihad, violence and terror is layered and subtle enough to escape scrutiny. Because of the complexities associated with the narrative, it clouds the debate on what is or isn’t acceptable speech. For example, is a call to jihad also a call to commit acts of terror, now that many radicals equate jihad with terror? Before outlawing “glorification,” policy makers must be acutely aware of what exactly is it that constitutes glorification of terror.

While much of the world’s terrorism is being exported from countries like Pakistan and Somalia, homegrown terror and radicalization pose a grave threat to public safety in Canada. Small homegrown terror cells that feed each other’s pugnacity, as well as lone rangers who snap over perceived political injustices, pose the greatest threat to public safety.

The government, and the Ministry of Public Safety in particular, must identify trouble spots in the radical narrative and formulate effective policies to accordingly counter it. Existing hate crime laws do not adequately address the problem of radicalization because the ideologies spewing extremism are complex, insidious and not as easily detectable as hate speech.

The Internet is replete with such narratives. Under the tightened measures, more people will be charged for inciting terrorism and violence on the Internet especially. A word of caution though: Any amendment to existing laws will have to be carefully calibrated to reveal suspect materials, while at the same time ensuring such narratives are not driven underground to escape surveillance.

The challenge of countering terrorism and keeping the Canadian public safe is monumental. The Ministry of Public Safety, Canadian Security and Intelligence Services (CSIS) and ordinary citizens must combine resources and share ideas to combat the threat. In a conference organized by Canadian Association of Security and Intelligence Studies in Ottawa, Andy Ellis of CSIS also noted, “We need to expand our efforts into longer term preventive programming that will foster individual and community resilience to extremist discourse.”

The above statement is telling. It will surely take the combined wisdom of various departments and agencies, as well as ordinary Canadians, to help avert a possible terrorist attack. Such attacks can occur randomly anywhere, at any time. Therefore all Canadians must contribute to ensure public safety by remaining vigilant and involved. 

For Immediate Release

Islamic Coalition announces support for Michigan legislation that will bar state courts from enforcing ‘foreign law’ above U.S. and state constitution

Washington, DC (September 7, 2011) – A coalition of diverse American Muslim leaders has announced support for a proposed bill in the Michigan State Assembly, HB 4679, that is intended to bar Michigan courts from enforcing any foreign law, if doing so violates any rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and/or the state of Michigan’s constitution.

Like many Americans, members of the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) have been observing the efforts of a growing number of state legislatures, which are seeking to address the incompatibility of various shari‘ah court systems around the world with the principles and foundations of our Constitutional republic and its laws. 

Read More

Read PDF Version

For Immediate Release

Assad’s continued attack on the people of Syria is barbaric

Washington, DC (August 9, 2011) – In the wake of continued violence against the Syrian people by the Assad regime, theAmerican Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC), a diverse coalition of over 25 liberty-minded Muslim groups and activists, drafted a letter to President Barack Obama calling for the Administration to take immediate action to end the Assad dictatorship in Syria.

Read More

Read PDF Version