June 6, 2004
THEIR WAR TOO:
Taking Back Islam: Moderate Muslims say their faith is compatible with freedom. (Erick Stakelbeck & Nir Boms, 6/03/04, National Review)
[A]IFD Chairman Zuhdi Jasser says the rally was a positive first step for the group, which was founded in March 2003 by Muslim professionals in the Phoenix area.Posted by Orrin Judd at June 6, 2004 7:58 AM"When the moderates stay silent, the radicals speak for everyone," says Jasser, a physician. "Up until now, moderates have not been articulating a moderate form of Islam which Americans can embrace. We want to take back our faith from the radicals and let them know that we are side-by-side with the U.S."
Listening to Jasser, the son of Syrian immigrants, is a breath of fresh air at a time when anti-American sentiment engulfs a large part of the Arab and Muslim world. A former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander who served as a Navy medical officer from 1988 to 1999, Jasser clearly loves his country and his faith, and sees no reason why the two cannot coexist.
"Our inspiration for this is two things," says Jasser. "Number one, at the core of the war on terror is a battle over ideology. World War II had fascism, the Cold War had Communism. Our present war has the targeting and killing of civilians in the name of religion: Islam. There needs to be a Muslim voice that speaks directly against that ideology. Secondly, there is a lack of any American Islamic institution that discusses the synergy of the U.S. Constitution with the Islamic faith. This makes it an obligation for us to be leaders in promoting a form of Islam that is tolerant and secular in nature."
Jasser is quick to clarify his use of the word "secular."
"Secularism as a term is almost associated with a lack of piety," he says. "What I'm trying to say is that in America, there are many devout people who are politically active. But we don't make decisions here based on theocracy or religious views."
The values that Jasser and AIFD are promoting are deeply rooted in the American experience. Jasser is confident that Muslims in the U.S. will eventually embrace his message and realize that, as he says, "Freedom brings you closer to God."
Speaking of Islamic fundamentalists vs moderate, I'd like to point out that Islamic supporters of Hamas and other terrorist groups figure prominently in the crusade against same-sex marriage.
Queer Allies - The Alliance Between Gay Marriage Opponents and Alleged Terrorist Sympathizers
I'll quote a couple paragraphs from an article called "Queer Allies," from Jewish World Review.
Religious-minded conservatives, however,
were horrified. They are determined to stop the gay rights movement in its
tracks. At what price?
JewishWorldReview.com has discovered that prominent religious conservatives - Jews, Catholics and Evangelical Christians - are allied with a radical Islamic group to stop gay marriage. Pushing a constitutional amendment
that would restrict marriage to heterosexuals, they work with the Islamic
Society of North America. What is ISNA? According to terrorism expert Steve
Emerson, ISNA:
-- has held fundraisers for terrorists (e.g., after Hamas leader Musa Marzuk was arrested, it raised money for his defense, claiming he was innocent and not connected to terrorism)
-- has condemned US seizure of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad assets
in the US after 9/11
-- has consistently sponsored speakers at their conferences that defend Islamic terrorists.
Thus far, it appears they'll remain with ISNA on the advisory board to the Alliance for
Marriage, which has attracted considerable Congressional support for its much ballyhooed constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage.
All this makes it likely that the Alliance for Marriage will come under increased scrutiny. It seems eager to use the "diversity" of its board members to deflect criticism and show that support for traditional marriage is broad-based.
The rest of the article is at:
www.jewishworldreview.com/1203/ marriage_terrorists.php3
I would like to add:
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/5/14/150134.shtml
"Alliance for Marriage claims to represent several of the largest black
denominations and millions of Latinos, Orientals, Jews and Muslims. Its board
of advisers includes Bishop George McKinney of the huge Church of God in
Christ, a black denomination; Patricia DeVeaux of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church; and Vernon Shannon of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion
Church.
"Other members include Sayyid Sayeed, secretary-general of Islamic Society of
North America; the Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, president of Institute on
Religion and Public Life; Diane Knippers, president of Institute on Religion
and Democracy; Episcopal Bishops Peter Beckwith of Illinois and Stephen Jecko
of Florida; Catholic Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre; Steve Chin of
Boston Chinese Evangelical Church; Grand Rabbi Y.A. Korff, and Rabbi Daniel
Lapin."
Note that Alliance for Marriage is listed among those organizations collaborating with suspected terrorist organizations (for example, The Islamic
Society of North America). Also note that Grand Rabbi Ira Korff and Rabbi Daniel Lapin (both from Newton, Massachusetts) are members of The Alliance for Marriage.
It amazes me that someone who's ancestral village of Zhviller was nearly exterminated during The Holocaust would willingly consort with those seeking to destroy his own people today.
Preserving marriage as an institution in America is more important than anything happening in the Middle East.
Posted by: oj at June 6, 2004 11:59 PMThat's nice.
The last time either my wife and I had to invoke any of our marital privileges and rights, nobody asked to inspect our privates.
That's why they call them "private."
The hardware you're equipped with below the neck can not undermine marriage.
It's the squishy stuff between the ears that can harm it, and we heterosexuals have already shown that we're not that good at protecting it.
Letting a handful of gay people have a shot at it won't hurt anyone.
Posted by: Rev. Ian Brumberger at June 11, 2004 2:49 AM