Calling Islam

The question comes up every time there's an attack by terrorists who say they're acting in the name of Islam. "If all the other Muslims are so peaceful, why don't they condemn these attacks." As I've pointed out before: They do. But it doesn't generally get much play.

I was off last week (I hope your TG was a good one) during the main -- and horrible -- religion news from Mumbai. Amidst the hundreds of other terrible stories, that the killers managed to target what may have been the only concentration of Jews in thousands of miles had me thinking of an old Jewish joke that has a Jewish man dying and, once he gets to heaven, asking to see God. "Is it true the Jews are the Chosen People?" he asks the Almighty. "Yes," God replies. And the punchline:. "Then would you mind choosing someone else for a while?"

Back to my point: My e-box includes condemnations of the latest killings from CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations), two networks of Indian-American Muslims, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, a lesser-known Muslim set, and an interfaith group that includes Muslim members. I'm sure that there are more such that didn't land in my box.

I'll post the condemnations at the jump.

(Washington, DC - 11/28/08) -- As the tragic events continue to unfold in Mumbai, India, the Muslim Public Affairs Council today shared its sadness over the deaths of so many, including five hostages killed at a Chabad hospitality center. New York-based Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, and his wife Rivka, were among those taken hostage and killed at the Chabad-Lubavitch hospitality center which served as an outreach center for travelers of the Jewish faith.

MPAC expresses its condolences to the Jewish community and the various other communities whose members were involved in the tragic series of terrorist attacks in recent days. MPAC has sent letters of condolences to the Indian embassy, and encourages people of all faiths and nationalities to stand together against those who seek to divide our communities.

Media reports indicate that more than 150 people have been killed in the attacks. Those responsible for these brutal and immoral attacks should be swiftly brought to justice. Islam considers the use of terrorism to be unacceptable for any purpose.

Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim of Muslim American. MPAC offices are located in Washington, DC, New York City and Los Angeles.

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(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/27/08) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today condemned attacks on a number of sites in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai that left at least 100 people dead and many more injured.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken during the attacks. Witnesses say the attackers sought out American and British citizens.

In a statement, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

"We condemn these cowardly attacks and demand that all hostages taken by the attackers be released immediately and unconditionally. We offer sincere condolences to the loved ones of those killed or injured in these senseless and inexcusable acts of violence against innocent civilians. American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens of all faiths in repudiating acts of terror wherever they take place and whomever they target."

The Washington-based group also asked the Indian government to protect all its citizens from the type of retaliatory attacks that have taken place following similar incidents in the recent past.

CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 35 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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Militants Have No Place in Islam

AMC condemns Attacks in Mumbai as acts against Humanity

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) strongly condemns the atrocious acts of violence perpetrated against the innocent people of Mumbai this week. The AMC holds strongly to the true Islamic teachings of peace and denounces any act that disturbs the peace of any society and the security of any community.

Those responsible for the attacks in Mumbai have broken cardinal rules within Islam, such as the Quranic directive "And create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order" (7:57). Islam strongly condemns violence and the taking of innocent lives, and the AMC rejects any claims from militants that they are following Islamic principles. There is no place for militancy in Islam, and Islam has no need for those who resort to violence in a so-called defense of their faith.

The AMC's worldwide supreme spiritual leader, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, is currently visiting India and delivered a message for everyone to "follow peace in your life." The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, came from India and emphatically declared that an aggressive "jihad by the sword" has no place in Islam. In its place, he taught his followers to wage a bloodless, intellectual "jihad of the pen" to defend Islam. Through his teachings, the AMC has become the leading Islamic organization to categorically reject terrorism in any form.

The AMC sends condolences to the government of India and the victims of these attacks and their families and prays that the criminals behind this attack are brought to justice.

About AMC:
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) is a dynamic, reformist and fast growing international movement within Islam. Founded in 1889, AMC spans over 180 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. AMC USA, established in 1921, is the first American-Muslim organization.

AMC is the only Islamic organization to believe that the long-awaited messiah has come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) of Qadian. Ahmad claimed to be the metaphorical second coming of Jesus of Nazareth and the divine guide, whose advent was foretold by the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. AMC believes that God sent Ahmad, like Jesus, to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice and peace. Ahmad's advent has brought about an unprecedented era of Islamic revival and moderation. He divested Islam of fanatical beliefs and practices by vigorously championing Islam's true and essential teachings.

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New York - November 26, 2008 - Prominent Indian-American leaders condemn the coordinated terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.

We, the undersigned Indian American activists and representatives, condemn the cowardly attacks uequivocally as crimes against humanity. According to media reports gunmen have carried out a series of coordinated attacks across the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay), killing more than 100 people and injuring around 300 more. At least seven high-profile locations were hit in India's financial capital, including two luxury hotels where dozens of hostages are being held. A previously
unknown group calling itself Deccan Mujahideen has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of these heinous attacks. Our thoughts and prayers are with the hostages especially those who were guests of India and were visiting from the US and UK. We stand in solidarity with the family of Anti Terrorism Squad
Chief Hemant Karkare who was courageously heading the inquiry against
the recent Malegaon bomb blasts in which Hindu supremacists including
military officers and some religious leaders were implicated.

We appeal to all Indians to stay united and foil the evil designs of
the terrorists whose main objective is to fan the flames of discord and
hatred. We urge the political parties not to exploit these terrorist
acts for political purposes.

We are alarmed over the sophistication and military level planning seen
in these coordinated attacks and on the failure of the intelligence
agencies in preventing such a huge and widespread attack. We demand
that the federal and state governments bring the perpetrators of these
actions to justice swiftly.

Dr. Shahid Ali Khan
Indian Minorities Advocacy Network

Manzoor Ghori
Indian Muslim Relief and Charities

Dr. Khursheed Mallick
American Muslim Physicians of Indian Origin (AMPI)

Dr. Shaik Ubaid
New York

Saeed Patel
New Jersey

Dr. Syed S. Ahmed
Chicago, IL

Dr. Shaik O. Saeed
Milwaukee, WI

Syed Azmatullah Quadri
Chicago, IL

Habeeb Ahmed
Long Island, NY

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Indian Muslims Held Special Prayers and Condolence Meetings for the Victims of the Mumbai Terror Attacks

New York, November 28, 2008 - Friday is the holy day for Muslims and this Friday after Thanksgiving was a day of sadness for Muslim Indian-Americans. Many imams (prayer leaders) in the New York and New Jersey areas condemned this heinous terror attack against the civilians in Mumbai, India in their sermons. According to media reports more than 150 civilians were killed and hundreds more wounded in the well coordinated attacks by well trained militant terrorists.

Area mosques that held these services include Long Island Islamic Center in Westbury and Upper Westchester Islamic Society in Thornwood. Similar services were held in other parts of the country.

The Muslim community expressed its outrage at the killings of the Brooklyn based Rabbi and his wife and other American citizens. Dr. Shaik Ubaid of Indian Minorities Advocacy Network expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family of the rabbi and other victims.

Dr. Ubaid lauded the valor of the slain Anti Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare who was courageously heading the recently publicized inquiry against the recent Malegaon bomb blasts in which Hindu supremacists including military officers and some religious leaders were implicated. "We must be proud of the selfless sacrifice of the under-paid and under-armed special forces who were let down by corrupt politicians and incompetent intelligence agencies, and still manage to save hundreds of civilians," said Dr. Ubaid.

Saeed Patel, a well-known community leader congratulated the Indians for staying united and not succumbing to the designs of the terrorists and of the extremist politicians who unsuccessfully tried to use the terror attacks to foment retaliatory violence against civilians. "This sad and savage tragedy brought out the best in the common folks." " The terrorists have no religion but their victims were people of Hindu, Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, Jewish, Buddhists, Jain and other faiths as well as atheists. Their humanity was their common bond," he said.

Many Muslim leaders will also be participating in the upcoming inter-faith condolence services.

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INDIAN-AMERICANS CONDEMN THE MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS AND SEEK EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT ACTION TO STOP TERRORISM

New York - November 28, 2008 - As a broad-based coalition committed to promoting justice, peace and human rights, we denounce in strongest possible terms the dastardly terror attacks in Mumbai and demand that the highest echelons of political decision makers be held accountable for what seems to be widespread and escalating trend of abject failures in protecting precious lives of ordinary citizens and preserving the pluralistic fabric of India.

We express our deepest gratitude to the thousands of security personnel for their courageous and selfless service in fighting these well-planned and coordinated attacks. We are deeply moved by still-emerging stories of the heroism and professionalism of the hotel staff. Our heart goes out to the families of fallen heroes and the civilian victims. We also note with a sense of great pride and satisfaction, that Indian citizens have by and large maintained harmony, understanding and resolve in the face of successive acts of terrorism, thereby foiling the perpetrators' principal objective. We have no doubt that it is this unique strength of ordinary people which keeps India resilient, vibrant and united in the face of mounting internal and external challenges. We call upon all political forces in India to build upon this unique character rather than fomenting divisive agenda for short term gains.

We are alarmed by the reports of foreign groups being involved in the attacks. We urge the government of India to identify these foreign groups and to reassure the nation that such threats are being dealt in an effective manner.

Recent years have witnessed an alarming growth in the number of groups committing highly orchestrated acts of violence against innocent civilians. As evident from this still unfolding tragedy, a coordinated and open attack on this scale by a relatively handful of people completely paralyzing a city like Mumbai points to major and multiple break downs across the internal and external intelligence agencies, center-state coordination on law and order as well as political-bureaucratic-civil society continuum.

As non resident Indians, we note how India has come to be recognized as a rising power as a result of successive recent governments assiduously pursuing and successfully accomplishing projects to advance the country's profile on the international stage. However, we also note with dismay and frustration that similar single minded focus and resolve seems to be lacking in successive governments, when it comes to ensuring the life, liberty and livelihood of ordinary citizens. We therefore call upon leaders across political spectrum towards a renewed sense of single minded focus on this very fundamental and basic purpose of government.

While acknowledging the complexity of the situation and concerned about frequent terrorist attacks in recent months, we feel nevertheless compelled to request Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh to make much needed changes in the senior ranks of the government officials and the government apparatus to ensure that the citizens and institutions of India are fully protected from acts of terrorism.

COALITION AGAINST GENOCIDE- A Coalition of Concerned Indian-Americans

http://www.coalitionagainstgenocide.org/

Points of Contact:
Gautam Desai [ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ]
George Abraham [ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ]
Kaleem Kawaja [ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ]

Endorsing Organizations:
Aligarh Alumni Association, Washington, DC
American Muslim Physicians of Indian Origin (AMPI)
Association of Indian Muslims in America (AIM), Washington DC
Campaign to Stop Funding Hate (CSFH) --www.stopfundinghate.org
Friends of South Asia (FOSA), San Jose, California (www.friendsofsoutha sia.org)
Gujarati Muslim Association of America (GMAA), Chicago, IL
India Foundation, Michigan
Indian Minorities Advocacy Network (ImanNet), New York
Indian Muslim Council (IMC), Morton Grove, Illinois (www.imc-usa. org)
Indian Muslim Education Foundation (IMEFNA), North America
International Service Society, Michigan
Muslim Youth Awareness Alliance (MYAA), Michigan
Non-Resident Indians for a Secular and Harmonious India (NRI-SAHI), Michigan
Sikh American Heritage Organization, Wayne, Illinois
South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD), Greater Vancouver, Canada (sansad.org)
Supporters of Human Rights in India (SHRI)
The Coalition for a Secular Democratic India (CSDI), Chicago. Illinois
Vaishnava Center for Enlightenment, Michigan

Personal Endorsements:
George Abraham
Habeb Ahmed
Dr. Syed S. Ahmed
Dr. Waheeduddin Ahmed
Girish Agrawal
Rasheed Ahmed
Shahid Ali, M.D.
Khalid Azam
Dr. Chinmoy Banerjee
Dr. Angana Chatterji
Nasir Chippa
Gautam Desai
Shalini Gera
Sapna Gupta
Imtiazuddin
Kaleem Kawaja
Attaulla Khan
Dr. Fazal Khan
Dr. Hyder Khan
Dr. Shahid Ali Khan
Wasim Khan, MD, MPH
Alex V. Koshy
Dr. Kursheed A. Mallick
Ghulam Mansuri
Biju Mathew
Saeed Patel
Shrikumar Poddar
Syed Azmatullah Quadri
Raju Rajagopal
Ravi Ravishankar
Dr. Shaik Sayeed
Dr. Hari Sharma
Ramkumar Sridharan
Raja Swamy
Dr. Shaik Ubaid
Firoz Vohra

Source: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/12/so-why-dont-other-muslims-cond.html