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Masjid As-Salam Mosque in Albany
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CAIRO,
August 13 (IslamOnline.net) - Following the 9/11/2001 deadly attacks
on New York and Washington, US Muslims found themselves forced to put
on extra efforts to reverse the notion that "terrorism finds a
sympathetic ear in US mosques", a leading US newspaper said
Thursday, August 12.
"While
we are encouraging expressing our opinions freely, we want Muslims to
be aware that their religion will not allow them to tolerate, to
accept, or to cover up any criminal behavior," The Christian
Science Monitor quoted Maher Hathout, spokesman for the Los
Angeles-based Islamic Center of Southern California as saying.
In
a bid to show the cooperation of US Muslims on terror-combat, the
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) has launched a five-step program
aimed at teaching Muslims how to contact law enforcement if they
suspect "terrorist activity" in a mosque; reemphasizing that
terrorism is not a valid means of struggle in Islam; and develop
skills to detect criminal activities.
"The
broad concept is to create a different culture in the mosque, one of
greater responsibility, of watching out for this activity," says
Nader Elmakawi, an MPAC spokesman.
"We
want mosques to maintain accurate and audited financial records that
are open to the public to ensure that all the money comes from legal
sources."
The
moves come as a new effort to enhance the Muslim involvement in the
American society.
"The
9/11 attack has really propelled the Muslim community to become more
involved in American society. It has translated bitterness over
American foreign policy into constructive engagement." says Ihsan
Bagby, professor of Islamic studies at the University of Kentucky and
co-author of a recent study of attitudes among Detroit area mosques.
Blows
The
new efforts come after US Muslims faced several blows; latest of which
was the rejection of the Albany federal judge to release a mosque imam
and his fellow on bail.
The
pair were arrested under accusations of having conspired to launder
money through their organizations as part of a fictitious plot to
assassinate the Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations.
Pakistan
has complained to the United States about implying it in such " a
ridiculous affair".
The
anti-Muslim campaigns have, however, prompted some Muslims to take
strict stance within the American society.
Abdur-Rahim
Shamsiddeen, a mosque imam, used to remind his visitors before every
meeting in the Jewels of Islam mosque in Phoenix that they are
welcome to perform rituals but, he says, the ultraconservative Islamic
thought are not open for discussion in the mosque especially those
favored by what he calls the "September terrorists".
He
had once refused to let a group of young men to spend the night at the
mosque just because he was uncertain of their affiliations, according
to the daily.
"All
of them, over a period of time, would have probably known someone who
had been to the terrorist camps," he says.
"Then
when you ask them, they're very quiet about things, because they don't
want it known. I said to them, 'I cannot be certain that one of you
has not given $5 to someone who was at one of those camps.' I had to
say, 'Sorry, you can't stay.'
Days
after the slaying
of the US citizen Johnson in Saudi Arabia last
month, vandals broke windows of an Islamic center in the Tampa suburb
of Lutz and scrawled the words "Kill All Muslims" on the
walls inside. The graffiti, written in marker and crayon, also
included a derogatory message about Allah.
