Moderate Muslims March in Phoenix - and an anti-war demonstration breaks out

FrontPageMagazine ^ | 4/30/04 | Daniel Pipes

[kattracks]

When the American Islamic Forum for Democracy organized “A Rally against Terror” on April 25 in Phoenix, its head, an Arizona physician named Zuhdi Jasser, said his goal was to give Muslim moderates “an opportunity to speak out publicly.” And Jasser presented the rally as a robust response to the many criticisms that American Muslims had not produced a “groundswell of condemnation” against terrorism. In fact, he asserted,

The killing of innocent people out of revenge, out of hate or out of retribution is against the absolute laws of Islam. Suicide is against the absolute laws of Islam. People can justify their actions all day long, but we as Muslims are here to say clearly their actions are against everything we believe.

Jasser wrote an oped in the Arizona Republic where, as a Muslim, he took responsibility for the mistrust directed toward American Muslims, rather than merely blow this off as prejudice:

It is impossible as an American not to feel the growing palpable distrust toward the Muslim community. With attacks targeting innocent civilians across the globe, it has sadly at this time gone far beyond the initial prideful question of “Why are Muslims being singled out?” It is time now only to rally and provide an unmistakable resounding reply. 

With this in mind, he set out two goals for the rally:

We want to reassure the American public that the great majority of Muslims condemn the targeting of innocents by virtue of the tenets of our faith. We also want to give hope and inspiration to faithful Muslims all over the country that this type of rally is possible.

Jasser found support for his efforts as close as the Arizona Republic, which correctly judged this event to be “the nation’s first Muslim rally against terrorism,” and as far away as the country’s capital, where a Washington Times editorial ended with, “We salute Dr. Jasser, American patriot.”

The Muslim community of Phoenix is estimated at 50,000 persons; Jasser worked strenuously to reach out to the Valley Council of Imams, Valley mosques and major Valley Islamic organizations; and the Arizona Republic, the leading newspaper of Phoenix, gave the rally its full-fledged support. A head of steam behind him, Jasser optimistically predicted that 500 to 1,000 people would attend the event.

But then the event was held (an audio of the 50-minute long event can be heard online) and reality set in. Estimates vary. The Arizona Republic counted 250 in attendance, the police 400.  The number of Muslims, I heard, was between 30 and 100 persons. Most participants were not Muslim but (the Arizona Republic recounts) “people like Michael Fischer, 18, of Glendale, who wanted to denounce the stereotyping of Muslims; and Grace Clark of Apache Junction, who wanted to promote peace.” One correspondent of mine judged the event “a total disaster.”

But that is too severe. It was a humble beginning that can grow into something large and strong. Jasser points out to me that “The beginnings of every great movement in our great nation’s history of freedom began in a small way.” He notes also that American Muslims, being predominantly first-generation immigrants, are still getting grounded. With time, he expects, “the vast majority of American Muslims will listen to the message of our rally and find complete agreement with its statement of faith.”

Until then, however, there is the stark reality that very few Muslims did show up. And those who did held up “peace” and “anti-war” signs, not anti-terror or anti-Islamist signs. Two factors help explain this disappointing result.

First, the message of the event did not fit the thinking of most Muslims. Unfortunately, the mood in this community is a radical one, and not inclined to stand up and condemn terrorism.

Second, Zuhdi did not pander to the Islamist establishment – such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations – in planning the event. These extremists no doubt could have brought out a larger crowd – but to rail against Israel or U.S. policy.

The Phoenix rally points to the current reality of American Muslim opinion. This problem needs to be dealt with. If not, I can imagine the United States will hear the same overt calls for jihad and Islamic rule that Western Europe is now experiencing. 

Daniel Pipes (www.DanielPipes.org) is director of the Middle East Forum and author of Miniatures (Transaction Publishers).

[Mark17]

his goal was to give Muslim moderates “an opportunity to speak out publicly.”

What is a moderate Muslim? I did not think there were any.

[Sabatier]

At this time of the year it's too hot to stand around in Phoenix unless it involves baseball or a classic auto show.

[sgtbono2002]

I too support Dr. Jasser as a Patriot, unfortunately Dr. Jasser is in the minority in the Islamic community.

[ScarTissue]

Surely you jest.

[DustyMoment]

Pipes is a fraud - there is no such thing as a "moderate" Muslim. They all support the terrorists and they all suppoprt the extremism be preached and promoted by "rogue" Muslim clerics.

(Definition - A "rogue" Muslim cleric is any Muslim cleric with a congregation)

[ScarTissue]

Based on what evidence? Are you saying that most of the 7 million Muslims in the US are terrorists yet the administration has done nothing about it? Come on. That is ridiculous. If they were a threat, President Bush, a real patriot, would be the first to deal with it.

If you were president what would you do with Muslims? How would you sell that to the public? Do you think most Americans view 99.999% of Muslims as terrorists even though 99.999999999999999999% have not done a single thing to back terrorism?

[Robert Warren Linville]

A moderate muslim ? isn't that one that's run out of ammo ?

[Joe Boucher]

I think that muslims in this country are less then dirt.
The vast majority fail to show contempt for the murderous palestinians, or the terribly harmful govts. of the mid east.
Abuse of citizens rights in arab countries and especially abuse of people of other faiths in these crapholes is evil.
As a failth the muslims here as well as elsewhere earned my contempt by not forcefully denouncing 9-11 attacks as well as the other attacks they have spawned over the years world wide.

[rusty millet]

Still waiting for the strongest horse, perhaps?

[Siamese Princess]

At this time of the year it's too hot to stand around in Phoenix unless it involves baseball or a classic auto show.

Most Muslims come from countries where the weather is normally hot. They're accustomed to it.

[ChadGore]

Re: What is a moderate Muslim?

The one who hasn't killed you yet.

[zip]

I too support Dr. Jasser as a Patriot, unfortunately Dr. Jasser is in the minority in the Islamic community.

I understand exactly where you are coming from and am in complete agreement.

They all support the terrorists and they all suppoprt the extremism be preached and promoted by "rogue" Muslim clerics.

I think that is "painting with too broad a brush". Give Dr Jasser credit; don't go with just the negatives. Every trip starts with a small step.

[tkathy]

Instead of Madrassas, Muslim children should be brought up on the internet. Free access to a world of knowledge will change the next generation. IMHO the internet is part of the obvious fear Islam has of the West.

[OldFriend]

Dr. Jasser's view is a minority view in other segments of American society. Let's not damn his compatriots without remembering that many many American liberals share the view of the majority of muslims.

Tragic, isn't it?

[blanknoone]

What is a moderate Muslim? I did not think there were any.

A moderate Muslim is a Muslim willing to live their religion personally without signing on to the death cult that dominates it globally. AFAIK there are two moderate Muslims, the organizer of this rally, and I think there is another one somewhere in Topeka, Kansas.

[Imagine]

I'll bet dollars to donuts that the vast majority of the 3,000 mosQues in the U.S. are nothing more than weapons storehouses waiting for the moment that the ten million plus U.S. moosLims decide to impose iSLAM law on the American populous. I expect that the not-so-distant future of the U.S. will include broad spread moosLim uprisings and car bombings, etc. to start the conversion from a free society we enjoy to iSLAMic law. Just because GW Bush doesn't do something doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, or need to be done. Remember, GW says that iSLAM is a religion of peace (or did he say "pieces?")

[Cold Heat]

Tragic, isn't it?

Very!

Just like the uproar over this recent Gallup poll that indicates a great deal of what I would can, honest displeasure with the occupation in Iraq.

I tried to put myself in their place and I found that my view, based on my own nationalistic tendencies would have been similar had I been asked that same question, phrased in the same way.

People here in this country and on this site as well as just not thinking.

The fact that Iraqi's resent the occupation, and are impatient to get control of their own lives and country is not at all unusual.

The fact that they are not jumping up and down with glee and have dissident voices intermixed with fear, loathing and confusion after decades of abuse and terror is not unusual.

What is unusual is that after 9/11, Americans are forgetting why we are pursuing the war on terror and why it is so important that we play this as an AWAY GAME as opposed to a HOMECOMMING!

If our economy crashes as a result of another of these terrorist attacks, it may never recover and the United States of America will be but a 200 year footnote in the history books.

How much is that protection worth? Can you put a number on it? Is 500 lives too much? a thousand? Ten Thousand!!!!!!(we lost over 50,000 in Vietnam)

The answer is that there is no limit to what we must do in order to protect our very existence and our place in history. There is no sacrifice that is too great in this situation, this is way more important and justifiable than Vietnam and the sooner people figure that out and learn to live with it, the better for all of us.

[ScarTissue]

"I think that muslims in this country are less then dirt." Then you are a sick man. Do you realize that racist posts from here are circulated around the web and used to discredit conservatives? People like some of those in this thread are the reason why every minority in America votes Democratic. The RATS use racist extremists among us to scare minorities into voting for RATS. "The vast majority fail to show contempt for the murderous palestinians" That is simplistic. Do you know anything about the conflict? There are no good guys in that conflict. Supporting Israel is as bad as supporting the Palestinians. Remember, the Israelis are the ones stealing land, not the Palestinians. "or the terribly harmful govts. of the mid east." That doesn't make sense. They proved their contempt for those governments by leaving those countries. That is the ultimate rebuke of a country. Have you denounced those governments? Many of them are supported by America. Have you demonstrated "forcefully" your opposition to us giving $2 billion a year to Egypt for instance and allowing it to steal water from its neighbors? Only 1/6 of Muslims are Middle Eastern. If you don't know that, you shouldn't be commenting on them and should rely on knowledgeable people like those in the Bush administration. That is hypocrtical. You are pro-Israel and you are denouncing the abuse of minority rights. Most Israelis would abuse YOUR rights: "According to the Israel Radio poll, carried out by the Panorama opinion survey organization, most Israeli Jews support the proposed "Druckman Law", which would allow communities built on state land to pursue a "Jews-only" policy, barring Arabs and other non-Jews from living or buying property there." That includes YOU. http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=185730&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0 That talking point again. That is rubbish. They denounced the terrorist attacks more forcefully than anyone in history did when an attack was done in their name after 9/11. What did you do to denounce Eric Rudolph and the parade of people that have bombed abortion clinics and gay nightclubs in the name of Christianity? Let me guess: nothing, zilch, nada. "I'll bet dollars to donuts that the vast majority of the 3,000 mosQues in the U.S. are nothing more than weapons storehouses waiting for the moment that the ten million plus U.S. moosLims decide to impose iSLAM law on the American populous. I expect that the not-so-distant future of the U.S. will include broad spread moosLim uprisings and car bombings, etc. to start the conversion from a free society we enjoy to iSLAMic law." Evidence? That is fallcious. If Muslims are the threat you people claim there without a shred of evidenc, and he has done nothing about it then he is a traitor. Why are you people voting for him then? Are you Democrats here to paint conservatives as racists and attack Bush subtly? Islam is as peaceful as any other religion. Open up a history book. Count the number of wars each religion has started.

[ScarTissue]

"I think that muslims in this country are less then dirt."

Then you are a sick man.

Do you realize that racist posts from here are circulated around the web and used to discredit conservatives? People like some of those in this thread are the reason why every minority in America votes Democratic. The RATS use racist extremists among us to scare minorities into voting for RATS.

"The vast majority fail to show contempt for the murderous palestinians"

That is simplistic. Do you know anything about the conflict? There are no good guys in that conflict. Supporting Israel is as bad as supporting the Palestinians. Remember, the Israelis are the ones stealing land, not the Palestinians.

"or the terribly harmful govts. of the mid east."

That doesn't make sense. They proved their contempt for those governments by leaving those countries. That is the ultimate rebuke of a country. Have you denounced those governments? Many of them are supported by America. Have you demonstrated "forcefully" your opposition to us giving $2 billion a year to Egypt for instance and allowing it to steal water from its neighbors?

Only 1/6 of Muslims are Middle Eastern. If you don't know that, you shouldn't be commenting on them and should rely on knowledgeable people like those in the Bush administration.

That is hypocrtical. You are pro-Israel and you are denouncing the abuse of minority rights. Most Israelis would abuse YOUR rights:

"According to the Israel Radio poll, carried out by the Panorama opinion survey organization, most Israeli Jews support the proposed "Druckman Law", which would allow communities built on state land to pursue a "Jews-only" policy, barring Arabs and other non-Jews from living or buying property there." That includes YOU. http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=185730&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0

They denounced the terrorist attacks more forcefully than anyone in history did when an attack was done in their name after 9/11. What did you do to denounce Eric Rudolph and the parade of people that have bombed abortion clinics and gay nightclubs in the name of Christianity? Let me guess: nothing, zilch, nada. "I'll bet dollars to donuts that the vast majority of the 3,000 mosQues in the U.S. are nothing more than weapons storehouses waiting for the moment that the ten million plus U.S. moosLims decide to impose iSLAM law on the American populous. I expect that the not-so-distant future of the U.S. will include broad spread moosLim uprisings and car bombings, etc. to start the conversion from a free society we enjoy to iSLAMic law." Evidence? That is fallcious. If Muslims are the threat you people claim there without a shred of evidenc, and he has done nothing about it then he is a traitor. Why are you people voting for him then? Are you Democrats here to paint conservatives as racists and attack Bush subtly? Islam is as peaceful as any other religion. Open up a history book. Count the number of wars each religion has started.

WHAT SOLUTION DO YOU PROPOSE? SHOULD THEY ALL BE PUT IN GAS CHAMBERS?