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Moderate Muslims March in Phoenix - and an anti-war demonstration breaks out
FrontPageMagazine ^ | 4/30/04 | Daniel Pipes

Posted on 04/30/2004 2:11:32 AM PDT by 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).



TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aifd; danielpipes; jasser; muslimamericans; pipes; zuhdi
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To: Mark17
I think there are a few around but they are frightened and intimidated by the majority of Muslims who are far from "moderate".
81 posted on 04/30/2004 11:44:01 AM PDT by ZULU
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To: Imagine

"Islam is as peaceful as any other religion."


What BS. The Muslim hordes have been responsible for more deaths and destruction throughout the worlds history than any other religion. It has one goal, and that is to become the only religion practiced in the world. The Koran has three steps to acheive this and the third one allows it by sword if the first two are not successful. So much for peaceful...it's as peaceful as communism in its quest to be the dominant economic system in the world.
82 posted on 04/30/2004 11:48:38 AM PDT by Wolfhound777 (It's not our job to forgive them. Only God can do that. Our job is to arrange the meeting)
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To: Wolfhound777
Non-citizen muslims should be deported back to their countries of allegiance.

How exactly would you determine which non-citizens are Muslim?

If they are unwilling to stand up and voice solidarity against terrorism in a country that has first amendment rights, then they are supporters in silence.

So if they aren't willing to say what you think they should say, they should be deported. And yet you still contend we have first amendment rights? And meanwhile, those radical Muslims who are willing to lie would still be welcomed here? Somehow, I can't see this a being a well thought-out plan...
83 posted on 04/30/2004 12:07:28 PM PDT by Stone Mountain
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To: Stone Mountain

How exactly would you determine which non-citizens are Muslim?


Good point. This whole extremist Islamic thing gets me emotional.

So if they aren't willing to say what you think they should say, they should be deported. And yet you still contend we have first amendment rights? And meanwhile, those radical Muslims who are willing to lie would still be welcomed here? Somehow, I can't see this a being a well thought-out plan...


It's not what I think they should say. It's that the sad reality is, they don't condemn the extremism because most of them support it. It didn't take them long to organize protest against the Marines for damaging a wall to a Mosque in Fallujah since it was being used as a staging place to fire RPGs and as a weapons storage site. It didn't take them long to open their mouths about the pictures of the Iraqi prisoners, yet none of them condemned the mutilation and burning of American contractors. In these cases, they seem to find an organized voice of indignation rather quickly. I am sick of it frankly. I don't want to live among people that support the killing of my fellow citizens, period.
84 posted on 04/30/2004 12:24:34 PM PDT by Wolfhound777 (It's not our job to forgive them. Only God can do that. Our job is to arrange the meeting)
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To: ought-six
It's a fact that ONLY Mohammedans are on a global killing rampage in the name of their "religion."

So simple that a first grader can understand it. Thank you for nailing it.

85 posted on 04/30/2004 12:51:15 PM PDT by zip (Remember: DimocRat lies told often enough became truth to 42% of americans)
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To: Stone Mountain
How exactly would you determine which non-citizens are Muslim?

Give them a ham sandwich and if they won't eat it have them say some Jews are good and Israel should exist. If they can't eat the sandwich or say those words, deport them.

86 posted on 04/30/2004 4:07:21 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: Stone Mountain
There are still Nazis in Germany --- what should we do if they decide to all start moving over to the USA? Must we also respect their 1st amendment rights and allow them to come over no matter what their real reason for coming is?
87 posted on 04/30/2004 4:09:47 PM PDT by FITZ
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