The immigrant community in North Carolina has taken a proactive role in devising a program to respond to the daily attacks on Islam which the media are carrying out. The Islamic Center of the Triad in Greensboro is sympathetic to the plight of Muslim immigrants and wants non-Muslims to understand the plight of the Palestinian people who are constantly under Israeli occupation and attack. Imam Badi Ali has built a good relationship with the local media and works around the clock to respond to news coming out of the middle east. With his help, the local community has issued a BOYCOTT LIST of businesses which help Israel in its aggression.
[Dr. Kaukab Siddique, Ameer of Jamaat al-Muslimeen, gave the Juma' khutba at the Islamic Center of the Triad on June 21, 2002. He spoke to a masjid packed with immigrants from Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon. The Khutba was covered by a reporter from Greensboro's biggest newspaper.]
The main points of the Khutba were as follows:
[The Qur'anic text for the Khutba: The Qur'an says about the Jews:
"And they took riba (interest on loans) though they were forbidden to do so, and they devoured the wealth of mankind wrongfully - We have prepared for those among them who are rejectors of truth, a grievous chastisement." (4:161)
1. We Muslims must communicate with the people among whom we live and work. The Jewish-Zionist propaganda campaign against us has largely failed, so we still have an opportunity to reach out and communicate. We must let Americans know that:
1a. Islam forbids compulsion in religion. We are not trying to force any Christian, Jew or Hindu anywhere to become a Muslim. We believe that only Allah makes Muslims and faith is entirely a spiritual, inner phenomenon. It cannot be forced.
1b. We respect all places of worship and are duty bound to defend not only mosques but also churches and synagogues.
1c. Muslims ruled India for hundreds of years but we are still a minority in India. In Egypt, Muslims have ruled for 1400 years but a Coptic Christian minority continues to flourish there. In both cases there is evidence that Muslims do not force people to become Muslims.
2. All the wars are going on in MUSLIM lands. We are not trying to take anyone's land. We simply want to liberate lands which are ours: Kashmir, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Palestine are all our lands. We stand AGAINST OPPRESSION to liberate these lands and we have every right to do so.
3. In PALESTINE the source of the problem is that in 1948 the Jews TOOK OUR LAND by force. If we keep this fact in focus, it will become very clear that as long as Palestine is under occupation, the struggle to liberate it will continue.
4. We are not against the Jews as a collective. In fact throughout our history, we have given refuge and peace to the Jews. When the crusaders were killing the Jews, the Muslims provided security to the Jews. There has always been a small indigenous Jewish community in Palestine which has lived in peace with the Palestinians, Muslims and Christians.
4a. We are against the Jews because they have usurped Palestine and they take interest on loans and have built up the exploitative economic structure of economy (World Bank/IMF) built on interest-bearing loans.
5. WHAT CAN IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICA DO?
i. Remember that you cannot appease the Jews who run this country by being quiet and humble. They will pursue and persecute you whether you are hiding in a corner of the mosque or staying away from all activity and hiding in your home.
ii. Look at HOLY LAND FOUNDATION, BENEVOLENCE and GLOBAL (Muslim charities helping widows and orphans). These were pro-Bush, non-political people never disturbing the Jews in any way but they have been targeted and victimized. So being non-political will not help. iii. Muhammad Mustafa (pbuh) was the most peaceful of men. None of us can be as kind, generous and sensitive to human suffering as he was. Yet the oppressors not only forced him to leave Makka but would not leave him alone even in Madina.
5a. BATTLE OF THE MEDIA IS MOST IMPORTANT. Create your own media. Imam Badi Ali constantly issues bulletins, flyers, advice columns. That's your media. Every mosque should have its media openly discussing issues. LEARN FROM THE BLACK COMMUNITY. The ADL and the New York Times tried to stop the Million Man March because it was led by Farrakhan but failed because the Black community has hundreds of its own little publications.
5b. BOYCOTT JEWISH PRODUCTS which fund Israel. Imam Badi Ali has issued a whole list of businesses supporting Israel. Take the list with you wherever you go. DO NOT FUND THE KILLING OF PALESTINIAN CHILDREN WITH YOUR OWN MONEY. IMMIGRANTS ARE VERY WEAK IN WOMEN'S STRUGGLE.
6. Pakistani women used to scare their children of cats. TODAY PAKISTANI WOMEN ARE SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO JIHAD IN KASHMIR. Same with Palestinian women. Our Palestinian sisters have put males to shame with their tremendous sacrifices against the Jews. In America, our struggle is that of IDENTITY, SELF-RESPECT, COMMUNICATION and ORGANIZATION. In these areas, our communities are very weak. Unless immigrant women stop spoiling their children and start participating in community activity, the enemy will undermine us by luring away our families while we are in the mosque by ourselves.
