World Jewish News

US Muslim group denies promoting anti-Semitism

An American Muslim organization is denying charges leveled by the Anti-Defamation League that a national conference held to combat extremism actually promoted anti-Semitic and anti-Israel sentiment.

The ADL claimed that the Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America gathering held in December "has proven to be a sham and a cover for anti-Semitism and extremism."

The ADL, which obtained tapes of the event, cited numerous statements by speakers and materials circulated by participants. They pointed to a statement by Hamed Ghazali, Chairman of the MAS Council of Islamic Schools, in Arabic that "Allah gave us the Jews" as the foremost religious and historical example of those who "take the wrong path."

They quoted Sheikh Raghib al-Serjani, an author and physician from Egypt, also speaking in Arabic, calling for Israel's destruction, saying, "It is the duty for all Muslims to liberate all of Palestine from the North to the South ... It's not just about liberating Al Quds [Jerusalem]. It's all occupied!"

The ADL also reported CDs sold at the convention by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a Muslim Brotherhood backer of Hamas and Hizbullah, and Anwar al-Awlaki, a cleric who has been linked to Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who is accused of attempting a suicide bombing aboard a Detroit-bound plane.

Muslim American Society officials did not return phone calls from The Jerusalem Post, but did send a statement stressing that the two organizations behind the conference "categorically state that our organizations do not affirm any statements that reflect hatred of the Jewish people, or any other religious or ethnic community, or that call for the destruction of Israel."

In addition, the statement said, "If any such unfortunate statements were made by any speakers at our conference in Chicago, we deeply regret them and affirm that such individuals will not be invited to future conferences."

The statement pointed out that 4,000 people attended the conference, which did "indeed call for the rejection of extremism and the promotion of the positive engagement of the American Muslim community in the civic life of the nation."

The Muslim American Society statement concluded by calling for a constructive dialogue with the ADL.

"We acknowledge the work of the ADL as a major advocacy organization that defends the legitimate human rights of the Jewish people," the society said. "However, we believe that human rights are universal, and that they must apply not only to the Jewish people and the people of Israel."

By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER, JPOST CORRESPONDENT IN WASHINGTON

JPost.com