University of Central Florida

The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) will match donations to an endowment for a chair in Islamic studies at the University of Central Florida. The idea of an islamic studies chair is the initiative of a small group of community and university members under the auspices of Al-Ghazali Educational Foundation, LLC. This endowment seeks to bring a distinguished Islamic scholar to the University of Central Florida in the College of Arts and Sciences' Middle Eastern Studies Program.

Led by Imam Tariq Rasheed, Sr. Safia Ansari and Professor Husain Kassim, Al-Ghazali Educational Foundation's effort seeks to help establish chairs for Islamic studies at selected university campuses. University of Central Florida is their first initiative, and has received enthusiastic support from Dean Kathryn Seidel of the College of Arts and Humanities at UCF. "Your dollar for dollar match will continue to inspire our Muslim Community of Central Florida to make this vision a reality," said Dean Seidel in her letter acknowledging IIIT's matching gift.

http://www.iiit.org/news/news_details/default.asp?l_News_Id=188

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MIM: The MSA is also a direct beneficiary of IIIT (terror) funding as seen by this recent essay contest:

http://www.iiit.org/news/news_Details/default.asp?l_news_id=179

IIIT Project Co-sponsors MSA Essay Awards
Muslim Students Association of the US and Canada This news was updated on Friday, October 21, 2005

Muslim Students Association of the US and Canada

This news was updated on Friday, October 21, 2005 MSA National (The Muslims Students Association of the United States and Canada) announced winners of its Speech Contest at their 42nd Annual Continental Conference. Award Funding IIIT's Illumination of Knowledge Project, headed by Dr. Dilnawaz Siddiqui, funded the three awards, which included college scholarships of $1,000 for the best essay, $500 for the second best essay and $200 for the third best essay. In announcing the awards, MSA's essay competition coordinator noted the interest of IIIT's Illumination of Knowledge Project in introducing young Muslims to sources of knowledge and how they are developed and used. The IOK Project The Illumination of Knowledge (IOK) is a project sponsored by the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). The main goal of the IOK project is to generate awareness among young Muslim scholars about the dire need to become generators and disseminators of valid knowledge instead of remaining consumers of information produced from merely mundane perspectives. It stresses practical ideas in social sciences that can improve the human condition in general and of Muslim Americans in particular. Hence the need for informing our communities of what Muslim scholars can do for them, and how the communities can cooperate with them for their mutual benefit. MSA's Role The Muslim Students Association (MSA) can play a vital role in organizing, on campuses and in their surrounding communities, workshops and seminars consistent with their academic goal of building a contingent of active and dynamic scholars, think tanks, and curricular materials. What IOK does The project organizes essay competitions on topics pertinent to its mission, offers students research and travel grants for presenting papers at professional organizations. Thus, it seeks to empower Muslim students and faculty not only to develop an alternative perspective of knowledge but also to contribute to a societal order based on peace with justice for all. To Learn More For more information on the project and its allied institutions, please regularly visit these web sites : a) www.iiit.org, b) ww.iiit.org/iok.htm, and (c) www.amss.net. To learn more about MSA National, please visit http://msa-national.org/. List of Awardees 1st place- Murad Mohammad 3L (final year) William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, MN 2nd place- Name: Bishr Al-Dabagh Case Western Reserve Univ. School of Med., MD/PhD program, first year. 3rd Place- Shakil Hafiz Benedictine University Junior Math Major -------------------------------------------------------

Mission Statement
"...The International Institute of Islamic Thought is dedicated to the revival and reform of Islamic thought and its methodology in order to enable the Ummah to deal effectively with present challenges, and contribute to the progress of human civilization in ways that will give it a meaning and a direction derived from divine guidance. The realization of such a position will help the Ummah regain its intellectual and cultural identity and re-affirm its presence as a dynamic civilization. The Institute promotes academic research on the methodology and philosophy of various disciplines, and gives special emphasis to the development of Islamic scholarship in contemporary social sciences. The program, which has become known as Islamization of Knowledge, endeavors to elucidate Islamic concepts that integrate Islamic revealed knowledge with human knowledge and revives Islamic ethical and moral knowledge..." http://www.iiit.org/Mission.asp

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http://www.iiit.org/objectives.asp

The Institute seeks to achieve its objectives by:

• Directing research and studies to develop Islamic thought and the Islamization of knowledge.
• Holding specialized scholarly, intellectual and cultural conferences, seminars and study circles.
• Supporting researchers and scholars in universities and research centers, and publishing selected scholarly, cultural and intellectual works, in English, Arabic and several other languages.
• Signing agreements of cooperation with various universities, research centers and academic institutions throughout the world to carry out activities of mutual interest.
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MIM: Letter from the director of student involvement a UCF citing freedom of speech as a reason to 'support the Muslim Student Association right to hold a Jihad through Da'wa seminar on the UCF campus despite having had a professor who was implicated in the Sami Al Arian case. Ironically Sami Al Arian's Palestinian Islamic Jihad was funded by the IIIT.

The reasons for the decision became clearer after it transpired that the UCF was being funded by the Al Qaeda and Hamas linked IIIT to propagate Wahhabist Islam via the Al Ghazali Chair for Islamic Studies.

( It should also be noted that UCF professor Hussam Jubara was deported from the United States after being arrested in connection with terrorism related activities involving fellow professor Sami Al Arian. UCF kept him on as an instructor despite his being implicated in terrorism activities.) See article: "Former professor pleads guilty -faces deportation".

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/media/paper174/news/2003/08/25/News/Former.Professor.Pleads.Guilty.Faces.Deportation-452532.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.ucfnews.com

Ms. Rabinowitz,

I have looked at your website, as well as other information describing the speakers/organization(s) in question. I understand why you might have some concerns and I appreciate that you brought those to our attention. I also met with student leaders from the Muslim Student Association. Student organizations are encouraged to sponsor programs of interest throughout the year. The Student Government Association, in collaboration with professional advisors, allocate funds to the organizations for these events. There are very specific guidelines for this process

. All of the proper policies and procedures have been followed with regard to this program. Therefore, we support the students' rights to sponsor this program. Obviously, we all agree that one of the things that makes the U.S. a great country is freedom of speech. Higher education institutions are the ideal venue for programs of campus and community interest, as well as the honest and open exchange of ideas.

The students have assured me this is a legitimate program/conference, designed to inspire the Islamic community to live a spiritual life. We have involved the campus police to secure the event as well as having professional staff in attendance to monitor the comments from the speakers. Should the program divert from the stated purpose, we will take corrective action immediately. Again, I thank you for your interest in the safety of our campus community. If you have any further questions, please feel free to call me(phone number).

. Sincerely, Kerry P. Welch
Director, Office of Student Involvement

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http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400416a32b04c0108b129975c0072d0

Georgetown Professor: Wars, Repression, Media Helped Build Conflicts Between Islam, the West

Feb. 9, 2006

By Mark Freeman

Georgetown University Professor John Esposito, the author of more than 30 books on Islam, discussed the dynamic relationship between Islam, the Middle East and the West on Wednesday at the University of Central Florida.

Esposito, founding director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, focused his presentation on how important understanding history and critical events are when trying to comprehend the perceptions of those in the Muslim world.

Esposito earned his doctoral degree in Islamic Studies in 1974, and at that time there were no jobs available for someone with his training, he said. That all changed a few years later with the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Esposito joked that he signed five book deals within three weeks of the revolution. Prior to that, "Islam was not visible in our schools," he said.

Most Americans first became exposed to Islam and the Middle East around 1979, Esposito said. The revolution and subsequent hostage crisis painted a picture for most Americans that Muslims are fanatical extremists. Esposito also discussed the major role the media has played in this portrayal, stating that the media like "explosive" events and that these events are the lens through which Americans see Islam.

Esposito then focused on the last few decades' events and how they have contributed to the way Muslims throughout the world view the West and the United States. He noted that the Afghan War of the 1980s marked the beginning of the spread of the global jihad. The mobilization of Muslims to repel the Russians from Afghanistan and subsequent victory was seen as a miracle. Every struggle after that also was seen as a jihad, he said.

Esposito stressed that much of the radicalization of Muslims around the world, and particularly in the Middle East, comes from the governments of countries there. Most of those regimes are authoritarian in nature and are often comprised of military or ex-military leaders who repress most, if not all, political movements. Muslims often become radicalized because of the repressive nature of these regimes. Esposito said foreign governments often prop up such dictatorships, which also fuels anti-Americanism and Anti-Western sentiments.

Esposito also addressed the recent developments with the cartoon controversy regarding the prophet Mohammed. He pointed out that in September, when the original cartoons were printed in a Danish newspaper, almost no one cared. The issue took on its current hostility only after other papers throughout Europe reprinted the cartoons.

Esposito stressed that we need to understand why the cartoons upset Muslims. The prophet is seen by Muslims as being the "living Koran," which is sacred. To portray him at all, according to Esposito, is bad enough. But to portray his headdress as a bomb is completely unacceptable to Muslims. Esposito also pointed out that the context in which the cartoons were printed in Denmark is important. Growing anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic sentiments in the area prompted the cartoons.

Esposito closed his speech with a reminder of the important role UCF and other universities around the country play in fostering the understanding of Islam that is crucial to its relationship with the West. He expressed optimism in UCF, noting that its growing international focus and interest in Middle Eastern studies is being noticed around the country.

UCF must continue to build and develop programs offering dynamic curricula and study abroad opportunities in the Middle East and other Muslim countries, Esposito said. UCF also should bring others from the Muslim world to the campus to interact with students and faculty.

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http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400416a32b04c0108b129975c007309

Georgetown Professor to Discuss 'Islam and the West' Wednesday at UCF

Feb. 7, 2006

By UCF Staff

John Esposito, a Georgetown University professor and an expert on Islamic Studies, will discuss "Islam and the West" Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the University of Central Florida.

Esposito will speak at 3:30 p.m. in the Key West Ballroom, Room 218, of the Student Union. The forum is free and open to the public.

Esposito is the founding director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown. He has served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of State, corporations, universities and the media. He has written and co-authored more than 30 books on Islam, including "Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam," "What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam," "Islam and Politics" and "The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?" Esposito is also the editor in chief of the "Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World" and "The Oxford History of Islam."

The forum is a Connecting the UCF Community event. Sponsors are the UCF Global Perspectives Office, Middle Eastern Studies Program, Office of Undergraduate Studies and Political Science Department, as well as the Global Connections Foundation and the Orlando Sentinel.

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http://www.campus-watch.org/pf.php?id=2375

MIM: Information on the IIIT:

Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced Terror

by Ilan Weinglass
FrontPage Magazine
January 12, 2006

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=20755

Johns Hopkins University is demonstrating a disturbing pattern of awarding fellowships to Islamists with an avowedly anti-Western agenda. Mustafa El Khalfi, the Moroccan Islamist who was recently awarded a fellowship at the university's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), is not the first. In March of 2005, SAIS granted a visiting fellowship to Anwar Ibrahim, a terror-supporting Malaysian Islamist whose Virginia-based organization apparently committed tax fraud in his benefit.

On March 30, 2005, SAIS announced that Ibrahim, the former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, was joining the university's Foreign Policy Institute, as a visiting scholar. Ibrahim was to "present seminars on contemporary Southeast Asian politics, economic reform, Islam and democracy…[and] join in SAIS activities." The announcement by SAIS said that Ibrahim would also be working on "a project examining democratization in the Muslim world." While SAIS described him "as a strong advocate for civil society, economic liberalization, moderate Islam and democratic governance," publicly available evidence shows the opposite. A quick glance at his website reveals a prominently featured photo of Ibrahim together with Yusuf Qaradawi, a leading Islamist scholar who is associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and supports HAMAS, and who recently issued a fatwa calling for the Islamic conquest of Europe.

Anwar Ibrahim is a founder and director of the Muslim Brotherhood affiliated International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), a think tank in Virginia that has alleged links to terrorism. IIIT's 2003 tax-exempt IRS filing lists a $720 donation to the al-Haramain Islamic Foundation of Ashland, Oregon, which was designated as a terrorist funding organization by the U.S. government in 2004. Among the Treasury Department's findings were that the Oregon branch of al-Haramain engaged in tax fraud, money laundering, supporting Chechen mujahideen affiliated with al Qaeda, and had "direct links between the U.S. branch and Usama bin Laden." In fact, many of al – Haramain's offices around the world were closed for supporting terrorism.

There is more evidence of IIIT's links to terrorism. A few examples: according to court documents, in the early 1990s IIIT donated at least $50,000 to a think tank run by Sami al-Arian, the World Islamic and Study Enterprise (WISE), that served as a front group for Palestinian Islamic Jihad. IIIT is also named as a defendant in two class-action lawsuits brought by victims of the 9/11 attacks. One alleges that IIIT received the bulk of its operating expenses from the SAAR network, whose component groups are accused in another class-action suit of being "fronts for the sponsor of al Qaeda and international terror." The same suit lists IIIT as well as every officer of IIIT besides Anwar Ibrahim as a supporter of the SAAR network. This public information was available to SAIS, yet the school extended a fellowship to Ibrahim.

Ibrahim, along with three other IIIT directors, is also a trustee of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY). According to congressional testimony of testimony of Jonathan Winer, former Deputy Secretary of State for International Law Enforcement, in October 2002 WAMY made Hamas leader Khalid Mishal an "honored guest" at a conference held in Riyadh. A Saudi opposition group reports that WAMY disseminates literature encouraging "religious hatred and violence against Jews, Christians, Shi'a and Ashaari Muslims." Evidently, as a trustee of this group, Anwar Ibrahim is far from advocating moderate Islam.

Ibrahim and his family were also the beneficiaries of an apparent tax fraud perpetrated by IIIT. The same tax filings showing a donation to the al-Haramian foundation show $92,200 in contributions to Ibrahim's daughter, Nurul Izzah. IIIT violated U.S. law when it wrote "none" under "Donee's relationship" when listing donations to Ibrahim's daughter. The group would have lost its tax-exempt status had it been known that it was sending money to the family member of a director. Ibrahim never disavowed this act when given the chance and even stated explicitly that these contributions were made for the education of his six children.

Moreover, the International Free Anwar Campaign (IFAC), which was established when Ibrahim was in a Malaysian prison, has some apparent links to al Qaeda. Rahim Ghouse, who was an IFAC leader based out of Melbourne, Australia, had business dealings with Yassin al-Qadi, who is on the Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Terrorists for funding al Qaeda. While this alone is not conclusive, it should have raised a red flag. Instead, SAIS assigned Ibrahim to "counsel students who wish to learn more about Southeast Asia and the Muslim world."

Perhaps most importantly, Ibrahim never disavowed IIIT's support of terrorism. On the contrary: in an October 25, 2003 response to the broadcasting of terror-supporting charges against IIIT on Australian television, he effusively praised the organization and said that charges against it were politically motivated.

SAIS also recently announced a fellowship, funded by W.W. Norton & Company, for students with the "firm intention to pursue a career that promotes international understanding between the United States and other countries and works toward the goal of preventing terrorism." In light of fellowships granted to Mustafa El Khalfi and Anwar Ibrahim, it seems that SAIS, is doing the exact opposite.

SAIS, however, recently lost Ibrahim to the newly renamed Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, at Georgetown University, where he lectures "on several topics. " It is ironic that this trustee of WAMY, which supports HAMAS and has been implicated in funding al Qaeda and other Islamist organizations, has been assigned to teach Georgetown students "modernity in Islam, [and] interfaith understanding."

Ilan Weinglass is a fellow at the American Center for Democracy and a business intelligence analyst in the private sector. He graduated from SAIS in 2005.