This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/7313

FIU To Become Florida 'Islamic' University? Announced Plans For Muslim World Studies Center On September 11, 2014

Working Closely With Radical Islamist Groups In COSMOS - Coalition Of South Florida Muslim Organisations
March 29, 2016

Muslim World Studies

Thursday September 11, 2014

The School of International and Public Affairs has launched an initiative to establish an endowed Center for Muslim World Studies. The initiative is a direct response to a request from the South Florida Muslim community that FIU lead the way in establishing an academic center dedicated to the study of the diversity of Islam and the relations between Islamic societies and the West. The Center will highlight the connections between Islam and Globalization and will concentrate on three strategic themes: Global Muslim Diaspora, Interfaith Dialogue and Islam and Security.

The Center for Muslim World Studies will also sponsor study abroad programs, internships in the U.S. and abroad, special events, community outreach activities and a vibrant lecture series. One of its first goals will be to offer undergraduate and graduate certificates in Muslim World Studies, allowing FIU students to strengthen their formal degree training with a certificate in Islamic Studies. For further information, please contact Daniel Alvarez, Interim Director of the Muslim World Studies Center Initiative, at [email protected].

https://sipa.fiu.edu/news/2014/muslim-world-studies/

For Daniel Alvarez's bio and CV click on the links below.

http://religion.fiu.edu/faculty/full-time-faculty/daniel-alvarez/

http://religion.fiu.edu/faculty/full-time-faculty/daniel-alvarez/alvarez-cv-12-20-15.pdf

MIM: COSMOS is the Coalition Of South Florida Muslim Organisations which serves as an umbrella for the state's radical Islamist groups like CAIR and others.

FIU unveils its Center for Muslim World Studies at COSMOS dinner

"...The Center for Muslim World Studies is in the initiative phase as it seeks the minimum $5 million endowment required by the university to establish a new center. The money is intended to ensure that the center will continue in perpetuity, according to David Skipp, associate director for advancement for FIU's School of International and Public Affairs.

The initiative is the direct result of a request made by South Florida's Muslim community to FIU President Mark Rosenberg at the 2013 COSMOS dinner.

Rosenberg was the keynote speaker that year, and embraced the idea once it was presented to him...Members of COSMOS worked with FIU on the initiative, and plan to continue their relationship with the university...

..."We see how radicals have kidnapped this religion and presented it as their own version of Islam. We need something that brings about a correction to the current narrative," said Daniel Alvarez, interim director of the Muslim World Studies Center Initiative. "We need a center that will dispel these horrendous and malicious distortions of one of the great world religions."..

To donate to Florida International University's initiative to establish an endowed Center for Muslim World Studies, contact David Skipp, associate director for advancement for the School of International and Public Affairs, at 305-348-7407 or [email protected].


Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article9643613.html#storylink=cpy

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MIM: According to interim director Alvarez "radicals have kidnapped this religion". How ironic that he and FIU are working very closely and being manipulated by a radical Islamist group like COSMOS which represents terror tied organisations and individuals in the Muslim community like CAIR and others.

Muslim Center Fights To Clear Misconceptions About Islam

"...David Skipp, associate director for advancement for the School of International and Public Affairs, was one of the individuals involved in the project.

"This is the first project that I have worked on with SIPA that is a direct response from the community. It started with the direct appeal from the Muslim American Community."

The idea for the center originated from a request by the Muslim community in South Florida to University President Mark B. Rosenberg at the 2013 COSMOS dinner.

"There is a lot of misunderstanding about Islam," said Daniel Alvarez, interim director of the Center for Muslim World Studies initiative. "There is lots of prejudice about what Islam is… and [there] are lots of fears in the West about the Muslim World."

The main objective for this center is to address three crucial themes: the global Muslim diaspora, Islam and security and interfaith and sectarian communication.

"We see how radicals have kidnapped this religion and presented it as their own version of Islam. We need something that brings about a correction to the current narrative," Alvarez said.

Despite the initiative, there is no physical center yet..."

http://fiusm.com/archives/49357

MIM: The announcement of the COSMOS dinner where FIU President Dr. Mark Rosenberg was the keynote speaker.

Note that journalists and other non Muslims who behaved as dhimmis and useful idiots in getting the Islamist message out as directed to by COSMOS were given awards.

COSMOS Community Appreciation Dinner.

February 9, 2013 @ 11:00 pm – February 10, 2013 @ 2:30 am 2013 Where: Double Tree Hilton Hotel
711 Northwest 72nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33126
USA
Cost: $50/seat, $500/table Contact: Shabbir Motorwala 305 283 2261 Email Main Upcoming Events Other Community Events

Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations

Media Outreach Award
Lee Zimmerman-Director of Communication-WTVJ CBS 4 Miami

Inter-Faith Outreach Award
Roberta Shevin-Executive Director-Miami Coalition of Christian and Jews (MCCJ)

Judicial Outreach Award
John W Kozyak Esq.-Kozyak,Tropin & Throckmorton, P.A.

Keynote Speaker
Dr Mark Rosenberg—-President-Florida International University

Emcee
John Yearwood—-National/International Editor-Miami Herald

Shabbir Motorwala 305 283 2261 [email protected]
Mohammed Shakir 305 812 4824 [email protected]
Syed Faisal 305 606 5933 [email protected]
Nidal Hozien 305 799 0000 [email protected]
Khalid Mirza 305 904 0074 [email protected]

http://www.fiaunity.com/event/cosmos-community-appreciation-dinner/

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MIM: COSMOS makes no secret that it is waging stealth jihad by exploiting the media to further their Islamist agenda and "establish the Muslim presence in the local community".

Short Description The Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations (COSMOS)
  • Long Description Community Release
    COSMOS—Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations
    August 10, 2010

  • At the request of Mr. Khalid Mirza, Chairman, Muslim Communities Association of South
    Florida, several Muslim community members were invited to address the growing challenge of
    Muslim outreach and media relations. The group determined it was important to establish the
    Muslim presence in the local community instead of always reacting to events occurring in other
    parts of the world.
    In order to achieve this objective the community leaders agreed to create a coalition of South
    Florida Muslim organizations and engage the media and other community institutions on a
    regular basis:
    Nidal Hozein, Masjid AN-Noor
    Dr. Mohsin Jaffer, Islamic Jaffaria Association
    Irma Khoja, Islamic Jafferia Association
    Khalid Mirza, Muslim Communities Association of South Florida
    Komel Mirza, Muslim Student
    Shabbir Motorwala, Miami-Dade County Asian American Advisory Board
    Khalid Salahuddin, Masjid Al-Ansar
    Mohammad S. Shakir, NUR Center
    Syed Faisal, Crescent Chamber of Commerce/Muslim Communities Assoc of South Florida
    Mehmet Ulutas, Miami-Dade County Asian American Advisory Board
    Khurrum Wahid Esq., IFSF & EMERGE
    The above Muslim leadership group began engaging the media and other community
    organizations in a series of meetings. They had strategic level discussions with the leadership of
    Miami Herald, WFOR CBS-Channel 4, WPLG ABC-Channel 10, NBC 6, Miami Dade County
    Community Relations Board, Anti Defamation League (ADL) and MCCJ. .
    On April 29, 2010, the Coalition met the Miami Herald leadership: Myriam Marquez, Editorial
    Page Editor, Aminda Marquez, News Editor, John Yearwood, World Editor, David Landsberg,
    publisher. The meeting renewed old relations and resulted in an understanding to afford more
    opportunities to Muslim opinion writers. Consequently, Mr. Farooq Mitha's op-ed piece
    appeared in the Herald.
    In a similar meeting with WFOR-CBS 4, the delegation stressed to focus on local community
    instead of defining Muslims/Islam by global incidence. The group also met Channel 10, and
    NBC 6 stressing the same concern that our permanent presence in the community and Muslims
    are equal contributors to the society. We told them that we are your viewers, and what you put
    out on the tube affects us and our children—community's children.
    The management of all three networks, acknowledged the failure on their part to discover the
    Community—explores Muslim presence in south Florida.
    COSMOS intends to keep media engaged, respond to especial needs and to keep media informed
    of Islam/Muslim related events and activities in the future. Please see the following picture
    gallery of these meetings:
  • Email [email protected]
  • MIM: Also see:

    FIU Names Radical Muslim to New Post

    Exposing Florida's youth to an anti-Israel Islamist.

    May 5 2015

    By Joe Kaufman

    FIU names Saif Ishoof VP for Engagement.' This was the headline of a press release sent out by Florida International University (FIU) in March. Does the Miami, Florida-based school know that the individual it appointed to this position is a radical Muslim involved in extremist causes and institutions?

    According to the website of FIU's Office of Engagement, "The office provides leadership for the development and coordination of partnerships at the local, state, national and international levels with the goal of aligning FIU's instructional, research and creative initiatives with local and global needs and priorities."

    On March 6, FIU published a press release stating that it had granted its position of Vice President of its Office of Engagement to Guyana-born Saif Yamani Ishoof, who the school described as a "dynamic leader who is well known in South Florida for his commitment to partnerships and to improving the lives of young people." The Miami Herald quotes Ishoof as saying that, in his new role, he will be responsible for "linking students, faculty and administrators with the outside world."

    According to FIU, Ishoof will also serve as a senior fellow in FIU's School of International and Public Affairs.

    The above news is disturbing, given the number of radical causes and institutions Ishoof is and has been involved with, beginning with his involvement in Emerge.

    The FIU release states that Ishoof is co-founder and trustee of a group called Emerge USA. The title of the group can easily mislead people into believing that it is one that is patriotic, yet the nature of the group is the very opposite.

    Emerge USA is the brainchild of Khurrum Wahid, who today acts as the group's co-chairman and spokesman. Wahid, a South Florida attorney, has spent years representing those whom the U.S. government has charged with terrorist activity. They include: Rafiq Sabir, who received a 25-year prison sentence for conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaeda; Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, who was given a life sentence for being part of al-Qaeda and for plotting to assassinate President George W. Bush; Hafiz Khan, a Miami, Florida imam who shipped $50,000 to the Taliban to kill American troops overseas; and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Sami al-Arian.

    Wahid has previously served as a legal advisor for the national office of the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and a director of CAIR's Florida chapter. CAIR was originally founded, in June 1994, as part of an umbrella organization run by then-global leader of Hamas, Mousa Abu Marzook. CAIR was named by the U.S. Justice Department a co-conspirator for two federal trials dealing with the financing of millions of dollars to Hamas. And CAIR was recently labeled a terrorist group by United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    According to the Miami New Times, Wahid himself was placed on a federal terrorist watch list in 2011.

    In December 2014, Emerge co-sponsored an event for the Muslim Students Association (MSA) with a number of organizations which have been associated with Hamas and/or al-Qaeda financing, including CAIR, ICNA Relief and Islamic Relief.

    In August 2006, ICNA Relief was the top donor and partner to Pakistani charity Al Khidmat Foundation (AKF), at the same time AKF took a delegation to Damascus, Syria to hand deliver nearly $100,000 to Hamas global leader Khaled Mashal. Mashal thanked the group and said Hamas would continue to wage "jihad" (war) on the "Zionist yoke" (Israel). ICNA Relief continues to work directly with AKF overseas.

    Both Israel and UAE have designated Islamic Relief a "terrorist organization." In May 2006, Israel arrested the group's Gaza program manager, Ayaz Ali, for providing "funds and assistance to various Hamas institutions and organizations." Ali admitted he had cooperated with local Hamas operatives. In 1999, IR collected and sent more than $6 million to Chechen rebels linked to al-Qaeda. That same year, IR received $50,000 from Human Concern International (HCI), a charity that the U.S. Treasury Department labeled a "Bin Laden front."

    Days ago, on April 30th, Emerge featured as a speaker at its Second Annual Founders Benefit Society Dinner held in Arlington, Virginia, Islamic lecturer Sayed Ammar Nakshawani. Nakshawani is a follower of Iranian terror leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and has previously called for the destruction of Israel.

    In a speech made by Nakshawani, titled ‘Sayed Khomeini's Quds Day,' he states, "The shame in this world is that, if we put ourselves down to a two-state solution, we would allow a country which has broken 60 UN resolutions to have their own freedom of peace. It is barbaric that this Zionist state is allowed to continue."

    This was not the first time Emerge featured Nakshawani at one of its events. He was also the keynote speaker at Emerge's Annual Miami Benefit Dinner, held in South Florida in May 2014.

    Saif Ishoof was in attendance for both events, at least one of which he was a speaker as well.

    Prior to getting involved with Emerge, Ishoof was the rally organizer and contact for the extreme anti-Israel group, March for Justice. The other contact and spokesman of the group was Nidal Sakr, who was arrested in March 2014 after returning to the U.S. from Egypt, where he was a rally organizer for the Muslim Brotherhood.

    While with March for Justice, Ishoof organized an event at the University of Miami, in October 2002, which labeled then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "the world's longest standing terrorist" and Israel an "illegitimate state." Ishoof said he was "outraged" that his former university would host then-senior advisor to Sharon, Raanan Gissin, referring to Gissin as "a mouthpiece of state sponsored terrorism."

    Today, Ishoof is a director of Nur-Ul-Islam Academy, a Muslim children's school located in Cooper City, Florida whose former Vice President was Hamas fundraiser Raed Awad. Awad was the Florida representative for the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), a Hamas charity that was shut down by the U.S. government in December 2001. Awad was also the imam who oversaw the conversion to Islam by convicted terrorist and "Dirty Bomber," Jose Padilla.

    According to corporation documents, Ishoof was officially named a director of the school in January 2008, at a time when the home page of the Nur-Ul-Islam website contained links to violent, anti-Semitic and anti-Christian material, including having a link to islamway.com, a website that encouraged its viewers to donate to Hamas.

    The radical associations of Saif Ishoof ought to make FIU think twice about their appointment of him.

    People who are involved with groups like Emerge, CAIR, March for Justice or Nur-Ul-Islam should not be embraced by legitimate institutions, especially those dealing with youth, as FIU – an upstanding educational facility – does.

    These persons should, instead, be shunned from society.

    Dr. Mark B. Rosenberg is the President of FIU. According to his Curriculum Vitae, he is as well a member of the Board of Directors for the Holocaust Memorial of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and a member of the Florida Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, an organization which deals in matters of national security and foreign policy.

    If you wish to discuss the issue of Saif Ishoof's appointment with Dr. Rosenberg, you can send an e-mail to [email protected]. Please be respectful, when doing so.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/256339/fiu-names-radical-muslim-new-post-joe-kaufman

    This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/7313