This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/550
South Florida: Jews and Muslims interfaith 'dialouge' a ruse to expose potential converts to Islam
April 17, 2005
More in common then we think ???
|
|
http://www.masada2000.org/islam.html
A Shiite Muslim woman holds a three-year old boy whose forehead was cut during a ceremony in Nabatiyeh on Sunday March 24, 2002. Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims turned out across Lebanon on Sunday to mark Ashoura, the Shiite Muslim religious festival which marks the AD 680 battle in which Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, was killed. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/652614/posts
MIM: The religion affairs editor of the Florida Sun Sentinel gushed over" how Jewish- Muslims relations have moved ahead over the past years".
What Mr. Davis failed to note is the recent controversy involving the new Assadiq Islamic Educational Foundation in Boca Raton, (An Iraqi/Iranian Shi'ite mosque), who invited two local mayors to a banquet in what was regarded by both city officials as a gesture of 'good will' . The mayor's embracing of 'diversity' turned out to be an excercise in perversity, when it was revealed that the featured keynote speaker at which the Jewish mayor was designated as a 'guest of honor' was notorious neo Nazi William Baker. The Coral Springs Mayor had intended to show up at the event with his Jewish wife.
The Boca Raton multi kulti debacle was a case study of the Islamo facist ' jihad by conversion' agenda which is cynically termed by Muslims as 'interfaith dialouge"...and mockingly extolled as an attempt at furthering "multicultural understanding'.
As Coral Springs Mayor Ernest Jones tells it; "As you may know, Coral Springs is a front-runner with regard to building multi-cultural relations and to the fostering of communication and goodwill between people of different races, colors and creeds"..." At the Eid event I met a young cleric named Imam Mohammad Jawad Al-Qazwini, who communicated well and seemed to my wife and me to be the kind of leader who would seek out the paths to peace and understanding..."
MIM: As the mayors borh soon found out - the paths to peace and understanding which Al Qazwini offered, turned out to be a minefield.... http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/538
Below: Webpage featuring the speeches of Assadiq's Imam Al Qazwini shows blood dripping. The blood is meant to be that of Imam Hussain whose 'martyrdom' is reenacted by Shi'ite Muslims each year by whipping or cutting themselves till they bleed. http://www.ashura.com/thm_part09.html
Iraqi Shiite Muslims repeatedly hit their heads with blades to show their religious devotion.
"...pilgrims returned to the Imam Hussein mosque: chanting, beating their breasts in penance, cutting themselves with daggers or swords and whipping themselves in synchronized moves.
"...The self-inflicted bloodletting was one sign that the clerics might not have such a strong hold over Iraq's Shiites.
"We prefer that if people spill blood, they do so by donating it to the sick," said Sheik Hamid Meyahi, a young cleric.
"But you must understand. These people are stressed because they've been oppressed for so long. It's an understandable outburst." http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/23/1050777302008.html?oneclick=true
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIM: Two commentators on Little Green Footballs epitomised the Western take on the bloodletting . http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=6325
"...So glad we freed them from Saddam's torture and mutilation, so that they could...mutilate themselves..."
"...Hey, but at least now they are free to beat the crap out of themselves. .."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/02/sprj.nirq.karbala.festival/
Iraqi Shiites commemorate the death of the founder of their branch of Islam.
MIM:The Assadiq Islamic Educational Foundation, pulled the tapes from their site after an outcry over their hosting of a neo Nazi speaker and false claims the Boca Raton and Coral Springs mayors were their 'guests of honor'. The Assadiq Imam Sayed Al Qazwini, is the grandson of the Grand Ayatollah of the mosque at Karbala where the picture above was taken.
When Assadiq's radical Islamist agenda became public knowledge , the group rapidly pulled pages from their website containing photographs and tapes byImam Qazwini which expounded on the need for fighting non Muslims and had such titles as :"The Perpetual Endeavor to Protect Islam"- "The Concept of War in an Islamic Perspective" and "Traits of an Ideal Leader for an Eternal Uprising". The 23 year old Imam Al Qazwini is also in charge of Assadiq Islamic Educational Foundation youth group in Boca Raton, which is modelled after that of the Young Muslims group,run by a relative at the Assadiq Foundation in California.
http://islamfl.com/speeches/speeches_main.htm
Jewish Muslim relations aids to understanding in South Florida
"We want to get people to understand each other, what they believe and why they believe it," says Samina Qureshi of JAM, (Jews and Muslims) ..."
James D. Davis
Religion Editor
April 15, 2005
Jewish-Muslim relations, carefully cultivated over several years, have moved ahead in South Florida with increasing speed and creativity this year.
First formed after the terrorist attacks of 9-11, the interfaith contacts show a growing knowledge and sophistication in understanding by leaders of the two faiths.
Just in the past two months:
About 25 Muslims attended a "Learning Seder" April 3 at Temple Torah of West Boynton Beach.
Khaleel Mohammed, a religion professor at San Diego State University, spoke at different venues in late March around Palm Beach County.
Canadian talk show host Irshad Manji spoke in early March at Congregation B'nai Israel in Boca Raton. A free "Interfaith Dialogue in a Post-9/11 World" is set for 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at St. Thomas University, 16401 NW 37th Ave., Miami Gardens. Speaking will be Rabbi Mitchell Chefitz of Miami and Maulana Shafayat Mohamed of Darul Uloom, Pembroke Pines.
JAM, a grassroots organization of Jews, Muslims and Christians, will host a "Town Hall" meeting 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Ave., Davie.
"We want to get people to understand each other, what they believe and why they believe it," says Samina Qureshi of JAM, which will hold its meeting at Nova's DeSantis Building. "That will decrease hatred and increase understanding."
Speaking at the "town-hall" meeting will be Umar Farouq, chairman and scholar in residence at Nawawi Foundation in Chicago. After his talk, "The Humanistic Tradition in Islam and the West," listeners will have a chance for questions and comments.
The planned event follows the innovative Learning Seder at Temple Torah. Under auspices of the Jewish Community Relations Council, members of the Muslim Community of West Palm Beach learned the meaning behind the ritual meal of the Jewish festival.
"I saw an opportunity to acquaint people with one another," said Rabbi Geoffrey Botnick of Temple Torah, also a member of the council. "We chose a holiday that talks about liberation and oppression. Each people experiences that at some place in history."
The Seder was a kind of thank-you to the Muslims, who had invited Jewish leaders to an Iftar nighttime reception in November during Ramadan. For Osman Chowdhury, president of the West Palm Beach mosque, the exchange was a natural gesture.
"Why not be friends?" Chowdhury says. "Yes, there are problems in the Middle East. But we live in America. We can set an example."
Khaleel Mohammed, the California scholar, spoke in March at Florida Atlantic University and the South County Civic Center in Delray Beach. His local talks were sponsored by B'nai B'rith and the Florida-Israel Institute.
"We want to help people understand all aspects of culture, including religious aspects," says director Nancy Rosen of the institute. "Understanding is better than fighting."
Not everyone agrees that rapprochement is growing. Khaleel Mohammed, also founder of the Foundation for the Study of Abrahamic Religions, says Jewish and Muslim leaders are still skirting the hardest issues.
One is whether Israel belongs to the Jews, which Mohammed said early Muslims agreed with. Another is the Hadith, collections of sayings, which he says project an image of Jews as arrogant and disobedient to God.
"Jews and Muslims usually talk about what they have in common: monotheism, sexuality, kosher and halal," Mohammed says. "If we have interfaith talks, we need full disclosure."
Qureshi, of JAM, vehemently rejects Mohammed's comments, saying he doesn't represent the Muslim mainstream.
"I've read about Islam for years and don't get that impression [of contempt for Jews]," says Qureshi, a founder of the School of Islamic Studies in Sunrise. "It's politics that have magnified the differences.
"There's not enough learning about commonalities," she added. "If we learn about each other, maybe the politics will find resolutions. This may not be the answer to everything, but it can be the beginning."
-------------------------------------------
MIM: The Jewish Federation in South Florida seems to have forgotten the 2000 Jihad Rallies at which all the local mosques, including the Palm Beach Muslim Community, participated. After 2001 'political correctness' caused these rallies to be renamed as 'Peace Demonstrations'. The original article was in fact cut, and the passages about Zionist blood wetting the sand and redeeming the land were expunged, together with the Boca Imam Dremali's admonition for Muslims "not to be sad for the martyrs" ..."or to be afraid to die for what they believed in " http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/508
Excerpts from :South Florida Rally calls for Jihad
by Um Ahmad
MIAMI (IslamOnline) - Pro-Palestinian demonstrations in South Florida are gradually taking on a more aggressive tone. Last ...Saturday's demonstration was not a call for peace with the Israelis. Rather, the demonstration specifically called for a jihad (holy struggle).
Muslims representing several countries joined together in chanting pro-jihadi slogans, such as "We don't want negotiation, with jihad we'll claim our nation," and "With jihad we'll claim our land, Zionist blood will wet the sand."
"...Five-year-old Jibreel S., clad in military fatigues and holding a sign reading "Jewish values: Kill women and children," took the lead in an all children's demonstration held behind the adults. Another child led the group in chanting, "U.S. taxes paid the bill, Israelis used it all to kill..."
"...This was Jibreel's second protest in one week. At the first protest he attended, during a public reading of the names of the shuhadaa (martyrs), he cried out, "Why? Why? Why are they killing those kids? What did they do wrong?" While adults tried to keep their tears back, Jibreel grabbed the megaphone on his own and shouted "Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!"
"...The scene was grim as children laid down in between the graves without moving while Ibrahim Dremali, the Imam of the Islamic Center of Boca Raton, urged the crowd not to be sad for those who were martyred, and to not be afraid to die for what they believe in.
The crowd then joined in following a mock funeral procession amidst shouts of "Haya 'ala al-jihad," occasionally stopping to burn Israeli flags.
Before the crowd dispersed, Muslims from all backgrounds loudly chanted "Muslims united, will never be divided".
Observers have stated that if the Israelis were to be credited with anything these past two weeks, it would be for uniting the Muslim and Arab world against them..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIM: In 2003 Murtaza Kakli the president of the Muslim Community of Palm Beach County, which is currently involved in interfaith with the Jewish Federation, was quoted in this article about Dremali's Islamic Center of Boca Raton, as defending donations by mosques to several charities which were closed down for funding terrorism.
"After the American Jewish Committee and Kaufman criticized Dremali for the statement -- which he later denied making -- the paragraph was removed from the Internet page, though it remains in the archived version.
Gralnick said Islamic center leaders' participation in another demonstration in front of the Holocaust Memorial in Miami was particularly upsetting. He said Hassan Shareef, a center spokesman who since has left the U.S., agreed with him.
"He tried to head it off," Gralnick said, "but his entreaties to the leadership fell on deaf ears."
Dremali did not respond to a request for comment. McBride said the imam vowed not to talk to reporters again after The Boca Raton News published a story last month focusing on the appearance of Dr. Rafil Dhafir at a November fund-raising event sponsored by the center.
The Boca Raton News published a story last month focusing on the appearance of Dr. Rafil Dhafir at a November fund-raising event sponsored by the center.
Dhafir, an Iraqi-born oncologist in Fayetteville, N.Y., and three Jordanian men were indicted in February on charges of illegally funneling money to Iraq through a charity front called Help the Needy.
The government has labeled Help the Needy and several other Islamic charities as terror-supporting organizations and barred them from soliciting money in the U.S. They include the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, the Islamic Assembly of North America, the Global Relief Foundation and the Benevolence International Foundation.
All raised money from South Florida mosques before they were banned, claiming it was to support schools, hospitals and humanitarian efforts in the Middle East.
"These organizations were very prominent, and they were doing a lot of humanitarian help," said Murtaza Kakli, imam of the Muslim Community of Palm Beach County mosque in suburban West Palm Beach. "These people came, and out of the goodness of our hearts, we gave. We didn't know that some of the money was being filtered to some very radical people." http://www.bocanews.com/index.php?src=news&prid=5239&category=LOCAL%20NEWS
--------------------------------------------------------
The former president of the Palm Beach Muslim Community, Murtaza Kakli, was also quoted at one of the Jihad rallies as saying: "The immediate thing I want to see," ..."is Israel withdraw soldiers from the Palestinian area they are occupying at once."
Which begs the question as to if he came to the Federation sponsored Seder to celebrate the Jewish 'withdrawal' from Egypt...
http://www.jewishpalmbeach.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=149831
"We all want to be friends, see each other on a regular basis, and feel comfortable," said Herb Magness, one of the event's organizers from the synagogue..."
Mahmood Azhar, who is active with the Muslim Community of Palm Beach County organization, felt the same way toward Jews.
"It really is important for us to understand each other and live in peace and harmony," he said.
------------------------------------------------------------
S. Florida Jews, Muslims share traditional holiday meal to nurture unity, growth
By Leon Fooksman
Staff Writer
Post April 4, 2005
They sat across tables covered with eggs, celery and bitter herbs, smiling, listening and trying to sweeten the relations between their communities.
The upcoming Jewish holiday of Passover served as the backdrop Sunday afternoon for bringing Jews and Muslims together to better understand each other's faiths.
About 25 Muslims gathered with about 75 Jews at Temple Torah west of Boynton Beach to learn about the Seder, the holiday meal recreating the story of the Jewish Exodus from ancient Egypt.
At first, conversations were slow, not because there were immediate tensions, but because of differences in language and culture. Many visiting Muslims were originally from Bangladesh and Pakistan and haven't been in a synagogue. Slowly, the two sides loosened up after singing traditional Passover songs and joking about why it took so long to get through the service.
"Don't be afraid to dip," Lee Brauer said to Salim Khan as he prepared to dip matzo into horseradish to symbolize the harsh times in Egypt.
Khan ate slowly.
"This was certainly a new experience for me," said Khan, a retired airline pilot.
"I'm learning a lot," Khan said.
The idea for teaching about the Seder came about after a group of Jews attended a Muslim feast during the month of Ramadan in November.
"It was such a nice exchange," said Carole Goldstein, who attended the Ramadan meal. "We were generously received."
Eager to reciprocate, Rabbi Geoffrey Botnick of Temple Torah and Rabbi Nason Goldstein of Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach teamed up with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County's Jewish Community Relations Council to share their religious traditions with the Muslim community.
So the synagogue volunteers gave their visitors an authentic Seder meal.
They served plates with eggs, horseradish and haroset, an apple, cinnamon and a sweet wine dish. They dipped celery into salt water and drank cups of grape juice. They chanted prayers translated in Hebrew, English and Arabic from the Passover Haggadah.
Then came the meal of matzo ball soup, chicken, potatoes and vegetables.
For more than an hour, Muslim women in headscarves sat across from Jewish men in skullcaps. Many talked about the spirit of Passover, the idea of overcoming oppression and relinquishing ill feelings and bad judgment. Passover will start April 23.
"We all want to be friends, see each other on a regular basis, and feel comfortable," said Herb Magness, one of the event's organizers from the synagogue.
Mahmood Azhar, who is active with the Muslim Community of Palm Beach County organization, felt the same way toward Jews.
"It really is important for us to understand each other and live in peace and harmony," he said.
--------------------
MIM: In another example of the perversity of diversity the organisers of an post 9/11 interfaith event blithely referred to it a as "the perfect antidote to last weeks terror attacks". Besides a Jew and Luthern, the lineup included Ibrahim Dremali, the Imam of the Islamic Center of Boca Raton. It is worth noting that in an article entitled "Jihad Rally in South Florida"
"...Muslims representing several countries joined together in chanting pro-jihadi slogans, such as "We don't want negotiation, with jihad we'll claim our nation," and "With jihad we'll claim our land, Zionist blood will wet the sand."
Dremali had told the crowd; "Not to be sad for those who are martyred or be afraid to die for what you believe in."
Protesters at shouted and "haya al a Jihad ( long live the Jihad), occasionally stopping to burn Israeli flags.
. Eleven months after the Jihad Rally Dremali was scheduled to appear at an interfaith event at a Boynton Beach church. His appearence was cancelled when the anti semitic articles and statements which had emanated from his Islamic Center of Boca Raton website and his own and mosque spokesman remarks became public .
In a gushing puff piece heralding the upcoming event Dremali declared to a journalist (presumably with a straight face that ) "In Islam their is no holy war . "We don't know that meaning".
----------------------------------------------
By Marian Dozier
Staff Writer
September 20, 2001
When a Reform congregation hosts a Muslim imam and a Lutheran pastor as part of its Yom Kippur observance next Thursday, the world's three major religions will come together on the holiest day of the Jewish New Year.
It is a highly unusual occurrence, but organizers say the event is the perfect antidote to last week's terrorist attacks.
At 2 p.m. Sunday, Ibrahim Dremali, the imam, or spiritual leader, of the Islamic Center of Boca Raton, will join Rabbi Sam Silver of Congregation L'Dor Va-Dor and the Rev. Heiner Hoffmann, pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church, in a roundtable discussion at the Boynton Beach church.
"People turn to God because they don't understand what happened," Hoffmann said. "Sometimes, it's very important to turn to each other in understanding, so we can deal with the questions that come to our minds.... So we can learn together."
The interfaith discussion involving Judaism, Islam and Christianity was being planned long before last week's shattering events, but the tragedy has given new urgency to the idea of increasing sensitivity, if only locally, across the religious lines that divide.
In some ways, those divisions have become broader since the terrorist attacks. Arab-Americans and Muslims have come under increasing suspicion -- and even attack -- across the country, as America learns more about terrorists who consider themselves Muslims on a "holy war" of terror against the United States.
Sixteen Islamic leaders from across South Florida met with an FBI special agent in Miami on Tuesday night to discuss hate-crime reports and FBI assurances offenders would be fully prosecuted.
The meeting, called by the FBI, also allowed the agency to seek information the Muslim leaders might have about the alleged terrorists who had been living in South Florida.
Dremali made it clear those men were not followers of Islam. The fact they apparently drank alcohol and frequented topless clubs tells him that, because Islam prohibits alcohol use and adultery, he said. Plus, neither he nor imams of South Florida's other 18 major Muslim mosques knew or ever saw the men. We would know them, Dremali said.
Barry Silver, son of L'Dor Va-Dor's rabbi, Samuel Silver, said he expects frank discussion next week, and that no one would be there "to just be nice to each other.... We'll be getting into some gritty issues."
Dremali, for one, said he plans to discuss one thing for sure: the literal meaning of the term "jihad," now loosely translated to mean holy war.
"In Islamic terms, there is no holy war,'" he said. "We don't know that meaning."
Meanwhile, an interfaith Memorial Prayer Service is planned for 7 p.m. today at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Boca Raton. It is sponsored by the Greater Boca Raton Association of Religious Leaders.
Marian Dozier can be reached at [email protected] or 561-243-6643.
This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/550