Shooting Rampage is latest example that clearly points to need to address Muslim radicalization in America

Phoenix, Ariz. (November 6, 2009) – The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) sends its deepest, heartfelt condolences and prayers to the soldiers and families of the Fort Hood massacre. The soldiers who lost their lives or were injured yesterday are patriots who protected America’s freedoms and liberties at all cost. AIFD is horrified by this attack and the fact that it is an American Muslim who carried it out.

While many are struggling with the politically correct way to address Maj. Nadal Malik Hasan’s faith, AIFD believes that the ideology of Political Islam is at the heart of this incident. Whether Hasan was overtly radical or not is irrelevant. His actions were clearly influenced by Islamist beliefs. The Muslim community needs to not only condemn Hasan’s actions, but the ideology that spawned them.

“The Fort Hood shootings, the honor killing of Noor Faleh Almaleki in Arizona, the Abdullah shootout in Detroit and the rash of recent terror arrests across the United States share one common thread, the influence of Islamism on American Muslims,” said Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, President and Founder of AIFD. “Until that influence is diminished we are going to see an escalation of these events.

Political Islam (Islamism) is an ideology that at its core believes that the Koran and shar’iah legal interpretations should be the basis of government and the legal system. Islamism’s end goal is the establishment of a theocratic Islamic State. In America, that would be mean the complete rejection of the United States Constitution and the liberties and freedoms that Americans cherish.

“American Muslims can no longer deny the impact that Islamism is having on our community,” said Dr. Jasser, “We must confront the ideology that is radicalizing our faith and not allow Islamism to dictate the future of Islam in America.”

About the American Islamic Foundation for Democracy

AIFD’s mission is to advocate for the preservation of the founding principles of the United States Constitution and demonstrate that the separation of mosque and state and the tenets of Liberty and Freedom are integral to the Muslim Faith.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The American Islamic Forum for Democracy unites with organizations around the world to protest its signing.

Phoenix, Ariz. (November 11, 2009) – The United Nations has continuously passed non-binding resolutions on “defamation of religions” since 1999. However, for the first time ever this year, a UN body proposed a binding treaty to combat the “defamation of religions.” Over 100 NGOS from over 20 countries have signed a Common Statement protesting the resolution . In a Geneva meeting that concluded on October 30^{th 1}, Pakistan, on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and Nigeria, on behalf of the Africa Group, proposed a binding treaty amendment to the ICERD, an existing international treaty on racism.²

Meanwhile, in New York on October 29th, Syria, on behalf of the OIC, along with Belarus and Venezuela, proposed yet another General Assembly resolution “combating defamation of religions.” The resolution lends credibility to the proposal of a binding treaty and continues to provide international cover for domestic anti-blasphemy laws in countries like Pakistan and Sudan. A preliminary vote on the resolution is expected before Thanksgiving, and a final plenary vote is expected in early to mid-December.

In response, the American Islamic Forum for Democracy has joined over 100 other human rights organizations in a common civil society statement against the concept of “defamation of religions.” This coalition is indeed an odd group of bedfellows, both religiously diverse with Muslims, Christians, Baha’is, Jews, Hare Krishnas, Atheists, Humanists, and non-religious organizations, and also regionally diverse, hailing from over 20 countries around the world. The civil society statement is available below and at www.whatisdefamationofreligion.com.

“Human rights are meant to protect the individuals, not ideas or governments or even religions,” said Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, President and Founder of AIFD. “The moment governments begin to determine what is and what is not ‘defamation of religions’, we will have ushered in the end of free speech and the end of religious freedom.”

“It is the moral duty of all human rights defenders and advocates for genuine liberty around the globe to unite against this flawed concept before it becomes binding law.”

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1 This meeting was convened by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards, a

committee created by the Human Rights Council to identify gaps in international law for the protection

against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and other forms of intolerance.

2 ICERD is an acronym for the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial

Discrimination, which was adopted in 1965 and entered force in 1969.