Save Syria Now! Press Release: Resistance enters a new phase in Syria as Free Syria Army bravely takes action
STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
Resistance enters a new phase in Syria as Free Syria Army bravely takes action
Syrian opposition needs support of the free world and especially the White House to secure freedom for all Syrians
PHOENIX (November 18, 2011) – Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, a devout Muslim and co-founder of Save Syria Now! issued the following statement regarding the latest developments in Syria:
“After over eight months and more than 3500 innocents dead and tens of thousands tortured, imprisoned, or displaced democracy activists and the opposition in Syria have escalated action with their attack on Syrian military installations The use of the military option had been delayed for as long as humanly possible, but they really have no other choice at this time. Their towns and families are being destroyed and it seems that Assad and his henchmen are only digging in more.
The people of Syria have a moral obligation to defend themselves from the murderous Assad regime and it’s military. The actions of the Free Syria Army against multiple military installations of the rogue Assad regime signal a significant shift from the predominantly peaceful protests that have dominated the uprising. The defectors from the Assad military know better than any other Syrians that Assad’s chief military thugs will never walk away and will only leave by force. The Free Syria Army (FSA) had the character to publicly post on Facebook what they did and why. They sought to strike fear into Assad’s military while disabling the intelligence operations of the outposts they attacked.
The moral dilemma for the opposition has always been that despite the righteousness of a civil war against the Assad military, Assad’s corrupt generals will now use armed engagement of the FSA as a license to exact even greater wanton violence against the people of Syria. We have always warned that the Syrian Revolution was a one-way street, a path of no return, for the activists and certainly for military defectors. Time will show, but in a nation whose entire citizenry does a mandatory period of at least two years in the military, this erupting civil war is not going to be one-sided. While Assad’s forces are far better armed the FSA is growing and fueled by righteousness in the face of evil. We hope and pray that they get the support they need in arms, finances, and technology. Now is the time for the free world and especially the White House to support the opposition in any way possible.
Even larger scales massacres are sure to follow and all out civil war may not be far off depending upon the rapidity of further defections and the ability of the free world to provide operational support. The attacks this week do not seem to be widespread but they are sure to slowly become so as the FSA gains confidence, resources, and witnesses the response of the Assad regime. The Syrian people have no other means by which to rid themselves of the most treacherous regime on earth. Assad and his military will not stop until every Syrian citizen who dreams of freedom is either murdered, tortured, or imprisoned. After eight months, no one can believe the Syrian people have not exhausted every one of the non-military options available to them. Without external help, our families have known for generations that the only way to rid themselves of their oppressors is through a revolution not only against the government but against Assad’s military. Syrian honor has been awakened. It will not go back to sleep until Assad and his thugs are put to sleep.”
About Save Syria Now!
Save Syria Now! is a group of Americans of Syrian descent organizing to put pressure on the United States to call for immediate action to be taken against the regime of Bashar Assad of Syria and to bring true liberty to the people of Syria. We stand with the Syrians protesting in the streets to end the tyranny of the Assad family. For more information please visit our website at http://www.savesyrianow.org/.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Gregg Edgar
Gordon C. James Public Relations
602-690-7977
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Family Security Matters OpEd: The Center for American Progress Fear, Inc. Report: A Roadblock to American Progress
The Center for American Progress (CAP) recently issued a 132 page report entitled “Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America” (pdf). The report’s supposed objective is to “expose-and marginalize-the influence of the individuals and groups” that CAP claims are a part of an “Islamophobia network in America.” The report was immediately seized upon by many Muslim organizations and enablers on the political left as well as the Iranian government’s Press TV as proof positive of the victimhood of American Muslims.
This report portends to be an in-depth investigative analysis that connects the dots of a supposedly sinister anti-jihadist movement. But a glossy cover around 132 pages of politicalblog material does not make a report either journalistically or academically sound. From my perspective, CAP lost all journalistic and academic credibility when it failed to contact me to corroborate, refute or even respond to any of the accusations the report levels against me and our organization- the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. This would not be considered acceptable for a college term paper, let alone a report that is being billed as useful in-depth analysis.
CAP indicts me as a “validator” of this invented conspiratorial ‘Islamophobia’ network. They make libelous allegations that I am a misinformation expert and simply attack me for being critical of President Obama and Congressman Keith Ellison, and somehow because I do not blindly pledge allegiance to the left’s favorite Muslim activist groups. Most bizarrely CAP tries to paint me as an Islamophobe hell bent on defaming Muslims and Islam in America in an effort to spread fear and make money.
I address the specific fallacies of all of CAP’s allegations in-depth at our website, but the intellectual gymnastics that CAP had to go through to make this last allegation is worthy of Olympic recognition. Not once do they actually address the central premise of our ideas against Islamism presented in volumes of public material available in print, on the web, and in television media. The great irony is that my mission at the American Islamic Forum for Democracy is driven by a deep desire to raise my children as orthodox Muslims who embrace the unparalleled freedom that is guaranteed for them in the United States Constitution. At the core of our mission is the understanding that the greatest threat to both American security and the harmony of the Muslim consciousness is the spread of political Islam- the global movement to create Islamic states ruled by shariah law. We believe that the only way to defeat Islamism is by Muslims advocating for the reforms necessary to separate mosque and state.
While this effort is often criticized as Islamophobic and I am routinely labeled an Uncle Tom or traitor to Muslims by those who adhere to the ideology of political Islam, I have taken the Islamic tradition of ijtihad (modern, critical interpretation of scripture and tradition) to heart as a personal responsibility as an American Muslim as it should be for every Muslim. That responsibility comes from a fear of what the human manifestation of my faith of Islam could represent for my children and what many in our current faith leadership have allowed to become the predominant message of the public face of Islam. I believe we American Muslims have a major crisis in leadership with most organizations in the United States coming out of the Muslim Brotherhood legacy tree and ideology. Should another devastating attack occur and Muslims are not seen as leading the fight against Islamism- the cancer within their faith, I fear for the climate towards Muslims in the U.S. Crying wolf now about “Islamophobia” or anti-Muslim hate is certainly wrong-headed.
CAP’s accusations against me in Fear Inc. were done in a vacuum with no intellectual analysis of my extensive writings, interviews or testimony. Even the quotations they used we prove to be half-truths and deceptively attributed. How they can come to a conclusion that a devout Muslim who prays five times a day and basically performs most of the rights and practices of Islam, and who believes that the problems of radicalization can only be solved by Muslims could “have an exaggerated fear, hatred, and hostility toward Islam and Muslims” defies logic.
“Fear, Inc.” is clearly the latest volley in the ping pong games between virulently partisan organizations on the left and the right that exploit American Muslims as the ball. CAP and Think Progress’ entire mission is to be a player in that partisan game, but AIFD, if the authors cared to look, is an Islamic organization that works within the Muslim consciousness for reform against Islamist organizations for national security. That discussion requires me to advocate for a “muscular liberalism,” as Prime Minister Cameron of Great Britain refers to it, that advocates for Muslim and non-Muslim audiences to wake up to the need to take sides within the Muslim community against the Islamist agenda in favor of the liberal secular democratic agenda. CAP’s attack failed to address any of the specific ideological issues that I and AIFD confront and lacks any religious background to confront the issues of faith that need reform.
Islamophobia is a term that AIFD rarely uses because it is a mechanism that has been employed by a number of organizations, such as CAP, to shut down conversation, free speech, and introspection and to reinforce a concept of victimization of Muslims. I cannot speak for any others who were smeared with this term in “Fear, Inc.” but as a devout Muslim I am deeply offended that CAP would presume to instruct me on my allegiance to my faith.
Apparently, the CAP’s position is that any Muslim who dares to question or oppose the destructive, separatist, offensive acts that some Muslims perpetrate – which they claim is justified by Islam – should be publicly smeared as someone who creates hatred of Islam itself. Would the CAP also allege that Catholics who are opposed to the cover-ups concerning child abuse are guilty of “Catholicphobia”? Or allege that Jews who are opposed to strict orthodox interpretations of the Torah are guilty of “Judeophobia”?
The CAP apparently has singled out Islam as the one religion whose (supposed) leaders must not be questioned – least of all by a devout Muslim such as myself, because to do so means to open oneself up to being publicly smeared and lied about, as in “Fear, Inc.”
The Washington political circles in which CAP swims, have a habit of turning to the alphabet soup of Muslim lobbying organizations based in Washington (most of whom tow the Islamist line) to be their token outreach to the Muslim community. CAIR, ISNA, MPAC and MSA have all done a good job of positioning themselves to the political elite as being the representatives for American Muslims. The problem is that this rather small circle of American Muslims does not represent the Muslim community as was clearly demonstrated in a recent poll by the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center where at best 12 percent of American Muslims identified with them. Continued outreach to these groups that support the Islamist ideology is akin to reaching out to the Black Panther Party and saying that you had reached out to the “African American Commun
ty”. While the Black Panther Party certainly represents a segment of the African American Community, it does not by any means represent the broad African American Community. Neither political party would accept an assertion that they did. And while Islamists like to look upon Muslims as a political party, in the American context where mosque and state are separate, the reality is media and government should be looking for Muslims who do not attempt to hijack our community for a political or partisan agenda. OurAmerican Islamic Leadership Coalition has over 15 organizations represented which provide diverse alternatives to these monolithic Islamist groups. But the CAP cared little to get the opinion of any in our coalition. Why? Because we do not fit the Islamist narrative about who is and who is not a respected Muslim leader.
ty”. While the Black Panther Party certainly represents a segment of the African American Community, it does not by any means represent the broad African American Community. Neither political party would accept an assertion that they did. And while Islamists like to look upon Muslims as a political party, in the American context where mosque and state are separate, the reality is media and government should be looking for Muslims who do not attempt to hijack our community for a political or partisan agenda. OurAmerican Islamic Leadership Coalition has over 15 organizations represented which provide diverse alternatives to these monolithic Islamist groups. But the CAP cared little to get the opinion of any in our coalition. Why? Because we do not fit the Islamist narrative about who is and who is not a respected Muslim leader.
The Center for American Progress created this report with a set of biases and conclusions that were predetermined. Their accusation that a devout American Muslim devoted to raising his children as proud Muslims can be Islamophobic is arrogant and laughable. To pretend that “Fear, Inc.” is factual research is a fallacy and in many ways harmful to the communities it pretends to serve.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor M. Zuhdi Jasser, MD, is the founder and Chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy based in Phoenix Arizona. He is a former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, a physician in private practice, and a community activist. He can be reached atZuhdi@aifdemocracy.org.
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Obama Administration unable to acknowledge the threat of Islamists in the Middle East
Statement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Obama Administration unable to acknowledge the threat of Islamists in the Middle East
As the Middle East stands before a tipping point, the United States needs to provide leadership towards liberty and freedom and away from the Muslim Brotherhood
PHOENIX (November 8, 2011) – Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, a devout Muslim and the president and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) issued the following statement regarding the statements from the US Department of State on the acceptability of Egypt being run by the Muslim Brotherhood:
“Remarks made on November 4 by US Special Adviser William Taylor, the State Department’s special coordinator for Middle-East transitions, regarding the likely victory of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egyptian parliamentary elections, demonstrate a dangerous lack of appreciation for the negative impact of Islamism upon their nations and upon global security and peace. While preferring to stay out of the ideological battle going on within emerging democracies in the Middle East, the Obama Administration ends up ushering in the strongest horse while compromising core American principles of universal human rights. The administration’s positive attitude towards Islamists gives them a legitimacy which empowers their ascendancy and violates our own advocacy for the genuine ideas of liberty and freedom.
When asked what the United States reaction would be to a Muslim Brotherhood victory, Taylor said ‘I think we will be satisfied, if it is a free and fair election.’ He continued by stating, ‘What we need to do is judge people and parties and movements on what they do, not what they’re called.’
There is no mystery about who the Muslim Brotherhood is in Egypt or who the Ennahda party is in Tunisia. The ideological position of these Islamist movements is well documented and completely open for anyone to read and it is in direct contrast to the founding principles of the United States and the United Nation’s principles of Universal Human Rights no matter which way the Islamists try to spin their platforms. Taylor’s inability to recognize that does not bode well for the change we all hope comes to the Middle-East or for the soft power which the United States has maintained for so long with secular advocates of liberty in these now emerging nations. If the Islamists ascend we will have facilitated quasi-theocracies. If they do not, we will have alienated the secularists who are our natural allies. The United States needs to provide principled leadership that supports groups and organizations that will be focused on bringing the people of Egypt true freedom. We cannot provide support to Islamists whose ideological positions ultimately see the world through a lens which is Islamo-centric and in direct conflict with western secular democracies.
The Middle-East is now at a tipping point and its peoples are going to be a lot more open for change towards secular freedom now than if Islamists were to take hold and set into motion Islamist inspired constitutions and legal systems. The people of Tunisia, Libya and Egypt marched in the streets this past Spring and in the case of Libya fought a bloody civil war to bring freedom to their people. The Islamists are winning elections in these countries, not because they are the most preferred, but because they are the largest and most politically organized bloc. The remainder of the secular groups are so numerous and fractionated that they are rendering themselves ineffective to the Islamists. Without a concerted effort from our government to take the side of liberty-minded secularists in the ideological battle on the ground, we will have lost our greatest opportunity in a generation to bring the people of the region real freedom and bring true national security to the West from the threats of Islamist terror.
Taylor’s assertion that ‘As long as parties, entities do not espouse or conduct violence, we’ll work with them,’ continues to subscribe to a dangerously myopic vision that believes that “violent Muslim=bad” and “non-violent Muslim = good.” Violence is merely a symptom of the broader problem. The continued use of this dangerous theory open’s the gate to continued ideological breeding of a radical Islamist militancy that ends in violence and will allow the Middle East to exchange one fascism for another. Just because the Muslim Brotherhood or Ennahda is not preaching violence today does not mean that they are organizations that the United States should be supporting. Just because they come to power legitimately does not mean that they will establish governments rooted in equal access, pluralism, universal human rights. We need leadership in Washington with the ideological backbone to advocate within these countries for governments that embrace values that every free human being desires rather than Islamism which is supremacist. Elections are not the victory. Freedom for these nations will never come from the Muslim Brotherhood or any other organization that sees an Islamist form of governance as the solution. Theocracy breeds corruption and oppression. We cannot be seen by the people of these countries as supporting yet another regime that will put yet another yoke around their necks.
Let us use the documents that founded our Republic as our guiding principles in how we deal with the transitions in these countries and who we should and should not support. Supporting non-violent Islamists in today’s Middle East is like supporting non-violent communists during the Cold War of the 20th century. Let the United States be the advocate for freedom for all of these people as we were at the fall of the Soviet Union.”
About the American Islamic Forum for Democracy
The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. AIFD’s mission advocates for the preservation of the founding principles of the United States Constitution, liberty and freedom, through the separation of mosque and state. For more information on AIFD, please visit our website at http://www.aifdemocracy.org/.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Gregg Edgar, Gordon C. James Public Relations, gedgar@gcjpr.com, 602-690-7977