In the name of Allah,
the Mercy-giving, the Merciful
August 31, 2009
CAIR and its Honorable Elders/Scholars/Advisors:
Salamun ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah
With due respect to your learned and forward-thinking professionals,
who work for you on a wide variety of issues affecting the Muslim community across
the
What is stated herein is my humble view, but I feel it is a studied
and educated viewpoint. Additionally, it
is simply “advice”-- nasiha!
Hence, you can take it, study it, leave it alone, or even throw it out!
CAIR’s Qur’an Project:
I know you are very enthusiastic about this endeavor, and I
certainly wish you well and great success; but, I regret to say that I believe this
project is misguided for many reasons. The way I see it, it is a good public
relations stunt but a waste of precious resources, and
the expected payback may be minimal and not much to report about.
My primary objection to this project is how it was conceived
(niyyah). According
to your own communication, this idea was born pursuant to President Obama’s speech
in
Another factor that weighs heavily in my mind against this
project concerns the publicly disclosed “distribution list” of the precious
Qur’an. According to your press conference coupled with what has been reported
in the print media: this project is not an attempt to proselytize, but one with
a purely educational purpose in mind, as reported:
Background Note:
Any observant person who has been following American public opinion
over the past decades will note that public opinion today on Muslims and Islam is
worse than after 9/11. This happened despite the decades of interfaith
activities by many of the established Muslim organizations, including ISNA, ICNA, CAIR,
MAS, MANA, etc. And of course, I have witnessed
almost on a daily basis the work CAIR and its
affiliates do to respond to many, many issues of discrimination and profiling
against Muslims in these
So, here are two pertinent questions:
CAIR and its affiliates have, over the
years, produced relevant authoritative materials to combat discrimination and work
rules / misunderstandings between Muslim workers and American employers, not to
mention court battles. And your resolution efforts have largely been
successful. Regrettably, the overall situation has not improved much; in fact,
it appears that things have gotten worse based on the latest polling data.
Now back to the Qur’an
project:
CAIR’s plan, to send Qur’ans to the “power
brokers, influence peddlers, and opinion makers” in
In this context, I request you to open the very Qur’an
(translated by Muhammad Asad, which is now being distributed) and go to: Chapter 80 (Surah `Abasa), and read Verses 1-10, including Asad’s Footnote on Verse 2, where it is shown
that the noble Messenger (pbuh) “frowned and turned
away” from the “blind man who approached him,” as the Messenger continued his conversation
with the “influential chieftains of pagan Mecca.”
This particular historical episode is informative and
instructive to your current Qur’an project. It is the perfect metaphor of your
current enterprise by “electing” to send the sacred Text to “American power
elites and men of substance,” (read “influential chieftains of pagan Mecca”) rather
than seeking to directly interact and accommodate the “ordinary American
populace,” with a plan more diverse and representative, and one that could
yield better results, as suggested below.
Muslim-American
Neighbor Project:
Now here is my alternative idea, one which I had sent to CAIR some two years ago but with no response; so this idea
is not new nor original. In fact, there were times in the past when CAIR utilized it in a limited way for other purposes. But
in this instance, there is a vital need to resurrect it as an instrument to
change
I propose that all Muslim organizations in the
When local and ordinary Americans (even those opposed to us)
get to know us better, one on one, on a personal level, in the local community
centers, or summer bazaar, picnic and other avenues of communal activities,
they, in my view, will be our advocates. This is a simple but powerful proposition,
but it must be done at the local level, not at the level of the “politicians,
influence peddlers, and power brokers.”
Why? Because they (the men / women of power
and influence) do not constitute the ‘American public.’ We need to
improve relations and change our image with the local population en masse; the
politicians with listen to the locals, and as the latter get to know us
better, they will be more sympathetic to us and our issues. By going local, we
will eventually influence the ‘big wigs.”
VITAL: It is at this local level where
Qur’ans ought to be distributed; that is, local Muslim community leaders can
make a gift of the sacred Text to those who want one; no effort will be made
for mass distribution; that would suggest an effort to proselytize. This point
is absolutely crucial and should be adhered to; that is, the gift of the Qur’an
has to be given locally and in private, by request and not by public
proclamation!
This approach could help those Muslim communities seeking to
establish a local masjid, where traffic and zoning
laws might be hindrances. Good relations and better understanding with the
local majority can multiply into other benefits for the Muslims. Moreover, it
will engender trust and mutual understanding among all peoples.
So I hope this embryonic idea can grow and become fruitful
some time in the future. This skeletal proposal can be given flesh and bones
and modified to meet local circumstances.
What is surprising to me is that today (in mid 2009), CAIR and others still repeat the age-old mantra that “Islam
is Misunderstood” when over 50 years ago, a famous American writer (James
Michener) had thrown sympathetic light on Islam in a very popular magazine read by millions at home and abroad (see 'Islam: The Misunderstood Religion,' Reader’s Digest, May 1955, pp. 68-70). Thus, from my observation and reading
of history, our image problem cannot be placed solely at the feet of the American
public, but by failed and bankrupt Muslim leadership, both here and abroad.
Now, if you want to send something to “American big wigs,” I
suggest distribution of Michener’s historic article, free of cost but with
valuable insight from a man with a powerful voice. What do you think?
Penning this letter has been a pleasure for me, and I trust
that you will give it an ear! If not, I feel that I have done my duty as a
Muslim!
My deepest respect and admiration for the noble work carried
out by CAIR, its staff and its supporters.
Sincerely,
Mohamad K. Yusuff
Posted October 11,
2009