OF QU'RAN BURNINGS, MOSQUE PROTESTS AND AUSCHWITZ

Muslim Scholars of America at Dachau Concentration Camp

Amid all the the intolerance the US has been embroiled in the past few months, there was a beacon of hope out faintly shining. A group of eight Muslim American Imams outside the Dachau concentration camp in Germany prostrated themselves in prayer. The clerics were part of President Obama's envoy to combat anti-Semitism on a trip to Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps. Accompanying the clerics were current and former US officials from the Reagan, Bush and Obama administrations who joined Hannah Rosenthal. Rosenthal lost much of her family in Auschwitz. The consensus of the group was the trip was transformational. They issued the following statement:

We met survivors who, several decades later, vividly and bravely shared their horrific experience of discrimination, suffering, and loss. We saw the many chilling places where men, women and children were systematically and brutally murdered by the millions because of their faith, race, disability and political affiliation.

In Islam, the destruction of one innocent life is like the destruction of the whole of humanity and the saving of one life is like the saving of the whole of humanity (Holy Qu’ran, al-Ma’idah “the Tablespread” 5:32). While entire communities perished by the many millions, we know that righteous Muslims from Bosnia, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, and Albania saved many Jews from brutal repression, torture and senseless destruction.

We bear witness to the absolute horror and tragedy of the Holocaust where over twelve million human souls perished, including six million Jews.

We condemn any attempts to deny this historical reality and declare such denials or any justification of this tragedy as against the Islamic code of ethics.

We condemn anti-Semitism in any form. No creation of Almighty God should face discrimination based on his or her faith or religious conviction.

We stand united as Muslim American faith and community leaders and recognize that we have a shared responsibility to continue to work together with leaders of all faiths and their communities to fight the dehumanization of all peoples based on their religion, race or ethnicity. With the disturbing rise of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hatred, rhetoric and bigotry, now more than ever, people of faith must stand together for truth.

Together, we pledge to make real the commitment of “never again” and to stand united against injustice wherever it may be found in the world today.

Imam Muzammil Siddiqi

Islamic Society of Orange County, Calif.

Chairman, Fiqh Council of North America

Imam Muhamad Maged

All-Dulles-Area Muslim Society

Dulles, Va.

Vice President, Islamic Society of North America

Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed

National Director

Office of Interfaith & Community Services

Islamic Society of North America

Washington, D.C.

Imam Suhaib Webb

Muslim Community Association

Santa Clara, Calif.

Ms. Laila Muhammad

Daughter of the late Imam W.D. Muhammad

Chicago, Ill.

Shaikh Yasir Qadhi

Dean of Academics

Al Maghrib Institute

New Haven, Conn.

Imam Syed Naqvi

Director

Islamic Information Center

Washington, D.C.

Imam Abdullah T. Antepli

Muslim Chaplain

Duke University

Durham, N.C.

Ironically, no good deed goes unpunished, Anti-Defamation League’s Abe Foxman lobbied U.S. officials against participating.

Rest assured I didn't find this story on Fox news, but rather CNN, which caused me to poke around a bit more.

________

Source: Political Monkey

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ‘Wonders of Pakistan’. The contents of this article too are the sole responsibility of the author(s). WoP will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this post.

YOUR COMMENT IS IMPORTANT

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR COMMENT

Wonders of Pakistan supports freedom of expression and this commitment extends to our readers as well. Constraints however, apply in case of a violation of WoP Comments Policy. We also moderate hate speech, libel and gratuitous insults.

http://politicalmonkey2010.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/of-quran-burnings-mosque-protests-and-auschwitz/