Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January/February 2006, pages 65-66

Muslim-American Activism

American Imam Under Scrutiny

SINCE the tragic events of 9/11 American Muslims have been living and working under stress. A very small group of men who caused the 2001 tragedy has compromised the safety and security of Muslims living in America, especially immigrants who came to this country for the level playing field and opportunities for growth it provides. While today their comfort level may not be the same as when they arrived, in most cases they are convinced that this is the place to raise their families.

Hundreds of mosques and community centers have sprung up throughout the country in recent years. One of the largest, ADAMS, an acronym for All Dulles Area Muslim Society, is located in northern Virginia just outside of Washington, DC. Time magazine assigned correspondent Douglas Waller to interview over a two-week period ADAMS Center director Imam Mohammed Magid, 40, an immigrant from Sudan. However, the three-page interview with Magid which appeared in Time’s Nov. 21 issue has created a small controversy.

Waller attended ADAMS meetings that Magid addressed, covered his sermons at the Friday congregations, and was even present at the FBI’s monthly meeting with imams, which included Magid.

In a response to the Time magazine article, published on ADAM’s Web site, Magid has disputed certain statements attributed to him by Waller. He has denied approving pre-marital and/or extra-marital “safe sex,” or being casual about the consumption of alcohol, which is prohibited by Islam. Magid and his assistant have used the pulpit on the Friday congregations to “clarify” his position, and he even appeared on a Chicago radio talk show to defend himself.

Over the years Magid has gained the confidence of the community, of which he is a member in good standing. While the ADAMS community does not question him on such issues, some members are uncomfortable about his association with the FBI. Currently caught between a rock and a hard place, Magid will have to tread carefully—at least for some time—and convince the community that he is staying in touch with the FBI as part of his service to American Muslims.

Over 2,000 mosques and Islamic community centers across the country most likely are watching with interest to see how the ADAMS situation plays out. For all we know, people may even forget the Time article sooner rather than later.

—M.M. Ali