Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, March 2009, pages 44-45
Southern California Chronicle
Under Umbrella of Islamic Relief USA, Muslim Leaders Launch Campaign to Assist Gaza
By Pat and Samir Twair
ON THE FOURTH day of Israel’s blanket bombing of Gaza, Muslim leaders called a news conference at the Islamic Center of Southern California to announce a multi-million-dollar campaign to supply humanitarian aid to the Palestinian victims of the world’s fourth largest military power.
The campaign will be under the auspices of Islamic Relief USA. Donations are also welcomed to ANERA, KinderUSA and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
When the floor was opened for questions, no local reporters raised their hands, so the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, decided to provide a different perspective on what was transpiring in Gaza.
Directing our question to Hussam Ayloush, executive director of CAIR-LA, we asked:
“Isn’t it an exercise in futility to give a press conference on the crisis in Gaza when the U.S. media parrots the mantra of George W. Bush and Israel that Israel must protect itself from unguided rockets while Israel rains down massive missiles from F-16s and Apache helicopters onto the people of Gaza?”
Ayloush responded that Israel’s propaganda machine is manipulating the American media, but that the rest of the world is aware of the facts. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid must be sent to Gaza.
MPAC Scores Media Jackpot
For days after the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s eighth annual convention in Long Beach on Dec. 20, TV viewers across the country repeatedly saw MPAC’s keynote speaker, Rev. Rick Warren, remark: “I love Muslims. I love Democrats and Republicans. And for the media’s purpose, I love gays and straights.”
If that weren’t enough, every music station showcased MPAC’s featured entertainers at the convention, Grammy-award winning Melissa Ethridge and Sufi rocker Salman Ahmad, singing “Ring the Bell for Peace.”
It wasn’t just a publicity stunt that prompted MPAC to ask Warren, the conservative pastor and author of the best-selling The Purpose Driven Life, to be keynote speaker. Adding to the controversy surrounding Warren’s selection was the outrage of the gay community ever since his Saddleback mega-church backed Proposition 8 recalling the right of gays to legally marry in California.
Hugging MPAC’s Dr. Maher Hathout, Warren disclosed that the two have been friends ever since MPAC had an interfaith picnic with his congregation in South Orange County years ago.
“Whoever came up with the idea you have to agree with someone to love them?” Warren asked. “You can’t learn about Muslims or gays from secondary sources. Get to know each other.”
The charismatic minister says he’s not a televangelist. He said his book earned him tens of millions of dollars in royalties and he has used these funds to found three foundations. “My wife and I have become reverse tithers—we give away 90 percent of our income and live on the remaining 10 percent,” he explained.
Juan Cole Analyzes Mideast Morass
Author and University of Michigan professor Juan Cole spoke at MPAC’s panel on “The Next American President.” After 9/11, the scholar stressed, the Republican Party no longer had the Red Menace of the Soviet Union to scare Americans with, so it conjured up the Green Menace of radical Muslims.
When Communists were vilified, Cole pointed out, the target was not an ethnic or religious group, but when Islam is depicted as the enemy, a faith based on ideals is targeted.
“You can’t have an Islamic burglar, you can only have a Muslim burglar,” he explained. “Rudy Giuliani got away with these kind of references, while Mitt Romney talked about an enemy caliphate as if he knew what one was.”
Cole opined that the first challenge facing the incoming president is to respect the Iraqi parliament’s short timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. He emphasized that Barack Obama must brush aside Robert Gates’ arguments for a permanent U.S. base with 40,000 troops.
Afghanistan and Pakistan present the second challenge to Obama, who, Cole warned, should refrain from bombing al-Qaeda in Pakistan and any frontal assaults on tribes in Waziristan.
“Back off,” he urged. “How can bombing Waziristan help? And tell Hillary there will be no nuking of anyone.”
Panel Addresses Mumbai Attacks
“The Aftermath of Mumbai” was the topic of a panel of experts at MPAC’s convention. According to ABC producer Kiran Khalid, the November terrorist attacks were the first time CNN and ABC worked with the Indian media on a breaking news story which attracted worldwide attention because there were U.S. and European victims.
“This was by no means India’s 9/11,” Khalid stated, “but Indian media is in its infancy and the story was sensationalized.”
Commented Varun Soni, dean of religious life at the University of Southern California: “There were more victims at the Mumbai train station, but they were poor Indians. The focus was on foreign victims in luxury hotels.”
In author Reza Aslan’s opinion, “Terrorism is a strategy, a tactic. The sole purpose of this attack was to target Westerners and monopolize the Western media. They captured the illusion of power through extensive media coverage.”
What the region needs, he argued, is a U.S. envoy to deal with Kashmir, India and Pakistan. His nominee would be former Ambassador Richard Holbrook, president of the Asia Society.
“Kashmiri Indians don’t see themselves as Indians,” Aslan said. “They want independence.”
Chimed in Khalid: “As long as anyone bombs the Northwest Frontier, there will be an increase of terrorism in the region.”
Heritage Awards Honor Pioneers
Annually since 2001, the Islamic Center of Southern California has honored its members who have contributed to this fast-growing Los Angeles institution.
Over the past 50 years, keynote speaker Ramsey Hakim pointed out, the center has established four Islamic schools and two endowment funds.
Amina Adaya was honored by her daughter and granddaughter, who said the center was regarded throughout the years as a part of their family.
Dr. Omar and Esmeralda Alfi were praised for their 35 years of dedication to the center since they came to the U.S. They were instrumental in founding the New Horizon School, rated a blue ribbon Islamic school in the U.S.
A very special tribute was paid to Dr. Ragaa Hathout by her granddaughter, Heba Hathout, a senior at Princeton University. Heba recalled how her physician grandmother cared for her after nursery school while her parents were busy graduate students. The patient grandmother taught Heba to speak Arabic, then to read it, and a close bond developed between them that grows stronger each day.
L.A. Mayor Defends His Support of Israel
Two days after Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Jan. 5 statement on the steps of the Jewish Federation Building in support of Israel’s land, sea and air attack on Gaza, Muslim leaders met privately with him in City Hall.
Leaders of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Council on American Islamic Relations and Islamic Shura Council said they will withdraw from the Los Angeles City Human Relations Commission’s Middle East Task Force until the mayor publicly recognizes the suffering of the Palestinian people in the wake of Israel’s attack.
While declaring Israel’s right to defend itself, the mayor agreed there should be a cease-fire and that Israel should not block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
“The mayor’s role isn’t to be a cheerleader for one side,” stated CAIR-LA executive director Hussam Ayloush. “He ought to be on the side of justice and peace.”
Concluded MPAC’s Salam al-Marayati “The mayor said he would show more sensitivity to the suffering of the Palestinians, and we’ll hold him accountable for that.”
As we went to press, MPAC was awaiting confirmation from the mayor’s office for Villaraigosa to appear at a public meeting at the Islamic Center of Southern California.
Pat and Samir Twair are free-lance journalists based in Los Angeles.
