My Withdrawal From CAIR Event; Update

On April 22^nd, I was at a meeting with Nihad Awad, the head of CAIR National, but more of that later.

I was a table captain at the up-coming CAIR (Council on Islamic American Relations) fundraiser and was well on my way to having two tables filled until CAIR National appeared to support the Tomahawk bombing of Syria and within the same period, another CAIR chapter had made vile statements against a Shia spiritual leader. For years, CAIR has appeared to hold a position of supporting causes that had Sunni Muslims as victims and at best, remained silent on causes where Shia Muslims were the target. This time, it was too much for me; I told CAIR-WA that unless steps were taken to reject these clear acts of sectarian bigotry, I would resign my role as table captain for the fundraiser. At that point, a CAIR board member labeled my call as “blackmail” and suggested I resign anyway so I did. Since my resignation was public (FB April 12^th), I was criticized by some Muslim friends that my actions hurt CAIR and I should not have helped destroy CAIR. This reminded me of a story (Hadith) about the prophet Mohammed:

• “Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed person”, said the Prophet. A companion asked: “Messenger of Allah, I will help him if he is an oppressed person, but please tell me how I am to help if he happens to be an oppressor?”. The Prophet answered: “Check him from doing injustice, because preventing him from committing aggression is a help to him”. (Ibn  Malik)

Oh Syria!

When I read details of what is going on in Syria, it breaks my heart. I wonder about the heartlessness of a regime that drops barrel bombs filed with shrapnel, on crowded places. I wonder about the calculated cruelty, the so-called “strategic necessity” of supporting one side against another, that the US practices.

In the Headlines: Syria, Egypt, Israel & Maj. Nidal

There is enough material in the headlines regarding Syria, Egypt, Israel and Maj. Nidal, to fill a small book…for each!

Syria.

This is a most difficult area to be considering, the choices are ALL unpleasant, the repercussions awful and good answers are Zero. We already know the horrors Bashar Al-Assad has been raining down on his people, on the majority Sunni population. What began as a Sunni speaking out, joined by many Shia, was quickly turned into a factional war between Shia and Sunni and is now on the verge of becoming an Shia-Sunni existential civil war from which there is no going back. The situation created by Assad and now the “neighbors” is such that the Shia and the Sunni are each afraid that should the other win, they will be annihilated, so the battle is on.

We have an number of countries that are arrayed against Assad or, the Shia or, both. These countries include the USA, Arabia, Qatar and to lesser degree, Egypt, Turkey and Israel; an interesting alliance of distrust, all for their own, differing reasons, but since the enemy of my enemy is my friend, these countries are happy to dance with each other….for now.

As the “Muslim World” disintegrates…

Pakistan. Newsflash that more people have been killed in Karachi, shot in sectarian attacks. Areas of Karachi are “no-go” for Pathans (Pashtuns) and other areas are “no-go” for Urdu-speaking (“Muhajirs”).

The ethnic battles are fired and fuelled by ethnic-political leaders who are in regional government and have employed thugs to create greater rifts between ethnic people in order to be more powerful within their own ethnic groups.

Hate and Fear are universal in creating leadership.

 

Pakistan’s ethnic splits occur between Pathans, Punjabis, Sindhis, Mohaijrs and Baloch…all fired and fuelled by