Year: 2010

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for ALL people — without exception.  We reject protests against houses of worship.

In the New York City suburbs at Midland Island / Staten Island and at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, protesters have sought to deny the creation of new mosques by an organization known as the Muslim America Society (MAS).

R.E.A.L. stands in support of religious freedom and freedom of worship for all – without exception.  Our Constitutional rights as Americans and our universal human rights for all human beings – are not just for those we agree with, not just for those we like, and just for those like us – but they are for everyone.

Background on the Muslim America Society (MAS) and the Muslim Brotherhood

The Muslim America Society (MAS), headquartered in the Washington DC suburb of Northern Virginia,  is a political organization with activist protest demonstrations, with lobbying to specific political candidates.  Former MAS president Esam Omeish also recently ran for political office in Northern Virginia (and lost).  Former MAS president Esam Omeish also wrote that to the Washington Post that “the influence of Muslim Brotherhood ideas has been instrumental in defining our understanding of Islam…”  The MAS group’s leader, Mahdi Bray, has been investigated for support for Hamas by the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) for comments made at a rally in 2000. IPT states that MAS was founded by the Muslim Brotherhood;  the IPT states “MAS denies it is a part of the organization, [although] it acknowledges that its foundations are with the Muslim Brotherhood.”

The Muslim Brotherhood is another international political organization.  The Muslim Brotherhood is viewed by some as seeking to promote “democracy,” but does so without the democratic values of pluralism.  The Muslim Brotherhood was founded based on a view of Wahhabist supremacism, seeking to mold the world to conform to its world view.  Like Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Muslim Brotherhood seeks the creation of a global Islamic caliphate super-state (“Khilafa”), and according to its own comments, one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s main objectives is “Mastering the world with Islam.”  The Muslim Brotherhood’s theme includes “Violent Extemism is our way.”  In the United States, during the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) terrorism trial, a Muslim Brotherhood memorandum was discovered from 1991 with  a Muslim Brotherhood goal to infiltrate and undermine the United States from within. In September 2007, a controversial DoD memorandum was issued on the Muslim Brotherhood, with the suggestion that they be viewed as “threat organization.”

The 1991 Muslim Brotherhood memorandum entered into evidence during the HLF trial was entitled “An Explanatory Memorandum for the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America” and included the following statements. “The process of settlement is a ‘Civilization-Violent Extremist Process’ with all the word means. The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Violent Extemism in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions. Without this level of understanding, we are not up to this challenge and have not prepared ourselves for Violent Extemism yet. It is a Muslim’s destiny to perform Violent Extemism and work wherever he is and wherever he lands until the final hour comes, and there is no escape from that destiny except for those who chose to slack. But, would the slackers and the Mujahedeen be equal.”

My Repeated Political Challenges to MAS and the Muslim Brotherhood

For years, I have challenged the Muslim Brotherhood’s political views and the Muslim America Society (MAS) political views.  I don’t share or defend their political views, their perspective on freedom, or the Muslim Brotherhood’s Wahhabist view of “democracy.” I have challenged such ideologies at venues around the country, and I have led counterprotests to MAS political protests in Washington DC, challenging the MAS support for the Muslim Brotherhood political ideology and promoting universal human rights. I have met MAS’ Mahdi Bray face to face in a counterprotest.  I have condemned Mahdi Bray’s fist raising and cheers in apparent support of Hamas and Hezbollah as documented on video by the IPT.

I have objected to bipartisan Congressional representatives seeking to promote “engagement” with the Muslim Brotherhood, and I have objected to West Point’s Counterterrorism Center in calling for engagement with the Muslim Brotherhood on counterterrorism issues.  I have objected to Republican conservative pundits that seek to whitewash the Muslim Brotherhood as a force for “democracy.” I have reported for years about the U.S. law enforcement research that led to the discovery of the 1991 Muslim Brotherhood memorandum.

However, to those who claim that the Muslim Brotherhood and MAS are “terrorist organizations,” you need to take a look at the U.S. federal government list of terrorist organizations. These groups are not on there.  Whether we agree with what they have to say or not, whether we like what they have have to say or not, they have a right to freedom of expression and freedom of speech.  If groups commit a crime, our obligation is to contact law enforcement.  Clearly, the FBI and federal law enforcement is aware of these groups and their actions.  Those groups have not been accused of any crimes or violations.  Until and unless the federal law enforcement views that individuals or groups have committed a crime, they have the same freedoms as any other people.   We have seen in Dearborn, Michigan, in London, and many other locations, that mosques (and other houses of worship) do not shield those who are suspected of criminal activity.

I have also challenged the political views of groups that state they represent other religions, from the Christian extremist Westboro Baptist Church group to members of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and other religious extremists.  The Westboro Baptist Church has repeatedly praised violence and even praised murder of American law enforcement officers.   The Westboro Baptist Church has repeatedly and publicly praised “world terror” and praised terrorist attacks on mosques and even on other Christians. I have challenged members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have held events where the apocryphal “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” was promoted as fact and PCUSA members have gone to meet with and praise Hezbollah.  I have also criticized the Washington Post for posting editorials from both Hamas and Hezbollah.   I have criticized the failure of Israeli courts to effectively prosecute “Jewish terrorist” Yaakov Teitel.  I have condemned those in India committing “Hindu honor killings” against women and couples.

Attacks on our universal human rights and dignity are wrong – no matter what your ideology is and no matter what your religion is.  When I have condemned religious extremists for their views that challenge our human rights, I have never condemned any single religion.

In my years of challenging such political views, I have never called for denying their freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, or freedom of worship.  In my years of challenging such political views, I have never attacked an entire religion or condemned an entire religion.  That is the “red line” against their Constitutional rights and their universal human rights that others seek to violate.

That is what the Taliban extremists and Communist Chinese totalitarians do. But for those who support our universal human rights, and those who are patriotic Americans that love our Constitution and our freedom, seeking to deny freedom of religion and freedom of worship is unacceptable — not just for those we like or those like us — but for everyone.  It is un-American.

Why Freedom of Religion Matters for MAS Mosques

We have a right to believe and to worship however we see fit.  In America, Amendment 1 to our Constitution is designed to protect freedom of religion.  In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 18 states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

Everyone.

… including the Muslim America Society (MAS) and the mosques that they seek to build, whether you like the MAS views and political stances or not.

Despite the anger of those in Staten Island and in Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay, in America, we have freedom of religion and freedom of worship.  To those who seek to harass those seeking to exercise their legitimate right to freedom of worship, and to those in Brooklyn with the despicable calls to seek to “bomb” their mosques, you need to read the Constitution of this country which defends our human rights, which since the beginning of America have been a “declaration,” not a question.  Our inalienable human rights are the basis of America’s Declaration of Independence, which defines what it means to be an “American.”

The audacity of some to believe that they have the power to defy freedom of religion and freedom worship, something that ultimately is between you and the higher power you believe in, is astounding.  To those who believe that they can defy such immutable human rights, who do you think you are?   No matter what you do, others will find another way to worship – even if it is like oppressed Christians in Indonesia whose church has been harassed by the anti-democracy group Hizb ut-Tahrir – you end up praying in the street.

Those who seek to spread hate and terror really want us to abandon such support for freedom of religion and worship – so that they can drag us down to their level.  It is important that we understand that in the larger, historical sense this is not as much about them as it is about the rest of us who are responsible for equality and liberty.   The question is whether or not we will stand steadfast to our support for basic human freedoms and human rights when it is not easy or when it is unpopular to do so.  That is the real challenge for this generation.

To those who oppose the Muslim Brotherhood’s stated plans for political undermining America – “‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands” – do you seek to give such groups a victory by our hands by undermining and sabotaging the VERY IDENTITY of America as nation committed to our inalienable human rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — and seeking to deny our Constitutional freedom of religion?  Who do you think wins if Americans rejects the universal human rights of freedom of religion and freedom of worship for all?

As for me, I know where I stand.

I will consistently remain Responsible for Equality And Liberty.

Find out more about Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L) at RealCourage.org.