CAIR provides books on Islam to US Libraries.....

[Ohioguy]

Thought this would be of interest to thoseof you that are interested in widening knowledge of Islam in the US.

Libraries revisit Islam

By Julia Duin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

In the tumultuous months after September 11, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations received a consistent message. 
Islam, it seemed, was not getting a fair representation in the country. The solution: promote a kinder and gentler Islam in the nation's 16,298 public libraries. 
The effort, called the Library Project, was announced at a press conference in September last year. A year later, CAIR has succeeded in ordering about 6,900 sets of 18 Islamic books, tapes, DVDs and videos for libraries nationwide. 
The effort coincided with librarians' frantic efforts to stock collections on anything to do with Islam, biological warfare, terrorism or Osama bin Laden — the mastermind of the September 11 attacks. 
By the time the CAIR project ends, almost $2.5 million will have been spent. It's a public relations bonanza for the lobbying group, which has been criticized for not adequately condemning Muslim extremism before and after September 11. In response, CAIR began issuing an even lengthier daily compendium of favorable media reports on Islamic issues, launched a year-long "Islam in America" ad campaign and kicked off the Library Project. 
CAIR's books exist in pockets around Washington-area libraries, according to a survey of Web sites for libraries in the District, as well as Montgomery, Prince George's, Arlington and Fairfax counties. 
Even though CAIR is based in the District, the city has received only one of the group's packets even though the Web site says 37 have been sent. 
Nevertheless, "With things going on in the Middle East and the library being charged with presenting a balanced view, there are [other] Islamic materials in our collection," said Dorsey Jones, adult collections manager for D.C. libraries. 
CAIR said it was investigating the matter. 
Many libraries, which have endured deep budget cuts this year because of shrinking state and federal revenues, have welcomed the project. Susan Woodcock, one of the book collectors for the Fairfax County Public Library, said all its 21 branches have a set of CAIR's books. 
"These books were useful and the staff was happy to have them," she said. 
"We've had a very high interest here on Islamic religion and life," said Elissa Miller, collection manager for Arlington County's library system, "so we have an extensive collection of materials on this matter." 
"I wouldn't have taken such a large donation had I not felt this was an area that needed additional materials," said Kay Ecelbarger, chief of collections and materials management for the Montgomery County library system. "A lot of things on that list were from mainstream sources, so they fit pretty well with the needs of librarians." 
Naysayers 
But some detractors say the books — which come with a set of Islamic posters — aren't presenting a balanced view on Islam. Some even call them a "Trojan horse" in the country's literary stacks. 
Robert Spencer, an adjunct fellow at the Free Congress Foundation, takes exception to a book by Paul Findley, "Silent No More: Confronting America's False Images of Islam," which he says calls American Muslim Council founder Abdurahman Alamoudi an "early pioneer in Muslim political activism" but quotes none of his statements supporting terrorist groups. 
"In October 2000, Mr. Alamoudi told 3,000 Muslim supporters in Washington's Lafayette Park, 'We are all supporters of Hamas [and] I am also a supporter of Hezbollah,' " Mr. Spencer said. "Alamoudi's inclusion in this book as a normal guy and a good American is a sign of the blinders people have on." 
Ibn Warraq, a former Muslim who has written several books critical of the religion, said the collection gives too rosy a view of Islam. 
"In a democracy, you cannot stop groups like CAIR from sending their propaganda," Mr. Warraq said. "Hopefully, the libraries will be more critical in what they accept. I hope they are careful these books [from CAIR] are not full of anti-Semitism, hatred against the West and non-Muslims." 
Mr. Warraq criticized Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation of the Koran, the best-known English version of the religious book, which is part of the package. He said it glosses over passages, such as Sura (chapter) IV. 34, speaking of women: "As for those whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them. ..." 
"Yusuf Ali," Mr. Warraq said, "clearly disturbed by this verse, adds the word 'lightly' in brackets after 'beat,' even though there is no 'lightly' in the original Arabic. An objective reading of the entire Koran — that is, the total context — makes grim reading as far as the position of women is concerned." 
Its goals 
CAIR's www.libraryproject.org site is not shy about its goals. 
"BRING ISLAM TO YOUR LIBRARY," it reads. 
"Now more than ever before, your local public library is interested in Islamic resources. But balanced and accurate materials are not always available or affordable. Working together, we can change this situation. You can sponsor a library today! 
"For only $150 (package value over $300), we'll send these enlightening materials to a library of your choice that is interested in receiving them. CAIR has embarked upon an ambitious campaign to put quality materials about Islam in all 16,000 public libraries in the United States. If every person or community agrees to sponsor up to 10 libraries, we will easily meet our goal, Insha'Allah (God willing). 
"You can help educate your fellow Americans about Islam as a religion of peace and justice that has a rich civilization and culture." 
The Web site says southern libraries in the Bible Belt — specifically Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana — have the highest percentage of orders for the Islamic books. New England and the Pacific Northwest have the lowest project participation. 
"In Charlotte [N.C.]," CAIR spokeswoman Rabiah Ahmed said, "Muslims pooled resources to give. One individual has donated thousands of dollars for this; another one says they will give to one library a month until the project is done. It's a way of getting out accurate information on Islam." 
No foreign government is financing the project, she said, adding that CAIR's goal is to move on to university libraries after all public libraries are serviced. 
Runia Jahan, director of customer service for Astrolabe Pictures, the Sterling-based distributor for the books as well as other Islamic materials, said she receives thank-you letters "daily" for the donations. 
What's in there 
The 18 items in the package are a collection of adult and children's books, plus videos and some audiotapes. One 70-minute tape, "The Life of the Last Prophet," written and produced by Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, is a biography of the Prophet Muhammad. 
Also included is one video: "The Hajj: One American's Pilgrimage to Mecca," a 22-minute segment that appeared on ABC-TV's "Nightline" about the yearly pilgrimage. Another, "Islam: A Closer Look," a 30-minute sympathetic glance at the religion, features Georgetown University professor John Esposito, a specialist on Islam, and former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon, a Muslim. 
One DVD, "Islam: Empire of Faith," a three-hour PBS special narrated by actor Ben Kingsley, tells "the spectacular story of the great sweep of Islamic power and faith during its first 1,000 years, from the birth of the Prophet Muhammad to the peak of the Ottoman Empire. Evocative re-enactments and a remarkable exposition of Islamic art, artifacts and architecture are combined with interviews with scholars from around the world," according to the Web site. 
    The CAIR material "was a pretty good supplement" to the county system's collections, she said, "but we are not open to donations that are vastly inferior and won't be checked out." 
Most of the CAIR books have been checked out twice or thrice since they arrived in January, she said, after doing a search of one of the system's busier branches. "The Idiot's Guide to Islam" has gone out 10 times. 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20031020-122538-4008r.htm

[Lajawab]

However I may feel about their interfaith stance, I believe and I know that what they are conveying to the people is the Truth…It is their way…I don’t accept it, but I respect it…They are doing great good, may Allah :swt: help and aid them in their task…Ameen…

Although a Sunni organisation, they have no stance against Shias…And I think that’s how we should be…Tolerance and I agree with them in that…

They have spoken out clearly on many issues collectively that you and I would have overlooked…Remember the Nike issue? So they are also restricting evil through mockery and promoting good…Amar bil-Ma’aruf, wa-Nahianil-Munkar…I think they are great…:k:

[eemo]

Just found this article.

Thought it might shed an interesting light on things.

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The following were guardians of Western thinking: Afghani, Rida and Abduh. Afghani served as a father for leaders and thinkers emerging after them. Afghani was the mentor of Rashid Rida and Abduh and many others. They were so successful and influential in their work, that Muslims in the past and present regard them as heroes and Islamic revivalists. That is because these individuals came at a time when Muslims were declined and bewildered at their condition in comparison to that of the West. Muslims were looking for the cause of their decline and a solution to it. However, they did not know what to do. These thinkers and leaders addressed the Muslims in order to change their situation. They presented themselves as doctors of the Ummah equipped with the diagnosis and remedy. They provided the Muslims with a new way of looking at themselves and at Islam. The solution they provided under the guise of remedy was in fact a poison; a remodelled Islam focusing on a new way of thinking. A way of thinking that had never been carried by Muslims throughout the entire history of Islam.

These thinkers propagated Islam as being mainly concerned with spiritual aspects, such as Salah, Fasting and Morals, and directed to the individual. They stated that only when each individual solved his/her own spiritual concerns then the Ummah's problems and concerns would be solved. They also stated that Islam does not provide specific rules, but rather general outlines related to the concerns of the Ummah as a group; such as its ruling system, economic system, and its declined position relative to the other nations. These issues were actually the core and axis of Islam's concern and instead of being treated as such, they were made insignificant. So, the individual was left to decide what he/she should do about his/her economic and political concerns. In the words of Mohamed Abduh, "Prophets do not come to explain details of material welfare but leave this to man's ingenuity, within the broad limits of sound religious faith." All these thinkers propagated this generalized and spiritualistic view of Islam.

In fact, the very being of Islam is concerned with the situation of mankind and the role of the Ummah in directing and organizing that situation through the issues of ruling, economics, social and international affairs. Only when Islam is used to correct the situation of the Ummah, both internally and in regards to other nations, can the individual's problems be solved. Islam presented these issues with specifics and details; specifics and details on how to bring these systems to life, how to implement and apply them, as well as how to carry them to other nations and people. Just as Islam provides the details of Salah, it also provides details of how to change Dar ul-Kufr to Dar ul-Islam from the basis of the constitution, as well as the laws and systems that emanate from it. It also defines the role, rights, and responsiblities of the ruling system toward the people, and that of the people towards the system. A quick glance at the Fiqh books such as Ahkam As-Sultaniyah by Al-Mawardi, Al-Kharaj by Abu Yosuf shows this nature of Islam. It is strange that anyone, moreover a 'scholar', can claim that Islam provides only general ideas about these systems and that Islam is restricted to the individual.

These thinkers asked the Muslims to compare themselves to the West. They said that Muslims lagged behind the West because they were still holding onto a thirteen century old understanding of Islam; an era when there was no science or the West. Therefore, they stated that Muslims had to reinterpret Islam in light of Western ideas and remodelled it to fit the new reality. Abduh stated, "any statement in the Quran has to agree with the canons of reason and that if literal sense of any statement does not conform, then an interpretation of the text must be sought which would reconcile the demands of reason." (Note for this reason he believed that Jinns are microscopic organisms like bacteria.) Similarly, author Nikkie R. Kiddie notes about Afghani, "he began what has been a continuing reinterpretation of Islam, emphasizing values vitally needed for life in the modern world... By seeking these values within the Islamic tradition instead of openly borrowing from the heretical West, Afghani was able to attain an influence on believing Muslims which was not shared by those who simply appropriated."

While sounding flowery and intellectually appealing, such claims actually contradict and undermine the basic belief in Allah as the law giver, in Muhammad as the messenger, and the message of the Quran and Sunnah. Islam was revealed by the Creator of the Universe, and is therefore practical and contemporary to the human situation and condition. Islam was revealed to Muhammad (saaws) to address and change the human conditions dealing with issues, problems and concerns of life. Since Muhammad (saaws) was sent to all people until the Day of Judgment, Islam always remains contemporary and practical. Islam must be believed and applied from the perspective of changing the reality according to its own unique view. Islam must not be changed or tampered with in order to fit and suit the reality. To do so would mean to change and tamper with the Aqeedah itself. So, the idea of 'not completely breaking with the past' means Muslims' rejection of the Islamic ruling system and initiation of a search for new and modern systems and values; in other words adoption of the Western culture. The goal behind this is to change Islam so as to subjugate Muslims to the Western power and culture, and to maintain that subjugation.

In order to fill the vacuum that would be left after the destruction of the Islamic State, these thinkers gave the Muslims new ideas regarding how to solve their daily problems. While Afghani prepared the Muslims to revolt against the Islamic State, he was recruiting members for secret Masonic societies, and scientific and cultural guilds. These gatherings served to establish new relationships between the people in the society modeling that of the West. The focus was on the elite and the intellectuals. The scientists met in their secret societies and discussed the problems of the Islamic State from the angle of its scientific backwardness and the need to adopt Western scientific achievements and Western way of thinking. So, Abduh stated, "Our first duty is to endeavor with all our might to spread science throughout the country." Those concerned with the issues of politics met in their secret societies discussing the political backwardness of the Islamic State and the need to adopt western political models along with western way of thinking. The same applied to those concerned with the issues of literature, economy, military, and agriculture, to name a few. So when the State was destroyed, these elite and the 'concerned' became the new pillars of the society and consequently, institutions were developed with this new Western organization and Western way of thinking. This structure and relationship in the Muslim world remains to this very day. Islamic lands are divided into 50+ nations, and each nation has institutions modelled after the West such as banks, theatres and cinemas, civil courts and houses of parliament. Also Western culture is being taught through the curricula and media. Since Muslims were prepared to make a 'break with the past' and to accept the new Western model, the destruction of the State and the subsequent restructuring of the Muslim societies occurred openly.

The impact of the above-mentioned ideas on later generations including the present one is strong and deeply rooted. These ideas can be seen at work even among Muslims in the West. These ideas, however, have taken an American shape. In the past few years, the call for participation in the American Political System has taken centre stage. Many Muslim Organizations, including AMC, ISNA, and ICNA, have joined together in leading the Muslims to participate in the American Political Process. These calls are built on the following contemporary version of the Afghani-Abduh-Rida ideas:

[eemo]

The idea that Muslims should maintain an American Muslim identity, is built on their proposal. As the argument goes, Muslims in America are part of the American nation. They have their own American problems and concerns. Therefore, they must consider themselves different from the Muslims in other parts of the world. As an example, in an interview in ‘The Muslim World’ journal, the editor of the 'Minaret Magazine said, “It [The Minaret Magazine] is a voice that calls upon Muslims to realize that their survival in the West means that they must recognize that they are American Muslims.” He even went as far as saying. “We [the Muslims in America] are the West!”
The call for Muslims in America to form political blocs and to lobby the American Congress for the rights of American Muslims is built upon Abduh’s idea that “Prophets do not come to explain details of material welfare but leave this to man’s ingenuity, within the broad limits of sound religious faith.” The argument reasons that as long as Muslims keep the spirit of Islam, they can borrow from the West and even use its system to secure their rights like any other minority in America. It is very common to hear the above organizations asking Muslims to vote and learn from the political blocs of Jews, Italians and Gays. As quoted in the Christian Science Monitor on February 5, 1996, one of the Muslims said, “we need a lobby, something like the Jews have, or the gays, that is effective in getting your point across.”
The call for a new Islam, to re-interpret it to fit the American reality is built on the two abovementioned ideas. Since we are American Muslims living as a minority, we need a new interpretation of Islam - an American Islam. This remodelled Islam will oblige Muslims to participate in legislative elections, permit them to take Riba, dictate Eid celebration by local, American, moon sighting, and command them to become American Muslims and good American citizens.
Organizations such as the American Fiqh Council, School of Islamic Social Sciences (SISS), AMC and others are operating as American contemporaries to Afghani, Abduh, and Rida. A member of the American Fiqh Council stated that “A lot of Muslims mistakenly believe that Islamic Law is rigid… In Islam every generation must make sure of its own environment… We can find new interpretations of Islam in North American and a relaxing of literal fifteen century old model of Islam.” The mission statement of SISS says that it “is designed to graduate Imams whose mission is to bridge the gap between Western civilization and Islam.” Moreover, in a seminar held in Columbia University on May 3, 1997, the speakers (consisting of three Muslims and three Kafir ‘scholars’) in general, and Evvon Haddad in particular, asked the Muslims to re-interpret Islam based upon ideas like feminism and pluralism. When questioned about her status as a non-Muslim bringing such ideas, Haddad stated unequivocally that she was quoting directly from the agenda of SISS and other Muslim organizations!

One may argue that there is no direct connection between the Afghani-Abduh-Ridaian ideas and the ideas of Muslims living today. However, the organizations mentioned above and their leaders proudly profess to be contemporaries of Afghani, Abduh, Rida and their students. They openly state that their work is a continuation of the Afghani-Abduh-Ridalian legacy. Speeches of many contemporary ‘scholars’ and ‘leaders’ begin with a Quranic ayah, a hadith, and a quote from Afghani, respectively. The work of Afghani, Abduh, Rida and the like, must not be viewed as being separate and isolated from that of their contemporaries. The work of these contemporaries is the continuation of the Kufr, European and Western, ideological campaign against Islam and Muslims, with one difference. In the past, Europe’s goal was to keep Muslims away from Islam. Now, the American/Western policy is to have Muslims fully and completely adopt Western-Liberal Democracy in the branches and roots of Islam.

Muhammad 'Abduh was also renowned for his attempts at distorting tafseer literature and introducing corrupted interpretations of the Quran. There is a clear risk to the deen of Allah in the explanation of many verses like Muhammad 'Abduh’s tafseer, for example his explanation of the verse :‘And whosoever does not judge by what Allahhas revealed, such are the Fasiqun (transgressors).’[5:44] He permitted the Muslims of India to adopt English laws and submit to the rulings of English judges. Muhammad 'Abduh mentioned in volume six from the Tafseer of the Wise Qur’an widely known as al-Manar in the tafseer of sura al-Maida when he explained His (swt)saying :‘And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the Fasiqun (transgressors).’[5:44] When in pages 406-409 he was asked : Is it permitted for a Muslim to be employed by the English to rule by English laws some of which constitutes ruling by other than what Allah has revealed ? He gave a long reply: ‘In short, the abode of war (dar al-harb) is not a place for the establishment of the rules of Islam, therefore it is obligatory to make hijra unless there is an excuse or benefit for the Muslims due to which he will be safe from the fitna (test) on his deen. It is incumbent on the one who resides (in India) to serve the Muslims according to the best of his abilities and to strengthen the rules of Islam as much as he can. And there is no means of strengthening the influence of Islam and protecting the interests of the Muslims like the assuming of government posts especially if the government is lenient and fairly just between all nations and religions like the English government. It is well known that the laws of this country is closer to the Islamic Shari’a more than others because it delegates most matters to the ijtihad of judges. So whoever is qualified to be a judge in Islam and takes up a post in the judiciary in India with the correct aim and good intention, it is possible for him to do a great service for the Muslims. It is obvious that the abandonment of the judiciary and other government posts, by the people of knowledge and insight due to being sinful for working according to their laws, will forfeit the interests of the Muslims in their deen and dunya.’ Then he said : ’ It is obvious from all of this that the Muslim’s acceptance to work in the English government in India ‘and any other similar work’ and his ruling according to their laws is a dispensation (rukhsa) which comes under the principle of doing the lesser of two evils if there is no ‘azeema by which support of Islam and protecting the interests of Muslims is intended’

When discussing the reality of Muslims in America relative to the Muslims in the Muslim World, these contemporaries cite the example of the Muslims’ migration to Abysinia. They claim that Muslims seeking help and protection of Negus in Abysinya gives them an endorsement to function according to their above mentioned agenda. If one looks at the migration of Muslims from Mecca to Abysiniya, it is obvious that the Muslims never considered the avenues taken by these Muslim organizations. Muslims migrated to Abysinya without deviating from the goal, the concerns, the work, or the way of thinking of Muslims in Mecca. For this reason, they never considered themselves as Abysinian Muslims. There was a time when revealing the correct ideas and culture of Islam could have resulted in being expelled from Abysinya. Regardless, the Muslims did not hide or change Islam to fit their new reality in Abysiniya. They were willing to accept the consequences of openly discussing Islam. Based upon this, Negus granted them permission to remain in Abysinya. The Muslims were steadfast in their Islamic way of thinking, which is why they said among themselves, “By Allah, we will say only what Allah has said and only what has come to us from our messenger. What is going to happen, will happen.” They realized that they were Muslims living in Abysinya and they were not there to become part of that Kufr Abysinyan society. They maintained the link to Islam and to Muslims outside Abysinya. They preserved their identity and way of thinking according to Islam and passed it on, intact, to their children. Due to this realization and preservation of the Islamic mentality and culture, they and their children, were able to migrate to the Islamic State in Medina with the Islamic identity intact.

In view of this, Muslims must realize that their and their children’s future does not lie in participating in elections, being American Muslims, or in seeking short term national, communal, and individual solutions. Rather, the future should be viewed in line with the Abysinyan Muslims: which is to preserve Islam’s unique view of life, way of thinking and culture, and to pass it on, intact, to the next generation, such that their and their children’s direction in life, likes and dislikes, values and affairs of life would be rendered by Islam and Islam alone. Only this will give them the 'izzah from Allah in the shape of the resumption of the Islamic way of life in Muslim lands and the leadership in the world. Only this will make them and their children tell the propagators of the Afghani-Abduh-Ridalian model of Islam that “By Allah, we will say and do only what Allah has said and only what has come to us from our messenger. What is going to happen, will happen.” This is the correct side of change.

afghani, rido and abdou

[Munni]

Thanks for sharing Ohioguy. I've read some of the books in that package, as I used to work for CAIR, and I can tell you they are great books to read. Especially the biography of Muhammad(SAW). The videos are also very well done.