Islamic Council Dilutes Anti-Terror Message

In addition to the Muslim anti-terrorism protest rally that was held outside the U.S. Courthouse the other day while underwear bomber Umar Farouk was being charged, some other Islamic leaders were protesting terrorism in their own way.

As reported in the Dearborn Press & Guide:

Shortly before [Abdulmutallab] appeared in court, Imam Mohammad Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights and other Muslims spoke at a press conference, condemning terrorism in the name of Islam.

Among those with Elahi were Victor Begg, chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan; Imam Mustapha Elturk of the Islamic Organization of North America; and Imam Mohammad Mardini of the American Muslim Center in Dearborn. The meeting was sponsored by the council and was held at the Michigan Round Table for Diversity and Inclusion in Detroit.

Each imam condemned all acts of terrorism as crimes against humanity and supported law enforcement agencies in their efforts to protect their fellow citizens, while preserving civil rights.

According to Joe Kaufman at Pajamas Media:

IONA is the American arm of Tanzeem-e-Islami (TI), a Nazi-style Islamist movement located in Pakistan, whose website preaches violence and hatred towards non-Muslims. The movement was founded by Israr Ahmad, a religious fanatic who, according to IONA’s website, had broken away from the Muslim Brotherhood affiliate Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in 1957 because of the group’s “involvement in the electoral politics.”

A couple of Ahmad’s favorite targets are Jews and Christians, whom he chillingly describes as “enemies of Islam.”

Ahmad brought his movement to America in 1993, under the name Tanzeem-e-Islami North America (TINA). In 2003, the organization changed its name to the Islamic Organization of North America (IONA), after Ahmad had appointed Mustapha “Steve” Elturk to be the group’s new leader.

Then there is Imam Mohammad Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom, an Iranian agent and heavy supporter of Hezbollah. Not that anyone has ever associated the Islamic Republic with terrorism, let alone Hezbollah.

Then we have Victor Begg, president of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan. Begg is not as closely tied to violent Islamic terrorism as Elahi, Elturk, and some others we could name. But his organization is always front and center in obstructing law enforcement efforts to penetrate domestic Islamist activities.

Here is CIMO in action last April, from The Jawa Report:

DETROIT – A Michigan Muslim organization said Thursday it has asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate complaints alleging the FBI is asking followers of the faith to spy on Islamic leaders and congregations.

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan sent a letter last week to Holder after mosques and other groups reported members of the community have been approached to monitor people coming to mosques and donations they make.

Remember, these guys announced on Friday that they "supported law enforcement agencies in their efforts to protect their fellow citizens," except when they're fighting like mad to interfere with those efforts.

As to the attempted Christmas Day bombing, Begg was reported in the Detroit News saying this: "The Muslim community is upset with what happened on Christmas Day, that this man tried to blow up the plane in the name of a faith in our own backyard."

Oh no he didn’t! Yes, he said “a faith.” Begg can go no farther than to say the Christmas Day attack was done in the name of a, unnamed, unrecognized, probably better-off-forgotten religion with which he and the Council of Islamic Organizations are not affiliated.

Maybe these philosophical differences are what kept these imams from joining their cause with that of Majed Moughni at the courthouse on Friday.