CAIR: Wiesenthal Museum and Islam

[CAIR]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
1050 17th Street, N.W., Suite 490
Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel: 202-659-CAIR (2247)
Fax: 202-659-2254
E-mail: ca...@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMERICAN MUSLIMS SAY MUSEUM ASSOCIATED WITH WIESENTHAL
CENTER PROMOTES INTOLERANCE TOWARD ISLAM

(WASHINGTON, DC - 12/3/97) - A coalition of American Muslim
organizations today called on the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to alter an exhibit that
group leaders claim promotes intolerance toward Islam and
Muslims. In a letter to Wiesenthal Center Founder and Dean
Rabbi Marvin Hier, the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and the Islamic
Shura Council of Southern California made the following
points:

"1) The museum, which is often portrayed as providing a
standard by which intolerance is to be judged, lacks
references to anti-Islamic bigotry. Our organizations deal
with anti-Muslim stereotyping, bigotry, discrimination, and
actual violence on a daily basis. This growing trend is not
reflected in museum exhibits. An example: The short film
shown to museum visitors deals with genocide in several
parts of the world. It is very specific in references to
Jews, Tutsis, Hutus, etc. But when Bosnia is mentioned, the
narrator says 'they massacred each other,' with no specific
reference to the Bosnian Muslims who were the target of
genocide.

2) The museum contains several displays that could raise the
existing level of intolerance toward Muslims and Islam. For
example:
a) The 'Wall of Demagogues' contains a very offensive
juxtaposition of Hitler and the Ayatollah Khomeini. Whatever
one thinks of Khomeini, to place his image alongside that of
Hitler can only serve to equate Islam with Nazism.
b) Both images of Ayatollah Khomeini show his hand extended
in a 'Nazi' salute.
c) The display on 'Holy War' indicates the cause of the
Crusades was 'atrocities of Moslem rule in Jerusalem.'
d) In one display, stamps of Soviet-era Eastern bloc
countries and others with images of Hitler and Mussolini are
shown with stamps from Iran, Iraq and Libya. The clear
impression is that Islam is to be regarded in the same light
as Nazism and Fascism.

3) The museum bookstore contains materials that use
intolerance to fight intolerance. The book 'The Truth Behind
The Secret relationship Between Black and Jews' by Harold
Brackman states: 'This (slave) trade was in the hands not of
Jew but of Muslim merchants who made 'Arab' Synonymous with
'slaver' and also supplied the Atlantic slave trade.' (p. 2)
Again, whatever one thinks of the Nation of Islam's
theories, it is unconscionable to merely redirect its
vitriol to another target.

4) The activities associated with the museum, such as the
'Tools for Tolerance' program, receive public funds. Some of
these funds come from the American Muslim community."

(Points 1 and 2 above were discussed at a meeting in early
November between staff of the center's "Tools for Tolerance"
program and representatives of the Muslim community.)

The letter concluded with several requests:
"1) The short film should be altered to include specific
references to the attempted genocide of Bosnian Muslims.
2) The 'Wall of Demagogues' should be reviewed and modified
so as not to foster hate against Muslims.
3) Bookstore materials should be screened for inappropriate
content.
4) American Muslims should be included in the
decision-making, activities planning and training processes
of the museum."

"The goal of fighting intolerance should be a top priority
for every religious and ethnic group, but you cannot fight
intolerance with intolerance," said CAIR Executive Director
Nihad Awad. Awad added that in the past year alone, more
than 10,000 law enforcement officials, educators and
government employees took part in the Wiesenthal Center's
"Tools for Tolerance" program. "The lessons learned, or not
learned, by the program participants can have a direct
impact on the lives of ordinary American Muslims who face
unacknowledged bias, stereotyping and discrimination," said
Awad.

CAIR issues an annual report on the status of American
Muslim civil rights. Last year's report recorded a
three-fold rise in anti-Muslim incidents.

There are an estimated six million Muslims in America and
some 1.2 billion worldwide. Demographers say Islam is one of
the fastest growing religions in this country and around the
world.

- END -

--
____________________________________________________________________

_____ _____ _____ Council on American-Islamic Relations
/ ____| /\ |_ _| __ \ 1050 17th Street N.W., Suite 490
| | / \ | | | |__) | Washington, D.C. 20036
| | / /\ \ | | | _ / Tel: (202) 659-CAIR (2247)
| |____ / ____ \ _| |_| | \ \ Fax: (202) 659-2254
\_____/_/ \_\_____|_| \_\ E-mail: ca...@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org

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[Thomas Crescenzi]

CAIR wrote:

> Jews, Tutsis, Hutus, etc. But when Bosnia is mentioned, the
> narrator says 'they massacred each other,' with no specific
> reference to the Bosnian Muslims who were the target of
> genocide.

please, let's not get revisionist here. islam is the religion of truth,
is it not? what about the croats who were slaughtered by the serbs as
well? it was not a religious issue inasmuch it was an ethnic issue and
all sides were victims and all sides were aggressors. genocide did not
only take place in bosnia-hercegovina, but also in serbia and croatia.

> Brackman states: 'This (slave) trade was in the hands not of
> Jew but of Muslim merchants who made 'Arab' Synonymous with
> 'slaver' and also supplied the Atlantic slave trade.' (p. 2)

i think we as muslims need to stop sidestepping this issue. we need to
address it as such: yes, arabs, nominally muslims, were the driving
force behind the african slave trade, but it was a consequence of the
actions of people who were not following the guidance of islam and is
not representative of the ideals or fundamentals of islam, similar to
the fact that the spanish inquisition was not very christ-like and the
image of christianity should not be tarnished by it. neither side of
the arab african slave trade is going to be healed by denial.

reza
w...@cris.com