In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
Open Letter To Congressman Peter King Congressman, Peter King, Third District, has launched a massive strike against American-Muslims on radio, TV and in Newsday, of what can best be described as WMD – Words of Mass Distortion. Some of the charges he has leveled against the seven-million 2) Lack of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and Muslim leadership: Muslims and 2,000-plus mosques include: Eighty-five percent of the mosques have “extremist leadership”; Muslims have not cooperated with law enforcement agencies; Islamic religious leaders are “the enemy living amongst us” and that he has been “walled out” when he has tried to talk with them…Muslims have not condemned 9/11 terrorists.
I was invited and met the Director of the FBI, Mr. Robert Mueller, in Washington, along with several other Muslim, Arab, and Sikh leaders from across the USA, resulting in several joint initiatives between these communities and the FBI.
In an interview Mr. Mueller granted to the Minaret MagaThese serious charges hit home when in the February 12th zine, America’s largest American-Muslim magazine, on Newsday article: “King’s Remarks Outrage Muslims;” I read April 23, 2003, Director Mueller thanked the Muslim comthat his views were “crystallized for him” after he read that munity and said that “some Jewish attendees walked out” at a presentation I “American-Muslims had been alert, and they have alerted made at Temple Beth El at a Sabbath eve service in October us of situations where individuals may represent concern. 2001. I find it very helpful that a great number of our investigators have received help from Americans, in fact Muslim1) Extremists In Leadership Positions: Americans. When I met with Muslim-American leaders, Responding to these accusations, Rabbi Jerome K. Davidson, they do believe that it is important for our various comSenior Rabbi at Temple Beth El, wrote: munities to be alert because nobody wants another terrorist attack”. The Jewish congregants who “walked out” were simply leaving to attend a party celebrating the naming of a baby in the family that had taken place earlier in the service. The Newsday reporter absurdly chose this to highlight and thereby misrepresented the true value of the evening. Representative King, to my knowledge, was not in attendance at the service and unfortunately chose to base his view regarding “extremist” leaders of mosques on an erroneous article. The Islamic Center and Temple Beth-El represent the best hope of understanding between American-Muslims and Jews. Congressman King’s comments are indeed disappointing to those who care about strengthening such important bonds in this country. In a recent visit to ICLI Rabbi David Rosen, the Israel – based director of inter religious affairs for American Jewish Committee said- “in a very short time you have become a beacon of light” -Newsday December 15, 2003.
Congressman King addressing ICLI gathering as part of his fundraising campaign