Yesterday I received a nice note from Jamal Miftah, the Pakistani immigrant who wrote a bold op-ed piece condemning al-Qaeda and terrorism in the name of Islam, and has suffered expulsion from the local mosque as a result:
I am Jamal Miftah and the unfortunate writer of an article against activities of Al Qaida. I still am unable to to give a rational reason to the unrational behaviour of the office bearers of Islamic Society of Tulsa, which amounted to gross vandalism in this civilized society and country. They have no shame or remorse todate and are constantly lying and shifting their position on the unfortunate occurance all the time. I can only pray for them and hope that their hearts will soften one day so that they can realize the pain and the suffering they have given to me and my family in the last 9 or 10 days. I thank you all for the much needed moral support.
I plan to continue to dig into this story and will keep you informed.
RELATED: Ali Eteraz, who posted an interview with Miftah which I linked, complains that no one in the "Rightosphere" is interested in staying with the story:
The rightosphere was all over the news about Jamal Miftah, the guy in Oklahoma who wrote an article condemning bin Laden and then subsequently got kicked out of his mosque. Good for the rightosphere.But once the rightosphere had done their celebratory dance about how there are no "moderate" Muslims, it went along on its merry way. Meanwhile, I went and talked to Miftah. You think the rightosphere would want to follow up on it since they are so serious about empowering moderates.
Not quite. I gave it a day and a half to see if any of the big boys — hell, even little boys — would pick up my conversation with Miftah. Plenty of my readers went out and touted it. Nada. Oh look its me, having to do it all by my effing self, yet again.
He has a point. A Technorati search turned up only two links to the interview. (Technorati seems to have missed my link.)
Comments (2)
I agree it is perplexing. The Council on Foreign Relations Pastor(Rick Warren)'s trip to Syria and subsequent promo on FOX touting his P.E.A.C.E. plan with Rupert Murdock's and Bill and Melinda Gates blessing seems to be an outreach to Terrorist's sponsors and Radical Islam. That would seem to suggest Republicans and Evangelicals have cast their lot with convincing the Radicals of the error of their ways (Fat chance in my opinion).
Posted by Twatch | December 1, 2006 11:26 AM
Posted on December 1, 2006 11:26
I am so sorry for this young man in that his mosque is retaliating against him in this manner. I also would be against any more mosques being built in this city if this is the stance they are going to take against a peaceful member of their religion.
I used to do alot of work in the neighborhood near that school and mosque. I wonder if the residents are somewhat fearful.
Posted by Jan Thomas | December 1, 2006 7:26 PM
Posted on December 1, 2006 19:26