New Trend Magazine (www.newtrendmag.org)

[Biggest Islamic web site in the U.S.]
P.O. Box 356, Kingsville, MD 21087.
Phone: 410-435-5000.

Disclaimer: Views expressed are not necessarily shared by editorial committee.
Responses (positive or negative) up to 250 words are welcome.
Names will be withheld on request.
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Pro-Government Muslims Rally In New York: Will Use Financial Clout to Control Communities
Imam Warith Deem Muhammad Handed "Honorary Degree"
Muslim Version of CNN Coming up

One of our readers has written from New York that New Trend should not ignore the plans of pro-Government Muslims who intend to continue their activities based on big money to control and "patriotize" America's Muslims.

She writes, self-proclaimed Muslim "leaders" gathered at Madison Square Gardens in New York on April 13 to rally the rich and the powerful among America's Muslims so as not to lose control of America's oppressed Muslim communities. It was supposed to be a gathering about a so-called Internet University but turned out to be a self-publicity and mutual praise gathering.

The flavor of the gathering can be sensed from its most important gesture. The Muslim "leaders" gathered there handed an "honorary degree" to Imam Warith Deen Muhammad to honor him above all who were gathered there. This top honor for the most pro-government Muslim "leader" in America shows the direction these people intend to continue. Among those who were key in this gathering was Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a veteran of ISNA's central committee for many years who played a nefarious role in the trial of Shaikh Omar ‘Abdel Rahman. Others were Dr. Sulayman Nyang and Abdullah Idris Ali of ISNA. Dr. Muzammil Siddiqui, notorious ISNA man, was brought all the way from Los Angeles (where he is popular in the most Republican of LA's counties) to bless the occasion.

America's Muslims will have to decide if they are willing to let these people speak in their name. Here are the well-known characteristics of these "leaders:" [We must remind our readers that there are many good and innocent, often naive, Muslims in the groups led by these people.]

1. They regularly get invited to the White House for Ramadan and the two Eids and have top security clearance from the FBI. [Imam Siraj Wahhaj was invited to bless Congress with Qur'anic verses.]

2. They have made it a policy NOT to condemn any aggression by the U.S. be it against Afghanistan or Iraq. When the good people in their constituencies become restless, they issue weak statement used for internal consumption.

3. They recognize Israel. Not one of them has the courage to tell the government that Islam does not permit them to recognize Israel.

4. While the Muslim ummah in America is reeling and bleeding from the blows aimed at innocent American Muslims, these "leaders" continue their banqueting style of high-priced "Islam", frolicking in expensive hotels which are an insult to the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh).

5. Some of these "leaders" live on funds provided by the Muslims to make them "full time" leaders. Most people, sometimes not even their followers, know how much they make and from where does their money come. Their salaries, incomes, properties are unknown. THEIR FOLLOWERS are NOT encouraged to know anything about their incomes.

6. DICTATORSHIP and despotism is the hallmark of these "leaders." Dissent and criticism of leaders is unknown among them and can be punishable.

7. Their PUBLICATIONS DO NOT PUBLISH any issue which would question their leadership. Thus CENSORSHIP is standard and routine in ISNA, ICNA, WD publications. Their magazines are basically public relationing brochures. [If any supporter of these groups has seen ANY criticism of their leaders in their publications, give us date of publication. That would be a collector's item.]

8. Women have a secondary and marginal role in these groups, though since the outburst of women's rights information coming out of New Trend over the years, they have started giving a token role to women.

9. These groups seem to be working with the FBI and the CIA. At last year's ISNA Convention, where many of these leaders were present, the FBI had a recruiting booth.

10. These groups have maintained COMPLETE SILENCE over the suffering of top Islamic leaders in U.S. prisons, evidently so as not to disturb American authorities. They have ignored all the top leaders of Islam in America as well as Islamic activists who are being victimized such as:

1. Dr. Omar ‘Abdel Rahman
2. Imam Jamil al-Amin
3. Ahmed ‘Abdel Sattar
4. The Lackawanna Six
5. The Portland Four.
6. Victor Alvarez
7. Jose Padilla (Abdullah Mujahid)
8. Ujamaa

They have been lukewarm even about people who were of them such as Prof. Sami Al-Arian, the directors of Benevolence and Global, etc.

[A top W.D. supporter in Atlanta said, on hearing Imam Jamil's statement that there was a government conspiracy against him and that he was being oppressed: "I am not oppressed and I see no conspiracy."]

11. Many of these leaders, the likes of Muzammil Siddiqui, etc., supported the BLOC VOTE for Bush and helped to impose this tyranny on Muslims. Instead of resigning and accepting the fact that they are mentally mediocre people, they continue the line that they are "leaders."

[New Trend urges ISNA, ICNA and WD's Muslim Journal to publish this report in their papers and then answer it point by point.]
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MUSLIM "CNN" COMING UP: $280 Million Project: [Bridges TV]

The rich and the powerful have seen how U.S. media can brainwash decent Americans. The same is going to be done to Muslims. There is a need to make American Muslims believe that in spite of the worldwide oppression of Muslims, they should be comfortable and integrate and assimilate into the framework provided by the power structure.

Bridges TV is a project coming from Muzammil S. Hasan, the Vice President of a bank in New York. The President is Umar Amanat Bridges. It is said to be a $280 million project. ISNA, CAIR and IIIT are said to be involved. The TV will cover all of America starting the summer of 2004. It will provide a bland diet of "permissible" Americanized Islam.

[This is preliminary information. Readers are urged to send us more.]
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2003-04-26 Sat 14:30ct