The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has announced that it has facilitated a meeting with the Assistant to the President on National Security for homeland security and counter terrorism. According to the announcement:
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) facilitated a meeting with John Brennan, Assistant to the President on National Security for homeland security and counter terrorism. The meeting was intended to start a dialogue between government officials and Muslim American leaders to explore issues of national security, including the important role the Muslim American community plays to thwart security threats and improve the deteriorating relationships with Muslim countries. The meeting, organized by the White House under the title “A Dialogue on Our Nation’s Security,” was co-sponsored by the Islamic Center at New York University, the Islamic Law Students Association at NYU, and the White House Office of Public Engagement. The dialogue was held on Saturday, February 13, 11 a.m., at the School of Law, New York University.
At the meeting, Dr. Mattson identified what she called four major threats to the existence and identity of the Muslim American community:
1. Like all other Americans, we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks on the US. Al- Qaeda and other terrorists consider us at best, collateral damage, at worst, apostates and collaborators. Across the world, Muslims have suffered at the hands of al-Qaeda more than anyone else. For this reason, if no other, Muslim Americans want law enforcement to be effective in protecting all of us against terrorist acts.
2. The cult-like tactics of terrorist recruiters to entice our youth to their ideology and mission. We do not want to lose our children to a revolutionary fantasy in religious guise.
3. Hate-speech and attacks from a conglomeration of religious bigots, racists, political ideologues and xenophobes. We do not want to be alienated and stigmatized in our own country, and we look to our political leaders to set a responsible tone.
4. Government actions that impinge on the freedom of our community to organize, to freely express our religious values and to engage in the lawful advocacy of our positions. We need the freedom to build an ethical, productive community of faithful American Muslims – something we cannot do if we have to fritter away our resources defending ourselves against bogus charges.
A report by the Hudson Institute has identified ISNA as a major part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood. The organization has a long history of fundamentalism, anti-semitism, and support for terrorism and during the recent Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial, ISNA was named as an unindicted co-conspirator. Although recently ISNA has issued condemnations of terrorism which for the first time identify Hamas and Hezbollah by name, there is no indication that the organization has ever addressed or acknowledged its history. ISNA and its leaders have frequently labeled any criticism of the organization to be “Muslim bashing.” Louay Safi, the author of the ISNA announcement, was recently suspended from his job as a military trainer at Fort Hood according to the Dallas Morning News.
For Dr. Mattson’s statement, go here
For video of the meeting, go here.