Islam on Capitol Hill Organizer: "We Want to Islamize Democracy"

Christian fundamentalists brewed up a storm of controversy over Friday’s “Islam on Capitol Hill” event, which had hoped to bring 50,000 American Muslims to a two-hour prayer service at the US Capitol. But no Christian could tar the organizers as anti-American radicals more effectively than they did themselves.

First, the event. The organizers intended to bring 50,000 or more Muslims to pray in DC, on the steps of the US Capitol. Lead organizer Hassen Abdellah stated the purpose was to “pray for peace and understanding between America and its Muslim community” and “highlight how U.S. Muslims can coexist with their fellow Americans”.

That sure sounds nice.

Another organizer, Imam Abdul Malik of Brooklyn, was very excited, and spoke of his patriotism.

We believe in America’s possibilities. We didn’t come to criticize our nation. … I want the American people to know that we love you.

Isn’t that sweet?

Mr. Malik may not have expected the Washington Times to look into what he says elsewhere:

His Facebook page, however, had a slightly different message.

“Democracy is not revelation, and democracy does not equal freedom,” said one of his posts, “for in democracy you have apartheid, you have slavery, you have homosexuality, you have lesbianism, you have gambling, you have all of the vices that are against the spirit of truth; so no we don’t want to democratize Islam, we want to Islamize democracy! That’s what we want.”

Malik's Facebook Page - Click for Large Size

And what’s this pro-American discussion which precedes it?

Why, it’s the sermon that the little clip is excerpted from. Here it is, in context (the last paragraph):

I wish I had more time. I can tell you today brothers and sisters, the real terrorist, the real terrorist, are the people who profess to bring peace and democracy and liberation to the world. The blood of the innocent is all in their hands, and they are like vampires. They plan the death and the destruction of those whom they hate and despise. I’m telling you, make it to here after, make it to here after. Trust Allah, and don’t be intimidated. I tell American people everywhere I go : Islam cannot be stopped. And I tell people everywhere I go, they ask me the question : should Islam dominate or democracy? I tell them real simple, and this is my last comment to you, this is part of submission. I tell them real simple, there is a verse in the Quran : Allah says : it is He, Allah, who has sent his messenger, “bilhouda”, with the guidance that it may dominate and knock out the brains of falsehood, and that it may prevail even if the mushrikine despise it. Democracy is not revelation, and democracy does not equal freedom, for in democracy you have apartheid, you have slavery, you have homosexuality, you have lesbianism, you have gambling, you have all of the vices that are against the spirit of truth; so no we don’t want to democratize Islam, we want to Islamize democracy! That’s what we want. That’s what we want. And they play games with the mind of young people today. They wanna ask you : do you believe in the prophet Mohamed and he was married to a young girl name Aicha. And we start shaking : “the prophet Mohamed really married ** young, they evilly do it?” The same people that asked you that, they marry man onto man and woman onto woman! You’d better wake up ! You’ve got the best message and the best example, you’ve got to know that you are the lions of the jungle don’t turn in into a pussy-cat!

In case you can’t quite read it, here’s the first paragraph (which you see in the screenshot):

As-salamo alaykom .. I’ll try that again : As-salamo alaykom … I like the way that sounds, let me see it again : Salamo … As-salamo alaykom (wa alaykom es-salam wa rahmat Allah wa barakato) ! I look forward to hearing it out one day in the White House .. and then paint it black !

This is what Abdul Malik means by “coexisting with Christians”: Taking over and “Islamizing” democracy. This is what Abdul Malik means by “not criticizing [our] country”: Calling Americans terrorists.

But wait, wasn’t there another organizer? Oh, yes! Hassen Abdellah. Who’s he?

Do you remember in 1993, the first attempt to bomb the World Trade Center? One of the defendants in that case was Mahmud Abouhalima. Abdellah was one of Abouhalima’s defense attorneys . . . and was not a court-assigned attorney. Abdellah also defended a Brooklyn cab driver who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid a terrorist group.

I guess that’s all part of loving America. Aiding terrorists who try to murder her citizens in their homes and as they work.

Christian fundamentalists turned out in very small numbers to protest, often speaking with megaphones:

Surrounding the gathering were dozens of Christian evangelists who showed up to sermonize, hand out brochures and Christian videos, or simply watch and pray.

“The God of the Koran does not have a son, but the God of the Bible does and his name is Jesus Christ,” shouted Ken McRae, a preacher from North Carolina. “I don’t have to stand by your God because he does not exist.”

Yes, dozens of Christians.

I, of course, am most proud of the secularists, who avoided this circus entirely. I, for one, am offended that anybody is holding a prayer service on the Capitol lawn, whether Muslim, Christian, Pastafarian, or Zoroastrian!

Related articles:

1. Meet the Religious Right/Tea Party ministry at the heart of Capitol Hill
2. Ignoring Rapture Forecasts, Secular Coalition Plans First-Ever Capitol Hill Strategy Summit
3. Robertson: Media Hate Freedom, Democracy and America
4. In Brief: Ad campaign launched in London to improve the image of Islam
5. Less God and more democracy

Jenny Donati is webmistress and co-editor of Secular News Daily. Jenny is an outspoken secularist who believes firmly in the separation of church and state. She demands evidence to support arguments, and holds herself to the same standard. She doesn't write about herself in the third person . . . but there's a first time for everything.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry.