Author: Gustav Niebuhr
Publication: The New York Times
Date: October 29, 2001
A group of American Muslim organizations
has called for the United States to halt its bombing campaign in Afghanistan
and instead develop "a more effective and long-term policy" to counter
terrorism.
The document was signed by 15 groups,
primarily small ones, but including two prominent organizations, the Council
on American-Islamic Relations and the Islamic Circle of North America.
The statement was posted on the IslamiCity.com Web site.
In an interview, Naim Baig, general
secretary of the Islamic Circle of North America, said the statement was
drawn up at a meeting on Oct. 20 and 21 in Washington.
Mr. Baig said it reflected a concern
among some American Muslims that "this bombing is not going anywhere, and
more and more civilian casualties are going on." The United States began
bombing Afghanistan on Oct. 7.
The statement, signed by groups
representing public-policy organizations, students and journalists, among
others, voices an "unequivocal condemnation" of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks and calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. But it
says the bombing campaign is not in the interests of the United States
or the rest of the world.
"The bombing victimizes the innocent,
exacerbates the humanitarian disaster and creates widespread resentment
across the Muslim world," the statement says.
The statement also says its signers
believe it their "civic duty" to speak out in favor of the nation's long-term
interests.
"We strongly reject the suggestion
that opposing a certain policy of our government is tantamount to disloyalty,"
it says.
But in a sign that the bombing has
produced differences in opinion among Muslim organizations, several major
groups did not sign the statement, among them the American Muslim Council,
Islamic Society of North America and the Muslim Public Affairs Council.
Aly R. Abuzaakouk, the American
Muslim Council's executive director, said the organization stood by a statement
it made on Oct. 8, expressing support for the Bush administration's campaign
against terrorism and its pledge to avoid civilian casualties.
"We did call on the administration
to really limit and concentrate on the campaign, which is against the terrorists,
and safeguard the lives of the civilians," he said.
Mr. Abuzaakouk said he hoped the
campaign would be over by the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins
Nov. 17, although administration officials have said the campaign is not
likely to be ended by then. Mr. Abuzaakouk also said the administration
needed to emphasize that the United States cares about the Afghan people.
Salam Al-Marayati, executive director
of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said his organization had studied
the statement asking for a halt to the bombing but decided not to sign,
in part, he said, because it did not offer "practical alternatives" to
the military campaign.
"We support the president's initiative
to defeat terror," Mr. Al-Marayati said. "The country was attacked, and
we want the perpetrators brought to justice."
Officials of the Islamic Society
of North America could not be reached for comment.
Speaking for the Islamic Circle
of North America, Mr. Baig said the statement represented a shift, as the
organization had not originally opposed the bombing, as long as there were
no Afghan civilian casualties. But reports of such casualties persuaded
the organization to change its stand, he said.
He said the organization was concerned
that the bombing of Afghanistan would ultimately work against American
foreign policy interests.
"It's going to breed more anger"
among Muslim nations, Mr. Baig said.
