‘The Muslim-American community, as always, condemns all acts of terrorism as crimes against humanity’
Macomb County Muslim leaders have denounced a message by a U.S.-born al Qaida member calling for Muslims living in America and Europe to carry out Gadahn has been hunted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2004. He grew up in California and converted to Islam before moving to Pakistan in 1998, where he reportedly attended an al Qaida training camp.attacks.
Adam Gadahn made a plea for Muslims to “take the initiative to perform the individual obligation of jihad … by striking the Zio-Crusader interests.”
Gadahn has been hunted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2004. He grew up in California and converted to Islam before moving to Pakistan in 1998, where he reportedly attended an al Qaida training camp.
In response to the video, the Warren-based Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan, released a statement condemning the message. The message cites passages from the Qur’an to illustrate calls for violence conflicts with Islamic teachings.
“Muslims are urged to ignore statements from individuals calling for violence against innocent people in the name of their faith,” the statement reads. “The Muslim-American community, as always, condemns all acts of terrorism as crimes against humanity.”
In the video, Gadahn appealed to Muslims who live in what he called the “miserable suburbs” or Paris, London and Detroit. Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Michigan chapter, said Gadahn’s “desperate plea” will be ignored in the Detroit area.
“If any Muslim community has grown in civic engagement and empowerment, it would be this community,” Walid said. “He invoked the wrong population to try to stir up.”
The statement from the Warren council echoed Walid.
“Extremism does not reflect the views of Muslims in Michigan who are an integral part of Michigan’s landscape, working hard to rebuild Michigan’s economy, contributing to the peaceful civil society and the mainstream values that make us proud Michiganders,” the statement reads.
Steve Elturk, imam of the Islamic Organization of North America, a Warren mosque, said videos like the one in which Gadahn appeared, “makes us (Muslims) very uncomfortable.”
“They undermine the efforts we exert to continue building bridges between our brothers and sisters or other faiths and cultures,” Elturk said.
Elturk also said he fears incendiary videos and similar acts can produce a backlash against Muslims.
“We are worried that acts like this may result in an increased racial profiling at border patrols and airports,” he said. “We are also concerned about ignorant people who may do something to harm either Muslims or mosques.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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