Muslim Leaders Condemn Boko Haram In Letter Led By Representatives Ellison And Carson

[HuffingtonPost]

Today, Representative Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Representative André Carson (D-In.) led American Muslim leaders in a call to Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau that slammed the recent kidnappings of Nigerian schoolgirls that have generated an international outcry.

Ellison and Carson are the only Muslim members of Congress, and they condemned the actions that Boko Haram have taken in the name of Islam in an open letter sent to The Huffington Post. They are joined by over thirty American Muslim leaders from all over the country.

International Muslim leaders have also spoke out against Boko Haram, such as Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar, one of Sunni Islam's oldest and most respected institutions. He said earlier this month, "The actions by Boko Haram are pure terrorism, with no relation to Islam, especially the kidnapping of the girls."

The open letter says:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful –

May 20, 2014

Abubakar Shekau:

We urge you to immediately release the young children you have unconscionably taken. Your actions have shocked Muslims across the world and have disrespected Islam and the teachings of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).

Your justification for stealing these children – that education for girls goes against Islam – has no basis whatsoever in our faith. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) wisely emphasized that every Muslim man and woman has a duty to seek education. You have truly strayed from Islam when your actions betray its first command: "Iqra!"

You do not represent Islam or what Muslims know to be the teachings of Islam. Your attempt to transform a central tenet of Islam into a vile lie used to kill and maim innocent Nigerians of all faiths is transparent. You treat children like cattle. It is abhorrent and sinful to pretend to be a Prophet to whom Allah has spoken.

A faithful reading of the teachings of Islam compels you to immediately return these children to their families. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) instructs us to set an example of justice and mercy. In Surat Fussilat, Ayah 34, we are told that "the good deed and the evil deed are not alike," and we are instructed to "repel the evil deed with one that is better."

If you would like to follow the teachings of Islam, listen to the global chorus of voices that are enjoining you to do what is right: return these children to their families and replace the evil in your heart with peace and learning.

Sincerely,

Keith Ellison

U.S. House of Representatives

Minneapolis, MN

André Carson

U.S. House of Representatives

Indianapolis, IN

Imam Mohamed Magid

ADAMS Center

Sterling, VA

Imam Abdullah T. Antepli

Duke University

Durham, NC

Oussama Jammal

U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations

Washington, DC

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Zaytuna College

Berkeley, CA

Imam Sheikh Jamal Said

The Mosque Foundation

Bridgeview, IL

Imam Sheikh Kifah Mustapha

The Mosque Foundation

Brigeview, IL

Dr. Hatem Bazian

American Muslims for Palestine

Palos Hills, IL

Mazen Mokhtar

Muslim American Society

Washington, DC

Nihad Awad

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Washington, DC

Naeem Baig

Islamic Circle of North America

Queens, NY

Khalil Meek

Muslim Legal Fund of America

Dallas, TX

W. Deen Mohammed II

The Mosque Cares

Chicago, IL

Mahtabuddin Ahmed

Muslim Ummah of North America

New York, NY

Hussein Ata

The Mosque Foundation

Bridgeview, IL

Shakeel Syed

Shura Council of Southern California

Orange Grove, CA

Imam Talib Shareef

The Mosque Cares

Washington, DC

Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat

Islamic Affairs Council of Maryland

Baltimore, MD

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi

Al-Maghrib Institute

Memphis, TN

Imam William Suhaib Webb

The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center

Boston, MA

Imam Sohaib Sultan

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

Imam Omer Bajwa

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Imam Yahya Hendi

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Imam Dr. Salahuddin M. Muhammad

President, Association of Muslim Chaplains

Garner, NC

Imam Beau Latif Scurich

Northeastern University

Boston, MA

Imam Jihad Turk

Bayan Claremont Islamic Graduate School

Claremont, CA

Naila Scurich Baloch

Tufts University

Medford, MA

Imam Tarif Shraim

University of Maryland

College Park, MD

Shaykha Tahera Ahmed

Northwestern University

Chicago, IL

Chaplain Ailya Vajid

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA

Imam Adeel Zeeb

Wesleyan University

Midldetown, CT

Source: huffingtonpost.com