07/3/2013: Imams, other Muslim leaders unite to reject sectarian divides
Press and Guide (pressandguide.com)
DEARBORN HEIGHTS: Imams, other Muslim leaders unite to reject sectarian divides
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
DEARBORN HEIGHTS — About 60 leaders of the Muslim community in southeastern Michigan gathered at the Islamic House of Wisdom on the last weekend of June for a conference titled “Rejecting Sectarian Influence in our Communities.”
It was sponsored by the Imams Council of the Michigan Muslim Community Council and included the Imams Council’s Shia and Sunni co-chairmen, fellow imams and Muslim community leaders. The goal is to break down the sectarian divides and reaffirm American and Islamic values of religious tolerance.
“The event was very much needed, and the implementation of the ideas and proposals offered would greatly help us and our future generations enjoy the gift of pluralism American offers,” said Dawood Zwink, MMCC executive director.
The Imams Council and other Islamic leaders in Michigan meet regularly to enhance communication in the Muslim community and reach out to other faiths to build relationships and alliances.
“The speakers spoke eloquently — the dialogue between Sunni and Shia imams, as well as community leaders, reflected the challenges Muslims face and the maturity of the Muslim-American community in dealing with the issues facing them,” said Imam Mustapha Elturk of the Islamic Organization of North America in Warren and the Imams Council’s Sunni co-chairman.
The Shia co-chairman, Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom, called for moderation and standing for truth and justice, regardless of religious affiliations.
“The brutal bloodshed in the Middle East from Iraq to Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Egypt has nothing to do with the true teachings of Islam, nor is terrorism and extremism,” he said. “The factions are engaged in political domination.”
The group identified building steps and follow-up action, including creating a task force that will continue the process.
The Imams Council developed a Code of Honor in 2007. It’s at www.mimuslimcouncil.com/about-us/code-honor/.