3/20/17: Imam's Council Meeting with Delegation from Moscow Highlights Religious Diversity in US
3/20/17: Meeting at the Islamic House of Wisdom
The State Department in Washington DC had asked the Imams Council to host a religious delegation from Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Tatarstan and Daghestan for an orientation on religious diversity in the US.
They traveled to the USA to meet with the imams and other faith traditions leaders to discuss and experience of how religious diversity works among the Muslim communities and other communities in the US.
Imam Mustafa el-Turk and Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi as co-chairs of the Council talked about the code of honor signed by over 30 imams at IHW in 2007. Based on that code we decided to stand against Takfiri mentality and to reject extremism in any form. Imam Mohammad Musa, Imam Ali Soliaman, Imam Eshagh, imam Saleh Ahmad and sheikh Hassan also shared their experience.
We also listened to the experiences of our guests and exchanged questions and answers.
Imam Elahi mentioned how developments in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have created controversy among some leaders in Muslim community. Even between the two Co-Chairs of the Council imam Mustafa and Imam Elahi, yet we try to deal with our disagreements through dialogue not destruction. We get upset over certain approaches yet we resume our working relationships and try to focus on the issues that unite us rather than divide us.
One of the issues that unites us all is the issue of Islamophobia. We work on this through the media, social networks and specially our interfaith relationships.
The meeting lasted over two hours and our guests appreciated the hospitality of House of Wisdom and the imams openness and honesty in answering their questions.
We were also grateful of that inspiring experience of meeting with our brothers and sisters who traveled almost 8000 km from Moscow to Detroit and made this meeting possible. These kind of meetings would bring some healing to the wounds created by hatred and division caused by the Saudi money and Takfiri theology and the policy of divide and rule!