02.21.07

CAIR Article Comment

Posted in Personal at 3:41 pm by Abbas

I wrote a letter in response to Parvez Ahmed’s ( board chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group) and I received a generic response and I replied again. Here are the set of emails (in order).

A Naqvi
To: pahmed@cair.com
Brother Ahmed
Salaamun ‘akaykum wa rahmatullah,

I first want to commend you for your efforts in trying to bridge the gap and cracks amongst the Muslims, and applaud CAIR for advocating and promoting social justice and peace in the United States.

However, your recent article entitled Politics, Not Faith, Behind Shia-Sunni Divide in Iraq, though may be written with good intentions is offensive to me as a Shi’a Muslim American. I think you over-simplified the issue and situation and have tried to ignore the whole problem altogether. Successorship in regards to the Shi’i is very important and is in fact an article of faith (Imamate) and concluding its soley “political” is very inapproproate and unneccessary. And also the historical “facts” you elude to in your article is contested by other historians.

Your statement

“The historical context was always political and, despite severe disagreements in the past, the conflict never assumed the characteristics it displays today in Iraq: viciousness, indiscriminate killing, and complete disregard for human life.”

is incorrect and undermines a great deal history. Historically, the Shi’a minority have been facing systematic discrimination and persecution from the time of the Ummayads till now.

I hope that my comments do not discourage you from your noble work, but encourage you to have increased dialogue with the Shi’a minonrity, so that as Muslim Americans we become united and stronger in order to initiate change and promote justice for all.

Your Brother,
Abbas Naqvi

Parvez Ahmed

To: A Naqvi

Salaam-

Thank you writing to me.

Shias and Sunnis do have variant readings and interpretations of history. Despite this, Shia and Sunni communities have often united on advancing the major principles of Islam - i.e. monotheism (tawhid), peace, justice, social welfare etc. Even if they do not unite the least each side can do is not demonize the other side and commit violence against each other. It is very disturbing to see what is going on in Iraq everyday.

I do understand and empathize with your views. I am trying to find ways to having an open and constructive dialogue on this matter.

Parvez

Salaams,

If that is the case, which is by the way is not, because there is a consensus amongst the historians and it is fact that the Shi’a minority on numerous occasions have been persecuted and humiliated, in the future please do not make it seem like the only “interpretation,” like it was in your article. Again, I commend you for your efforts to build ties and unity, but in the future please be a bit more cautious, considerate and appreciative.

-Abbas

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