By Inayat K. Malik • October 10, 2008
In recent weeks, 28 million copies of a DVD titled "Obsession - Radical Islam's War Against the West," have been distributed to American households in the so-called swing states just before the upcoming elections. Ohio, being one of these states, has been targeted for this distribution either as an advertising supplement in newspapers or via direct mail.
AdvertisementConsidering the scale of distribution and its potential impact on fellow Americans, the Muslim community feels an obligation to bring some relevant facts to public attention.
It is true that in the last several years, we have seen many terrorist acts in the world claiming thousands of innocent lives, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.
All such acts deserve the strongest condemnation, and American Muslims have always spoken out against them. Muslims worldwide, who often are themselves victims of terror, recognize the evil of terrorism, which violates fundamental Islamic teachings about the sanctity of human life. They are fighting an uphill battle to eradicate this scourge. This battle cannot be won without promoting education and economic uplift.
The "Obsession" film contains highly provocative footage designed to incite fear of a Nazi-type assault on the West by so called "radical Islam." Even though the DVD starts out with a disclaimer that most Muslims are not radical, there are instances in the film where all references to "radical" are dropped, while delivering a blanket indictment of Islam as a religion and ideology.
Discredited spokespeopleThe two individuals portrayed as experts on Islam and most critical of its theology, are self proclaimed former PLO terrorist Walid Shoebat, and Nonie Darwish, daughter of a supposed martyr. They are both presented as Muslims speaking on behalf of Islam. No disclosure is made of the fact that neither of them claims to be Muslim or has such authority.
The claim of Shoebat, that he was a terrorist bomber in Palestine, was debunked in a March 30 article published in the Jerusalem Post. Another presumed expert in the film, Brigitte Gabriel, has been described by the New York Times as a radical Islamophobe. Other known Islamophobes are also featured.
The main message of the "Obsession" DVD is that the West today is in as much danger from radical Islam as it was from Naziism and that action must be taken.
The real danger of "Obsession" is that it is capable of inciting bigoted attitudes toward American Muslims and even hateful criminal acts. Distorting truths, deceitful generalizations and demonizing vulnerable minorities are unconscionable acts in advancing any political agenda. We thank The Enquirer for placing principle above profit in refusing to distribute this thinly disguised fear-mongering DVD.
We are all neighborsLet us remember the teachings of the Abrahamic prophets - Moses, Jesus and Mohammad (peace be upon all of them) - who preached love for God and our neighbors. After all, in this fast shrinking world, we are all neighbors.
We acknowledge that many Cincinnatians do not understand Islam or know their Muslim neighbors. To learn more, we invite you to attend a tour of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, to schedule a speaker for your church, synagogue, neighborhood group or business, or to join an interfaith discussion group. Call 513-755-3280 for more information.
Dr. Inayat K. Malik, of Indian Hill, is a urologist and past president of Bridges for a Just Community. He is a co-founder of Bridges' Muslim-Jewish Dialogue Group of Cincinnati and a member of the Muslim-Jewish-Christian Trialogue Group.