I began covering Oklahoman Muslim Jamal Miftah here when I learned he was ban from his mosque for a simple article condemning OBL and Terrorism. Then I interviewed him. There are now subsequent developments.

The Islamic Society of Tulsa (IST) is in a story in the Tulsa World saying that they are "lifting the ban" (oh so gracious) on Mr. Miftah. The mosque does reveal that they agree with most of the article except for the assertion that American Mosques contain extremist elements. (In his reply below Mr. Miftah addresses why he said that).

Mr. Miftah emailed me to let me know. So below you'll find the lifting of the ban story, and underneath Mr. Miftah's email.

By the way, AmeriMuslims should take note: this is starting to become an Arab/Pakistani issue, among many others. In my write up on the interview I said that CAIR needed to get involved. Now, I think that ISNA or some other body of multicultural Muslims needs to get involved. I recommend MPAC because as one commentator noted, CAIR members are already on the Board of the Mosque. I'm concerned, why isn't anyone getting involved?

Local mosque lifts ban on outspoken member
By BILL SHERMAN World Religion Writer
12/1/2006

The governing board of Tulsa's Al-Salam mosque ruled Wednesday night that a Pakistani native who had been banned from the mosque can return.

Houssam Elsoueissi, president of the operating council at the mosque, said he would announce at Friday's service that Jamal Miftah is free to attend services as long as there is no disturbance, and that no one at the mosque should confront him.

Miftah was banned last week after a confrontation at the mosque over a guest commentary he wrote that appeared Oct. 29 in the Tulsa World.

In it, Miftah criticized Osama bin Laden and other terrorists and suggested some U.S. mosques have been collecting money for them.

Miftah filed a police report stating that he was backed up against a wall after Nov. 18 prayers by two men who harassed him and called him anti-Muslim.

He said he was not struck, but was shaken up by the incident, in which one man waved a shoe in his face, an Arab insult.

He said he filed a police report about the incident because he feared for the safety of his family.

Elsoueissi said he talked to police about getting a restraining order against Miftah to prevent further incidents at the mosque.

Mosque spokeswoman Sheryl Siddiqui said the matter should have been quietly resolved, but because of the media and the Internet, "It's had such legs."

The story was carried by local television and radio stations and spread nationwide on the Internet.

"This was not about the article; it was about a disturbance in the mosque," she said. "We agree with most of his article, except the one statement that American mosques support terrorists.

"Our mosque does not, and I don't know of any that do," she said.

Tulsan Mujeeb Cheema, executive director of North American Islamic Trust, said Miftah's views on bin Laden were "mainline views among American Muslims."

However, he said, "I was surprised that a person who has been in the U.S. for only three years, and not part of any national Muslim organization, would speak so confidently about Islamic institutions in the U.S."

Miftah said he has been shocked by the amount of attention the incident created.

He said he has been contacted by people from across the country, Muslim and non-Muslim, nearly all of them expressing support.

John Swails, chairman of the Department of History, Humanity and Government at Oral Roberts University, contacted Miftah after hearing about the controversy while he was traveling.

"I told him it was a principled and courageous stand, and that I knew it exposed him to certain vulnerabilities," Swails said.

"For someone like Miftah to take this stand has far-reaching implications," he said. "He could be speaking to many other moderate Muslims who are sitting quietly by."

Miftah said he originally was told not to return to the mosque unless he made a written apology.

"I'm disturbed," he said. "I'm a very proud Muslim.

Elsoueissi said Tulsa Muslims had no disagreement with Miftah's comments about bin Laden, but strongly disagreed with his statement that U.S. mosques support terrorists.

Miftah moved to Tulsa three years ago from Malakand Agency in northwest Pakistan, a tribal area, where he had been a banker and an industrialist. He is now the credit manager for a large Tulsa firm that he did not want to identify.

He said he and his wife and four children are happy to be in the United States, and are all doing well.

"This country has provided me shelter," he said.

Now Mr. Miftah's email (which he also submitted to the Tulsa World today):

Dear Sir,

            I am perturbed and disappointed by the comments made in this publication of Tulsa World by Houssam Elsoueissi (Abu Waleed), president operating council of IST mosque and Mr. Mujeeb Cheema Executive Director of North America Islamic Trust. I will first take Mr. Hussam comment.

While attempting to appear very generous for having agreed to make the following announcement on Friday services (that is today):

Quote: Mr. Jamal Miftah is free to attend services as long as there is no disturbance and that no one at mosque should confront him” unquote.

-       Is it a conditional permission?

From the tone of his language it appears that permission is conditional and that they have no remorse or regrets for the incidence.

-       Is he implying that I was responsible for causing disturbance, if any, in the mosque, while confronted by ordinary Muslims in the mosque?

He is trying to create the impression that I was responsible for causing disturbance. So far as this allegation goes I was only responsible to the extent of writing the article which was published in Tulsa World on October 29, 2006. Any subsequent disturbance or excessive actions were initiated by Mr. Kabbani, Imam (leader) of the mosque and Mr. Houssam Elsoueissi   him self. The accused me of being traitor, anti Muslim and threaten me while inciting others to rise against me on the night of November 18, 2006.

I am also surprised why office bearers of IST are so defensive about channeling funds to illegitimate organizations by them. My article does not say anything to that effect by IST mosque in Tulsa rather it was reference to the mosque in Brooklyn (Al-Farooq Mosque) New York, California, Albany New York,  Bridgeview Illinois, Allentown Pennsylvania and one Texas and the result of investigation on the London  bombing plot leading its trails to funneling of earth quake donations collected in Britain to the terrorists involved. I have not yet made any allegation about IST on this count yet some of their activities that I am aware of and have evidence certainly create doubts about legality of some of their activities.

Now to Mr. Mujeeb Cheema’s following assertion:

Quote “I was surprised that a person who has been in US for only three years and not part of any national Muslim Organization would speak so confidently about Islamic Institutions in US” Unquote.

-       Is he implying that for a Muslim, three years is too short a period to form an opinion and then in order for him to be confident, he has to be a member of national Muslim organizations to have knowledge any illegal activities!

Mr. Cheema, I was not born three year ago. I have been a reader of Times, Newsweek and World Economist since 1980. There was, off course, a small break during 2003 and 2004, when I was in the process of settling in US. I am very well informed about what’s going on around the world and in US and especially with the internet revolution since 1990’s; events around the world are only a click away. The current state of affairs of the Muslims around the world is a result of the typical psychology of the leaders of so called Muslim organizations where they are barred from expressing their views, as the leaders of such organizations for the fear of being exposed keep those voices suppressed by accusing them of being un Islamic or Anti Islamic, when they speak or protest and that’s what exactly happened during the shame full incidence at IST’s mosque in Tulsa.

After going through the current ordeal, I feel and believe that majority of the office bearers of IST that I have dealt or experienced are unfortunately liars and I would prefer to boy-cot them and rather say my prayers on my own instead of saying it after a hypocrite like Mr. Ahmad Kabbani, the Imam of Tulsa mosque.

Thank you very much Mr. Housam and Mr. Cheema!

I, however, thank Madam Sheryl Sidiqui from the depth of my heart for her honest efforts to diffuse the situation, but her efforts seem to have faded with the comments made by the others. She has also tried to communicate wrong impression by relating my expulsion from the mosque by suggesting that it was as a result of disturbance. If at all any one was to be expelled from mosque for causing disturbance, then it should have been Mr. Ahmad Kabbani and Mr. Houssam and the group of 10 to 15 Arabs incited by them against me on the night of November 18th, 2006 and in all fairness not me.

I have sent the above clarification to Executive Editor of Tulsa World and expect that it is published by them in its entirety.

Beneath the fold I am providing the contact information for a couple of Muslim organizations who need to be involved. Please write them. Fact is, Mr. Miftah is not factually incorrect when he said that there are mosques which contain extremist elements. There are. And they have been shut down on account of it. The IST needs to chill out. Finally, after having spoken to Mr. Miftah, it seems pretty clear that their invitation to let him back is pretty farcical. The kind of atmosphere he described he was exposed to -- let's just say I wouldn't want to go back to it. 

I also think that if a Muslim organization gets involved, they need to help IST not feel so defensive. I think with the climate these days, any time a mosque is talked about publicly, its leadership start worrying about the Patriot Act. There is nothing which suggests to me that the IST is in any sort of cahoots (they might be impulsive but don't seem extremist). Maybe if a Muslim organization gave them some paper work helping them sort out their finances, they would be OK.

For the contacts: