Minaret of Freedom Institute
Encyclopedia
The Minaret of Freedom Institute is an Islam
ic libertarian
organization established in 1993 and based in Bethesda, Maryland
. It was co-founded by Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad
, its president, and Shahid N. Shah. Its board of directors and board of advisors include religious, academic, business and government leaders.
It implements these goals through independent scholarly research into policy issues of concern to Muslims; publication of scholarly and popular expositions of such research; translation of appropriate works on the free market into the languages of the Muslim world; and the operation of a scholars exchange program.
law to Muslims, and does not advocate that Muslims should adopt secular government on the Western model. Rather it promotes "Islamic pluralism" which can meld a form of democracy with Islam. It also states in any Islamic democracy that the traditional dhimmi
system of protection of non-Muslims must be extended beyond the traditional People of the Book
(Jews
and Christians) to cover all non-Muslims, and that such dhimmi rights must be explicitly protected constitutionally.
In 2006 the Saudi Arabia
n Embassy's Islamic Affairs Department distributed "The Noble Koran
", with commentary that reflected the outlook of two Wahhabi scholars and included commentary that disparaged Jews and Christians, even though the Qur'an
ic verses (for which the commentary is made) mention neither group. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad told The Washington Post
"The outcry was so great...People were disgusted. And it wasn't just liberals. I couldn't find an American Muslim who had anything good to say about that edition. I would call it a Wahhabi Koran."
ic prohibition of riba
(usury
) does not prohibit all lending at interest
, only that which is excessively high. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad has stated that the Islamic world pioneered the scientific method
, but may have been unable to progress to an industrial revolution
because the prohibition of interest prevented would-be inventors from obtaining the necessary financing to develop their inventions.
and infibulation
should be viewed as practices prohibited
by Islam. He continues that even all forms of female circumcision jeopardize the girl's future ability to enjoy sexual relations with her husband, and hence should be considered disliked
. He dismisses circumcision of any hygienic or religious value, concluding there is no justification for Muslims to engage in "this painful and potentially harmful practice."
However, Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad supports male circumcision, writing that although it is not prescribed in the Qur'an "male circumcision is clearly a Muslim tradition."
, an elected Turkish parliamentarian removed from office (and later stripped of her citizenship) because she insisted on wearing the hijab
(Islamic headcovering) and Sami Al-Arian
, a tenured University of South Florida
professor threatened with dismissal because of his statements in favor of jihad. Al-Arian described attacks against his World and Islam Studies Enterprise which was intended to bring Muslim and non-Muslim intellectuals together for dialogue, especially after a former leader of the group, another professor at the University of South Florida, left the United States and later was identified as the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He describe how the 1996 immigration legislation
had led to 29 individuals being held in prison for years under secret evidence; 28 were Muslims. Imad ad-Dean Ahmad described them as "people who have suffered from secular extremism." Ms. Kavakçı stated "Isn't the secularization of Islam an oxymoron? For the religion cannot be separated from itself" and that "enemies of Islam" were behind efforts to secularize or modernize Muslim countries. In 2006, Al-Arian entered a guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to help people associated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and later was sentenced to 57 months in prison and ordered deported following his prison term.
, Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad said that the fact that Western liberals had abandoned their anti-imperialist
views, including by invading Iraq, had alienated Islamists from pro-liberty viewpoints. Moreover, handing out money to various factions in Muslim and Arab countries usually is counterproductive because it tends to prop up the most oppressive elements.
, Lebanon
in 2001 Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad stated that American’s support of Zionism
was due in part to their ignorance of Zionism
’s “history, its racist foundation, its colonialist nature, and the systematic brutality of its daily dealings with the indigenous people of Palestine,” as well as their hearing “only what the Zionist-controlled media and politicians have let them know.” However, he put even more blame on the defenders of the Palestinians working with corrupt Muslim governments and power-hungry revolutionary movements. He urged them to abandon the “duplicitous and hierarchical modes of operation” that plagued the Muslim world and “operate as the open and transparent agency” in order to "liberate Palestine."
, Virginia
grand jury subpoena was issued to the Minaret of Freedom Institute and immigration and customs agents visited the home of Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad seeking notes about the symposium on “The United States and Iran: It’s Time to Talk” that he moderated in 1999. It featured Ambassador Robert Pelletreau
, Chairman of the American-Iranian Council and a former United States Assistant Secretary of State
. Ahmad told the New York Sun
"They were looking for a seven-year-old event that was publicly broadcast on C-SPAN" probably because Sami Al-Arian
was there. Ahmad eventually was excused from testifying to the grand jury. He expressed suspicion the subpoena was issued in retaliation for his July 2006 blog posting criticizing federal prosecutors for charging 11 Muslims who allegedly practiced with paintball guns for potential combat with India in Kashmir. Charging religious bias, he wrote on his web site "How many American citizens who violated the same law by going to Israel to fight against Arab countries against whom the United States has not declared war have been prosecuted?"
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
organization established in 1993 and based in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. It was co-founded by Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad is an Palestinian American scholar and the president of the Minaret of Freedom Institute, a libertarian Muslim think-tank...
, its president, and Shahid N. Shah. Its board of directors and board of advisors include religious, academic, business and government leaders.
Mission
Its Mission Statement aims are to:- counter distortions and misconceptions about Islamic beliefs and practiceShariaSharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
; - demonstrate the Islamic origins of modern valuesIslamic ethicsIslamic ethics , defined as "good character," historically took shape gradually from the 7th century and was finally established by the 11th century...
like the rule of lawRule of lawThe rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
and sciencesIslamic scienceScience in the medieval Islamic world, also known as Islamic science or Arabic science, is the science developed and practised in the Islamic world during the Islamic Golden Age . During this time, Indian, Iranian and especially Greek knowledge was translated into Arabic...
like market economics; - expose both American and Islamic-worldMuslim worldThe term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
Muslims to free marketFree marketA free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
thought; - advance the status of MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
peoples maligned by a hostile environmentIslamophobiaIslamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
in the WestWestern worldThe Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
and oppressed by repressive political regimesAuthoritarianismAuthoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
in the EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
It implements these goals through independent scholarly research into policy issues of concern to Muslims; publication of scholarly and popular expositions of such research; translation of appropriate works on the free market into the languages of the Muslim world; and the operation of a scholars exchange program.
Sharia law
The institute appreciates the importance of ShariaSharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law to Muslims, and does not advocate that Muslims should adopt secular government on the Western model. Rather it promotes "Islamic pluralism" which can meld a form of democracy with Islam. It also states in any Islamic democracy that the traditional dhimmi
Dhimmi
A , is a non-Muslim subject of a state governed in accordance with sharia law. Linguistically, the word means "one whose responsibility has been taken". This has to be understood in the context of the definition of state in Islam...
system of protection of non-Muslims must be extended beyond the traditional People of the Book
People of the Book
People of the Book is a term used to designate non-Muslim adherents to faiths which have a revealed scripture called, in Arabic, Al-Kitab . The three types of adherents to faiths that the Qur'an mentions as people of the book are the Jews, Sabians and Christians.In Islam, the Muslim scripture, the...
(Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Christians) to cover all non-Muslims, and that such dhimmi rights must be explicitly protected constitutionally.
In 2006 the Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n Embassy's Islamic Affairs Department distributed "The Noble Koran
Noble Qur'an (Hilali-Khan)
The Noble Qur'an, also informally known as the Hilali-Khan translation, is a translation of the Qur'an by contemporary Pakistani Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan , a man of Afghan Khattak heritage, and Dr...
", with commentary that reflected the outlook of two Wahhabi scholars and included commentary that disparaged Jews and Christians, even though the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
ic verses (for which the commentary is made) mention neither group. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad told The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
"The outcry was so great...People were disgusted. And it wasn't just liberals. I couldn't find an American Muslim who had anything good to say about that edition. I would call it a Wahhabi Koran."
Loan interest
One important point in which the institute deviates from orthodox Islamic thinking is its belief that the Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
ic prohibition of riba
Riba
Riba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
(usury
Usury
Usury Originally, when the charging of interest was still banned by Christian churches, usury simply meant the charging of interest at any rate . In countries where the charging of interest became acceptable, the term came to be used for interest above the rate allowed by law...
) does not prohibit all lending at interest
Interest
Interest is a fee paid by a borrower of assets to the owner as a form of compensation for the use of the assets. It is most commonly the price paid for the use of borrowed money, or money earned by deposited funds....
, only that which is excessively high. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad has stated that the Islamic world pioneered the scientific method
Scientific method
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
, but may have been unable to progress to an industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
because the prohibition of interest prevented would-be inventors from obtaining the necessary financing to develop their inventions.
Circumcision
With regards to female circumcision, Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad writes that clitoridectomyClitoridectomy
Clitoridectomy is the surgical removal of the clitoris. It is rarely needed as a therapeutic medical procedure, such as when cancer has developed in or spread to the clitoris...
and infibulation
Infibulation
Infibulation is the surgical modification or mutilation of the genitals in males and females, particularly the foreskin, labia minora and labia majora...
should be viewed as practices prohibited
Haraam
Haraam is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden", or "sacred". In Islam it is used to refer to anything that is prohibited by the word of Allah in the Qur'an or the Hadith Qudsi. Haraam is the highest status of prohibition given to anything that would result in sin when a Muslim commits it...
by Islam. He continues that even all forms of female circumcision jeopardize the girl's future ability to enjoy sexual relations with her husband, and hence should be considered disliked
Makruh
In Islamic terminology, something which is makruh is a disliked or offensive act . Though it is not haram and therefore not a sin, a person who abstains from this action will be rewarded. Muslims are encouraged to avoid such actions when possible...
. He dismisses circumcision of any hygienic or religious value, concluding there is no justification for Muslims to engage in "this painful and potentially harmful practice."
However, Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad supports male circumcision, writing that although it is not prescribed in the Qur'an "male circumcision is clearly a Muslim tradition."
Secular fundamentalism
In 1999 the Institute sponsored a panel on "secular fundamentalism," which speakers considered as great a threat to liberty as religious fundamentalism. The two speakers, who shared their personal stories, were Merve KavakçıMerve Kavakci
Merve Safa Kavakçı was a Turkish politician, who was elected as a Virtue Party deputy for Istanbul on April 18, 1999. On May 2, she was prevented from making her parliamentary oath because of her hijab, which is banned for civil servants in secular Turkey...
, an elected Turkish parliamentarian removed from office (and later stripped of her citizenship) because she insisted on wearing the hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
(Islamic headcovering) and Sami Al-Arian
Sami Al-Arian
Dr. Sami Amin Al-Arian , is a former resident of Temple Terrace, Florida, now living in Northern Virginia, who is a Muslim activist, and former University of South Florida professor of computer engineering...
, a tenured University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
professor threatened with dismissal because of his statements in favor of jihad. Al-Arian described attacks against his World and Islam Studies Enterprise which was intended to bring Muslim and non-Muslim intellectuals together for dialogue, especially after a former leader of the group, another professor at the University of South Florida, left the United States and later was identified as the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He describe how the 1996 immigration legislation
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996
The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Division C of vastly changed the immigration laws of the United States.This act states that if an immigrant has been unlawfully present in the United States for 180 days but less than 365 days...
had led to 29 individuals being held in prison for years under secret evidence; 28 were Muslims. Imad ad-Dean Ahmad described them as "people who have suffered from secular extremism." Ms. Kavakçı stated "Isn't the secularization of Islam an oxymoron? For the religion cannot be separated from itself" and that "enemies of Islam" were behind efforts to secularize or modernize Muslim countries. In 2006, Al-Arian entered a guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to help people associated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and later was sentenced to 57 months in prison and ordered deported following his prison term.
Anti-imperialism
In his interview with Reason magazineReason (magazine)
Reason is a libertarian monthly magazine published by the Reason Foundation. The magazine has a circulation of around 60,000 and was named one of the 50 best magazines in 2003 and 2004 by the Chicago Tribune.- History :...
, Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad said that the fact that Western liberals had abandoned their anti-imperialist
Anti-imperialism
Anti-imperialism, strictly speaking, is a term that may be applied to a movement opposed to any form of colonialism or imperialism. Anti-imperialism includes opposition to wars of conquest, particularly of non-contiguous territory or people with a different language or culture; it also includes...
views, including by invading Iraq, had alienated Islamists from pro-liberty viewpoints. Moreover, handing out money to various factions in Muslim and Arab countries usually is counterproductive because it tends to prop up the most oppressive elements.
Liberation of Palestine
In his address to the First Conference on Jerusalem in BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
in 2001 Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad stated that American’s support of Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
was due in part to their ignorance of Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
’s “history, its racist foundation, its colonialist nature, and the systematic brutality of its daily dealings with the indigenous people of Palestine,” as well as their hearing “only what the Zionist-controlled media and politicians have let them know.” However, he put even more blame on the defenders of the Palestinians working with corrupt Muslim governments and power-hungry revolutionary movements. He urged them to abandon the “duplicitous and hierarchical modes of operation” that plagued the Muslim world and “operate as the open and transparent agency” in order to "liberate Palestine."
2006 subpoena
In 2006 an AlexandriaAlexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
grand jury subpoena was issued to the Minaret of Freedom Institute and immigration and customs agents visited the home of Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad seeking notes about the symposium on “The United States and Iran: It’s Time to Talk” that he moderated in 1999. It featured Ambassador Robert Pelletreau
Robert Pelletreau
Robert Halsey Pelletreau is a diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Bahrain , Tunisia , and Egypt , as well as the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. He currently sits on the U.S. Advisory Council of Israel Policy Forum...
, Chairman of the American-Iranian Council and a former United States Assistant Secretary of State
United States Assistant Secretary of State
In modern times, Assistant Secretary of State is a title used for many executive positions in the United States State Department. A set of six Assistant Secretaries reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs manage diplomatic missions within their designated geographic regions, plus one...
. Ahmad told the New York Sun
New York Sun
The New York Sun was a weekday daily newspaper published in New York City from 2002 to 2008. When it debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of an otherwise unrelated earlier New York paper, The Sun , it became the first general-interest broadsheet newspaper to be started...
"They were looking for a seven-year-old event that was publicly broadcast on C-SPAN" probably because Sami Al-Arian
Sami Al-Arian
Dr. Sami Amin Al-Arian , is a former resident of Temple Terrace, Florida, now living in Northern Virginia, who is a Muslim activist, and former University of South Florida professor of computer engineering...
was there. Ahmad eventually was excused from testifying to the grand jury. He expressed suspicion the subpoena was issued in retaliation for his July 2006 blog posting criticizing federal prosecutors for charging 11 Muslims who allegedly practiced with paintball guns for potential combat with India in Kashmir. Charging religious bias, he wrote on his web site "How many American citizens who violated the same law by going to Israel to fight against Arab countries against whom the United States has not declared war have been prosecuted?"
External links
- Minaret of Freedom Institute web site
- Minaret of Freedom Institute weblog
- Reason magazine interview with Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad
- An Interview with Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, featured on Free Market Mojo.
Libertarian-oriented links supporting Palestinian property rights
- Richard EbelingRichard EbelingRichard M. Ebeling is an American libertarian author, and was president of the Foundation for Economic Education from 2003 to 2008....
, "Property Rights and the 'Right of Return'" http://www.fff.org/comment/com0305o.asp, Future of Freedom FoundationFuture of Freedom FoundationThe Future of Freedom Foundation is a nonprofit libertarian advocacy group based in Fairfax, Virginia. It was founded by libertarian author and former defense attorney Jacob G...
, May 26, 2003. - Sheldon RichmanSheldon RichmanSheldon Richman is an American political writer and academic, best known for his advocacy of libertarianism.He is the editor of The Freeman, a magazine published by The Foundation for Economic Education, a Senior Fellow at the Future of Freedom Foundation, a Research Fellow at The Independent...
, "Ancient History: U.S. Conduct in the Middle East Since World War II and the Folly Of Intervention", Cato InstituteCato InstituteThe Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
, Policy Analysis no. 159, August 16, 1991. - Stephen P. Halbrook, Esq., "The Alienation of a Homeland: How Palestine Became Israel", Journal of Libertarian StudiesJournal of Libertarian StudiesThe Journal of Libertarian Studies is a scholarly journal published annually by the Ludwig von Mises Institute and Lew Rockwell. It was established in the spring of 1977 by Murray Rothbard who also served as its editor until his death in 1995...
, Vol. V, No. 4, Fall 1981.