00/00/2001
IWDM Study Library 
Tony Brown Interview

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Tony Brown:
Imam Mohammed, the world has had to turn, the West has had to turn to Islamic Clerics and scholars, although you may not regard yourself in that category, such as yourself during these troubling times to understand what's going on. You see on the cover of magazines, "Why do they hate us?" You see Americans turning and buying the Qur'an. Now made it one of the bestselling books in America, perhaps in the world, in the West. What is the role, in this context, what is the role of the Muslims? What leadership role should the Muslims assume? And let me ask you the question, just see if I can lead you in this way. If the Muslims do not lead the United States and the West, and perhaps the Islamic world in understanding Islam, there is no way out of this dilemma. We are not going to win militarily.
We can't kill everybody in the world who disagrees with us. If we kill Osama Bin Laden, there will be, and are thousands of people who are willing to take his place. So, we have to know, and the Muslims in this regard, in my opinion, have to lead this nation in terms of understanding what this situation is all about. So, what is the role of a Muslim from your standpoint in the United States and in the world during this crisis?
Imam Mohammed:
Firstly, to return to the purity of our religion, go back to the Qur'an and read it again with fresh eyes and fresh minds and separate ourselves from hurt or any bitterness or any bad image we have of any nation, including America and read the Qur'an, and see what G-d is saying to us and read the life of Muhammad the prophet, our prophet who lived this religion perfectly for us, he left his way with us.
And after that, that's number one. After that, then know what your citizenship is, American citizenship and know what American citizenship is. Immigrants when they come here, they pledge allegiance to the flag of these United States. They don't directly, can't come here. They can't be citizens here. And they have done that. And they have said that this is one nation under G-d. So, understand that and believe it, that this is one nation under G-d. I believe that psychologically, you cannot benefit from this country as a citizen until you strongly identify with the Founding Father's hope for this country and what kind of nation we want and strongly identify with all the good American people who cherish that and will die for it. And I'm one of them.
Tony Brown:
Right. Now, I want to move to another topic. And I received an email that I'm going to read from, from a man in Torrance, California. And I think this is a challenge for you and for people like you, who can help us understand. And I think it comes from a point of view that many people hold, Americans, perhaps they won't admit it in public, but a lot of this is misconception. And I would like for you to respond to it, I'd like to read you this one sentence that I wrote to set it up. And this is what I wrote. I'm not quoting the man yet. This is me.
Mindful that six million Muslims, three million or 50% of whom are African Americans live in the United States. President Bush in the wake of the death of 6,000 innocent Americans at the hands of extremists advised that we should avoid describing terrorists as "Islamic." President Bush said, quote, "The people who did this act aren't American and who may be planning further acts are evil people. They don't represent an ideology. They don't represent a legitimate political group of people. They're flat evil." End of quote.
And that attack, and he went on to say "That attack or those attacks had nothing to do with Islam." In this email from a man, I said from Torrance California, he offers the following history, analysis and challenge to the American Muslim community. I'd like to read a paragraph at a time and I'd like for you to respond in any way, you'd like. This is first paragraph, "True Islam, we are told by moderate American Muslims, means submission to G-d. It is a religion of peace, equality and tolerance. Typical was a Muslim doctor in Los Angeles in the Los Angeles times when he said that the September 11 attacks were quote 'insane crimes' which have nothing to do with any religion. And it has nothing to do with Islam. The teaching of Islam is totally against violence."
That's what a Muslim doctor said. Another Times article informs "Muslims don't proselytize and they, the terrorists, are not practicing Islam. Islam is a peace-loving religion." That's what another point of view. We're also informed that the concept of jihad: struggle or holy war for Allah, is really a personal war for self-mastery. Having nothing to do with waging war against others. In sum we're being told that the alleged hijackers were not true Muslims, but deranged and aberrant members of some fringe cult formed Islam. And I'm sure you agree with all of that. You've said that to one of the guests.
Imam Mohammed:
Yes. Identifying Muslims, what Muslims are. We have extremists in Islam, but most of extremists in Islam that we accept as religious personalities, those extremists were mystics and they took mysticism to the extreme. I don't think anywhere I can find any support for, including those who have mentalities like Hitler, Adolf, Hitler had, or persons who would kill innocent people to get attention to their cause among those extremists. So, when we say extremists, we talk about extremists in mysticism and not extremists in conduct, in human conduct or human behavior. Extremists in human behavior are condemned, they're not accepted as Muslims. So regardless of what the person who's rivalry saying these things has in his mind. I know for a fact that Islam must be always accepted and cannot be accepted in any other way as a religion of peace and religion of diplomacy, which we may say tolerance and respect for others. And it is a religion of human excellence. So, this religion forbids that I not respect my own good human nature. It says ... okay, for those who are in the audience who understand Arabic, Allah G-d says "Bismillahir Rahmaan nir Raheem, in our Qur'an G-d says that this religion is deen al fitra too la te fatara naasa alaiha
He said this religion, when it was established through Mohammed, G-d announced that this is your religion is religion patterned on the original, pure pattern of the human being, his original human nature, innocence. We believe in the innocence of man, that man is born innocent. Though in sin and void of sin he's born, but he is born, his own essence are innocent and pure. Every baby born anywhere any country, any nation is born innocent and pure. This is what we believe.
And what G-d is telling us that your religion respects the purity of your creation that G-d gave you. And it's made to compliment that, it is put upon that pattern. So, if my human nature, if something bothers me in my heart, I'm to respect that. Muhammad said, if you don't know the law or the commandment or anything from your religion to give you what you need to make a decision, if what you are considering waivers and just keeps bothering you inside, leave it alone, leave it go. So, it bothers me to see a baby killed, not to mention the many that was killed when the suicide bombers hit the World Trade Center.
Tony Brown:
What does this do for an American Muslim psychologically? Being a human being, an American Muslim is no different from an American Christian, an American Jew. And see people jump from a building 70 stories high to avoid burning to death. And then in absolute desperation, flap their arms trying to fly moves one to tears and it hurts. It doesn't matter what. But aside from that, I'm an American, I'm not an American Muslim, but if I were an American Muslim, I then would have to say the people who did this are called members of my faith. What does this do to the Muslim inside? Who is an American? Who's a good American and most American Muslims are good Americans. What does this do psychologically?
Imam Mohammed:
Yes, I was in Washington DC at that time. So it happened that I was there. A group of religious leaders had been invited by President Bush to meet with him at 3:00 that afternoon to discuss profiling.
Tony Brown:
Muslims?
Imam Mohammed:
Yes. Profiling. And I think some ... few Christians among them too. Yes, Christian and Muslim. And when I heard of what had happened immediately, I felt hurt, frightened, horrified. I never thought of those persons as Muslims. And I will never be able to think of them as Muslims.
Tony Brown:
Do you mean the persons who perpetrated?
Imam Mohammed:
The persons who actually carried out that horrible thing.
Tony Brown:
And one of the handbooks or the handbook that was found that those men brought with them, it instructed them to live in America, cut off the beards, don't wear long white shirts, do not associate with other Muslims. Do not go to the mosque, do not pray, consort with women live like whatever of American, the night before some of them were out allegedly ordering prostitutes to the hotel rooms, drinking whiskey. That doesn't sound like a Muslim to me.
Imam Mohammed:
No, not at all.
Tony Brown:
I mean, how could you die in the name of Allah and then offend Allah with your very conduct?
Imam Mohammed:
No.
Imam Mohammed:
No. Even the most warp minded Muslim who thinks himself to be a Muslim, couldn't have done that. Couldn't have ordered prostitutes and drank liquor.
Tony Brown:
What do you tell...
Imam Mohammed:
or their indoctrination had killed their religion. Their indoctrination had killed their religion, took their religion out of their minds and hearts.
Tony Brown:
By the time they became terrorists, they were no longer Muslims?
Imam Mohammed:
They were no longer... Muslims.
Tony Brown:
They'd been turned into...
Imam Mohammed:
No, no. No longer conscious Muslims. No.
Tony Brown:
What if they weren't Muslims? What would you call them?
Imam Mohammed:
Instruments of terror
Tony Brown:
Will Allah accept an instrument of terror in paradise?
Imam Mohammed:
No, indeed. According to our religion, they have done the thing that's unforgivable. They will never have the paradise. And I know with some, some of them are told that they're going straight to paradise because they're doing their Shaheed act. The act of the Shaheed. Martyr, they're Martyrs.
Tony Brown:
This wouldn't be the first religion to be hijacked. Adolf Hitler was a Christian. His inner circle were Christian. So, Osama Bin Laden... Ku Klux Clan. So, Osama Bin Laden is more like Adolf Hitler than he is like a good Muslim.
Imam Mohammed:
If he's the mastermind behind it all. If he is. Assuming. Yeah. Of course.
Tony Brown:
Assuming that he is guilty. And that those people did what they're charged with doing. Then whoever did that, let's put it this way. Whoever masterminded it, whoever financed it, whoever carried it out. If they were Muslims, are more like Adolf Hitler, than they are a Muslim.
Imam Mohammed:
Yes, exactly.
Tony Brown:
So, we're fighting evil.
Imam Mohammed:
Yes. We are. And something else President Bush said, that agree with, very strongly. And he really touched my heart when he said this, he said, "This is an attack upon our freedom." And really, I think those persons, not the incident, I'm not addressing the incident now of September 11th. I'm addressing extremists in the Muslim world who sees the West as our enemy. Those persons should be aware that this religion advocates moderation, advocates the best standards for civilized society. This is all in the Qur'an. And it advocates us modeling ourself after the best human image. So as human image, human type. They should be aware of that, and well, I'll leave it there.
Tony Brown:
But there is a role for Muslims?
Imam Mohammed:
Yes.
Tony Brown:
And there is a role for people like yourself who are very influential with a very significant portion of American society. And I might say that Muslims in America are the best educated as I agreed, in the world. And the immigrant Muslims who come here are largely, and to a very great extent, professional people who got skills in their country.
Imam Mohammed:
Exactly.
Tony Brown:
And the African Americans who are Muslims, and based on my experience with your community, are exemplary people on average, as much as or more so than any other American. What is their role? How can the Muslim American community, I think I want to ask you, how can it help lead our nation out of this dilemma we're in? How can it? Can it help explain America as you've done on this program to the rest of the world and to America?
Imam Mohammed:
Yes, we can. And I feel that we have an obligation to do that. We live in America and we enjoy the benefits of American citizenship. And I know that these are very precious benefits. You don't find them...abroad. It's hard to find the citizenship quality and benefits that we enjoy in this country. So, it's our obligation as Muslims to embrace all of our good American citizens, irrespective of their color, nationality or their religion. If they are citizens accepting the meaning of citizenship in America, then we cannot exclude them from our circle of friends and brothers. We must accept them because they have accepted that G-d is creator. And that G-d is over this country, that this country's government, its people, its Senate, the Congress, the president, all of our great leaders and respect that G-d is the authority over this country.
And we are trying to have a country that we believe G-d is pleased with. So, any Muslim, it doesn't have to be a Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian Hindu, all of us. If we like that idea, we should bond closely together. So, our role should be as Muslims to promote and contribute to the bonding of the American citizenry. One nation united, one nation united, not divided. That's what we should work for. That should be our role as citizens of this country. And our role as Muslims should be to give our support to all good structures and to this great nation that recognizes G-d as being authority over it.
Tony Brown:
Was that five to...? ... Okay, alright, okay, anything we missed? ... want to make sure we get out...? Okay. I want to do a thank you. You ready? You want to look at me, sir.
Tony Brown:
Imam Mohammed. I want to thank you very much for the privilege of this interview. Thank you for helping direct our nation. And I will, I might say at such a troubling time.
Imam Mohammed:
Well, I must say thank you to you for helping African-American people with our lives and be more rational and know how to live in a material world as well as a spiritual world. And I want thank you for the great service you are doing to mankind by inviting me to come on with you. Thank you.
Tony Brown:
Okay. Now the... Okay. And sir, you're free. Thank you. We have to have to hit the road.



