12/18/1996
IWDM Study Library
Interview WDM Saudi Arabia

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Interviewer: [Arabic language] Chicago, Illinois. [Arabic language]. I would like to welcome you Imam W. Deen Mohammed to this program-
Warith Deen Mohammed: Thank you.
Interviewer: -coming from the United States and being a person who actually propagates Islam there and serving the Islam in various means. Before we actually start talking about your role in promoting Islam in the United States, can we have a general idea about your function at the Muslim-American community? What actually do you do there?
Deen Mohammed: I have a office. It’s called the Ministry Of W. Deen Mohammed. That’s where all of my activities are done. From that office, my activities involve me in Dawa, and also in meeting distinguished personalities in America and outside. It also involved me with the Shura of my community and with the Shura of the general Muslim community in America. That’s a good view of my activities in my office. However, I also have what I call the book production and cassette audio tape production program that I’m responsible for also, which is my private effort to contribute to the Dawa.
Interviewer: You said that you had also cooperate with the Shura. Is there any type of a high Muslim authority that the Muslim community in the United States, for example, do refer to in matters of Shariah or Fiqh, or any other legislative matters of Islam?
Deen Mohammed: Yes. In America, as you know, Muslims are coming from different countries, different nationalities and different cultures, ethnic backgrounds. We feel that there should be a Shura council for all Muslims in America. We made an effort. My community also joined with, - I would say, the general community, but if you know about an organization by the name of Islamic Society of North America, that’s a big effort in America. I’m also a member with them, with that bigger organization, representation, and my representation from my community. Also, there’s an Imam called Jamil Alamin in Atlanta, Gerogia. We also have him. Then there’s ICNA. ICNA is Islamic Circle of North America. We all joined to form a Shura. The Shura is a representative Shura really. Really we hope that the real business or the real work will be done by people in the general by masjids and Imams in the general community of America. We hope that they will send up to us their message, their concerns and their feelings, so we can discuss them and then put them back out to the community. Yes.
Interviewer: It seems that the knowledge of Islam had a burst of tremendous improvement in the United States.
Deen Mohammed: Over the last 10 years especially, yes.
Interviewer: Over the last 10 years, yes. After all these years, after having so many groups and Islamic communities in the States, were there any effort to have a one big community and then representative from this community will be, for example in Chicago, Illinois, or in New York, or Washington, whatever. Have you ever thought of such an idea?
Deen Mohammed: Yes, actually my past is just that situation. We were in a community under the old incorrect ideas. It had one leader representing everybody. When we joined the ummah of the Muslims, there was some who thought we still should have one leader speaking for everybody. In my opinion, this is not good for us in America yet. I think we should have a select group of the best leaders [Arabic language] represent the leadership in America.
Interviewer: That’s quite interesting. Now, let’s come and talk about your activities. Is it--
[00:06:02] [END OF AUDIO]

