Anti-Muslim Bigotry

Yerushalmi’s Agenda – A $400,000 Study of Imams’ Beards Pushes Anti-Shariah Movement

Published

August 10, 2011

A project costing hundreds of thousands of dollars titled “Shari’a and Violence in American Mosques” is being hyped as an “important study” by a lawyer, David Yerushalmi, who the ADL describes as one who has “a record of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-black bigotry.”

The study has been strongly criticized by liberal organizations but seized upon by conservative publications, such as FrontPage Magazine and National Review Online, “as proof that Islam constitutes a grave threat to national security. Writing in National Review Online, Andrew McCarthy said the results proved that, “what we wishfully call ‘radicalism’ is in fact the Islamic mainstream.”

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What Is The Study About?

Wearing what they said were “Shari’a adherent” disguises, researchers looked for empirical evidence between Islamic practices i.e. hijab, gender segregation, straightening of the lines, the length of the imam’s beard and the existence of (what he terms) violence-prone materials in the 100 masjids surveyed. According to the study, only 3 aspects were found statistically significant. Remarkably, they also observed that the 12 imams who wore the watch on the right hand were right handed.

Gaubatz (director of the project) described these as markers for gauging whether and to what extent a mosque should be seen as extremist. Each of these attributes “comes from Shari’a,” he said.

How ridiculous is this conjecture, but what is more disheartening is that people are taking this seriously. This playing on shallow stereotypes diverts our attention from really seeking out those who do fall in the trap of radicalization and domestic terrorists like David Burget.

Not found ‘significant’ were whether or not the imam wore a thawb and the presence of modern hijab vs. traditional hijab (phew). It didn’t take long for the leap from this study to headlines like “Study: 3 in 4 U.S. mosques preach anti-West extremism” to take place. On one hand his study claims that we are being radicalized by ‘Islamists’ and on the other hand he says Shari’a itself is radical. As the “nation’s foremost non-Muslim expert on Islam,” which one is it?

You can read the study here. An adherence to Shari’a is termed Salafist ideology in the study, which begs the question: for Muslims who do not follow that ideology, do they not attend mosques? Do they not grow their beards? Do they not wear watches? Are they not Shari’a compliant? Riyadh us Saliheen is one of the seven texts being tarnished as ‘severe material’ in calling to violent jihad without reservations. The study also uses al-Misri’s Umdat al-Salik as another example of a ‘violent’ book – it’s a shame for someone to have done such an expensive study of Islam in America and not know which books are read by which ideologies. The study mentions that wearing of hijab by girl’s ages 5-12 is ‘Shari’a-adherent’ behavior, which shows how much the researchers know about Islam.

And how exactly were the imams inciting violence in the mosques? Were they giving khutbahs? NO! Were they urging worshipers in talks or study circles to go out and kill non-Muslims? NO! This was a conclusion of the study (which is not being advertised), that despite having “violent text” (their words) in the mosques, there was no indication of actually urging the joining of terrorist organizations or gathering of money to fund terrorist organizations.

So what did the Imams do? They answered a question.

Following the prayer service, the surveyor asked the following question: “Do you recommend the study of: (a) only the Qur’an and/or Sunna; (b) Tafsir Ibn Kathir; (c) Fiqh as-Sunna; (e) Reliance of the Traveller; or (f) the works of Qutb, such as Milestones, and Maududi, such as The Meaning of the Qur’an?”

If the imam or lay leader recommended studying any of the materials mentioned above except the Qur’an and/or Sunna then they were termed as Moderate to SEVERELY violent – leaving an “Ominous Jihadist Footprint” or leading to hyper yellow journalism i.e. Big Peace: “81% Of US Mosques Promote Jihad.”

Who is David Yerushalmi?

He contends that African-Americans are a “relatively murderous race killing itself.” Read his post with context yourself just to make sure that we aren’t jumping to conclusions. What do Americans expect from a racist xenophobe like him? MuslimMatters first wrote abut David Yerushalmi and his non-profit SANE in 2007. His views sound more radical than any Shari’a he is vilifying.

He has close ties to the likes of Pamela Geller; “he is her personal attorney. He incorporated the non-profit entity under which she and Robert Spencer produce their blogs. This in turn allows David Horowitz to plow funds into their enterprise that have been given on a tax-deductible basis. Yerushalmi is also representing her in a $10 million defamation lawsuit brought by the family of Rifqa Bary, a teenage girl torn from her Muslim-American family by Christian evangelicals who inveigled her into converting to Christianity and running away from their home while still a minor.” He claims to be an expert on Islamic law. Click here to read more about his views. He said his interest in Islamic law began with the Sept. 11 attacks when he was living in Ma’ale Adumim, a large Jewish settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

He was behind the Stop the Madrassa campaign that got Debbi AlMontaser fired from her job as the principal of the Khalil Gibran Academy; he filed a lawsuit which was dismissed, and he appealed and lost.

I read more about this ‘study’ in this post by Paul Berger in the oldest Jewish newspaper in the US, The Forward. From the perspective of other Jews, what do they have to say about this man?

In a telephone interview with the Forward, Yerushalmi, 55, said that the motivation behind Islamic extremism could not be explained by socioeconomic, political or cultural factors. “The one common denominator,” he said, “was Sharia.” It is too soon to judge the impact of this latest study, but The Southern Poverty Law Center included him in a recent list of the country’s leading Islamophobes, and the Anti-Defamation League has cited his “anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-black bigotry.” In his telephone interview, Yerushalmi denied these charges. He said that he had defended black and Muslim clients pro bono and that the real target of his advocacy is liberalism.

The study concludes that non-Shari’a centric mosques may provide a foundation for reformed Islam which can integrate into a western ‘liberal’ citizenship, but according to his own words, Yerushalmi’s real target of advocacy is “liberalism.” Is this not a duplicity in his words? This makes me believe that the real objective is to reform Islam.

Anti-Islam Activism

Paul Berger notes that “one of the most striking aspects of Yerushalmi’s activism against Shari’a law has been his ability to edge his ideas into the mainstream.” With the death of Osama, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a crushed economy and a debt crisis like none the United States has ever faced, the bogeyman is Shari’a. Yerushalmi has sugar coated his biases, making it sound very acceptable to the masses. Women’s rights, children’s rights – but what is the real agenda?

His legislation has drawn opposition from the American Civil Liberties Union as well as from Catholic bishops and Jewish groups but “he did not believe that court cases involving Jewish or canon law would be affected by the statutes because they are unlikely to involve violations of constitutional rights.” The case that he quotes for the rights of women suffering under Shari’a law used to give a verdict in the US is the same argument that could be applied to Jewish Law. From Judaism 101, according to the Talmud, only the husband can initiate a divorce, and the wife cannot prevent him from divorcing her.

It is hypocritical to say the least when an orthodox Jew who believes in the Torah and the Jewish Shari’a, the ‘Halacha’, and who believes in the authority of religious law and code of conduct would let his extreme prejudice lead him to go to such extents as to deter followers of another faith from following religious code. Is he going to also do a ‘conclusive’ study of temples and synagogues and the connection between wearing of to the kippa (yarmulke), discussing mitzvahs about the Amalekites, teachings of R. Shimon ben Yochai, let alone the readings of the Torat Hamelech? As New York Times reporter Andrea Ellliot writes,

The more tangible effect of the movement, opponents say, is the spread of an alarmist message about Islam — the same kind of rhetoric that appears to have influenced Anders Behring Breivik, the suspect in the deadly dual attacks in Norway on July 22. The anti-Shariah campaign, they say, appears to be an end in itself, aimed at keeping Muslims on the margins of American life.

Failing to influence policy at the federal level, Yerushalmi moved to the state legislature

Andrea Elliot also points out that after failing to convince policy makers at the federal level, David Yerushalmi headed to the state legislatures. Yerushalmi’s template, the Anti-Defamation League notes, “has been the basis for anti-Sharia measures introduced by state lawmakers in several states in recent years.” Berger writes:

A legislative wave is surging through the nation’s heartland: In Tennessee, Louisiana and Arizona, lawmakers have passed statutes prohibiting courts from relying on any foreign law, legal code or system that is contrary to state or federal public policy in reaching their decisions. … In some of these statutes and bills, Sharia, or traditional Islamic religious law, is explicitly cited; in others it is not. In either case, civil libertarians and Muslim groups denounce them as efforts to target Islam. And those pushing for these laws don’t deny this. Republican State Rep. Sally Kern, who sponsored such a bill in Oklahoma, stressed the political potency of the movement, saying, “It’s always helpful when you can say to your colleagues, ‘This piece of legislation is practically identical to about 20 other states.’”

David Yerushalmi… has offered legislators a template that claims to sidestep constitutional objections to singling out Islam by avoiding explicit mention of it (though not all state legislatures have taken this advice).

Who are his co-conspirators?

The study is co-written by Mordechai Kedar, a professor of Middle East studies at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University. Why is an Israeli professor who worked for 25 years in IDF military intelligence sending paid operatives to U.S. Mosques? For the past FOUR years! What is his interest in this? He isn’t even an American citizen. Another author of the study is David Gaubatz , a former employee of David Yerushalami, who has claimed that he found Saddam’s long-lost WMDs while in Iraq and has labeled Obama “Muslim” and a “self-admitted ‘crack head.'”

I was going to post this when the study first came out, but I wanted to find out who funded this study and could not find any links until Andrea Elliot traced the funds in her must read New York Times article: The Man Behind the Anti-Shariah Movement.

The project, Mapping Shariah, led Mr. Yerushalmi to Frank Gaffney, a hawkish policy analyst and commentator who is the president of the Center for Security Policy in Washington. Well connected in neoconservative circles, Mr. Gaffney has been known to take polarizing positions (he once argued that President Obama might secretly be Muslim). Mr. Gaffney would emerge as Mr. Yerushalmi’s primary link to a network of former and current government officials, security analysts and grass-roots political organizations.

Together, they set out to “engender a national debate about the nature of Shariah and the need to protect our Constitution and country from it,” Mr. Gaffney wrote in an e-mail to The New York Times. The center contributed an unspecified amount to Mr. Yerushalmi’s study, which cost roughly $400,000 and involved surreptitiously sending researchers into 100 mosques.

It is a tight knit group with the same names coming up over and over again. Spencer, Geller, Gaffney, and Yerushalmi. There are anti-Muslim conservatives who regurgitate whatever they are fed and then there are dangerous anti-Muslims bigots who keep feeding the frenzy. Four years have gone by, and day by day, state by state, anti-Muslim bigotry is growing. David Yerushalmi’s name, although not as well-known, is firmly entrenched with the rest of the venomous players of the great Islamophobic Crusade.

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Hena Zuberi

Hena Zuberi is the Editor in Chief of Muslimmatters.org. She leads the DC office of the human rights organization, Justice For All, focusing on stopping the genocide of the Rohingya under Burma Task Force, advocacy for the Uighur people with the Save Uighur Campaign and Free Kashmir Action. She was a Staff Reporter at the Muslim Link newspaper which serves the DC Metro. Hena has worked as a television news reporter and producer for CNBC Asia and World Television News. Active in her SoCal community, Hena served as the Youth Director for the Unity Center. Using her experience with Youth, she conducts Growing Up With God workshops. hena.z@muslimmatters.org Follow her on Twitter @henazuberi.

20 Comments

Amad

August 10, 2011 at 2:05 AM

Excellent wrap-up… jazakillahkhair

Reply
- Hena Zuberi
  
  August 12, 2011 at 5:11 PM
  
  Blogging have made me wake up from my slumber – we live in our suburban homes, attend Juma’ah in our masajids, shop at our our halal butchers, and make it to a convention once in a while and think all is well in this country- All is not well and we need spread awareness at a faster rate than the hate that is being spread.
  
  We could learn some lesson from him- despite failure at the federal level he didn’t give up he continued and made as many connections as he could until his agenda is manifesting in 20 states!! But our uncles can have some more chai
  
  Reply
SimplyMe

August 10, 2011 at 3:38 AM

Sad to say that even though this article focuses on Muslim communities in America being affected by such misleading research and media representation; the impact is and will be global.
Even some Muslim communities eye their fellow brothers and sisters suspiciously because they follow mainstream global media.
Ruling by fear, divide and conquer, planting seeds of doubt, dismantling societies seem to be on the agenda of those in power these days.
MashaAllah, well written informative article.

Reply
- amad
  
  August 10, 2011 at 5:12 AM
  
  Thanks for the comments.
  As per our recent policy, pls use a name or kuniya for a handle.
  
  Reply
- Muslimah
  
  August 10, 2011 at 10:42 AM
  
  Exactly. Unfortunately, many of us subscribe to the same ideologies of racism and inferiority. We must purify our hearts, ask Allah to purify our hearts.
  
  Very informative article. JAK
  
  Reply
Zulaikho

August 10, 2011 at 5:09 AM

Great article. May Allah help Islam and the Muslims.

Reply
AnonyMouse

August 10, 2011 at 10:11 AM

It is extremely frustrating to see such rubbish being disseminated and accepted into the mass media and subsequently, the majority of the population both in America and outside of it.
Presentations against “studies” like this one really must be pushed into MSM platforms – perhaps another debate is needed, sis Hena! :)

Reply
Yasmin

August 10, 2011 at 2:03 PM

It’s so sad that people would waste so much money on this ridiculous study. Imagine how many poor people that could be helped with that much money. Anyways, I think that this just proves how important it is that we have more programs like United We Stand.

Reply
be

August 10, 2011 at 4:06 PM

I had no idea about the story of Riqba Bari until this article….How sad that those evangelico bigots brainwashed her and manipuated her to the point she lied about her parents about abusing her… During the investigation they could not find any proof of her claims …She said her father threatened her to punch her in the face if she does not wear Hijab and at the same time he was the one supporting her cheerleader hobby and give her permission even when her mom would not !! What a radical Muslim… to allow his daughter to jump and stretch in a mini skirt and display her pictures in this uniform all around the house lol!
Anyway, it makes me sick to see how some extremists Christians were ready to do anything to just to dirt and slander Muslims and Islam even teaching a child to lie about their parents …If they love Jesus (saw) so much like they say why can’t they follow his teaching !?
She died and I wonder if she had the chance to see her parents and make peace with them? I hope she did! Just sad…

Reply
- Awesome-ness
  
  August 11, 2011 at 3:08 PM
  
  Rifqa Berry died?! When and how?
  
  Reply
  - be
    
    August 20, 2011 at 2:38 AM
    
    I read a post on her cancer and wrongly understood that she passed away…My mistake …thanks for pointing out :)
    
    Reply
Leo

August 10, 2011 at 5:00 PM

What can we as individuals do to combat this (in a peaceful non-violent way, of course) ?

Reply
- Olivia
  
  August 11, 2011 at 2:12 PM
  
  Keep speaking the truth and know that Allah’s promise is true when He says that the schemes of such people will eventually unravel and ultimately backfire in their faces (that isn’t the exact language, but we’re speaking English here not Arabic). Reading the Quran in English this Ramadan, one sees this reminder repeated over and over to the Muslims. During the time of the Prophet (s) the mushrikeen, and eventually the Madinite Jewish tribes, were constantly plotting and planning against the Muslims, whether through open attacks, slanderous media-messages, or stealth infiltration. We are going through the same thing, and eventually these schemes will fall apart and backfire, because the schemes of shaytaan are always weak. I mean just look at what happened in Norway? These bigots around the world have spent so much time and money trying to incite violence and hatred against Muslims, and cast blame upon them, that when the Norway event happened they were so happy to jump up and see Muslims commit a terrorist attack. They thought they had more fuel for their fire but then it turned out to be one of their own. Did you see how they floundered? It was a terrible atrocity that should have never happened but it still showed that their own schemes against us backfired on themselves. And it will continue to be so. These nuts are shooting themselves in the feet with their Islamophobic messages. It’s only a matter of time before the threat of right-wing terrorism becomes to large to be ignored when they start attacking liberals more and more (remember how that other nut shot the AZ congresswoman and Sarah Palin floundered about her cross-hairs)? Then these nuts will be under watch just like they want the Muslims to be and FBI will be knocking on their doors for inciting terrorism.
  
  Reply
- Syed Abdul Raheem
  
  August 15, 2011 at 2:10 AM
  
  As Salaam Alaikum,
  
  Solution to all the problems as I see is, indulge in Da’wah and spread Islam in the perspective of Qur’an and Sunnah.
  
  Reply
- Hena Zuberi
  
  August 15, 2011 at 5:01 PM
  
  I suggest civic engagement-
  -getting involved in your communities,
  -volunteering,
  -running for office- starting with school board
  -pushing our children to go into public service
  -going to town hall meetings
  -writing letters to editors in local newspaper
  -visiting your congressman
  -and even small acts like inviting your neighbor over to dinner
  Read this great series by Muslimmatters specialist Mustafa Dill
  
  http://muslimmatters.org/2010/10/19/reclaiming-the-perceptions-of-muslims-pt-1-be-a-citizen/
  
  Reply
dallasmuslimah

August 11, 2011 at 7:14 AM

Four hundred thousand dollars for this c***? Might as well have donated it and made it actually useful. How they love spreading hate and fear.

Reply
Olivia

August 11, 2011 at 1:59 PM

Now lets do a real study and see how many people who watch Fox News, read Anne Coulter’s books, and read anti-Muslim blogs are significantly prone to murdering innocent people in cold blood in the name of preserving Western values.

Reply
Kashif H

August 14, 2011 at 11:13 PM

salaam aleikum,

This should be the topic of ju’mah khutbahs organizing Muslims to at least have talking points to refute this nonsense, but sadly we will be too busy discussing miswak, how to make wudu, and the importance of not eating garlic before coming to the masjid.

Reply
- Hena Zuberi
  
  August 15, 2011 at 4:52 PM
  
  wa alay kumassalam,
  
  Great point- suggest it to Shaykh Jangda who is organizing a Khatib workshop http://www.qalaminstitute.org/
  
  Reply
Jassim

August 20, 2011 at 11:10 PM

I think the person is overfilled with money, he don’t know where to use it!!! May Allah Guide him!

Reply