Did the Council on American-Islamic Relations ever organize a march against terrorism? Never. In fact, as I documented in "Moderate Muslims March in Phoenix," when a march against terrorism took place in Phoenix, Arizona, CAIR stayed away and then responded with its own rally of "Muslim Americans for Human Rights and Dignity" (note its conspicuous non-condemnation of terror).
There's now a second anti-terror rally, this time in Washington, D.C. Called by Kamal Nawash and the Free Muslims Against Terrorism (né the Free Muslim Coalition Against Terrorism), it will take place on May 14, 2005, on the Freedom Plaza at Pennsylvania Ave. between 13th and 14th Street, NW.
It will be "a rally against terrorism and to support freedom and democracy in the Middle East and the Muslim world." The demonstrators reject "radical Muslims and supporters of terrorism" and assert they will do all possible "to defeat them."
Although to be made up primarily of "Muslims and Middle Easterners of all backgrounds," the march is also explicitly open to anyone who supports this message, intending that the extremists and terrorists will witness that "American Muslims, Christians, Jews and people of all faiths are united against terrorism and extremism."
Those wishing to join or co-sponsor the rally should send the names of their groups to President@freemuslims.org.
Comment: I have heavily criticized Kamal Nawash in the past but his work as head of Free Muslims Against Terrorism has been creative, constructive, and brave. The march planned for May 14 is another example of this, and I hope it finds substantial support among anti-Islamist Muslims whose voices so much need to be heard. (March 31, 2005)
May 15, 2005 update: The march took place yesterday. As everyone from Robert Spencer to Hussein Ibish has noted, the list of endorsers is a peculiar one (or worse: one endorser, Solidarity USA, is connected via its president, Yasser Bushnaq, to Islamic Association for Palestine and Hamas). Judging by the video clip of Khaleel Mohammed at Anti-CAIR, however, at least some of the speakers made the necessary arguments. The audience was small (estimates varied between 50 and 150 in attendance), but one has to start somewhere.
