Anti-terror marches: Marching towards alienation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It was billed as a mainstream Muslim march against terror. But the politics behind the movement alienated many supporters (and detractors) of a hardened stance against extremism.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2005\/05\/marching_towards_alienation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Anti-terror marches: Marching towards alienation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It was billed as a mainstream Muslim march against terror. 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No shoving, please<\/div>\n

<\/p><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

&After weeks of publicity, a Muslim March Against Terror<\/a> was staged last Saturday in Washington DC, attracting 50 people<\/a> (who didn\u2019t really march at all). While a number this low would hardly justify international attention (and for the most part, didn\u2019t<\/a>), the real news was behind the scenes. Billed as the first mainstream Muslim rally against terror in Washington DC (the qualifiers came after rallies were pointed out elsewhere, notably AMILA\u2019S<\/a> well-documented march<\/a> in 2002), the march was organised by the Free Muslims Against Terrorism<\/a>, or more accurately by its president Kamal Nawash<\/a>. However, the march\u2019s low turnout<\/a> highlighted the leader\u2019s notoriety for high publicity (in non-Muslim circles and Fox News) and rejection by most mainstream Muslim groups (of which FMAT claims to be part of). \u201cFor certain people, I\u2019m a hero. For certain people, I was sent by God,\u201d said Nawash, prior to the event (with angels fluttering above, no doubt). \u201cSomeone described me as the Martin Luther of Islam. To me, that\u2019s not bad.\u201d Nawash has been criticized in the past by Muslim-watchers such as Daniel Pipes for his defense of Abdurahman Alamoudi<\/a> while working as an attorney for the ADC (he has since won back Pipes graces and left the ADC). But a recent critique<\/a> (to put it mildly) by former ADC colleague and Progressive Muslim Union<\/a> board member Hussain Ibish highlighted Nawash\u2019s failed political aspirations<\/a> and accused him of selling out. \u201cIt looks like an effort to force people into choosing to give Kamal completely undeserved credibility by joining him, or face possible denunciation as agents of terror by declining the poisoned offer,\u201d predicted Ibish (somewhat correctly<\/a>). \u201cIt\u2019s a typically crude ploy, and nobody should be fooled for a second by it.\u201d Furthermore, the bizarre list of supporters (including groups who said they never signed on and a sneaked-through anagram insult<\/a> to Nawash) undermined<\/a> claims of mainstream Muslim support. Before the march, even some would-be supporters flogged the organisation for not going far enough<\/a> or for rehearsing a terrorist plot<\/a>. Still, despite the setbacks, Nawash remains undeterred. ;If we\u2019re so small and insignificant, then just ignore us,\u201d he said. \u201cBut they\u2019re scared, because we\u2019re breaking their monopoly over our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/p>\n

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com. He is based in London, England.\n<\/p>\n

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