[WCUSP] My weekend with ISNA in Chicago & article by Robert Fisk about Khatami at ISNA

[KATHARLOW at aol.com]

Dear friends, 
      I've just returned from the Islamic  Society of North America's annual 
convention in Chicago.  A woman, Ingrid  Mattson, has been elected the new 
president at ISNA.  The 4 day conference  was attended by approximately 30,000 
other Muslims from North America.   Featured speakers included former president 
of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, Robert  Fisk and Amy Goodman.  
   Love,
   Katharina
__,_._,___ 
 
 
Robert Fisk: 'America's aggression is fuelling extremism', says  Iran's 
ex-president 
By Robert Fisk in Chicago 
Published: 04 September 2006 
_http://news.http://news.http://news.http://news.<WBRhttp://_ () 
 
 


 
As the West's "war on terror" burns across the Muslim world, one of Islam's  
most principled leaders - the former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami - 
issued  a grave warning yesterday from the very heart of America, the country 
whose  troops and allies are fighting Islamists across the Middle East in a war 
that is  costing thousands of Muslim lives.  
"The policies of the neo-conservatives have created a war that creates more  
extremists and radicals," he told The Independent in Chicago. "The events of  
9/11 gave them this ability to create fear and anxiety ... and to create new  
policies of their own and now events are creating an expansion of extremists 
on  both sides. A struggle is under way to dominate this world multilaterally 
... We  are a witness to war - with suppression from one side and extremist 
reaction in  the form of terror from the other." 
Mr Khatami might appear an improbable figure in the breakfast room of one of  
Chicago's smartest hotels, dressed in his black turban and long gown, his  
spectacles giving him the appearance of a university don - which he once was -  
rather than the seer of Iran, a man whose demands for a civil society and  
democracy at home were overwhelmed by the ascetic clerics who surround the  
Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Yet he is enormously important in the Sunni  as 
well as the Shia Muslim worlds as a philosopher-Mr Khatami might appear an 
improbable figure in the breakfast room of one of  Chicago's smartest hotels, 
dressed in his black turban and long gown, his  spectacles giving 
The former president said: "We have to find ways to confront these people on  
both sides. We need public opinion to be influenced ... And now the  
neo-conservative policies have created this sort of war." 
But Mr Khatami, who defended Iran's role in the nuclear crisis between the  
West and Tehran - he asked why Israel was allowed nuclear weapons while 
refusing  to sign the nuclear non-proliferation pact - did not spare the perpetrators 
of  what he called "the inhumane terrorist attacks" of 11 September 2001. "I 
was one  of the first officials to condemn this barbaric act ... this inferno 
would only  intensify extremism and one-sidedness and would have no outcome 
except to retard  justice and intellect and sacrifice righteousness and 
humanity," he said. 
Addressing 15,000 American Muslims at the weekend, Mr Khatami also made a  
clear assault on the influence of Israel's political lobby in the US. "We are  
unfortunately witnessing the emergence of policies that seek to confiscate  
public opinion in order to exploit all the grandeur of the nation and country of  
the United States ... policies that are the outcome of a point of view, that  
despite having no status in the US public arena as far as numbers are 
concerned,  uses decisive lobby groups and influential centres to utilise the 
entirety of  America's power and wealth to promote its own interest and to implant 
policies  outside US borders that have no resemblance to the spirit of 
Anglo-American  civilisation and the aspirations of its Founding Fathers or its 
constitution,  causing crisis after crisis in our world." 
When he spoke of "the vast and all-encompassing presence of powers who  
express concern for the world but implement policies aimed at devouring the  
world," there was a sense of shock among his audience. They had not expected  such 
an epic denunciation of US hegemony from a divine known for his compassion  
rather than his anger. 
"Any popular or democratic change or transformation that is outside the realm 
 of their influence is not acceptable," he said, "for they find it far more  
convenient to deal with non-nationalistic and non-popular trends and regimes  
rather than popular ones, who naturally tend to care about the welfare and the 
 physical interests of their people." 
Thus did Mr Khatami dispose of America's cry for "democracy" in the "new"  
Middle East. 
Needless to say, his words were given scarcely a few seconds on America's  
major news channels. Mr Khatami's wisdom is not wanted in Washington. 
 
As the West's "war on terror" burns across the Muslim world, one of Islam's  
most principled leaders - the former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami - 
issued  a grave warning yesterday from the very heart of America, the country 
whose  troops and allies are fighting Islamists across the Middle East in a war 
that is  costing thousands of Muslim lives.  
"The policies of the neo-conservatives have created a war that creates more  
extremists and radicals," he told The Independent in Chicago. "The events of  
9/11 gave them this ability to create fear and anxiety ... and to create new  
policies of their own and now events are creating an expansion of extremists 
on  both sides. A struggle is under way to dominate this world multilaterally 
... We  are a witness to war - with suppression from one side and extremist 
reaction in  the form of terror from the other." 
Mr Khatami might appear an improbable figure in the breakfast room of one of  
Chicago's smartest hotels, dressed in his black turban and long gown, his  
spectacles giving him t+he appearance of a university don - which he once was -  
rather than the seer of Iran, a man whose demands for a civil society and  
democracy at home were overwhelmed by the ascetic clerics who surround the  
Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Yet he is enormously important in the Sunni  
as well as the Shia Muslim worlds as a philosopher-Mr Khatami might appear an 
improbable figure in the breakfast room of one of  Chicago's smartest hotels, 
dressed in his black turban and long gown, his  spectacles giving 
The former president said: "We have to find ways to confront these people on  
both sides. We need public opinion to be influenced ... And now the  
neo-conservative policies have created this sort of war." 
But Mr Khatami, who defended Iran's role in the nuclear crisis between the  
West and Tehran - he asked why Israel was allowed nuclear weapons while 
refusing  to sign the nuclear non-proliferation pact - did not spare the perpetrators 
of  what he called "the inhumane terrorist attacks" of 11 September 2001. "I 
was one  of the first officials to condemn this barbaric act ... this inferno 
would only  intensify extremism and one-sidedness and would have no outcome 
except to retard  justice and intellect and sacrifice righteousness and 
humanity," he  said.
 
Addressing 15,000 American Muslims at the weekend, Mr Khatami also made a  
clear assault on the influence of Israel's political lobby in the US. "We are  
unfortunately witnessing the emergence of policies that seek to confiscate  
public opinion in order to exploit all the grandeur of the nation and country of  
the United States ... policies that are the outcome of a point of view, that  
despite having no status in the US public arena as far as numbers are 
concerned,  uses decisive lobby groups and influential centres to utilise the 
entirety of  America's power and wealth to promote its own interest and to implant 
policies  outside US borders that have no resemblance to the spirit of 
Anglo-American  civilisation and the aspirations of its Founding Fathers or its 
constitution,  causing crisis after crisis in our world." 
When he spoke of "the vast and all-encompassing presence of powers who  
express concern for the world but implement policies aimed at devouring the  
world," there was a sense of shock among his audience. They had not expected  such 
an epic denunciation of US hegemony from a divine known for his compassion  
rather than his anger. 
"Any popular or democratic change or transformation that is outside the realm 
 of their influence is not acceptable," he said, "for they find it far more  
convenient to deal with non-nationalistic and non-popular trends and regimes  
rather than popular ones, who naturally tend to care about the welfare and the 
 physical interests of their people." 
Thus did Mr Khatami dispose of America's cry for "democracy" in the "new"  
Middle East. 
Needless to say, his words were given scarcely a few seconds on America's  
major news channels. Mr Khatami's wisdom is not wanted in Washington. 



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