New Trend Magazine
(forum and opinion)
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah Refuses to Answer Brotherly Letters
His actions damaged Work for Iraqi Children's Relief Fund
"A person who is made responsible for any of the matters of the ummah
of
Muhammad (pbuh) and then does not deal with people according to the
Book of
Allah, may Allah's curse be on him." (Abu Bakr Siddiq, ra, first
Rightly
Guided Caliph of Islam, quoted in kunz ul-'amal, vol.5, hadith 2505)
Dear readers: asalamu alaikum
ICNA's new president is reported to be Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah. We
have
nothing personal against him. In fact none of us at New Trend know him
and we
have never met him.
However, New Trend has received documentation of the injustice
Dr.
Zulfiqar Shah has done to Gulf Medical Relief Fund (GMRF) which is in
the
forefront of relief activity to help the children of Iraq.
The Director of Gulf Medical Relief Fund (GMRF), Shaikh Abdus
Sattar
al-Dahir was promised permission to collect funds for Iraqi children at
the
Islamic Center where Dr. Shah was the key figure. However, Dr. Shah
reneged
on his promise when it was impossible for Shaikh Abdus Sattar to avoid
heavy
travel expense. Not only was the Iraqi brother denied the promised
access to
collect funds for Iraqi children (at the last minute), Dr. Shah then
refused
to offer him the slightest politeness and communication on the problem.
Since that loss was incurred, GMRF has repeatedly contacted Dr.
Shah in
an effort to get some kind of answer. Dr. Shah has not responded.
The situation was further complicated in the year 2000 Convention
of
ICNA (in Baltimore) when Shaikh Abdus Sattar got up to protest ICNA's
invitee, the Saudi-government's appointed Imam of Kaaba when he praised
the
King of Saudi Arabia.
ICNA mistreated Shaikh Abdus Sattar during this episode and refused to
give
any explanation for inviting the agent of a repressive government under
cover
of religion.
This year, as president of ICNA, Dr. Shah took further steps
against
GMRF. By way of a series of delaying tactics, GMRF was denied a booth
in the
ICNA Convention in Cleveland although GMRF was willing to pay as usual
and
has not done anything against the rules of Convention booths.
Here we have a case of ICNA's president avoiding answerability and
then
quashing attempts to protest.
Before the ICNA Convention in Cleveland, we tried to reach Dr.
Shah
through all three of ICNA's email addresses. Three weeks later there is
no
response.
If such egoistic and dictatorial tendencies are at work at the top
level
of ICNA, how can ICNA claim that it is working for Islam in America?
Surely a response to such a public issue is due. When a Muslim
cries out
and demands fairplay, the least Dr. Shah and ICNA can do is: answer.
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This is an open forum. Dr. Shah is welcome to respond and we will send
his
response to all those to whom we are sending this report.
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2001-07-24 Tue 18:27ct