MUSLIM LEADERS SIGN ‘CODE OF HONOR’ TO PROMOTE INTRAFAITH HARMONY

(Los Angeles - 4/9/07)—As tragic sectarian divisions in Iraq turn into ruthless power struggles and result in a massive number of casualties, Muslim leaders from all schools of thought have come together to ensure intrafaith harmony. Before an audience of more than 700 people, Muslim American leaders in Southern California last week signed onto an “Intra-Faith Code of Honor” at the Muslim Unity Celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday hosted by Islamic Educational Center of Orange County (CA).

The Code of Honor originated as a result of a meeting of Muslim American religious leaders called by the Muslim Public Affairs Council in March. During the meeting, the leaders identified strategies for addressing increasing sectarian violence abroad and, most importantly, ensure that Muslim American communities are not detrimentally affected by this conflict. 

The codes reads in part:  “...We have to prevent this tragedy from spilling over to our Muslim society in the United States.  As a first step in that endeavor, we suggest a Community Code of Honor for all Muslims to live by in order to respect one another, not only in matters in which we are in agreement, but more importantly on issues and times of disagreement.” 

Click here to view the signed “Muslim Code of Honor”.

To add your name to the list of signatories, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the subject line “Code of Honor” and your mosque affiliation (and title if applicable), city and state.

Imam Sayed Moustafa al-Qazwini, head of the IECOC, hosted this inaugural event of the Code of Honor.  Sayed al-Qazwini emphasized the importance the document in sending a positive message to Muslim American youth.  During his keynote address, Dr. Maher Hathout cautioned against ceremonial remembrance of the Prophet as a replacement for following his legacy of pursuing mutual understanding and co-existence. He compared it to a family whose father passed away and who continuously spoke highly about the father but kept losing the wealth he left behind. 

The Code of Honor was signed by the following Muslim American leaders (in alphabetical order): Salam Al-Marayati (MPAC Executive Director), Imam Sayed Moustafa al-Qazwini (founder and imam at the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County), Hussam Ayloush (Executive Director of CAIR-LA), Dr. Ridha Hajjar (Religious Director of the Ahlul-Bayt Mosque-CA), Dr. Maher Hathout (MPAC Senior Advisor), and Shakeel Syed (Executive Director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California).

see also http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/world_full_story.asp?service_id=2919