IIC Condemns Israr Ahmad's Remarks Against Imam Ali IIC Main Offices In early 2007, the Islamic Information Center relocated its main headquarters to the National Press Club building in Washington D.C.  The National Press Club is an international news media hub, home to hundreds of media organizations from around the world, and regularly hosts world leaders and various elected officials from around the nation.  By positioning an office in this location, the Islamic Information Center is uniquely suited to disseminate important Islamic information throughout the world in a professional and instantaneous manner.   (WASHINGTON D.C. - June 26, 2008) The Islamic Information Center condemns the remarks recently made by extremist cleric Mr. Israr Ahmad concerning the revered son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Imam Ali (A). On June 12th, 2008 on a Pakistani television network channel (QTV). Israr Ahmad made derogatory and insulting remarks about Imam Ali. Such remarks were both false and offensive to the entire community of 1.6 billion Muslims throughout the world. The Muslim world is deeply hurt by these insults leveled against one of their most revered religious and historical figures. According to Islamic scriptures, Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali were so close throughout their lifetimes, that the Prophet declared them to be brothers of one another. Today, each sect of Islam, whether it is Shi'ite, Sunni, Sufi, or others, proudly proclaim Imam Ali to be their own leader, regarding him as the highest exemplar of Muslim piety. Israr Ahmad has quoted the narration from one of the books of hadith, but a person who claims himself to be a scholar should assess and evaluate the credibility of the narration before making it public. The world-wide community of Muslims are incredibly offended by the clerics remarks and the Islamic Information Center demands an apology from Israr Ahmad for his divisive and insulting rhetoric. Seeing as this is not the first time that Mr. Israr has created religious controversy we ask that Mr. Israr's shows on these television networks be removed, as his messages do not promote peace within the Islamic community. We also hope that show sponsors will ban the extremist cleric from future programs, and focus on productive community building shows and programs. The Islamic Information Center, under the guidance of Imam Syed Naqvi, works to bring understanding among people of all faiths and background in an attempt to build bridges for the future to prevent hate crimes through education and tolerance. IIC also works to correct any misinformation about matters relating to the Holy Religion of Islam. The IIC provides accurate information about the Islamic faith and Muslim community to government offices, media outlets, and civic organizations. Through educational and interfaith programs, The IIC promotes understanding, community, and trust among people of all faiths and cultures. By authority of the Islamic Information Center, Washington, DC. For further information: Phone Number: 202-347-6405 Fax Number: 202-347-6406 E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it www.IslamicInformationCenter.org

 

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