Mudge's Council of scholars in this city
is one of the most extraordinary
accomplishments in the Muslim world I'm
not talking just about the United States
of America a group of Imams from diverse
backgrounds different geographical
locations to come together to work
together that's what can happen in this
country we have the potential to change
the world that we're in and there's no
other reason to be in this world unless
you're here to change it for the better
because there's enough people out there
changing it for the worst and you need
to choose your sides choose your battles
but start the struggle because the
struggles if you don't go to the
struggle the struggle will come to you
it's the nature of life on this planet
if you don't go to the struggle the
struggle will go to you but this is a
long train and it's been moving for a
long time Rosa Parks went to jail in
this country so that these people could
be sitting at this table together that's
right
that's right Medgar Evers took a bullet
in the back Martin Luther King
malcom-x these people their sacrifice
their lives for a different America and
there are many positive and good things
about America today it is undeniable
some of the achievements that have
occurred in our lifetimes and we need to
acknowledge that and recognize that but
there are other things that are deeply
troubling and if we don't look those
things straight in the eye and deal with
them as a community recognize that we
have allies in the greater community we
have good people that are standing by us
that are defending us we have people on
the Left like Chris Chris Hedges
a pew litter Prize winning journalist
who's willing to speak the truth for the
Muslim community on our behalf and those
people need to be recognized we have
people like Robert George who's on the
right
one of the most significant legal minds
in the in the United States today
teaching at Princeton defending the
Muslim community we need to recognize
who our allies are and those out there
who are attacking this community there
are some of them who are simply ignorant
they need to be educated there are
others that are educated but they have
an agenda you cannot blame the Jewish
community not all of the Jewish
community but a certain segment of the
Jewish community in this country does
not like the idea of a strong Islam in
America because the Jewish community has
worked very hard to be enfranchised in
this country many of the Jewish
community has a tribal allegiance to
Israel just like many of the people in
this hall might have some tribal
allegiances to places they came from -
that's human nature that's human nature
so you have to be aware there are people
that are deeply disturbed by the idea of
a powerful vibrant Muslim community that
is going to engage the dominant
community in new discourses but there
are people within the Jewish community
that have stood by our community
defended our key
unity so it's important for us to
distinguish friends from foes right
friends from foes recognizing who our
friends are who our enemies are
and unfortunately we have amongst
ourselves amongst the Muslim community
what I would what I would call frenemies
right we've got a lot of those shooting
us in the foot as a community
unfortunately god bless you all god
bless imam suraj in his community we owe
them our support Saruman Akuma