FAC News - Friday, February 15, 2002 10:22 AM

Shaykh Kabbani is jealous: US Muslim leader

FAC News spoke to a prominent Muslim leader from one of the leading Islamic groups in the United States to find out more about this Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani chap, and what he had to say was most interesting to say the least.

"I think there is a lot of hidden jealousy at play here," said the Muslim leader who would rather remain anonymous lest he get dragged into a messy public debate.

"Shaykh Kabbani has never been able to build his organization into the kind of larger group that the other Muslim organizations in the US have."

"Leaders from these other organizations get invited to the White House and he doesn't," argued the US Muslim leader.

"He warns America about Islamic extremism and its links to terrorism for years but, after September 11, the other Islamic leaders get to be on TV and he doesn't."

"And then, when it is time for President Bush to ask a Muslim cleric to say a prayer for the September 11 victims," added the Muslim leader, "The honour goes to Dr. Siddiqi from ISNA, the organization that he insinuates is radicalizing the mosques across America."

It is well known that Kabbani has an axe to grind with ISNA. He knows too that Malaysia is sore with ISNA for uninviting Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to its Chicago conference in 2000 and, the following year, invited Anwar Ibrahim’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Ismail instead.

Is Kabbani maybe trying to get back at ISNA for overshadowing him?

Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqi, Immediate Past President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), meeting President Bush at the White House in September 2001 and giving Bush a copy of the Koran.