ISNA’s Anti-Semitic, Anti-Bahai Speaker [incl. Seyyed Hossein Nasr]

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is a Muslim Brotherhood-inspired group which declares as its mission “to be an exemplary and unifying Islamic organization in North America” and to “advance the cause of Islam in North America.” Well-funded, in part by donations from the Emir of Qatar and other elements in the Persian Gulf, ISNA not only has become an interlocutor with the White House despite its status as anunindicted co-conspirator in a terror finance case, but goes so far as to claim to be the credentialingorganization for American imams, including Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. military.

Over Labor Day weekend, ISNA sponsored its annual conference in Washington, DC. Among its featured speakers was Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic Studies at the George Washington University, who addressed a panel titled, “Interweaving Religion & Life in a Moral Society.” ISNA’s choice of Nasr to promote a moral society is deeply troubling. In October 2009, Nasr attended a reception at the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Interest Section in Washington, D.C. The Iranian press published an account of his comments there:

Before the revolution all the chairs in Islamic studies were taken by the Jews and that now all the Shi’a studies chairs are taken over by the Bahai’s! Before the revolution I used my position to send professors from Iran to take over such chairs and I am pursuing the same goal today… Since I have access to the Dean of the George Washington University I have the opportunity to establish a chair in Shi’a studies and the preliminary phase of the course is also ready and I only need financial assistance from Iran in order to support the chair. If this does not happen before I become a pensioner this opportunity will be lost.

The Muslim Brotherhood has many differences with the Islamic Republic of Iran and Shi’ites in general. However, their invitation of Nasr shows that for ISNA, anti-Semitism and anti-Baha’i sentiment can be the ties that bind. So much for a moral society, but nevertheless insight into the values ISNA promotes in practice.
Michael Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in Middle Eastern countries, particularly Iran and Turkey. His career includes time as a Pentagon official, with field experiences in Iran, Yemen, and Iraq, as well as engagements with the Taliban prior to 9/11. Mr. Rubin has also contributed to military education, teaching U.S. Navy and Marine units about regional conflicts and terrorism. His scholarly work includes several key publications, such as “Dancing with the Devil” and “Eternal Iran.” Rubin earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in history and a B.S. in biology from Yale University.
See more from this Author
Too Often, the United States Self-Deters in the Face of Paper Tigers in a Way That Empowers Them
The Agency Is Redundant, and It Removes Accountability from Palestinians for Their Governance
Egypt Is Arming Somalia Because of Tensions Caused by Ethiopia’s Construction of a Dam on the Nile
See more on this Topic
Prof: Gaza’s Muslim Arabs, Not Israel’s Jews and Other Citizens, Are the Real Victims on the Defense Against Israeli Aggression
Ultimately, Sinwar Can Aim Even Higher. Why Not Seek the Presidency of an American University?
If the People Who Run the Most Exclusive Universities Don’t Appear to Be the Smartest, Most Impressive People in the Nation, the Brand Suffers