As the saying goes, “Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.” Who are the bedfellows of the ELCA? In a past blog, Exposing the ELCA revealed the close ties and similar ideologies the ELCA has with the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. (read here)
Now we find that the ELCA is also very close with an organization called the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). Here is some information about the ISNA:
- "(T)he United States Department of Justice named ISNA . . . as an unindicted co-conspirator and one of a number of ‘entities who are and/or were members of the US Muslim Brotherhood.’” (see here)
- “According to columnist Rod Dreher’s interpretation of court documents, ‘ISNA is an integral part of the [Muslim] Brotherhood’s efforts to wage jihad against America through non-violent means.’” (see here)
- "(T)he FBI has uncovered internal Muslim Brotherhood documents naming ISNA as ‘one of our organizations and the organizations of our friends.’” (see here)
- “ISNA was created by members of the Muslim Brotherhood – a radical Egyptian movement that seeks to spread Shariah law globally – in the U.S. Many of those founders remain in leadership positions with ISNA. (read here)
(If you would like more details pertaining to the Muslim Brotherhood, what they are and what they stand for, check out this article)
So with that information about the ISNA and the Muslim Brotherhood, let’s look at relationship the ELCA has to the ISNA:
- The national director for the Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) spoke to the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. (see here) The ELCA website quotes the ISNA speaker as saying, "(w)e have worked with your organization and leaders [and] we have seen this tireless leader of yours, who’s been here for hours and hours. But I’ve seen him in the corridors of power speaking the truth about issues … whether it is about peace in the Middle East or anti-Muslim bigotry in America. . . we are working together in shaping the new millennium.” (read here) The ISNA representative received three standing ovations from the ELCA leadership at the Assembly.
- ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson said the following at the ELCA 2011 Churchwide Assembly,"I’m very pleased to now welcome an interfaith partner to this assembly. Dr. Sayyid Sayeed, is the National Director for the Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances of the Islamic Society of North America. He has become a close friend. We share a deep commitment to our growing relationship and dialog, but not just in dialog, in our working together to build a more peaceful and just world both in this country and in places of tension throughout the world."(see here - plenary six)
- Presiding Bishop Hanson turned to the ISNA representative and said, " . . . I hope you hear both our warm response to your being here, but beneath that, the commitment to walk together.” (see here - plenary six)
- The ELCA official website has the ISNA listed under a section called “Our Partners.” (see here)
- The Islamic Society of North America lists and links to the ELCA on a page entitled “Our Partners.” (you can go to their website and find the link)
- ELCA website links to the ISNA’s website. (see here)
- The Rev. Donald J. McCoid, Executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, represented the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, at an emergency interfaith summit called by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) (see here)
- Rev. Rafael Malpica-Padilla, Executive Director of the ELCA’s Division for Global Mission and ISNA representative hold a press conference with other faith leaders. (see here)
The ELCA leadership is working with and partnering with the ISNA, an organization that is said to have very close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. If this doesn’t make ELCA members question what kind of denomination they are members of, I don’t know what will.