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Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ir-Raheem (In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Beneficent)

by James S. Coates

Introduction

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you—when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favour, brothers.” — Qur’an 3:103

I have worked with a number of major Muslim organisations and movements in America. I have organised events with them, raised funds for them, defended them in the media, and built bridges between them. I have also been praised by them, shut out by them, and ultimately expelled by some of them. I have seen the best of our community and the worst.

I originally wrote this article in 2007, when these experiences were fresh and the wounds still raw. I have since stepped back from active involvement in the organised Muslim community in America. I am revisiting and revising this piece now because, while some things may have changed in the intervening years, structural divisions along ethnic, tribal, and movement lines do not disappear quickly. If even some of what I witnessed remains true, then naming it is still necessary. I offer this not as a definitive account of how things are today, but as a testimony of what I experienced and an invitation for others to reflect honestly on whether these patterns persist in their own communities.

What follows is an account of the divisions I have witnessed within the American Muslim community—divisions along ethnic, national, tribal, and doctrinal lines. I write this not to condemn but to name what many of us know but few will say openly. If we cannot name a problem, we cannot solve it.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in his final sermon:

“All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; a white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over a white—except by piety and good action.”

We profess this. We must ask ourselves whether we live it.

The Divisions

The topics I address in this article are:

  1. Immigrant versus Indigenous American Muslims (not new converts)
  2. Immigrant versus American Muslim Converts
  3. Immigrants versus their American-born Children (2nd generation)
  4. Jamaat-e-Islami versus Muslim League
  5. Ikhwan versus other Movements
  6. Salafi versus other Madhabs (schools of thought)
  7. Tablighi Jamaat versus other Movements
  8. Summary of Alliances and Divisions

Please bear with me as I explore and explain these divisions. Some of what follows will be uncomfortable. But the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us that the best jihad is a word of truth spoken to an unjust ruler. Sometimes the injustice is within our own house.

1. Immigrant versus Indigenous American Muslims

In this divide, you have approximately 30% of the Muslims in America being indigenous to the Black American community—descendants of former slaves taken from Islamic areas of Africa. Many of them are in poor communities. Some are Muslims from birth through family lineage; others came through the Nation of Islam and, like Malcolm X, realised it was not true Islam, left, and joined the broader Muslim community. They form their own communities and sometimes intermingle with the general Muslim community at large.

On the other side, you have foreign-born Muslims. Other than the approximately 2% of whites, Hispanics, and others who are indigenous or convert to Islam, the first-generation immigrant population makes up roughly 68% of Islam in America. Many came in the 1940s fleeing Communism in former Soviet bloc countries. Pakistanis came from South Asia fleeing famine and drought. In 1948 and 1967, the wars with Israel brought both Christian and Muslim Palestinians. The mid-1960s marked a significant increase of Muslim immigration from Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, and other Eastern and Arab countries, coming with the oil and other industries, seeking education or jobs.

What I Witnessed

I have seen a severe divide between indigenous Black American Muslims and immigrants—to the extent that they have formed entirely separate communities. When I was raising money for ICNA to build the Freeman Center in Houston, which is in a Black American community, I heard immigrant Muslims question why I was doing such a deed. One said, “Every time you see a black, they have their hand out.” It didn’t matter that the area had Muslims in it; they were indigenous former slaves and lumped into the larger stereotype of Blacks in America.

In the 1960s and 70s, Black Muslim communities, joining the fight for civil rights, attempted to ally with first-generation Muslims. According to one Imam in Houston, the first-generation community viewed Black Muslims as having serious doctrinal issues. Instead of attempting to correct such issues, they ostracised the Black indigenous Muslims and treated them as apostates—to the extent that Black Muslims had to form their own masajid (mosques).

At the Texas Dawah Conference 2003, a Canadian-born Islamic scholar told the conference that it was good they got together, but all he saw was Pakistani and Arab faces. He urged them to get indigenous Black American Muslims represented as an active part of the conference since they represent such a significant portion of the Islamic community in America.

So at the Texas Dawah Conference 2004, I attempted to heal this rift. I invited the Black indigenous Muslim community to be a part of the conference. The Black leaders I spoke to were eager to participate, even in a small way, and repeated to me the need to heal this rift—but were concerned with how the immigrant community would treat them.

When I spoke to the organisers, it was initially met with cautious optimism. The concern was what the Black Muslims would be “teaching” at the conference and whether it was sound doctrine. So it went through the ranks, and the main organiser dispatched an email putting a dead stop to it on the basis that the indigenous Blacks’ doctrine was not sound—even though they acknowledged the Black indigenous Muslims were Muslims in need of education in Islam. Instead of working with them in a way that addressed their concerns, they completely shut them out of the conference. There was no indigenous American Muslim representation on an official basis, and virtually none showed up to attend.

The conference is billed to the community as a unifying force to bring organisations together. It failed to bridge the gap between indigenous American Muslims (30% of the community) and the immigrants (the organisations represented at the conference).

The divide between immigrant and indigenous Black American Muslims is deeply felt and will not be healed soon, since the immigrant community continually views them as beggars, shuts them out, and ostracises them.

2. Immigrant versus American Muslim Converts

According to the majority of Islamic scholars, one of the primary reasons Muslims have to live in a non-Muslim nation is for the purpose of dawah (propagation of Islam)—making converts. Yet making converts in a non-Muslim land creates a paradox for immigrant Muslims, and the experience is often frustrating for new converts.

One of the best moments in a convert’s life is first becoming Muslim. It is a sense of freedom, belonging to a greater community, brotherhood, and guidance. As converts grow in their new faith, they acquire knowledge of Islam from the immigrant perspective, are inundated with an array of political ideas (typically anti-Western), and struggle to understand the inner workings of the faith, various cultures, and the Arabic language.

The Language and Cultural Barrier

When I became involved in the Islamic community, I struggled for clear answers from knowledgeable Muslims because of the language barrier. Most of the Imams and scholars in the West are not American, or at least were born in another country and immigrated to America, even if they acquired citizenship. They are ESL (English as a second language) people from Egypt, Pakistan, or elsewhere. The same applies for the majority of Muslims in the masajid. They speak English at an academic level but do not understand street lingo or common American English. They also have little or no connection to the plight of Americans, our history, or how our country operates outside of what they know from back home.

The prominent undercurrent of ideology in the masajid reflects people who come from countries with brutal regimes, where law enforcement agencies are arms of dictatorships, where there is constant turmoil and often poverty. Attitudes towards the West are dominant, and to oppose these attitudes publicly can put one’s conversion in question. First-generation Muslims in the masajid are on constant lookout for infiltrators, and new converts feel heavy pressure to go along with the flow and view anti-Western politics as Islamic, even when it is not.

One of the first things that happened to me was that I was questioned about my view of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. Even though I somewhat agreed with the stance of most Muslims, I didn’t convert to Islam for such ideology. I wasn’t at the meeting for a contemporary political discussion but to learn about Islam. As time went on, constant inundation with various Muslims’ political ideology made me more comfortable with radically different ideologies since it seemed to be the norm. Eventually, I grew out of that. However, a large number of converts do not.

The “Lap Dog” Experience

New converts are seen by foreign-born Muslims as people who can help the plight of Islam among non-Muslims much easier than themselves. However, when it comes to matters of Islam, politics, or social integration, first-generation Muslims often view converts—no matter how educated or how long they have been Muslim—as uneducated in Islam and having little bearing on the direction of the community and its organisations. For example, as a Muslim now for 28 years, I am still told that I know nothing about Islam when it suits their point of view.

Converts often feel similar to how I felt since 9/11. When they needed us after 9/11, they thrust us in the public eye to defend Islam and put a clean, sanitised face on Islam and Muslims. However, when it comes to listening to our opinion on the direction of the communities, Islamic thought on issues regarding the religion, and running for or holding office in the organisation, they will not have it. It is extremely rare for an American Muslim to hold leadership positions—I know of only one case where a Black American Muslim was voted into local office as President of ICNA’s Houston Chapter, and that wasn’t without bitter rivalry.

I, and others I associated with, felt like a lap dog. I worked feverishly night and day, sacrificing time with my family while they enjoyed theirs, and it amounted to nothing. They love to pat you on the head and sing your praises when you’re in public making them look good, but they don’t want you to say anything meaningful or try to be a significant part of their immigrant-controlled organisations.

First-generation Muslims will profess that we are all equal in the sight of Allah. But they almost never relinquish control of their organisations to an American convert (unless they feel they can control him), nor are they hiring American Muslim scholars in the masajid. They will almost always hire scholars who are not American, and they will not allow many qualified American Muslims to give sermons in the masajid for Friday prayers or other events.

Double Standards

Furthermore, there is a pattern of double-speak. They condemn terrorists or extremists breaking our laws while supporting them through their actions. If a convert supports an immigrant, then great—but if you disagree, or speak to law enforcement about criminal activity in the community, they will brand you an infiltrator and claim you’re not really Muslim. Blood is thicker than water; it becomes tribal. They won’t play fair, following through on the teachings of Islam they instilled in you. They won’t give you opportunity to explain yourself. Instead, they will expel you from their organisations even though your work is what earned them a trusted name. If that is not all, they will post your name and photos everywhere in an attempt to threaten and intimidate you. It is exactly what happened to me.

The last I checked, Islam stood for justice, not lawlessness, and didn’t require us to protect lawbreakers simply because they are Muslims, nor on the basis they are from Pakistan, etc. It certainly forbids Muslims from threatening other Muslims.

The immigrant and convert divide is stark. It is not only different cultures meeting but different approaches and resolutions to life’s issues. It’s a different approach to Islam since most American Muslims are proud to be American and Muslim, while many who immigrated are here to benefit from America, their minds on returning home at some unknown point in the future, but not to become American or integrate into American society to show non-Muslims that we are not all terrorists. It’s almost as if things go south, they have somewhere else to go, but American Muslim converts do not have such options. It makes for a different worldview between us.

Where the Energy Goes

When I put on a Justice For Allah Rally in 2003, speaking out against Israeli atrocities against Muslims in Palestine, it was easy to get 400 people to show up and voice their opinion. But trying to get them to feed the homeless on a regular basis, give clothes to the needy, have a friendly meet with their neighbours, or do dawah work was worse than pulling teeth.

Save one instance that deserves merit: when they found out it would benefit them publicly to help the Hurricane Katrina evacuees, they came together and did some good work. But it wasn’t without some of them trying to take all the credit in front of the cameras from the others, and private threats from one organisation to the next. If it wasn’t for a Christian interfaith organisation (that I had a chance to work for as a Muslim liaison) that helped get past the petty rivalries, they would never have pulled it off.

3. Immigrants versus their American-born Children (2nd Generation)

A large portion of first-generation Muslims in the United States are not citizens and seem to have the intention of returning to their home countries after they receive their education or retirement. However, it is a common joke—and I heard this at the Texas Dawah Conference 2004—that immigrants come with the intention of returning to their countries, but every year they postpone it. Then, after years of delay, when they finally tell their kids (who were born and raised in the USA) that they want to move the family back home, their kids question the sanity of such an idea: why would they leave America when this is the only home they’ve ever known?

Cultural Clashes

Cultural values of the immigrant population are in stark contrast to those of their American-born children. The elder generation tends to adhere to archaic cultural values based from their home countries. An example of this is marriage. Many immigrant families have an understanding that they will bring their children back to Pakistan (or wherever they are from) to find a suitable spouse (oftentimes cousins) when their children are old enough. Furthermore, they tend to want to make the choice for their kids without any significant input or protest.

When presented with such an idea, the children typically dread such a concept. Their children, after all, grew up in America where this is not a cultural norm. Islamically, the children are right to consult the parents, but in Islam the parents are not the deciding factor on whom they marry. Islam encourages ethnic mixing and the freedom for children to choose their own spouse on the basis of piety.

The Generational Divide in the Masajid

Another divide is in the religious community. Second-generation children tend to grow up with Western values which allow for more free thought, and these are infused into their Islamic understanding of the world and the community. They are young, idealistic, and have a lot of energy. When children of immigrant Muslims grow old enough, they see the flaws in the community their immigrant fathers (“Uncles” they call them) are running—how it is run and how Islam is being taught—and have a strong desire to change it. They are frustrated when they see the community politics, backstabbing, underhanded behaviour, and when they are shut out of any meaningful effect or ability to hold office.

This division is very much like that of the division between converts and immigrant Muslims, except that the second-generation Muslim children are still very much united by ethnicity and their parents’ tribal affiliations that American Muslim converts do not have.

Muslim communities are seriously stifled from progress and growth due to the elder generation of first-generation Muslims’ power struggles, tribal warfare, false accusations, politicking to get rid of moderate Imams and scholars or those they just don’t like, seizure of power, destruction of property, and refusal to allow fresh blood into control of the governing and consultative bodies and the presidencies.

4. Jamaat-e-Islami versus Muslim League

An underlying divide among Pakistani immigrants in America, not evident to the general public, is a political divide originating in Pakistan. Jamaat-e-Islami is a religious and political movement in Pakistan that elevates and follows the teachings of Syed Maududi. It is a movement that aims to get back to the basics of Islam and has representation in the Pakistani National Assembly.

The Jamaat propagates its ideology worldwide in the masajid and founds organisations in various countries that reflect its ideology. In the United States and Canada, they have founded the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and ICNA Relief. Since ICNA cannot operate as a political party in the USA and Canada, they have founded the movement as a religious organisation whose purpose is to propagate Islam according to its movement’s ideology.

According to an ICNA official that I spoke to privately on this issue, the Muslim League is the “other” party. They are the ruling class that originally received the handoff of power from the British after the ending of colonial rule and the subsequent founding of the nation of Pakistan. They are seen by Jamaat supporters as puppets of the West and a corruption of Islam in Pakistan.

The divide between these two groups is kept very private, but it is very evident in the Islamic community in America when one looks at the community politics in the masajid. This barrier is very real and originates long before the two parties immigrated to America.

5. Ikhwan versus other Movements

The Ikhwan are highly active people who engage in many facets of society. Like other movements, they propagate their ideology around the world in the masajid, but in addition they also propagate among Muslims in universities. The Ikhwan can be cautious about public statements regarding some of their ideology due to their Egyptian history of government persecution. However, they have aspirations of being politically active in the West and will engage in society and attempt to affect change positively through the political process.

In the United States, they have founded their organisation as the Muslim American Society (MAS), and in universities and schools they have founded the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA). They have also founded a political organisation called MAS Freedom Foundation and a worldwide relief organisation called Islamic Relief.

Working with the Ikhwan

The real division between Ikhwan and other movements in the American Islamic community is that the Ikhwan have a strong desire to be seen publicly and to be looked at by the Islamic community as being effective and moderate. However, in my experience, some can act as bullies in the community, pressuring other organisations to let them take the lead or take credit for joint efforts. Any event they are involved with becomes a struggle for other organisations to control, as well as a struggle over who actually is recognised in the end for their work and organisation. So other organisations find it difficult to work with them.

6. Salafi versus other Madhabs (Schools of Thought)

Among the various groups in the masajid are the Salafi. The Salafi movement traces its methodology to the Salaf—the first three generations of Muslims (the Companions, the Successors, and those who followed them). Opponents of the movement often call them “Wahhabi” after Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, a reformer in 18th-century Arabia, though Salafis themselves rarely use this term and generally reject it as a label designed to malign their movement.

The movement was founded during a time when Arabs in the Arabian Peninsula had distorted Islam to the point of reverting to old pagan ways. Its aim was to bring people back to Islam through sound teaching based on Qur’an, Sunnah, and the understanding of the Salaf. Eventually, the movement formed an alliance with the Saudi government, and it is traditionally associated with the Hanbali school of fiqh (jurisprudence).

Like other movements in Islam, Salafi teachings are propagated around the world in the masajid. It is among the most strict and literalist forms of Sunni Islam. It is not uncommon for Salafis to oppose becoming involved in the political process of non-Muslim countries, viewing it as a system of kufr (disbelief). So the only way many will engage politically is if an Islamic system of government is already established. Some Salafis view their religious methodology as superior to others, to the extent that they will pronounce takfir on other Muslims (declare them apostates) not part of their group—though this practice is condemned by mainstream Salafi scholars.

The Salafi are not recognised as a separate school of thought by mainstream Sunni Muslims, who recognise only four schools (Maliki, Hanbali, Hanafi, and Shafi’i). However, their strict methodology puts them in contrast with the general community at large. They are often very vocal in the masjid and propagate their way aggressively, which creates division.

7. Tablighi Jamaat versus other Movements

The Tablighi Jamaat is a movement whose origins are in India, begun during a time when Muslims were reverting to the ways of Hinduism. The purpose of the Tabligh is to do dawah (propagate Islam) among Muslims and call them back to Islam. It is their practice to leave behind family and friends occasionally for an extended period of time to travel from community to community to encourage people to adhere to Islam and recruit into their ranks. They typically just show up in an unsuspecting community, make friends, and stay with people they meet who feed and support them for the duration of their stay, or with other Tablighis. Sometimes they stay in the masajid themselves.

The Tabligh operate in the US and Canada as their own organisation with a hierarchy apart from most institutions. There is criticism among the general community that their teachings are from books containing weak hadith (teachings of the Prophet that cannot be confirmed as authentic) and thus are somewhat inaccurate. They are often not allowed to operate within the masajid without consent and sometimes without prior approval for what they will be teaching or books used in their sermons. Some communities have restricted them due to their transient lifestyles.

It is not uncommon for a new recruit of the Tabligh to be encouraged to abruptly leave their home to go on a two- or three-week mission to another community to propagate Islam (according to the Tabligh) or learn more about Islam and the Tablighi way.

The movement is rather large and largely made up of Indian and Pakistani members. However, the movement has gained considerable ground in the Black American Muslim community.

Summary of Alliances and Divisions

Ethnic and Generational Divisions:

  • First-generation Muslims versus indigenous American Muslims, converts, and their 2nd-generation children born and raised in America
  • Second-generation ethnic children of first-generation Muslims group together and often separate on ethnic lines from indigenous American Muslims and converts
  • Indigenous Black American Muslims follow the natural segregation lines in society when it comes to integration with other groups

Movement Alliances and Rivalries:

  • Jamaat-e-Islami (ICNA, ICNA Relief) is a religious movement allied with the Ikhwan in the USA (MAS). The Jamaat is opposed to the group representing the Muslim League in Pakistan, who have formed cultural centres to promote Pakistani culture rather than the religion of Islam.
  • The Ikhwan (MAS, MSA, MAS Freedom Foundation, Islamic Relief) tends to go it alone among all of the groups. Other movements are in constant struggle over how MAS controls, assimilates, and takes over their events. MAS (Ikhwan based in Egypt from the teachings of Syed Qutub) and ICNA (based in Pakistan from the teachings of Syed Maududi) have discussed merging their two movements in the United States and Canada. However, due to the stark nature of both movements, their cultures, and differing levels of Islamic knowledge, this has proven very difficult.
  • The Salafi movement is relatively isolationist while at the same time not ashamed to publicly and vocally oppose other movements. They are often academic scholars but can lack tact and the ability to deal with people without giving offence.
  • The Tablighi Jamaat operates largely independently, focused on internal Muslim revival rather than engagement with broader society or other movements.

A Path Forward

I have worked with all of these groups and know people and scholars from all of them. These findings are mine, based on my personal experience, talking with organisational officials, common folks, and scholars.

I write this not to condemn any group but to name what we all know exists. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy are just like one body. When one limb suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever.” — Sahih Muslim

We are not acting like one body. We are acting like competing tribes, each convinced of our own superiority, each protecting our own power, each suspicious of the other.

What would it look like to actually change?

  • For first-generation communities: Include indigenous Black American Muslims and converts in leadership—not as tokens, but as equals. Hire American-born scholars. Listen to the perspectives of those who grew up here.
  • For converts: Be patient but persistent. Document what you experience. Write books and articles on your experiences, they are valuable. Build alliances with second-generation Muslims who share your frustrations.
  • For second-generation Muslims: You are the bridge. You understand both worlds. Use that position to push for change from within.
  • For all movements: Cooperate on common causes without needing to control or take credit. The goal is the pleasure of Allah, not the reputation of your organisation.
  • For all of us: Remember that the person you are dismissing, ostracising, or threatening is your brother or sister in Islam. On the Day of Judgement, our tribal affiliations and organisational memberships will mean nothing.

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” — Qur’an 49:13

May Allah help us to see past our divisions and become united for good causes. May Allah help us to forbid the evil and promote the good. May Allah forgive us where we have wronged each other, and may He guide us to be one Ummah as He commanded.

Ameen.

Article by BrJimC © 2007, revised 2026

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The True Story of What Happened in Houston, Texas

September 2, 2014 at 11:38pm

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem

Qur’an 4:135 “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah , even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.”

 James Coates had learned of a plot involving the WhyIslam-Houston Media ‘in-charge’ and producer of ‘Ïslamic Perspectives’ cable public access television show (Kobie Williams) and the ICNA Relief-Houston ‘in-charge’ and general Whyislam associate (Adnan Mirza) to travel to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight against US and coalition forces along-side of local insurgents as well as to send money to the Taliban via their families using local clinic in Pakistan.

James and his family had been living in Houston since 1998 and became an active part of the local Muslim community. He participated in organizing community events, fundraisers, and community outreach and soon became a leader among his peers. Shortly after the tragedy of 9/11, James met Kobie Williams, now one of the defendants in the Houston Taliban case, during one of these community events. They quickly became friends and worked on outreach projects together for the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).

On the way back from a holiday camping trip to Big Bend National Park around 2002, James and Kobie were stopped by US Customs and Border Patrol as part of a routine border check. The border patrol noticed a copy of the Qur’an on the dashboard of the car and performed a detailed check of their vehicle where they noticed firearms (legal) which belonged to the men. Therefore, due to the heightened security issues at the time, they notified the local FBI field office.

The FBI visited both James and Kobie to inquire about their activities during the camping trip at Big Bend. James assured the FBI that there was no use of the firearms and that it had been an innocent camping trip. This was accepted by the FBI. After that time, the FBI periodically called on James, due to his interaction with the community, to see if there was anything of concern of which they should be aware.

When the FBI made contact with Kobie at his home, he initially shut the door in their face. James encouraged Kobie to cooperate with the FBI as it was causing a lot of undue suspicion, as they had not been doing anything illegal. Kobie and his wife, however, opposed cooperation with the federal government in any capacity and in fact had demanded to be formally interviewed with a lawyer present about the Big Bend incident.

Several months later at one of their regular WhyIslam planning meetings, James and Kobie discussed general topics about the WhyIslam campaign as they had done ever since the following months after the September 11, 2001 attacks when the group was formed. After the agenda was discussed, as often happened, they began to talk about non-related and more personal topics. Kobie took the conversation in a new direction as he mentioned that he had hatched a plan to go to Iraq to join insurgents in the fight against US and coalition forces. He stated that he felt that this was part of his Islamic duty to defend Muslims from US aggression.

A few weeks later at another WhyIslam meeting, this time with Adnan Mirza attending, Kobie and Adnan brought up the topic again. This was the first time James realized they had spoken among themselves privately prior to the meeting and the plan had developed further. Kobie had asked Adnan for help in making contacts in Canada that might help with a stopover prior to traveling to the Middle East and eventually on to Iraq, ideas of where to go, who to meet, and ideas for how to train. The stopover in Canada was intended to help avoid travel suspicions by US authorities. Adnan began engaging in the conversation with ideas to use ICNA Relief, which Adnan had control over in Houston, as a possible reason for travel and made contacts in Canada for Kobie, who eventually did travel to Canada to meet them.

That night James discussed with his wife how serious the conversation had become and the implications of ignoring it. If it was ignored and something did happen, he and his wife were concerned about the possibility of the government shutting down ICNA and WhyIslam if it came to light that this was done using ICNA via ICNA Relief or WhyIslam as a cover or as a recruitment tool. It would jeopardize ICNA’s future in the US and the plight of all Muslims in the greater Houston area. It would jeopardize the very people and organizations that James had worked very hard to defend and advocate for in the media when difficult times came as a result of extremist Muslims’ actions (such as Al-Qaeda and the Taliban) worldwide. Groups like Holy Land Foundation and others had been shut down entirely for alleged links to terror groups even though the allegations seemed convoluted at the time. James was also concerned that if they had succeeded in getting to Iraq or Afghanistan, they would have been drawn into the conflicts that were flaring up there and ultimately killing fellow Muslims or other innocent people.

James considered going to the ICNA leadership with his concerns but was convinced based on previous experience with ICNA’s leadership that the situation would not be able to be handled from within the organization and it would simply cause the activity to go further underground. [See Note A]

Since 2002, prior to becoming an informant, James spent countless hours trying to convince Adnan and Kobie that the Taliban were not good people, distorted Islam, and were bad for the population of Afghanistan. It became clear that the two were determined to support the Taliban, with discussions often running well into the early hours of the morning after regular WhyIslam meetings.

Now the two had become disillusioned with the war in Iraq and soon began discussing their intention to go to Iraq to join insurgents in the fight against US and coalition forces. James knew that any further discussion to try to deter Kobie and Adnan from joining insurgents would be a pointless exercise and would cause suspicion now that the two were talking about participating in armed jihad in Iraq and also sending money to support the cause in Afghanistan.

James deliberated for two months after Kobie mentioned his intention to go to Iraq. James considered Islamic and practical justifications for bringing the matter to the attention of the FBI and came to the conclusion that it wasn’t going to go away without external help. The next time James met with the FBI, he mentioned it, thinking that the FBI would talk to them about it and it would discourage them from taking it any further and endangering the entire community.

The FBI became keenly interested but could not get anyone in place in time for Kobie’s visit to Canada. There wasn’t time to interview them because Kobie had acted on his plan by securing tickets. The FBI scheduled more interviews with James thereafter. James was encouraged to assist with the investigation, with the FBI promising that his name would not be released publicly, which would destroy his local Islamic work and credibility with the community. As he got more deeply involved and his FBI case handlers changed, it turned out it was a promise that would later not be kept.

Kobie and Adnan continued having discussions among themselves, often only informing James afterwards, typically revealing more details during WhyIslam meetings when the whole group would discuss WhyIslam matters. It became apparent that the plan had morphed from Kobie going to Iraq on his own to one where he would put together a Jamaat (group) instead. They were concerned that they needed to learn to fight prior to leaving, and in the meantime they decided that they could help the cause by sending money to insurgents. Since James owned and was experienced with firearms from years of hunting trips, they decided that they would task him with conducting weapons training camps. Adnan was tasked by Kobie to recruit additional members and send money to insurgents through the contacts he claimed that he had.

The group arranged to use a property partially owned by the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, who were not aware of the group’s plans. The training camp had a written agenda and was called the Khalid bin Waleed Camp, after a renowned figure in Islamic history Kobie had read about.

The group initially discussed traveling to Iraq and financially supporting Iraqi insurgents through Adnan’s contacts in Kuwait. After Adnan had determined that it was too dangerous to go through his Kuwait contacts, he instead decided to research the options for Afghanistan.

The group discussed recruiting a few trusted people for the purpose of going on armed jihad against US forces using word of mouth and the WhyIslam telephone campaign that Adnan had been maintaining for the Texas area.

An undercover FBI agent was then introduced to the group as a potential member. Kobie and Adnan were deeply committed to fighting abroad and did not show any signs of changing their minds, so James felt bound to continue to assist in the investigation.

Kobie and Adnan also went to a number of local scholars to see if they would act as spiritual support for the group, including the ICNA WhyIslam Coordinator West, Northwest Chapter (name withheld) and an Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) scholar at the Mission Bend Mosque. Although there may have been some sympathy for the plight of Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan under occupation by the US, the scholars refused to be involved.

Approximately five combat training camps were held over the course of the year. Attendees paid for supplies to attend and sometimes brought their own weapons. Many people invited by Adnan attended the camps and practiced firearms training, but only two others were actually recruited by Adnan (and subsequently held to charges in connection with intent to violate federal laws).

With the evidence from the training camps and recorded conversations between Adnan, Kobie, and the others, in late 2006 the FBI had enough evidence to move forward with arrests. The total number of people arrested was four, including Adnan and Kobie.

One of the four was a young man recruited by Adnan into the group that James had tried hard to dissuade Adnan from recruiting due to his youth and James’ friendship with the family. However, Adnan insisted on bringing him in.

Ultimately, Kobie Williams pleaded guilty to the charges, while Adnan Mirza and his family claimed that he was entrapped. All of the juries (and Kobie’s admission) in connection with the cases rejected the entrapment defense.

In an interview by Adnan Mirza from prison with Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman, he used his charity work to justify his claim of innocence and garner public sympathy. He further claimed that he was merely going hunting. He went on to claim that he believes that he was defrauded by Kobie. He digressed further to state that he believes Kobie has an intellectual disability and should be diagnosed as having Asperger’s or High Functioning Autism. Adnan is not qualified to make such claims, and Kobie is not mentally handicapped. His claim is dubious at best. Adnan also blames poor public defending on behalf of his counsel, but he has changed lawyers numerous times and is currently serving fifteen years because he would not accept a plea deal. All of the other defendants have served their time and have been released.

A campaign by supporters of Adnan Mirza within ICNA encouraged the leadership to ban James’ account, BrJimC, from the WhyIslam.org website forum where he spent years defending and promoting Islamic topics. He also served as a moderator at the forum for some time. Other members (Muslim and non-Muslim) who supported James during this event, and people who since discussed the topic on the website, have been banned by the ICNA National Shura Council in conjunction with the website’s Shura Council that governs the administration of the website. Many others have quit the forum in disgust.

A new position of “Forum Cop” has since been created in the wake of these events, and members have reported a heavy hand against people who defended James during the organization’s crisis. The website forum has since archived all of the posts leading up to these events and saved them for SEO purposes; they can still be found on the website. One of the easiest to find is the Story of BrJimC, which lists first on Google in a search for “WhyIslam BrJimC.”

ICNA continues to condemn terrorism. However, as a result of his involvement in bringing this plot to the authorities, ICNA-National, in consultation with ICNA’s Houston chapter, expelled James from membership in the organization and all of the organization’s community services.

The plot topic and what happened to BrJimC is still a banned topic on their forums.

James maintains that these were not evil individuals and were at one time his friends whom he loved and respected very much. However, James felt very strongly that what they were doing was misguided and would put not only themselves into danger but other Muslims and perhaps non-Muslims as well. James remains a committed follower of Islam and supporter of his local community.

Note A: As an example, on an earlier occasion, James organized an event on behalf of ICNA Relief-Houston and WhyIslam-Houston to raise funds for a joint project to purchase property in the Third Ward area alongside the I-45/US 288 freeways. The property was to double as a soup kitchen for ICNA Relief-Houston and WhyIslam dawah activities. It would also build and house a large WhyIslam campaign billboard seen by the highway. At the fundraiser, Imam Siraj Wahhaj was brought in to support the event that would be a grand effort to help local non-Muslims as well as the local Islamic community. The event raised roughly $67,000 from local Muslims. Soon afterwards, the money disappeared and the organizers learned that the person handling finances (Manzoor… last name omitted) had stolen the money and sent it to one of his businesses in Pakistan. After many months, James had pushed the ICNA Houston chapter leadership to take the matter to the police and/or FBI. Incredible effort was made and eventually the President of ICNA Houston (Abu Ahmad Hanif Harris) did go to the local FBI office with James to discuss how to proceed with such a case. The decision was made by the ICNA-Houston Board of Directors that the President of ICNA Houston would not press criminal charges and involve the authorities. Instead, they would try to beg the individual for the money back. After some months, the individual agreed. Instead of taking the money out of Pakistan, the individual used ICNA’s name (unauthorized) to go to many ISGH Mosques and raise money from them and individuals, under false pretense, claiming it was for a new ICNA Relief project. He used this money to repay his personal debt to ICNA’s Houston chapter. It was after this debt was repaid that the ICNA Relief/WhyIslam joint effort was able to purchase the two properties on the I-45/US 288 corridor where they planned to eventually build what they named the “Charles Freeman Center,” which would house the soup kitchen, ICNA Relief, and WhyIslam dawah projects.

Article by BrJimC © 2015

Resources:

http://forum.whyislam.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=6734

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/27/convicted_student_adnan_mirza_maintains_innocence

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/24/jury-selection-begins-texas-trial-pakistani-student-accused-aiding-taliban/

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/27/pakistani-national-guilty-conspiring-taliban-unlawful-firearms-possession/

http://tx.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20120329_0000456.STX.htm/qx

http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions%5Cunpub%5C10/10-20725.0.wpd.pdf

http://www.justice.gov/usao/txs/1News/Archives/Archived%20Releases/2009%20August/080709Williams.htm

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James Coates, Director of ICNA’s WhyIslam-Houston, discusses the history of the Torah on Islamic Perspectives cable public access program.

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Reaching back into history a bit here, but as posted on my facebook page detailing my work in Houston, Texas.  The rally was held in 2003 outside of Congressman John Colberson’s office.  It was a huge success turning people out to exercise their democratic rights and show support for justice of the Palestinian people.  It was sponsored by the WhyIslam and it’s parent organization the Islamic Circle of North America and with the support of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston.

Please feel free to visit my page on facebook to see more information about me and my work with the Islamic Circle of North America and Whyislam.

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Interacting with the American Muslim Community is a program that I designed, managed and taught. It was a highly successful program that received rave reviews from attendees and was in the news media multiple times.  It was approved by two prominent scholars in Houston, the leadership at the Islamic Circle of North America and the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. Houston police officers were invited to attend these monthly Houston Police Academy accredited classes to further department elective ongoing education at the Islamic Dawah Center founded by Houston Rockets basketball star Hakeem Olajuwon in downtown Houston.

The video contains two news clips resulting from press releases that I sent out telling about my police department program. The first interview was held a couple months after the success of our pilot program. The pilot was held with members of the Houston community including leaders from the Jewish community, the Houston mayor’s office, the US Department of Justice and many more attending. Shortly after, a second press release was sent and I invited Hakeem Olajuwon to attend to help publicize the program. The interview with Hakeem Olajuwon on Fox News is seen in the second half of the video.

The newspaper clipping below is a second appearance by Hakeem Olajuwan to visit the officers attending the program.

The article below that (Badge & Gun) is one of two articles by the Houston Police Officers Union to discuss the groundbreaking program.

Law enforcement program designed and implemented by James Coates

Hakeem Olajuwon kicks off the pilot program for us. Houston Chronicle City & State Apr 17 2003

 

Badge & Gun: April 2003

 

HPD is working with the Jewish and Muslim communities to educate a growing number of officers about hate crime causes and methods of prevention

BY TOM KENNEDY

Susan Llanes-Myers put into words what every police officer must have figured out a long time ago.

“Police officers,” she said, “are the first responders to hate crimes.”

Llanes-Myers, the daughter of a Texas Ranger, deals with hate education every workday. She is executive director of the Holocaust Museum Houston, where exhibits and educational programs are dedicated to teaching each visitor how hate can intensify and destroy millions of human beings.

The Houston Police Department has been taking a very productive advantage of the Museum’s educational program and continues to use the police-friendly facility to teach officers more and more about hate and hate crimes.

Several years ago, the Houston Police Academy’s Bill Hoffman saw the need to develop a partnership with the Holocaust Museum to teach Houston police officers more about hate. He figured, correctly, that officers were open to an off-site location for such an educational opportunity.

 

The Subject of Hate

Llanes-Myers worked with him and the HPD to set up an eight-hour course entitled Hate Crimes and Hate Groups – a Holocaust Perspective. Now the once-a-month elective usually draws a capacity crowd (60 persons).

Llanes-Myers is the lead teacher and includes a student session with a Holocaust survivor and concludes with a Museum tour.

“Our mission is to use the Holocaust Museum as a backdrop to hate in society,” the former public school teacher explained. She describes the course as “a marriage of past historical events and current events that uses the Holocaust to branch out to the hate groups of today.”

Adolph Hitler strongly pounded home hate on European soil 60-something years ago. Today, Llanes-Myers contends hate goes a long way and will intensify if more people are not educated on the subject.

Her course, for example, produces facts showing that there are at least 3,000 hate sites on the Internet.

Hate also is an educational subject that has drawn the intense interest of HPD Officer Steve Smith, assigned to the human relations unit at the Houston Police Academy since 1993.

Smith, a primary believer, supporter and encourager in the HPD/Holocaust Museum courses, said the course inspired him to envision a similar concept. Instead of just focusing on educating officers about the Jewish targets of hate over the centuries, Smith successfully sought to set up a course featuring the Muslim community.

Muslims everywhere have been targets of hate ever since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. Although Osama Bin Laden’s ruthless band of 5,000 Al-Qaeda followers in no way represent the Muslim faith, sincere believers bore the brunt of often violent and hateful reactions.

“In November of last year,” Smith recalled, “it came to mind that maybe we need to do some training with the Muslim community.”

 

Smith’s Productive Efforts

He contacted the Islamic Circle of North America, a local group, and the Islamic Da’wah and soon got strong support from none other than Houston basketball legend Akeem Olajuwon. The Da’wah is located in an historic bank building in the 200 block of Main Street and receives strong financial backing from Akeem.

“Officer Roman Chavez, who works at the academy, told me about Akeem,” Smith said. “I visited with Akeem and asked if he would be interested. He said it would be a great thing to do. He wants to do more education about the Muslim community.

“It took the efforts of both Akeem and the HPD to develop this training.”

Smith also had the support and dedication of Llanes-Myers and the Holocaust Museum, as well as local Muslim spokesman Jim Coates.

Coates is a former Baptist Christian married to a woman who has been a Muslim since birth. He reverted to Islam when he met Fatimah Bhutan in his hometown of Chicago and the couple moved to Houston, which had been Fatimah’s home in past years.

Coates became a spokesman for the local Muslim community several months after 9/11 when hate crimes against Muslims were rampant because what American society didn’t know was unjustly hurting a religion.

He said Houston’s Muslim leaders decided to launch an unprecedented education campaign. Part of the ensuing process included a billboard on the North Freeway advertising a telephone number to call for information about Islam.

Smith saw the billboard, called the number and got to know Coates. After meeting with Coates and Llanes-Myers to develop the course, Smith followed their advice.

“We had the Muslim and Jewish communities kind of assisting each other in the development of this training, both having the same concerns about hate crimes or hate in the community,” Smith explained, “and you’ve got HPD in the middle facilitating, trying to bring these two communities together.”

 

A Success Story

It worked. Today’s story is a success, with HPD developing stronger ties to both communities as well as an improved understanding of the hate crimes that affect them.

Llanes-Myers said, “When HPD realized there was a problem, they turned to us to see how they could do it.”

She and the Museum were gracious about providing start-up help. She monitored the first class in January, led by Coates at Akeem’s Da’wah.

Coates, a truck driver for a Houston Chronicle contractor, quickly tried to clarify basic myths. Muslims, for instance, don’t meet in “mosques,” but rather in masjids.

By far his highest priority was – and still is – to stress that Osama Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda followers do not represent the Muslim faith at all but use Muslims to further their terrorist goals.

As far as the course, Coates said, “We didn’t want to be teaching religion. We geared it to teaching law enforcement officers how to react to Muslims and understanding their culture, which is directly linked to their religion.

“Steve helped refine it and our pilot took place in January.”

Smith said the course teaches many basic lessons and could provide many suggestions of ways to better deal with the cultural ramifications.

Example?

Muslims are required to pray at least specified five times every day. They are not always the exact time each and every day.

There have been reports of Muslims acting suspiciously, such as kneeling on small carpets in a parking lot near a vehicle – a situation that seems suspicious. They are not planning to bomb a building; they are praying.

“HPD must work to have a stronger relationship with the Muslim community,” Smith said. “If Dispatch knows the prayer times, they (dispatchers) will know and the officers will know (the reason for kneeling on carpets in parking lots) and have a better understanding.

 

The Benefits

“As we have classes we’re learning more things that might be of use,” he said.

Coates sees the course as one very effective method to prevent hateful acts against an often-misunderstood religion. He is optimistic about Houston overall, calling it “different.”

“Muslim communities around the country have undergone great harassment,” he explained. “But here we have had a lot of good support from communities, particularly the Jewish community, and we haven’t had that many hate crimes.

“It is very important to get this course up and running at this time in order to help solve the problem of terrorism. Our relationship with law enforcement will be better and I think that’s very important to both sides.

“If you decided to isolate the Muslims, you will always have a problem trying to police that community. You will always be looked upon as an outsider.”

But for police officers to reach out to them and learn about them in places like the Da’wah is a step in the opposite direction – a positive direction, not a hateful one.

 

http://www.hpou.org/badgeandgun/index.cfm?fuseaction=view_news&NewsID=71

http://www.hpou.org/badgeandgun/index.cfm?fuseaction=view_news&NewsID=72