I apologize for this letter being so long. I know that all our time is valuable, so if you want to cut to what is important please read the last 3 or 4 paragraphs.

I have not been on the net for a while and I seldom write. I know what you mean about your mailbox being cluttered. I was gone for a month and I received a phone call requesting that I empty my mail box. I had cancelled the account but they failed to follow through. Since all my newsgroups were on that account I decided that I would return, only they were unable to open it for within a month there were over 5,000 pieces of mail. A few of us do have a lots to say.

What I'm about to say is a suspension of mine. I can't prove it but I've questioned the existance of this organization for sometime.

Several years ago I had a girlfriend in California who asked me to meet her for this convention. Since we hadn't been able to see one another for some time I decided that it would be nice to do something on a whim and the convention theme was "Unity". However, from the very beginning (when I walked into the doors of the hotel) I felt as though something was very wrong. Once the convention started I became seperated from my friend. For some reason (al-hamdulillah) I didn't go into the prayer hall I stayed outside, while there I heard someone shouting "Make way for the Imam" over and over again. What I was about to see was sickening. In the middle of about six men there was this guy that was sticking his hands out for people to kiss as he smiling walked through.) I saw this with my own eyes. I heard others were kissing his feet. I immediately informed my friend once she showed up that we couldn't pray behind this man and we returned to our room.

This convention was a farce. It would have been funny if one didn't realize that there were sincere people being duped and the image that this carnival gave individuals that know nothing about Islam the most dispicable impression of my religion. In the main lecture hall all the mainstream Muslim speakers gave lectures. In the side rooms where additional lectures were given, the sponsers of this convention were telling lies about organizations that are striving to give those of us in the country the correct guidance. Since my friend does not live in a city were she has access to a Muslim community, her educational level was limited. So, there had been people associated with this organization or something akin to it that had tried to indoctorinate her to this garbage. It took sometime and explaniation(s) before she realized that some of the people that she trusted were misguiding her. However, she contacted me (several years later) and informed me that main the person she had associated with was feeling trapped and was beginning to realize that this was not the truth that had once believed in. (She shared some of this with my friend since she had tried to talk to her after we talked and reasoned.

My suspension however are the belief that this organization is supported by a or some government(s). My reasons for saying this is because when I read John L. Esposito's book "Islam the Straight Path" everything that was true Islam he quoted or determined was extreeme and everything that was related to Sufism, he had the highest praise for. This man knows what Islam is and isn't, he has worked or still works for our government (in what they call the think tank, that plans for the future of this government), and one had to have some Islamic knowledge to know when he was lying since he was so skillful at it. With the growth of Islam in the United States, Islam might one day be a real threat to this government due to people deciding that it is the right path verses the skillful make believe media scare that is currently being propagated. As individuals we have maybe a 5 year plan (most of us day to day) where as governments have plans that might extend from 50 years to 100. Remember the history of what is now called third world. What you can't destory head on, then you destory from within. My suspension are even more confirmed when I read that Steve Emerson was also associated with this group (may Allah (s.w.t.) reward him handsomely).

My second reason for suspecting that a government(s) is behind this organization is this organization seemed to materialize overnight. In it's short existance they appear to out spend many organizations that have been here for years in the forms of (magazine, catalogues, conventions, educational tapes, books and so forth.) Although I can't prove what I'm saying something smells extremely bad.

I don't know if you have received flack for speaking out against this organization, but al-hamdulillah you are trying to educate some of those individuals that might be misguided by them, and insh-Allah Allah (s.w.t.) will show them this path is definately wrong and guide them. May Allah (s.w.t.) reward you for your efforts.

Wasalaam, Sr. Iman