From: abul-hasan Bin-Ramon 
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Subject: KABBANI ADDRESSES U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT IN HIGH SECURITY BRIEFING
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 12:00 AM

KABBANI ADDRESSES U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT IN HIGH SECURITY, CLOSED-DOOR 
BRIEFING

On January 7, 1999, Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, chairman of the 
self-appointed "Islamic Supreme Council of America," advised U.S. State 
Department officials on how "to contain the rampant growth of extremism 
at home and abroad." The meeting was closed to the general public, and 
those without high-level security clearance were excluded from 
attendance. 

One of those who called the State Department to ask about the briefing 
was told, "If you don't have security clearance, don't even bother 
showing up."

According to an announcement of the meeting (which was not distributed 
to the Muslim community), official attendees were promised a chance to 
hear Kabbani discuss "the nature of extremism as it affects and relates 
to U.S. national security concerns."

Exactly what Kabbani said at the meeting has yet to be revealed, but the 
sufi leader has taken an outspoken stand against those Muslims who 
oppose aspects of U.S. policy. Kabbani's "Islamic Supreme Council" 
released a statement in his name on 12/17/98, accusing those who 
objected to the US attack on Iraq of manipulating religious sentiments 
"as a justification for protesting political decisions." 

And, in his publication, The Muslim Magazine, Kabbani, a Lebanese native 
who was reared in Christian missionary schools (The Washington Times, 
August 9, 1998), has written favorably about American intelligence and 
their surveillance of Muslims overseas (Oct. 1998, p. 59, etc).

In another recent news release, Kabbani accused unnamed American Muslim 
groups that disagree with his methods of being "front groups" for 
so-called "extremist" organizations, and demanded that they reveal their 
alleged "extremist" affiliations. Some observers believe that Kabbani 
may have given attendees of the briefing advice on how to undermine the 
activities of these American Muslim organizations.

Kabbani teaches that those who do not submit to U.S. Government policy 
decisions are "extremists." In the 12/17/98 release, Kabbani said, "As 
members of a democracy we may have particular concerns with decisions 
made by our government; we leave the judgement to the majority, the 
leaders we selected and our political system."

On 12/19/98, Kabbani told The San Francisco Chronicle that "many of the 
organized Islamic groups in the United States are overly critical of 
U.S. policy and misrepresent the feelings of rank-and-file Muslims."

"Now we are in the 21st century. We are not living 1,400 years ago. 
There are states and nations that have been recognized, and there are 
laws and United Nations charters," Kabbani told The Washington Post on 
August 12, 1998.

  




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