Introduction
The two principal leaders of Sabiqun, an anti-Semitic Muslim group that advocates for the creation of a global Islamic state, have become popular speakers on college and university campuses over the past several years.
Sabiqun founder, Imam Abdul Alim Musa, who heads a mosque in Washington, DC, and Imam Abdul Malik Ali, leader of a mosque in Oakland, California, ahve used their appearances on campus to promote hostility toward Israel and AMerican Jews.
For example, during a speech at UC Irvine in May 2010, Malik Ali compared Jews to Nazis, expressed support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad and called for the destruction of the "apartheid state of Israel." While Sabiqun appears to have a relatively small following organized primarily around two mosques in DC and Oakland, its leaders continue to be provided with a platform to spread their anti-SEmitic and conspiratorial themes by student groups and others.
Sabiqun
Sabiqun is an anti-Semitic Muslim group that advocates for the creation of a global Islamic state that would abolish all "man-made" forms of governance. Arabic for "vanguard," Sabiqun was founded by Imam Abdul Alim Musa, the head of the Masjid Al Islam mosque in Washington DC.
While Sabiqun claims to have a national presence with centers in several cities, including in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, it appears to have a relatively small following organized primarily around two mosques; Alim Musa's DC mosque and the Masjid Al Islam mosque in Oakland, California, which is led by the movement's other main figure, Imam Amir Abdul Malik Ali.
The mosques are located in poor neighborhoods and claim to provide social services to the communities. Sabiqun plans to open a school "at each location where a branch of the movement is established," according to the group's Web site. Near its Oakland mosque, Sabiqun operates the Masjid Al Islam School (pre-K to 8th grade). The school's blog has pictures of students protesting Israel's military operation in Gaza. A January 2009 post to the blog states: "we are very proud of our young students in taking a stand and making their voices heard."
The Sabiqun Oakland and DC centers also operate as the "Islamic Institute for Counter Zionist American Psychological Warfare." The institute was established to "monitor Zionist and Israeli networks, circles, and clubs which deceitfully infiltrate Muslim and Black groups," according to a June 2010 Sabiqun newsletter. In a January 2011 statement announcing the opening of the Oakland branch, Sabiqun also declared that one of the institute's goals is to "Analyze the Zionist grip on humanity established via the media and economics."
The planned institute, which will operate out of its DC mosque, will house a College of Islamic Movement Studies, offering courses in Arabic, Islamic theology, law and history; a Department of Strategic and Islamic Studies; and a physical fitness program.
Sabiqun claims that it was created in the early 1990s at Masjid Al Islam mosque in Philadelphia. On July 4, 1995, it published a document called "Resolution of Philadelphia," which declared the group's "independence from man-made concepts." The document, created as a challenge to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, resolved to work toward establishing a self sufficient Muslim community that will work with other Muslims "for the purpose of reestablishing the system of governance known as Khilafah, or the Caliphate."
Sabiqun predicts that Islamic rule will be established in the U.S., which it calls "the Islamic State of North America," by "no later than 2050." Speaking in 2000 at a gathering organized by Jamaat al-Muslimeen in Baltimore, Alim Musa said: "Islam went everywhere in the [ancient] world…so why can't Islam take over America…We are on the right road."
An article published in the Sabiqun newsletter in March 2002 claimed that there is "open warfare" between Muslims and the U.S., which it described as "the united forces of kufr [non-believers]…the criminal constitutional dictatorship of the USA."
Sabiqun advocates for a "revolution," which it describes as "absolute change rooted in Allah's guidance." The first issues of the Sabiqun newsletter included a section called "Things to do now," in which it listed the following: "Always cherish the intention of jihad and the desire for martyrdom in the way of Allah and actually prepare yourself for that."
Sabiqun traces its ideological roots to 20th century Islamic revivalism, including the radical Muslim Brotherhood and Ayatollah Khomeini. The group also considers Malcolm X as a major influence.
Sabiqun openly supports Iran and Hezbollah and has links to the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought (ICIT), an international pro-Iranian, pro-Hezbollah think tank that distributes anti-Semitic propaganda in its magazine, Crescent International. Alim Musa is a "senior" member of the ICIT, and "issues of Crescent International serve as regular monthly reading for most Sabiqun members," according to the Sabiqun Web site.
Sabiqun's leaders are not secluded from the mainstream Muslim and Arab communities in the U.S. In fact, Alim Musa and Malik Ali have participated at events organized by Muslim-American organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, Muslim American Society, Islamic Circle of North America and the Islamic Society of North America. They have also spoken at large community mosques around the country. But Alim Musa and Malik Ali are particularly popular with Muslim student groups, in particular the Muslim Student Union at the University of California, Irvine.
Imam Abdul Alim Musa
Imam Abdul Alim Musa, an African-American convert to Islam, is the head of the Masjid Al Islam mosque in Washington DC and founder of Sabiqun. He advocates for an Islamic revolution in the U.S. and promotes anti-Semitism.
Despite his extremist views, Alim Musa is often invited to speak to Muslim student groups, in particular at events organized by the Muslim Student Union (MSU) at the University of California, Irvine. These events often feature a
handful of radical speakers who espouse anti-Semitic rhetoric, including Imam Mohammad al-Asi and Imam Amir Abdul Malik Ali.
Though he claims that some of the major Muslim organizations try to avoid him because of his ideology, Alim Musa has participated at events organized by prominent Muslim-American community organizations including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, Muslim American Society, Islamic Circle of North America and the Islamic Society of North America. He also makes regular appearances at the large annual conferences of the Muslim Congress, a Houston-based Shia community group.
At some of these events, Alim Musa has sold copies of an anti-Semitic book written by Imam Mohammad al-Asi. The book, The Ascendant Qur'an, blames Jews for conspiring against Islam.
Alim Musa has also spoken at mass antiwar rallies, including one of the largest pro-Palestinian rallies ever held in this country, which was organized by the ANSWER Coalition on April 20, 2002 in Washington, DC. Musa served as moderator.
Alim Musa also traveled to Tehran to participate in the Islamic Awakening conference devoted to examining the Arab Spring hosted by the Iranian government in September 2011. In an interview at the conference with the Iranian Nasr TV, Alim Musa said, "As these new uprisings take place, the West will come out to crush them or to take control like in Egypt." When asked about his thoughts on religion being largely absent as a driving force in the Arab Spring, Musa remarked that it is a Western conspiracy to "wipe Islam off the map."
In addition, Alim Musa is a founder and former member of the governing body of the Muslim Alliance in North America, a community organization that involves prominent American-born Muslims, mostly African-Americans. In 2004, the San Francisco Bay View described Alim Musa as "one of the highest-ranking Islamic leaders in the Black community, nationwide and specifically in the Islamic movement."
Born Clarence Reams in Arkansas, Alim Musa grew up in Oakland, California. According to his own account, as a young man in the 1960s in Oakland he was dealing with illegal drugs and later fled the country. He claims to have spent time in Algeria where he met fugitive activists in the Black Panther movement and to have also been involved in cocaine trade in Columbia. Alim Musa returned to the U.S. and was jailed in a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, where he converted to Islam, based on his account.
Alim Musa is a "senior" member of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought (ICIT), an international pro-Iranian, pro-Hezbollah Islamist think tank that distributes anti-Semitic propaganda in its magazine, Crescent International. He claims to have travelled several times to Iran, implying in various speeches that he has met with Hezbollah and Hamas representatives in Iran, as well as with groups fighting Indian forces in Kashmir during a visit to that region.
In addition, he maintains contacts with other extremist groups in the U.S. and abroad, including the anti-Semitic and racist New Black Panther Party (NBPP) and Jamaat al-Muslimeen.
Below is a sample of extremist and anti-Semitic statements that Alim Musa has made:
June 4, 2010
During a sermon at a Dallas mosque, Alim Musa argued that "the whole Western world is out against Islam" and that the U.S. government is implementing a policy that targets African-American Muslims because they are not as susceptible to intimidation as immigrant Muslims. He argued that it was therefore the responsibility of African-American Muslims to establish an authentic "liberation-based" Islamic movement, which he describes as a "re-Africanization" and "de-Israelization of the Islamic movement in America."
January 5, 2010
Alim Musa appeared on Press TV, a state-funded Iranian TV news channel, to discuss the attempt to blow up an American airliner heading for Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. During his appearance, Musa claimed that the Israeli Mossad and the U.S. government were behind 90 percent of the terror attacks in the U.S. and abroad since the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, including the Christmas Day plot. He argued that this continuous Israeli-American terrorist campaign not only provides an excuse to launch attacks against Muslims but also allows those in power to strengthen their grip in the U.S.
July 4, 2009
Alim Musa spoke at an event organized by the Muslim Congress, a Houston-based Shia community group, in Dearborn, Michigan. At the event, which was reportedly attended by 1,200 people, Alim Musa reportedly distributed fliers that called the U.S. government "Zionist occupied" and the FBI "Gestapo." In his speech, Alim Musa reportedly "accused U.S. leaders of fabricating a Muslim threat to national security so Americans could stop the global spread of Islam."
September 26, 2008
Alim Musa spoke at an anti-Israel event at the Islamic House of Wisdom, a Shiite Muslim mosque in Dearborn, Michigan. At the event, which was held to commemorate Iranian-inspired Al Quds [Jerusalem] Day, Alim Musa sold copies of a book by Mohammad al-Asi, an exegesis of the Quran that interprets much of the Islamic holy text as a warning of a Jewish conspiracy against Islam. During his lecture, Alim Musa expressed his support for Hezbollah, stating, "The Hezbollah…it stands to the Zionists on behalf of their Palestinian cousins."
May 9, 2007
During his appearance at an anti-Israel event that was organized by MSU at UC Irvine, "Holocaust Memorial Week," Alim Musa said:
"Who ran the slave trade…who funded [it]? You'll study and you will find out: the Jews…It was the Jewish bankers…in Vienna, with pockets full of money, funding and insuring, that's who did it…you can't tell us about no holocaust. Between the African Americans and the Native Americans, everybody else's stuff was small potatoes."
October 5, 2006
Alim Musa spoke at a protest organized by the antiwar group World Can't Wait outside the White House in Washington, DC. Claiming September 11 was a conspiracy by the American government, Alim Musa stated:
"We got to get rid of this new Hitler…Just like Hitler burned the Reichstag…to gain full power over the people…George Bush brings down the World Trade Center, blames it on us [Muslims] and then claims himself dictator over the world. So we're here to say it's all over for George."
January 2004
In an interview in the San Francisco Bay View, Alim Musa talked about September 11 and other issues. In the interview, Alim Musa stated:
"When 9/11 happened, the only people who understood it really was Black people. They know that when you have an election-stealing president that has no credibility, he needs something to make him presidential...
"If you remember before 9/11, the big conference they held in Durban, South Africa, Black people was attuned to Zionism is racism—we know that as a people. Amerikkka [original spelling] needed something to take them off of the most-hated list, but it never worked."
April 20, 2002
Alim Musa served as the moderator of an anti-Israel rally, sponsored by ANSWER, during which many speakers called for the destruction of Israel. A large Hezbollah flag was on display from the stage throughout much of the event next to where Alim Musa stood.
March 22, 2002
Alim Musa spoke at an event at the National Press Club in Washington DC that was organized by the NBPP, titled: "National Opposition Town Hall Meeting." At the event, Malik Zulu Shabazz, national chairman of the New Black Panther Party (NBPP), praised Alim Musa as an authentic and courageous leader. During his speech, Alim Musa hailed Hezbollah and Palestinian groups fighting Israel and berated the U.S.:
"A little group like Hezbollah, 'the Party of God'…and in the world there are only two parties: Hezbollah and Hizb-ul-Shaytan [Party of Satan]…you're either in the party or Satan—America, the British, the French…You're either in that party or the Party of God, the Hezbollah…
"They have caused so much trouble for the Zionists…they're getting paranoid. Zionists are shooting other Zionists…that's the way the Jews are doing…because they're paranoid…and that's the way they need to feel…because when it come to Islam and peoples' willingness to achieve martyrdom, you can't beat them...
"We don't want to be a part of the American system. We want to see it wrapped up, bundled up like they do in them garbage trucks…take it and dump it into the dust bin of history."
October 31, 2001
Alim Musa joined Shabazz for a news conference at the National Press Club. At the event, Shabazz blamed Jews and Israel for the September 11 terrorist attacks. During his speech, Alim Musa said: "America placed this sword, this cancer, this Zionist state, in the center of the crossroads of the world." He also assailed "Zionists in Hollywood, the Zionists in New York, and the Zionists in D.C." who, he claimed, "all collaborate" to oppress Blacks and Muslims.
October 28, 2000
Alim Musa spoke at a rally in Washington DC that was organized by some of the premier Muslim community organizations in the country and in which speakers expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Referring to Palestinian casualties in the second intifada, which broke out the previous month, Alim Musa said:
"We celebrate our young brothers…those shuhada [martyrs]. They're not dead….The Zionists, when they get hit they're dead. They are dead and gone…But our people, when they leave this world they're headed for jannah [Paradise]."
June 2000
At a gathering in Baltimore organized by Jamaat al-Muslimeen, Alim Musa spoke about Imam Jamil al-Amin, a Muslim activist who has since been convicted for killing an Atlanta, Georgia, deputy sheriff:
"Al-Amin…turned his ideas, his belief in Islam, into practical solutions for society. And they can't stand that….the Zionist are the same today as they was then. In those days [in Arabia before the ascendance of Islam] they controlled the liquor market in Madina… and the Zionists kept the Arab leaders broke and drunk…the yahud [Jews, in Arabic] were seating back and had each one of them [Arab clans] fighting each other because the leaders was both drunken and they was all in owe (sic) to the same Yahud… he was manipulating the Arabs…then Islam came [and abolished riba, or interest]...
"We're the pioneers here of Islam in America… Islam went everywhere in the world… so why can't Islam take over America… We are on the right road."
Imam Amir Abdul Malik Ali
Imam Amir Abdul Malik Ali runs Masjid Al Islam in Oakland, California, a mosque affiliated with the anti-Semitic Sabiqun movement, which seeks to establish Islamic rule in the U.S.
Malik Ali, who has made anti-Semitic speeches around the country for several years, is often invited to speak to Muslim student groups in California. During his campus appearances, Malik Ali has described the U.S. government, the economy and the media as being part of a corrupt global super-structure that is controlled by "Zionist Jews" and used against Muslims. He has praised Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian regime, extolled martyrdom and blamed Israel for the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Some of his most inflammatory speeches have been given at anti-Israel events organized by the Muslim Student Union (MSU) at the University of California, Irvine, where he has encouraged students to see their campus activism as part of a larger struggle against Israel, as well as against what he calls the "American empire."
Below is a sample of Imam Amir Abdul Malik Ali's inflammatory and anti-Semitic statements:
January 29, 2011
Malik Ali delivered as anti-American conspiratorial speech at a large rally in San Francisco that was sponsored by ANSWER Coalition in support of the Egyptian revolution. During his speech Malik Ali argued that the revolution in Egypt challenges the U.S. "because Uncle Sam doesn't believe in democracy. You can't be an empire and believe in democracy too." He further claimed that the American government is concerned that the unrest in Egypt could spread to the U.S., stating: "The young people in Egypt have set an example for us….that's why this government wants you distracted, you young people. That's why they want you at the mall, that's why they want you high…because when young people join a movement, the show is over."
January 16, 2011
Malik Ali gave the concluding presentation at the 3-day annual conference of the Muslim Student Association-West, a coalition of West Coast Muslim student groups. The conference was held at the University of California-Los Angeles. In his presentation Malik Ali claimed that the 2009 attempt to blow up a passenger airline over Detroit and the 2010 failed Times Square car bombing, were "fake hogwash," orchestrated by "social engineers" to protect corporate interests and "as a rationale to deny the people of their civil liberties." At the end of the presentation Malik Ali led the students in what he introduced simply as "the pledge of allegiance." The full text of which is as follows:
"Allah is my Lord; Islam is my life; the Qur'an is my guide; the Sunna is my practice; Jihad is my spirit; Righteousness is my character; paradise is my goal; I enjoin what is right; I forbid what is wrong; I will fight against oppression; and I will die to establish Islam."
January 15, 2011
Malik Ali gave the central presentation at the MSA West conference, which had the same title as the conference: "Taking Back Our Narrative." In his presentation he argued that "on 9/11 our narrative was hijacked," explaining that powerful interests in America are trying to silence Muslims and portray Islam in a negative light. He compared current U.S. policies to Nazi Germany and cited Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels as "one of their role models," describing an extensive conspiracy to suppress information. Never explaining who is behind this conspiracy, he said: "It is their narrative that's rooted in falsehood...in a false concept of superiority." He said that Muslims' role is to "go out for jihad," which he described as "speaking truth to power."
May 13, 2010
In a speech titled "Death to Apartheid" during MSU's "Israeli Apartheid Week" at UC Irvine, Malik Ali compared Jews to Nazis, expressed support for terrorist groups, accused supporters of Israel of "using" the Holocaust as an excuse to oppress Palestinians and called for the destruction of the "apartheid state of Israel." At the beginning of his speech, Malik Ali called it a time of "celebration" for critics of Israel because people "are no longer being afraid of being called anti-Semitic."
When asked during the Q&A session if he specifically supports Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, Malik Ali answered "yes" each time. During his speech, he had repeatedly alleged that Israelis are the oppressors and Palestinians are the victims. After being asked why he calls for not dialoguing with Zionists, Malik Ali compared Jews to Nazis and stated that just like Jews wouldn't have sat down for "tea and crumpets" with Nazis, Jews, who are "the new Nazis," don't deserve dialogue.
Malik Ali also praised students at UCI who had disrupted Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren during a speaking appearance on campus on February 8, 2010. Malik Ali noted that Oren "forfeited your right to free speech because you believe in ethnic cleansing, you believe in putting people in concentration camps that we call Gaza."
May 14, 2009
Malik Ali gave two speeches at UC Irvine, as part of an MSU lecture series titled, "Israel: The Politics of Genocide." During a speech titled "Silence is Consent," which he delivered at a lecture hall on campus, Malik Ali stated that "Zionists" are "the new Nazis" and "the party of Satan." He said that "Zionism must be destroyed. Every aspect of them." He explained how Zionists display the characteristics of Satan: "They operate behind closed doors in silence, they are whisperers. Satan gives suggestions and withdraws." He also claimed that if President Obama attempted to make serious policy changes he should "be ready to die because the Pentagon, the C.I.A. and the Zionists will be upset with him."
Earlier in the day Malik Ali delivered a speech titled "To Exist is to Resist" at an outdoor amphitheater in the center of the UC Irvine campus. His dedicated most of his presentation to discussing a recent hate crimes legislation that had passed the U.S. House of Representatives, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, known also as the Matthew Shepard Act. Malik Ali claimed that the legislation was in fact a conspiracy to consolidate Zionist control over the American people, insisting that it criminalized criticism of Israel and challenging the historicity of the Holocaust. Malik Ali claimed that "the Zionist Jewish community" wanted to stifle freedom of speech in order to "destroy your will to resist; not just in Palestine, they are trying to destroy the people's will to resist everywhere." He called for "civil disobedience as it relates to the Zionists."
During his speech, Malik Ali made frequent references to the Holocaust, calling supporters of Israel "the new Nazis." He also talked about the "disproportionate numbers of Jews, Zionist Jews, in the media, in finance and foreign policy." He expressed support for Hamas, stating: "Hamas works in the interest of the Palestinian people, not in the interest of the Zionists."
May 15, 2008
Malik Ali gave two speeches during a week-long MSU event at UC Irvine titled "Never Again? Palestinian Holocaust." During one presentation, which was titled "Silence is Consent; Stop the Palestinian Holocaust," Malik Ali claimed that "America has declared war on Islam." He called Al Qaeda "a controlled fire," and claimed that September 11 was manufactured to discredit "the mainstream Islamic resistance." Malik Ali's speech was interrupted with calls of 'God is great' in Arabic when he predicted that "the 21st century will be the century of Islam. And, [Uncle] Sam and the Zionists know it and they are afraid." In his presentation "Death to Apartheid; A Farewell to Zionism" Malik Ali described Hamas and Hezbollah as part of "the Islamic revival," which will cause "the death of Zionism" and the collapse of the "American empire." During his presentations Malik Ali also praised the Islamic Republic of Iran.
May 17, 2007
Malik Ali gave two speeches during a three-day MSU event at UC Irvine titled, "Israel: apartheid resurrected."
From the first speech, "Terrorists, Freedom Fighters, and The Holy Land":
"Hamas are freedom fighters, not terrorists...The Zionist Jews, the Israelis, these are oppressors...the Palestinians are paying for the crimes of the Germans. Let the Germans pay... And so now, Alhamdulillah [Praise God] we know that their time is coming to an end….The Zionist Jew has only one fear... the ultimate fear of the Zionists are the Muslims. They never defeated us in history... Even though we got the FBI coming down on us [Muslims], even though we got the media coming down on us, even though we have the government coming down on us, everyone… in terms of who are running the system; we are still not afraid of them... You are dealing with people who fight in the name of Allah, against your imperialism, against your colonialism, against your occupation, and against your racism. And we will not stop until we are either victorious or we are martyred."
From the second speech, "The UC Intifada: How You Can Help Palestine":
"They [Zionist Jews] do things to make people think that it's Muslims when it is actually them behind the scenes [that is] how they do this in Palestine, how they did this with the World Trade Center, both of them: in 1993 and in 2001...
"Massive civil disobedience wouldn't be a bad idea. But it has to reach a critical mass. The system has to be shut down. That's how bad it is. That's how bad things have gotten...
"You know what Hezbollah are? The party of God. Do you know who the Hezbollah are? They are people with a higher moral character. Who are willing to sacrifice for the sake of the one God...
"[Iranian president Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad is a nice guy. He's an honorable person… and what is being called for the annihilation of, is the apartheid system of Zionism... Any unjust system has the right to be dismantled and destroyed. Any empire has the right to be dismantled and destroyed... apartheid ain't cool, apartheid ain't honorable. And so when he [Ahmadinejad] is talking like that, he's talking about an oppressive system...that's like, for example, when we say that America needs to fall as an empire, that doesn't mean that America, all of America, needs to be destroyed and so with respect to the apartheid state...That's not the right system. So that's what Ahmadinejad is talking about...And so, yes, it has to be dealt with."
October 5, 2006
Malik Ali spoke at UC Irvine about the war between Israel and Hezbollah during that summer. He accused "the Western Zionist controlled media" of covering up the truth about what happened in the war. He praised Hezbollah and argued that every time Muslims fight Israel in the name of Islam they are victorious. Responding to a question from the audience about peace between Israel and the Arab states, Malik Ali said: "If history is any indication, there'll be peace when you're gone and we are in control again."
May 18, 2006
During an MSU event at UC Irvine, "Holocaust in the Holy Land," Malik Ali gave a speech in which praised Hamas and Hezbollah. He added: "The truth of the matter is your days are numbered. We will fight you until we are either martyred or we are victorious…It's about time that they [Israelis] live in fear." Malik Ali claimed that Israel's defeat was imminent because unlike the Muslims, Israeli soldiers do not embrace death. During his speech, which was titled "Israel: The Fourth Reich," he also claimed that the media in the U.S. is controlled by Jews, repeating several times: "Rupert Murdoch is a Zionist Jew!"
March 11, 2006
Malik Ali spoke at the University of California, Santa Cruz as part of "Palestine Awareness Week" organized by the local Muslim Students Association and Students for Justice in Palestine. In his speech, he said:
"There are some good Jews and some bad Jews; we're talking about the bad ones, the ones who refer to themselves as Zionists, the ones who are not really following the teachings of Moses... they've come up with a racist ideology...that is rooted in white supremacy, in imperialism and colonialism...The axis of evil: you're talking Britain, you're talking the United States and you're talking the apartheid state of Israel."
February 26, 2004
Malik Ali gave a speech at UC Irvine, which was titled "America Under Siege: The Zionist Hidden Agenda," during which he said that Zionism was a mixture of "chosen people-ness and white supremacy." He claimed that Zionists had "Congress, the media and the FBI in their back pocket," and blamed Israel for September 11: "The Israelis knew about and were in-control of 9-11," which he claimed "was staged to give an excuse to wage war against Muslims around the world."
December 14, 2001
Following the release of a videotape documenting Osama bin Laden celebrating the September 11 attack, Malik Ali told the San Francisco Chronicle that he found the tape inspirational, and that it expressed "the importance of our commitment to Allah." During the same interview, Malik Ali also claimed that "this tape is not evidence. The U.S. government is justifying the killing of innocent people in Afghanistan, and the intention to kill Osama bin Laden, based on flimsy evidence...What speaks to me as a Muslim about it is to see Muslims around the world who are willing to stand up to the oppressive, imperialist system of the United States."