I wanted to delve a little more into the Islamic Society of Boston's (ISB) spiritual leader, Imam Basyouny Nehela. While the ISB withdrew its lawsuit last week against the seventeen defendants it had sued for defamation, the issue of the troubling connections between the ISB and radical Islamists hasn't gone anywhere. The ISB itself has been subject to a great deal of scrutiny, but their spiritual leader seems to have been bypassed. I previously looked into Nehela's background and his extensive activities in area Islamic organizations in Part 1 and Part 2. Since posting those, several readers (including Muslims) have contacted me with some questions for Imam Nehela:
1. Please ask Mr. Nehela where he worked prior to coming to the ISB. His educational background is provided at the Muslim American Society website, but neither the ISB nor the MAS say where he worked before. "This man is teaching our children," and parents deserve to know a religious leader's complete resume.
2. Who is the imam that Nehela reportedly used to introduce to his disciples as the "Kashmir Jihadist"? (I assumed that would be Muhammed Masood, but maybe it was the recently deported Imam Muhammad Hamid of Worcester!)
3. Does Imam Nehela conduct mixed marriages, say between an Arab Muslim and a non-Arab Muslim? From this narrative by a local female Muslim convert, I suspect that the person she is talking about is Nehela:
t"The conversation turned to cultural conflict. "The Imam of our mosque does not condone marriages between Arabs and other Muslims," he (taxi driver) said. My heart turned over in my stomach like a stone. "Why is that?" I asked him. I cautioned myself against taking him too literally; better to hear what the Imam thinks from his own mouth, than through someone else's filter. 'Because the marriages do not work out well,' he answered me. 'The cultures are too different. Too much must be sacrificed.' "
"When I tried to pay him that day, the driver refused my money. Instead he gave me a slip with his number printed on it. As I walked into the masjid, I felt an air of sadness over me which did not drift away for several days. What if the taxi driver were right? What if the the Imam really and truly does not approve of mixing?"
4. Does Imam Nehela conduct mixed marriages, say between a Muslim and a Christian or Jew? Or does he refuse to perform interfaith marriages?
5. Imam Nehela apparently makes Hajj trips to Mecca. Can Imam Nehela tell us about the literature he distributes to pilgrims while in Saudi Arabia? Does the ICE or FBI know what kind of literature he reportedly gave out?
6. What is the role of Imam Nehela and the ISB in the Islamic Center of New England (ICNE, Quincy and Sharon). Is it true that the ISB gave a $100,000 check to a school that Imam Nehela ran at ICNE property (and without General Body approval)?
7. Is Imam Nehela answerable to his community? The community covered the loss of some 3,000 lbs of meat (mentioned here, scroll to end) under his leadership. Does he not owe it to his community to come out clean and apologize?
8. Regarding the "victory" e-mail sent out following the withdrawal of the ISB lawsuit - does it become a holy person?
9. Is it below the dignity of a spiritual leader to wash Muslims for funerals?
10. Many area college students are instructed by Imam Nehela through the Muslim Student Association organizations. Do the parents know that Nehela is connecting with their children at these top American colleges/universities, including MIT, Wellesley, Harvard, BU, etc? Do their parents know who he is? More on this in a future installment.
11. June 9th is the date of an opening ceremony for the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury, which includes capping the minaret. According to a MAS e-mail, and as mentioned by Mahdi Bray at last week's press conference, Imam Nehela will be making the call to prayer at the ceremony. Is it normal for an imam to call the adhan? Isn't that done by a muzzein? Since the new mosque is located in Roxbury, wouldn't it be wonderful for a Roxbury resident to call the adhan, maybe someone from the Mosque for the Praising of Allah? Are Arab Muslims somehow better at this than other Muslims? Is Imam Nehela going to abandon his community in Cambridge?
These are the questions I've been asked to bring up. I invite anyone from the ISB to respond to these questions, most of which are from members of the Massachusetts Muslim community which the ISB claims to represent.
Most rabbis won't conduct mixed marriages. I thought Catholic priests tended to frown on them as well?
Posted by: Ron Newman | June 04, 2007 at 05:18 PM
Even Reform Judaism rabbis?
That used to be true of Catholic priests, but no longer is. A Catholic can even marry an atheist in a Catholic wedding(!!). Both still need to attend pre-Cana classes though, and they must agree to raise the children in the Catholic faith.
I don't even disagree with those who aren't big fans of mixed religion marriages. I believe studies show that children brought up in a mixed Christian/Jewish household tend to follow neither faith. But it's one thing to not be in favor of something, and it's another thing to absolutely refuse to marry people. Especially since Islam does allow Muslim men to marry Christian or Jewish women (although Muslim women can only marry Muslim men). It seems to me it's a bit disingenuous to claim to support interfaith dialogue, and claim to be moderate, and yet refuse to marry people of different faiths. Or nationalities!
Posted by: miss kelly | June 04, 2007 at 05:48 PM
da katb yahody byktb mkal 3an 3amy basyony nehelabyshkor feeh
Posted by: Account Deleted | July 27, 2010 at 02:16 PM