IABNA condemns attacks on US embassies

Phoenix, AZ: September 12, 2012.

The Islamic Association of Bosniaks in North America (IABNA) mourns the death of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. diplomats in Libya, and it strongly condemns the attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi and U.S. Embassy in Cairo. These criminal acts of murder and violence are terrible and not justifiable, and therefore, their perpetrators must be brought to justice.

IABNA also condemns the creation of a hateful video that is reported in the news as the reason behind the attacks in Libya and Egypt. The video sends a very hateful and disrespectful message about our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. IABNA wants to underline the fact that just as neither the hateful message behind the mentioned video has anything to do with the U.S. or any other country or religion, so the acts of violence in Libya and Egypt have no basis in Islamic teachings. These unfortunate events speak of one thing only, and that is the need to speak against any kind of islamophobia, and also against extremism of any background.

The Bosnian-American Muslims are peace loving people who love their country and love their religion. As victims of a recent genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we understand the grave danger of these hateful acts against our religion and against our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the enormity of these terrible criminal acts against our Embassies in Libya and Egypt that resulted in the murder of and honorable ambassador Stevens and other U.S. personnel.

IABNA hopes that the perpetrators of these criminal acts will be brought to justice, and we also hope that other religious communities will join us in publicly condemning all acts of hatred and bigotry, regardless of their aims and purposes.

Imam Sabahudin Ceman
Head Imam
Islamic Association of Bosniaks in North America