Bint Jebail Cultural Center after it was vandalized with anti-Qazwini graffiti last year

The local Arab American community is suffering enough attacks and divisions on all levels. When the Islamic Center of America controversy started last year, it took the community by storm.

Unfortunately, some members of the community want the storm to keep raging.

The divorce between Sayed Hassan Qazwini and the center’s board was bitter and tumultuous.

Qazwini left the ICA after serving the center for 18 years, as he and some members of the board exchanged accusations and personal attacks. The conflict was reported in the local mainstream media, opening the door for Islamophobic opportunists to smear Arab and Muslim Americans.

However, the community could breathe a sigh of relief when the dispute ended as the Sayed and the center went their separate ways.

But the hatred and recklessness of some community members, who seem to have a personal vendetta with Qazwini, continue to reopen the wounds.

One can argue that the entire problem started when unknown individuals sent anonymous letters in the fall of 2014, bashing Qazwini and leveling unfounded accusations against him, including adultery and financial irregularities.

Although Qazwini has long left the ICA, the letters have not stopped. 

The latest was one of the worst.

The sayed has used the al-Mabarrat Charitable Organization to host religious services and collect donations for Iraqi orphans.

The letter, written in the name of a fictional organization called “Iraqi Orphans”, evokes racist anti-Iraqi sentiment. It is a dangerous, divisive position.

The anonymous document criticizes al-Mabarrat officials for allowing Qazwini to host his events at their facility. This criticism brings to mind the vandalism of the Bint Jebail Cultural Center last year. 

“The center of Qazwini and Iraq,” vandals sprayed on the door of Bint Jebail Cultural Center.

The authors of the letters also claim to be supporters of the late Grand Ayatollah Mohamad Hussein Fadlallah, who founded al-Mabarrat. Fadlallah is a revered figure among Arabs and Muslims. Using his name for narrow political calculations is a shameful ploy. 

If the writers of those letters had any legitimate claims, they would attach their name to them. But like criminals and villains they are working in the shadows. 

We call on them to stop spreading their venom. We also urge the ICA to condemn those letter in honor of Qazwini’s service to the center. 

The Arab American News’ defense of Qazwini does not mean that religious scholars get a free pass. The clergy are not above criticism. However, personal attacks and profane language are a manifestation of hatred and cannot be condoned. That is not criticism that can lead to a better society.

It is time for the community to put that controversy behind us to face the challenges that lie ahead as a united front.