Follow Up Statement from the Board of Directors
1. The Board would like to assure the community and all concerned parties that it is in a state of continued session consulting with scholars, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and lawyers. Furthermore, we are working hard, listening to your concerns, understanding your fears, and safeguarding our sense of community.
2. Imam Shaker is a beloved Imam and community leader who has served the community tirelessly with utmost selflessness for several decades. During the administrative leave, he will further review and study the issues at hand; we will continue our search for an Assistant Imam to serve the community’s needs.
3. Imam Johari Abdul-Malik has been the public face of Dar Al-Hijrah for many years, outstandingly representing our community, and building everlasting bridges with faith-based and civic partners. The Board is examining the resignation of Imam Johari Abdul-Malik as we work side by side to find a Deputy Outreach Director for Governmental Affairs.
4) The Board will hold a series of town hall meetings with our community.
May the Almighty Guide Us All
Statement from the Board of Directors of Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center Regarding the Lecture by Imam Shaker Elsayed on May 19, 2017
June 4, 2017: The Board of Directors affirms the following points:
1- The harmful practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is prohibited in Islam as well as the laws of the land.
2- We at Dar Al-Hijrah, DO NOT condone, promote, or support any practice of FGM.
3- The reference to “Hyper-sexuality” is offensive and it is unequivocally rejected. The Board of Directors is particularly disturbed by such comments.
4- We call upon the Muslim Scholars (clergy) to be on the forefront of the campaign against FGM and to condemn silence in the face of these harmful practices.
5- We at Dar Al-Hijrah, are committed to continue sensitivity training of our staff regarding these critical issues.
The Imam of Dar Al-Hijrah, Sh. Shaker Elsayed, in response to his recent statements reaffirms that, “FGM is very harmful to women’s health, and anything in Islam that is harmful is in fact prohibited”. He also advises the community to seek their doctors counsel to inform them why it is illegal and harmful. He follows that his reference to “hyper-sexuality” is an observation that he admits he should have avoided. He declares, “I take it back, and I do apologize to all those who are offended by it”.
You may refer to Imam Shaker’s statement below.
Statement of clarification
By Imam Shaker Elsayed
On May 19th, 2017, I gave a lecture about the rights of children in Islam at Dar Al-Hijrah. The lecture was aired live online and was later posted on our YouTube channel. The part in which I talked about children’s circumcision created a lot of misunderstanding, specifically regarding girls. I would like to clarify the following:
- I specifically said in the lecture that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is considered by Islam to be a very harmful to women’s sexual health. And in Islam anything harmful is prohibited. Therefore, Islam agrees completely with the legal prohibition of FGM, and hence the laws of USA. That is why I referred the audience to their OBGYN to inform them why it is illegal and harmful.
- Islam would never support anything that harms anybody’s well-being, such as FGM. As such, this is my position and the position of Dar Al-Hijrah. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Let there be no harm upon yourself or others.”
- Regarding the statement I made on “Hyper-sexuality”, I admit that I should have avoided it. I hereby take it back. And I do apologize to all those who are offended by it.