Pop Quiz: Zionist-Supporting Mayoral Candidate Speaks at the Minbar. What do you do?
Houston, we have corrupt leadership at the Masjid
“Be silent, O enemy of Allah!”
- Abdullah ibn Umar (RA), while interrupting a khutba by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi
Electioneering Violation at the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH)
Normally I don’t like writing about individual Masajid. But it’s worth it here. There is an election for Mayor taking place next month in Sugar Land, Texas.
ISGH disinvited a disfavored pro-Palestine candidate while permitting a “Muslim” candidate with a record of supporting Zionism (according to opponents) to speak at the minbar. Note the “Muslim” candidate is not actually a Muslim but is from the Ismaili faith tradition, though he does not mind claiming to be a Muslim when it suits him.
Eventually, the pro-Palestine candidate who was not permitted to speak got a chance to do so at a mostly empty Masjid after a disturbance caused by masjid leadership, but only after Jummah was long over. The actions by the ISGH leadership were shocking for their recklessness. They deliberately risked their tax-exempt status by publicly backing the Zionism-supporting candidate. As I will explain below, it is easy to understand why ISGH would be this irresponsible.
Since that time, ISGH has evidently been spending donor funds to erect “no protest allowed” signs. But maybe protesting is not the real problem. Having Muslim leadership with a proven record of corruption is the problem.
Corruption in, Corruption Out
Fuad Cochinwala is secretary of the masjid and appears to be the principal actor behind much of the drama at ISGH. Cochinwala is also the “uncle” who allegedly threatened an 11-year old boy with arrest according to a change.org petition.
In 2014, Cochinwala paid $1.2 million to settle a federal case where he was alleged to have violated the False Claims Act and the Stark Law, because he entered into sham consulting agreements with physicians to refer business to his company. Now he gets to help run a Masjid.
Someone with a public history of healthcare fraud and dishonesty who took reckless shortcuts in business may not be suitable as a masjid leader, regardless of if they have “good” or “bad” politics. The reasons for this should be obvious. It’s folly to think ISGH’s tax-exempt status or its reputation would be safe with such leadership.
Houston’s Muslim community can potentially develop leadership standards that can exclude people who have engaged in fraud. Maybe your community should do the same.
I heard about this and the handcuffing and escorting of a sister out of the masjid. What was infuriating was that the masjid management pretended to not know anything about it but the police said they were given direct instructions from the masjid management to arrest folks for trespassing, especially this sister. I also don’t know which sane Muslims would even consider donating to a masjid like this, has to be some sort of outside funding involved. Houstonians need to kick the shura out.
Take a look at this https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIwZW1HOW2S/?igsh=MWhpNTlzZnBraTRlOA==