Ibrahim Hamide: Less than Peaceful and Tolerant

Ibrahim Hamide is a local restauranter and peace activist.
Ibrahim Hamide supports the ground zero mosque.
Ibrahim Hamide doesn't care about the feelings of the victims of 9/11.
Ibrahim Hamide is getting a "PeaceBuilder" award for his peaceful voice.


I have doubts.

In the Oct 17 RG there is an announcement from Community Mediation Services of Eugene on their upcoming PeaceBuilder awards get-together.  One of those honored that night is local restaurateur Ibrahim Hamide, hailed as our own “PeaceBuilder” by the CMS.  Is he really?

   On Aug 17, there was a front page article on the ground zero mosque/community center titled “Ground Zero for Debate”.  In that article a number of local religious leaders and representatives are asked their opinions of the mosque/community center, including Mr. Hamide.  Naturally as a Muslim his views were needed to add to the articles narrative, yet his statement makes it clear his views are not in line with what one would consider a peacemaker. 

   He claims that the “hurt feelings” of the of the victims families are to be disregarded, as if the importance of the mosque trumps the “tolerance” spoken of by Imam Rauf and the other mosque supporters.  Hamide says the pain this project will bring to some families should not be considered, and the building should go ahead.  Is this not intolerance disguised as bridge-building? 

   He is baffled as to why the opposition is so strong, and conveniently forgets to mention the original name “Cordoba Initiative” and the reasons that name was dropped in favor of the fuzzy “Park51 Project”.  The Cordoba Mosque(now back to a church) In Spain was built on the site of a church destroyed by the Islamic occupiers, the Moors, who held Al-Andalusia for more than 250 years.

  Mr. Hamide says “Here’s somebody(imam Rauf) who’s trying to show the true face of Islam and, no, we want to remember it as the bad guys who blew up the World Trade Center.  Intolerance is a form of extremism, too”.  It should be noted what imam Raufs actual words are regarding the “true face of Islam”.  In Pajamas Media May 27, 2010 imam Rauf says “Religions do not dialogue and dialogue is not present in the attitudes of the followers, regardless of being Muslim or Christian.”  In the same article Rauf also says “It(sharia) can be established through a kingdom or a democracy. The important issue is to establish the general fundamentals of Sharia that are required to govern.”  Does Mr. Hamide still stand by his statement that Rauf is “trying to show the true face of Islam” because if so, the face of Islam imam Rauf is showing cannot be seen as anything other than intolerant, disingenuous and yes, supremacist.

   Ibrahim Hamide, using these statements of his, does not deserve the PeaceBuilders award nor any recognition for his alleged tolerant views.  Unless he satisfactorily explains his past remarks and clears the air in what exactly he believes he will remain a questionable figure within the local peace activist movement.