The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America is a mainstream Islamic law organization based in America and tasked with providing guidance and research on Islamic jurisprudence (Shariah). The statement below is from the “About” page on their website:
The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA), is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Section 501(c)(3). It was established in response to the growing need of an Islamic jurisprudence specific to Muslims in the West. Its main goal is to uphold authentic standards using high academic standards, moderate approach and a rejection of extremism.
AMJA’s influence reaches far beyond the walls of mosques and Islamic Centers. Its work strengthens the moral character of society by developing the leadership capacities of Imams (religious leaders). Equipped with continued passion and tenacity to their work, AMJA scholars, experts, and Imams lead the Muslim community into a better understanding of the practice of the religion of Islam in Western societies.
Apart from our renowned scholars, AMJA also caters to the needs of Imams by dedicating an annual Imams Conference that allows them access to one-on-one interaction with scholars, network with other Imams throughout the US and Canada, and be exposed to novel and new research about contemporary fiqhi issues.
AMJA’s library is known for its wide scope of detailed research. AMJA prides itself in the great number of publications on issues of Islamic jurisprudence in areas of sociology, economics, law, and even family matters.
AMJA is fortunate to have a dedicated Board of Directors, Fatwa Committee, Fatwa Advisory Board, and Experts in various fields.
AMJA’s rejection of “extremism” makes what we are about to disclose all the more disturbing. The Secretary-General of AMJA, Salah Al-Sawy, issued a fatwa on an Arabic language web site which does not appear on AMJA’s English language web site. In that fatwa, Al-Sawy essentially declares that Muslims in America are waging “defensive jihad” through “jurisprudence,” and that Muslims in America are not strong enough at this point to wage “offensive jihad.”
This is not the first time that AMJA or one of its associates has issued a disturbing fatwa or made a worrying statement.
In fact, back in 2005, a paper was presented an an AMJA conference calling on Muslims to infiltrate the US legal system to work Shariah law into our courts:
In a 2007 Arabic paper presented at one of its conferences, AMJA even recommends that Muslims become judges and use deception to implement sharia law to the best of their ability. According to a non-verbatim translation, it says a Muslim judge in a non-Muslim country “must in his heart hate the man-made law” and “judge by the rulings of the Shari’ah as much as possible, even if by a ruse. [emphasis added]”
The AMJA commands Muslims in the West to remain committed to establishing “Shari’ah rule.” Another fatwa from Al-Sawy states that Muslims can only become American citizens if is no other viable option and “on the condition that they do not accept indefinitely the law and legislation of that country and being indefinite belonging to the nation of the non-Muslim country.”
http://www.radicalislam.org/analysis/american-muslim-jurists-group-aspiring-towards-jihad
