'Terrorism is the lousiest shortcut to failure'

Islam's moderate voice in Los Angeles calls terrorism the "lousiest shortcut to failure." He says U.S. prisons need good Muslim chaplains to check the spread of Islamic extremism. And he's all for educating women - his daughter, a University of Southern California grad, is an L.A. County prosecutor.

But Dr. Maher Hathout referred to the state of Israel as "butchers" in a 2000 speech. And while he apologized for the tone of his address, he said he stands by the statement - which nearly cost him a prestigious humanitarian award.

Hathout recently met with the Daily News to discuss Islam's appeal to African-Americans, Mitt Romney's reservations about the religion, the LAPD's abandoned bid to map the city's Muslims and more.

Here are excerpts:

Question: How did 9-11 change things for American Muslims?

Answer: They are under the microscope. ... There are certain policies that are dealing with Muslims as specimen, not as fellow citizens.

We are partners in protecting our country. I can't be a partner and a suspect at the same time.



Q: After being blasted by civil rights groups, the Los Angeles Police Department withdrew a plan to map Muslim communities. If European intelligence sources track terrorist schemes in Muslim enclaves in big cities, wouldn't Los Angeles police be foolish to ignore potential threats here?

A: We should never ignore potential threats; we should just approach it the right way. Mapping Muslims in Los Angeles is completely meaningless because Muslims don't stay in one location.

So what are you going to map, the whole city? If we are in enclaves, it might deserve an argument. But Muslims in Los Angeles are not in enclaves. So this means that you are doing religious profiling, which is a very slippery slope toward the violation of civil liberties.





Q: The butcher comment nearly caused the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations to deny you its prestigious humanitarian award.

A: They tried to withdraw the award and conducted a hearing. In the hearing, they were overwhelmed by the support (for me). ... The award itself to me is not a big deal.

But it is the principle. ... I become a free American, and I criticize my president day and night, (but) I cannot criticize the practices of a foreign country? That would be a sad day for democracy.

Q: When was the last time you had dinner at a Jew's house - or invited a Jew to yours?

A: The last time probably was a year ago. That was a meeting with different Jewish leaders in the house of one of them. In my house, I enjoyed visits, but I myself don't take dinner very frequently in my house.

But of course I feel no barriers based on religion. We have of course our disagreements, and sometimes they become passionate. Nonetheless, I think we achieved a mutual respect and understanding that we can disagree without animosity.



Q: For the first time in its history the United States could have a black or a female president in 2009. If it took more than 230 years to achieve that, how long before Americans would elect a Muslim president?

A: Well, there (was) a Mormon candidate (Mitt Romney) who says that (he would) not even put a Muslim in a Cabinet position ... because they don't have enough (of a population in the U.S.).

Well our numbers are more than the Mormons, by the way. ... If you are an intelligent speaker, supposedly, talking to intelligent people, you don't say things like that, even if you believe them.

So it seems that it will take a longer struggle to reach that day.

Q: Do you think Islam's appeal among African-Americans is spiritual or political?

A: No. 1, it is historical because a good number of them, when they were brought against their will in slavery, they were Muslims. So they're kind of identifying with their real roots.

Then spiritual because ... Islam is a very strong advocate of a color-blind status, that people should not be valued - as Martin Luther King said - by the color of their skin but the quality of their character.

So then politically they identify more with the crushed masses because they had the same experience.

Q: Is there anything to suspicions by law enforcement that radical Islam is spreading in U.S. prisons among African-American inmates?

A: We hear that there is within the environment of prison, and I'm not surprised about that.

Extreme ideas can be attractive to people who are isolated from the current of life. ... So it's a matter to be concerned about, and it should be remedied by good chaplains in prisons who are Muslims and who can explain the real Islam, rather than some person who gives himself the title of imam and starts teaching people the way he thinks is right.

Q: Who are the American Muslims living or dead whom you respect and admire most?

A: Malcolm X. He's a man of courage, and I like those who look into themselves and say: "I was wrong. I'm going to change course." And he did that.

He was very strongly supportive of (Nation of Islam's) racist mentality ... and when he went to pilgrimage, he mixed with all colors and with all races and said, "Aha, there is something different in Islam."

He studied and he changed course, and he paid his life for that.