American Council on the Middle East
P. O. Box 19227
Washington, D. C. 20036
December 11, 1969
Mr. Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita Avenue
San Francisco, California 41190
Dear Mr. Lewis:
Please accept my sincere thanks for your illuminating letter of December 7. I assure you that I am glad to learn of your efforts for peace and understanding.
The American Council on the Middle East is dedicated to peace between the Arabs and the Jews in the Middle East. But we believe that real and lasting peace must be preceded by a just settlement of the issues that brought about war between them. Peace, imposed by force of arms is not real peace and would not last.
As you stated, there must be clear and sincere understanding between persons and nations, in order to achieve peace and cooperation. Peace must come from the heart.
I hope that you agree with these views and that you will support us.
Frank C. Sakran
Executive Secretary
December 14, 1969
American Council on the Middle East
P. O. Box 19227
Washington, D.C. 20036
Beloved Ones of God:
This follows your letter of December 11. There is no outward reason for not joining American Council on the Middle East, but I find in general that organizations purporting to work in an international field seem to proclaim that all wisdom directed to the solution of problems and situations is centered in their own board of directors, and that even “God” has nothing to do with the solution of problems. The fallacy here is that the problems have not been solved, indeed have been augmented. Nor do I see any sign that wisdom belongs to any group, caste, race, or nation. And I see few signs among those who verbally or otherwise dissent to these words that in actuality practice acceptance thereof.
In 1928 I submitted a peace program to the World Church Peace Council that proposed the internationalization or a-politicalization both of Jerusalem and all sacred cities. But our culture is such that although we may provide for the lamb and lion lying down together, we are adamant in rejecting the possibility of a little child leading them, or an unknown presenting any program. So we have the problems, and we are going to continue to have the problems until we adapt peace with universal will, not “good” will, for I personally reject all dualisms and will not compromise that the sun and rain are for the just and unjust.
I not only have taught in churches, synagogues, and mosques, which is an accomplishment few people seem to have, I can worship in churches, synagogues and mosques without being ostentatious about it. I am, to begin with, a teacher in Sufism, that grand mystical philosophy which is precluded from this culture. And I think one of the very first things we ought to work with is the right of Arabs and Muslims to offer their culture in our institutions. We have done nothing of the kind. A generation back, and even more recently, I personally was barred from several institutions of learning in this land by Englishmen and Europeans proclaimed as “masters” of Islamic culture. This is nonsense. If I had been barred by a Muslim it would not have been nonsense. Therefore I do not know what you mean by “just settlement” until some form of justice provides for instructions in Arab culture in this land on a basis fairly comparable to instructions in European and Jewish cultures.
The group of Sufis hers has just celebrated Chanukah and will celebrate Christmas, as well as Ramadan. I hope, inshallah, to be able to go to a conference of all faiths, under the auspices of The Temple of Understanding next year. I hope to be able to present three names before that august assemblage, i.e., Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent Emperor Akbar, and Prince Dara Shikoh. Their exclusion from our culture is a defect for which I see no excuse. But we do not accept such of the Sermon on the Mount, nor do we accept the closing chapters of the Book of the Prophet Malachi which terminates the Hebrew Scriptures.
Boccaccio has given us the story of the Three Rings. The German Lessing has almost immortalized this in his Nathan the Wise. I myself have written a Hebraic, Christian, and Islamic epic (3 of them) covering this general topic. Money which I would have liked to share with so-called “peace” organizations is being withheld so that I can publish these epics. We have a lot of nonsense such as “the family that prays together stays together”; I call this blatant, arrogant braggadocio unless it is also extended to mean “the world that prays together stays together.” I do not propose the termination of any religion or any group, but only harmonious relationships.
I do not propose anything without carrying it into action. This Sufi group has celebrated Chanukah with the Jews, and we are proposing to celebrate Christ’s birthday minus Santa Clausism with Christians. But our next venture is the possibilities, inshallah, of having a Sufi teacher as a guest who has remained in Palestine during all the turmoil, as a citizen of Israel. There is a far cry between proposals and actualities, and what has irked me and I ask no forgiveness for it, has been the rejection of actualities by those who are proposing. Yours is not the only organization presumably working in this field. The common policy seems to be both other extant groups and all proposals from unimportant persons. Jesus Christ has said, “In the hour ye think least, the Son of Man cometh.” The Bible also teaches, “The stone that is rejected is become the cornerstone.”
We work unorganized. We work unorganized because organizations seem to be interested only in: a. the promotion of their own prowess to the neglect of the prowess of all others. b. the collection of monies from the outside world to promote their programs. We are seeking no outside help. We rely on God-Allah who to us is actuality—not a thought, not an ideal, not an epiphenomenon but Actuality. We work, pray, and live with Muslims, Christians, and Hebrews, and without ostentation. A number of us are of mixed races and bloods.
The whole tenor and trend of the New Age is toward real brotherhood, not subjective poppycock from nature persons called “brotherhoods.” Brotherhood consists of extending the hand of fraternity to the non-brother, not in proclaiming a subjective philosophy. Of course I am ready to share with those who can accept us as being their brothers, and if you can consider our ideas, and our ideals and accomplishments as in accord with your own endeavors we shall be only too glad to send you the proper financial disbursements to this common and.
With love and blessings in the name of Allah-God and all His Prophets and Messengers, the founders of all religions.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
American Council on the Middle East
P. O. Box 19227
Washington, D. C. 20036
December 27, 1969
Mr. Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita Avenue
San Francisco, California 41190
Dear Mr. Lewis:
Thank you for your letter of December 14.
Let me assure you that we are working for peace, real and lasting peace in the Middle East. Let me also say that up to now we have not advanced nor developed any specific peace program. And to be honest with you, I confess I do not know yet what kind of peace proposals have a chance of acceptance by the parties, nor what sort of proposals would bring about lasting peace.
If you have any ideas on the subject, please let us have them. We will welcome any suggestions on this subject.
I personally have had great respect for the Sufis and their philosophy. But while I have studied the philosophies of many schools I have deemed it inadvisable to identify myself officially with any particular ones. I prefer to keep my mind open for new ideas.
I think you and I have similar philosophies in many fields.
I do hope that we can count on your support and the support of your followers.
Sincerely,
Frank C. Sakran
Executive Secretary
December 30, 1969
Executive Secretary
Mr. Frank C. Sakran
American Council on the Middle East
P. O. Box 19227
Washington, D.C. 20036
Dear Sir,
One must acknowledge your very fair letter of December 27, and inshallah, we may be working closely with you. It is many many years since this person started on a career, a most lamentable career, of working for peace through religion. One studied the religions of the world. One studied the food problems of many Asian countries. One came up with proposals which have neither been refuted nor accepted. So long as there is noblesse oblige, so long as ideas are not important but the expressions of persons are important, we can hardly solve problems. Here one gave as a Christmas message, over and over again, “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain laid low.” Religion and tradition simply do not accept this, and so we have wars, and will continue to have wars, and all our expressions of humanity or even humanism become vanities. It is a pity.
I am preparing to attend a convocation of the religions of the world under the auspices of The Temple of Understanding. My program for Jerusalem, etc., offered in 1928 has never been accepted, never been refuted. So it has been withdrawn with the hopes that conflicting opinion will sooner or later have to seek some other approach.
Last night two men came here who refused to call themselves “Muslims” anymore on the ground that any “Islam” based on hatred of anybody, rather than love for Allah, is futile. I think this is a marvelous step in the right direction.
Potential cooperation with your organization depends largely on a forthcoming event: an Arab, who is a citizen of Israel and an actual or putative Sufi is expected shortly. We hope to learn from him both ideas and proposals that can diminish hatreds and provide solutions—not suitable solutions but solutions; we believe any solution would be a suitable solution. Our program requires the adaptation of practical methods. We believe there should be, indeed there must be, neutral recognition of various religions and holy places. We see in desert reclamation infinite potentialities for the solution of many of the problems of the day. We practice the brotherhood of man, without verbal nonsense. We welcome all peoples. We have a mass of materials both on the religions of the world, and the potentialities of development of the Near East. We believe there is a God; we believe as Qur’an teaches that He always has his vice-gerents on earth. We do not accept the outworn method of pious appeals. We consider the resolutions passed by both Muslims and Israelis vanity and useless. Although any actual suggestion is controversial, when the Greeks and Turks fought some 140 years ago, the great powers took it upon themselves to bring peace by intervention. We believe this may be necessary now. We intend to work for actualities, and not pious hypocritical useless emotional appeals.
We shall write later, either after this Arab from Palestine comes, or if he fails o come. But we must insist that groups who pretend to be interested in peace in the Near East begin by demanding serious studies of Arabic culture in this land, and not the use of prominent characterized dis-interested intellectuals. With Zionists having an access to our universities (no objection), we should have “equal time” given to other parties.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis