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General Correspondence
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COPY
Price, James R.
October 18, 1960
Dear Mr. Price:
On behalf of the Vice President I wish to thank you
for your letter of September 28, requesting an appointment
with him for Mr. Umit Sahkul, Executive Secretary to the
President of Jami'at al Islam-International, sometime during
the month of October.
Because of his very heavy schedule of engagements
during the pre-election period, the Vice President has regret-
fully had to forego such appointments for the present as I am
sure you can understand. I might suggest, however, that
Mr. Sahkul see appropriate officials in the Department of
State, who will be glad to talk with him I am sure.
Sincerely,
x - State Draft: REC:dh
Day file X II
Jami'at al Islam
I know the Vice President would want me to send
his good wishes,
R. E. Cushman, Jr.
Executive Assistant
to the Vice President
Mr. James R. Price
Washington D. C. Representative
Jami'at al Islam
517 North Ivy Street
Arlington 1, Virginia
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
18/17
Miss Larsen
Peryan call to
m. Cotton
metanly State Dept
Our letter of act 13,
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Telephone
SEP 291960
Cable Address
DOuglas 2-1812
Jami'at San Francisco
Jami'at al Islam, Inc.
state draft for
A Humanitarian and Educational Foundation
le
760 Market Street
J.R.PRICE
San Francisco 2, California
517 North Ivy Street
Washington, D.C., Representative
Arlington, Virginia
JAI - International
September 28th 1960
JAckson 5-4231
The Honorable
Richard M. Nixon
Vice-President of the United States of America
Washington, D.C.
Dear Vice-President Nixon:
I have enclosed a copy of my letter of this date to Mr. William H.G.
Fitzgerald. This letter outlines a basic situation affecting U.S. foreign
policy in Africa, and seeks Mr. Fitzgerald's cooperation in arranging a meeting
between you and Mr. Umit Sahkul, Executive Secretary to the President of Jami'at
al Islam-International.
The record of your stand on Soviet imperialism for the past several
years together with the emergency of Africa as a focus of international tension
and an area wherein inept or timid American leadership, or lack of leadership,
can lead the free world to disaster has led us to make this approach to you.
During the summer of 1957, the Emir Abdel Krim, in his capacity as
Chief of Jami'at al Islam in Africa, cabled President Eisenhower, asking that
the President receive a delegation of Abdel Krim's sons which he proposed
sending to the United States at that time. JAI-Africa had hoped, by means of
a frank discussion with President Eisenhower, to win his understanding, and thus
the understanding of the Western world, for the legitimate aspiration of African
peoples seeking freedom. Jami'at al Islam is particularly familiar with the
standard colonialist tactic of branding independence movements as communist-in-
spired as a means of obtaining the support of America, which has unfortunately
developed something of a reputation for relative unconcern for issues not
involving the struggle against communism. Jami'at al Islam is also familiar
with the Russian tactic of exploiting America's ties with colonialist allies
to place America in an apparently incongruous position regarding colonialism.
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
-2-
In a message sent to Abdel Krim by officers of the American Embassy
1 ?
in Tripoli, Libya, President Eisenhower declined to receive the delegation.
This was most unfortunate in that Abdel Krim's intention at the time was to
provide the President with information regarding events in Africa which have
subsequently taken place and were in planning stages at that time.
In view of the situation in the Congo as well as the schedule of
forthcoming manifestations elsewhere in Africa, we feel that unless American
policies in Africa are based upon a correct appraisal of the situation disaster
will result -- disaster for the West and for Africa. The USSR will emerge as
sole beneficiary.
For these most serious reasons, Jami'at al Islam has sent Mr. Sahkul
to the United States with instructions to reach you if at all possible. Mr.
Şahkul, a citizen of America's ally Turkey, can be made available at a location
of your choice any time during the month of October.
I have enclosed a copy of a letter requesting this interview addressed
to me from Mr. Ahmad Kamal, President of Jami'at al Islam - International.
Faithfully,
Enclosures: as indicated
CC: Mr. Ahmad Kamal
Mr. William H.G. Fitzgerald
Please reply to:
JAMI'AT AL ISLAM, INC.
Washington, D. C. Representative
517 North Ivy Street
Arlington 1, Virginia
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Mr. James Robert Price
August 30th 1960
JAI Representative
Washington DC - USA
Dear Mr. Price:
Our Mr. Umit Şahkul is arriving in Washington DC on September 5th;
we will provide you with flight number and eta within the next day or 50.
We request that you arrange that Mr. Şahkul have an opportunity to
meet Mr. Richard Nixon, Republican nominee for President of the United States,
in order that Mr. Şahkul may make a brief and to the point presentation of
the problems being faced by America's Islamic allies and by the uncommitted
nations of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. An executive member of Jami'at
al Islam, Mr. Sahkul has the mandate of all Muslims.
With Warm Regard
Ahmad Kamal Jame
cc: JAI-USA
President
JAI-International
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Telephone
SEP29196Q
DOuglas 2-1812
O
Cable Address
Jami'at San Francisco
Jami'at al Islam, Inc.
A Humanitarian and Educational Foundation
760 Market Street
J. R. PRICE
San Francisco 2, California
517 North Ivy Street
Washington, D.C, Representative
Arlington, Virginia
JAI. International
September 28th 1960
JAckson 5-4231
Mr. William H.G. Fitzgerald
National Media Analysis
2305 Bancroft Place, N.W.
Washington 8, D.C.
Dear Mr. Fitzgerald:
The purpose of this letter is to invite your attention and that of
responsible Republican leadership -- including Vice-President Nixon -- to certain
facts about Africa. These facts are either misunderstood by, or have been
witheld from, high policy levels of the U.S. Government, resulting in a situation
which has affected and will continue to have profound effects upon American
relations with the so-called uncommitted peoples of the world, and therefore upon
the relative competitive position of the United States versus the Soviet Union
in Africa and Asia.
Jami'at al Islam (JAI), the organization I represent, has for a long
time enjoyed access to primary sources of information regarding the planned
demise of various European colonialist regimes in Africa. We have systematically
made this information available to the U.S. Government through established
channels in the Department of State and ICA. Had our information been properly
evaluated in Washington, it is likely that neither would the State Department
have been caught off guard by developments in South Africa and the Congo, nor
would it now find itself in the incongruous position of having to react with
a "ne too-ism" to the initiative of the Soviets as self-proclaimed champions of
freedom and equality for the colonized peoples of Africa and Asia.
My principals -- chiefly persons of U.S.A., Turkish, or Indonesian
Vice-President Nimon upon developments in Africa as witnessed by Muslim elements
nationality -- have asked that arrangements be made for a complete briefing of
in direct participation. Mr. Umit Sahkul, a Turkish citizen and Executive
Secretary to the President of Jami'at al Islam-International, has come to the
United States for this purpose. Mr. Sahkul will remain in the U.S. during the
month of October and will be available in Washington or any other location which
may be appropriate.
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
-2-
Because of your own background, your position of confidence in leading
Republican circles, and our own association in National Media Analysis, I
am taking the liberty of approaching you with a view toward arranging the
briefing we desire. We of course realize the nature of the Vice-President's
crowded schedule. It is our belief nevertheless that the subject is of sufficient
urgency to warrant a request for a brief interview with the Vice-President.
It may be useful to digress for a moment and establish a frame of
reference by giving you a brief synopsis of JAI and its background: Originally
founded in Turkistan in 1868-69 as a nationalist organization dedicated to the
overthrow of Imperial Russian conquests of Turkic lands, JAI over the years
has gradually lost its exclusively Turkic character and now counts among its
followers Muslims of all races and nationalities. Too, failure to displace Russian
rule even after the 1917 revolution has resulted in the suspension of the original
political motivation of the organization. Today, the descenedents of the
original founders of Jami'at al Islam concentrate upon efforts in the humanitarian
and educational fields to restore dignity and self-respect to Muslims. After the
Soviet occupation of Manchuria in 1945, the Far Eastern Tatars had carried
JAI work forward in that area dispersed to other areas of the world. A number
settled in the United States, joining relatives and other colleagues who had brought
JAI to this country at the turn of the century. Today, a non-profit, non-sectarian,
non-political humanitarian and educational Foundation, Jami'at al Islam is active
from Indonesia to Africa's Atlantic shore. Our European headquarters are in
Vienna, a pivot-point from which we administer aid programs to Muslim escapees
from Iron Curtain countries. In the Middle East we are headquartered in Amman,
operating training programs for the rehabilitation of Muslim refugee women from
Palestine. Various branches and delegates are active in widely scattered areas
of the world -- Sumatra, Malaya, Helsinki, even South Australia -- all contain
JAI delegates called upon as needed.
For a complete history of our organization and its programs, please
see the attached four copies of the JAI Bulletin. In summary, it can be said
that JAI is the Islamic counterpart of such internationally-active relief
organizations as the National Catholic Welfare Conference, the World Council of
Churches, the American Joint Distribution Committee (Jewish), and United HIAS
Services. Our San Francisco offices serve as a central coordinating entity for
JAI'S "Voluntary Agency" work. We are accredited by the Advisory Committee on
Voluntary Foreign Aid of ICA and have been granted tax-exempt status by the Bureau
of Internal Revenue.
To return to the subject of Africa: Our files contain detailed infor-
mation upon the situation in Africa, much of which has been made public by JAI
since November 1959, but has been ignored. The information is based upon reports
of the PAN AFRICAN DIET, made available to Jami'at al Islam by the Diet for the
specific purpose of alerting Western charitable, humanitarian, and religious
organizations to certain phases of difficulties expected to attend the passing
of various colonial regimes in Africa. (For a description of the PAN AFRICAN DIET,
please refer to Dr. Harahap's speech at the UN conference on World Refugee Year,
attached to this letter) The purpose of this alert, decided upon by the more
responsible and cool-headed among African leaders, was to attempt to alleviate
certain aggravations built up in Africa during decades of colonial rule, wherein
deliberate use was made by colonial authorities of the energy and dedication of
missionary groups. The missionaries themselves were easily led into a widespread
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
-3-
practice of applying the benefits obtained from close collaboration with colonial
authorities toward their own primary goal of evangelism.
Thus over a period of decades the activities of many missionary organi-
zations became identified in the minds of Africans with the perpetuation of the
white man's rule along with what was beginning to be thought of as the white man's
God as well. This phenomenon was not universal. It was quite extensive and
accounts to some degree for the rapid spread of Islam through black Africa -- an
unverbalized social protest against alien rule.
Leaders of the Pan African Diet have not been preoccupied with religious
considerations. Their concern is the restoration of Africa to the Africans -- an
ideal given considerable impetus by the events of World War II. African leaders
fully realize that until human nature changes considerably, independence will sel-
dom be won without struggle. In case the struggle is between the apparatus of a
modern Western state and the untrained or illiterate population indigenous to a
colonized area, it is usually the latter who suffers. It was clear that the next
decade or two would see the displacement of several millions of people during
periods of colonial crisis. These people must have medical care and other relief
measures if they are to survive and stability be restored to Africa. Administra-
tion of relief on a large scale is a highly specialized and complicated affair,
requiring the attention of seasoned professionals. Africans know that they will
be dependent upon the outside world not only for humanitarian aid but for the
very persons who must administer it. In Africa the largest and best qualified
reservoir of such personnel is the group of Western religious organizations who
conduct both humanitarian programs and missionary activity in Africa and yet who
paradoxically, are resented and feared by large segments of the native population.
This resentment is inspired primarily by the history of close association
between missionaries and colonial administrators to the point where one is viewed
as the instrument of the other.
In an attempt to preserve the property and personnel of Western religious
groups in Africa from disastrous consequences which, African leaders fear, could
occur during periods of prolonged civil strife, the Pan African Diet prepared an
appeal to all major religious organizations in Western countries. These organi-
zations were asked to announce, publicly, suspension of all evangelistic activity
in favor of purely humanitarian programs all over Africa -- for the duration of
the African emergency. A public resolution could be used, according to responsibles
in the Diet, for advance orientation of Africans to prevent aroused passions from
being turned against the very people and groups whose services in Africa would be
so urgently needed.
Jami'at al Islam, the sole Islamic Voluntary Agency, with a substantial
following in Africa and the world of Islam, yet fully recognized and accredited
in the West, was asked, through its own observers inside the Pan African Diet,
to present the appeal to Western organizations and non-colonial governments, such
as the United States Government.
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
I have enclosed a press release and copies of two speeches which
document JAI'S presentation and analysis of the Pan African Diet program. One
speech was delivered on March 29th 1960 in Geneva by Indonesian Dr. Pangkat
HARAHAP, representing JAI at the Sixth Plenary Session of the International
Committee for World Refugee Year, Palais des Nations. The other speech was
delivered by me to the convention of the General Federation of Women's Clubs,
held on June 17th 1960 at the Sheraton Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Neither has JAI left any stones unturned in an independent effort to
keep appropriate U.S. Government agencies apprised of the situation and its
potentialities. The subject was first broached officially during a regional
conference of the International Cooperation Administration's field representatives
from Africa, held in Madrid during January 1960. Mr. Dennis A. Fitzgerald, ICA'S
Assistant Director for Operations, and representatives of the State Department on
theAssistant Secretary level presided over this conference. JAI'S President, Mr.
Ahmad Kamal, native-born American of Tatar ancestry, and I held several discussions
in Madrid with Mr. Fitzgerald and other officials, including the ICA field chiefs
from Africa. We provided all present with information received from the Pan
African Diet. We found that several of the field chiefs at the Madrid conference
knew of the Diet meetings, but that top level officials were ignorant. Mr.
Fitzgerald expressed a desire to become better informed, and asked for copies of
the Pan African Diet's map of reconstituted Africa (please refer to Dr. Harahap's
speech) should it be released.
Between March and July 1960 I held additional discussions in Washington
with ICA officials, including Mr. Fitzgerald and his officers in charge of programs
in black Africa. Too, I briefed Mr. Alfred T. Wellborn, Executive Director of the
Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State, upon all developments. JAI
likewise continued to provide complete information to its normal Governmental
contacts as a Voluntary Agency -- the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid
of ICA -- as well as to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
From the Voluntary Agencies representing major non-Muslim religious
constituencies, we have encountered active hostility since presenting the Pan
African Diet's appeal. This hostility has even taken the form of active pressuring
of the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid. As a result, JAI has been
unable to render any assistance to missionary organizations who suffered property
and personnel damage during the crisis in the Congo.
From the U.S. Government there has been silence. Replies to our
communications, if received at all, are perfunctory. The fact that JAI had
specifically forecast definite events in Africa months in advance seems only to
embarrass the officials who, warned, simply ignored the information.
As a representative of an international Muslim humanitarian organization,
I can assure you that our programming in Africa and elsewhere continues according
to plan either with or without U.S. Government cognizance -- although it would
be pointless to deny that our task could be eased by support rather than indiffer-
ence. On the other hand, as an American, I am disheartened to see our Government
continually falling into traps all over Africa through misinformation when sources
of good information -- sources untainted by either Communist or Colonialist bias--
are readily available.
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
-5-
Either sheer prejudice or foolish reliance upon French and Belgian
sources for an interpretation of African events has put the State Department into
the position of actively, however unwillingly, supporting a situation which has
enabled the Russians to emerge as the apparent champions of human freedom in
Africa. The ideals of the American revolution are being exploited by Russians to
destroy America. Relying upon the almost automatic American reaction to adopt
a point of view opposite to what the Russians say, Mr. Khrushchev forces the
United States to take "wrong" stands on major issues by the simple method of
coming out first for the "right." If by our own lack of conviction we allow the
Russians to continue to dictate American policy by forcing all issues to appear
contests between communism and anti-communism, we can blame only ourselves for
the consequences.
The concerns I have expressed here are shared by the majority of our
membership among the more than 450 millions of Muslims all over the world.
They are pointedly shared in African circles by leading members of groups upon
which Mr. Herter has been tricked into pinning a red label. There is no doubt
that Mr. Herter's allegations concerning Nkrumah, for example, will ultimately
prove correct, after the fact, if the State Department continues to rise to the
Russian bait. There is no surer method which can be devised to create communists
than is the method of ignoring all issues except the contest between the communist
world and the free world.
Mr. Şahkul has the mandate of our membership and following in Africa
and the Muslim East to present Vice-President Nixon with a clear picture of
events. I shall be available at your convenience to complete any arrangements
you may desire.
We look forward to your early reply.
Faithfully,
James R. Price
Washington D.C. Representative
Enclosures: Letter to James R. Price from Ahmad Kamal, President of
JAI-International, August 30th 1960
Statement of Dr. Pangkat HARAHAP, JAI Delegate to the Sixth
Plenary Session, International Committee for World Refugee Year,
Palais des Nations, March 29th 1960
JAI News Release, Struggles in Africa to Render Homeless More Than
Five Millions During Coming Decade, June 17th 1960
Refugees in their own lands - An African Tragedy: An address
delivered by James R. Price to the convention of the General
Federation of Women's Clubs, Washington, June 17th 1960
Jami'at al Islam Bulletin, Series V, #
1-1959
# 2-1959
#
1 1960
#
-1960
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
ADDRESS OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS TO
THE SECRETARY OF STATE
WASHINGTON 25, D.C.
Lois - call
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON
at s tate of for
October 13, 1960
MEMORANDUM FOR ROBERT E. CUSHMAN, JR.
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
Subject: Request of Jami'at al Islam
Representative for Appointment
with the Vice President
In accordance with your request of October 1, 1960, there
is enclosed a suggested reply to the letter of September 28, 1960
from Mr. James R. Price, the Washington Representative of Jami'at
al Islam, who requests an appointment with the Vice President for
Mr. Umit Sahkul, Executive Secretary to the President of Jami'at
al Islam-International, sometime during the month of October.
Jami'at al Islam is known to us as a humanitarian and
educational organization having branches in different parts of
the world. In spite of Mr. Price's statement, we do not believe
the organization has sources of intelligence regarding events in
Africa or elsewhere which are notably better than those already
available to us and we doubt that Mr. Sahkul is able to tell us
anything sufficiently new and important to warrant trying to
arrange an appointment with the Vice President at this time.
William
manufer
William B. Macomber, Jr.
Assistant Secretary
Enclosures:
1. Suggested Reply to
Mr. Price's letter
of September 28th.
2. From Mr. Price.
Not attached.
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
ADDRESS OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS TO
THE SECRETARY OF STATE
WASHINGTON 25, D.C.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON
October 13, 1960
MEMORANDUM FOR ROBERT E. CUSHMAN, JR.
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
Subject: Request of Jami'at al Islam
Representative for Appointment
with the Vice President
In accordance with your request of October 1, 1960, there
is enclosed a suggested reply to the letter of September 28, 1960
from Mr. James R. Price, the Washington Representative of Jami'at
al Islam, who requests an appointment with the Vice President for
Mr. Umit Sahkul, Executive Secretary to the President of Jami'at
al Islam-International, sometime during the month of October.
Jami'at al Islam is known to us as a humanitarian and
educational organization having branches in different parts of
the world. In spite of Mr. Price's statement, we do not believe
the organization has sources of intelligence regarding events in
Africa or elsewhere which are netably better than these already
available to us and we doubt that Mr. Sahkul is able to tell us
anything sufficiently new and important to warrant trying to
arrange an appointment with the Vice President at this time.
William B. Macomber, Jr.
Assistant Secretary
Enclosures:
1. Suggested Reply to
Mr. Price's letter
of September 28th.
2. From Mr. Price.
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library
SUGGESTED MESSAGE
Dear Mr. Price:
The Vice President has asked the to reply to your letter of
September 28, requesting an appointment with him for Mr. Umit
Sahkul, Executive Secretary to the President of Jami'at al Islam-
International, sometime during the month of October. Because of
his very heavy schedule of engagements during the pre-election
period, the Vice President has regretfully had to forego such
appointments for the present. I am sure you can understand the
necessity for his doing so. May I suggest, however, that
Mr. Sahkul see appropriate efficials in the Department of State?
If we can assist you in making appointments for him, we shall be
glad to do so.
Sincerely yours,
Mr. James R. Price,
Washington D.C. Representative, Jami'at al Islam,
517 North Ivy Street,
Arlington 1, Virginia.
Reproduced at Richard Nixon Presidential Library