As part of ISNA’s efforts to combat distortions of Islamic teaching and present fair views of Islam, Dr. Louay Safi, the executive director of the newly founded ISNA Leadership Center (ILDC), wrote a letter to the Navy Chief of Chaplains, Rear Admiral Louis Iasiello, asking him to remove an article written by Salman Rushdie and posted at the Navy Chaplain Corps website. Salman Rushdie's article "Yes, This is About Islam," originally published in New York Times, argues that the assertion by "world leaders" that the war on terrorism is not a war on Islam is nothing but a piece of propaganda and disinformation that was meant to appease Western Muslims and to maintain the coalition against terrorism. The article further alleges that Al-Qaeda and bin Laden are supported by Muslims all over the world.

In his letter, Dr. Safi pointed out that the article “not only insult the overwhelming majority of Muslims worldwide, particularly American soldiers of the Islamic faith, who every day put their lives on the line . . . but its cynicism cannot be easily missed as it accuses the commander in chief, and virtually all senior members of the government, of duplicity.”

Although the Navy Chaplain Corps’ website placed a disclaimer, absolving itself from any responsibility for the content of the article, Dr. Safi stressed  in his letter that the disclaimer “does little to address the concerns of Muslim Americans, both military personnel and civilians, with regard to the purpose of including a statement written by a divisive person known for his efforts to distort Islam, when tens of articles and statements that aim at differentiating the perversion of Muslim extremists from the positions espoused by mainstream Islam are left out.”

In response to ISNA’s letter, the article was remove and Dr. Safi was contacted by the office of the Navy Chief of Chaplains informing him of the decision to remove the article. “We do appreciate the Navy Chaplain Corps’ positive response to ISNA’s concerns, and commend the Rear Admiral Iasiello for taking this wise decision and recognizing the need to keep bigotry and divisive and defamatory speech out of the Naval Chaplain Corps website,” Dr. Safi stated.