Tag Archives: America

Santorum and the God of Abraham

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

It seems that former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum’s presidential run is running out of steam. According to the Huffington Post, Santorum is “taking a pause from Florida campaigning just days before the Tuesday primary that even he expects to deal him a third consecutive loss.” Yet, despite the fact that he is likely not going to become President of the United States, there is something he said while campaigning in South Carolina that intrigued (and amused) me.

At a town hall meeting before the South Carolina vote, Santorum asked a crowd: “Where do you think this concept of equality comes from? It doesn’t come from Islam. It doesn’t come from the East and Eastern religions…It comes from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that’s where it comes from.” He meant that, if people want equality, then they must live by God’s rules since the concept of equality “doesn’t come from Islam” but from “the God of Abraham.” This begs the question: which rules are God’s rules and who is say what those rules are? But, I digress…

Still, his statement was quite telling because it is painfully obvious that Santorum has absolutely no idea that the God of Islam is the very same God of Abraham. Islam has always maintained that Muslims worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the Hebrew Prophets. In fact, Islam is nothing less than the religion of Abraham himself, as outlined numerous times in the Quran: “And lastly, we have inspired thee [O Muhammad, with this message,] “Follow the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false and was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught besides God.” (16:123).
Yes, many Muslims call God by His Arabic name “Allah,” but so do Arab Christians. In fact, open up an Arabic Bible, and the name for God is none other than “Allah.” Why, even Jesus Christ himself called God “Allah.” If someone wants to become “Leader of the Free World,” I would expect that he or she would know that Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews. That’s pretty basic information.

I take Mr. Santorum at his word that he loves and worships the God of Abraham. So do I. That should be our point of reference; that should be our point of convergence. No, we don’t worship the same way, but that is totally irrelevant. The fact that we both call upon the God of Abraham makes us brothers, and as brothers, it should move to bring us together to help make our country better. Presumably, that is why is running for President: to make our country better. So why the divisiveness over the God of Abraham, Who should always be a force for unity and brotherhood.

The same should go for all Americans of faith (and it should extend to those who do not profess an “official faith” or any faith at all). Our common love and worship of the God of Abraham should bring us together. It is what the Lord our God wanted for us. Why not heed Him?

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/commonwordcommonlord/2012/01/santorum-and-the-god-of-abraham.html#ixzz1khkCcRlH

Sharia and Shopping

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

Year after year I watch as the holiday shopping season begins and ends without much incident for me. Indeed, it is a good time to scoop up some really good deals on whatever I may need: luggage, electronics, and the like. Yet, I am not a part of the frenzied shopping scene, because I do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. While that does not mean I do not honor and revere Christ, which is something that I do as a devout Muslim, nevertheless, I am not out shopping for various gifts for family and friends.

Yet, sometimes, I wonder what it would be like if there was an “Eid shopping season,” which are the main Islamic religious holidays. I wonder how it would be if there was a “Black Friday,” which is also the Muslim Sabbath, for the Muslim holidays. I wonder what it would be like to have Muslim holiday songs playing non-stop on a number of radio stations. I wonder what it would be like to have people’s houses all decorated with lights for the Eid holidays.

Indeed, I do not have to wonder about such things. All I need to do is travel to a majority Muslim country and experience this myself during Ramadan and the days afterward. Yet, I wonder what that would be like with an American consumerist bent: “Hurry now for your last-minute Ramadan deals!” “Come in today for pre-iftar (sunset meal) doorbusters!” “Eid is around the corner, and these fantastic sales won’t last forever!”

True, this “Muslim holiday shopping season” would occur a little earlier each year, because the Islamic religious calendar is a lunar one. Still, an American Muslim holiday shopping season would be kinda cool.

Now, now, relax: I am not trying to pour “Sharia law” all over you. This feeling comes out of a small amount of sadness over the degree to which forces in our country are actively trying to marginalize the American Muslim community, to make it the perpetual “Other” that must be feared and fought. Indeed, whenever companies try to market to the Muslim community — such as Whole Foods during Ramadan or Butterball turkeys during Thanksgiving — there is almost always a cry of alarm that Muslims are trying to “Islamize” the United States and force “Sharia law” down everyone’s throats. The same goes with the reality program “All American Muslim,” which is currently airing on TLC.

During the Republican presidential campaign, the degree of Muslim-bashing is astounding. When asked who should be profiled, former Senator Rick Santorum replied: “Well, the folks who are most likely to be committing these crimes. “If you look at — I mean, obviously, it was — obviously, Muslims would be — would be someone you’d look at, absolutely. Those are the folks who are — the radical Muslims are the people that are committing these crimes, as we’ve — by and large, as well as younger males.”

Herman Cain remarked that when his doctor with an Arab-sounding name turned out to be Christian, he said: “Hallelujah! Thank God!” This is not to mention the hysteria of Newt Gingrich, the latest Republican frontrunner, about the “threat” posed to the United States by “Sharia law.”

Deep down, I know that this anti-Muslim sentiment is not reflective of the whole of the American people. By and large, the American people have been welcoming and kind to their Muslim neighbors, which has been confirmed by polls of American Muslims and my own personal experience as an American Muslim. Nevertheless, it still does bother me that there are those who want to “otherize” (using Reza Aslan’s term) me simply because of my faith. It does serve to motivate me more to engage my society: get to know my neighbors, participate in the local life of my community, vote in each election, large and small. And I know that, in the end, these friends and fellow community members will accept me as one of their own, even though I don’t light up my house during the Christmas season. That’s because I know my people — the American people — are very good people indeed.

This first appeared in Middle East Online.

Security and Trust vs Suspicion and Scapegoating

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

Ever since 9/11, the American Muslim community has been placed under a tremendous amount of scrutiny. Even now, more than ten years after those terrible events, the cloud of suspicion has not lifted over the community. According to a months-long investigation, the Associated Press has published an article claiming that the New York Police Department, with apparent help from the CIA, has engaged in an aggressive intelligence-gathering operation within the Muslim community. According to the article:

The department has dispatched undercover officers, known as “rakers,” into minority neighborhoods as part of a human mapping program, according to officials directly involved in the program. They’ve monitored daily life in bookstores, bars, cafes and nightclubs. Police have also used informants, known as “mosque crawlers,” to monitor sermons, even when there’s no evidence of wrongdoing…Many of these operations were built with help from the CIA, which is prohibited from spying on Americans but was instrumental in transforming the NYPD’s intelligence unit.

An enormous amount of taxpayer money, $1.6 billion since 9/11, has been spent on such an operation. In addition, Wired magazine reports that highly inflammatory anti-Islam materials have been used to paint the entire American Muslim community as “violent” and “radical.” According to the article: “The FBI is teaching its counterterrorism agents that ‘main stream’ [sic] American Muslims are likely to be terrorist sympathizers; that the Prophet Mohammed was a ‘cult leader’; and that the Islamic practice of giving charity is no more than a ‘funding mechanism for combat.’”

The facts, however, consistently belie the contention that the American Muslim community is a violent “fifth column.” According to a U.S. Justice Department study conducted by two North Carolina Universities:

Although the vast majority of Muslim-Americans reject extremist ideology and violence, a small number of Muslim-Americans have radicalized since 9/11. In the eight years following 9/11, according to our project’s count, 139 Muslim-Americans committed acts of terrorism-related violence or were prosecuted for terrorism-related offenses that involve some element of violence. This level of approximately 17 individuals per year is small compared to other violent crime in America, but not insignificant. Homegrown terrorism is a serious, but limited, problem.

The reasons for this, according to the study, are: (1) public and private denunciations of violence, (2) robust self-policing practices and community building, (3) heightened political engagement, and (4) an assertive Muslim-American identity which, the study has shown, has served to undercut the radical message that American values and practices are hostile to Islam. Moreover, opinion polls have consistently shown American Muslims to overwhelmingly reject violence against innocent people, much more so than their Christian and Jewish compatriots.

A recent Gallup survey asked if attacks on civilians by individuals or small groups is ever justified, 89% of Muslims said it is “never” justified. This is more than Protestants (71%), Catholics (71%), Jews (75%), Mormons (79%), or those without any religious affiliation (76%). Asked if it was “sometimes” justified, Muslims were the least in saying yes. A more recent Pew survey has reiterated these findings, with 81% of American Muslims believing that suicide terrorism is never justified.

Further, according to Michael E. Rolince, former FBI Special Agent in Charge of Counterterrorism in the Washington D.C., field office:

“We conducted about a half a million interviews post-9/11 relative to the attacks of 9/11, and this is important because your community gets painted as not doing enough and you could have helped. I’m not aware — and I know 9/11 about as well as anybody in the FBI knows 9/11 and that’s not bragging that’s just the reality — I’m not aware of any single person in your community who, had they stepped forward, could have provided a clue to help us get out in front of this.”

He said this in 2005 at the Muslim Public Affairs Committee’s annual convention.

So, why the continued suspicion and mistrust of the Islamic-American community? Leave aside the fact that making sweeping generalizations and painting an entire community with the sins of its criminals is patently un-American. Making all Muslims out to be “terrorists-in-waiting” hurts our national security. As the article in Wired says:

The FBI isn’t just treading on thin legal ice by portraying ordinary, observant Americans as terrorists-in-waiting, former counterterrorism agents say. It’s also playing into al-Qaida’s hands. Focusing on the religious behavior of American citizens instead of proven indicators of criminal activity like stockpiling guns or using shady financing makes it more likely that the FBI will miss the real warning signs of terrorism. And depicting Islam as inseparable from political violence is exactly the narrative al-Qaida spins — as is the related idea that America and Islam are necessarily in conflict.

Now, I am under no illusion of the daunting task of preventing another terrorist attack placed before law enforcement officials all across this country. I think I can safely speak for all Americans when I say that I expect nothing less than a relentless effort on the part of law enforcement to root out every single potential terrorist or terrorist plot. But training law-enforcement officials to fear every single peaceful, law-abiding Muslim citizen sends a chilling message of deep suspicion and mistrust, as well as frank betrayal, when what is needed is even stronger collaboration and cooperation.

The American Muslim community is a willing partner in the fight against terrorists who seek to harm innocent Americans. Many domestic terror plots by Muslims, in fact, have been foiled by the American Muslim community itself. I can see how most Americans would think it to be understandable, if not logical, to spy on the Muslim community, given that Muslim extremists successfully attacked NYC twice. Yet, I fear that such spying will further damage an already frail relationship between the Muslim community and law enforcement, and this is the last thing that either party needs. I hope and pray that, through these revelations, smarter heads in our law-enforcement agencies will prevail.

This article first appeared in Middle East Online.

“Never Let Your Hatred Move You…”

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved LORD

This was published on my Beliefnet blog, Common Word, Common Lord, on September 11

It seems hard to believe that ten years – a full decade – have passed since that horrific day in September when the country endured a trauma unlike any she has ever suffered. I still remember the unimaginable scenes of terror, horror, dread, and destruction. I hoped and prayed that what I beheld on the television screen was a terrible dream, with the disgusting realization that it was no dream at all.

Reflecting over the past decade since 9/11, during which almost everything that has occurred had something to do – either directly or indirectly – with said attacks, there is one thing that comes into my mind time and again:

Never allow your hatred of a people lead you to commit injustice… (5:8)

This verse of the Qur’an, perhaps one of its most powerful, is wholly relevant to the events that transpired in the decade since 9/11.

Of course, our country had the right to bring those who attacked our country to justice. Of course, our country has every right to pursue those barbarians who seek to harm our people at every chance they get. But, that should not mean that we give ourselves the right, in the name of 9/11 and those who died on that day, to attack, and bomb, and invade at will all across the globe. It is not right or honorable or proper to lead to the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of  millions of equally innocent people in the name of self-defense.

We must “never let [our] hatred of [those vicious barbarians] lead [us] to commit injustice...”

Some of our people have shown us – meaning the American Muslim community – an ugly face. Some of our people, seeking “revenge” against the terror committed in the name of our faith by those who do not truly follow the faith, have attacked American Muslims, attacked their houses of worship, attacked women who wear the headscarf, and tried to make them feel unwelcome in their own country. They must remember to “never let their hatred [for the terrorists] lead them to commit injustice.”

These terrorists have nothing to do with us. We have nothing to do with these terrorists. They are mindless murderers, who twist our faith to try to justify their violence and murder. They are like all religious extremists: they will use their sacred texts to justify their actions. But, that does not mean that what they say is true. That does not mean that we are like them. We are not like them. Attacking us and smearing our faith does not fight the terrorists: it only emboldens them to continue their violence.

Please remember: “never let your hatred [of the terrorists] move you to commit injustice” and attack American Muslims. We are on your team and are part of your family as Americans. We are not the enemy: the terrorists are…and we are not those people.

On the same token, we must remember that, despite the actions of those ignorant people among us who seek to lump all Muslims into the same “terrorist” bag, the majority – the overwhelming majority – of our people are good people who are not like the ignorant among them. The majority – the overwhelming majority – treat their Muslim neighbors with kindness and respect, becoming of the spirit of America. Despite the hatred of those ignorant people, we American Muslims must “never let [the hatred of the ignorant ones] move [us] to commit injustice.”

We American Muslims must never let the hatred of the ignorant make us recoil in hatred and separation from the rest of our country and her people. Despite the actions of the few ignorant ones among us, it must never let us give up on America. America is beautiful, her Lord is Beautiful, and her people are beautiful, despite the ugliness of the ignorant.

On this day of prayer and remembrance, ten years after the horrific attacks on our country, we must all – every American of every stripe – pledge to reject the hatred of those who want to hate. We must pledge to work together, be together, and move forward as one people. It is the way the Lord wants us to be, and it is the way we can honor those who died on 9/11, ten years ago.

A Tale of Two Communities

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved LORD

As our country and her people marked the tenth anniversary of the horrific attacks of September 11, an obvious question came to mind: what is the status of the American Muslim community? Are they a supportive minority which loves the country and is committed to fight against extremism in all its forms? Or are they a subversive “fifth column,” seeking to destroy the country with their “Sharia law”? The answer to that question, it seems, depends on whom is being asked.

According to two recently released Pew Research polls, there seems to be two different American Muslim communities. In one Pew poll, 40% of Americans think there is at least a fair amount of support for extremism among Muslims in the United States. When separated by party affiliation, 55% of Republicans have this belief, while 33% and 39% of Democrats and Independents, respectively, think the same. Moreover, 35% of Republicans think Islamic extremism is on the rise, compared with 18% of Democrats and 25% of independents.

Ask Muslims these very same questions, and the answers are quite different. 21% of American Muslims think there is at least a fair amount of support for extremism in the Muslim community. Indeed, 21% still seems like a high number, but it is nearly half the number of non-Muslim Americans who think the same. Only 4% of Muslims think that Muslim support for extremism is increasing, contrasted with 24% of the public. When asked if they think Muslims who come to the US want to adopt American customs, 33% of the general public said yes, while 56% of American Muslims said the same. 

In fact, support of extremism within the Muslim community is “negligible,” in the words of the Pew researchers. Only 8% of American Muslims believe that suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets are often or sometimes justified to defend Islam from its enemies. In contrast, 81% of American Muslims believe suicide terrorism is never justified. There is a very small number (5%) who have very or somewhat favorable views of Al Qaeda. Again, these numbers are still too high, but it is not consistent with the perception by some in America that extremism is rampant and increasing among American Muslims.

Why the disconnect? Are American Muslims “lying”? Are they practicing “taqiyya,” or dissimulation? This is laughable. The truth of the matter is, and research has consistently confirmed this, that American Muslims are loyal, patriotic, and mainstream. In fact, despite a belief by a majority of  Muslims that life has become more difficult since 9/11, many more American Muslims believe life is going well in the United States compared to the general public (56% vs 23%). So, again, why the disconnect between perception and reality?

Despite the laudable work of American Muslims since 9/11, there still remains an enormous lack of knowledge about Islam and the Muslim community on the part of the general public. A Gallup poll indicated that 62% of Americans do not personally know a Muslim. This number must be made smaller, because the more people get to know their Muslim fellow Americans, the better they feel about them: “People who know a Muslim tend to be less likely than others to see a connection between Islam and violence,” says Gregory Smith, a senior researcher at the Pew Forum. Furthermore, the concerted and well-funded effort by a very small number of Islamophobes to smear Islam and Muslims has worked to some degree. The constant focus on only negative stories by the media, especially when it comes to Islam and Muslims, does not help, either.

Yet, that should not discourage the American Muslim community at all. It should only serve to increase its effort to reach out and get to know their neighbors. The Qur’an says:
 

“But [since] good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou [evil] with something that is better and lo! he between whom and thyself was enmity [may then become] as though he had [always] been close [unto thee], a true friend!” (41:34)

And it should never be for the sake of good “PR.” Never. Rather, it must be out of a desire to fulfill God’s challenge to the Muslim community: to be the “best nation put forth for humanity” by “enjoining what is good” and “forbidding what is wrong.” It must be out of a desire to help without “recompense from [fellow Americans], nor thanks.” This is because we, as a community, ”stand in awe of our Lord’s judgment on a distressful, fateful Day!” (76:9-10)

Yes, as the next decade unfolds, those who do not want to see American Muslims succeed will most surely continue their efforts. In fact, they will act as Abu Lahab, the Prophet’s uncle, once did: following the Prophet (pbuh) wherever he went and telling the people, “Do not listen to him! He is a lying sorcerer!” But, just as this did not stop the Prophet (pbuh) in his effort, neither should the screams of “taqiyya” from the Islamophobes stop us. Our responsibility is to our Lord to do good on earth as much as possible for His sake.

And when our people see us for who we truly are: Americans just like them, who believe in the very same God as they, and love and care about this country just as much as they do, they will realize that they have nothing to fear. Already, a majority of American Muslims (80%) believe that their fellow Americans are either friendly or neutral toward them. That number can always be bigger, and it is incumbent upon American Muslims to make it so. There will always be Islamophobes who scream into the wind, but with God’s help, those screams can and will, one day, fade completely into oblivion. 

Celebrating Her Birthday

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In the Name of the Kind, Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

As families gather all across our country to commemorate the anniversary of our declaration of Independence from the British Crown, I reflect over how important this day is to me as an American Muslim. More than just joining my fellow Americans in the celebration of the birth of his country; more than some time off to relax and enjoy fireworks shows with friends and family; more than just enjoying cookouts and picnics and (if I’m lucky) a round of golf. The independence of the American republic was one of the greatest things for me as a Muslim.

Let me get this out of the way: there have been many things our country has done of which I am not proud. Our foreign policy has – many times – been at odds with the upright principles upon which our country was founded. Our country has not been – and will never be – perfect. Nevertheless, this is still the best country on earth in which to live as a Muslim. I am still in love with our country as she celebrates another birthday and am so very grateful for her independence.

In no other place on earth do I feel more at home as a Muslim. Here in America, I can worship God as I see fit. I am able to worship God freely, without fear of being put in jail for my religious beliefs. Here in America, I can be more of a Muslim than I can be in many – if not most – so-called “Muslim countries.”

Indeed, things are not perfect for Muslims in America. Over the last several years, more than a dozen states have introduced laws prohibiting the non-existent “threat” of Sharia law to our system of government. Some of these laws have seemed to even criminalize the very practice of Islam itself. Some Republican candidates for President seem at ease with singling out Muslims for “loyalty tests” before they join his Administration. Studies have shown a disturbing rise in Islamophobia all across our country.

But this is not the true nature of America. These incidents, while un-becoming of our country, do not represent America any more than the actions of Muslim terrorists represent all Muslims. The true nature of America is present at the fireworks shows, where everyone comes together to watch the “bombs bursting in air” in the night; it is present at the 4th of July picnics and cookouts; it is present at the County Fairs and town festivals. And at each of those venues, American Muslims are – overwhelmingly – welcome and at home.

We Are All Right Here

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

It was a smashing success! Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear brought out hundreds of thousands, and it really showed the country and the world that there are many more reasonable, sane people in this country who are not afraid to stand up and be heard.

My sister and her husband were among those sane, rational people. Their sign, seen below, made it to #12 in Buzz Feed’s Top 100 Rally signs. I am so very proud of them.

The sign is brilliant and powerful in its simplicity and profundity. So many people ask: “Where are the moderate Muslims?” “Why haven’t they condemned the terrorism committed in the name of their faith?” “Why aren’t they helping fight the terrorists among them?”

I am here to tell you that the “moderate Muslims,” which means the overwhelming majority of Muslims, are everywhere. They come to rallies such as that of Jon Stewart; they go to school and work each and every day. They work hard each and every day to help their families and make their country a better place.

They ask: “Why haven’t they condemned the terrorism committed in the name of their faith?” Muslims have done exactly that: time and time and time and time again. Just because no one seems to pay attention, it does not mean that it does not occur.

They ask: “Why aren’t they helping fight the terrorists among them?” This question, like the others before it, speaks of a profound ignorance when it comes to Muslims and terrorism.

Each and every day, Muslims the world over help fight the terrorists among them. Each and every day, Muslims the world over help stand up to the criminals among them. In fact, according to the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s Post 9/11 Terrorism Incident Database, one out of three Al Qaeda plots threatening the U.S. have been foiled with assistance of the Muslim community.

It is just as I told Bill O’Reilly, the “Muslims” are ordinary, every day patriotic Americans who work day in and day out to make America a better place for everyone.

So many people ask: “Where are the moderate Muslims?” Like the sign made by my sister and her husband shows: they are everywhere around you. All you have to do is look.