Being Proactive, Peaceful Community is the Best Answer to Fort Hood

Written by Faizul Khan

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:08

Forty or fifty years ago the words Islam and Muslims were unheard of in the press. Seldom were Muslims mentioned, rarely was Islam publicly discussed, and not much was known about the Muslim presence in America.

Today, the situation is vastly different. Muslims and Islam are covered almost daily. Many factors are responsible for this change.

A substantial Muslim presence in America combined with unstoppable forces of globalization require a new paradigm of engagement. Islam is as integral to America just as any other religion.

Rather than be viewed as cultural outsiders, Muslims need to be embraced as culturally enriching and economically benefiting society. The American Muslim community has seen remarkable growth from one congregation in the mid 1920’s to more than 2,200 organizations of all functional types by the 21st century.

American Muslims today are experiencing life as part of an increasingly globalized system. All indications suggest a growing momentum among Muslims in favor of integration into America’s civic and political life. Mainstream Muslims consider core American values to be consistent with normative Islam. Chief among these are the norms of hard work, entrepreneurship and liberty, and justice and freedom for all.

The American Muslim community has played crucial roles in almost every facet of American society and has exemplified its behavior by involving itself in civic, social, political, religious and humanitarian programs to benefit all Americans. Despite such a posture of integration, the rise of anti-Muslim sentiments in our society creates tensions and hinders quicker integration of Muslims. Many Americans unfortunately do not understand Islam, and have an unfavorable view of it, or have no knowledge at all.

The recent incident at Fort Hood, Texas did cause some Americans to once again turn an eye on Islam and Muslims. What affect will this incident have on the American public perception of Islam? The answer lies not in reference to Islam and Muslims but to understand this incident in its context and know that this has nothing to do with Islam and Muslims.

Since September 11th the peaceful American Muslim community has been subject to all kind of accusations and persecutions. This is happening despite the fact since September 11th Muslims have organized more than 3,500 interfaith forums denouncing terrorism and loudly condemning groups such as Al Qaeda. I condemn the actions taken by the Muslim soldier at Fort Hood and would condemn any action by any Muslim who uses violence to destroy life and property in the name of Islam.
Perhaps the best investment at this time is to engage in projects and programs that are people oriented and that will project the humanitarian faith of Islam. As long as we uphold the values of justice and equal dignity for all and reach out to our fellow Americans who share the commitment to these values, we are destined by the grace of God to defeat all unscrupulous and mean spirited attacks.

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The writer is the Imam of the Islamic Society of the Washington Area (ISWA) in Silver Spring, Maryland.

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Comments (1)

Y-m-d H:i:s | Anonymous

Bismillah. When will these people learn that these people already know that islam is peace. They already know that muslims are the most law-abiding and peaceful people in the US. This is why there is an all-out war against them. To make this short, why don't you listen to the muslims who have experience in this field. I'm talking about people like Imams Musa, Tufayl, Mohammad al-Asi, just to name a few. If you are scared let them do the talking for you. Don't make make blank open comments that don't mean anything. This is the time to stand up in the face of adversity. Remember Allah(swt) says: Be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace, when ye should be uppermost: for Allah is with you, and will never put you in loss for your (good) deeds. Qur'an 47:35. If you don't want to stand up then at least stay off the road to progress.
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