Muslims in Present Day America—Challenges and Opportunities

Transcript of the Talk delivered by Dr. Munawar Haque on Jan 06, 2017 on occasion of AMDA’s Friday Family Night Event

الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين

Brothers and sisters! Tonight, I want to share some thoughts with you on how the Muslim community across America feels after the 2016 presidential election. How do we go about confronting the ever-growing challenges that we face in present day America and how do we go about cashing in on the opportunities available to us?  

Generally, the Muslim community across America is concerned, scared, and nervous about what’s happening, here in America in terms of Islamophobia, racial discrimination, bigotry, and hate crimes. The community is in a state of anxiety and despair. As a matter of fact, during the Bush era, and especially the week after 9/11, similar kinds of concerns and conversations were overshadowing the minds of the Muslims. The question—“what’s going to happen” was on the Muslim mind?

You know, Satan breeds on fear. He wants us to be afraid of our neighbors, of our colleagues at the workplace, for our kids at school, from people at the bus stop. This fear is somewhat real but more perceived.  Allah asks us and reminds us to not be afraid of anything but Him. It’s okay to be vigilant and careful, but try to remind yourself and your family to put their trust in Allah, for Allah says,

فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِي

“Do not fear them; fear Me.” (al-Baqarah, 2:150).

فَلَا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ

“Do not fear people. Only fear Me.” (al-Ma’idah, 5:40)

We must remind ourselves that Allah is in control, and this election’s results are a true test of our trust in Allah and a test for all of us to see if we truly believe in His plan. We should not let the feelings of fear, pain, and anxiety obstruct us from doing good, establishing justice, and getting civically engaged. Allah’s plan is far better than anyone else’s plan.

 وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ

“And they plan and God plans, but God is Best of the ones who plan.” (al-Anfal, 8:30).

We must remember that we must accept the good and the bad that happens as part of Allah’s Plan.

قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

"Say: Nothing shall befall us except what Allah has willed for us. He alone is our Protector. It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust" (at-tawbah, 9:51).

The Qur’an reminds us: 

وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“And it may be that you dislike a thing and it may (turn out to) be good for you. And it may be that you like a thing and it may (turn out to) be evil for you. Allah knows and you don’t know” (al-Baqarah, 2:216).

The current developments in present day America are not to be looked as holding a bleak future for the Muslim ummah, but as an opportunity that Allah has given us to increase our efforts to make Islam relevant to the challenges facing our country.

Within the Muslim community, with its long history, there are several instances where we have gone through a lot of persecution. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself faced life and death situations in the early days of his mission. He and his companions were faced with the trials of being a minority within a city that hated Islam and Muslims. Yet, they overcame all obstacles, and showed the beauty of Islam to the masses. There were instances of defeat like the Battle of Uhud, but eventually the early Muslim community was victorious. There is not room for despair. We have to work hard, be patient, and trust in Allah.

إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلَيْهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ

“Judgment and authority rest with none but Allah alone. I trust in Him, and all those who trust should trust in Him alone. ” (Yusuf, 12:67).

The Prophet (SAW) once said to Abdullah Ibn Abbas (RA), “Young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah, and He will take care of you. Be mindful of Him, and you shall find Him at your side. If you ask, ask of Allah. If you need help, seek it from Allah. Know that if the whole world were to gather together in order to help you; they would not be able to help you except if Allah had written so. And if the whole world were to gather together in order to harm you, they would not harm you except if Allah had written so…”

This should be our attitude. There is no need to panic. We need to move beyond the cycle of panicked reactions to a crisis, and begin working more systematically to address issues concerning us and our fellow citizens.

A primary element that has separated the United States of America from virtually every other nation in history is the concept of it being “a nation of laws, not a nation of men.” A nation of laws means that laws, not people, rule. Everyone is to be governed by the same laws, regardless of their station; whether it is the most common American or members of Congress, high-ranking bureaucrats or the president of the United States; all must be held to the just laws of America. No one is, or can be allowed to be, above the law.

America is an exceptional nation in the history of the world because our constitution is one of the best political documents that have ever been written. Our founders said that God gives us rights by nature, and that government is not the author or source of our rights. Government is our shared project to secure those rights. That’s America--freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of association, and freedom of speech. The First Amendment is the heartbeat of the American Constitution, of the American idea itself.

There is of course a dangerous racist fringe that feels it is empowered by the incoming president’s victory. We have to attempt to mitigate its attractiveness by working with others to develop a language of political discourse that creates the psychological space for those desiring a change to actually change in real, deep and perceptible ways.

Governance is tough business and the president-elect will learn that soon enough. This will mean learning to get along with everyone, not just his own followers.

The incoming president has proposed a religious test to keep Muslims out of the country, advocated for expanded surveillance on Muslims and mosques in America. He has even suggested registering Muslims in a database or giving them a form of special identification that noted their religion.

The Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) and other organizations that fight for civil rights, human rights, and justice have pointed out some of the challenges that Muslim Americans face today. Some of these challenges are as follows:

1.     People with anti-Muslim biases attempt to stop mosque construction by misusing zoning laws and other tactics.

2.     Employers terminate, suspend or act against an employee on the basis of the employee identifying with the Islamic faith.

3.     Government agencies use secret lists to strong-arm Muslims into doing things they don’t want to do and are not legally required to do, such as becoming a spy.

4.     Law enforcement agents use informants to target mentally, financially or emotionally vulnerable community members in an attempt to catch them agreeing to commit a criminal act, even though the target had no previous interest in such activities.

5.     Immigration agents single-out Muslims or immigrants with Muslim-sounding names to delay or deny status.

6.     Federal law enforcement agencies maintain a list of names, mostly Muslim, and use this list to deny individuals from boarding flights, in effect convicting the individuals administratively of the crime of being “suspiciously Muslim” and denying them due process.

Let there be no mistake. The U.S. Constitution is on our side. We will continue to stand up for justice, to stand up for freedom and liberty. We’ve faced challenges in the past and will continue to meet challenges in the future. Indeed the history of the civil rights movement in the United States is a history of patience and perseverance, and to preserve, we will need to face these challenges together. 

We should never feel that we are somehow less American or feel shy about our faith or identity. Muslims have made so much progress in academics, sports, politics, media, and professional fields. We should not downplay how far we have come. We should never ever underestimate our potential. Allah (SWT) has provided us with ample opportunities to prove who we are. We have just to cash in on them.

The diversity of our country is what makes us beautiful and strong. Just as we are feeling the pain and anxiety, so are other minority groups. We must reach out to them and give them comfort. We are taught to be caretakers of the earth and must ensure we are taking care of one another. We are in the battle of ideas – not a physical battle – but one of fighting racism and discrimination. This is our battle, just as the Prophet (SAW) rallied his forces to meet the forces that were against them, we must rally to meet the forces of hatred and bigotry, head on; as a community, and we must do this through openness and dialogue.

We must work hard to make Islam relevant and a solution to the challenges our nation faces by making a moral commitment to oppose injustices that happen to any citizen regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or political affiliation.  We should show empathy, love, and compassion to one another in these tense times. Parents should learn how to speak to their children about these times. While you may be stressed, it is important to not pass it on to your children. Keep in mind that how adults react has an impact on kids. Children are watching and often know when their parents are going through a stressful situation.

We need to continue to increase our dawah efforts to our neighbors, work colleagues, fellow students and others. This does not mean that we go about trying to convert people. There is not compulsion or coercion in religion. Our duty is only to convey. This means that we should be available for questions anyone may have. We have to be visible and be present in any volunteer or community service opportunities in our local community.

We also need to engage our youth.  Although some Masajid and Islamic centers have become more youth-conscious and youth-friendly over the past few years, we have a long way to go in terms of meaningful youth engagement. We need to ensure that our masajid and Islamic institutions are safe and secure areas for our community members.

We have to engage in town hall meetings to share our concerns with the wider community. We have to more often conduct open houses in our masajid. We have to reach out to other interfaith and minority groups to establish meaningful relationship and partnerships.  

The American Muslim community was engaged in voter education and getting people to the polls like never before, and the community plans on continuing and increasing this engagement to give positive policy suggestions to the new administration.

We hope that we will be the agents of positive change, improving our state of affairs, eradicating hate and fostering love in the hearts of our fellow Americans.

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ

“Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend.” (Fussilat, 41:34)

Regardless of who wins or loses in an election, we have a job ahead of us, and that job is to do our utmost best to serve our Creator, in our personal and public lives, and to follow in the footsteps of our Prophet (SAW) in all circumstances, until we leave this world. We must proceed with faith.

Let me conclude by saying that there is a higher plan and logic governing events. It is impossible for us to comprehend everything and the big picture. But Allah in His infinite knowledge and mercy has all factors under consideration and is the best of planners. The passing days will reveal to us the realities we are currently ignorant of. Do not despair, work hard and be patient.

May Allah help, bless, and protect us all. May Allah bless America and the entire humanity; ameen.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ          

وَصَلَّ اللهُ عَلَى خيرِ خَلقِهِ مُحمَّدٍ وعَلَى آلِه وأصْحَابِه أجْمَعِين- بِرَحْمَتِكَ يا أرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِين

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