Hard times for U.S. Muslims

The Indianapolis Star ^ | December 16, 2001 | SHAHID ATHAR

[sarcasm]

The events of Sept. 11 were not only a terrorist attack on America, but on Islam in the United States. About 500 Muslims died in the tragedy and the rest of them became hostage to fear, intimidation and insecurity about their future.

All the progress made in the growth of Islam in our country for the last 50 years seems to be reversed, and some immigrant Muslims have started to question whether they should go back to their countries of origin.

Of course, Muslim Americans like my children, who were born here, have no place to go. This is their home.

The response of many American Muslims to the tragedy of Sept. 11 is seen in two extremes. At one end is the group most visible on the Internet, still working on the conspiracy theory, touting the idea that this evil act was done by the work of Mossad, the CIA, the Pentagon, the militia or remote control devices, completely denying the possibility that it could have been the evil act and plot of Muslim terrorists.

On the other extreme are Muslim leaders, who, after recovering from the shock of Sept. 11, suffered from an unwarranted guilt complex and became apologetic. After visits by the FBI, they realized they must make politically correct statements now in order to save American Islam. They had to change their tone of speech and writing, and even retracted and regretted statements made before Sept. 11 against the U.S. "superpower."

Now, some of them are telling the same Muslim-American audience, "If you do not like the West, go back to your own country."

The average middle-class, mosque-going Muslims who run grocery stores, are office workers or students, are totally confused at what they should do or say. Should they side with the terrorists overseas or with the superpower that is bombing the innocent civilians in hospitals and houses in Afghanistan in order to free the world of these terrorists?

How can we present Islam to those who stereotype, profile and even call us their enemy? On record are close to 1,000 cases of such hate crimes since Sept. 11. Is the FBI our friend or our foe? Will our children get admission to schools of flight training, biomedical research and nuclear physics? Will we ever feel comfortable flying as a passenger in an airplane? Will our women in hijab be able to shop without fear?

The joy of being a Muslim in America is gone, at least for now. How can we live our faith while we work with those who defame it? We Muslim Americans are going through the most difficult time in our history in this country. These are difficult questions, and I have no simple solutions.

I hope and pray we regain our bruised self-esteem. Many of us, especially those from overseas, tend to live in the past rather than the present. While our bodies are here, our hearts and minds were left behind. We need to bring our hearts to the land we have adopted as our home.

Ordinary Muslim Americans need to take charge of our religion as we take charge of our families, our health and our lives. We should learn Islam for ourselves as a religion of love, peace and tolerance and prove it by our individual actions. If we want to be counted as Muslim Americans, we must take all the concerns of Americans, whether terrorism, anthrax, drugs, violence or even pollution as our own concerns. We must show Islam by our actions, not by speeches, videotapes and pamphlets.

We must denounce all those who use religion for their political gain and denounce political powers that wish to abuse the religion of Islam. We must reclaim our faith from the terrorists who hijacked it and also from the leadership who apologize for them.

God has chosen Islam for us, and we are thankful for it. As for the question, "Are you with us or with the terrorists?" We are neither with the terrorists nor with those who intend to terrorize us. We are here to stay, vote and participate in the American process. We are not going back, nor can we be interned.

Athar, M.D., is past president of the Islamic Society of Greater Indianapolis and the author of numerous articles on Islam. He can be reached by e-mail at sathar3624@aol.com

[carmelanne]

 

" We are not going back, nor can we be interned."

 

[wildandcrazyrussian]

Considering that the most comprehensive surveys indicate that there are 1,800,000 Muslims in ths USA (INCLUDING "BLACK MUSLIMS") or less than 1%, AND that there is no evidence that Muslims are vastly over-represented in the financial services sector (e.g. Cantor Fitzgerald bond trading company which lost 700 of the 3500 total), his figure of 500 is obviously a propaganda statement. But remember that there is a doctrine from the earliest days of the invention of Islam, which states that a Muslim is obligated to lie (to infidels such as us) when telling a lie would advance the cause of Islam. (There are numerous references in the Quran that the Allah-spirit supposedly told Mohammed it is OK to break treaties when needed. M. just needed to have the go-ahead to do something like massacre 900 Jews in medina and the Allah-spirit would give a revelation immediately saying "oh, ok, whatever".

[sarcasm]

In New York they were defining a "hate crime" as slamming the door on a cab.

[healey22]

Hmmm...maybe the FBI should pay this Muslim a visit.

[arthurus]

We should learn Islam for ourselves as a religion of love, peace and tolerance

This must be a different kind of Islam that has a different Holy Book, or maybe this kind reads a redacted Quran.

[stboz]

...immigrant Muslims have started to question whether they should go back to their countries of origin.

Easy answer: Go...

"If you do not like the West, go back to your own country."

...and don't let the door hit you in the ass.

[pttttt]

Thanks for the illuminating post. What a self-centered, self-pitying load.

Will our children get admission to schools of flight training, biomedical research and nuclear physics?

If they're citizens, they're getting admission now and can't legally be denied it. More strangely, so are non-citizen nationals of the same countries the hijackers came from. (I'll bet the next thing will be someone bitching about not getting a security clearance.)

Will we ever feel comfortable flying as a passenger in an airplane?

Will WE? (whatever "we" means? I assume he is claiming to speak for all muslims in the US, so I'll go ahead and speak for all non-muslims).

[dennisw]

Here's something from another Russian fellow.

 

These are the Musli, historical accuracy has no meaning for them in their religious dialectic. As with everything, it is just a tool to spread their version of the dialectic...as much an epidemic on man kind as the former Soviet variety.

10 Posted on 06/20/2001 21:56:41 PDT by Stavka2
[ Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | Top | Last ]

[WhirlwindAttack]

Who cares? Send them to hell with allah their false god.

[RippleFire]

Doctor Profiles

  M.D., F.A.C.E., F.A.C.P.

Dr. Athar has practiced Endocrinology since 1974. He is staff physician at St. Vincent Hospital and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He is a Fellow, American College of Endocrinology and American College of Physicians.

More of his writing at http://www.islam-usa.com/ (and elsewhere). Here's a brief sample:

O Allah, You gave us freedom, but many Muslims are living under oppression or as refugees. O Allah, give victory to all those who are striving for Your cause. O Allah, give us leaders who are wise and pious. O Allah, You who put love in the heart of believers, unite us now so that we can recognize our enemy, the Satan, and walk away from him and walk together toward You. O Allah, You have asked us "to save yourself and your families from hell fire." Help us achieve this by establishing Islam in ourselves, our families, our community and our countries including the USA.

[DeckTheHallsHolly]

ISLAM...THE RELIGION OF DENIAL

ISLAM...WHO NEEDS REALITY

[RnMomof7]

On the other extreme are Muslim leaders, who, after recovering from the shock of Sept. 11, suffered from an unwarranted guilt complex and became apologetic. After visits by the FBI, they realized they must make politically correct statements now in order to save American Islam. They had to change their tone of speech and writing, and even retracted and regretted statements made before Sept. 11 against the U.S. "superpower."

So have you heard any of these folks? There have been a couple as of late on TV talking out of both sides of their mouths..

As for the ones lost...hey they too were marytrs..they got their 72 virgins..

[glockmeister40]

There is a BIG difference between the immigrants of eighty years ago and the NEW immigrants from third world cesspools of Africa, Mexico, South America and the Middle-east. Eighty years ago immigrants came here with a belief that freedom, capitalism and hard work would pay off. They came here to be Americans and quickly assimilated into the American culture. The NEW immigrants, muslims included, come here not to be Americans, but to just be ex-patriots, unable to function in their homeland and critical of their new homeland. They would NEVER defend America, as has been proven in the aftermath of 9/11. HAS ANY MUSLIM CLERIC OR MOSQUE IN AMERICA CONDEMMED THE 9/11 ATTACKS?

To all you NEW immigrants: PLEASE LEAVE - you'll feel more at home in the third-world dictatorship from which you came. PS: Take your kids with you. America doesn't need you, never has and never will. Don't hand me this crap about you pay taxes too. It takes more than being a taxpayer to be an American.

[sarcasm]

Help us achieve this by establishing Islam in ourselves, our families, our community and our countries including the USA.

When they will then attempt to ban any other religions.

[ivanhoe116]

We are neither with the terrorists nor with those who intend to terrorize us. We are here to stay, vote and participate in the American process.

Note the absence of the term,"become good Americans."

[ml/nj]

500 Muslims died on 9/11?

Probably true.

But it's a worldwide figure.

ML/NJ

[Iscool]

"Are you with us or with the terrorists?" We are neither with the terrorists nor with those who intend to terrorize us. We are here to stay, vote and participate in the American process. We are not going back, nor can we be interned.

In other words, these A-RABS are neither against the U.S. of A. nor are they against any future attacks on this country by their relatives and friends... Well, raghead....That doesn't leave many options...

[dennisw]

well said!

[DeckTheHallsHolly]

And it is not even a real statement of true feeling...it is a PC statement. My blood is boiling.