world scholar > point of view

9/11 may have taken the lives of three thousand Americans, but it has negatively impacted the lives of millions more the world over. Americans now live in a state of perpetual fear — fear of terrorists, of weapons of mass destruction and of dangerous ideologies that have the power to kill. Now juxtapose this scenario on Muslims, who are bearing the greatest brunt of the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, but who suffer — often silently — not willing to tell their story.

I am one of those people. But I chose not to remain silent.

Making this conscious decision to come out and speak about these important issues has been difficult. Many people told me the FBI or CIA would come after me if I spoke too often or too widely about the post 9/11 state of affairs of Muslims. I started questioning the notion of free speech, while others encouraged me to march forth. But everyone’s opinion was the same on the post-9/11 state of affairs for Muslims all over the world: that their conditions were disappointing and something needed to be done to improve them.

Soon, I found out about a fantastic organization called Americans for Informed Democracy (AID), which spearheaded efforts to bridge this great divide between America’s Muslim and non-Muslim community and make it easy to not only discuss these issues, but to do something about them. Many Muslims have become victims of civil liberties violations, hate crimes, racial profiling, prejudice and bigotry. Instead of speaking out against these grave injustices, they are turning inward, towards their own communities for support. This action has proven harmful, as they have grown increasingly polarized and insulated from American society, thereby not being able to effectively participate in American social life as equal members in a country based on the principles of equality.

AID’s Hope not Hate initiative has brought together thousands of young adults from all over the world to partake in dialogue about the future of Western-Muslim world relations. In September, they had a major conference in Washington where I was privileged enough to meet some energetic and enthusiastic youngsters who were ready to take on the world — and got the skills they needed through the course of the three day endeavor.

These conferences and events provide a great opportunity to talk to other people about what their views and perceptions are. I’ve had the good fortune of meeting many well-intentioned non-Muslim Americans who have expressed a genuine interest in learning about Islam and Muslims. They want to know about all the traditions, beliefs, values and ideals we hold sacred that make us who we are.

The aftermath of 9/11 afforded the United States — and Americans — with ample opportunities to engage the Muslim community in discussion about the roots of this terror. There were so many questions, yet no one was coming forward with answers. Likewise, Muslims had questions too; about Haditha, Abu Ghraib, the Danish cartoons and countless others. Organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) were doing a great job in persuading the American Muslim community to come out and speak fearlessly; after all, the perpetrators of terrorism had nothing to do with the values the rest of the Islamic world espoused. It was the making of this distinction that was turning out to be so difficult. Countless people asked: “Where are the ‘moderate’ Muslims?” Unfortunately, the media did not take interest in the stories of hundreds of millions of Muslims the world over. Instead, it chose to continue to flash images of horror and fright, day in, day out.

The concept of Jihad is so sacred in Islam that it is almost considered a pillar of the religion. Yet no one discussed what this crucial tenet was actually all about. It certainly motivated a small population of extreme and radical Muslims, yet others had distinctly different thoughts about it. Jihad literally translates to “struggle". When Muslims struggle or strive, it is against something that oppresses them. It does not have to entail violence. In fact, the best jihad, according to Muhammad (peace be upon him), is the one that fights the evil in the heart. Jihad is done to fight social injustice, poverty and other ills that plague society. In the same way, speaking up against an unjust ruler is also one of the highest forms of jihad, yet all we see today is reference to the type of jihad that only a few Muslims actually indulge in.

It is these very people who Muslims the world over condemn and wish to marginalize, if not finish altogether. Peaceful co-existence and conflict resolution hold no meaning for these people. It is remarkable how a small group of organized individuals have managed to hold an entire religious community hostage. I wonder if they ever recognize how they have made our lives so difficult.

I am not a pessimist, but I will say that the future of Western-Muslim World relations is bleak — if we stay the same course we are on today. US foreign policy needs a major overhaul and testimony to this opinion is the result of a survey the students at the AID conference came up with. They were of the view that the US needs to expand economic opportunities as well as exchange programs to facilitate a meeting of the minds that will hopefully mitigate what seems like a clash of civilizations. Indeed, it is this promotion of dialogue and alleviation of poverty which will provide succor for the millions who are disenchanted by the politics that plague this sensitive issue.

This dialogue needs to take place between as many people as possible, as often as possible. There is so much that binds us together, yet we let the differences take precedence. As Americans, Muslims must participate fully in the electoral process and encourage their children to pursue careers in the media and non-profit fields. They must also get acquainted with the values others of diverse backgrounds hold sacred. And likewise, American non-Muslims must reach out and include Muslims in their celebrations and festivities. Only seldom do we see Muslims on occasions like Hanukkah or Christmas, and likewise, seldom do we see Christians or Jews at Eid celebrations.

As I started out the weekend in DC, I was frustrated — at our politicians, the terrorists and the indolent people who care not to do anything about the situation. By the end of it, though, I had my work cut out for me. I had arrived at the conclusion that I needed to engage the media more as well as talk to non-Muslims more about my beliefs and values. By virtue of a great American education and a strong sense of Muslim identity, I knew I was a cultural ambassador and needed to be the conduit through which many non-Muslim Americans got acquainted with Islam or Muslims firsthand. I blogged, wrote letters to Editors and articles and made sure I engaged my friends in conversation as well.

It is my hope that as we all look to the future, we realize that we truly do have the power to enact change; it is not an elusive idea. Only we hold the key to a peaceful future. As young adults, we must realize this soon, lest our future becomes our present and we see we haven’t accomplished anything. Will future generations ever forgive us? I think not.