I’m starting to feel like the town crier. I mean, I don’t know how many times I have personally expressed it in my blog or have read it on other blogs, but there are many Muslims just like myself, who without a shadow of a doubt believe that our religion has been for lack of a better word “hijacked”. We know without a shadow of a doubt, that what Islam actually teaches versus what some Muslims are doing, tends to be two different things. This of course, is more prevalent when analyzing Muslims who use the word jihad frequently to express or even attempt at explaining their actions.
It’s quite obvious to most Muslims, these basic truths, but the problem isn’t with those of us who know, it’s with those of us who do not. What can we possibly do as Muslims to “take back” Islam from those who we know have misused our religion as a cover for their evil intentions? How do we in essence fight a Jihad against the Jihad?
Now, I’m not going to pretend that I’m talking about some easy task. In fact, I intend to criticize the idea a little, in order to attempt at creating a discourse to promote ideas pertaining to the subject.
What irritates me most is this idea that somehow us “moderates” or “good” Muslims aren’t doing “enough”. I mean, what is it that we can do? What is it that we aren’t already doing? I know it to be true, that through a myriad of medium we are doing something, hell this blog and others are a form of it. I know that there are countless Fatwa’s issued, Imams speaking out, organizations, and individuals etc. that are in fact speaking out. But is this even enough? What is enough?
Non-Muslims oft criticize that we don’t stand up and speak out, well I have said on many occasion, that I feel that is a false accusation. However, the reality is, they perceive it that way. We should all know by now that the media is barely going to show our interfaith marches, unity walks, conferences, or show footage from a “moderate” Imam or cleric that condemns these “radicals” so who should be the blame? Oftentimes, I like many others believe it should be the media, and that is correct on so many levels, but at the same time, if there were nothing “sensational” to report, then what would we have to blame?
Granted, I’m not saying we should be just as “radical” as the “radicals” but in a way, we have to do radical things, I’m afraid. Why don’t we have a Million Muslim March or something? I mean think about it: Farrakhan was able to get a Million some say more, black men and women, Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. to come together not once, but twice to address problems in the black community, I was as the last one btw. So why can’t we do the same? I mean obviously, we would be scared of getting dogs set loose on us, or God only knows what other fearful tactic would arise to undermine the event, but heh its worth a try.
Like the actual Million Man March, while all of its ideas were not realized by everyone, at least at the bare minimum the public would know where we stand as a community and what we hope to achieve. Furthermore, we can stop coming on TV arguing about 24, Gitmo, the Pope, or Cartoons. Yes, these things are hurtful, disrespectful, etc. But our interviews do us more harm than good. The media sets us up. Something happens, and they find some Muslim that oftentimes doesn’t speak English well, and they talk too fast, never gives the guy a chance, and in the end, try to skew the interview to verify their propaganda. The almost always pick a foreign born Muslim too, so as to promote the idea the Islam is a foreign religion incompatible with America. Maybe it would be in our best interest to stop accepting their invites, and when we have issues about what others say or do to or about the SYMBOLS of our faith, let’s talk about it at home or in the Mosque.
Now, the Marine in me does believe to a degree that maybe we should raise Muslim Armies to fight “radicals” I mean, let’s get all the non-Muslim Militaries out of our lands, and send in Muslim Armies to restore order and true Islam. I know, Muslim versus Muslim, is never a good or even Halal thing, however, what other options are there?
Would it make more sense to allow a suicide bomber to kill innocent Muslim men, women, and children by the thousands, or just kill the suicide bomber and those like him? I hate the lesser of two evils argument just like the next guy, but we have to be real about what’s at stake.
Right now, on almost every continent you have a Muslim presence. Most Muslims live in non-Muslim lands, and are law abiding citizens who mind their business. There are also Muslims in Muslim lands trying to do the same, however all of us are under the constant threat of death by “radical” Muslims. There are those in Muslim lands like Iraq, who can’t even go to work, school, or to buy food without the very real threat of dying, and there are those in the West who are constantly harassed because they are Muslim because of what is perceived of us, because of the actions in the East. Granted the two aren’t equal, but it could be. What would happen in America if like in “24” a nuke went off in America? Even if in the end it was the Russians, it would be too late, because there could be riots and death everywhere because of “perception”.
Why should we let it come to that? Why should our brothers in sisters in the East have to suffer under the death and oppression of “radicals” who blow themselves up and hostile and oppressive governments? Should we not consider the very real possibility that this reality could spread to the West?
What are we prepared to do about it? Granted, we can say “Salaam but the US did this, the West did that, the Media does this…etc” and yes, you would be right, however, I think it’s safe to say that most of the oppression and death to Muslims is not caused by the US, West, Media, or Israel, but fellow Muslims. US troops aren’t killing Sunni and Shia by the hundreds; the West isn’t enslaving and raping Muslimahs in Sudan, not to mention the honor killings, abuse of women, injustice, and lack of freedom in the “Muslim” world.
Allah (swt), commands us to fight with those who fight with us, for persecution and oppression is worse than slaughter, we are to fight them until fighting is no more and religion is for God Alone, right? Well brothers and sisters, can we at least agree that by an overwhelmingly large margin that those who oppress, persecute, and destroy our religion are not outsiders, but more so insiders? Can we not see that it’s time we fight back with those who fight with us, to end oppression and restore justice in the house of Islam? The Prophet (saw) taught us to hate those things that Allah (swat) hates, and to ACTIVELYdo something about it, even at the bare minimum, hate it in your heart. But even then, what’s in the heart should manifest itself in words and deeds.
As Salaam Alaikum
An American Muslim 