The Update

In a few days (weeks) our struggle will be gaining its own domain name as well as a new look etc. I will be loosing the ourstruggle.com domain name unfortunately; so look for details of the new site in the coming days/weeks.

Peace

The Untold Story

Her eyes still held the sadness and grief that was so familiar to her for the past ten years. She was energetic and always had a joke to throw around in company, but even when she was laughing with everyone, I could easily see past the smiles and see the pain that she tried so hard to hide.

Over the summer, I got to know the woman who lived upstairs (we’ll call her Fatima). She was only 28 years old, and her children were 10 and 5 at the time. She would often tell me to come upstairs to her apartment and hang out with her, or come over for dinner, or go see a movie, or anything that she could think of. She was also very religious, and her daily prayers were never delayed, and she would teach me the different duas (optional prayers) I should recite daily. In the evenings, she would often come down and see me, and we would recite Quran together, and she would patiently teach me where I made mistakes. She wore chador and covered herself from head to toe, only leaving her hands and face exposed, and her body was concealed from men. It was the first summer in Iran that I actually had so much fun that I did not want to leave. I had such a deep connection with this woman, even though I knew there was so much she was not telling me.

The next summer I was going to Iran for my wedding, since my husband’s family was all in Iran, and the majority of my extended family was there as well. I was thrilled to see Fatima again, and the first day I arrived in Iran, I rushed upstairs to go and see her.

“Fatima! Are you coming to my wedding?”

I gushed.

I must have caught her at a bad time because she could barely smile when she answered me.

“Of course! I’ll be the first person there.”

I stood awkwardly at her doorstep, unsure whether I wanted to invite myself in and see what was upsetting her or whether I should just let her be.

“Good! I just got in late last night- I was so excited to see you that I couldn’t even sleep well.”

I decided to step into her house and noticed the strange quiet that pervaded the small apartment.

“Where are the kids?”

I asked.

“They are with their father.”

“For how long?”

“Just the weekend.”

She closed the door behind me and offered me some tea.

“Amir (her youngest child) told me today that he liked his father better than me. Whenever the kids see their father, it’s always fun and games, but I am the one doing all the work for them, so it’s not fun to be with me, I guess.”

She was smiling when she said it, but her eyes looked so pained that it literally hurt me to look at them. I averted my gaze, and silently pleaded for her to go on.

“I’m sure that your fiancé is a good man. But may God help you if you ever get a husband like mine.”

“Fatima, what happened? What did he do to you?”

She married when she was 17 years old, and was willing and happy to do so. Her husband was only six years older than her, and she was crazy about him at the time. They had a beautiful wedding, and she had fond memories of riding his motorcycle in her wedding dress on her wedding day. Then she started noticing a change in him after marriage. At first, he just would not come home for days at a time. He left unexpectedly and she often did not have any money to support herself while he was gone. Of course, he would not leave her anything either-she never even knows how much money her husband was making. The first time he beat her was when she demanded to know where he was going when he left the house. He took the metal part of her vacuum cleaner and began beating her with it. That was the first time he hurt her, and she stayed in her apartment for three weeks until she fully recovered.

After that, he would accuse her of flirting with other men when she would leave her house to run errands, while it was clear that he was seeing another woman that he was not telling her about. She asked him about it, and he told her that it was not her business, which made her insult his mistress. This upset him so much that he tried pushing her out of a moving car, and then punched her in the face so hard that she had to go to the hospital.

When their first son was born, he would continue to leave the house for days at a time. He once left the family for an entire year and a half with no explanation. The day he came back, Fatima insisted that he just leave them and never come back. Her son watched as his father threw his mother down the stairs, for which she had to go to the emergency room for and lie that she accidentally slipped.

The stories she would tell me continued over the course of the time we had together that summer. Other abuses included more beatings, an attempt to suffocate her face in the pillow, and public humiliation. I remember the days that we would sit in her apartment, and both of us would be in tears as she described to me the horror that she put up with for ten years. They were separated after seven years, so they were not together for the full ten years. She would go to the hospital sometimes after a beating, and would tell the doctor that she fell down the stairs or another excuse, even though the doctor would tell her that he knew she was getting beaten and would encourage her to go get help. She finally did seek divorce and her now ex-husband gave her custody over the children, which he could revoke at any moment according to Iranian law.

What was the most disturbing was the fact that her husband did all of this in the name of Islam. He would beat her incessantly and would show her the ayat of the Quran that said:

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).”

(Holy Quran, 4:34)

He would also justify what he did by showing her sayings of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and his cousin and son in law, Imam Ali (AS), which talked about some of the weaknesses of women.

I burned with fury. How could anyone use the example of these great holy men or take the word of Allah (swt) and misconstrue it so that they could beat their wife? I realized then how important it was for scholarly interpretation of these holy verses, otherwise, we would be completely lost in our own biases and sicknesses when trying to interpret the Quran and sayings of the Prophet (pbuh).

The fact is, there are many incidences of domestic abuse in our communities, and many sanction these actions by religion. Taking the above verse and just focusing on the part where it says “beat them lightly” makes us forget what the whole idea of the verse was about, and what the bigger picture of Islam is trying to portray. When I looked up the tafsir for that verse, I learned that, first; the first sentence of the verse places a great responsibility on men. They are bound to protect us and maintain us out of their own wealth, which is something we are not duty bound to do. Second, I learned that if a man hits his wife and leaves a mark, she can go to a court and ask for blood money for the offense. Because of this, spousal abuse is an OFFENSE in Islam, and marriage is NOT meant to be hurtful, as can be seen with this verse:

"And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves so that you may dwell in peace and tranquility with them. And He has ordained between you love and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for those who reflect."

(Q. 30 : 21).

The truth is, neither the Prophet (pbuh) nor his righteous companions EVER beat their wives. Looking at accounts in history, the opposite is quite shown. The Prophet (pbuh) declared, “The best among you is he who is best to his wife.” This is a narration that is accepted by both Shi’a and Sunni schools of thought. Also, a righteous descendent of the Prophet (pbuh), and the Shi’a 7^th imam, narrated that The Holy Prophet [s] said: "However much the Faith of a man increases, his regard for women increases."

One time the Prophet was riding in a caravan, and some of his wives were with him. Hafsa was riding on a camel at the end of the caravan. During the trip the Prophet heard her crying, and ordered the caravan to stop. He went to her to see what was wrong. She told him that she felt that he didn’t love her any more, because he had put her in the back of the caravan and her camel was slower than the other camels. The Prophet took her by the hand and kissed her on the fore head, and then brought her down from the camel. He then called for the best camel they had to be brought to him, and he put her on it, and then rode along side her for the rest of the trip. There are so many other examples given to us by him (pbuh), but due to constraints of time and space, I will leave the ones I have.

So what leads us away from the Islamic ideals that are set for us? I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that these men self interpret these verses the way that they want to, which goes against Islamic tradition. It’s obvious that only one who is learned in Islamic theology and history, is fluent in Arabic, and has studied the Islamic texts is actually qualified to interpret Quran. It is when we stray from those teachings, that monsters are created, like Fatima’s ex-husband. These people are usually severely mentally disturbed, and often times feel power and self control when having the ability to physically hurt someone weaker than them. These men often have had troubled childhoods and have been abused themselves, or have been witness to abuse in the family. By speaking out against domestic abuse, not only are we helping women realize their God given rights, but it will also help men gain access to counseling services, or any other service that may be needed.

Currently, there are places in America where abused women can get help. But for Muslim women to go there sometimes may create stigma both for the Muslim woman in her own community, as well as the American community at large. What we need is more voices within, and not just from women, but from imams and active men in the community, condemning these actions. There does seem to be more activism in communities, but the topic is still highly stigmatized and the belief that private life should be kept between husband and wife, no matter how severe the damage, prevents abused women from speaking out.

My time spent with Fatima made me not only realize that domestic violence has never been a part of Islam, but it taught me what true faith is. I asked her if her situation ever made her doubt religion and she said, “For awhile it did. But then my friend once said to me, ‘Is your husband worth giving up your Hereafter for?’ This is my test in life. Some are tested with hunger, disease, loneliness… I was tested in my marriage.”

Those who have understanding of religion know that Islam does not advocate beating women. However, to communicate that effectively to our own community as well as the community at large presents a challenge. First, often times, marital abuse is kept secret, and many women refuse to seek help for it. Fatima never even told her own mother the extent of her abuse. How, then, are we to know when there is a problem? I honestly believe the answer lies in educating women in the community of their own rights and that women never “deserve” to get beaten. Second, we need to go back to our traditional scholars and those who can explain matters to us in the most effective way, which many people refuse to do. Third, we need the community and the masjid to have resources available for couples who need marital counseling. Many times, Muslim women are hesitant to go seek help from non-Muslim sources. There are so many reasons for this, which is why many times having our local imams as a source for women to turn to, is so essential.

The Prophet (SA) of Allah stated: 'None would respect women except the magnanimous ones, and none would insult them except the ignoble ones.' In addition, the Prophet (SA) of Allah stated: 'Whoever insults his family, would lose happiness in his life'.

Hanieh R.

Friends of Our Struggle

As Salaam A'laykom,

From time to time Our Struggle will feature articles of contributing writers. As time progresses and we migrate from version 1.0 to 1.5 of this site we will eventually have co-authors. With that being said I hope and pray that you guys continue to show us support and contribute feed back to our articles.

Peace

Wag the Dog

My father hammered a few concepts in my head to the point that they have became second nature. However, out of all of his philosophies one stuck with me the most: “never believe everything you read in a magazine or see on TV”. With that being said, as Muslims we have ALL heard the usual rhetoric and conspiracy theories surrounding September 11^th. For any non-Muslim readers, let me fill you in on what I mean here. If something happens that concerns the Muslim world, and it revolves around something negative, you're going get the usual, “it was Mossad” or the ever popular, “it was the U.S. government”. So, naturally, when I am presented with any sort of alternative view on events such as 9/11 I tend to disregard them, and in some instances scoff at the person “enlightening” me.

This brings to mind a conversation I had with my mother shortly after 9/11. We were preparing for one of our evening walks with my, then, one-year-old son. My mother unexpectedly said to me, “I don’t believe this was done by Muslims; and I don’t think those Arabs had the know-how to pull off something like this on American soil.” I can remember thinking, “Man, mom has really gone all out with this theory”. That was around October of 2001, and to be very frank, I still held that view; that is until a few days ago. I was visiting another site which mentioned a documentary called 'Loose Change'. Before I continue, let me just say that I am a native New Yorker and a loyal American; however, after seeing this video I began to question my views regarding our government.

The video starts out with a scenario in which a government official plots an operation that would allow the U.S. to invade the tiny communist island Cuba (See the movie Wag the Dog). I am sure most who have watched the first part of this documentary initially thought, “This is a bit silly and far fetched”. However, as the documentary plays along it provides actual U.S. declassified documentation apparantly revealing that this was not a fabricated fairytale, but something that was actually planned and discussed within the upper echelon of the U.S. government (albeit a plan that was eventually rejected). I don’t want to spoil the documentary for those planning to watch it. However, I must say that although I still do not agree with SOME of the views expressed in this documentary, most of its footage was quite compelling for me, at least enough to now confidently say to my mother, and any other person who has expressed doubt surrounding certain events, “I apologize, maybe you were right”.

With all that being said I think the real kicker came when I saw a report on CNN a few days ago about a American college professor in Wisconsin who was under attack by local government officials for stating he too came to the conclusion after two years of research that the 9/11 attacks must have been a inside job. Now this still doesn’t prove conclusively that this was all orchestrated however it does give one a reason to pause and take a second look at the events surrounding that tragic day.

So, without further ado, I would first like to dedicate this particular blog entry to my moms, and to provide you with some of the documentaries and news articles I have come across regarding 9/11. Whatever conclusion you reach, I urge you not to use this as a reason to hate or demonize American citizens. We Americans generally tend to be good and honest people, although sometimes naïve as a result of our considerably manipulated media. I hope this discussion, and the resources cited herein, may spark intellectual thought. This may also help a non-Muslim to potentially think about these events through a different perspective; and maybe, just maybe, their view and opinion of Muslims may also change. I mean think about it: if September 11^th isn’t what you have been led to believe, then what else isn’t true? Also, for the Muslims out there who have become ashamed of being Muslim, or have felt they now carry the heavy burden of such savage actions - here's to you!

Submitted by Sennheiser

9/11 Hijackers ALIVE!



BBC Report on four of the 19 Hijackers found after September 11th

BBC report on U.S. officials admitting identity of hijackers in doubt.

CNN report on Uni. Professor who believes September 11th was a inside job

Scholars for 9/11 Truth

Colonial Mentality

On my daily commute home I generally listen to NPR news. For those unfamiliar with NPR it stands for National Public Radio. It is a non-profit publicly funded radio station here in the states, and in general I have found their reports to be unbiased. Well, yesterday I heard a report about two organized rallies being held, both concentrating on the Lebanese/Israeli conflict. One was held in Dearborn, Michigan, which is a city that boasts one of the country's largest Arab communities. The second rally was held in the Aventura neighborhood of Miami, Florida, which boasts one of the largest concentrations of Jews in South Florida. The one thing which really caught my attention was the contrast of methods employed by both groups to get their agendas met; in one case the organizers had a far more political solution where as the other one was more of an outlet to vent emotions.

The first half of the report dealt with the Jewish response to current events. First thing of note was the selection of speakers on hand; from a bevy of religious leaders to former national political figures, as well as local government officials. Naturally, off the cuff, I was generally impressed with the organization, but then came the content of the speeches and the over all theme and message being conveyed. Speaker after speaker one thing was made clear: all in attendance were obligated, by virtue of being present, to write to their local congressman or congresswoman and demand that Israel be supported in “her time of need”. This last sentiment is very important ,but more about that later.

Now, let’s move to Dearborn, Michigan. This rally was a huge success, as far as numbers. In fact, officials estimated the number of attendees to be in the area of some 10,000 people. The speakers in attendance were mostly of the religious persuasion, and the theme was more of a religious under tone with the basic premise of Arab and Muslim solidarity with fellow Lebanese. I was also informed, not by the report but by some in attendance, that the organizers invited four major politicians. None of those invited politicians actually showed up.

So what makes the two rallies so different? What would cause one to be a huge success politically while the other serves more as an outlet for emotions, which are naturally running high as a result of present conditions in Muslim lands?

One could possibly reason that the Jewish community has had more time to establish itself in America, and learn the system, while on the other hand many of these rallies held by Muslims are organized by new arrivals to America. While this is plausible, how would one account for the Jewish Community establishing themselves in America as a strong socioeconomic and political entity in such a short amount of time? A majority of America’s Jewry are Ashkenazim, who are Jews originating from Germany and other eastern European countries. If one were to look at the history of this group in their countries of origin we will see again a very sophisticated group of people who established themselves economically and politically back home. Yet we look at the Muslim counterpart you see a people who are marginalized socially and economically in their own countries and generally speaking lack the political savvy most in the west possess.

One concept which could explain such a disparity would be the phenomenon known as “colonial mentality”. In general terms, a colonial mentality is a condition in which a particular community of people have been colonized by a separate dominating group of people and, as a result, the colonized take on an altered mindset in contrast to the mentality of “free peoples” in regard to their social, economic and in some cases religious thinking. Let’s look closely at this for one moment in order to gain a clear picture of my meaning. In a colonized environment there is generally an absence of a free and open political process. As a result, when subjects become frustrated with their condition and with little to no other means of expression or, should I say, a means to bring about any form of positive change, people rally in the street, shout from loud speakers, throw rocks, and confront authority through non productive means, which subsequently leads to governmental suppression of the population's free will; this in turn breeds terrorism and other forms of civil unrest. Generally speaking, when one analyzes violence it can be argued that it is a result of a person's - or community's - inability to properly express him/herself through productive means in order to bring about a positive change in their environment or situation.

With this in mind, lets revisit the Dearborn rally. While we didn’t see the rock-throwing and general public agitation one would generally find over unrest in the Muslim world, we still saw the general lack of political savvy and effectiveness associated with similar events. I firmly believe part of the problem is the lack of education regarding the political system in the west. Many times, these groups have come to America, lived among themselves in isolation, and shunned other groups and communities that may have a stronger establishment, thus leading to a environment of insulation, i.e. a environment where one is only familiar with the conditions of their immediate community. A further result of this situation is one of alienating would be political allies.

Case in point: the African American community is as old as America itself, and many from among this group are Muslim. However, it is noted time and again that many of these 'new arrivals' treat the African American community with utter disdain in many cases. One must bear in mind that the African American community had to contend with slavery, segregation, unequal treatment in the education and economic setting, yet they have persevered. If it were not for African Americans, a great majority of immigrants in North America would not have any of the opportunities they presently possess. In fact, I remember going to a lecture featuring John Esposito in which he spoke about his Italian American heritage. Dr. Esposito was lecturing a group of Muslim students at Florida Atlantic University on ways of integrating into the political process here in the states. In part of Esposito’s speech he discussed growing up in New York City. He recalled seeing helped wanted signs in many of the shops in Manhattan which read “Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Italians and Jews need not apply”. Dr. Esposito then went on to tell how the Italian Americans persevered and were able to overcome this obstacle as a community. However, he forgot to mention that were it not for the African American efforts during the civil rights movement, minorities in America, including Italian-Americans, would not have the opportunities we all presently enjoy in this country.

So with this in mind, why then wouldn’t the Muslim immigrant community embrace the African American political base and forge an alliance to further each others' cause? In doing so, Muslims from abroad stand to gain larger numbers supporting their agenda, keeping in mind that in many cases the same goal the Muslim immigrant are striving for affects, in one way or another, other minorities. Besides the political numbers in support this group could possibly gain, this also taps into years of political knowledge covering the ends and outs of the U.S. political system. So again I ask, why then hasn’t such opportunities been pursued? Common perception suggests that the general racism that the Muslim immigrant community seems to have toward the African American community may be the reason. To see this, all one would need to do is visit an African American neighborhood and go into any of the many convenient stores you find there. With my own eyes I have seen everything from sexually explicit remarks directed toward black women, racist comments toward men in these areas, and drug dealing out of these convenient stores. I remember once giving to a friend, who happened to be an African-American muslim brother, a pendant with Allah on the front of it in Arabic. My friend walked into one of these stories when the clerk provokingly asked him “Where did you steal that necklace from?” My friend retorted that he didn’t steal it and that he was a Muslim, to which the clerk replied “No you're not. You stole that from somewhere”. Now I wish I could say these are isolated incidents however, having traveled through Florida, Texas, New York City and Chicago one thing was apparent: this was a common reality regardless of state. This, in turn, has soured what could have been a great relationship between the two communities. Now, granted, not all "new arrivals" are selling drugs in their stores, or being sexually explicit toward female patrons. However, when you have a people whose only contact with a another group is this sort of behavior there is a natural tendency to hold a general view of them regardless of how biased that view may be.

With this said, all is not lost. It will take a collective effort to show good will and pristine akhlaq, the fruits of which will come back to the Muslim community ten fold. Once done, we as an ummat here in America need to start using political tools in positive ways to advance our cause. We need to employ lobby groups, have voting drives, and educate the American Muslim community on the various political parties as well as the merits of each. We need to form voting blocks as well as supporting local governments and writing to our congressmen and congress women informing them of our needs and concerns. In short, we have a long way to go; however it is never too late to mend bridges and advance forward.

Peace,

The Dilemma

Growing up as a minority, specifically, being black in America, I have been exposed to my fair share of racism from whites. One incident truly stands out in my mind as a defining moment. It was summer of 1982 in Westbury Long Island. My mother along with two neighborhood girls were standing on one side of the street opposite myself and, as I turned to walk toward them a vintage muscle car carrying to white teenagers sped by; over the sound of the muffler and the finely tuned engine one could hear the bellow of one of the youths ring out "NIGGGGER". Thinking back on it now makes me chuckle because of how silly it was, but at the moment, I remember thinking, "If they would just stop that car I would throw them the beating of their lives." What can I say - it was the early 80's and back then it was just understood that being black in America came with the understanding that whites in one form or another were racist toward you.

Fast forward to the late 90's- finally out of high school and having gone through several personal events, I decided to start practicing my religion (Islam). I initially started out associating with the local Sierra Leonean community, as this was my family’s country of origin and I felt comfortable being among "my people." After deciding to study Arabic, the Imam of the Sierra Leonean community sent me to a newly opened local madrassat.

After a few visits I quickly became close friends with a brother of Pakistani and European Jewish decent and from there our circle of friends would come to include Puerto Rican, Sudani, Pakistani and Palestinian Muslims, so you could say our "crew" was very diverse. However one day my perception of Islam all came to an abrupt end; I should preface what happens next with a bit of insight into my thinking at the time. After reading and studying theoretical Islam, my view of Muslim brotherhood was one of solidarity and camaraderie regardless of nationality and race; so it was truly an eye opener to witness events which would contradict my hardened beliefs.

One day while sitting in on a youth class at the madrassat dealing with Islamic ethics a Desi sister from Trinidad (who we will call Sajida) was conducting the course, during which time I was given front row tickets to a very peculiar exchange. One of the students was a 16 year old young man from Pakistan (who we will call Gamal). Gamal decided to voice his opinions on what constituted a “true” Muslim; the student kindly explained to the teacher "you people (West Indian Muslims) are not true Muslims, The only real Muslims are from Pakistan". I will never forget the expression on her face, she stood their astonished, eyes heavy with tears. Naturally she asked him how he could say such a thing in a voice cracking from holding back her emotions; she then went on to explain to him how we are ALL Muslims and the early Muslim community during the time of our beloved prophet was made up of Muslims from all over the near east and Africa. I suppose that should have been the end of the conversation, but I guess I under estimated the resolve of this young man. He proceeded to call his aunt over a fifty year old teacher at the school and the wife of the madrassat’s resident Hafiz. The youth explained his hypothesis to his aunt concerning the status of "real Pakistani Muslims" as opposed to the fake West Indian variety. After a brief pause his aunt smiled and gave a nod in the affirmative to the dismay of all in attendance. At that very moment I could hear the oft played NASA sound bite from the Apollo 13 mission, "Houston we have a problem!”

The thing most shocking about mentalities such as these is the sheer numbers of individuals who seem to be suffering from such mental defects. Surely we all have been subjected to similar attitudes during our weekly trips to salat al jummat? Picture the scene, our full bearded jalabiya wearing Imams standing up on the minbar and in one breath reminding us of our short comings and in the next breath espousing some form of Muslim superiority over non Muslims, stating the usual bit about westerners lacking the social and moral sophistication of their Muslim counterparts. Yet and still all too often, we see Muslims behaving in similar, and in some cases, far more egregious ways.

Case in point, I remember sitting with a certain "Imam" and I use this term loosely during a dinner party at a friend’s home a few months back. The "imam” who we will call Sayyid for convenience, brought up the cultural insensitivity and racism he experienced during a return trip from the middle east at the hands of airport security. Sayyid mentioned how a Latino woman grilled him over why he went abroad (he was visiting his family) as well as what motivated him to immigrate to America. To which he replied, "For the same reasons you have immigrated to the states…. for better opportunities and a better life". I remember thinking to myself how brilliant that answer was, and how Sayyid had the ability to reach out to many Muslims of varying backgrounds because of his understanding of racism’s ill effects.

Fast forward four months; we are at the masjid at which Sayyid serving as Imam was giving a speech on racism. He told the jumma that for every time you put a racist remark on a person from a particular ethnic group, on yawm al qiyama the sin of that one slander will be counted for each individual with in that ethnic group. I thought to myself ma sh'a Allah; finally someone is putting this ummat in check. That’s when things went sour, as Sayyid announced he will tell a joke he stated is very common in Iraq, all in an attempt to further highlight his point. One by one the Iraqis in the jumma stood up and begged Sayyid not to tell this joke to which he chuckled and replied, "No it is okay I know these people (referring to the Desis present) we are all friends here." At that very moment I knew we were in for a real show. Sayyid then went on to explain how in Iraq if someone says something to you which is painfully obvious i.e. if someone says, "Okay I need you to go to the store and pick up some items, I will let you borrow my car. Oh and by the way in order to drive a car you need a key to start it," the response would be, "What am I an Indian? In America it would be the equivalent of saying, ‘what am I, an idiot?’ . To be honest I was appalled that this person would be so insensitive. To make matters worse, the same friend of mine who held the dinner party where Sayyid and I initially met was there in attendance; and wouldn’t you know it, he is from India. Let me add that my Indian friend confided later on he found the joke offensive.

To be honest racism is nothing new among Muslims and in fact one story comes to mind. In one hadith, a man once visited the Prophet's mosque in Madinah. There he saw a group of people sitting and discussing their faith together. Among them were Salman (who came from Persia), Suhayb who grew up in the Eastern Roman empire and was regarded as a Greek, and Bilal who was an African. The man then said:

"If the (Madinan) tribes of Aws and Khazraj support Muhammad, they are his people (that is, Arabs like him). But what are these people (Salman, Suhayb and Bilal) doing here?"

The Prophet became very angry when this was reported to him. Straightaway, he went to the mosque and summoned people to a Salat. He then addressed them saying:

"O people, know that the Lord and Sustainer is one. Your ancestor is one, your faith is one. The Arabism of anyone of you is not from your mother or father. It is no more than a tongue (language). Whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab." (As quoted in Islam The Natural Way by Abdul Wahid Hamid p. 125)

I suppose the argument could be made that these were people who had the privilege of being in the presence of our holy prophet; naturally their Iman would be greater than people of today which would afford them the ability to instantly see the errors of their ways. One could also argue if the people during the time of the holy prophet had these issues then how could present day Muslims be able to over come such ills? These indeed are very valid arguments however Allah has told us in the Quran:

"It is not for a believer (male or female) that when Allah and his messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any choice in their decision and whoever disobeys Allah and his messenger, he has indeed strayed in plain error" [33:36].

From this beautiful verse we know the Muslims have no choice in forming his/her opinions in such matters. We should and must be compelled to do more than stand idly by and allow ourselves and fellow Muslims to be swept up in such venomous thoughts and actions. Was it not our beloved prophet who said:

"The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever"

I am sure however that many of us are very well acquainted with the numerous ayat and ahadith on this subject yet and still we seem to fall victim to such erroneous thinking.

This reminds me of a recent conversation a friend and I were having. My friend, who is very proud of their ethnic background, told me how their ethnic group is known for their strong familial customs which differentiates them as a group from ALL other peoples. After asking them to elaborate on the issue, I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. After pointing out that most traditional societies share these very same customs my friend became a bit agitated explaining how that can’t be because the world over recognizes their group specifically for these customs. This exchange along with many others like it with several other Muslims from different backgrounds brought me to one conclusion. Our ignorance of one another, isolation and tendency to excuse the actions of our respective ethnic groups have caused more damage to this ummat than any other factor.

Case in point an Arab brother made the comment that African Americans are naturally given to stealing, raping and drug dealing. To be fair this is the attitude of many people across the world due to the biased media portrayal African Americans receive, however, does that mean African Americans are the only group on Earth who has elements among them indulging in such nefarious activities? I would beg to differ whole heartedly. A quick reminder to my friend was issued when I asked him, “Isn’t it some of our Arab and African Muslim brothers in France who are running gangs, selling drugs and indulging in many other lascivious behaviors?” In Australia the exact same can be said for many of our Lebanese Muslim brothers and in the UK the same can be said for some of our Desi youth. I should add that these are not isolated incidents and is just as commonly found among the aforementioned groups as it is among some segments of the African American population. Generally speaking, any time a group of people are marginalized and denied the same opportunities the rest of the society is given, these behaviors will occur.

So what’s the solution? Should we continue to establish masajid based on ethnicity because we feel more "comfortable" among our own people? Should we avoid interaction between us for fear we may offend one another? May Allah protect us from such mentalities, as each and every Muslim is given the duty of amr bil m3roof wa nahi al monkar (Commanding the good and forbidding the evil) as we have been commanded by Allah almighty when He tells us in Al Quran Al Kareem:

“And from among you there should be a party who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful.” [Quran 3:104]

We should actively try to learn about one another and understand each others cultures. Doesn’t it say in the Quran:

“O you men! Surely we have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful (of his duty); surely Allah is Knowing, Aware” [Quran 49:13]

When we hear our elders making racist comments, remind them of the sunnat of our holy prophet, remind them of the same ills they are condemning others for can be found among segments of their ethnicity.

I challenge my fellow Muslims to actively reach out to Muslims in their area who may be from a different background. Invite each other out for social activities which foster kinship and brotherhood. Remember it was our prophet who, upon establishing the Islamic government in Medina, paired the Ansar with the Muhajiroon to foster such ties. When a new Muslim appears in your masjid great them regardless of their ethnicity, befriend them as you would someone from your own country, with a smile and sincerity; something as small as a warm smile is Islamic charity as stated by our Prophet and costs us nothing.

The opportunities for Islam in the west are enormous, however with each ugly remark and each unkind action we pass to our fellow man, one more heart hardens towards us. With this I leave my challenge, stand up, be counted and provoke change!

Understand

Peace,

Thirty two years through life's ups and downs has entitled me to have a opinion on life's nuisances. Now that may sound arrogant but I have to say, the ups and downs, friends lost through arguments, to being on top of the world financially one day to wondering how you are going to feed your family the next day, and all the while maintaining ones iman.

Yes this is life, and not all of us navigate this obstacle course successfully but through Allah's grace and some skillful mental gymnastics many of us persevere.

Our struggle underlines the beauty and ugliness of this life as I see it. Take this blog as a rant or a means to show others what I feel are obviously over looked realities, and maybe, just maybe some may walk away better for the insight; either way welcome and enjoy.

Peace

Ola