Engaging American Muslims Will Give a Far Better Message to the Muslim World than Speeches
President Barack Obama is planning to address Muslims from Egypt. But we American Muslims believe he would have made a better choice by engaging Muslims at home first.
He has been reaching out to Muslims since he took office. He mentioned Muslims in his inauguration speech; he gave his first interview as President to an Arab broadcaster instead of a U.S. television network; he visited Turkey in his first 100 days and appointed a special envoy, who is more balanced than his predecessors, to deal with the Israel-Palestine issue; he also promised to speak to the Muslim world from a Muslim capital.
Although these are excellent first steps, it is critical that the President engage Muslims at home first. He must remember that he represents us, too.
President Obama could begin by making his address to Muslims worldwide from a mosque on American soil. Why not Masjid Al-Fatir, the mosque in the President's Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago? Muhammad Ali, the former world heavyweight boxing champion, built this house of worship. Ali is an American Muslim respected throughout the Muslim world. President Obama visited churches and synagogues in the U.S. during his election campaign, but not a mosque. This was most likely because of Islamophobia, which created a climate where he felt it necessary to keep a distance from American Muslims.
American Muslims are grateful for the steps President Obama has taken to lessen hostilities abroad. He banned torture, ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay and the CIA's secret interrogation centers.
The last presidential administration treated American Muslims as virtual enemies of the state, discouraged our civic involvement and suppressed our voices. We were isolated and essentially shunned. In this new era of change, however, it is vital to U.S. interests to engage American Muslims as partners in building relationships with the Muslim world. This is not only a matter of respect, but one of common interests.
American Muslims are a global village made up of diverse communities of African-Americans and immigrants from many nations. Among Muslims, they are one of the largest groups of highly educated professionals in the world.
Tens of thousands are physicians and surgeons. Others serve in higher education. Many proudly serve in the U.S. military. I personally know of at least six Muslims in Chicago who played critical roles in key Muslim governments. Many are directly connected with the ruling elites of the countries of their birth.
Part of the change that American Muslims hope for is to be valued as an asset by their country rather than viewed as suspects. We long for a president who will welcome our voices and our public service. Nearly 3,000 prayer locations, mosques and Islamic centers serve an estimated six million Muslims in the United States. We invite our president to stand with us publicly and vigorously in the struggle against Islamophobia - the bigotry he tasted during his campaign and that we experience daily.
Although American Muslims delivered the second largest block vote for President Obama after African-Americans, (79% according to Gallup) hardly any Muslims have been appointed in the current administration.
Muslims are not looking for handouts. We're simply striving for equal opportunity and inclusiveness. That will give a far better message to the Muslim world than speeches.
The choice of a U.S. mosque for the President's address would affirm what he stated at his inauguration: that Muslims are part of the fabric of our nation. More importantly, it would acknowledge that the key to repairing relations between America and the Muslim world are those who know both best: American Muslims.
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What the usual detractors don't understand is that there are huge numbers, & growing, of American Muslims of all varieties who are fully assimilated Americans, 1st generation, 2nd, 3rd & more as well as foreign born. They have already entered into every aspect of American professional life such as the law, teaching, law enforcement, medicine, science, military et al; now many of their kids are getting jobs in the media & entering politics. The result adds new voices & perspectives to the public debates about our foreign policy & the American public at large is taking note. Of course, President Obama likewise.
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Alexa07
The CNN survey this morning states that only "...one in five Americans has a favorable view of Muslim countries.
Take the example of Bush administration. It had, Zalmay Khalilzad, the only Muslim ambassador serving the United States. He has been crisis-hopping for years. First, he moved from the U.S. State Department to Afghanistan, then to Iraq and finally, he was our representative at the United Nations.
Why not select more ambassadors from a pool of hundreds and thousands of American Muslim professionals and businessmen and women who come from more than 80 countries in the world although most are born and raised in the US.
American Muslims can help our country rebuild its tattered image around the world.
Thank you for responding to my messages, & yes, I agree with you that American Muslims can "help our country rebuild its tattered image around the world." They also can help Americans of all ethnicities, religions or no religion understand more about peoples around the world. LinkTV, which my family views on Dish network, is another great source of information about the world. Here is a place where you can hear, see, almost touch others from nearly every place & culture, speaking on their own terms. Quite different from the old model of sending a photojournalist to record & interpret what they see from the observer's perspective, not the people at hand! The world is changing, & let's hope President Obama will take up your ideas.
I've met too many Muslim men in America who think it's okay to have their wives grow up ignorant and sheltered from the outside world, while they go to prostitutes and wear modern clothing.
Is that your culture? Well, then, my brother, your culture sucks. Assimilate into American culture and there will be an excellent message sent.
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I invite you to read a recent Gallup report which compares profile of different religious communities in the US. According to it Muslim Americans have the highest degree of economic gender parity at the high and low ends of the income spectrum, far better than Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish communities. Its an eye opening survey which challenges stereotypical images. However, it does not mean that Muslim communities do not have their share of ignorant people. here is a link to that survey of Gallup Facts: http://www
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According to Gallup, Muslim Americans have the highest degree of economic gender parity as compared to Protestant, Jewish or Catholic men and women. It is a very informative survey which challenges many stereotypes. However, it does not mean that Muslims do not have their share of ignorant people. http://www
If American Muslims have any grievances as to equal access,etc, I suggest the get in touch with the ACLU and take those grievances to court....a
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I agree. It takes time. However, the process of change cannot be just legal. It has to include public discourse.
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A great and necessary blog entry here that should be discussed more widely.
I agree. More people are interested in the dating controversy . . . the Obamas going to NYC.
American 'engagement" model that has demonstrated success for a century is pragmatic and rather simple:" keep quiet, work hard, open businesses send kids to school then start buildling a political machine.
Everything else is unimportant.
In Europe hey talk and engage and talk and form thousand multicultural commissions and social groups and coddle services. Most simply allow immigrants to engage in radicalism and preserve their primitive ways.
See Abdul Malik Mujahid's Profile
I don't think Obama would have been our president if African Americans would have followed the advice of "keep quiet." they challenged the nightmare they were in through civil right movement to make sure that the American dream is achievable for all with equal opportunities.
Part Two
To me, this is an amazing amount of attention that Obama has given to the Muslim community. Other groups claim they have not received even this amount of attention.
Gays are claiming Obama has not done this much for them. He has not visited any gay community. He has not made any statement for gay marriages. He has not repealed DADT. He has not repealed DOMA. He has not protested Prop. 8 or spoken about it.
Blacks are saying Obama has not solved the disparities in education and unemployment that Blacks face. There are not visible Blacks in Obama's cabinet. Obama has not visited a Black church or spoken directly to the Black community. He did not attend a Black college graduation.
Women claim Obama is not providing a cabinet-level position for the women's and girl's commission. He has not attended a woman's college or promoted feminism.
Progressives complained that Obama did not meet with them in the 1st month or so of his administration. They claim he is ignoring their issues on the torture photos, secrecy, the Patriot Act, etc.
Everyone is too impatient. This President has a wealth of mess to clean up, domestically and abroad. I am ashamed that everyone is so greedy, shortsighted and impatient. Everyone wants Obama's attention on them. It is as if we are all impatient children.
But Obama deserves better from us. Give him time to do his work.
It has only been 4 months.
See Abdul Malik Mujahid's Profile
I agree with you. It has been only 4 months. However, consider that all major appointments are already done.
Part One
Every group that voted for Obama demands that he pay attention to their particular issue. Muslims want attention. Gays want attention. Blacks want attention. Hispanics want attention. Women want attention. Liberals and Progressive want attention.
No one wants to give this President the benefit of the doubt. No one is patient. It all seems so immature.
You say: "But we American Muslims believe he would have made a better choice by engaging Muslims at home first." This obviously is not the President's strategy and it is his call. If Muslims are no more than Americans, they they have to be as patient and as flexible as everyone else. Everyone needs to be patient.
You say: "He has been reaching out to Muslims since he took office. He mentioned Muslims in his inauguration speech; he gave his first interview as President to an Arab broadcaster instead of a U.S. television network; he visited Turkey in his first 100 days and appointed a special envoy, who is more balanced than his predecessors, to deal with the Israel-Palestine issue; he also promised to speak to the Muslim world from a Muslim capital." Yet, this is not enough for you in the 4 months he has been in office.
Obama deserves support rather than constant demand . . . from everyone.
Charity begins at home!
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I don't think it is an issue of charity as much of equity and open access to American dream.
"Although American Muslims delivered the second largest block vote for President Obama after African-Americans, (79% according to Gallup) hardly any Muslims have been appointed in the current administra
Muslims from all backgrounds, including Arab Americans, are making valuable contributions to American society. This community is growing by leaps & bounds with the younger generation entering all sectors of society, even politics & the media. It is starting to make a difference in public opinion, offering a counterpoint to the old stereotypes of Islamophobia that have been perpetuated by the status quo establishments. Imam, I also hope that President Obama will read your article & take note, both around the world & here at home.
See Abdul Malik Mujahid's Profile
Thank you for your note. Some other surveys actually put the numbers of Muslim vote as high as 93%. Tens of thousands of Muslim physicians save lives on the daily basis through out American hospitals. Unfortunately their good work is drowned by the bad news of conflict from across the globe.
This reminds me of an episode of Meet the Press when Colin Powell was interviewed just before the election, around the time when Barack Obama was being called a Muslim by some supporters of John McCain. Powell spoke eloquently and passionately about a US Army Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, a Muslim-American soldier who died in Iraq in August 2007, and of a very moving picture of his mother resting her head on her son’s gravestone.
http://www
http://www
It is very surprising that President Obama has not engaged American-Muslims in all of the ways you suggest, despite what he was up against during the presidential campaign. I can’t believe that he has yet to visit a mosque on American soil or that he wouldn’t have done so before his widely anticipated speech from Egypt.
Thanks for posting about this and let’s hope the President takes your advice!
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thank you LizM for your post about Colin Powel. He said it all. Can you figure out a way of posting his MSNBC video. Here is the url: http://www
the great thing about president Obama is that he reads, listens, thinks and is not afraid of changing his mind. So I am hopeful.
Abdul, that link you gave for Powell's MTP interview works just fine. I'm sure I wouldn't know how to post it any differently. I'm lucky I can post comments!
I still find it incredible that President Obama or Vice President Biden have not yet visited a US mosque or otherwise engaged the American Muslim community. It seems like now would be a good time to start and this would seem to be high on the very, very long list of top priorities.
Having said that, I have been extremely impressed with how President Obama operates and that stretches back to the moment he announced his Vice Presidential selection. I didn't really know much about Obama before then but that decision told me everything I needed to know.
And, so I am very hopeful, too about the Obama/Biden administration. It will be interesting to see how long it takes, in the wake of this Middle East trip, for them to start engaging the Muslim community at home.
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