Muslims are increasingly under attack--both from within and without, both domestically and globally. We are being slaughtered by those claiming to be Muslim but ignoring the most basic tenets of our faith, those forgetting the meaning of the words with which we begin every single prayer--calling on a most "compassionate" and "merciful" God. On the other hand, we are also being slaughtered by those duped into believing that these vicious so-called Muslims (who have dismissed and disgraced our faith by claiming it, building organizations they insist on calling "Islamic") represent all Muslims.
All this slaughtering leaves little time for introspection, but we need it now more than ever. Like every major faith community, we have a lot of work to do. Granted, it's hard to know where to begin when you're constantly under attack. But begin we must, and to that end, the following are some heartfelt suggestions for my fellow Muslims.
- Stop pretending to be someone you're not. Faith is private, and it should be--until terrorists start hijacking your faith (pretending to represent you and more than 1.5 billion of your fellow worshippers) and bigots start discriminating against you because of it. At this point, it's time to go public and tell the world: "I am Muslim." Why? Because, chances are, you don't look, sound or act like the stereotype. This is how you change people's minds. If you live in a non-Muslim majority country, like me, then it's also how you invite more discrimination into your life, which is of course why so many Muslims try to "pass" as something else. It's inconvenient to be Muslim, but when we don't stand up and claim our Islam--the one based in peace, love, compassion and mercy-- we become complicit in the hijacking of our own faith by idiots and terrorists alike.
Ultimately, what I'm asking of my fellow Muslims is simple, and it's something I would ask of anyone, regardless of faith or lack thereof: be yourself; drop your judgment and evangelism, and pick up some mercy and compassion.