An Appeal to American Muslims
== From AMobserver.com ==
So much has changed lately for us American Muslims. It would not be inaccurate to say that we as American Muslims have taken the brunt of a slew of world wide disturbances over the past few years and in the process have been caught completely off guard defending the very rights that made many of us to migrate here. On the other hand, though, this has pushed American Muslims to contemplate their expanded roles in the society where they were merely “physically living” all this time.
Today, American Muslims are grappling with challenges that no minority in this country had ever to deal with. To some in this country, we are a complex people because even though we don’t look alike, don’t hail from the same countries or even continents, our beliefs tie us together. We are not a culture but rather a people of one faith. We are black, white, as well as everything in between. In addition to believing in One Supreme Creator, we firmly believe our values to be an embodiment of human dignity. And yet, something, somewhere, somehow created an aura of misunderstanding where our identities, beliefs, and values started to be questioned mistakenly and uncontrollably.
Faced with these challenges, we struggle to find our role as Muslims in this nation to which we and our parents came with so many plans and dreams. This was obviously not a vacation as some of us purport it to be even today through our behaviors. There are still others amongst us who have started to question their place in this society because of the actions of a few of those earlier generation US citizens who feel that we have trespassed into their territory. But the fact is that most of us came here to live and die and to raise children for the next American generation. So, for those of us who continue to question where we belong, let’s not get too confused. Let’s either be here or let’s be gone somewhere else but lets not keep living here pretending not to be here.
So, as we American Muslims are here to stay, we need to wake up to define our roles more clearly in this society instead of waiting for more rude awakenings. The question is that even though our numbers in this country have tripled and quadrupled over the years, are we still in the game? Are we the players looking to score points or are we the ball being kicked around? Rather than being led by others to a path of confusion and bewilderment where we are mistakenly led and pressured to assume confused and lost identities, we need to reclaim our Muslim identities. No – that won’t be in conflict with who we are as Americans but would rather compliment the American culture with even stronger personal and family values than the earlier generation of Americans thought possible.
Each one of us has something to offer and add to the greatness of this country. Yet, many of us started off on the wrong step. Many of our reactive mindsets are trained to resort to complaining and whining rather than taking proactive measures to fix some of the policies that threaten to hurt us and hurt the civil liberties of this nation. Reassessing the anatomy of our mindsets or our predecessors will show that for many of us and our predecessors, voting was not an option when we migrated here, so it was something that was never stressed part of our education. While many of us are waking up to the importance to vote, it is just taking more time – time that we can’t afford to lose simply because every election provides an opportunity to define the future as well as history.
Many of us over the years have complained about some of the policies being adopted by this country and have complained about the trampling of our civil liberties. There are others who don’t like this or don’t like that and have complained endlessly in our living rooms without even lifting a finger to do something about those problems. Others complain about lack of unity amongst our own ranks, yet fail to act when called to unite for positive and constructive pursuits. The fact is that being in a country that has provided us the liberty to voice our opinions as citizens in a civilized way (a liberty that most of us never had before) and yet failing to exercise that right, we essentially give up the right to complain and protest.
The voting mindset can instill within us the ability to define the vision of our roles in this country even more clearly. Voting in local and national elections thus puts us closer to our visions – even if not where we ultimately want to be. Voting in elections helps us to define what we want rather than focusing on what we don’t want. Voting in many ways can enable us to chart out a path to success rather than falling into the trap of pre-judging the election results and losing hope for the future. You chart out a path by focusing on the specifics and when you start focusing on the specifics, voting will become more important to you than ever before. Remember this – tax policies, health policies, homeland security policies, foreign policies – all have a direct bearing on what we do and what we complain about – so why not get involved starting today – starting from this year’s elections?
So, here is an opportunity for us to unite again. We can vote in November and thus unite in expressing our voices. Why not take on the enthralling task and be unceasing to express what is right and what is wrong? Why not be a beacon of hope for our future generations by becoming a people of action now? Why can’t our hearts beat in unison to unmistakably echo the sounds of peace, reason and understanding dispelling the many myths in the process? In these elections, at a minimum let’s earn the delight of having come together to vote – to be part of the process – to stop whining and complaining and instead taking action – something that always has been and always will be a cornerstone behind the foundations of excellence.
The truth is that those of us who can vote but don’t or won’t in this election do not have a vision of their role in the US society. No wonder the thought of voting to express support for something seems meaningless. The fact is that when you possess a clear vision regarding your role in the society, you would want to vote not simply to influence a decision but rather as a matter of principle. Over the long term, voting will enable you to get closer to what you eventually would want to influence. It’s therefore a process – not a one time action. Voting in elections provide you the opportunity and the platform to express more about who we are as Muslims.
Our increased numbers today provide us an opportunity to take action and to change the things that we don’t like. So, its time for clarity of vision of our roles in this country, time to reclaim our identities, time for principled centered action, and time to vote. And vote we should and vote we must because let’s not forget that every US election lays the foundation for new laws and regulations and will reinforce others. By not voting, you chose not to be part of that process and thus forgo of your right to complain. More than that, you fail to influence situations and fail to be a little closer to the results of your choice.
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Sincerely,
wr @ AMobserver.com
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