Muslims must engage fellow Americans on terror
The Baltimore Sun
Deseret News
The Canton Repository
St. Paul Pioneer Press
The Salt Lake Tribune
Herald News
The Providence Journal
The Seattle Times
Daily Herald
By Kamran Memon
The nuclear bomb that exploded during a recent episode of Fox’s 24 did not raise new questions about whether Islam and Muslims pose a threat to America. Instead, the blast just reinforced and amplified the questions that many Americans have been asking since 9/11.
Polls show that many Americans believe Islam encourages violence, and they suspect that Islam and Muslims pose a threat to this country. They hear al-Qaida calling on Muslims to kill Americans. They hear about verses in the Quran relating to subjects such as violence and loyalty, and they have real questions about whether Muslims are commanded to be violent and about whether Muslims can be loyal to a secular state like America. Unfortunately, these fears have led to discrimination and hate crimes against innocent American Muslims.
American Muslims should go beyond condemnations of terrorism and slogans such as “Islam means peace.” They need to address the real, post-9/11 questions that many Americans are asking. For example, Muslims should regularly hold public forums where articulate Muslim scholars can provide detailed analysis of all the verses at issue and answer every question that is asked.
Of course, there have been some isolated and sporadic efforts along these lines. Various Muslim groups have published materials and held occasional limited discussions about certain verses from the Quran. But these groups have not made the dissemination of such information a priority, so the vast majority of Americans, Muslims as well as people of other faiths, have not seen these materials or heard these discussions.
In addition to answering America’s questions, American Muslims must actively engage in the national discussion about how to make America safer. Since 9/11, American Muslims have focused more on civil liberties than on security, because law enforcement efforts have been targeted at Muslims in America.
It’s important to protect the civil liberties of Muslims who pose no threat to America. However, American Muslims must remember that future terrorist attacks could kill innocent Americans of all faiths (including Muslims) and lead to more hate crimes, discrimination and governmental scrutiny directed at American Muslims. If American Muslims have concerns about particular security measures — such as ethnic and religious profiling, the monitoring of mosques and Muslim charities, and informers who pretend to encourage violence — they should propose better alternatives to keep the United States safe without infringing unnecessarily on civil liberties.
On the other hand, American Muslims who believe no such security measures are needed — because they believe there is no real terrorist threat — should make that argument to the American public. It’s important for Americans to understand that these Muslims are not opposed to efforts to make the U.S. safe.
Answering America’s questions and actively working to make America safer are the best ways for American Muslims to reduce anti-Muslim hostility and to make sure that fictional depictions of nuclear explosions on 24 and elsewhere don’t lead to discrimination and hate crimes in the real world.
Kamran Memon, a civil rights attorney who grew up in Bethesda, is the founder of Muslims for a Safe America. His e-mail is kamran@muslimsforasafeamerica.org.
bob erlandson said
on January 25 2007 @ 9:14 am
Dear Mr. Memon,
I enjoyed your commentary in the Baltimore Sun today about the relationship of Muslims in America and their fellow citizens. I believe that your view is right on target, but somehow it does not seem to be held — at least publicly — by many of your fellow Muslims.
In my opinion, given the existing situation Muslims here must make a choice and make it clear to all: Are they Muslim-Americans or American Muslims? They must choose whether they are Muslims first or Americans first.
As you well know there is a wide variety of religious belief in the United States. However, I don’t believe you will find all that many people who define themselves primarily by their religion as Muslims appear to do.
It’s time for Muslims to stand up and be counted, particularly the leaders in the mosques who seem to wield the most influence with their congregations.
Yours sincerely,
Robert A. Erlandson
Towson, MD
flyingcow said
on January 25 2007 @ 11:08 am
OK, not all Muslims are terrorists.
But 99.9% of all terrorists ARE Muslims.
When will your “peaceful” Muslims start fighting Islamic terrorists?
Mark Z said
on January 26 2007 @ 10:20 pm
The author of this piece should change the title to the following: Muslims Must Engage Fellow Muslims on Terror.
I often read that “Islamophobia” is caused by the infidel’s alledged ignorance of Islam. I find that accusation ironic in that, sine 9-11, I’ve made it a point to read the Islamic texts and pay more attention to how Islam is practiced and how Islam has been practiced throughout the ages as recorded by reputable scholars. Suffice it to say the more I learn the less hopeful I am that Muslims will co-exist in peace with the Unbelievers. It is not I but rather the Muslims who divide the world into two camps: Muslims on one side and All Others on the other. It’s in the Quran. Muslims have an obligation and duty to change the entire world (through violent jihad if necessary) into an Islamic paradise ruled by Sharia Law. It’s in the Quran.
With regard to Muslims who seek change through peaceful means I will resist you as well. Islam is a totalitarian political ideology. I pledge to resist the imposition of such an ideology by peaceful means. I, too, want people to know and understand Islam. I believe such knowledge to be the first step toward resisting it’s imposition on the masses.
John Novick said
on January 28 2007 @ 12:02 pm
Before 9-11 I knew very little about the Middle East and Islam, but since then I have read two books on Islam and one on the history of the Middle East, and I have spent many hours on line in an Islamic chat room. http://www.alcafe.com
Today I am much more knowledgeable about the ME culture. I have read a number of articles like yours, not nearly enough are published, but often they say the same thing, that being, that American Muslims should be more vocal in explaining their religion and the way they see the world.
These writers often talk about discrimination and they do so, I believe, because it has recently been on the upswing. Over my 70 years of living here I have seen many cases of prejudice against blacks, and Jews and recently against Muslims. I wonder if you had ever written an article about prejudice towards groups other than Muslims. The reason I ask is that it has been said that we will only have justice when those who are not affected become just as incensed as those who have been affected.
I am not a member of any organized religion and I am always surprised that people don’t realize that their religious beliefs are largely a result of where they were born. Yet they seem to think that they have the answers. All you have to do is to take two people, one born and raised in a southern Baptist family and another born and raised in KSA and switch them around.
After five years in the chat room I have come to realize that Islam has been in decline for 500 years and this makes many uncomfortable. I believe this is the result of a religious belief that living in a non-Muslim country would be detrimental to their beliefs. While the west expanded in the area of science and
technology, the Muslim world lagged behind. Today the Muslim world faces the dilemma of wanting the technology of the west without all the sex and violence. Compound this with the humiliation of more recent events, years of teaching hatred in schools and partnership between Israel and the USA and you have a lot of people who are upset.
It is an astonishing fact that the most populous country in the Middle East, Egypt, has a GDP less than Wal-mart. Take the oil out of the Gulf countries and the whole region would be a disaster area.
I think it would be wonderful if Iraq could become a thriving economy. They have educated ambitious people, like Palestine, and they have oil so the combination could create a western type economy where they could keep religion in an important place in their lives. If that would happen it could easily spread throughout the area. I know people who live there do not believe that but if one country like Iraq could do it they might be willing to reconsider.
I have confidence in the people and I believe that most human beings prefer to live in country where the people elect their own leaders through honest and open elections.
Thanks
John Novick
Hastings, MN
susan said
on January 28 2007 @ 1:43 pm
Why aren’t there any comments back from any Muslims? We founded this country on God! We want it to be under God’s protection! I seems that there are a lot of unGodly things in America now because we have succumbed to tolerance. We have let small groups of one or two, complain until they got their way. The squeaky wheel has always gotten the grease. The majority has to bend for the squeaky wheel because of our seemingly new religion of Tolerance.
Foreigners coming to this country with their green cards get a huge break on scholarly tuitions. My son, on the other hand, never got a nickel from anyone, including myself, who couldn’t afford it. He and his brother both served for our country, to maintain freedom for foreigners. It is what we believe God would want us to do. We want the world to have what we have, and yet the world hates us in return.
If other countries, including Muslims, came on to our soil to take away what we have worked and died for, which side would you fight for? As long as we kept our country in God’s hands, we had His blessings. I don’t think that God wants us to be tolerant of anyone who believes they should eliminate everyone who is not like them. Our God is a peaceful God, but I think He is angry at us for tolerating evil in our country. If you don’t love Americans for what they are, you are not welcome here. We don’t want to be tolerant. It is our politicians that require it of us.
We were too tolerant of obscene TV. Now we are stuck with it. Immorality is running rampant because some of our children demand their rights. Where were the Muslims when this country was wild and free, and there was a lot of hard work and dying to do to get it this way? Our families died for America. Our forefathers died so that America could always remain one nation, under God! If your Allah is that God, don’t burn flags in our country! Don’t come over here and demand your rights that you never fought for! A house divided cannot stand! If you come to bring division, please go home. We don’t want to fight you someday down the road on our own soil. There are many immigrants who come here to build a better America, but I am tired of our country tolerating those who mainly come to exploit and plunder. They come here to go to college at the expense of American taxpayers who don’t get any help with their own expenses.
I would welcome someone to try to set me at ease, because I am weary of seeing the American dream snatched right out from under us by the very people we try to show tolerance to.
Chuck Nelson said
on January 28 2007 @ 5:59 pm
“We hang the petty thieves while we appoint the great ones to Public Office”
AESOP
Mr. Memon:
My intent isn’t to attack you personally, however, I can only judge by what people do and exhibit in the name of their beliefs not by what they say. Often the words do not match up with the actions. Having said that————
I read your article with great interest as we Americans hear little from the Muslim community other than complaints from Imams in airports, lawsuits for damages and other such activities to furthur their causes. Many of which I consider to be extremely transparent and in the realm of propaganda. Yes, you may say I have a bias. But, only because of the deafening silence when it comes to the horrendous bombings, beheadings and general mayhem foisted upon the world by the adherants to the Muslim faith. etc. that we have all been made extremely aware of. Most of us consider this as the antics of thugs and uneducated people that are slightlly crazy. Yet we realize that these actions are from people dumb like a fox that have taken their cue from Hollywood actors in sureal atmospheres.
The overreaction from the Muslim communities around the globe are astounding to most of us. We 2nd and 3rd generation Americans cannot begin to comprehend, the Killings, riots, car burnings and general loutishness exhibited by the Muslims over the stupidity of a few cartoons. No rational people have ever reacted as violently to such innocuous events in the history of the world that I can recall in my 70 years, and I lived during the era of WWII atrocities which were of a much more substantial nature than these petty cartoons as an example.
It seems that living amongst the world Muslims is a lot like living among a group of mentally dearranged people from a different worldy reality. They are becoming altogether too predictable, with the express intent it would seem to stop others from doing anything that would be offensive, real or imagined, to a Muslim. But, it is patently OK to offend Christians repeatedly with no thought of the fact that it is offensive. What is the basic difference then between these two groups????? One group reacts irrationally like spoiled children who are narcissistic in their viewpoint while the others act like people living in a world where free speech is the normative and religion is not a public display of backsides. Again, I cannot think of a Christian group or individual who has beheaded anyone in my lifetime, killed an author of a book by stabbing him (Holland) or threatened a writer that would have the audacity to point out a few truths that have evolved about a Muslims. Why cannot the larger Muslim community separate their religion and assimilate in a non religious state that doesn’t believe in Sharia laws? As like in the secular United States, where thankfully, there is no Sharia Law mucking up the works.
We don’t demand that we make a spectacle of our prayer time by prostrating ourselves in public places, demanding a Mosque on every corner so it is convenient etc. These things have no place in our secular United States, we commit our prayers in silence, with no special ritualistic displays when it is not appropriate or if it would lead to any intrustion on others and their beliefs. This is OK in Mecca, but not in Times Square, airport hallways, movie theaters, football games, airplanes, buses etc. etc. etc. can’t you understand this very simple premise. No your brothers would rather make a big issue of it and sue someone it seems.
Also, your statement relative to the article about civil liberties, that these same civil liberties seem to enable those who want to use them as a whipping boy against us as the airport looney Immams tried. What is meant by your statement where “INFORMATERS WHO PRETEND TO ENCOURAGE VIOLENCE” mean, this seems to make no sense. Why would any rational person be an informer who pretends to encourage violence or bother to inform on someone who pretends to encourage violence ???? Why would anyone PRETEND TO ENCOURAGE VIOLENCE in a peaceful society???? That doesn’t seem to make any sense to me. Perhaps you could explain what you mean!!!!!!!!
Instead of platitudes about peace and safety, I would much rather see those reponsible people in the Muslim world begin to condem the actions of those I have observed. THis would be much more meaningful to the American public. Then again, this may be impossible because I think I can safely predict that you might be the victim of the next atrocity from what I have observed. There seems to be so much fear among adherants of the Muslim faith that they might fall victime themselves if they were to separate their religion from a way of governing such as Sharia Law, that it may be impossible for a Muslim to ever assimilate in a truly free society. Given this, perhaps the entire world would be better off if all Muslims would simply move to Mecca, what say you!!
My hope is that there would emerge a Muslim majority that would condem openly the nonsense the world has seen from what we identify as the Muslim world commlunity, but to date I haven’t seen any movement in this direction. HOW CAN ANYONE FEEL SAFER WHEN THE ACTIONS SPEAK SO LOUD AND THERE ARE NO VOICES IN DIRECT OPPOSITION?????????? Chipping out a favored spot in society where common sense laws utilized for hundreds of years now are modified for a single group conforming to some foreign laws is not the way. Profiling is a natural thing towards self preservation during a war and hostilities exhibited across the world when it comes to the MUSLIM WAY. When we fought the Germans, we profiled them as Germans before they were killed, the same with the Japanese, they were profiled as Japanese before they were killed. I don’t see much wrong with the basic profiling, but it should not necessarily lead to killing like it does when the shoe is on our feet and we are looked upon as pigs, infidels etc. I would like your thoughts on this.
Sincerely,
Chuck Nelson
ROGER TOOGOOD said
on January 28 2007 @ 8:19 pm
Just a brief note to let you know that I really appreciated your article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on 1-28-07. I think you are right on!!
What I see as a white male American is a growing hostility toward all Muslims because of the behavior of a few. I have been saying for a year that the “Good Guys” should be speaking up.
It is my understanding that Islam does not have a top down structure like most religions and thus it is difficult to have one voice. I have been saying that it is a small percentage of the 1 billion plus Muslims in the world that are the extremists but the lack of articles like yours feeds the flames that the majority are being silent because they agree with the bad folks.
Roger Toogood
Frances Hillier said
on January 29 2007 @ 10:45 am
Dear Mr. Memon,
Your story was printed in the St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN). Thank you for a great piece. It was well done, informative, and concise.
Keep up the good work, and I hope other Muslims will be encouraged to speak out. All Americans need to be reminded of the many similarities we all share, as opposed to the small differences.
Frances Hillier, St. Paul, MN
ellen c. bruck said
on January 29 2007 @ 9:09 pm
Dear Sir, I read your article in the sun Thursday, January 25, 2007 and I couldn’t agree more. Why don’t American Muslims speak out on a wide scale? It makes me think that they must agree iwth the extremists. Thank you again for your article. Ellen C. Bruck
Hooma Shah said
on January 29 2007 @ 9:56 pm
This is an excellent article!!! I totally agree and I hope we can work towards achieving the goal of building tolerance and understanding.
Neill Carter said
on January 31 2007 @ 10:44 pm
I keep waiting for Muslims in America to “get it”. You, and others representing the faith, keep demanding that non-Muslim Americans have to “get it”. Let me suggest that your weak prescription will not lead to success on either front. You trot out the hackneyed claims of discrimination and hate crimes without offering any proof of such events or evidence, if they exist, that they are out of proportion to perceived slights by any other group or class in America. It doesn’t help your cause when leaders in your community, such as the six Imams, stage fake discrimination scenes at our airport, or when Somali cab drivers refuse to carry legitimate passengers in the name of Sharia law. Your obscure organization notwithstanding, CAIR, MAS, and a host of similar organizations that have been lionized by our media are widely understood to be the voice of Muslims in America. Their public pronouncements are ALWAYS chauvanistic, and usually antagonistic to America and its great institutions and traditions. Muslims are always right and America is always wrong!Until those of us who understand the critical value and historical success of the “melting pot” theory pass from this earth (or are beaten into submission by our antagonistic MSM, such as the Pioneer Press), America will not be intimidated by a group that does not want to assimilate; that wants all the benefits of citizenship, but few of the obligations. Frankly, as a group you seem to confuse being in America with being an American. Let me suggest that if you really want acceptance and not conquest, you work within the Muslim community to adapt it to America instead of demanding the reverse.
Neill Carter
Gene Touchet said
on February 7 2007 @ 8:00 pm
This article appeared in the February 7, 2007, edition of the Riverside, CA Press-Enterprise.
Excellent. This engagement has been too long in coming.
rara a said
on February 10 2007 @ 1:01 am
I personally also agree with. Being an American Muslim born and raised in America we do need to let people understand that we are as good as them and are not tring to make “Americans” or any other religion Muslims. I am not dening that some muslims are exterimists but thats not how all muslims are. Islam or the Qur’an do not say to make this country Muslims. By the way Susan our children work just as hard as your children to go to a good school we do not have the easy way out. It is enough dealing with people like you everyday. And Susan if all you guys got out of OUR COUNRTY( Palestine, Iraq, and Iran)we will happily leave America. Oh and Mark go reread the Qur’an because what you wrote cannot be found in the HOLY QUR’AN!
Thank you,
Palestianian American Rara Alibaba
AND PROUD TO BE ONE^
Ge Le said
on February 10 2007 @ 6:15 am
My reaction to the Seattle Times and shared earlier with Briggite Gabriel :
============
Responding to Kamran Memon’s guest column yesterday:
===============
Thank you Mr. Memon for shining a little light into the darkness. But so much more is needed! And NOW!
Indeed American Muslims must reach out, but they’re reaching in the wrong direction. We don’t need more Muslims preaching to us infidels how peaceful or benign you are or propagandizing favorable interpretations of the Qu’ran. What good will it do for articulate Muslim scholars to defend verse by verse the words of the Qu’ran, with a TV in the background showing the incredible murderous violence that continues endlessly? Actions speak louder than words.
More and more of us infidels are irritated by Muslims’ endless mantras about how peaceful Islam is, and how much you want to foster friendly inter-religious relationships, all while we see daily televised reports of suicide bombers doing Allah’s will, screaming Alluha Akbar, and celebrating the carnage as people and facilities are being blown up, and as police in England, America and Canada are discovering cells of would-be mass murderers (Muslims) among us.
Ever since 9/11 and my attendance at several seminars with Muslims shortly thereafter, I have urged, in many emails to prominent Muslim organizations, that Muslims become dramatically, visibly, proactively engaged, in reeducating brainwashed Muslims – whether in Chicago, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, or London. Start taking the ‘matches’ away from children in Muslim madrassas and mosques rather than promoting a fire department in New York to extinguish the infernos that result from their insane behavior. Regrettably, both are currently required. For four years I have witnessed none of the action necessary, and partly for a reason you alluded to: As one prominent local Muslim leader replied to me, ‘We’re so busy defending ourselves we don’t have the time or resources to be on the offensive {reeducating brainwashed brethren}.’ Well, you and yours will have to come to grips with that.
I think it’s more than being too busy on defense to generate an offense. I think you’re scared. You want loyal Americans around you to protect you from your own, increasingly demanding every civil right you can imagine, while hiding a collaborative and/or sympathetic relationship with your actual or potential terrorist brethren. If that is not so, you have to convincingly demonstrate otherwise. I know it shouldn’t be that way, but this is a special situation and reality suggests it is. Your people have caused the problem, not Danish Vikings.
How can you do what needs to be done? Voluntarily exposing the plotting terrorists to authorities would be a great start. Being publicly proud of doing so would add an exclamation point to the effectiveness of the action. That will “make Muslims and America safer.†Your life style suggests that your terrorists must be well known to enough of your own that they could and should be arrested and defanged before they blow up rail stations, airplanes, hospitals, market places . . .totally innocent human beings, and themselves. The terroristic plotting cannot be done in isolation. Don’t force our police to exercise extraordinary surveillance measures to try to ferret out potential terrorist activities and then complain that your civil rights are being abused. That only exposes you as double losers. Once your own realize that they will be exposed from within, I suggest the problem will dwindle to insignificant proportions.
Are you loyal enough to your adopted country to do that? If not, please leave!
Sincerely,
Ge Le
NASA said
on February 11 2007 @ 1:39 am
I DONT THINK PEOPLE CAN HEAR WHAT THIERE SAYING.EVERYBODY,(NOT DEPENDING ON THIER RELIGION)DO HORRIBLE THINGS SUCH RAPESTS,GUN MEN,MURDERS,OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF WRONG THING.TRUST ME (THIS COMING FROM A MUSLIM WHO READS THE QURAN)IT HAS NO SUCH THING AS TAKING OVER THE WORLD AND MAKING EVERYBODY MUSLIM NOBODY HAS THAT POWER BUT GOD.ISLAM IS THE MOST PEACEFUL RELIGION I HAVE EVER STUDIED.JUST BECAUSE THIER ARE MUSIMS WHO DO WRONG THINGS,IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT (TRY) MANY RELIGIONS HAVE MANY BAD PEOPLE.IF SOMEBODY WAS TAKING OVER YOUR CONTRY YOU TO WOULD SACRIFICE YOUR SELF FOR YOUR COUNTRY JUST LIKE THE ARMY IS RIGHT NOW.WHO EVER IS READING THIS,IMAGINE AMERICA ALL COVERED IN DIRT,WITH DEAD PEOPLE LAYING AROUND THE FLOOR AND PARENTS CRING OVER THIER DEAD CHILD’S BODY.
su lu said
on September 9 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Has anyone read Osama Bin Laden’s latest transcript? Oh my, my only option as an American to stop Al Qaeda’s terrorism against America is to rebel against captialism and to worship Islam? Is this guy completely out of touch or what? He will never change peoples’ religions. Sorry Osama, but Christians don’t believe the same thing you do, even if you have some points regarding large corporations and their role in war. Maybe Osama should read the Bible and become a Christian since he believes that Christ is a prophet that was mentioned in the Quran.
cheyenne said
on September 25 2007 @ 12:11 am
This is to susan who comented on january 28, at 143 pm, I am a muslim and have native american blood, this country was founded on the murder of hundreds of native american people. Every person here comes from another country encluding yourself. Land of the free I beleive is what you call this. than , let people worship in the manner that they wish, it is not up to you to judge. If you look at the history of america than look real hard, your forefathers came here to worship in the manner they wished. Muslims are peacefull, islam means peace, understand the quran before you make judgement. thank you
Cindy said
on November 16 2007 @ 5:27 am
Well said, Cheyenne. Judging those who judge others gets us nowhere. To imply that one’s group is better, based on personal belief, IS terrorism–it’s all based on the same premise. My wish is that human beings could truly understand and empathize with others differences. Otherwise, it’s just arguing back and forth, and no one is every right.
Aamir said
on January 7 2009 @ 8:39 pm
Honestly, I’m a Muslim and I just want to say one thing:
The Qu’ran does not have a single word about killing people to convert to Islam. Also, Islam only commands to fight back if they are endangered and starting to be threatened.