“Islam, Muslims, and America” part 2

Alligence is to America

Hyphenation appears to be offensive to most Americans. Most Americans over thirty years of age have been raised “God, Country, and Religion” which of course refers to the hierarchical belief system predicated upon those who settled the new nation. I like to use the expression: “If you cut me then red, white, and blue blood comes gushing out.”

 

Immediately upon reading Fareed Siddiq’s comments it is easy to see why many Americans would be curious of his demeanor. First, referring to oneself as Muslim-American only serves to show where a particular person’s loyalties lie. Stating such claims as, “I am an American” is so much more profound than “I am a Scottish-Hispanic-African-Canadian-Muslim-American.” Admittedly most Americans upon hearing “Blank-American” feel jaded as though there exists something else more important than what they are aware.

 

Some religions and faiths have been discriminated against and still do not place it before being an American. I haven’t heard of a Catholic-American though the Catholic faith is one of the most oppressed factions of American society. And the Jews! Can we ever stop apologizing?  In my humble opinion, a person is going to receive religious tolerance before any other issue in America because the Founding Fathers made a point of addressing that in the first order of business.

“What are we doing with public diplomacy to change the hearts and minds of a billion and a half Muslims around the world.”

 Quite openly, if I had a question to ask the president of the United States of America I’m not sure it would be this one. However, I do think that President Bush’s answer was really quite good and so did Siddiq, yet not “good enough.”  Allow me if you will: Is it America’s responsibility to change the hearts and minds of a billion people? Seriously, all things being equal, if America tried to make information more readily available (electronic media, leaflets, and a huge student visa problem) through mass media it either would be censored or branded “infidel madness.”

 “It’s the young people I am concerned with. Those are the people we need to try—Not only as Muslims, but as Americans—to make them feel part of America. If you alienate the Muslim young people from America that is dangerous.”

 Isn’t this really the responsibility of ones parents? In American history one would find this to be a backward scenario; in this country it is not being raised as a Muslim, Catholic, Jew, or Hindu; however, it is about—being American—so by raising our children as Americans first with religious belief systems as discipline and character (which is after all what religion is) then younger Americans will not feel alienated insofar as they are in the mainstream.

With all due respect to every new immigrant whether natural or foreign born allow me to respond: Somewhere, in sometime ago, people in their crazed “political correctness” started using terms such as diversity or rather than becoming part of the whole—Melting pot—let’s all be ourselves and throw all caution to the wind and each one of us celebrate our ethnic and cultural heritage—Salad bowl—scenario where each piece of the salad is separate from the whole. Shame on them!

No one can deny that Islam is having an identity problem right now and has for many years. There are renegade factions sprouting up, cells of Islamic fanaticism, and quite a difference in the natural process of aging whereby older Muslims are having a very difficult time with new and younger Muslims. Through change one grows…and through growth one changes.

 

This concludes part two on a short series entitled, “Islam, Muslims, and America.”