Martin Luther King's Struggle & Muslim Americans "Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve" - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
CA

January 17 marks the 75th birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. On this day Muslim Americans join fellow Americans across the country to honor the legacy of tolerance, peace, and equality of this great civil rights genius.

It is a time to remember his fight for freedom, equality, and dignity of all races and peoples. During his lifetime, Dr. King sought to forge a common ground on which people from all walks of life could join together to address important community issues. Working alongside individuals of all ages, races and backgrounds, he encouraged Americans to come together to strengthen communities, alleviate poverty and acknowledge dignity and respect for all human beings. His teachings and actions touched and altered the lives of all Americans in the late 20th century.

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered a 16-minute speech in Washington DC - I have a dream - which is widely considered as the greatest American speech of the 20th century. It helped shape the civil and human rights movement, not only in the United States but also around the world. King's renown grew after this speech and few months later, in January 1964, he became Time magazine's "Man of the Year." "I have a dream," King told the crowd, "that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

He concluded with these immortal words: "When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all God's children - black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics - will be able to join hands and sing in the words of that old Negro spiritual: 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" King's message is still relevant today. Some of the dream has been fulfilled. But much still remains to be accomplished. A year later, in December 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

His Nobel Prize acceptance speech celebrated the accomplishments of the men and women striving for civil rights and it also acknowledged that their struggle for human rights was ongoing: "This faith (in the future of mankind) can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born." Though Americans continue to fight for basic freedoms, it was the dedication of African Americans in the civil rights movement that paved the way for every other social movement that followed in the US.

Their civil rights movement inspired millions of Americans, including those organizing the anti-war raffles and protests in support of Muslims, minorities, and immigrants who are being illegally detained and discriminated against today. Despite the years of struggle, this movement has inspired Americans to take a great leap forward in the noble effort to give every citizen, in the words of the US Declaration of Independence, their right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The work is not yet finished. As we celebrate King's birthday, Muslim Americans find his inspiring example in their civil rights struggle.

As our German, Japanese and African-American friends and neighbors experienced in the past, the Muslim American community is now facing a similar challenge. However, by understanding the historic plight of others and reflecting on the state of our own community today, it will be possible to truly learn great lessons from the legacies of the past-movements. The best expression of American Muslims' inspiration from the legacy of Martin Luther King would be their enthusiastic joining of the civil rights and peace movement rallies, marches and processions marking this day.

This will surely prove a massive outreach effort to build bridges with other civil rights and peace groups and movements in order to protect and preserve their own civil liberties after 9/11. Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Executive Editor of online magazine American Muslim Perspective: www.amperspective.com

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