Can Muslims
Be Good Americans?
By Dr. Abidullah A.
Ghazi (PhD, Harvard)
Executive Director
IQRA’ International Educational Foundation
Attacks against Islam and Muslims,
made by individuals representing a wide range
of questionable motives, are disturbingly becoming
more and more overt in the American media. Most
of these written assaults against Islam and Muslims
can hardly be labeled academic expressions of
any serious merit. More often, they are sloppy
observations, comments, slurs and insults designed
to misinform public and injure Muslim feelings.
To list the foremost prompters of these Islamophobic
invectives in the media would be exhaustive and
includes some prominent names; however, we must
gratefully note that the overwhelming majority
of Christian and Jewish denominations in America
have refused to take part in such malicious anti-Muslim
propaganda and continue to openly engage Muslims
in dialogue.
When reading the writings of these Islamophobes
one cannot help but perceive a goal of agitating
the non-Muslim citizens of the United States against
their fellow Americans of the Islamic faith. A
close similarity this evil design (along with
their half-truths passed off as fact) has with
the venomous anti-Semitic propaganda of pre-WWII
Nazi Germany is chilling indeed. What dismays
Muslims most is the fact that there has yet to
be any widespread outcry against it from more
levelheaded members of government, the media or
churches and synagogues. Certainly such material
would generate a massive uproar if directed against
other racial, ethnic or religious minorities.
The reason for my writing this cursory response
to something that I would normally have ignored
is in deference to some of my associates who implored
me to respond, and for good reason. Many respected
Muslim Americans had been approached by well-meaning
Jewish and Christian colleagues with several confrontational
and inflammatory pieces of writing they had come
across via the Internet. These Muslims felt the
need to put together a response so that those
who wanted to know the true Islamic position on
the issues raised could find satisfactory answers.
A lack of rejoinder from Muslims may allow our
non-Muslim friends to view the allegations as
the final position of our faith. Therefore, as
per request from my friends, I have accepted the
responsibility to reply to these accusations,
not only to make my friends happy, but to use
this opportunity to explain the Islamic position
vis-à-vis these questions; the questions
that maybe irksome for some and perplexing for
others.
The article in question is on the Internet and
in its full form is roughly two pages in length.
Its author is none other than the Rev. Anis Shorrosh,
a Palestinian Christian who has since the 1980s
made quite a name for himself for bashing Islam.
Rev. Shorrosh has written several virulently inaccurate
and hate-filled books, including Islam Revealed
and Islam: A Threat or A Challenge. One of his
more recent feats has been the creation of a mock
Qur’an known as the True Furqan, an outlandish
parody which has been made available for widespread
distribution.
At the commencement of the piece under discussion,
Rev. Shorrosh poses the question, “Can a
devout Muslim be an American patriot and loyal
citizen?” He then proceeds to provide us
with a reply that, in essence, asserts that Muslims
can hardly be considered decent human beings,
let alone good Americans. Thus Rev. Shorrosh,
a “man of God”, not only displays
his abhorrence of Muslims worldwide, but more
so of Muslim Americans. Portions of the complete
article have been anonymously sent out over the
Internet with words encouraging readers to continue
passing on his article with the words: “Pass
it on; this war is bigger than we know!!”
My response to Rev. Shorrosh is not based on my
own opinion, but rather on the two sources of
Islamic faith and law: the Qur’an and Tradition
of the Prophet (the Sunnah). These two are the
wellsprings that 1.5 billion human beings hold
dear to their lives. The Qur’an and Tradition
of the Prophet, enjoin upon Muslim to be best
models of humanity and law-abiding residents in
the societies in which they live. Therefore Muslim
Americans not only have a religious obligation
to be loyal citizens, and in their actions they
have time and time again proven themselves to
be good for America in every sense of this word
as friends, neighbors, colleagues and professionals.
Thus for Muslims the issue is not if they could
be but in fact they are model human beings and
very good and productive citizens whose loyalty
and education is without semblance of doubt. If
some of us Muslims have not fulfilled our societal
obligations it is due to our own human frailties
not some supposed defect within our Sacred Scripture
or in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace
be upon him).
Let me first respond to some of the arguments
that Rev. Shorrosh has presented in his attempt
to demonstrate that Muslims cannot, no matter
how they try, be dedicated and loyal American
citizens. He furnishes the reader with nine questions
and an already constructed response on each. He
asks:
“Can a devout Muslim be an
American patriot and loyal citizen?”
1). Theologically, no. Because his allegiance
is to Akbar [sic!], the moon god of Arabia.
First let me clarify that Muslims
do not worship a “moon god” called
Akbar or any other god save the One God, the God
of Abraham and the One God of all the other prophets
and messengers (upon them all be peace!). The
personal name of that God in the Arabic language
is Allah (which in Hebrew is Eloah, or in the
Aramaic of Jesus Alaha). In the Islamic tradition
Allah is also known by ninety-nine beautiful names,
none of which is “Akbar” as Rev. Shorrosh
refers to here. Two of most frequently used of
these names of Allah are ar-Rahman, “Most
Gracious” and ar-Rahim, “Most Merciful.”
Allah is the Lord and Master (Rabb and Malik)
of all humanity and the entire cosmic order. He
is the same God Who is worshipped by the Jews
and Christians, not some alien deity or as some
(like Craig Winn) have viciously suggested, Satan
himself!
Muslims believe that Allah revealed His final
book, the Qur’an, to the Prophet Muhammad
(Peace and blessings be upon him). In short, the
central and core message presented in the Qur’an
is Tawhid, “the Oneness of God”. It
teaches Muslims to not only worship One God, but
to enjoin good and prevent evil (Qur’an
3: 104, 110). Prophet Muhammad was a model on
how to practice the teachings of the Qur’an
in daily life. The message of the Qur’an
and traditions of Prophet Muhammad teach how to
be good model human beings. It directs believers
to respect both the rights of the Creator (huquq
Allah) as well as the rights of humanity (huquq
al-cibad). The Qur’an teaches us not only
to return the good that others may do to us with
some thing good (Qur’an 55:60) but to return
any harm done to us with benevolence, or ahsan
(Qur’an 41:34) How can a Muslim not be a
decent human being and ideal citizen if he or
she follows such Divine injunctions?
“Can a devout Muslim be an
American patriot and loyal citizen?”
2) Scripturally, no. Because his allegiance is
to the five pillars of Islam and the Qur’an.
For those who may not know Islam
lays down five fundamental acts of belief and
action which are called the “Five Pillars.”
These are:
a. Shahadah: To bear witness that “There
is no god but One God and Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah.”
b. Salah: Five daily prayers, each of which concludes
with a prayer for the well-being of all the children
and followers of Abraham.
c. Sawm: Fasting in the month of Ramadan, the
ninth month of Islamic lunar calendar.
d. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Makkah. This is made once
in a lifetime for those who can afford it and
are in good health. This pilgrimage to the first
House of God, established by our common spiritual
ancestors, Abraham and his eldest son Ishmael.
e. Zakat: This is a minimum obligatory charity
on the savings that the affluent must pay t the
needy of the society. For the maximum there is
no limit.
Viewing these Five Pillars, an impartial observer
will find them to be surprisingly close to Biblical
values, demonstrating that Islam is a continuation
of the traditions of earlier prophets and their
upright teachings. These Five Pillars strengthen
a Muslim’s faith in Allah and humanity at
large. They offer a comprehensive plan for spiritual
purification, social fulfillment and mutual cooperation.
How can a people who are obliged to be spiritually
pure, socially interactive and economically concerned
for others not be good human being or good citizens?
“Can a devout Muslim be an
American patriot and loyal citizen?”
3). Geographically, no. Because his allegiance
is to Mecca for he turns toward it in prayer five
times a day.
This answer is in itself fraught
with defective reasoning. Mecca [Makkah] is a
city, not a political entity to which one can
make his or her “allegiance”. Makkah
is a city in Arabia that was founded centuries
before by Abraham, his wife Hagar, and his eldest
son, Ishmael. It houses the House of God, called
the Ka’bah (Qur’an 2:124-131). It
is the most sacred sanctuary in the world to Muslims.
As mentioned above, Muslims are required to make
the pilgrimage (Hajj) to it once in a lifetime.
Believers turn toward the Ka’bah five times
a day when they pray following the tradition of
their Prophet Abraham, our common ancestor.
However, Muslims do not owe political allegiance
to the city or any of those who may be ruling
over it now or in the past, be it mayor or king.
Nor do the rulers of Saudi Arabia (who control
Mecca politically nowadays) claim all Muslims
to be their subjects. If belonging to a religion
that has its holiest of shrines or roots in foreign
lands disallows one from belong a “true”
American? Are we ready to level the same charge
against American Jews, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants
and Catholics? The laws of the United States grant
all of its citizens the freedom of worship (or
abstaining from worship). Muslim Americans utilize
this liberty, as do Americans of other faiths,
so as to enhance their spirituality, improve their
character and help serve society.
It must also be remembered that America is a country
that was built through the efforts of immigrants,
be they English Puritans, German farmers, Jewish
shopkeepers or Mexican day-laborers. To ask Americans
not to have empathy (which is not to be confused
with allegiance!) for the countries from which
their forefathers hailed is as unreasonable as
it is un-American.
“Can a devout Muslim
be an American patriot and loyal citizen?”
4). Socially, no. Because his allegiance to Islam
demands that he make no friends of Christians
and Jews. Q.[ur’an] 5:51
Muslims have allegiance to Islam as much as Jews,
Christians and other religious communities to
their respective faiths. Islam is a religion that
recognizes at its very core the legitimacy of
the faith traditions that came before it. As a
faith it manifestly teaches religious tolerance
(Qur’an 2:256 and 109:6), regardless of
how bigots throughout history and modern-day Islamophobes
have twist the Qur’an to prove otherwise.
This attitude of tolerance has historically manifested
itself and has overshadowed whatever tolerance
may have been offered by pre-modern Western civilization.
This tolerance made the lands of Islam a refuge
for European Jewry as well as for non-conformist
Christians in centuries past.
Both Jews and Christians have a special status
as the “People of the Book” in Islam.
Historically they were given the internal autonomy
to practice their faith and manage their own institutions
in the lands of Islam. The Prophet taught Muslims
to protect places of worships and respect religious
institutions of people of other faiths, and even
not to use inappropriate language in conversations
and dialogues. (Qur’an 29:46) Thanks to
these Qur’anic teachings of tolerance, Muslim
lands were once centers of peace and cultural
development for all the peoples that lived within.
The verse that Rev. Shorrosh provides as evidence
for “Islamic” intolerance needs to
be put into proper context. In times of hostilities
Muslims are advised not to accept as WALIS those
who may stand against them; it is an Arabic term
that does not translate as “friend”
or even “associate”. Rather it means
“protector” or “guardian.”
In times of peace Islam encourages cooperation
and social interaction with not only People of
the Book but with all humanity (Qur’an 5:2).
Moreover Islam enjoined birr (good) and qist (justice)
towards all human beings irrespective of their
faith, if they are not violently hostile towards
Muslims. Now, birr is the characteristic that
Qur’an prescribes for the children toward
their parents. Thus in the teachings of the Qur’an
even a stranger is worthy of birr and qist for
his/her right as human.
(To be continued)
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