November 07, 2008

In the Ring 

Forty-four years ago, Muhammad Ali stepped into the ring in the state of Maine in the US to defend his heavyweight boxing crown in the rematch title fight against Sonny Liston (a convicted criminal).  Ali – who had won a boxing gold medal for the US in the Rome Olympics of 1960 – was booed by a hostile crowd because he had publicly proclaimed himself as a Muslim and was for the first time fighting under the name of Muhammad Ali in lieu of his birth name, Cassius Clay.  The commentator in that fight, which lasted one round, insisted, however, in referring to Ali as Cassius Clay. 

Forty-four years later, the only hurdle in the path of Barrack Hussain Obama from becoming the 44th President of the United States is a carefully orchestrated campaign to stir up xenophobic prejudice among American voters by depicting Obama as a Muslim operating under the camouflage of Christianity.

Twenty-eight million free copies have been distributed in America of an inflammatory DVD en-captioned “Obsession”, which seeks to exploit fears and incite hatred against Muslims, according to a report in The Washington Post of October 26.  An estimated $50 million were spent on this project by a New York-based organization.  The Washington Post story further revealed that this so-called ‘educational’ documentary was produced by Israeli filmmaker Raphael Shore.  The one-hour DVD appears timed to coincide with the US Presidential race.  A follow-up DVD called “The Third Jihad” has also been made. 

America’s former top military commander as well as its former top diplomat, General Colin Powell, took this matter head-on when he told NBC-News on October 19 that senior Republican leaders had warned him that Obama is a Muslim.  The clear inference here is that Obama is not to be trusted since he is now ‘not one of us’.  To quote Powell directly: “I’m … troubled with … what members of the party say and it is permitted to be said, such things as, ‘Well, you know Mr. Obama is a Muslim.’  Well, the correct answer is that Mr. Obama is not a Muslim.  He’s a Christian. … But the really right answer is: What if he is?  Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?”

This is a core point which Muslims at every level everywhere need to make repeatedly and forcefully.

 

There are some well-to-do expatriate Muslims in the West who tend to believe that they are better or better off than their impoverished brethren back home and claim that the best minds of the Muslim world, along with the brightest ideas, are residing in the West.  If so, there is little evidence of innovative solutions to longstanding problems.  The other day, a leading American scholar on Islam and an advocate of popular Muslim aspirations told me that it is distressing to watch so many of America’s Muslim elites vying for photo opportunities with the top brass.  He was equally critical of their public deportment and demeanor which further isolates them from Main Street. 

The Pakistani segment of the American Muslim community may be the most promising.  Yet, some of the well-educated are mired in the soap-opera-like minutia of Pakistan politicking and often seem bogged down in blogs, fruitless talk shows, and exchanging insults in cyber-space. They can be loud critics of governance in Pakistan but are relatively quiet about doings in America.  This contributes to a constricted view that further marginalizes Muslims.  The result is a community which is neither active, nor effective. 

Here, there are stark differences between the Indian American community – which is making huge inroads – and the Pakistani American community.  The old Shakespearean adage may hold equally true today: “A frail heart never won a fair lady.” 

The Muslim youth in America individually are bright and articulate.  But, crucially, what is yet to be demonstrated is the internal drive to operate as a fighting unit on a higher terrain. 

A psychology of fear can cancel all the talent in the world. 

The prominence of Islam and Pakistan in the socio-political discourse in America presents a considerable opening for American Muslims to prepare and present their case.  More significantly, it is an opportunity to engage in a dramatic re-thinking of their own misplaced priorities, which has made them an easy target.  There are encouraging signs that US society and polity may be receptive to a fresh message from Muslims. 

To its credit, The Washington Post, in its editorial of October 21, emphatically endorsed what Colin Powell said, and emphasized that “his comments on Muslims in America bear repeating – and repeating.”  To face this challenge, the Muslims need to step up to the ring and fight with the spirit of Muhammad Ali.