Obama's Islam Dunk
By Asma Hasan
Colorado, US
As soon as I sat down in my first NYC taxi ride after the 9/11 attacks, the cab driver, possibly sensing some nervousness on my part, turned around and declared: "I'm not Muslim. I'm Hispanic!" I said, "Well, I am Muslim, and if you don't want to drive me, that's okay."
As pressured as I felt in those days, I think Election 2008 has surpassed them or brought the situation to a crescendo. Jingoistic zealots and New Yorker editors have been reawakening old fears and prejudices, suggesting or outright stating, as McCain supporter and Swift Boat Veteran Bud Day did, that we Muslims are secretly gathering and plotting, laying in wait to kill Americans. I want people to understand that the possibility of terrorism "winning" is especially depressing and dangerous to me. It would mean I've lost the only country and home I have known and that the religion that has comforted me has been destroyed, commandeered by extremists who don't share my love of Islam.
It's not his fault, but because Obama's campaign brought all this to the fore, he has to move this dilemma towards resolution. His comments on Larry King, where he noted that he had been derelict in acknowledging American Muslims and that he understood why we were offended by The New Yorker cover, are good on paper, but his delivery was awkward and uncomfortable. His campaign's alleged instructions to staffers on Obama's trip not to wear any green clothing because of its association with Muslims and suspect Muslim groups doesn't help. As a commenter to this blog said last week, I still want Obama to take off his shoes and visit a mosque. I also want McCain to have a rally with Muslim women (both hijab-wearers and not) lined up behind him. (Hint, hint, McCain, this would be a great way to get some attention away from Obama's World Tour '08!) A candidate who really stands for true American values would have no hesitation in doing either.
Tell me — do you think Obama or McCain owes us a further resolution? When will we as a country become comfortable with Muslims?
Editor's Note: Reprinted from Glamour.com with permission of the
author. Please read the original blog posting at: www.glamour.com/
news/blogs/glamocracy/asma/index.html
