In 2016 Let Us Try Plan B
By Azher Quader
Chicago, IL

2015 has been a tough one for Muslims in America as well as around the globe. The deadly terror attack in San Bernadino claiming 14 lives was a flas point domestically for heightened hate and increased Islamophobia.

Over 60 mosques were torched or vandalized in 2015, said CAIR, many more than in prior years. Globally the rise of ISIS with their video beheadings of western civilian victims and the massacres in Paris which left over 130 dead along with the Charlie Hebdo killings earlier in the year, gave enough reason for Muslim hate mongers to promote their agenda of hate against all Muslims.

Many polls now show our love level within ordinary American circles is at an all-time low. So where do we go from here in 2016?

Our previous plans appear not to have delivered on their promises thus far. Here is what we were told to do and we did before.

Plan A: We broke our alleged code of silence to repeatedly and vociferously denounce terror incidents whenever and wherever they took place. We hugged and kissed every pastor, priest and rabbi we could find willing to join our interfaith dialogues and dinners. We fought our way through countless zoning wars to build our sacred spaces, within quiet neighborhoods and on busy street corners. We rolled out dozens of ‘huffaz’ from every major mosque, to lead our prayers and thrill us with their recitations during Ramadan. We packed every prayer hall to capacity each Friday for Jumah. We gave millions in charity to help relieve the sufferings of grief-stricken communities in far off lands. We sported beards, we wrapped scarfs, we ate halal, we fasted, we prayed, we refrained from alcohol and drugs.

All this and more we did with little benefit, as the hate has mounted, the rage has grown. When we reached the shores of America as new immigrants half a century ago, determined to find our rightful place in the country that was to be our new home, this was our game plan, this was the ‘Prophetic Way’. So why are we still hated? Why do they want us to stay out of the country? Why do they want to burn down our mosques? Why do they want to kill us? Can we blame it all on bigotry? Can we pin it all on ISIS? Is this the traditional route to mainstream in America?

Every community, new to the country we were told, endures it. Must we too? If not, is there a Plan B? Clearly, reasonable people would look at the facts and question the approach, if our outcomes do not match our desires. If Plan A is failing us, should there not be a Plan B to follow?

Our faith demands to reflect and to act with reason. May be it is time for us to stop playing the blame game and come to terms with our reality. If our future is to be any different, then our present needs to change. Consider our self-indulgent lifestyles living for the day, as if there is no tomorrow. Consider our choice to remain isolated from the society we live in, unacquainted with the problems that trouble it. Consider our lip service for the blessings of unity when we segregate in mosques by language and culture. Consider the toxic environment within our religious institutions where our women’s voices are not heard, their demands are unmet, where egos are high, where trust is low and accountability lower still. Consider our claims for piety when our mosque employees are put behind bars for financial fraud. Consider our indifference to the plight of the homeless, the underserved, the undocumented the uninsured as we go about our daily lives too busy to learn or to care. Consider our search for guts and glory on one hand and our scare to cross a line, risk a loss, take a fall, leave a friend, embrace a foe. Consider our desire to serve the other with the time and talent we have, yet abstain from doing so, from paralyzing fears of liability concerns. Consider our claims for lack of time when asked to do the uncomfortable, when there is always time we can find, to do the comfortable.

It all begins with us. The problem is not with Islam or its teachings, it is the way we have understood it and the way we practice it. Plan B, if we had one, would be different. It would begin with a new vision of our mission and our purpose in life. A vision which tells us that the highest form of worship is to serve fellow man. That we cannot serve the other without compassion in our hearts. That we are our brothers’ keepers. A mission which reminds us that without justice there can be no peace, no security, no happiness. It would require us to practice our faith in ways we have not practiced it for a long time. Not through meditation but through action. Not through indifference but through involvement. It would make us honest and humble discarding that heavy garment of arrogance we have been wearing so long, to cover our ignorance. It will make us engaged and involved in the communities we live in, forcing us to enter the field, not to watch from the sidelines. It will demand a level of courage that will mock the fears of the faint hearted, giving us the audacity to risk failure and rise from every fall. It will require a degree of sacrifice so great that it will sometimes become hurtful enough, to cross the thresholds of pain. It will necessitate discipline that will allow us to practice what we preach, deliver on promises we make, show patience when angered.

With the dawn of a new day and the start of a new year, can we become ready and willing to embark upon this awesome journey called Plan B? Here could be the beginning steps. First we reform ourselves taking on His colors so that we practice what we preach: compassion, justice, education, engagement, patience, humility, charity, chastity, courage. That could be the short list for our essential self-improvement. Then we engage with our societal institutions to promote the acceptance of these values, starting with our families, where we become better role models to love and be loved, as parents, as spouses, as siblings. This much is a must and an important imperative to pursue if we are to preserve as a viable community in the future.

Today the institution of family in America is under assault from many directions. The landmark decision just a few months ago from the Supreme Court, legalizing same sex marriages, is the most recent one of this. We have redefined marriage, denying the wisdom of ages. More than 50 percent of the kids are born out of wedlock. Less than 14 percent of them are growing up in a traditional family unit anymore, with two parents. Pew research shows these alarming trends and we need to pay attention, if we are not to become a statistic too.

Then our social, educational, financial, religious, civic and political organizations should come into our circle of interest and influence. Not all of us can impact all of these societal systems individually, but each one of us has the potential capacity to get involved with at least one of these systems based on our interest or education, to make a difference.

Our community has already made a huge investment in making sure our youth get the best education they can obtain. Without question the major determinant for breaking the cycle of poverty or to assure financial security for the future, remains education. So it is a wise investment. But when we look under the hood, things are not so good. The cost of a college education makes our youth sometimes debtors for life! Is that just? Is that reasonable? In a country so rich and affluent, with so many struggling to break the shackles of poverty, should college not be more affordable or even free? As a community of faith promoting justice, should we not advocate for justice in our educational system as well? When establishing our own educational institutions should we not lead with examples that reflect our own better values? Sadly the pre-college education we are providing has a price tag today that adds to the overall educational bill of a child planning to go to college. We can and should do better by revisiting and revamping our weekend educational programs and investing in online education that could be free. Healthcare: . How just and equitable is our system in which some 30 million have little or no access to affordable healthcare? And we are not even counting the 11 million more who are undocumented and have no access either. As professionals belonging to a community of faith, can we and should we not do more, to help the underserved and the uninsured? What does it take? We can open our private clinics to at least see a few of these on a discounted fee schedule, so they do not wind up going to the Emergency Room for every time they fall sick. How much does it cost in time and money? Our doctors practicing in small towns and big cities can stay in their own offices and use their own resources without losing much time nor money. Imagine the power of goodwill created, not to mention the compassion practiced.

Refugee Service: Take a look at the refugee crisis that has become center-stage these days in our nation’s politics. For a number of years now Iraqi, Bangladeshi and Somali refugees have been coming to our country and placed in the custody of Christian agencies and ministries. Our mosques have remained uninvolved thus far. Can we and should we not do better? Often times these refugees have language barriers to overcome and know nothing about the system in which they are thrown in. By becoming their partners we can mentor them and show them the way. Is that not the Prophetic Way again? Muslims helping Muslims, ‘muhajireen’ and ‘ansaar’.

Civic Engagement: Let us talk about civic engagement, step one for political empowerment. In less than a year we will go to the polls to elect a new President. How many of us will take the trouble to vote? How many of us are even registered to vote? Does it matter? Yes it does if we want to be visible and be heard. Both Democrats and Republicans may pursue similar military ambitions abroad, but there is much to gain and lose domestically by who gets elected and gets to nominate the next one or two judges to the Supreme Court. The Congress and the Supreme Court exercise enormous influence over our lives locally by the laws they pass and enforce. Here again the ‘Prophetic Way’ is clearly pointing towards engagement with the system, requiring us to participate.

Our mosques could become hubs for voter registration, voter education and voter mobilization. Only when we are sufficiently engaged will we become undeniably relevant to the politicians and the policy makers in Washington and City Hall. This then could be the time to organize.

So this is but a small glimpse of what Plan B could look like. Of course there is much more to it than what has been written here. Each one of us equipped with the right desire and motivated with the vision to serve can add what they believe will enhance the quality of life for all our neighbors. In doing so, we can transform the society we live in to be more just, more peaceful, more secure and more compassionate. Only then would we know if our insistence to be called Americans is sincere. Only then would we know if we are truly at home. As we stand on the threshold of another new year, let us not waste any time. Have a great 2016 and may He bless your work and reward you with good health and much success!