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American Muslims: Towards a New Agenda
By Dr. Saleh Saleh
Introduction:
Muslims in America, though relatively modest in number, and their recent involvement in public life has its own history. Muslims began migrating to the United States in large numbers in the late forties and early fifties. Although many of the first Muslims to come to America were actually the Africans brought here by force, most of them lost their religion to Christianity due to the slave trade's policies and practices. Hence, in this article, we will discuss the wave of Muslim professionals, most of whom were from Pakistan, to America in the mid-Seventies.
When these Muslim physicians, engineers, students and other professionals came to the U.S.A., the American Muslim community began organizing and building mosques along ethnic and national lines. Besides the Pakistanis, Syrian and East European Muslims built these mosques to be used as social centers as well as prayer halls. This defense mechanism allowed these early Muslims to protect their identities from the still foreign American society.
However, Muslim students coming to the United States to pursue their education did not find these first mosques suitable to their needs. They established the Muslim Students Association of the U.S.A. and Canada (MSA) in order to bring all Muslim students together at regular meetings. The MSA has been effective in helping its members to maintain their identities as Muslims, and propagate Islam through the publication of Islamic materials and other Dawah efforts.
Muslim Activism
Initially, Muslims restricted their practices to establishing the five prayers, and teaching Arabic and Islamic Studies on weekends. They either secured small buildings or rented space in which to hold activities. Later, some communities built larger mosques and eventually full-time schools.
These programs were initiated primarily to preserve the Muslims' identity. This limited activism was a result of a Muslim mentality that was basically isolationist. Many immigrants considered that they would not be staying in the U.S.; therefore, it was better for them and their children to keep themselves insulated from the society around them.
Most of these immigrant Muslims did not have a sense of belonging in America, which resulted in the development of two attitudes: that Muslims would not be accepted in this society without total assimilation; and that any relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims should be restricted to Dawah efforts.
These two groups were both mistaken in their views. The first group, thinking that assimilation was the only solution to their identity crises, eventually surrendered their identities; yet, they still were not accepted. The second group viewed all non-Muslims as mere targets for Dawah; otherwise, they treated their fellow Americans as strangers. It is very important for those who want to exercise their citizenship in this country to think of others not as strangers, but as neighbors.
Why did this kind of attitude appear among American Muslims? The first wave of Muslims to migrate to this country came during the post-colonial period when western powers had vacated most Muslim countries to be replaced by new Arab regimes.
The Islamic values and traditions of these countries suffered under both the old and new regimes. The secular nationalist governments mostly came to power after bloody revolutions. Many of the new immigrants to America did not know much about Islamic practices and values; consequently, they were unable to construct Islamic identities in the new environment.
The second wave of Muslims was mainly composed of professionals who had witnessed what has been called an Islamic Revival. At that time, they mostly held radical views about Islam. Now, in their late forties and fifties, these same professionals tend to be more moderate, and more accepting of the new reality in this society. They are sometimes taunted by their fellow Muslims and called moderates.
In their quest to preserve their identities, most of the Islamic organizations that they established adopted what I call the "convention syndrome" to bring as many Muslim families and students as possible together periodically in a semi-Islamic environment where they socialized and garnered Islamic knowledge. Imams and scholars came to help strengthen the community's ties with its religion and culture.
When this generation of Muslim professionals began experiencing problems raising their children in a non-Muslim society, they were forced to think differently about assimilation and close contact with the American culture through public school education. A movement to establish Islamic schools began which paved the way to the changes we now see in Muslim thinking. Although the number of Muslim schools in America is presently limited to approximately two hundred, it is growing and an organization known as the Society of Islamic Schools in North America (SECNA) has been established. Unfortunately, there have been no studies conducted as of yet to evaluate the role of Islamic schools and their impact on Muslim youth.
As for politics, these Muslim immigrants did not involve themselves in the political process. Christian Arabs, on the other hand, got involved in politics early. It was not until the late Eighties and the early Nineties that Islamic organizations were established to encourage Muslims to have a political voice. The American Muslim Council (AMC) was the first such Islamic organization to be founded with a clear determination to get Muslims to vote and participate in political life. Other organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), American Muslim Alliance (AMA), and Muslim Public Affairs Committee have also been established for the same purpose. They have been successful in igniting zeal among Muslim professionals and young people to have a voice in public life.
Agenda for the Future
It is very important for the Muslim community that we establish a new and relevant agenda for the future. The Muslim presence in this country is a reality, and it is no longer useful to retain conventional ideas and strategies.
One of the major keys to our future is the preparation of our youth to participate politically. This preparation will require Islamic organizations to move from the "convention" stage to a more practical and appropriate means of organizing and convening our community. One possible method of preparation is the establishment of political training centers.
A second important priority must be for our community to learn to work together regardless of our differences. It is the role of the Ulema to help the Ummah here in the U.S. to become strong despite, and on account of, our diversity which should not be considered a weakness; rather, it should be viewed as a strength that can be utilized for the betterment of the community.
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