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American Muslim Leadership Discuss the Aftermath Of September 11th
WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (IslamOnline) - The Muslim American Society (MAS) and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) held a summit last weekend in Fall Church, Virginia to discuss the aftermath of last month's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The meeting of the national Muslim leadership was aimed at discussing the new realities resulting from the attacks and what they may mean for the future of the Muslim community.
"The Muslim leaders are required, now more than ever before, to provide the clear vision, the answers to the challenging questions of our time, and the plan to lead our community through these difficult times into its better future," read a statement issued by the organizers.
The response of the leadership of national organizations and nationally recognized Muslim intellectuals reflected the high sense of responsibility and the feeling of the urgency for such a summit. Only those national leaders who could not relieve themselves from prior commitments were the ones who did not make it to the summit.
Presiding over the summit was Dr. Souheil Ghannouchi presided over the summit, which was co-chaired by Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah.
"The tragic events of Sept. 11 constitute a defining moment for America that created a new reality for American Muslims," said Ghannouchi. "We need to analyze and assess the mixed reaction of first and second generations, as well as the mixed reaction of our fellow citizens towards Islam and Muslims.
"On one hand, the Muslim community was taken by fear and lived for a while under siege. There are also some signs of shame and guilt among Muslim youth. On the other hand, while the charged atmosphere caused paranoia and encouraged bigotry, suspicions and backlashes, there is an unprecedented interest in Islam and tremendous support and sympathy, a clear dissociation between Islam and terrorism, and a firm recognition of Muslims as an integral part of the American social fabric."
Ghannouchi said the events of September 11th had raised important questions among Muslims and all Americans. He said these questions have "provided the Muslim community [with] a golden opportunity to integrate itself in the society and position itself as a bridge with the Muslim world."
"This opportunity can be seized if we can engage all elements in the society, articulate our message," he added, "developing an American Muslim culture and identity, participate in existing [or initiate] programs and institutions designed to serve the society at-large."
Regarding the Da'wa [invitation] and intellectual challenges the American Muslim community must now face, the organizers said the community ought to "De-politicize Da'wa, i.e., not hinging the education of the public about Islam on specific political views or issues."
They also stated the need to examine/evaluate Da'wa materials by Muslim scholars, stating that this material need to be compiled, sorted out, and classified according to the purpose that it can serve and the suitable target audience, in order to respond to the tremendous interest in Islam by the public.
There is also a need to address from Islamic perspective the fundamental issues of citizenship, loyalty and allegiance and a need to define the meaning and role of being citizens of the U.S., they stated.
The leaders also addressed legal challenges facing the community and government fears and suspicions regarding American Muslims and Arabs.
A "Muslim Legal Defense Fund" was proposed by Solidarity International to handle Muslim cases, including those of the 700 Muslims who are currently being detained. The objective of the proposed fund is to ensure that proper legal procedures are observed and to look after the helpless families of the detainees. It will also try to offer training and legal awareness and build coalition with other civil rights groups.
Regarding the political challenges facing the community, the leaders discussed how to address government fears and suspicious regarding Muslims, and opposing any attempt to isolate or marginalize Muslims by extreme groups or individuals.
They emphasized the need to balance our priorities between domestic and international issues, and address international issues from an American Muslim perspective. Also addressed was the concept of "with us or against us," where summit organizers rejected any suggestion that opposing a certain policy or choice of our government is tantamount to disloyalty.
"The need for broad and consistent political participation at all levels, not just national elections, and the need to strive for actual access to the political system not just symbolic recognition," the statement said.
They also addressed leadership challenges and the need to address the coverage of Muslim and Arab issues in the media.
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