What exactly do you mean by the role of Muslims in the public square?
Answer
Basically, all Muslims are taking part in civic activies in American life. Public square means that Muslims are interacting with the American society in education, business, religious fields and also with the city, state and federal government. From the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC wherever Muslims are interacting with society, that means our role in the public square.
Name
Khadijah
- United States
Profession
Question
What do you think is the most vital role for Muslims to play in the public square?
Answer
I think the most important role that Muslims can play in the public square is to work for the uplifting of this society. When I say "uplifting" I mean being involved with the concerns of this society. If Muslims become the champion for moral issues, family issues, ethnic and racial issues of the people of this land, I think that will be the vital role that Muslims can play. This should not only relate to issues outwardly concerning Muslims, but also issues that concern humanity. Muslims are definitely very active in putting forth their own agenda for Muslim causes, but our vital role in the public square will be when we will become the champion of issues of this society.
Name
Abdullah
- United States
Profession
Question
Can just anybody jump in and get involved, or does it take some kind of specific training to participate effectively in the public square?
Answer
It is not in any need of any training. It could simply be anytime that you are travelling from work or school on the metro or when you are in public, even talking about and discussing these issues with other Americans is considered being involved. A Muslim doesn't need to be trained to be concerned about the important issues. Wherever we live, any Muslim can talk to their neighbor. Where we work, we can talk to our colleagues. Any Muslim, he/she can get involved. It doesn't take special training. Just know the issues and have a concern.
This land is a land that is heavily-laden with volunteer organizations. All those who participate in the public square, they participate in an organized way. So Muslims should also participate on different levels in an organized way. For that reason, I will suggest that on local as well as on the national level and in any field, Muslims should participate in an organized way. That will give us more and better results.
Name
Ahmed
- United States
Profession
Question
What kind of presence in the public square do Muslims have currently?
Answer
The basic thing that we should understand is that Muslims are in the transitional phase of our prescence in the United States. In this transitional phase, Muslims have just started a few years ago to participate in the Muslim issues in America. We now have national organizations. For example, we have AMA, AMC, CAIR, MPAC, and major Islamic centers in different parts of the country. They are taking part in the federal, and to some extent, on the state level, in political activities. Muslim leadership has also been involved with the State Department in a round table discussion for the last two years, where Muslims are presenting their concerns about American foreign policies and the foreign policy-making process. Muslims are also involved in interfaith dialogue and social service activities for our brothers and sisters of this land. Overall, I will say that it is just the beginning. We have a long journey to travel. Muslim prescence is being felt by the American policy-makers, but we have to make it more effective in coming days.
Name
momo2080
- United States
Profession
student
Question
My question is that do you think that the way the Muslim community is going, do you think that we can ever be united??
Answer
Personally, I am very optimistic that the Muslim community in North America is functionally more united than any other community in the Muslim world. The proof is that whenever there is a national or international crisis, generally, Muslim organizations come closer and work together very closely on these issues in order to find a solution to them. In the past couple of years with the issues of Bosnia and Kosova are good examples of this. Unity does not mean that there wont be any differences among ourselves. We are learning the technique of working together and maintaining our differences on some issues.
Name
Saniyyah
- United States
Profession
Question
With our involvement going in the direction that it is, what should we expect of results in the near future?
Answer
If the Muslim community in America becomes strong here, it will have positive results in four directions:
1) Having the capability of establishing institutions of education and training for our next generations, our youth. That is important because in any meeting, we ask the most important issue of this community, there is a resounding call and concern for offering institutions and training for our youth.
2) Interaction with the media, policy-makers in business, education and religious fields, we will be able to present the real picture of Islam in this society and that will make the people of this land to consider another option of living in this world. The whole interaction will create more harmony in this society.
3) If we'll be able to put a dent in the American foreign policy, especially towards Muslim countries, that will also enhance the chances of peace in this world.
4) The stronger Muslim community here in America will certainly be able to put some impact on the social, political, and economic development of the Muslim world. The proof of this is that there are several institutions formed by American Muslims that are working for the betterment of education, health facilities and information technology development in some Muslim countries.
I am very positive that we will have a benefit from our involvement in the American public square in all four directions.
Name
Zahra
- United States
Profession
Question
How has our involvement effected policy in the White House concerning the Muslim community here in America as well as abroad?
Answer
First of all, we should not be naive that our involvement will make a major shift in a very short period of time in the policies made by the White House. It is a long struggle and we should be aware of that and we should prepare ourselves accordingly.
However, the first significant impact of the emerging involvement of the Muslim community here is that this country is no longer being considered as the country of only Christians and Jews. It is now considered a country of Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions. It may be a small step for us, but I felt the significance of this when today a Japanese journalist interviewed me and his most important question was, "Amazingly, how come Muslims have become so important here that America has now become a country of Jews, Christian and Muslims?" For him it was very significant. Therefore, my point is that our involvement is definitely producing results, but if you are interested in seeing a major shift in American policy dealing with Muslims both here and abroad, we have a long way to do.
Name
Mustafa
- United States
Profession
Question
Has there been any major impact in the public square on the local level? Have we made any major impact with our involvement?
Answer
There could be different angles in responding to this question, but I will only mention one angle. We know that we always complain about Muslim bashing in the media. Muslims are being labeled as terrorists in different types of American media. However, if anybody compares American media coverage of the American Muslim community activities over the period of the last five years, that person can see a tremendous change in the behavior of the media.
For example, if you take any of the major newspapers or some TV stations and do a content analysis, what happened five years ago all the way up to what is going on right now in Ramadan coverage, Hajj coverage, different Islamic centers local activities coverage, you will see that there is a positive change in the coverage of Muslim activities in American media. I think that our involvement with the media outlets and media people is directly related to this change. If we continue our efforts in various local fields, I think we will have positive results in all those fields.
Name
Samir
- United States
Profession
Question
Is it premature for us to start seriously considering the idea of getting Muslims into political offices on the local and/or state levels?
Answer
I don't think it is premature. However, we should also not have any wishful thinking that we will have our representation in congress immediately. In different local levels in different parts of the country, Muslims already have representation on educational boards and in city councils. The main thing that we should understand is that American politics has its own dynamics. We should be organized as activists in different pockets of the United States.
The first achievement will be that the present elected official will feel the importance of Muslim prescence. Muslim representation on the local, state and/or federal levels will come afterwards. So it may look like a dream, but we have to take the first step to travel a long journey.
Name
Akram
-
Profession
Question
Dr. Bukhari,
Can you give me your assessment of the depth of involment of Muslims in public American life up-to-date?
Answer
I think I have answered a similar question in this dialogue already. We have just started to participate in the American public square. The level of our effectiveness is certainly lower than our numbers. Some other ethno-religious groups in America are more effective politically than their number in this society. We should not copy their model, but we should strive to present our case and to be heard in this society. So, we are the new kid on the block and we have started recently but I am positive that, Insha Allah, we'll be catching up very soon.
Name
Mary
- United States
Profession
Question
Why do Muslims care only about involvement in political life...Where are they in Education, Science and Entertainment as well as volunteering to do charity work outside their own narrow domain?
Answer
Sister Mary, I think you made the same question that I have elaborated on before, but you hit the nail on the head. The involvement of Muslims in the public square means that Muslims should not only be involved in the political field, but also be involved in social fields, in education, on campuses, in neighborhood associations and other volunteer associations. As I mentioned before, involvement in the public square starts in the local PTA's around the country and ends at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It would be better for Muslims to become the champion of social justice in this society. Islamic centers can establish soup kitchens, thrift stores, free medical centers, and help for homeless and strive in efforts to eradicate hunger. These duties are precisely Islamic activities. This is our responsibility for us to be involved to initiate these activities in our varoius localities.
