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As part of the 11-part series America at a Crossroads tackling life in post-9/11 America, "The Muslim Americans" aired on April 18 on PBS. The one-hour documentary sought to answer why American Muslims have not been "radicalized" like their European counterparts.
According to Omid Safi, advisor for the series, Muslims in Europe come from a colonial background and remain a marginalized underclass, while Muslims in America are generally affluent and educated.
Four different correspondents explored what it is like to be a Muslim-American after 9/11.
Being Muslim in America
In the first segment, correspondent Ray Suarez highlighted the history of Muslims in America. The first Muslims arrived in America as slaves from Africa, followed in the early 1900s by immigrants from the Ottoman Empire to the Mid-West. These Muslims largely assimilated into the American mainstream and lived as a "silent minority" until 9/11 forced them into the spotlight.
After 1965, when immigration became less restrictive, Muslims from all over the world came to America; these were mainly well-educated, the "best and brightest" from their countries.
Today, there are approximately three to six million Muslims in America, one-third of which are "indigenous" Muslims, African-American converts and their children.
This one-third is barely mentioned in the documentary. There is a lack of in-depth reporting about the African-American Muslim community or any mention of the Nation of Islam, through which many African-Americans came to Islam in the 1960s.
"As an African-American Muslim, I was disappointed that they didn't show more about our history and prominent leaders like Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and Louis Farrakhan," Fatima Ali, 21, student from Brooklyn, New York, said. "I don't know, maybe it was too controversial for them," she said.
Keeping It Hush-Hush
Controversy is something that "The Muslim Americans," to a large part, ignored.
There was a passing reference to "tension" between immigrant Muslims and Muslims born in the US; however; there are no details about what these tensions are.
Although it is mentioned that Muslims remain "at the mercy of world events," the documentary does not touch on these events, such as the Middle East conflict or the war in Iraq and how Muslims and Americans feel about these issues.
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| Judy Woodruff |
In the second segment, correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro explored the discrimination that Muslims face after 9/11. The case of a student who was harassed and threatened because his name was Osama was highlighted, as well as that of a man who was targeted because his name matched another on the terrorist watch list.
There was also an undercover piece in which reporters dressed in traditional Muslim garb exposed how "random" searches at the airport were not so random. However, the Muslims who were subjected to this harassment did not seem too disturbed.
"It's probably a good thing they didn't show a lot of disgruntled Muslims, because that would just feed into the whole 'Muslims are crazy and violent' stereotype," viewer Sadia Hasan, 32, from New York, said. "Or maybe the people they were interviewing told them what they wanted to hear."
The segment on discrimination also focused on the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The documentary mentioned how some people connected to CAIR were accused of involvement in terrorist activities, but not the organization itself. Once again, it did not elaborate on these accusations.
Since this segment was focusing on discrimination against Muslims, this would have been an appropriate area to mention the award given to Basim Elkarra, executive director of CAIR-Sacramento Valley, by Senator Barbara Boxer. The award was recalled later due to pressure from some right-wing groups who claimed that CAIR has terrorist ties. This issue was also ignored in the documentary.
The Ideal Muslim American
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| Imam Hamza Yusuf |
In the third segment, Imam Hamza Yusuf and his Zaytuna Institute in California were shown as promoting an Islam that is "more in sync with American lifestyle and culture." Imam Yusuf was identified as someone at the forefront of "American Islam" - whatever that may be. Apparently, to be a good American Muslim and be invited to the White House, one must not criticize American policy in the Middle East or its support of Israel.
In the fourth segment "The Next Generation," correspondent Judy Woodruff reported on the challenges facing Muslim youth in America. She interviewed two young Muslim women in hijab who seemed to be happy, well-adjusted teenagers, involved in school activities and sports. Did they feel pressure to fit in? How do they deal with issues like dating? The girls said they would follow their religion and wait until marriage, but what about drinking, drugs, and dressing differently from their peers? Why did they decide to wear veils in this society? What was the reaction from their peers? These questions were not answered in detail.
One of the highlights in this segment was a profile of Rami Nashashibi and his work with the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) in Chicago. "I think it is important to show that Muslims are involved and giving back to the community," viewer Salma Anwar, 30, said.
The fifth segment focused on American Muslims in politics that discuss civil liberties, immigration, and the Patriot Act, but once again do not voice their opinions on one of the main issues Muslims in America are most concerned about: US policy in the Middle East.
Overall, the documentary showed a positive view of Muslims in America, as regular people going about their lives, having the same concerns as other Americans.
"I was impressed with the segment about the American Muslims, addressing community issues, parental issues, and in general asking questions about how to keep their children safe, accepted, yet nurtured within their religion," viewer Trish Hallmark, a writer from Hawaii said. "The knowledge I have gained from it has transformed me from the typical, somewhat ignorant US citizen about Islam, to nodding my head and thinking how very valid our American Muslims are in their very American wants and needs," she said.
One of the main drawbacks of the documentary is that it presented a rosy picture of Muslims in America, working as doctors, lawyers, and engineers, taking their kids to school in their SUVs, being involved in the community, and living the American dream. What about the Muslims who are taxi drivers, grocery store clerks, and factory workers? What about those detained after 9/11? Or subject to "special registration"? What about those not afraid to question US policy? What about the Muslims in jail?
In a time when most media coverage of Islam is generally negative, "The Muslim Americans" can be commended for showing a positive portrayal of Muslims even if it did not show the diversity of Muslim Americans and their unique concerns. More needs to be said on how such citizens resolve the conflict between being Americans and part of the larger Muslim Ummah.
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