(This piece has been written by Dr Suheil Ghannoushi, of MAS. Placed on this blog for comments and feedback)
America is a pluralistic society per excellence. America doesn’t have a state religion, and Americans don’t constitute one race or one ethnicity.
America is a society of immigrants. Ever since its discovery (), people from different parts/corners of the world migrated to the U.S. They came from different religious, ethnic, and racial backgrounds.
All groups faced the challenge of preserving their identity (culture and/or religion), mostly through isolation, and later had to deal with the challenge of integration in society, and development of a new identity. The nature and the magnitude of the challenge were different for different groups, and the outcome span the whole spectrum from isolation to assimilation. Often times, the spectrum was covered by different segments/factions or members of the same group/community. Muslims are no exceptions, except that only 2/3 of them are relatively recent immigrants, and they already constitute four different generations of immigrants. The other 1/3 are African Americans.
Muslims also cover the whole spectrum when it comes to their level of integration in society. However, the trend is towards rapid increase of the fraction of Muslims who were born and raised in this country. These constitute more than 2/3 of the recently immigrant Muslim community. The vast majority of the rest consciously and willfully chose America to be their country (Americans by choice), lived here for quite sometime, and most of them already got their citizenship.
Moreover, the American Muslim community is predominately moderate and their understanding and practice of Islam doesn’t hinder their integration in society. The two components/constituents of their identity are perfectly compatible, and fuse/mesh smoothly/seamlessly and naturally.
Moreover, American Muslims are above average when it comes to their income and level of education, which makes them stakeholders in society.
American Muslims came a long way in integrating in society and in developing a genuine and cohesive American Muslim identity and way of life. This process is expected to be easier and faster than for any other minority, because Muslims have intrinsic advantages that can facilitate the process, when compared with other minorities. The Islamophobia and the climate of fear that prevailed after 9/11, and the increased direct entanglement of the U.S. with the Muslim world may on the surface and in the short run hamper the process of integration. However, if American Muslims read and handle the situation correctly/properly, they may well turn it into an opportunity to accelerate their integration, and fulfill an important role as a bridge between the U.S. and the Muslim world.
The development of an American Muslim identity should be easier and faster than for most other minorities, because of the nature of Islam as a universal religion and the nature of society, and a pluralistic society of immigrants whose constitution guarantees freedom of religion and freedom of expression.
Being an American doesn’t say/indicate anything about your religion, race, ethnicity, culture, and views. And being a Muslim doesn’t say/indicate anything about your race, ethnicity, culture, and nationality/citizenship. So, there is nothing conceptually that prevents the blending/fusion of these two components into one cohesive identity. There is nothing in Islam that prevents a Muslim from being a good loyal American citizen, and there is nothing in the requirements for American citizenship that interferes with the Muslims practice and even promotion of Islam and fulfilling his/her duty of enjoining that which is good and forbidding that which is evil. Requirements here don’t refer to the legal requirements of citizenship, but the characteristics of a good and loyal citizenship. Indeed, one needs not to compromise any of his/her religious duties to be a good citizen, and needs not to breach any of his/her civic duties (not only citizenship requirements) to be a good Muslim. In contrast, the Muslim religious and civic duties mesh together perfectly, and Islam mandates not only good citizenship, but exemplary and active citizenship.
On one hand, the U.S. has, throughout its history, accommodated all kinds of religions, ethnicities, cultures, and races. And Islam and Muslims are no exception, especially that the vast majority of American Muslims were born and raised here, and therefore they don’t know any other country or culture except those of America. The rest are Americans by choice (naturalization). They are grateful for the freedom and better opportunities they get in this country. All American Muslims have a stake in the country they have chosen to be theirs, and in which their children and grand children will be living. This, and religious obligations for practicing Muslims, leave no room for Muslims but to work for the well-being of their country and fulfill all their obligations/contracts (including those of the citizenship or the visa applications).
The nature of the American society and constitution, facilitate the integration of any group in the society, without having to disavow any element of their original identity.
Indeed, if America accommodated races and sectarian/racial religious groups, it should be easier for Muslims who subscribe to – and promote – a universal religion which, throughout its history accommodated all races, cultures, ethnicities, and nationalities.
If it is possible for Japanese, Chinese, Indians, Jews, Africans, Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists to develop an American identity it should be easier for Muslims who don’t constitute a race or nationality, and whose religion is neither racial nor sectarian.
On the other hand, Islam, is not only compatible with all cultures and its values are universal, the moral standards of Islam are higher than any other standards. Indeed, practicing Muslims restrain themselves from many destructive acts that are legal, and may even be social norms, or at least socially acceptable. So, Muslims, if they are not part of the solution, they are not part of the problem.
American Muslims can be any type/kind of citizens. But practicing Muslims are expected to be at least good citizens, and active Muslims should automatically be active citizens. Indeed, fulfilling the mission of Islam requires active Muslims to be civically engaged and to reach out to people and maximize their interaction with them, which help accelerating the development of a genuine and cohesive American Muslim identity. And to be effective in their mission of Dawa and Islah, active Muslims, have to fully embrace the American Muslim identity. Indeed, Quran teaches us that prophets were always sent from amongst their people and with their language, so that they can deliver the message effectively.
The main reasons that delayed of hindered the process of developing an American Muslim identity and integrating in society are:
1- the “myth of return” which until recently caused the vast majority of immigrant Muslims to think of themselves as temporary immigrants, and therefore they focused on preserving their identity.
2- the fact that many Muslims don’t believe in the obligation of preaching and activism, which necessitates integration and adoption and developing and American Muslim identity.
3- misconceptions among some groups about the Islamic perspective on the relationship with non-Muslims and the fiqh of citizenship
4- the blatant and rampant injustice in the American foreign policy, especially towards Muslim causes and the American patronage of corrupt and oppressive regimes in the Muslim world.
5- the tragic experience of the African Americans, which generated lots of resentment
6- most recently, it is the Islamophia, and the climate of fear that has been fueled by bigots who abused the tragic events of 9/11.
The myth of return has, for all practical purposes, faded, and the vast majority of Muslims are accepting the fact that not only they are here to stay, but also they are and should be an integral part of society. MAS is tackling the other obstacles by promoting the proper understanding of Islam, and intensifying and diversifying Muslim outreach efforts and civic engagement. We believe that both bigotry and isolation result from ignorance, and that education facilitates integration.
As for the unjust policies, whether domestic or foreign past or present, and our objections to those policies should not prevent us from being proud and loyal citizens of this country. This is because first, there are so many good things in this country that should not be obscured by those policies. And second, there is no other country in the world (of which Muslims are proud and loyal citizens) that doesn’t have bad policies and laws. Ironically, in most Muslim countries, people don’t enjoy the freedom of religion and expression (including Dawa) that we enjoy in this country. And from Islamic perspective, the freedom of practicing and conveying Islam, are more crucial than anything else. And if you add to this the fact that we have a system where government is elected and can be petitioned, and there is a reasonable level of accountability and respect of the people’s will, then all we need to do is to be involved/engaged, voice our opinions, advocate our positions on issues, and work to promote that which is good and reform/fix that which is wrong. In doing that we are encouraged by the compatibility between the constitution and our Islamic values. If we object to a policy, a law, a social norm, a public official, or even an amendment to the constitution, we need to abide by it, while working, through civic engagement, to change it. In our civic engagement, we will take principled positions that serves the American interests, and express them is a relevant discourse to win the public opinion to those positions. We will join hands with those who share with us those positions. As for our opponents (on a particular issue) and our detractors, we will engage them civically and settle our differences in the court of public opinion, or in the ballot boxes, or through legislation and even litigation.
hossam