Salam Brothers & Sisters,
Thank you for sharing this exceedingly inspiring and engaging article by
Prof. Ingrid Mattson. It should be a "must" reading for all
truth-seakers, be they Muslims or non-Muslims. It should be given the
widest circulation possible, too.
JAZAKUMU ALLAHU KHAIRAN,
Ibrahim Hayani
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
by INGRID MATTSON
Muslims in America today seem to have lost the right to be
individuals. We are treated as a collectivity - responsible as a group
for any crime committed by another Muslim or done in the name of Islam.
Shortly after 9/11, I wrote an article stating that Muslims have the
greatest obligation to reject terrorism and political violence
committed in the name of Islam. I still believe this is the case.
Islam does not have a centralized authority; there is no universally
recognized council of scholars or clerics who speak on behalf of all
Muslims.
With freedom from clerical authority, however, comes the
responsibility to engage in the debate over the true meaning of Islam.
Islamic law states that silence is an indication of consent. If
Muslims do not reject the perverted interpretations of the Qur'an
proffered by terrorists, they will have shirked their responsibility
to define the real meaning of Islam.
At the same time, clarifying our own position does not mean that we
have to "speak out" against each and every statement issued by
terrorists or every criminal action taken by groups claiming to
represent Muslim interests. Once we have defined what we stand for,
and what we stand against, then any particular action that violates
those guidelines are clearly rejected by us. American Muslim
organizations have made extraordinary efforts to publicize their
rejection of terrorism and extremism in the name of Islam: we have
organized petitions, written fatwas and position papers, distributed
brochures, held conferences, organized press briefings, published
op-eds, spoken on the radio and television.
Still, we are asked, "Why have moderate Muslims not spoken out against
the extremists?" We have spoken, but we have not been heard-primarily
because good news does not get much coverage.
Even worse, we have spoken, but we have not been listened to. There
are many people who are ideologically opposed to Islam-to the most
benign interpretation of Islam-because of their own extremist
religious or political ideologies. No matter what conscientious
Muslims do to live as peaceful citizens who contribute to the welfare
of society, these groups will attack us and our religion.
Most objectionable is what I call the, "non-Muslim Islamic
fundamentalist." What I mean by this is a non-Muslim who applies a
literalistic, decontextualized hermeneutic to the Qur'an and Islamic
tradition. This is not how I read my scripture (maybe it is how they
read theirs), so who are they to tell me that this is what Islam
"really" says?
Being judged as a group, rather than as individuals, also means that
the negative experience of one Muslim is considered to be
representative of all Muslims and all of Islam. I do not deny the
right of any individual to tell his or her own story. We all have that
right, and I must learn from the pain, hurt and anger of women and men
who were mistreated in the name of Islam.
But these negative experiences are not shared by all Muslims - indeed,
not by most Muslims. This is why such authors have little or no
constituencies within the Muslim community - because large numbers of
Muslims do not feel they represent their interests or perspectives.
The burden of collective guilt, the oppressive weight of stereotyping,
and the violence of hateful anti-Muslim discourse is difficult to
bear. It is even more difficult to see how this affects our youth.
But there is hope. Hope lies in the goodness of ordinary Americans who
try to overcome their prejudices and reach out to their Muslim
neighbors. Hope lies in the solidarity shown by other groups - like
Japanese Americans - who have faced similar situations. Hope lies in
the extraordinary moral leadership shown by many American religious
leaders to guide their congregations to the path of understanding and
compassion.
More than anything, I see these challenges as opportunities to examine
myself and my community, to see if we are responding with enough
courage and moral leadership when we witness discrimination against
others. Are we able to avoid burdening other groups with collective
guilt? The Qur'anic revelation, "no soul bears the sins of another" is
directed first at our community. We are all human, and all of us have
to struggle with our own selfishness, prejudice and will to power.
As a Muslim, my struggle for my community's rights should be only the
starting point of a wider struggle - a struggle for the dignity of all
people. Being a Muslim in America today means having the opportunity
to work towards this goal in solidarity with compassionate individuals
of all faiths and good will.
DR. INGRID MATTSON is an "On Faith
<http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/>" panelist and professor
of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford
Seminary. She is the first woman to be president of the Islamic
Society of North America.
saiyed shahbazi
www.shahbazcenter.org <http://www.shahbazcenter.org>