Asma Adam

As 2011 begins, if asked whether Muslim-Americans should be treated fairly, most Americans would answer “yes.” However, America has had its struggles with racism, bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination in its history and it seems that Muslim-Americans are now on the receiving end of these hateful reactions. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001 by Al-Qaeda terrorists, Muslim-Americans have had to deal with mistrust, fear, discrimination, and greater scrutiny. For instance, Muslim-Americans experience traveling restrictions, extra airport searches, denial of immigration cases, and deportations. Just because some Muslims commit horrific atrocities in the name of Islam does not mean that all Muslims are responsible for such actions. There needs to be a more fair way of viewing current issues. There must be a balance between security concerns and protecting civil rights.
Muslim-Americans are essential in stopping the spread of extremism through their knowledge and influence. According to the Islamic Resource Group, there are an estimated seven million Muslims living in the United States.  The demographics of the American-Muslims consists of 33% South Asian, 30% African-American, 27% Arab, 3% African, 2% Southeast Asian, and 5% others. Most of the Muslim-Americans are highly educated professional, taxpaying citizens who contribute positively to society. The vast array of mosques, schools, and social service organizations is a testimony to the richness Muslim-Americans contribute to the American cultural diversity.
Al-Qaeda is an extremist terrorist organization that has done much harm to Islam and Muslims as well. They have victimized more Muslims in their ruthless war than people of other faiths. For example, innocent Muslims are killed every day in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia in senseless suicide bombings perpetrated by Al-Qaeda and its affiliates.
It is clear that the American media is unfair in its treatment of Muslim-Americans. If a Christian or Jewish person commits an atrocity, it is never attributed to their faith. A classic example is the horrific Oklahoma City bombing of the Federal building in 1995 by Timothy McVeigh. He was a Christian and his religion never became an issue. On the other hand, if a Muslim person does something wrong, the person’s faith is immediately scrutinized and the person is labeled as Islamic “fundamentalist” or Islamic “terrorist.” Why the double standard?
There are concerted efforts to promote anti-Muslim rhetoric and hatred through protests rallies, websites, and books to create fear that undermines peaceful coexistence. In 2010, the construction of an Islamic center near the site of Ground Zero has sparked strong debate over civil rights and religious freedom on one side and loud voices of those who hate Islam as a religion on the other side. It must be emphasized that Muslim-Americans also lost their lives on 9/11 and there were Muslim-Americans among the first respondents to the tragic senseless attacks. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, was clearly an assault on all Americans irrespective of their religious persuasion. Thus, the collective guilt by association of Muslim-Americans adds insult to injury. Muslim-Americans have been harmed so much by the actions of few extremists who have hijacked the Islamic religion. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush, to his credit, reassured the nation that Islam is a religion of peace and Americans must not retaliate against Muslims. Those initial statements went a long way in creating an atmosphere of tolerance in which Muslims were spared major backlash. Why then is the ugly face of bigotry and intolerance popping up years later during the anniversary of the horrendous attacks? Obviously, there is a movement behind this phenomena.
The First Amendment to the U.S. constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This shows that American citizens have the right to freely practice any religion. One of the reasons this nation was founded was to provide safe haven for those who escaped religiously persecuted in Europe. Many have lost their lives while fighting for the rights of all Americans, and denying Muslim-Americans their right would not only be an injustice, but also against the purpose for the establishment of this nation and a dishonor to the memory of those who helped make America the great nation it is today.
America as a nation has gone through many challenges and has overcome them by returning to the key values of the Founding Fathers – freedom and justice for all. African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Jew, and Catholics all faced discrimination in their history. The latest episode is Islamophobia, which is yet another test of America’s resolve to protect the religious and civil rights of all citizens.  The country cannot remain the leader of the free world if it tramples on its core values. Denying Muslim-Americans their rights would amount to a huge set back for religious freedoms and democratic values. If the pre-election hysteria of 2010 were to be used as a measure, it would seem that 2011 would create even more tension, as it is the 10^th anniversary of the tragic attacks. Americans of all political and religious persuasions need to plan how to counteract the voices of bigotry and division that want to capitalize on creating hatred. They must not be given the opportunity to get attention as the day approaches.