Where Lies Muslims'
Loyalty?
By Rayman
It’s
not uncommon to hear 'American' Muslims complaining about the
anti-Islamic sentiment in American society since 9/11. I am of the
opinion that these 'American' Muslims themselves are to blame for their
predicament. Here are some examples:
When
was the last time you heard a major American Muslim
Scholar/Organization/Intellectual or even Mohammed next door condemn, in
no uncertain words, the terrorism that goes on in the name of Islam all
over the world? How about the homicide bombings in Israel, the barbaric
beheadings in Iraq, the horrifying massacre of school children in the
former Soviet Union, the killing of foreigners in the Philippines or any
of a number of ruthless murdering going on all over the world? When was
the last time any 'American' Muslim felt the anger and the emotion that
I feel when I see this evil on the evening news? How many 'American'
Muslims condemned the cowardly killing of Margaret Hassan, a Mother
Teresa like figure who commited her whole life to helping the Muslims of
Iraq? Do they take it as personally as I do? How about the Darfour region
in
Sudan
? Anybody?
And
now conversely, how many of the above groups/organizations/individuals are
quick to criticize Abu Ghraib, the Iraq War, President Bush,
France
(for banning the hijab),
Israel
or any and everything that is even remotely associated with their Muslim
'brethren'. They are more loyal to these foreigners than they are to their
own country. Now I understand that there are a lot of non-Muslim Americans
that don't support the war and Mr. Bush, but no matter what your politics
are, you owe your allegiance first and foremost to
America
. Before the elections, I wondered why Muslims were voting for Kerry
and not Bush, in spite of the fact that he helped liberate 2 of the
largest Islamic countries from decades of oppression. I guess the
answer lies in the simple fact that they are loyal, first and
foremost to the Muslim people, and since Bush is engaged in the
‘occupation’ of a Muslim country, he must be hated no matter what.
Most immigrants who are now
US
Citizens don't even consider themselves Americans. They are Muslims first
and that's what they tell their kids to believe.
I
recently visited, upon my parents' insistence, a Muslim family who had
lived in the States for over 30 years. Their kids grew up here, went to
school here and the eldest son works for (gasp!) the Government. Yet all
they spoke about was the cruelty of the Americans in
Iraq
and Israelis in
Palestine
and how poor and desperate the Palestinians' life was in their own
'usurped homeland'. I asked them if they had ever heard of Fisher House.
When they said they hadn't, I mentioned that it was a wonderful
charity organization in our area that provided temporary residence to
families of wounded American GIs. I asked them if they would like to
donate to this great cause. The father just laughed. I then asked him
if he had ever thought about the countless 'poor and desperate' people in
their own community that needed help and assistance, and ever done
anything for them. Needless to say, I haven't been invited back!
That’s
the mentality of these Muslim 'Americans'. They live, work and thrive here
yet think more about solidarity with the Palestinians and Arabs (fellow
Muslims in other words) than they do with their own. They live in
their own worlds, mini-ghettos of their own creation. They never
totally integrate themselves into the popular American culture and most
don't want to. It's like
England
(where I was born and raised), where a whole sub-culture exists
outside the mainstream. They lack a desire to change themselves, yet
expect others to change first. They are like the man sitting in front of
the cold stove saying, "give me fire, and then I'll give you some
wood".
When
you live in a country, where you are at complete odds with the
ideology, culture and way of life there, a country for whom you have very
little loyalty and belong to a very 'sensitive' religion, why wouldn't
mainstream America feel the way it feels right now. Earl
Nightingale, the legendary speaker, writer and motivational expert once
said, "It is our attitudes, motivations and feelings towards
others that determine their attitudes, motivations and feelings towards
us".
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