NEW YORK, 31 August — As America prepares to mourn the tragic events of Sept. 11, anxiety of the country’s seven million plus Muslim population is increasing every passing day. The Muslim population in US will be remembering the tragedy with mixed feelings of grief and fear.
Muslim organizations across the country have drawn up elaborate programs to mark the occasion. Community leaders, such as Altaf Ali, the regional director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Florida, are stressing the need to show that Muslims, like all Americans, have suffered from and regret the events of Sept. 11.
"Our absence from involvement, if we do not go out and show support in acts of solidarity and establishing a day of unity and prayer, that in a sense can backfire and harm us," he says. "There’s only benefit from getting involved."
But some leaders profess frustration and a sense that numerous efforts to condemn the attacks and send a message of solidarity have been ignored by many.
"They only complain about us. They don’t want to employ us. They don’t want to rent to us. If you’re Mohammad you don’t get an apartment," says Sofian Abdelaziz Zakkout, director of the Miami-based American Muslim Association of North America and a recent appointee to the Florida Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights. "When you see people attacking your religion, attacking our Prophet, and finally they want our apology, it shows they don’t care about our condemnation." Such are the feelings common among most American Muslims. For them, 9/11 was a double tragedy, which turned them into both the perpetrators and victims of the new magic word in international relations — terrorism. That’s why many believe that for the toiling Muslim labor on the American streets, 9/11 anniversary means grief and more fear of harrassment and humiliation.
Latest opinion polls by a leading Muslim advocacy group, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) — suggest that 57 percent of the American Muslims experienced bias or discrimination since 9/11 and 87 percent say they know of a fellow Muslim who experienced verbal abuse, religious or ethnic profiling and workplace discrimination.
Analysts opine that 9/11 terrorist attacks put the tolerance of American society to test, and many believe that the diverse society of this land of oppertunities almost failed it — the way it did during World War II, when the country’s population of Japanese descent was subjected to worst segregation. The credit of saving the American society from a complete failing in these testing times, say the analysts, goes to the liberal sections of society, who have shown more compassion and sympathy toward fellow countrymen of Islamic faith. The CAIR opinion poll too found this trend. It said more than three-in-four American Muslims (79 percent) experienced kindness or support from friends or colleagues of other faiths. That kindness often took the form of verbal reassurances, support during the anti-Muslim backlash following the attacks and even offers to help guard local mosques.
Many Muslims believe that the predominently Jewish-controlled American media is to be blamed for the nearly violent backlash against them. The media through its overzealous reporting and propaganda portrayed every Muslim as a savage hard-line religious warrior who wants to conquer the American society and the country. The rippling effect of this propaganda was such that President George W. Bush’s new doctrine of "either you are with us or against us" was half implemented in his own country.
One year down the tragic events of 9/11, his law enforcement officials today discreetly implement the last part of his doctrine — "you are against us". And that’s why a humiliating profiling, surrveilence and harrassment of Muslims by the FBI and smear campaign by the hard-line religious right continues. It’s thus no surprise to see people of dark skin and Asian or Middle Eastern complexion on plains, trains and automobiles being subjected to himiliating searches and profiling.
Arrest of thousands of Muslims on suspected terrorist links and over 1300 reported cases of hate crimes aganist Muslims are the manifestations of this madness, seen by many as more tragic than what happened on 9/11. Several human and civil rights groups have raised their voice against this growing intolerance and some draconian laws, seen as Muslim specific.
The deluge of disinformation of the media and heavy-handed approach of the authorities has also swung into action many national Muslim organizations and groups, who have been actively defending their faith, removing misunderstandings and educating the general public about the true message of Islam. These groups and organizations have joined hands with like-minded groups of other faiths to promote inter-faith dialogue and build bridges between communities. Interestingly, the number of converts to Islam has more than doubled in the US since 9/11 while the demand for books on Islam has also increased manifolds. Hundreds of incidents involving Muslims being discriminated against by law enforcement officials and at work places have also forced the authorities to arrange for special crash programs to educate their staff about Islam. Even educational institutions such as the North Carolina University have added Islam as a subject in their curriculum to enable their students to better understand Islam.
On the political front, Muslims are struggling to make their voice heard in the corridors of power in Washington. They are supporting candidates sympathetic to their plight. In some instances, their support has hit the headlines in the national media, such as the case of outspoken Congresswomen Cynthia McKinney of Atlanta, Georgia. McKinney, a strong supporter of Palestinian and Arab cause, lost her bid for a sixth term in office on Aug. 21 in the bitterly contested Democratic primary. Her challenger, Denise Majette, was backed by the powerful Jewish lobby while McKenney was backed by Arabs and Muslims. Interestingly Majette also got votes from Republicans who crossed over to the Democratic camp to ensure McKinney was defeated. McKinney hit the headlines when she said President Bush had advance knowledge of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and suggested his friends in the defense industry could profit from a war.
While McKinney’d defeat may be frustrating for her supporters and Muslims, it certainly points to a healthy trend, the Muslim population’s serious effort to join the political mainstream. And these efforts have started giving results. In 2000, more than 150 Muslim candidates contested the election but except for Saghir Tahir (of Pakistani origin who became first Muslim member of New Hamshire State Assembly) and one or two others, all lost in their bids. This time again, hundreds of Muslims are contesting the Democratic and Republican primaries. And even one has already almost made it to the Missouri State Assembly. Yephett El-Amin has won the Democratic primary in the 57th District of the state and is unopposed in the general elections.
The mainstream American media too is starting to open up to the Muslim views on issues that directly affect them. Some newspapers have started giving spaces for columns to Muslim writers. Chicago’s Daily Herald recently asked to Palestinian-American Ray Hanania to write a weekly column in the paper. The Atlanta Journal and Constituion too give space to Muslim writers more than before.
One analyst summed up the plight of American Muslims in these words: "The events of 9/11 changed America, particularly for Muslims. It put them in the dock — thanks to a smear media campaign. One year down the road, Muslims remain in the dock — thanks to the poisonous media campaign which continues even today."
