Today heralds the advent of the summit for the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) where nearly 50 heads of countries spanning the globe will come together in Makkah, the birthplace of Islam, to face one of their toughest challenges yet. It comes at a time when we Muslims the world over are consistently confronted with the fact that the reputation of our faith has been distorted, maligned and plundered by politicized elements both from within our fold and from without.
With Islamophobia on the rise we are at a critical juncture of our history and the decisions that are made about our future will affect the lives of generations to come. In an era when Islam has become symbolic with terror, oppression and intolerance, it’s about time its tarnished image was restored to embody its true spirit and that we, as Muslims, unite to vanquish the demons that have plagued our ranks for far too long.
This week a billion Muslims look forward to seeing concerns addressed that affect our everyday lives. There is a palpable sense of anticipation that, unlike in other years, this summit might just make the difference that is so badly needed. There is a myriad of issues that compound the tribulations that we face, ranging from occupation and war to poverty and poor governance. What remains now to be seen is whether our leadership possesses the courage and determination to not only formulate solutions to the plethora of problems that exist by recognizing its own collective shortcomings, but whether it is tenacious enough to sustain its implementation by actively abandoning the current status quo it has enjoyed for too long.
As a global citizen there are many basic civil rights that I should enjoy and yet, because I happen to be a Muslim, a new climate has pervaded the world that has left me denied of them without recourse. Surely, as a premise of humanity, I should be entitled to treatment that affords me dignity and respect as an individual. Is that too much to ask? And yet it seems that in the current environment it is. More than anything else I would like to have this simple yet fundamental liberty reinstated. Why is it considered justifiable to punish me for crimes that I not only didn’t commit or orchestrate but ones that I never sought to justify or condone? How is it that the vile and heinous acts of a few evil and malicious elements have come to characterize Muslims en masse worldwide? How can a religion whose very name means “submission”, and that has for centuries, since its humble beginnings in the Arabian Peninsula, championed the cause of the subjugated now be depicted as a doctrine of violence, hatred and extremism because of the acts of a handful of deviants over a period of a few years?
More pertinently, those who have misappropriated and subverted a creed that throughout history has been synonymous with peace, moderation and compassion, for their own dark motives should not even be referred to as practitioners of this great faith.
It is time for us to remind the world and ourselves of Islam’s true values and meaning. Nothing could be more far removed from this than the misinterpretations and spurious motives that such fanatics base their incorrigible behavior upon. If they are not in spirit “Muslims” then why is it that I have to bear the brunt of their callous, brutal and disgusting displays of cowardice? How is it that such crimes against the defenseless are termed as “Islamic” acts of terror when, ironically, such crimes are being committed against the faith itself?
But the truth of the matter is that I am held responsible. Being a Muslim, wherever I go I am scrutinized, viewed through prejudiced eyes and regarded with suspicion by default. No longer am I perceived as an individual, but as part of a larger conspiracy to destabilize the world. It really doesn’t seem to matter that hundreds of millions of moderate Muslims, like myself, are appalled by the growing number of atrocities committed in the name of Islam and would like nothing better than to distance ourselves from these monsters who perpetrate them. In order to do this it is time to stop blaming others and start analyzing where it is that we have gone wrong. There is a lot of culpability that rests upon our shoulders and to move away from such trying times means excising from the body of our community several of the malignant aberrations that have been allowed to fester indefinitely. Seeking to create a better future cannot be done without gaining a clearer understanding of the present and the past.
If one of our major objectives is to be treated with tolerance and respect, then we too must espouse these values in our dealings with others. We need to imbibe the principle of reciprocity that has been absent from the very fabric of our societies for too long. This involves respecting the faiths, cultural diversities and traditions of a disparate community that lives within our borders by giving them similar and definite rights to those afforded to them by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) 1,400 years ago. Fostering mutual acceptance is an important aspiration that we must strive to attain. Discrimination based upon whatever criteria must end, as if we wish to be regarded as individuals then we must start viewing others as individuals too. Restriction of rights, whether of women, minorities or foreigners, is a matter of tremendous exigency that needs to be confronted head on and which no longer merits being brushed aside.
Within our own societies there needs to be a much broader focus on education and critical thinking. People not only need to be given basic freedom of thought, but more importantly need to be taught how to think for themselves. Such scope for criticism will leave the young and impressionable less susceptible to the insidious attempts at indoctrination that have proved so effective in recent years. The dissemination of knowledge and the essential precepts that underpin our faith need to be outlined more clearly. The issuing of fatwas and other edicts in an irresponsible, irrational and inflammatory manner needs to be condemned universally and considered as a punishable offense. Islam is a beautifully logical religion that unilaterally rejects violence toward the innocent. How then can we justify watching in impotence as militant elements manipulate its teachings to undermine everything that it represents? Such a “hijacking” of the faith has only been made possible through the perpetration of ignorance within our countries by those who fear being held accountable by a more well-informed and judicious population. This constitutes nothing short of a total contradiction of the Islamic ideal of promoting enlightenment and striving towards erudition. Allowing so many of our people to remain uneducated and isolationist has served to perpetuate poverty, desolation and provided the perfect nidus for the seeds of terrorism to be sown.
Time is of the essence. If we can rise to the challenge and stand together in an honest endeavor to confront our own demons we may have a fighting chance to regain our sovereignty. Islam is under siege and a billion Muslims worldwide look to these very leaders to guide us into a new era where we can once again live with dignity and respect. But before we have a hope of standing united, we first have to learn how to stand.
