In recent weeks, Republican politics and attempts across America to block the building of mosques have underscored the impact of Islamophobia in American society.

Republican candidates have jumped on a bandwagon, appealing to racist attitudes towards Islam and Muslims as a political wedge to gain electoral votes in the coming November elections. Bogus charges in 2008 that Barack Obama was a Muslim, as if that should discredit him, is an example of an Islamophobia which is still being used as a political strategy today. This form of political hate speech was addressed by Colin Powell in his endorsement of Obama when he asked:

“Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? … I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, ”He’s a Muslim and he might be associated [with] terrorists.” This is not the way we should be doing it in America.”

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, desperately seeking to recapture his national Republican leader role, tried this past week to create a bizarre national threat about the implementation of Islamic law, shariah, that doesn’t even exist: “One of the things that I am going to suggest today is a federal law which says no court anywhere in the United States under any circumstance is allowed to consider sharia as a replacement for American law. Period.” Republican Rex Duncan of Oklahoma followed suit, warning there is a “war for the survival of America,” to keep the sharia from creeping into the American court system. In California, a Tea Party Rally in protest of an Islamic Center in Temecula, encouraged protestors to bring their dogs because Muslims hate Jews, Christians, women, and dogs.

Republican politicizing of Islam and Muslims has deep roots from positions taken by their major presidential candidates (John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Guiliani) to unfounded accusations by members of Congress. In the 2008 presidential campaign, Republican candidate John McCain’s desire to credential himself with the Christian Right, whose votes, he aggressively sought, led him to embrace pastors of megachurches and televangelists with highly divisive views.

McCain received endorsements from Ron Parsley and John Hagee, prominent Christian Zionists. Parsley in his 2005 book Silent No More to warning of a ”war between Islam and Christian civilization.” Parsley decries the ”spiritual desperation” of America’s civil libertarians who advocate the separation of church and state, and identifies Islam as an ”anti-Christ religion” predicated on ”deception.” Muhammad, he writes, ”received revelations from demons and not from the true God.” Parsley says, ”The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed. ”Jihad has come to America. If we lose the war to Islamic fascism, it will change the world as we know it. . . . It’s here. . . . They are waiting to respond as terrorist cells against this nation. It is a war between the culture of death and the culture of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” . . . Radical sects, which include about 200 million Islamics, believe they have a command from God to kill Christians and Jews, he said. . . . ”Our crisis is that half of America doesn’t know the war has started,” Hagee said. ”This is a religious war.”

When informed of Hagee’s extreme statements about Islam, McCain initially refused to disassociate himself from this pastor. It was only after the revelation of Hagee’s past anti-Catholic comments, in which he had argued that Adolf Hitler merely built on the work of the ”Roman Church,” which he called ”the Great Whore of Babylon,” that McCain finally severed his ties.

Congresswoman Sue Myrick from NC and Congressman Paul Broun from Georgia charged in an abortive campaign that the American Muslim organization CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) fostered the secret infiltration of Muslim student interns into key national security committees on Capitol Hill.

American Muslims: Myths & Realities

The taint of foreignness and terrorism continues to brushstroke American Muslim as “the other.” But what do major Gallup and Pew polls reveal about American Muslims? They are one of the most diverse communities in the world, representing 68 different countries as well as indigenous African Americans and converts. Over the past few decades, the vast majority of American Muslims have become economically and increasingly politically integrated into mainstream American society. Muslims represent men and women spanning the socioeconomic spectrum: professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers, and educators), corporate executives, small business owners, or blue-collar workers and laborers. In fact, 70 percent have a job (paid or unpaid) compared to 64 percent of Americans overall. … Muslim women report monthly household incomes more nearly equal to men’s, compared with women and men in other faith groups.

Education is a priority for many Muslims, who, after Jews, are the most educated religious community surveyed in the United States. Forty percent of Muslims have a college degree or more, compared to 29 percent of Americans overall; 31 percent are full-time students as compared to 10 percent in the general population. (See The Future of Islam, pp. 14-15)

Despite their integration as American citizens, their rights of religious freedom and civil liberties are often threatened. Today, opposition to mosque construction, in locations from NYC and Staten Island to Tennessee and California, has become not just a local but a national political issue. Plans to build an Islamic Center near the World Trade Center site have been transformed into a national referendum polarizing political and religious leaders and the media. Right-wing political commentators, politicians, hard-line Christian ministers, bloggers and some families of 9/11 victims have charged that building this Islamic Center is insensitive to 9/11 families (overlooking the fact that innocent Muslims who worked in the WTC were also victims). They characterize this cultural center as a “monument to terrorism.”

Islamophobia threatens the fabric of our American way of life

Efforts to demonize Islam and Muslims have become a political football that now threatens the first amendment rights and freedoms not only of Muslims, but indeed of all Americans. Islamophobia is fast becoming what anti-Semitism is for Judaism and Jews, rooted in hostility and intolerance towards religious and cultural beliefs and a religious or racial group.

Despite the persistent distinction by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama between the acts of terrorists and the faith of the vast majority of Muslims, what we are witnessing today is the tip of an iceberg formed post 9/11. Far right political and religious leaders and media commentators whose hate speech, like Ann Coulter’s comment:

“We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity” would never appear in mainstream broadcast or print media about Jews, Christians and other established ethnic and racial groups in America.

The barrage of similar tirades, like the ones below, create an atmosphere of fear and hostility that is totally unfounded, given what we know about mainstream Muslims in America.

Michael Savage, host of the The Savage Nation, warned: “I tell you right now – the largest percentage of Americans would like to see a nuclear weapon dropped on a major Arab capital. They don’t even care which one … I think these people need to be forcibly converted to Christianity. It’s the only thing that can probably turn them into human beings.”

Rush Limbaugh, reacting to criticism of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, commented, “They’re the ones who are sick… They’re the ones who are perverted. They are the ones who are dangerous. They are the ones who are subhuman.”

Leading figures in the Christian Right were not to be outdone. Franklin Graham stated, “The God of Islam is not the same God of the Christian or the Judeo-Christian faith. It is a different God, and I believe a very evil and a very wicked religion.” On Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes, Pat Robertson warned, “This man [Muhammad] was an absolute wild-eyed fanatic. He was a robber and a brigand. And to say that these terrorists distort Islam, they’re carrying out Islam…I mean, this man was a killer. And to think that this is a peaceful religion is fraudulent.”

Impact and Implications of Islamophobia 

Across America, Islamophobic hate speech and political grandstanding have painted all Muslims negatively, creating deep negative impressions among those who do not know Muslims personally. Major polling by Gallup and PEW shows that significant numbers of respondents question the loyalty of Muslim citizens and would approve policies that profile Muslims or require them to carry special identity cards. Hate speech has precipitated violent crimes against Muslims, Sikhs and other minorities of Asian and Middle Eastern descent who “look Muslim.” It has led to indiscriminate accusations against mainstream Muslim institutions (mosques, civil rights groups, political action committees, charities). Concerns for domestic security have unfortunately led to the abuse of anti-terrorism legislation, indiscriminate arrests and imprisonments of Muslims that compromise all of our civil liberties. The net result is a growing climate of suspicion and distrust.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The social cancer of Islamophobia must be recognized as unacceptable as anti-Semitism. It is a threat to the very fabric of our democratic pluralistic way of life, one that tests the mettle of our democratic principles and values. Political and religious leaders, commentators and experts must do more to counter hate speech; they must lead in safeguarding and strengthening religious pluralism and mutual respect. They must walk the fine line between distinguishing the faith of mainstream Muslims from the violence terrorists justify in the name of Islam. Blurring this distinction plays into the hands of preachers of hate (Muslim and non-Muslim, religious and political) whose rhetoric incites and demonizes, alienates and marginalizes and leads to the adoption of domestic and policies that undermine the civil liberties of Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

By John Esposito  |  August 3, 2010; 4:26 PM ET 

– 
Ahmad Eldridge Cleaver

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.

“There are three things which cause destruction and three things which lead to salvation. The three things which cause destruction are miserliness which is obeyed, passion which is followed and self conceit. The three things which lead to salvation are fear of Allah  in secret and in the open, moderation when rich or when poor, and justice when angry or pleased”

Commentary:

Destruction and salvation are not really based on material success or political favor. Establishing balance in all circumstances and being aware of the power of emotions and desires can give a person clear vision and a powerful insight into the trials of this life. Putting Almighty Allah(swt) in front of all decisions and actions, whether in secret or in the open develops a new approach to life.

The resulting consciousness can lead to the pleasure of Allah(swt), MostHigh. This is the supreme achievement and the essence of success in this world and the hereafter.

(Related in Al Bazaar and Al Bayhaqi and others – authentic – Hasan).

Before setting the record straight, I feel it is vitally important to recognize that many people may have understandably felt threatened or hurt by this swirling controversy. As an African American who grew up during America’s civil rights era and whose ancestry includes people from the Mohawk nation, I’ve certainly felt threatened and fearful by hateful talk directed toward me. It pains me to know that people from various walks of life have been hurt by something I’ve said. To all those people who have felt imperiled by what they have seen or heard I would like to offer my sincere apologies. As you will hopefully see, this is not an accurate depiction of who I am as a human being nor of the religion that I have chosen as my way of life.

On a recent visit to London, protestors denounced me as a “hate cleric” and numerous attempts were made to keep  me from my speaking engagements.   I learned that the protests were instigated by a group called OutRage!  Based on what I have learned, this group has been accused of anti-Semitism and has a history of aggressively attacking religious leaders including the Archbishop of Canterbury (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OutRage! and http://rosecottage.me.uk/OutRage-archives/carey98.htm). The group spent a great deal of time pouring over many years of my audio lectures and carefully selecting quotes that misrepresent me as homophobic and intolerant of Christians and Jews.

I have never been the target of protests and this attack left me unsure about how to deal with the situation. As I deliberated the controversy spread to Sweden. I realize now that I should have confronted my detractors immediately. I want to take this opportunity today to tell you exactly who I am.

My Track Record

I have been an Imam in Jamaica, Los Angeles, Toronto, and, Capetown.

Over the last three decades, I’ve visited over 58 countries in the east and west and spoken to tens of thousands of people. I’ve spoken at universities, stadiums, mosques, churches, TV programs and public squares. My audiences have included Muslims, non-Muslims, academics, laypersons, artists, political and religious leaders. By the Grace of Almighty God, I can say that people appreciated my talks wherever I travelled.

I have always stood against racism and ethnocentrism.  I have been a lifelong advocate of women’s rights and for decades have encouraged the empowerment of young people. I pioneered the first social service agency for Muslims in Toronto, Canada whose doors were open to all – rich and poor, Muslim and non-Muslim, gay or straight. As a counselor I learned first-hand of the terrible violence inflicted upon gay people by bullies and thugs and I publicly spoke out against it.

While I was in Toronto I was the first Imam to have inclusive sermons for the hearing impaired.  For years I was a regular columnist on religion for Canada’s largest newspaper, The Toronto Star.  I have also been an advisor to highly respected public institutions such as the Royal Ontario Museum and the Toronto District School Board.

For the last 10 years I have worked with some of the most impoverished citizens of South Africa providing education, spiritual counseling and vocational opportunities for people living in the African townships.

Some of my closest blood relations are Christian and many well-wishers, colleagues and friends are of the Jewish faith. In no country where I have lived or any of the countries that I have visited has there ever been any confrontation between me and another faith community. It’s possible that those who have sought to malign my reputation may have missed all these things in doing their research. Or maybe furthering their own agenda at the cost of my name was a stronger incentive for them than speaking the truth.

The Allegations

With regard to my comments about the punishment for homosexuality, about 15 years ago I was approached by a group of gay Muslims who wanted me to re-interpret the basic principles of Islam. I refused and indicated to them the very serious condemnation  in Islam toward homosexuality.  My statements were a moral reprimand only. I understand now that they did give off the wrong impression. For that, I am sorry. I have never advocated violence, vigilantism or disregard for the rule of law.
Islamic scholarship is crystal clear that Muslim minorities must respect the laws of the countries in which they reside or leave to find another homeland. The overwhelming majority of Muslims living in the West are respectful of this fact and feel duty-bound to recognize the rights of others even if their views are contrary to what Islam holds as sacred.

The debate among those who support homosexuality and those who do not is an intensely polarizing one. Nevertheless, I think that this debate is essential and must continue for the common good of us all. I have always articulated my concern, both within my community and without, in a manner that has been respectful of the rights and duties of individuals in a pluralistic democracy.

A clip taken from another lecture made me appear to be intolerant of Christians and Jews. Toward the end of my talk I made a supplication for God to purify Islam’s third holiest shrine from the “filth of the Christians and the Jews.”  The implicit — and obvious understanding for anyone who heard my lecture — was that I was asking God to heal the spiritual corruption that afflicts some members of religious groups which in turn leads to injustice against innocent people. Spiritual purity has been the focus of prophets, teachers and reformers for thousands of years. Students of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths know this well. Prophet Jesus’ famous condemnation of the Pharisees is even known to many non-religious people. My supplication was not a blanket condemnation of all persons belonging to these two respected faith traditions. Such a statement would be in direct contradiction to Islam’s basic teachings and my own personal beliefs.  Indeed, there are Christians and Jews in Israel and abroad who have been in the forefront of speaking out against racism, violence and Islamophobia.  Their valour and commitment has earned my deepest respect.

No society is without disagreements. However, those disagreements should not be magnified to the point of obscuring the many universal principles upon which we do agree. This is the challenge for any society that sees all its citizens as equal. We share public space but not always opinions and ideas.  We will disagree, but we must continue to live together.  And we must strive to do that in peace.

May the peace and mercy of God be with you.

Respectfully yours,
Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick

Abdullah Hakim Quick

This lecture series takes a look at the history of Islam, it’s spread from the times of the Prophet Muhammad(saw) and it’s influence on the rest of the world.