Muslims in this country have so much to learn and draw from the experiences of minorities, communities of color, especially the African-American or Blackamerican community. By studying and connecting with the history of the underside or night-side to American history, we can intimately get to know America not just as a mythical, "magical" place of dreams and hopes, but one of struggle, heart-wrenching discrimination and abuse, for no reason, as Imam Shair was saying two nights ago, of their own - just for the way they looked.
The experience of a people who's humanity in this country was denied - who were treated as if they didn't exist, as if they had no value, no worth - but yet forged on, struggled, and struggle to this day to empower and raise the consciousness of people, is a legacy and history we sorely need to tap into today (for those of us who haven't already done so).
Today, much of the Muslim American community suffers from a lack of self-esteem and confidence. We are so caught up, obsessed, with being liked and accepted. We cannot believe that our loyalty could be questioned. We are so busy and hasty to present this image of how in love with America we are that we lose any ability to be critical and speak the truth about the good and the bad.
In the midst of the struggles for Muslims in America today, we need to place and connect the challenges of today with the hate towards those who are different, who are mostly non-white, people of color, seen as the Other, with the history and struggles of peoples who have been hated in this country with their rights denied and have had their humanity questioned, with countless abuses of murder, lynching, rape, slavery, imprisonment, segregation, and just plain disdain in front of their faces.
We need to draw from the legacies of Fredrick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm and Martin, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, Cornel West amongst so many more.
We should especially connect with the history and legacies of the Muslim Blackamerican community, their struggles and take lessons from their experiences. Today we must listen and benefit from voices like those of Imam Zaid Shakir, Dr. Abdul-Hakim Jackson, Imam Shair Abdul-Mani, Shaykh Abdullah Ali, and Amir al-Islam.
This would in sha Allah lead to being able to hold some dignity amidst the challenges before this community. We are too hungry for acceptance, to not being different, to shut up and not voice any opposition or critical analysis because we are so pre-occupied with showing how "like-able" and unproblematic, harmless, patriotic, we are.
The age of extreme naivety, where our political imaginations are limited to just seeking photo op's with politicians as Dr. Hatem says should be over. A real forming of maturity, of nuance, of balance - both appreciation and critique of America, of our people, of our policies, is in sha Allah the direction we so need to head.
Wa-`alaykum as-salam.
ReplyDeleteMa sha'Allah!
Wa s-salam.