Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, March 1998, Pages 75-76

Mahjabeen’s Musings: A Muslim Traveler Along the American Way

Assimilation—Reason, Road and Reward

By Mahjabeen Islam-Husain

With between six and eight million Muslims in North America, the questions of whether to blend and to what degree have gained increasing relevance. We now are witnessing the third wave of Muslim immigration to North America.

The first wave was with the slave trade, when Muslims were among those brought from Africa, but obviously in such compromised circumstances that perpetuation of Islam simply could not occur. The second wave occurred before and during the two world wars and was largely from the Middle East. The third wave has arrived over the past 30 or so years, and has brought to these shores a tide of highly qualified professionals from all over the world.

The Second Wave

Individuals in the second wave came largely for material advancement and were willing to pay the emotional and spiritual price to blend. The names of many were changed by the authorities at ports of entry to a vague Anglicized semblance of the original so that the American tongue might be spared the twist.

Mohammed, the most commonly used name in the world, frequently was shortened to Mike and Mo. The pain of hearing this distortion of the name of Prophet Muhammad is something only a Muslim can feel. However, thanks to champion boxer Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay before his conversion to Islam, all Americans now can pronounce Muhammad as easily as "Mike."

With such changes of name, many of those second-wave individuals almost automatically began to metamorphose into the WASP mold. Others who escaped the initial "Christening" weren't going to be sticking out like sore thumbs—they were going to change their names themselves and do whatever else they thought necessary to live happily ever after in this gilt-laden land of the free.

In fact, some have owned bars and nightclubs for generations, occupations which they justify to fellow Muslims with variations on "we have to make a living." However, Islam forbids not just drinking alcohol, but also serving it, selling it and keeping it in your house. I was under the impression that even Muslims who are not repelled by liquor would always avoid pork. This misconception has been shattered many a time, however, by the loud crunch of a Muslim chomping on bacon or mindlessly ingesting lard, ham and other porcine delights.

When I have been presumptuous enough to ask for an explanation for this behavior, I have been informed that since "this is America, you can't create a fuss and say I won't eat this!"

In my opinion this is the epitome of a sellout of culture and personal belief. The interesting question is whether this metamorphosis has achieved the desired result. Have such immigrant Muslims been awarded the all-encompassing acceptance they desire?

To most Americans I have been renamed—as though it were a right of passage.

Many a time one of these second-wave types, more American than the locals, has decided to give one of us newcomers (most of whom also came for material or professional advancement) a crash course in how to behave in America, what to say, how to dress, and, most important of all, how not to make waves. This has always made me wonder what it is that distinguishes a Muslim immigrant from any other. Why is it that some groups of productive, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens can live as though this land is theirs, while other groups that follow the same rules need also to be compromising, leery and apologetic?

Here honesty compels me to recount the saga of the methodic massacre of my name, and my gracious surrender. Fourteen years ago my uncle introduced me to a lady as Mahjabeen. Incredulously the woman exclaimed—"Magic Beans?" South Americans keep the J silent and I am Mahabeen. Gujrati Indians, challenged by interchangeable Zs and Js, call me Mayzabeen. To many Arabs I am Muhajabeen, which in Arabic means the veiled one. A Lebanese gentleman in the first UMAT (United Muslim Association of Toledo) conference called me Mujahideen, to the great amusement of the 300 people there. The root word in Arabic is jihad, which means struggle, and his mispronunciation of my name turned me into a group of strugglers or perhaps even "holy warriors." The irony was great—I struggle with my name and with trying to dispel the various misconceptions that America has about Islam.

Generally, Americans are overwhelmed with the name, and circumvent pronouncing it by calling me Dr. Husain. Other courageous ones inquire about the pronunciation of my name. I tell them that it is entirely phonetic, just the way it is written. There is a momentary pause and suddenly music: "Mahjabeen?" they ask, enunciating it perfectly.

To most, though, I have been renamed—as though it were a right of passage—to Marge. Mahjabeen is a Persian name with no religious significance and therefore my gracious surrender. (Had my literary father known that I would spend a large part of my life among members of a whole spectrum of national groups who do not agree on how to pronounce the letter "J," he would certainly have taken my grandfather's suggestion and named me Azra.)

My last name, however, presents no challenges and necessitates no compromises—Islam generally is pronounced correctly, and if anyone hesitates over or mispronounces Husain, I promptly remind them of a certain Iraqi whose first name is Saddam, rather than of Imam Husain, who was the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and the greatest martyr in Islamic history, but who unfortunately is less well known to most Americans.

Pet peeves and humor aside, it is very important that everyone, and not just Muslims, insist upon the correct pronunciation of their names, for that is the first step in awarding a person their distinct identity. Muslims should be particularly careful to avoid mispronunciation and misspelling of religious names as the meaning of the name changes drastically, and is thus very disrespectful.

Assimilation there must be. Most of our children are born in the United States and consequently identify it as their homeland. It is important for us to maintain Muslim culture and not waste our energies trying to perpetuate the cultures of Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, etc. An irate Pakistani-American woman reports commanding her 10-year-old American-born son to be sure that he marries a Pakistani. When he asked why, she announced that it was because he was Pakistani! I suspect that may be a little confusing to a child who has been born and raised in the United States and who starts every day with a salute to the American flag in his classroom.

A sense of belonging is essential to the development and maintenance of a healthy human psyche. Muslims must approach the issue realistically and avoid forcing their children to pay allegiance to the nation their parents came from, but which they barely know themselves. It is vital to make Muslim children understand that their first and foremost allegiance is to God and the principles of Islam. All else is secondary. The parental country of origin should not even figure.

The mode of assimilation also is very important. At least in the short run, the "melting pot" clich³ simply does not apply anymore. Just as few Americans care what lifestyles I adopt or reject for my family so long as I don't try to impose my choices on them, I think they respect my wish to make my own choices.

Instead of just a nameless ingredient in the American stew, I'd like to be the baked potato, or perhaps the lentils, in the entr³e of American diversity. I want to be a distinct part of American culture—grateful for all that America has afforded me, from liberation to an excellent work ethic.

As a Muslim, however, I also would like to demonstrate, by personal example and other available means such as this column, the values taught by our religion: integrity, accountability, charity, morality and kindness to parents.

There are mutual rewards for this particular mode of assimilation both for Muslim Americans and for America. Being a part of this great nation is very important for the self-esteem of our children, as well as for a sense of security in our daily life for us adults. We greatly appreciate the ability to work in an unrestricted environment, just as we treasure the freedom of speech and spirituality and the protection of legal recourse.

America benefits also. Islam recognizes the family as the basic and most important unit of society and strongly promotes its stability. We think the current void and crisis that so troubles most Americans in terms of family values and morality can be well filled if America gives Muslim values a try. As we seek to demonstrate this through personal example, Muslim-Americans should desert the concept of separate ethnicities and unite under the culture of Islam. In this way we can give back much to America by working to alleviate its moral concerns.