Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, September 1998, pages 118-119

Mahjabeen’s Musings: A Muslim-American Traveller Along the American Way

American-Muslim Political Involvement in 1998 is Dress Rehearsal for Crucial Year 2000 Elections

By Mahjabeen Islam-Husain

The contrast in numbers and political muscle between Muslims and Jews as a whole is astonishing. Muslims number over one billion worldwide, dwarfing the world’s 13 million Jews, and yet their influence on world politics and modern history completely reverses the numerical ratio. Even in the United States, Muslims number six to eight million and, according to many sources, already have surpassed the Jewish population. Yet the Jewish share of control of the bastions of power, namely the media and the Congress, seemingly surpasses that of their Christian compatriots, although Americans of Christian heritage outnumber Americans of Jewish heritage on the order of 50 to 1.

Political Naiveté

Approximately 42 percent of America’s Muslims are African-American. The remaining 58 percent are mostly more recent immigrants and their descendents from South Asia, the Arab world, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. Perhaps by virtue of their diversity or their origins from politically unsophisticated climes, American Muslims have a political naiveté that needs urgent transformation. If this metamorphosis does not occur within the next two years the fallout will be exponential. It is vital for American Muslims to understand that being politically passive threatens both our identity and our quality of life, and assuredly those of our descendants.

Qur’anic Injuction

In the Qur’an, Allah states that Muslims “should enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong” (3:104,110). Spreading the Truth is insufficient if it cannot be safeguarded, and therefore it is implicit that the teachings of Islam and the lifestyle of Muslims be protected by Muslims themselves.

In a free and democratic society such as the United States, however, this is only possible if Muslims are involved in the decision-making process. This begins at the level of voting and ideally culminates in Muslims gaining political office. If Muslims remain on the sidelines politically, laws will be thrust upon them that will be unfair, distasteful and possibly punitive. Inexorably the “silence means consent” rule applies again.

Zionist Agenda

The fact that so many political victories have been awarded to the Zionists proclaims a successful agenda, which is applied again and again. Perhaps it would be educational to summarize this story of recurrent successes, very eloquently discussed by Dr. Agha Saeed of the American Muslim Alliance at a recent conference in California.

1. Media: Since the first bastion of power is demonstrably so well controlled by the Zionists, it is ensured that time and again Muslims are portrayed in a very negative light in the media. Hence we are tried in the court of public opinion, rather than a court of law. And if you have a monopoly, the verdict is invariably the same—we are terrorists, ignoramus camel-jockeys, wild-eyed fanatics, etc.

2. Infiltration: Muslim and Arab organizations are infiltrated by apparently innocuous means. For instance, in the course of inter-faith dialogues, the workings and, especially, the workers of our organizations are studied.

3. Divide and Impede: Conflicts between Muslims are created or catalyzed, almost automatically making their organizations ineffective as they scramble to resolve repeated, in fact almost continuous, in-fighting.

4. Creating dissent: Heated debate over whether or not it is Islamically permissible to get involved in American politics marginalizes a segment of Muslims who might otherwise have participated.

5. Setting up stooges and organizations of their own choice: Susceptible members of our communities are cultivated and flattered, and thereafter publicly promoted and encouraged to create or take over organizations that ostensibly are “Muslim.” The individuals involved may be willing, but more likely are unwitting subscribers to the Zionist agenda.

6. Death grip on the political system: Any signs of independence among elected officials or even their speech writers and legislative affairs directors are dealt with swiftly and effectively. The preferred method is through promises and delivery of AIPAC dollars to always-in-need politicians. If necessary, however, this may instead involve finding and funding an electable opponent. Either way, incumbents learn to toe the Zionist line because there are no rewards, only penalties, for doing otherwise.

All of the above is very smoothly and skillfully done with ne’er a wave. Only once in a while do these skilled operators fall flat when, for example, Mossad agents are caught trying to assassinate a Hamas leader to blame King Hussein, as happened recently in Amman. Or when an ex-Mossad case worker writes books about Zionist deception, as did Victor Ostrovsky. Such revealing humiliations are few and far between, however, causing only a temporary wave. The agenda keeps rolling on well-oiled wheels.

Muslim Agenda

Needless to say, Muslims must have a defined method to ensure our future. Practically all Muslim and non-Muslim experts believe that the primary event has to be for Muslims to develop and flex their political muscle. As tirelessly expressed by Richard Curtiss, executive editor of the Washington Report, Muslims must get off the bleachers and on to the playing field. In the July issue of the WRMEA he has laid out a very viable and extremely exciting plan which would essentially ensure that the Muslim voice is heard through our vote.

1. Primary allegiance to Islam: It is important to understand that the primary allegiance of the majority of Muslims is to Islam, and not to the Republican or the Democratic Party or even the countries from which they migrated.

2. Agreement on candidates to back. The various Muslim organizations in the country need to agree on the candidates to be backed by Muslims, with the recommendation based upon only one or two main items that all Muslims agree are of primary Islamic concern. Examples are the unimpeded access to and undivided Muslim authority over Islamic holy places in Jerusalem, and human rights for the Palestinians.

3. Political choice conveyed to imams. The political choice arrived at by the Muslim organizations should be conveyed to the imams of mosques all over the United States who would then report the information in their Friday sermons.

It is important to not only look for winning politicians to back, but instead to support electable leaders who understand the Muslim perspective, and who will welcome Muslim political support. It is vitally important that Muslims shelve their individual and organizational differences in order to come up with a unified approach, instead of canceling out each other’s votes because of the personal rivalries or individualism that quickly lead to disunity.

Muslim Bloc Vote

If this can be carried out we will have the birth of the Muslim bloc vote, which in my opinion will radically change the flavor of American politics and give the national recognition to Muslims that we so desperately need. There will be a ripple effect in other arenas of American life, affecting Muslims in very positive ways.

Qualifying Round

The major changes alluded to above will, insha’allah, occur in the year 2000. This 1998 election year, however, should be viewed as the qualifying or practice round leading to that great day when all of us will vote as one—in support of Muslim issues upon which we are all agreed rather than upon the basis of our own personal choices or whims or the agenda of a single community. We need to organize now, much like a dress rehearsal for the all-important opening night.

Rising Above Differences

Muslims in every community need to respond positively to any and all activities that aim to strengthen our political activism. It is important to separate personalities from the larger goals of the American Muslim community. When Muslims attend a particular event, they must separate the event from the individuals organizing it. Attending the event should not be considered a favor to the organizer, and boycotting it does not malign the organizer.

We must always keep Allah as the focus of our lives. Spreading and safeguarding His word should be our aim. Getting mired in the quagmires of personalities and “he said, she said” is very counter-productive to our main purpose.

The American Muslim Alliance and the United Muslim Association of Toledo plan an Ohio Civic Education/Meet the Candidates event on Sept. 26, 1998, where Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur will be the featured speaker. Its aim is to educate Muslims on the political system and how to run for political office, and to educate the candidates on Muslim concerns and how to attract our votes.

Toledo is an example of Muslim political organization and activism that transcends sectarian or ethnic differences. It is important for Muslims to forget nationalism in favor of our larger Islamic cause. The starvation of Iraqi children or the Palestinian cause may not be the major concern of Pakistani-Americans or Americans of Indian Muslim origin. Similarly, the Kashmir issue or Pakistani nuclear tests may not be at the top of African-American or Arab-American concerns. And yet as Muslims, on the basis of huqooq-ul-ibad, or the rights of others over us, we must participate and we must contribute, with time, effort and money.

Political activism and organization in Toledo is still at the grassroots level, but political education and active participation can escalate it all the way up to the level where candidates will realize they will have to consider Islamic concerns and “the Muslim vote” in order to be elected. That is political clout in the real sense of the word.

A very vital part of Islam is niyyah or intention. Allah has promised to reward it if the niyyah is appropriate, even if the task cannot be completed.

Hopefully, Muslim Toledoans and all of the American-Muslim communities across the 50 states will realize this year that their active involvement is not just important, but the key to success at the very important grass-roots level, without which our national and international rights and interests cannot be realized.

If we remember that our involvement is fi-sabilillah ( in the name of God ) and not just a favor to individuals, we may yet be able to avoid cutting our nose to spite our face.