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UMA Bulletin – May 1, 2006
United Muslims of America celebrates 25 years
By Anne Roth
On Saturday, April 29, 2006 several hundred people attended the celebratory banquet for the 25th anniversary of the United Muslims of America. Over these years, these educated, moderate, faithful Muslims have been exploring together what it means to be Muslim in America and American Muslim. Their cooperation together has spanned the divergent faces of Islam and the nationalistic prejudices that seem to be cracking the Muslim world elsewhere.
The Imam who opened the ceremony with the traditional Seven Verses of the Quran likened them to the seven seals of the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible. Dr. Islam Siddiqui, founder and past president, and Mr. Shafi Refai, current president, spoke about the history of this organization. They were brought together to address founding needs of activism, interfaith dialogue, and the image of Muslims in America. With the turning point of September 11, these needs are even deeper and wider. There is concern about the eroding civil liberties of Muslims because of the widespread ignorance of Americans about what this global faith tradition stands for. Mr. Refai reminded us that out of nearly 60 Muslim-majority nations, only a few have terrorist problems - yet the majority of Muslims are being seen as holding identical views.
Rev. Paul Chaffee, Director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, spoke on the phenomenon of 9/11 that opened the doors to dialogue and introduced us as neighbors to one another. Yet there was a perceived parallel in the Muslim situation to that of the California Japanese after Pearl Harbor, a danger that these twisted versions of the faith would be used against them. Mr. Suhail Khan, who has been a policy director and press secretary for Congressman Tom Campbell (R-CA) and now works with Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta said, “We should be seen as a blessing to mankind.” Ms. Safaa Ibrahim, Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, agreed that the erosion of Muslim civil liberties needs to be addressed with dialogue.
After a lovely buffet dinner at the Chandni Restaurant in Newark, and the evening Maghrib prayers, there was a second panel of speakers. Dr. Muqtedar Khan, a professor of Political Science and widely read author and public speaker on Islamic issues, spoke eloquently to the presentation topic “Bridging the Gap between the U.S.-Muslim World.” He noted gaps between Americans and Muslims that provoke danger from misinformation, the gap between American Muslims and other Muslims around the world. Americans have too little information to distinguish that difference. And he asked the Muslims to stop focussing on how to change America and focus on changing the Muslim world. He asked Muslims to send a stronger ethical message to the extremists by marking themselves as a culture where violence is no longer the first option for settling differences, and by doing so directly, not attacking “isms.”
Former Congressman Pete McCloskey, who served in Washington for seven terms after 1967, who lived through the growing regret about what had been done to the Japanese internees after WWII, said he did not think the government would ever make such a mistake again. He encouraged Muslim families to register their wives and grown children to vote, to send them to work as interns within the system so they had a chance to choose public service.
But the man who sat in the “hot seat” with some grace was Mr. Robert Tappan from the State Department in Washington, D.C. His careful introductory statement about the small steps being taken to build bridges with the Muslim world and incremental engagements with Muslims, his willingness to admit that we don't have all the answers, was followed with a barrage of very tough questions: How many Muslims work in the State Department? Does America value the role of Pakistan in taking out al Qaeda? Will there be detention camps for Muslims if there is another attack on the U.S.? What can we do about the “Watch List” that limits Visa applications for Muslim family members? Will there be equable support for a Palestinian state? What will be done about the Hamas' election?
There were answers: three out of about 200 employees. Yes, Pakistan is valued and their loss of life in this fight honored. No, there were no plans for detention, although he was aware that the discernment of people's intentions was difficult. There is a new position created to address these Visa issues for Muslim families. And the problem of Palestine, despite the Bush administration's call for a two-state reality, lies in the hands of Hamas itself. Dr. Khan was able to clarify here: If the Hamas government refuses to recognize Israel as a state and refuses to honor the treaties signed by previous governments, they will undermine their own credibility in spite of their election being the first real democratic election in Palestine.
The toughest question was about how U.S. can build trust, after a long loss of credibility, in Muslim countries, and Dr. Khan said that the use of U.S. military personnel to provide aid after the tsunami in Indonesia, after the earthquakes in Pakistan, to bring in food to devastated areas and help rebuild, was one of the most powerful statements about who Americans really are. It was Dr. Khan who call for a paradigm shift: that these people begin to think of themselves as Americans whose faith is in Islam, not Muslims who happen to live in America.
With amazing delicacy, the final blessing was offered by Rita Semel, who has been one of the key persons in interfaith work for several decades. She turned to the Jewish Scriptures and quoted the call to Moses: “I put before you this day life and death. Choose life.”
My husband and I were invited to this evening's event by Iftekhar Hai, who has been the UMA Interfaith liaison for many years and one of the founding voices of the United Religions Initiative. As a Christian, an interfaith advocate - and an American - I found this discussion utterly fascinating. I cannot stand in the shoes of a Muslim in America. What can I do to allay these fears that are raging on both sides? Safaa Ibrahim said we can help to educate people about the misinformation being disseminated. We can help with education and help to open doors that will encourage dialogue among neighbors. The gaps are being bridged by individuals.
Oroville Mercury Register – May 7, 2006
'United 93' stirs up Muslim Americans:
UMA symposium expresses concern regarding
anti-Islamic sentiments
By Jonathan Jones
FREMONT — At the United Muslims of America (UMA) symposium in Newark, Muslim-American leaders discussed the rhetoric regarding Iran, the war in Iraq and the image of the United States in Islamic countries. But some also expressed concern that "United 93," a new film about the last moments of the last hijacked plane to crash on Sept. 11, 2001, could stir up anti-Islamic sentiments.
Safaa Ibrahim, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, took her staff of four women wearing a hijab, the traditional Muslim head scarves, to a Thursday matinee.
As a civil rights advocate, Ibrahim said, she wanted to see the movie after reports that several young Muslim-American women in Arizona were verbally assaulted by two people who said they had seen the movie recently. Ibrahim said she knew the movie would stir up emotions, but she did not expect that all of the members in her group would walk out in tears.
"We thought it was important to see the movie to find out how it comes across," Ibrahim said. "But it dredged up a lot of emotions. We were watching it — as Americans and as Muslims — and it hurts us to see our fellow Americans hurt, and see people hurt others, acting in the name of Islam."
At the April 29 symposium, Suhail Khan, associate director for congressional affairs at the Department of Transportation and a former White House aide under President Bush, recalled his experience working at the White House on Sept. 11.
Today, Khan said he still remembers that day "moment by moment," adding that the movie touches a raw nerve. He said he had not made up his mind about whether it is too soon to produce such a film.
"Five short years after 9/11, we're seeing a movie produced that purports to relive the horrific moments of 9/11 and Flight 93," Khan said. "I haven't made up my mind about that issue, honestly. I do feel, obviously, that it will stir up anti-Muslim sentiments. But, I mean, it's hard to make the situation worse."
Ibrahim said the opening scene of the movie, where hijackers are reading the Quran, "sent chills up my spine."
"It only reinforced my hatred and resentment toward Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida and reminded me of how much they've hurt Muslims and scarred our faith," Ibrahim said. "I have so much anger toward these guys. The movie only reinforced that. I understand why it makes others angry. It doesn't feel good to watch what happened and see innocent families die. It's senseless."
But Ibrahim added that the movie also reinforced how much has changed since the events of Sept. 11.
"On 9/11, I was working at a high-tech firm and I wasn't wearing a hijab," Ibrahim said. "Now I'm wearing a hijab and dedicating myself to preventing people from trying to ruin the name of my faith. That day helped us grow and made us more civic-conscious."
Khan agreed: "My sense is that the opportunity is still there to educate non-Muslims. Just as we had hate crimes after 9/11, we also had an outpouring of brotherhood and friendship with non-Muslims who stood by the Muslim community and stood by their neighbors and friends. ... I think you need to look at the positives and educate friends about the realities of Islam."
http://www.orovillemr.com/news/bayarea/ci_3795613
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