Experts consider the Future of Islam in America
Design by Flickr user vaXzine
Arsalan Iftikhar, an international human rights lawyer, founder of TheMuslimGuy.com and legal fellow for the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in Washington D.C., implores young American Muslims to dedicate themselves to social justice and public interest jobs around the world.
"As a part of the next generation of millennial Muslims, I vow to continue to be an asset to my faith, my country, and the world," he wrote. "So, as I continue my true existence and purpose-driven life as a proud Muslim citizen of our global community, regardless of whether or not I am welcome in your home, you are welcome in mine."
Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of Interfaith Youth Core and a member of President Obama's advisory council of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, advocates a "Big Tent Citizen Islam" as opposed to "Bubble Islam".
In "Citizen Islam," Patel said, "Muslims from a range of geographies, ethnicities, theologies, and intensities all consider themselves part of a single community ... and have two words for each other: fellow Muslim." He asks Muslims to stand alongside "Big Tent Citizen Christianity" and "Big Tent Citizen Judaism" to become an "American religion."
Jonathan AC Brown, assistant professor of Islam and Muslim Christian relations in Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, examines some of the rhetoric surrounding the controversy over the Cordoba initiative (the Muslim community center proposed two blocks from Ground Zero in New York City). He writes, "Beliefs that Islam or Muslims are the problem are so far from reality and so clearly driven by a mixture of fear, xenophobia, and racism that I am left much more worried about the future of America than the future of Islam."
Read more essays about the Future of Islam at Patheos.com.
Comments
Ahmed Chaudhry
Sat, Aug 21, 2010 : 11:37 a.m.
@Rebecca Cole: We only look to heap praise on Islam? I'm sure praise isn't the only thing that is being heaped on Islam now days. In fact the growing level of fear and hatred of Muslims in our very own country is reaching scary levels for a nation with the right to practice any religion one wants. And as for the Qu'ranic verse that you so conveniently re-worded for us, Sura 9:29 reads: "Fight against those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth of the People of the Book" It is simply the ultra conservative interpretation of that verse by the governments of those countries that causes these injustices you speak of and should never come to hold all Muslims around the world responsible for their actions. In fact, many Muslims interpret "People of the Book" as inclusive of all Muslims, Christians, and Jews. I believe your qualm is not a religious one but instead political. Maybe heaps of praise are what is required to offset the gathering wave of Islamaphobia in our country. Almost every religion has some sort of rhetoric in a holy text of a common belief that it is the right one. Everybody thinks they're right...its how we reconcile those differences that determines how we all get along in this world we live in.
Rebecca
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 11:57 a.m.
"So, as I continue my true existence and purpose-driven life as a proud Muslim citizen of our global community, regardless of whether or not I am welcome in your home, you are welcome in mine." This is interesting ~ because in the Islamic world it is against Islamic law for non-Muslims to be granted the same or equal rights to Muslims. [Sura 9:29] I wonder if some of these Muslim speaker/leaders would would voice their objection to the Dhimmi or 2nd class status awarded to non-Muslim in the Islamic world ~ as Muslims are granted equal status under the law when living in the west? Across the Islamic world it is becoming increasingly difficult for non-Muslims. Not only Christians, but for Hindus and Sikhs and for Buddhists in some parts. And especially for Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Bahai ~ if they are attacked, kidnapped, raped ~ as 2nd class citizens the law does not protect them. [See compass Direct] For example the Pakistan massacre of Christians last year ~ after the internal press died down Christian leaders were put on the list of suspects, even the Bishop! Western Muslim leaders and spokespeople should be questioned about the legal status of 'all' non-Muslims living in the Islamic world and should perhaps be sent out to the Islamic world to promote the idea of equality under the law. We would not stand for Black Apartheid ~ but we turn a blind eye to the religious Apartheid in the Islamic world. In the Maldives there are for ex. no non-Muslims, because a non-Muslim cannot hold citizenship and those found to have converted to Christianity, have reportedly been arrested and have reported disappeared [Christian sources]. It is illegal to carry Christian material or [material contrary to Islam] in your luggage to the country, and tourist have had bags searched and Bibles confiscated ~ when entering the Maldives. There is something wrong with this picture. How long can we ignore these things ~ when we only look to heap praise on Islam.