As American Muslims, should we stand with the Pilgrims or the Indians?

Since Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation in 1863 in the midst of the Civil War, Americans have celebrated a November Thursday as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise. Since 1970, a Native American group in New England has observed this same day as a National Day of Mourning. They are descendents of the indigenous Wampanoag Indians who encountered the Pilgrims that landed at Plymouth Rock. Each year at Plymouth Rock itself, the group - along with hundreds of allies - mourn the theft of their lands and food by the Pilgrims, and the enslavement and subjugation of their ancestors. At the same time, they also look forward to an America filled with justice and freed of brutality.

So, should American Muslims give thanks and praise the Creator, or should we mourn on this day? We should both give thanks and remember the past. We should stand in earnest compassion with the Pilgrims and in genuine solidarity with the Indians, helping each in their needs. As the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "A person should help his brother whether he is the oppressor or the oppressed. If he is the oppressor he should prevent him from doing so, for that is his help; and if he is the oppressed he should be helped against oppression."

As Muslims, we should always be thankful and truly grateful for all that we have. Although things could be better, things could also always be much, much worse. We should be mindful of the distance we need to go - as individuals, as a community and as a country. As America marks a Day of Thanksgiving, let American Muslims also commit ourselves to both an unfailing gratitude and to the struggles for racial & economic justice and peace.

Let's make this a day of thanksgiving and remembrance of our heritage as American Muslims. Let's recount the warts and all, so we can better understand our role in America in these remarkable times.

This Thanksgiving, let's remember the Muslims who arrived in America in the hulls of slave ships after crossing the Middle Passage. After all, Malcolm X did say, "We didn't land on Plymouth Rock; Plymouth Rock landed on us!" Historians estimate that a quarter of African slaves brought to America were Muslim. When Alex Haley traced his Roots, he traced them through Kunte Kinte to a Muslim village in West Africa. Historian Sylviane Diouf has eloquently described this experience in her book "African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas". Let's give thanks for those lifted out of slavery, and for the dignity in struggle of the late Rosa Parks and her generation.

Let's remember the vision of religious pluralism of our Founding Fathers. According to James Hutson, chief of the Library of Congress' Manuscript division, the Founding Fathers - especially Thomas Jefferson & George Washington - "explicitly included Islam in their vision of the future of the republic". Thomas Jefferson was more proud of his effort to pass Virginia's landmark Statute for Establishing Religious Freedom in 1786 than he was of his presidency. (Some say a future president would be similarly more proud of his stint as the manager of baseball team in Texas.) In his Autobiography, Jefferson praised the Virginia Statute's "mantle of protection," which included "the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo and the Infidel." Let's give thanks for the religious freedoms we enjoy.

Let's remember the hand of friendship extended by the Sultan of Morocco, who made Morocco the first country to recognize the independence of the United States. Isn't it amazing that it is a Muslim land that has that honor? The 1787 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Morocco and the United States stands as the basis for the longest unbroken treaty relationship between the US and any foreign country in the history of the Republic. Let's give thanks for those sincere efforts at peacemaking and bridge building in our time.

Let's remember the great American landmark, the Washington Monument on the Capitol Mall in Washington, DC. It was completed in the 1880s in part with the gift of funds from the Ottoman sultan in Istanbul, who as Caliph was also the figurehead leader of all Muslims. The Sultan's subjects included the populations of today's Middle East hotspots: Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. If you go to the Washington Monument, you can see the Sultan's commemorative plaque inside the Monument, which features a specially commissioned calligraphed poem in the Arabic script for the American people. Let's give thanks for wisdom, foresight, and small kindnesses in our leaders, communities, and families.

Let's remember the first American colonial conquest & occupation in the Muslim world which occurred during the Philippines-American War in the early 20th century, a war in which about 1.4 million Filipinos died. General Pershing accomplished in 10 or so years what the Spanish couldn't in 400 years. Fresh from fighting the Sioux at Wounded Knee, Pershing helped conquer the Muslim Moro peoples of the southern Philippines. The Colt .45 Gun, which was the standard issue handgun of the US Armed Forces until 1985, was invented specifically for the conquest of the Muslim Moro peoples. In one fateful siege, the Battle of Bud Bagsak, American troops killed 2000-3000 Muslim men, women, and children. Let's give thanks for those Muslims and Christians in the Philippines and around the world who are today breaking barriers and working for a new dawn free of oppression, exploitation and hate.

Let's all remember our own shortcomings, and give thanks for the infinite mercy, forgiveness, and love of our Creator.

Let's give thanks. Let's pray and work for a future of peace, justice, and nonviolence.

There are two issues here, (1) immigration, and (2) economic progress, what you call 'dunya'.

Yes, there are some issues with immigration, but why don't you talk about all immigration? Everyone other than the native Americans and descendents of slaves are immigrants here. Tackle economic inequality and immigration will go away. Brother come on, lets study, work, and take to the streets if necessary to end economic inequality. Yes, some immigrants might do destructive or wrong activities, but don't all people? That's why we need rule of law, due legal process etc.

As for you concept of 'dunya' goes, if you are talking about people hoarding, being arrogant and mean, then yes, there needs to be some correction. If you are saying economic activity is bad per se, you have a right to proclaim that. But that is not a unanimous Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Capitalist, or Socialist position. I think it is quite extreme, mean, and inhuman to stop hard working people from taking care of their families because you have different views.

Frankly, I have no idea of the sort of converts you are talking about. I know some, and I have never heard anything like this from them. Who ever stopped a convert from leading prayers. Last Friday I prayed behind an American born Imam. It was rude to ask him if he or his parents converted but he seemes like a convert. Ibrahim Hooper, Ingrid Mattson, Esposito, Lang, Siraj Wahaj, ... they are all our prominent leaders. I dont know where you live, but many mosques get different people to lead prayers. I have prayed behind white, black, Arab, and Asian Imams.

Malcolm X is the most prominent leader American Muslim youth ever look up to. All the people I have mentioned had love for humanity, and deep commitment to justice. Obviously people don't like mean views. Just as an extreme radical Arab/Pakistani leader proclaiming hate will not rise to the top, other than forming his looney fringe outfit, so will it be hard for someone proclaiming racial hatred or white supremacy to be a popular leader.

Brother Asif, there are no indigenous American Muslims bad mouthing immigrants because a) there are very few native American Muslims, and b) even though I have actively talked with many Muslims and non-Muslims, the closest I have heard of FC's views are from atheist, rich, prejudiced people, never from a Muslim.

Allah brings Islam, no one else and it only reveals the arrogance I speak about to say so.

Yes, and Allah provides rizq. Stop badgering law abiding, hard working, tax payers with insults just because they have a different skin color. People have a problem if Muslims stay home, if Muslim women wear hijab, if they dont wear hijab, if you do well at school, if you dont do well at school, if you assimilate, if you don't. This is just not fair.

Being Muslim, you ought to at least come out compassionate, not sounding like the KKK! Unless you are native American or black, how about looking down the collar and coming up with some respect?

This has nothing to do with race. As evidence, you should see the diverse community I belong to here.

This has to do with people immigrating without justifiable reasons - the very act calls into question their Islam.

Islam, generally speaking, does not permit Muslims to immigrate to non-Muslim lands. Its that simple. You can argue that point all you want, but facts are facts.

Who do you think are selecting what Muslims enter the states? What criteria do you think they use to determine who enters. Are immigration laws enacted for the good of the people or corporations. Is there an underlining moivation in letting in bad Muslims to help destroy Islam in America. These are all questions that should be asked.

The immigrant Muslim is much different than the Catholic, Protestant or Atheist. It is not against their religion to immigrate to a non-Muslim land. If a Catholic stood and said I am Catholic but I do not listen to the Pope, observe lent, confess or believe in Mary, people would laugh them off the stage. But how many Muslims that do not pray, do not fast, drink, do not pay charity then turn around and represent themselves in America as Muslim spokespersons. Plenty.

Great, come to America, worship dunya, I could care less - but do not represent yourself as Muslim and expect that no one is going to stand up and object. Have some respect, be quiet or go home.

That does not make this racist, although it was clearly understood tthat many, not having a real defence for what is being said, would try to turn it into a racist issue.

By the way, two thirds of the members of my family are Native American. But that is not the issue.

Religion can not be used to impinge civil liberties. I hold that for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, even non-Muslim minorities in Muslim lands regardless of what anyone might say. But that is not the question.

Where is the basis for immigrating to non-Muslim lands being forbidden? What is a non-Muslim land? Muslims, like everyone else are a diverse community, ethnically, ideologically, and politically.

This has very little to do with Islam, and a lot to do with being illiberal and mean.

I predict after the book is released that this will resonate with many American converts and you immigrant Muslims who are so proud of the fact that "you" brought Islam to us will finally be forced to shut-up or go home.

The Islam you have brought is not Islam at all and the work you have done has mostly destroyed Islam in America, not strengthened it, as you claim. Your Islam is dry and barren - no spirituality, no love, no compassion and now you cry about me not being nice.

We have been nice and kind, We have been quiet for a long time - those days are over. Take your foolish and destructive brand of Islam and go home. At the very least, stop calling yourself Muslim.

Go to Nasseb.com and look at all the so-called Muslims who proudly call themselves progressive Muslims - then see what progressive actuall means.

They are proudly proclaiming to be apostates - and you want us to be kind and nice to these pathetic creatures. To these hypocrites, to the worst of creation.

Ahhhhhhhh, I do not think so.

hb said,

Where is the basis for immigrating to non-Muslim lands being forbidden?

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This is shaiton's favorite trick and the immigrant Muslims common tactic.

Draw people into defending what they have said - make them argue the point. When Islamically, it is such bad manners to question someone like this. It is not learning you seek, it is arguments.

Shaiton wants to draw everything down to a thought process - disputing opinions and ideas - this is how he keeps you destracted away from the truth that can only be obtained in the heart.

So we argue endlessly about subject matter that takes years and years of study to comprhend and Shaiton succeeds in wasting our time and dividing us. Is that your goal in asking your question. I'm saying yes.

If you are Muslim, you need to have a teacher you trust whom you can ask these questions to, or you need to know for yourself.

But no, you ask someone who you have no respect for who you have no intention to take an answer from - so why are you asking me? You know, everyone here knows.

But I'll tell you why anyway, to poison the well, to destroy Islam - to create confussion because you follow Shaiton.

Sincere people ony ask questions of people they intend to take the answer from. If not respecting, do not ask.

GO HOME, GO HOME, GO HOME

Everytime an immigrant Muslim stands up in America to represnt Islam I want all you converts to start chanting, Go Home, Go Home, Go Home, maybe then these arrogant hypocrites will get the message.

"Allah brings Islam, no one else and it only reveals the arrogance I speak about to say so."

Another right-on, Qur'anic observation!

Its kinda ironic, FC is chanting Go Home Go Home to hypocritical immigrants in America, while he/she/it is sitting in their countries!!!!!

And what if they start shouting "hypocrite Yankee Go Home Go Home Go Home. "

Then what?? This is too funny.

Funny that I listen to the advice of our beloved Prophet?

Funny that Allah has provided me with an invitation to settle in the holy lands?

Funny that my heart is not inclined towards dunya and I can be happy anywhere?

Funny? Only to a hypocrite.

If I behaved like a yankee I would Go Home.

"hypocrite Yankee Go Home Go Home Go Home."

Nothing will happen. "Yankee" has stockpile of enough nuclear bombs, to level the whole earth many times over.

This is what some do in their spare time:
http://www.flurl.com/uploaded/Bareknucklepoliticscom_EXCLUSIVE_10122.html

The people and the government welcome me here because I know how to behave, am respectful of the customs and culture and do not try to boss people around. I certainly do not think I have come here to save them. So, they welcome me with open arms.

You should try it.

>>the closest I have heard of FC's views are from atheist, rich, prejudiced people, never from a Muslim.<<

EXACTLY. Every single convert I've ever met is polite, courteous and even when disagreeing does it properly. This miscreant is playing games, one minute he claims to be living in a very diverse neighborhood, then he claims immigrants are barging into his home, leading prayers, hitting him with pillows etc. Its the same nonsense post over and over again. The only people who chant "go home" are trailer trash. Its the same problem in Europe, good for nothing LAZY natives blaming every ill under the sun on immigrants. They let them in, and then want them to magically disappear.
What "customs" of yours are being violated, moron? You are obviously NOT a Muslim, you've done a fine job of proving that over and over. Muslims arent allowed to make hijrah? You obviously have never read Islamic history have you moron?
You must be really desperate to link the Naseeb.com lot to immigrant Muslims, even though they are born and bred here...and in some cases share some of the same ridiculous habits of immigrant bashing. The "indigenous Moslems" of Naseeb.com has far more in common with you then immigrant Muslims.
I've said and I'll say it again that maybe you wouldn't be such a Jerk-In-The-Box if you didn't eat all those paint chips and lead pencils when you were a kid. You are a precociously witless mouth breather and a belligerent, all-defiling deplorable calamity of birth. You are a frightfully obtuse cretin and a vacuous, dandruff-eating pulp of stultifying inanity. In short, you're a loser. Dont expect me to treat you like a brother unless you're prepared to do the same. Till then, kiss my hard working, tax paying, law abiding, free health care providing-immigrant posterior, loser.

Me thinks we struck a nerve . . . .

Way to many posts - crazy!

Brothers/Sisters - please don't engage FC - the commentary there is just ludicrous

Arafat,

Yeah, Imams do seem to belabor the Thanksgiving point and go overboard on it. But to some degree I understand their issues with it. They are afraid of the slippery-slope trend - that Muslims will slowly lose/pull away from their religion/culture as they start celebrating American holidays, one after another. There is some validity in that - but if I were them I would spend 10 minutes on that reminder and then move on.

OmarG:

Perhaps I need to have more clarity in what I wrote. I used the word un-Islamic to mean outside of Islamic dictates etc. not to mean forbidden but I can see where that might create confusion.

Thanksgiving/4th of July and Saudi/Pakistani Independence Day are all outside the realm of Islam and the Islamic way of life. This doesn't mean they are forbidden. I think the religion is neutral on them. However, when you cloak them in Islamic language - what you're doing is breaking that neutrality and giving them a positive aspect(as if it's to be encouraged or promoted or rewarded etc.)

This same phenomenon can be seen from the other side. Uninformed fools frequently claim that the Saudi ban on women drivers is consistent within Islam. I would object to that strenously using the same arguments as with Thanksgiving. The religion is neutral on driving. But they are trying to make something that is neutral into a negative to satisfy their own patriarichical and misogynistic traditions.

Why did I get that the impression the author was trying to associate Thksg with Islam (ie. breaking the neutrality) - Through statments like these:

"This Thanksgiving, let's remember the Muslims who arrived in America ..."
"Let's give thanks for those lifted out of slavery,..."

OmarG wrote:

"To me, if the economic, social AND political situation is messed up, then that means the culture is: 1) inherently too weak to affect people; 2) just the culture of your household and not the culture of your parents' country, 3) The culture simply isn't as Islamic as you think."

You are wrong on all three counts. The culture isn't weak or not as Islamic as I think. I come from Somalia - the country is 100% Muslim - there are mosques on every street(about the only things not destroyed), everyone celebrates Eid etc., families are close - all the hallmarks of the best in Islamic culture. Obviously, it isn't that the culture is that in my parent's home if most of the country is like this.Yet the country is in ruins. Why? Simply - leadership, political leadership. If we look at sub-Saharan Africa - we see most countries in dismal economic/social situations and that's almost entirely due to the corrupt/theiving/short-sighted political leadership. If we move up the political leadership rung up one, we see countries like Egypt and Syria. Dictatorial, Big Brother states, to be sure, but the leadership is more permissive of ppl going on about their business and so the outcome is better for most ppl as compared to sub-saharan Africa. Up the political leadership rung a few more notches, we come to Malaysia. It has large non-Muslim majorities to be sure but the political leadership is mostly Muslim and a plurality of the population is Muslim too. It is a booming country - its citizens are much better off than most of the 3rd world.

These are Muslim or Muslim majority states yet their socio-economic positions are very different. And the overriding factor is political leadership. I hope you can see that it has nothing to do with the 3 factors you cited above.

A joke that I've heard often puts all this in good presepctive:

A businessman is in Indonesia looking for trade opportunities when he runs into a high government minister who after some conversation takes him aside and points to a large multi-lane highway and says - 'See that highway I own 25% of it'

Some time later, the same businessman is in Congo looking for trade opportunities when he runs into a high government minister who after some conversation takes him aside and points outside the window and says 'See that highway I own 100% of it' And the businessman looks outside and sees a dirt road hacked out of the bush.

>>Islam, generally speaking, does not permit Muslims to immigrate to non-Muslim lands. Its that simple.

Astaghfirullah! WHERE! No, it is your "shiekh" who forbids what Allah did not forbid, probably to keep you enslaved to him instead of to Allah. Its hard to keep slaves under control when they are in free countries far away...

Also, people who weren't born here should not try to restrict the definition of indigenous Muslim to African-Americans and Native Americans. Indigenous Muslims: We are Muslims OF ANY ETHNIC ORIGIN who were born here.