African American Muslims have a role to play when it comes to the widespread Islamophobia (an irrational fear of Islam) that is prevalent in the West. The unfortunate fact is that some Americans see Muslims as a disease to be rooted out. However, as is the case with immunisation, the "disease" can sometimes also be the source of a cure.

African Americans have faced derisive stereotyping before – including public name calling and a complete exclusion from basic human rights. Such behaviour created a marginalised cultural category and position in a pathological culture. And African Americans have struggled for generations to overcome this categorisation.

So, when some in the United States negatively and aggressively stereotype Muslims as many people once did African-Americans, it provokes a latent hostility in the United States, conjured up by certain talk show hosts and others who use such labelling to garner support with their audiences, and reinforces an ethos of opposition or aggression.

Shortly after September 11, 2001, a woman wearing Muslim clothing while grocery shopping in San Gabriel was attacked by a Caucasian woman yelling, "America is only for white people!" This was reminiscent of the treatment of African Americans at "Whites Only" lunch counters during the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and 1960s. Such incidents demonstrate the extent to which Muslims have become the new ostracised minority in our nation, how they are being "Other-ised" in the present atmosphere.

The solution? Nothing less than a cultural revolution.

Cultures are born out of the problems faced by groups of people and the solutions they seize upon. The schema for cultural development follows this pattern:

First, a group of people faces a special problem, such as racial or religious marginalisation or misunderstanding. Second, those who possess the requisite instincts follow their natural impulses and propose a solution; for example, to demonstrate for basic human rights. Third, successful results of implementing the solution, such as the introduction of new civil rights legislation, lead to the fourth step, the formulation of an articulated ideology – the Civil Rights movement. Fifth, that ideology takes shape as an institution, and finally, a culture reinforcing that ideology is born.

All human beings live within a culture, whether by choice or by default. One culture can only be replaced by another culture, either through migration or transformation. While some would say that the West is becoming increasingly Islamophobic, it is understandable that Western culture is afraid of losing its current identity and having it replaced – as it is sometimes perceived – by Arab, Asian or African cultures identified as Muslim.

As an American – who happens to also be Muslim – I can certainly understand. In America, all Muslims are free by law to practice Islam unimpeded, regardless of whether they are Sunni, Shi'a or a member of any other Muslim sect. Unfortunately, the growth of Islamophobia undermines that freedom.

Ironically, the solution to Islamophobia in the United States could very well come from African American Muslims – those who converted to Islam beginning in the Civil Rights Era, rejected the character traits and cultural mores that American culture had imposed upon the "ex-slave", and are playing a significant role in American society.

What role can African American Muslims play?

First, in order to mine this group for the cure, there must be more interaction overall in order that we may get to know one another – as Americans and as Muslims.

Second, the key is to gain insight into the world-view that governs the African American Muslim disposition and actions. Namely, the fact that true African American Muslims hold sacred the absolute equality of all human beings and embrace the timeless, universal values of the Qur'an – values which disapprove of jealousy, vengeance and prejudice.

Highlighting the unique African American Muslim experience should lead the western world to ask, "If this is what Islam can produce, even from a people whose culture was so utterly decimated, then what in Islam do we really have to fear?"

The rights and entitlements afforded African American Muslims are unparalleled anywhere in the Muslim world today. African American Muslims, at one time arguably the most dehumanised population in history, are productive and patriotic American citizens who play a role, through their social and political participation, in shaping American society.

African American Muslims are therefore in a unique position to embrace such American symbols as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States while still striving to defeat Islamophobia.

African American Muslims are a sign of how Islam can take a vanquished people and turn them into productive and active participants who help to shape their political and social environment. They are a people that have faced discrimination and fear before and are equipped to play a significant role in pushing back against a new incarnation of cultural discrimination and misunderstanding – Islamophobia.

Bogus article. Full of empty slogans and theoretical exercises. Take the term "African-American" out and replace it with "Italian-American", "Spanish-American", "Arab-American" and you won't be able to tell a thing apart. Would'nt surprise me if the imam plagerized this from some journal and took out some term like maybe "mormon" and simply replaced it with "Muslim." Resume padder as we call these articles. For future ISNA, ICNA presidental hopefuls. "Movin' on up the grapevine......." *music*

There are internal issues facing the Muslim community in the U.S. that are influenced by social, political and ideological forces, these internal factors, lead to the marginalization of Muslims and contribute to the lack of community and unity that Muslims are facing in America. Unfortunately, due to the World's political climate, the many conflicts that we are engaged in globally inside the Muslim world have created a public image associating Islam and Muslims with the "other", and in this context it is "us" vs. "them."

I am not speaking for intellectuals and on behalf of the educated classes of American society, but for mainstream America, the masses and these are the people that are mostly influenced by the mainstream U.S. media.

Faheem Shuaibe’s article “We Shall Overcome”, suggesting that the world-view that governs the African American Muslim acceptance within American society is absolutely ridiculous and misleading. American blacks during the 1960’s were marginalized due to racism and arrogance, which leads back to the 19th Century when blacks were view by most Americans as the underprivileged class of our society. More recently, we have experienced similar out casting of the underprivileged class evidenced by the aftermath and reconstruction of New Orleans neighborhoods when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. We neglected, and failed to rebuild those communities and neighborhoods in the 9th Ward districts. But Black Americans belong to a different cultural representation than Faheem, indicates in his article (2005). For the most part Black Americans are Christian, not Muslim, if anyone has experienced racist comments following the Sep. 11, 2001 attacks, which are only due to racism, a culture that exists in American society; this is certainly not related to Islamophobia.

Islamophobia, is a concept that suggests fear of conservative Islam, why would you even attempt to compare this to racism in the U.S.? or to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s? The intellectuals and the educated classes of American society know the distinctions between marginalizing Black Americans vs. fear of Islamic fundamentalism.

Many associate Muslims with conservative Islam, the Islamists that tend to assume these literalist interpretations of Islam, who conform and live their lives according to more traditionalist teachings which, unfortunately, divide the world into two spheres; dar al-islam ('house of Islam') and dar al-harb ('house of war'), which represents the domain of the non-believers or kuffar.

Faheem, your article represents a misconception on American culture and on racism.

To me, the thing to remember that such a comparison seems correct only from a certain point of view. Americans are seemingly being taught that "truth" is only from one point of view. Case in point, you'll never hear anyone mention the fact that white Americans were taught racism against blacks from birth. War did nothing to help heal this. Only when good men and women were given (or forced) a voice were the obvious lies and misconceptions against blacks were disabused and people finally made a human connection (I like to think of that scene from the movie 2001 where the primate just suddenly started using a tool, seems obvious, but sometimes things we now see as common sense take a while to catch on). There's still racism, and it's a two way street, but none can say things aren't better for everyone now that racism is not tolerated (by the majority.)

Looking at history, islamophobia probably won't go anywhere until the 2nd or 3rd generations of Muslims reach thier majority. In my experience, a lot of so called Christians couldn't be happier about Islamic Extremists. It's yet another recruiting tool.

Brilliant piece of analysis. African Americans wrote the book on how to overcome in a racist society and STILL manage to hold on to the best of their humanity. As African Americans who happen to be Muslims we are in a most unique position as to how best to facillitate the presence of Al-Islam in America. Historicaly we were the forefront in the struggle for fredom justice and equality in this country and we are well versed in the language of bigotry; whether it takes the form of "Islamophobia" or otherwise. We rufuse to be marginalized to the fringes of the muslim community. And for all you "sour grape" haters out there, GET OVER IT.

I wonder what the author has to say about one of the most distinguished african-american-muslim families of his native Oakland CA - the late Yusuf Bey and his wonderful progeny! Highlights of the achievements of the Bey dynasty being Chauncey Bailey's murder, exploiting 'Your Black Muslim Bakery' and its girl-employees and so on!

Noble African americans of the Civil rights era have long given way to a bunch of thugs, hoodlums and drug peddlers who masquerade as muslim leaders today - all the way from Jesse Jackson ('I'll cut Obama's nuts off') to the nation of islam's Ilijah Muhammed and to Yusuf Bey, it is one long bloody path full of deciet, lechery and hate that has represented african american muslims. They are universally hated - most of all by african americans themselves.

"Islamophobia, is a concept that suggests fear of conservative Islam, why would you even attempt to compare this to racism in the U.S.?"

I think most of the commenters missed the objective of the article. To me the article highlights a valid point. African Americans underwent racism, sterotypes, and discrimination in this country. We UNDERSTAND what our muslim brothers and sisters of other nationalities are experiencing. There are significant parallels with the present day atmosphere against muslims and what African Americans experienced in the past. What Imam Faheem is suggesting is that African American Muslims have something significant to offer; wisdom, experience, knowledge etc when it comes to facing rascism and discrimination that our Muslims brothers and sisters of other ethnicities are experiencing. African Americans SHOULD be a part of the dialogue and solutions. We are asking that our muslim counterparts from other countries not shut us out. We CAN and want to help.

Except, the Muslim 'brothers and sisters' are a racist bunch who dislike mixing with the black people. Get over it fellas, you are no better than the rest of the people just because you are Muslims. You may want to, just as the Christians want to, but you are also human (last time I checked) and have the same weaknesses as the rest. Or...maybe you are all from planet krypton!

You're confusing the treatment of Ethiopian Falasha in Israel with African American Muslims, weissputz. speaking of your love for black people:

"It is unacceptable that nations made up of people who have only just come down from the trees should take themselves for world leaders... How can such primitive beings have an opinion of their own?"

-Yitzhak Shamir, in reference to the black African nations who voted in support of the 1975 U.N. resolution which denounced Zionism as a form of racism.

The racists are scum are like Shamir and you. Jewish trolls and khazar idiots are getting dumber by each post. Planet Uranus denizens?

For every nasty thing a muslim does on this earth, rest assured, you can find a jew who did it too. If you feel good about emulating them...well you are 'Doctor' Moron after all! Do muslims from Arabia and Pakistan like black people in America? I don't think so from their own admission. All else you spew out after google searches is just an excuse to cover up your own racism.

Tsk, tsk, weissputz. Watching you project and evade is amusing. Who better then a frothy mouthed racist jewish bottom feeder like you to explain civil rights to us, right? You hate Arabs, Blacks, Pakistanis(who you refer to as Pakis), period. Your criminal behavior is well known around the world, long before google was on the scene.
I wonder why black Falasha Jews aren't allowed to be buried in the same grave yard as the AskheNAZI's in Israel. They aren't even allowed to donate blood because the AskheNAZIs consider them dirty. Why were Israel and Apartheid South Africa such close allies? As for the Shamir quote, its real and documented, read it and weep, shlomo.

David Ben-Gurion, May 1948, to the General Staff.
From Ben-Gurion, A Biography, by Michael Ben-Zohar, Delacorte, New York 1978:

"We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population."

David Ben-Gurion, May 1948, to the General Staff.
From Ben-Gurion, A Biography, by Michael Ben-Zohar, Delacorte, New York 1978:

"We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population."

May I just add that most of the slaves that were brought to America where Muslims, who were forced into Christianity. So we African American Muslims today have only returned to our origin; Islam.