Assalamu aleikum and congratulations for making it half way through Ramadan. Even more congratulations for plodding through the ongoing international crisis over Park51, the mosque and community center planned near Ground Zero in New York. In the midst of superheated rhetoric, much of it a continous stream on
FOX News and right wing blogs, a recent poll says that 71 percent still think it's
inappropriate (though 67% still support the right for it to be built). More importantly, perceptions of Muslims have plummeted - less than
25% of Americans have a favorable view of Islam (sadly, polls aren't available back to December when FOX News
supported Park51). Regardless of whether much of the debate makes any sense (i.e., linking funding to a
Saudi prince) and the necessity of everyone of any background to have an opinion on it (hip hop mogul
Russell Simmons is for,
Donald Trump against), the more important aspect is the
wave of anti-Muslim attacks in recent weeks. An anti-mosque protest at the site of Park51 on August 22 had
plenty of hateful speech and a near assault on a passerby mistaken for a Muslim. Though apparently not connected to Park51, a Bangladeshi-born NYC cab driver, Ahmed Sharif, was
stabbed by a passenger who asked "Are you Muslim?" Later arrested, 21-year old Michael Enright was found to have a
diary with anti-Muslim writings. Though Mayor Michael Bloomberg
reiterated his support for Park51 at a Ramadan dinner, nearly every argument from both sides has now been made. Given that politicians who run on this issue can't legislate on it (nor can people vote on it), will violence and mosque attacks continue to be the only outlet for opposition?
To give you a sense of the parallels with Europe's experiences, a planned march this weekend by right-wing anti-Muslim groups through a Muslim neighborhood in Bradford, England, has been
banned by Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May (who also banned Indian preacher Zakir Naik from the UK in June). Bradford is the scene of
race riots in July 2001 (i.e., before September 11th) between far right groups such as the National Front and the city's substantial Indian/Pakistani (youth) population. Although those incidents were more racial than religious, the more recent emphasis on religion by similarly minded groups, such as the
English Defence League, mobilises a similar demographic (unemployed working-class whites) without the accusations of racism. "I'm not fascist. I'm not racist,"
says the EDL's leader, Paul Harris. "I understand they don't want us there because they are worried about what the hostile, violent, Muslim community is going to do." Considering that the "hostile, violent" Muslim community would be sitting peacefully in their homes while provoked from the streets, the remarks say a lot about the inverse reality many of the protestors are living in. Although one think tank says that the ban will risk making protestors
more radical, many in Bradford
think otherwise. Over 11,000 people signed a petition in the local newspaper calling for a ban, almost 6% of all adults in the city. And as in the US, the conflict goes to the heart of basic freedoms of speech and assembly. In this case, the ban will
not prevent assembly, allowing for a "static protest" in the city centre (and hoping, perhaps, that protestors will grow bored of standing still). In the meantime, EDL members can be seen posing with
guns and knives on the internet - eerie parallels to militants in Iraq and elsewhere that form the stereotypes of the Muslims they vilify.
Finally, all is not doom and gloom this Ramadan. For New York natives Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, visiting 30 mosques during 30 days of Ramadan in their multicultural hometown last year was a rare glimpse into a world that few ever see. Their inspired project won wide acclaim, prompting them to expand their horizons with a "Ramadan road trip" this year entitled "
30 Mosques, 30 States. Already halfway through their travels, Bassam and Aman have met notable American Muslim figures on their journey, like New Orlean's
Abdurrahman Zeitoun (of Dave Egger's novel Zeitoun) and the Lady Caliphs girls basketball team that made it to the state championships in Georgia in 2006. But they have also met unique communities that even most American Muslims have never heard of, such as the first mazhar in America, built in 1986 to honor the Sufi Saint,
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, and host to a largely white congregation (incidentally, the mosque currently at the Park51 site was the boy's first stop). Similarly, the m100 Foundation (we interview the founder, Farhad Chowdhary, on our latest podcast) is in the midst of its
30 Nights, 30 Grants drive, where 30 grants are given to charities in 30
sadaqa categories, one for each night of Ramadan. The charities
selected include many innovative Muslim non-profits, such as the
Muslim Public Service Network and
Muslimat al Nisaa, but also mainstream charities such as
Rude Ranch Animal Rescue and
Lutheran Social Services. With so much driven by a homogenous, harshly negative image of Muslim life, Aman and Bassam's journey and the charitable giving of the m100 Foundation both promise to show a more nuanced and, ultimately, American portrayal of an indigenous community, adapting to America as America slowly adapts to it.
