“They have to make it clear that they are Americans, dammit.”
Los Angeles Times has an article today on how American Muslims are working to combat terrorist supporters in their midst. An Akbar Ahmed, former High Commissioner of Pakistan to Great Britain, now a professor of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, comes across as particularly sensible:
“Today in America we are at a very dangerous point in community relationships. If, God forbid, there is some terrible strike (by) some stupid or misguided kid, who has been seduced or induced to do something stupid, then the reaction could be horrific and could lead to a lot of violence.”
That is probably true. There was much, though not total, success in reigning in so-called backlash attacks against Muslims after the 9/11 terror strikes, but another devastating attack could snap Americans’ patience, especially if Muslims here are seen as more interested in playing victims than in taking on the terrorist wing of the Muslim community.
I argue that the best option for American Muslims, in particular for immigrants or first generation born-American Muslism, is to embrace America, American values, and American patriotism. Muslims can shape bothe their on view on their role in America, and other American’s of them. If Muslim Americans rally behind the Red, White and Blue - without reservations or “buts” - they will be soaked up by the American mainstream, and Muslim American terrorists will be seen as being as marginal as abortion-clinic bombers are among Christians.
The first loyalty of any American has to be to America. This is true for Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, and it is true for Muslims as well. Corncern over the effects and consequences of American foreign policy in the Middle East is kosher (if you pardon the expression), making the plight of Palestinians the cornerstone of Muslim American or Arab-American politics is not. Since America is home to substantial contingents of just about every ethnicity on Earth, it’s simply impossible for its foeign policy to please every constituency. That’s just a simple, mathematical fact that one has to accept.
I don’t know if Ahmed would go that far, but he does seem to understand that a close identification with America is key:
Regardless of U.S. foreign policy, Ahmed said Muslims had no choice but to press forward with an invigorated outreach to their own. The message leaders must take to their youth is that the way to change things is through democratic means, not violence, he said. “I’m not at all satisfied with Muslim leadership. I want to see them much more active. I want to see them nail the (American) flag to the mosque,” Ahmed said. “They have to make it clear that they are Americans, dammit.”
See also Muslims against Muslim terrorism
