What annoys me about CAIR (Council of American Islamic Relations)
I guess I'm sort of continuing a break since yesterday from pure Islamic law issues to cover other issues of concern in the Muslim world. Tomorrow I'll focus again an a shari'a issue, I have a couple in mind. Sexual privacy I think is top of the list. Today's topic is inspired by a wonderful piece I've read written by Kamran Memon, who has a really excellent website you should all check out.
For those of you who do not know, CAIR, or the Council for American Islamic Relations, is probably the largest Muslim American advocacy group in the US. They've been slammed pretty hard, and pretty unfairly, by some pretty wacko extremists. In fact they do some pretty good work in trying to combat anti-Muslim conduct and sentiment and have been unabashedly condemning of terrorism.
So what's the problem in my view? I just don't seem to share their view that the biggest problem facing US Muslims are bad media portrayals. Those are present, of course, but the fact is that we are held in such contempt by so many not because of the movie Ishtar, but because 19 Arab Muslims, acting in the name of Islam, drawing upon Islamic history and text and belief (yes mangling it in my view, but still, drawing on it, let's call it what it is), immolated themselves along with countless passengers on commercial flights and took down 3,000 other people in the process. And on the West Bank, they were celebrating. THAT did more damage to us than 1,000 Ishtars, which actually since nobody saw the first one I doubt they'd see all those sequels, but that's a separate point. It's not fair to blame all of us for 9/11, but that is what has happened in large part, and we need to recognize that to deal with it.
So if we want to improve our image, it seems to me that our first priority has to be to forget about media portrayals for a bit and instead acknowledge there is a war on terror and that we're with the good guys in it. I don't mean Bushian split the whole world into "with us or against us", I mean there are people, Muslim people, in the world who mean to do tremendous harm to civilians in the United States, and as to those people, our interests and allegiances align completely with the United States and we want to engage in dialogue on the best way for the US to win this war (and stay focussed on this war and not broaden it in a way that will be normatively objectionable and antagonize the whole Muslim world--I'm not endorsing the Bush plan by any means).
Now of course CAIR condemns terrorism and all that, but it's not as much a focus of our public relations campaign. Stick up a condemnation on the website, condemn when asked, and then focus the action alerts on making sure that people don't say all Muslims are terrorists is what they do. (and defend themselves against ridiculous attacks too, which is important.)
But maybe we should have action alerts on threats of extremism in our own community? Urging people to talk to their imams if they see someone starting to behave in ways that suggest trouble? Shouldn't that be priority #1, focus #1. Shouldn't our next demonstration, I mean a big fat huge one, be tens of thousands of us heading down to Washington Mall with our American flags and our Islamic T shirts with no message other than one of condemnation of all of the terrorism taking place in the name of Islam, all other grievances, and there are legitimate ones, for another day? Wouldn't that demonstration do more good than 500 action alerts against yet another xenophonic right wing set of insane dudes who let's face it are pretty incorrigible indiscriminate in their racism (one day it's us and the Patriot act, next day Hispanics and immigration, and so on).
This problem of ours gets reflected in our attitudes towards law enforcement measures too. We're sort of drive by attackers. The Bush administration suggests something awful and draconian, and we oppose it. But we don't really offer up much by way of alternative. I don't support profiling, I don't support Guantanamo, I don't support torture, but I do think we, and CAIR have to think hard about other ideas we do support to help law enforcement deal with what is clearly a problem in the world. Is court martialing foreign terrorists found abroad a good idea, so that they have protections equal to those of any US service member accused of wrongdoing? Shut down Guantanamo and start up military courts, real ones with real protections, is actually far more sellable I think and how can anyone really suggest there is a problem with our loyalty for offering that? If all we do is say no no no to everything and then shut our ears and say Islam means peace and stop the bad media portrayals, I wonder if it just confirms to people their worst and most unfounded assumptions about our commitments.
And I don't think the problem is CAIR's, or American Muslims' commitment, I think their attitude towards terrorism is sincere--they hate it. The real question though isn't that, it's whether or not they are in some form of denial over its lurking presence inside our community, which is tough to admit. We think of ourselves as good people, and we are, but to acknowledge that there is a problem, a serious one, hiding among all the good and it has to be rooted out, that's not an easy thing. But it's real.
But in this, sadly, CAIR may be reflecting too much of the community. Looking at the Pew Research Data on American Muslims, it is a heartening, and largely accurate picture of the US Muslim. It represents so many people I know. Earning power equal to or higher than the median, esconced in this country, dedicated to this country, proud and happy in this country, and politically and socially active and engaged. People whose priority is making sure their kid gets into a good school, not war against the country that has done them so well.
But one piece of data disturbs me. Really just this one, also reflective of too many people I know. 60% of American Muslims are not convinced that Arab men had anything to do with 9/11. Six out of ten. That's the denial I hope we shake ourselves out of, because unless we do, and we realize that Muslim terrorists are far more dangerous to us and our image than anything the most Islamophobic right wing nut can cook up, I fear for our future.
HAH
For those of you who do not know, CAIR, or the Council for American Islamic Relations, is probably the largest Muslim American advocacy group in the US. They've been slammed pretty hard, and pretty unfairly, by some pretty wacko extremists. In fact they do some pretty good work in trying to combat anti-Muslim conduct and sentiment and have been unabashedly condemning of terrorism.
So what's the problem in my view? I just don't seem to share their view that the biggest problem facing US Muslims are bad media portrayals. Those are present, of course, but the fact is that we are held in such contempt by so many not because of the movie Ishtar, but because 19 Arab Muslims, acting in the name of Islam, drawing upon Islamic history and text and belief (yes mangling it in my view, but still, drawing on it, let's call it what it is), immolated themselves along with countless passengers on commercial flights and took down 3,000 other people in the process. And on the West Bank, they were celebrating. THAT did more damage to us than 1,000 Ishtars, which actually since nobody saw the first one I doubt they'd see all those sequels, but that's a separate point. It's not fair to blame all of us for 9/11, but that is what has happened in large part, and we need to recognize that to deal with it.
So if we want to improve our image, it seems to me that our first priority has to be to forget about media portrayals for a bit and instead acknowledge there is a war on terror and that we're with the good guys in it. I don't mean Bushian split the whole world into "with us or against us", I mean there are people, Muslim people, in the world who mean to do tremendous harm to civilians in the United States, and as to those people, our interests and allegiances align completely with the United States and we want to engage in dialogue on the best way for the US to win this war (and stay focussed on this war and not broaden it in a way that will be normatively objectionable and antagonize the whole Muslim world--I'm not endorsing the Bush plan by any means).
Now of course CAIR condemns terrorism and all that, but it's not as much a focus of our public relations campaign. Stick up a condemnation on the website, condemn when asked, and then focus the action alerts on making sure that people don't say all Muslims are terrorists is what they do. (and defend themselves against ridiculous attacks too, which is important.)
But maybe we should have action alerts on threats of extremism in our own community? Urging people to talk to their imams if they see someone starting to behave in ways that suggest trouble? Shouldn't that be priority #1, focus #1. Shouldn't our next demonstration, I mean a big fat huge one, be tens of thousands of us heading down to Washington Mall with our American flags and our Islamic T shirts with no message other than one of condemnation of all of the terrorism taking place in the name of Islam, all other grievances, and there are legitimate ones, for another day? Wouldn't that demonstration do more good than 500 action alerts against yet another xenophonic right wing set of insane dudes who let's face it are pretty incorrigible indiscriminate in their racism (one day it's us and the Patriot act, next day Hispanics and immigration, and so on).
This problem of ours gets reflected in our attitudes towards law enforcement measures too. We're sort of drive by attackers. The Bush administration suggests something awful and draconian, and we oppose it. But we don't really offer up much by way of alternative. I don't support profiling, I don't support Guantanamo, I don't support torture, but I do think we, and CAIR have to think hard about other ideas we do support to help law enforcement deal with what is clearly a problem in the world. Is court martialing foreign terrorists found abroad a good idea, so that they have protections equal to those of any US service member accused of wrongdoing? Shut down Guantanamo and start up military courts, real ones with real protections, is actually far more sellable I think and how can anyone really suggest there is a problem with our loyalty for offering that? If all we do is say no no no to everything and then shut our ears and say Islam means peace and stop the bad media portrayals, I wonder if it just confirms to people their worst and most unfounded assumptions about our commitments.
And I don't think the problem is CAIR's, or American Muslims' commitment, I think their attitude towards terrorism is sincere--they hate it. The real question though isn't that, it's whether or not they are in some form of denial over its lurking presence inside our community, which is tough to admit. We think of ourselves as good people, and we are, but to acknowledge that there is a problem, a serious one, hiding among all the good and it has to be rooted out, that's not an easy thing. But it's real.
But in this, sadly, CAIR may be reflecting too much of the community. Looking at the Pew Research Data on American Muslims, it is a heartening, and largely accurate picture of the US Muslim. It represents so many people I know. Earning power equal to or higher than the median, esconced in this country, dedicated to this country, proud and happy in this country, and politically and socially active and engaged. People whose priority is making sure their kid gets into a good school, not war against the country that has done them so well.
But one piece of data disturbs me. Really just this one, also reflective of too many people I know. 60% of American Muslims are not convinced that Arab men had anything to do with 9/11. Six out of ten. That's the denial I hope we shake ourselves out of, because unless we do, and we realize that Muslim terrorists are far more dangerous to us and our image than anything the most Islamophobic right wing nut can cook up, I fear for our future.
HAH
I am not an extremist by any means. Like all TRUE Christians I will love anyone whether they be considered friends or foes. My belief at this point is that CAIR has no interest in living peacefully with non-muslims. My faith preaches love...Islam seems to preach domination...am I wrong? My name is Scott Fuson-Knoxville, TN. Scottfuson.at.bellsouth.net, I look forward to an answer. Thanks!
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Well certainly I would say you are mistaken. Though it's far too broad of a question to answer sensibly in a few lines. I would be surprised however, if the vast majority of Muslims that someone in your profession or position might come across every day in your life, or your work, truly sought to exercise some sort of dominion over you. And since I always believe that the way to understand what doctrine means is to test it against the actual experience of the community, I suppose I'd say that should be the measure, the nature of Muslim Americans' interaction with you.
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