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Thursday, July 28, 2005

What We’ve Been Waiting For… Almost

It has been 1,416 days since September 11, 2001, and, until today, the silence from the American Muslim community on the subject of terrorism has been, to use the cliché, deafening. Despite overwhelming evidence in America, Britain and elsewhere that al Qaeda recruiters can and do work in the very mosques that we pass commuting each morning; despite arrests of recruiters in and around New York and London; despite news that universities are mossy stomping grounds for martyr-makers; despite the revelation that comfortable middle class Muslims in civilized societies can and have been indoctrinated to kill; despite all of this: there has been embarrasing and frightening silence from American Muslims, even after September 11. Instead, like clockwork, the news headlines after every major terrorist attack in the last five years reported that Muslims feared “backlashes” and “persecution”.

As if the World Trade Center wasn’t persecution. As if the USS Cole wasn’t persecution. As if London wasn’t persecution.

And people waited to hear something. One could easily turn on a right-wing talk show host and hear the standard qualifier, “Now I know not all Muslims believe this… we aren’t stereotyping Muslims. Islam is a peaceful religion and terrorists are in the thrall of its perverted fundamentalist sect.”

And all of that is true. But where were the college professors, the community leaders, those who run the mosques, the grasstops? Where were the people who created the Islamic community in America, and who peacefully integrated that faith with American society? There was plenty of talk lamenting the September 11 attacks, specifically. But not in 1,415 days has there been an unequivocal denunciation of al Qaeda, its ilk, and the adulterated name of Islam upon which they take innocent lives.

Until now. Muslim scholars have issued an edict against terrorism and, more importantly, are encouraging all Muslims to assist authorities in fighting terrorism. This was the first anti-terrorism ‘fatwa’ ever in North America. A nationwide advertising campaign is slated to begin, which will teach young Muslims that terrorism betrays the teachings of the Koran.

This fatwa came from the Fiqh Council of North America, and has been espoused already by 130 North American Muslim organizations and leaders. The Muslim American Society put out a press release which summarizes some of the moves being taken and positions being adopted.

This has been a long time coming, and is very welcome. But it is not enough.

But in all the material I’ve read on this move, there is a red herring. The third paragraph of the above-linked Reuters article sums up the sort of sentiment that will be attached to all news about the fatwa:

“Having our religious scholars side by side with our community leaders leaves no room for anybody to suggest that Islam and Muslims condone or support any forms or acts of terrorism,” said Esam Omeish, president of the Muslim American Society, one of the groups which announced the fatwa.

The name of Islam is not the most important issue; the prevention of more innocent deaths is.

So while it is proper and good to defend Islam against the evils conferred upon it by the likes of Osama bin Laden, and to educate young Muslims that their faith is a peaceful one, that is only a long-term solution. Active vigilance is needed now to stop terrorism. What would be ideal is a statement specifically and strongly encouraging all people to memorize the phone number for the nearest FBI field office and to call it immediately if a recruitment attempt is witnessed, or if a terrorism plot is spoken of.

Right now, in the United States, we know that al Qaeda can work administratively, if not operationally. With this fatwa, the next generation of Muslims will (ideally) have no moral ambiguity about the good things Islam stands for. But right now there are potential threats. The Muslim community needs a tool to report those threats, and the fraternity of religion obviously makes such reportage more difficult. If these same Muslims leaders who courageously issued this fatwa today would also encourage active vigilance inside and outside the mosque, it would be a more proactive way for the American Muslim community to fight terrorism, as is now their stated goal.

Posted on July 28, 2005 04:34 PM. Permalink