When I became Muslim about thirty years ago, I knew from a rudimentary understanding of its precepts that Islam was opposed to the moral disposition that has now become American society. What I remember striking me as most odd about discovering the existence of Islam (after having attended the 5th best prep school in the country and three years in the Ivy League) was that I had never heard of it, at least not in its true sense. Instead, I was fed a lot of misinformation that lead me to believe that Islam was a black man’s anarchistic religion that saw violence as the solution to problems that existed between it and the ‘land of the free and home of brave.’
During the Iranian Hostage Crisis, I don’t remember any newscast or editorial ever mentioning that the crazed and irrational Iranians had any claim to Islam. The public was presented with the case that Ayatollah Khomeini, a religious ‘extremist’ had usurped power from America’s friend, the Shah. As a matter of fact, I remember chanting ‘nuke the Iranians’ like the rest of the ill-informed and intoxicated young people at a local college bar, sure of the unequivocal guilt of the turban fanatic and his followers who had (according to the media) violated all manner of civilized codes of conduct held by peace loving nations by holding the US Embassy under siege.
Up to that time, the Cold War defined America as the leading figure of the western world, which compared to anyone but the Russians, made everyone seem irrelevant. At the time, Reagan was the snow man for the Republican Party and free market capitalism. Reaganomics shifted the economy and the government from community service to the logistics of corporate greed through the ironic lens of its own Marxist legalism. During and since Reagan, subsequent administrations have turned America into a police state where the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights have legislatively been abrogated.
The real problem the US has with the Muslim world population came to light when it was discovered that Islam was the fastest growing religion in America and the world. This little known fact at the time was announced on an episode of Jeopardy, a game show in America popular among city slickers as a source of interesting factoids to amuse and amaze.
The question was asked: ‘what is the largest religion in the world?’ All contestants were stumped, so Alex (the host) made the astounding revelation. He also added that it was the fastest growing faith in the US.
Despite the well publicized denials by religious groups and government authorities amidst the buzz, Islam’s status as ‘the greatest’ in regard to the number of devotees was out. Its ever expanding hold on the American population was evidenced by the occasional newsflash that would allow critical thinkers among us to further reflect. For example, in the late 80′s and 90′s while the Vatican was closing churches in the US due to lack of attendance (one of the big headlines at that time), the Muslims were happily buying and converting many of them into mosques to meet the demand for worshipping space.
And then there was ‘the war’ between the west and Islam which became so pervasive in Europe and Africa that they began to use the term “ethnic” instead of Muslim so everyone could pretend it wasn’t. Such was the terminology in the on-going headline news about Somali, Bosnia, Chechnya, Algeria and the numerous Soviet satellite Muslim republics breaking away from the USSR. Larry King even had the audacity to claim the Palestinians spoke Palestinian rather than mention Arabic or its obvious religious overtones with the Quran where an Israeli recounted his experiences of impersonating a Muslim by reciting al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran.
America had to go to war against Islam because it presented a danger to its economic system and those who profit from it. An Islamic state wouldn’t allow adjustable mortgages; stock market futures and all the high handed razzle-dazzle that put the western economies in the gutter, without which, ‘the 1%’ wouldn’t have a chance to enslave ‘the 99%’. This is the big secret that all the death, destruction and confusing rhetoric was meant to keep in the closet.
Regardless of what the candidates say about what they are going to change, unless someone really intends to run for office on the real issues instead debating merely choices those in power give ‘the silent majority’ (and the rest of us), I don’t really understand the point of any American election.
It hasn’t been about democracy, freedom, truth or saving the world from totalitarian regimes – if it had, why would America claim to support that which it openly fights against? Maybe it has always been about the money.
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Disappointing…you need to keep your eye on the ball.
What the reader doesn’t understand is that once they got nervous about the situation, they began to change the data. One of the points of the argument is that misinformation is the name of the game. So you go look at a report they wrote and tell me I am wrong.
I just gave you some insight of what was known before the cover-up; before Wilkipedia and the CIA Yearly Report thought it mattered.
If Islam isn’t a threat to every God-fearing Christian; if Muslims aren’t the real terrorist; then why are you going to trust information sources that are and have waged a propaganda campaign against it? ..and why is it that I have to present some schematic for a solution to express a bit of history? How can you vote in an election which only gives a choice between its two candidates, outlaws other parties (which is against its own constitution) and has committed all matter of violation against international law.
Lastly Abu Ibrahim, just because you can’t connect the dots doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense. Being aware of the source of animosity governments of the west have toward Islam and the reason behind their program of dis-information is just a heads-up. I am not silly enough to think I can improve on what Quran and Sunnah says will eventually solved the problem.
Disappointing…
May Allah increase the author and make this article weighty on his scale of deeds, however, I think this article has not done justice to the subject.
Firstly, the title is extremely vague. The title should not only give the reader an insight into the forthcoming topic, but it should also give an idea to the argument which the author is putting forward.
Secondly, I am unsure exactly what the author is trying to say. He has put forward his own ideas about the clash between ‘The American Dream’ and Islam, however he does not provide any solutions. There is no point in identifying a problem, without putting a solution forward. Ultimately, there are many Muslims in the USA, and if the author believes his arguments to be true, he should go on to articulate workable solutions for Muslims living in the US.
Finally, I seem to get the idea that he feels the main ‘threat’ to Americans is the fact that Islam is the largest and fastest growing religion in the world. His proof for his argument comes from the gameshow ‘jeopardy’ in which the question was asked ‘What is the largest religion in the world’. If the correct answer was Islam, then the gameshow got the answer wrong, as the largest religion in terms of numbers is still Christianity with 2.1 Billion followers, followed by Islam with 1.5 Billion. It is a shame the author has failed to validate his argument with sound evidence.
Moreover, he goes on to say that the reason America is threatened by Islam is due to the danger presented to the economic system. Again, where is the proof that America’s principle problem with Islam is that of economic power? Islam does not have a clearly defined economic system. It explains a set of economic principles and its up to economists to find a model that fits in with those principles. If Americas economic model were to be more in line with Shari’ principles, would it cease to have a problem with Islam?
The author then says that because of all this, taking part in the elections is a waste of time. I am not too sure what the relationship is here between the threat to the economic system and Muslims taking part in elections. Have I missed something here?
Fantastic!
Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa Rahmatullaah,
MashaAllaah, this is a superb article! Much of it had occured to me previously but not in a single, well-developed and structured manner as you have displayed. I think this is common to all ‘Democratic’ forms of government in modern times. The general public are beguiled by confusing semantics when the reality is actually quite clear.
JazaakumAllaahu khayra. You have systematically cleared the ambiguity of the situation by linking it historically to the common American’s experience. This is an invaluable insight.
WasSalaam,
Ibraheem