How come we never hear why Trump said to bar only Muslims- among dozens of other religions/ethnicities/atheists/agnostics/cults etc.? Do Muslim parents ever discuss this with their children- that is the reason for Mr. Trump's statements about new Muslim immigrants? Every day I turn on TV, there is news of Muslims attacking civilians shouting "allah u akbar", shooting people, exploding bombs, or the latest one running down 85 civilians in France- turning France's biggest day into a saddest one forever in history.
51
Perhaps it would be best if you showed you kids that the myth needs not be repeated and carried on into the modern world. Or, move back to where the people are brain-washed to 'keep the faith'. We see how well that has worked for the Saudis, Syrians, Iraqis, Iranians,, etc., etc., etc.
35
"No compulsion in religion" -- But Christian in Egypt and their Churches are attacked.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/08/07/attacks-christians-e...
One dead:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/07/18/muslim-mob-stabs-christian-to-de...
The last "official" convert to Christianity in Egypt has revered to Islam under imprisonment and harassment. His family was harassed.
The statement about no compulsion in religion rings false in many, many Muslim majority Muslim nations. As other writer will note, it was abrogated or overwritten by later of Mohammad's words.
Many of us don't support Trump prescription or want to see American Muslim suffer, but there is a great chasm between us and Islam itself.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/08/07/attacks-christians-e...
One dead:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/07/18/muslim-mob-stabs-christian-to-de...
The last "official" convert to Christianity in Egypt has revered to Islam under imprisonment and harassment. His family was harassed.
The statement about no compulsion in religion rings false in many, many Muslim majority Muslim nations. As other writer will note, it was abrogated or overwritten by later of Mohammad's words.
Many of us don't support Trump prescription or want to see American Muslim suffer, but there is a great chasm between us and Islam itself.
54
This adherence to religion in the heart of a quasi-secular community is merely fundamentalism by another name. You need not fear Trump, therefore, who is supported by the American Taliban, personified by his vice-presidential pick, Mike Pence, who has declared himself a Christian first and an American second.
12
IMO, we are exceedingly fortunate, blessed if you will, to live in an era of multiple perspectives of a Deity / spirituality. Regardless of which specific path we may chose, nothing could be more valuable toward examining the meaning of life than this opportunity.
13
A beautiful piece showing that underneath the labels we are given at birth we are all just people trying to adapt to an ever changing environment. Thank you brother for teaching me about life.
22
This isn't the age of Trump. Perhaps this terrible display of bigotry that he espouses and encourages is actually what is required to finally (15 years after 9/11) get the topic truly on the table to be discussed and discredited rather than having a lack of candid conversation allow pockets of mistrust and misunderstanding to fester. He may embolden bigotry but that in turn will require those who don't approve to be more outspoken against it. My mom is in her 70s has shown dramatically increased vocalization of disapproval with such bigotry since his campaign began. Also the whole thing is making Muslims more familiar to her since she lives in Northern New England where she doesn't have much personal interaction. It has made Muslim Americans into "real people" versus a mostly abstract concept for her and the result has increased empathy and decreased any feeling of being threatened by the unknown. So not all of the influence of Trump has been negative although it may take awhile for the positive effects to become obvious. I can understand why you’re concerned about bigotry your son could face but sequestering him during his childhood might avoid some situations while he is a kid will come at great cost to him socially throughout the rest of his life. It sounds like you were able to grow up as a normal American who was also a Muslim and your son deserves the same advantage. It won't make him any less Muslim and it will result in both he and America being much stronger.
8
Very simple!
1- Teach your children that they are in the USA and be thankful for the freedom they have.
2- Teach them to be and act as an American, why wearing clothes that belongs to some tribe in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Kenya for example and separates you from your neighbors . Do Christians wear clothes that belong to the time of Jesus?
3- Act and be like other Americans in public, keep your "old" habits and traditions fro inside your house and only if it is legal.
4- Stay away from Sharia; most of which teaches your kids behavior which is now illegal in free Western society.
5- Speak and behave against the barbaric thoughts and actions of Islamic terrorism.
6- There are a lot more on how and what to teach your children in the 21st century America.
1- Teach your children that they are in the USA and be thankful for the freedom they have.
2- Teach them to be and act as an American, why wearing clothes that belongs to some tribe in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Kenya for example and separates you from your neighbors . Do Christians wear clothes that belong to the time of Jesus?
3- Act and be like other Americans in public, keep your "old" habits and traditions fro inside your house and only if it is legal.
4- Stay away from Sharia; most of which teaches your kids behavior which is now illegal in free Western society.
5- Speak and behave against the barbaric thoughts and actions of Islamic terrorism.
6- There are a lot more on how and what to teach your children in the 21st century America.
82
"There is no compulsion in religion, nor should there be. It’s up to him and Nusayba to embrace or reject the faith and our traditions"
Straight out of a fairy tale. If the writer's children decided to marry and convert,for example, they would face a possible death penalty under this religion's apostasy laws. Our liberal democracy is not strengthened by uncontrolled Muslim immigration---never mind the real risks of terror from immigrants that we simply are unable to vet as we have no access to records in many of these broken countries.
Straight out of a fairy tale. If the writer's children decided to marry and convert,for example, they would face a possible death penalty under this religion's apostasy laws. Our liberal democracy is not strengthened by uncontrolled Muslim immigration---never mind the real risks of terror from immigrants that we simply are unable to vet as we have no access to records in many of these broken countries.
61
Yesterday I went to my 10-year old grandson's basketball game at a school gym in a Phoenix, AZ, neighborhood. The diversity among the children playing basketball together as a team supporting each other was heartening. Also, the parents present cheered every player. There were white kids, black kids, Chinese kids, Hispanic kids and one Muslim child who played wearing a traditional head covering. None of the kids, nor their parents, showed any preference for one kid over another. Generational change is what it takes and it is happening. Lovely day.
59
In 1979 the Muslim nation of Iran kidnapped,tortured and held hostage 400 American citizens.In 1983 Iranian backed Muslim extremists killed 241 Marines in Lebanon. In 1993 Muslim immigrants truck bombed the WTC causing death and destruction.Islamist extremists staying in our country illegally murdered 3000 Americans on 9/11/2001.Their have been multiple attacks inspired by radical Islam against Americans on American soil since 2009,not to mention all the failed and prevented terrorist plots.The repercussions and backlash against Muslim Americans as a result of all this mayhem? Virtually none.No wave of hate or violence from (According to the NYT and Obama) the millions of Bible thumping AR-15 toting ignoramuses that populate the land.
All these atrocities and no pogroms against Muslim Americans, but Trumps not unreasonable plan to move slowly on ''refugee'' intake or his election are going to set off some sort of an American version of kristallnacht is ridiculous.More Americans have been attacked for being black,christian,cops,gay or in the military than have been for being Muslim a hundred fold.Apparently Mr.Ali has chosen to live in the fantasy world of the victim,or the America described to him by the progressive left.You're an American citizen Mr.Ali,come back to the real world.
All these atrocities and no pogroms against Muslim Americans, but Trumps not unreasonable plan to move slowly on ''refugee'' intake or his election are going to set off some sort of an American version of kristallnacht is ridiculous.More Americans have been attacked for being black,christian,cops,gay or in the military than have been for being Muslim a hundred fold.Apparently Mr.Ali has chosen to live in the fantasy world of the victim,or the America described to him by the progressive left.You're an American citizen Mr.Ali,come back to the real world.
40
The more that Muslims join the American military, the more they will be integrated into American society. It has happened with all peoples over the time of the development of our country. Encourage your child to one day enlist. We have about 4,000 American Muslims in the military. If that number were more like 14000 Muslim enlistments every year, the war on terrorism could be won. It would certainly counter the ISIS propaganda.
10
I have two girls. I would be afraid to raise them in a majority Muslim nation where they would undoubtedly be denied such basic human rights as the right to dress as they please on a hot day and the right to full equality in marriage. But do continue to complain about how supposedly awful it is to raise a daughter in an open society where women can run for president and can expose their hair on a hot day.
72
Sorry if the writer feels unwelcome but 2 million Muslims have immigrated to this country since 9/11. With our new open door policy we have had unprecedented terrorism. Anti-Semitic incidents against Jews is much higher than against Muslims 57% v 16% according to the FBI. Suddenly there is a rise in the BDS Movement on college campuses targeting Israel, a euphemism for Jews. Trump was speaking to keep out those with violent tendencies, a stance I would think would be welcome to Muslims who came here to escape from violence.
36
Unfortunately a lot of these "kids" grow up to be terrorists.
29
I have been married to my Husband for almost 30 years and considering "Our" story, it is very successful and happy. Husein is Palestinian and Muslim, born into the refugee camps of Nablus, Palestine in 1955. I grew up in the cornfields of SE Nebraska in a very closed-minded small town of 150. My parents, Christian, were wonderful and loving, accepting my choice and welcoming to Husein. Husein and I raised our son and daughter to know who they are as well as to know, love and accept Judaism, Christianity and Islam and that they were free to choose as they felt in their heart. We know about the ignorance, hate and fear as we have lived it but we chose and still choose to stand in the light of who we are and our beliefs because we refuse to fall prey to such vile emotions.
30
Always amusing to see a male Muslim -- a person brought up to see himself as superior just because he's male and Muslim -- getting some of the prejudice he probably dishes out thrown right back him for once. Drop the idiotic ideology and then you can stay here.
64
Wajahat, a political leader has as much influence on the people as much as a Pope or a Imam or Rabbi and other religious leaders have on how people should behave in respecting the other people's faith and cultures.
But if our politicians or non politician like Trump incites his congregation against the people who've different color of the skin or cultures or follow a different faith than his all White uneducated and under educated Christian mass, then we as a nation and our beautiful world has a problem.
Because in America at least we all thought that we broke the race barrier when Obama was elected President by the majority Blacks but also by a huge margin of Hispanics and Asians and also by about 40% of the Whites,who never looked at his color of the skin or his former Muslim faith.
So all our politicians, including the Republicans had a tremendous opportunity to tell their base which is mainly in the rural America and almost 99% White that "We will take this ground breaking momentum and the God given opportunity to accept this President of color as our own and move this country towards the future."
But they did just the opposite.
They made a pledge on the day of Obama's inauguration that they'll degrade and destroy our Black President so that no other Black person dreams of becoming President in America.
And they did by making Trump, the most hateful man, their nominee who wants to ban all Muslims coming to America besides the Mexicans and any foreigners.
What a shame !
But if our politicians or non politician like Trump incites his congregation against the people who've different color of the skin or cultures or follow a different faith than his all White uneducated and under educated Christian mass, then we as a nation and our beautiful world has a problem.
Because in America at least we all thought that we broke the race barrier when Obama was elected President by the majority Blacks but also by a huge margin of Hispanics and Asians and also by about 40% of the Whites,who never looked at his color of the skin or his former Muslim faith.
So all our politicians, including the Republicans had a tremendous opportunity to tell their base which is mainly in the rural America and almost 99% White that "We will take this ground breaking momentum and the God given opportunity to accept this President of color as our own and move this country towards the future."
But they did just the opposite.
They made a pledge on the day of Obama's inauguration that they'll degrade and destroy our Black President so that no other Black person dreams of becoming President in America.
And they did by making Trump, the most hateful man, their nominee who wants to ban all Muslims coming to America besides the Mexicans and any foreigners.
What a shame !
5
Pity the poor one women who came through the side entrance and couldn't get into the photo that accompanies Wajahat's good article about the struggles that American Muslims have to endure.
We are remaking our faith as all faith groups have had to do in America. We face bigotries here and, in so doing, have become more cognizant of the bigotries our fellow Muslims enforce elsewhere, where they are the majority.
The "Make Space" movement is wonderful. There is also some amazing traction MSAs in universities and colleges where women largely make up the leadership (only to find much less opportunity in the 'professional' masjid world). Princeton University has one of the most engaging and effective communities.
We should answer bigotry with hope and love. Moreover, part of our success is that such a message and such actions spread overseas, so that anywhere Muslims too resort to such actions (rare but forceful), they learn of better ways.
The key dilemma you hint at is that American Muslims become viewed in the larger Muslim community as a type of "Reformed" denomination, looked upon as less legitimate or less religious than other more "Orthodox" denominations (who see themselves as true, and not a denomination).
We must accept the mantle that we, as Muslims (worshiping and living in ways that Wajahat and other's, myself included are forging nowadays) are just as legitimate and spiritual as anything our ancestors and relatives in Pakistan and elsewhere are participating in.
We are remaking our faith as all faith groups have had to do in America. We face bigotries here and, in so doing, have become more cognizant of the bigotries our fellow Muslims enforce elsewhere, where they are the majority.
The "Make Space" movement is wonderful. There is also some amazing traction MSAs in universities and colleges where women largely make up the leadership (only to find much less opportunity in the 'professional' masjid world). Princeton University has one of the most engaging and effective communities.
We should answer bigotry with hope and love. Moreover, part of our success is that such a message and such actions spread overseas, so that anywhere Muslims too resort to such actions (rare but forceful), they learn of better ways.
The key dilemma you hint at is that American Muslims become viewed in the larger Muslim community as a type of "Reformed" denomination, looked upon as less legitimate or less religious than other more "Orthodox" denominations (who see themselves as true, and not a denomination).
We must accept the mantle that we, as Muslims (worshiping and living in ways that Wajahat and other's, myself included are forging nowadays) are just as legitimate and spiritual as anything our ancestors and relatives in Pakistan and elsewhere are participating in.
12
The best model for American Muslims is Reform Judaism. Reform Jews maintain and cherish their Jewish identity but have totally reformed Judaism giving up rules and traditions that go back hundreds and thousands of years back to live in an open, multi-religious or no religion, multicultural, modern world. There is wide variety of religious practice and dissent and arguments - and that's fine. You can have women and openly LGBTQ rabbis. Interfaith dialogue and tolerance is key. Most but not all support Israel, but most are critical of the right-wing Zionists - Netanyahu and company - that increasingly dominate Israel. They believe in a Jewish homeland but also in Palestinian rights. They are the majority of American Jews. But Israel does not even recognize Reform Jews as Jews (other than in immigrating to Israel). The pruning of retrograde traditions (as that Fiddler on the Roof song Traditions reminds us) means that their children are prone to interfaith marriages and giving up on the faith. But Americans Muslims will have to find a similar model and reject the petrodollar funded Saudi Wahhabi/Salafi poison that infects Islam today and even give up cherished traditions that were held by their parents and reform even core beliefs that go back 1400 years. It is the only way to survive and thrive in the modern world.
39
I know exactly how this writer feels. As a gay Jewish father, I often wonder what it would be like for my daughter if the Islamists succeed in bringing down the West. Will she have to wear a veil? Will she have to deny that her father was a gay man for fear of being stoned? Will she be persecuted for her Judaism? And my future granddaughter - will she have her clitoris forcibly removed? It's a lot to think about and fear. (PS: I'm no Trump supporter, but I can't stand the self-pitying of religious people who focus on their own rights rather than the common good - especially when those religious people are in the global majority.)
67
The main problem with everything that you said is that you are basing your and your families lives on religion and a culture that revolves around religion. You are "showing" kids what is right or wrong (like praying) before they have enough knowledge to choose for themselves. You are implanting the seed of religion before the kids have a chance of education of science. Taliban blow up kids schools for the same reason. You are teaching your kids man made lies of a "God delusion" which is the reason for much of the strife in the world. You may received a modified version of Quran that has airbrushed the negative noise of Quran, but there is no guarantees that your kids will not become San Bernandino killer whenever he marries a Muslim woman from Pakistan. The trouble with your theory is that you are already implanting a seed of hatred following a book that has plenty of hate in it for gays and non believers and then you are hoping that your kids will never take it literally. No matter how hard you try you cannot control your future generations forever nor is there any point in doing so. Look around to people who came to the west before you and see how generations does it take to become an average American who eats pork, drinks wine and has Sex without being married? In your case it may take a few extra generations but the end result is always the same.
39
You raise a muslim kid like you raise any other kid. You teach them to love America and our constitution and hate terrorists and those who seek to destroy us. You teach them that our military is good, and that their mission is to protect the homeland from those outside forces that would kill us for merely being American. Very simple.
34
"One potential route in producing “superior Muslims” is to follow the model of Orthodox Jewish Americans and invest tremendous resources and time to create enclosed schools or home schooling co-ops for our communities."
Yeah, this is because for the last two thousand years Muslims and Christians made it illegal to openly study judaism. Yes, those "enlightened" Muslims who treated jews "well." Now, in order to ensure security and continuity we are forced to expend our communities research in order to accomplish something we weren't able to under muslim rule. Come off your high horse
Yeah, this is because for the last two thousand years Muslims and Christians made it illegal to openly study judaism. Yes, those "enlightened" Muslims who treated jews "well." Now, in order to ensure security and continuity we are forced to expend our communities research in order to accomplish something we weren't able to under muslim rule. Come off your high horse
23
Your insights remind us of the humanity we all share. That humanity that binds us is greater than the forces that divide us. I struggle daily with the tension between trying to understand the beliefs of others rather than simply acknowledging their beliefs and moving on. And that applies equally to muslims, evangelicals and catholics. Even though neither of us carries a copy of the Constitution in our pocket, we are living in a society envisioned in the First Amendment.
11
Thanks for the captivating narrative. Mr Trump is a happenstance. Seems to me that there's a 'hidden' second story in your piece, perhaps more pressing and worrying than the first one for observant Muslim families -- not only in America, but everywhere in our globalized world: "Raising kids as practicing Muslims while not trusting local mosques and Imams (with good cause)". Lots of questions. No wise solutions...
15
Brown kids are never gonna turn out white. I mean I know I tried. My deepest desire until I was 23 was to be totally assimilated. It just can't happen.
Pity those kids stuck trying to fit in with a culture that doesn't have a space for them.
You can eat all the chicken fingers and fatback you want, watch football, and even love Jesus, but one day someone's going to tell you to go back where you came from. Even if it's here
Pity those kids stuck trying to fit in with a culture that doesn't have a space for them.
You can eat all the chicken fingers and fatback you want, watch football, and even love Jesus, but one day someone's going to tell you to go back where you came from. Even if it's here
29
Baloney
Assimiliate has worked for two hundred years
Assimiliate has worked for two hundred years
21
If you're looking for a model to follow, suggest you check out the Workmen's Circle, an organization founded decades ago by liberal, secular Jews to teach their kids Jewish culture and history. Religious observance plays no role there.
7
Religion is one facet of culture. It is subordinate to culture, which is subject to change according to time and place. That is why we have widely differing “interpretations” of religious texts. People bend religion to fit the culture of the moment. Take a couple of things about Islam: pork consumption and fasting during the month of Ramadan. Today’s Muslims say you must absolutely not eat it, and if you touch the skin or bristles of a pig, you will be committing a horrible offense. If you must either eat pork or die of hunger, then die! Yet the Koran is very explicit about that: it says its consumption is forbidden to Muslims, but it adds clearly that if a Muslim finds himself forced to eat it, it's alright, it is not God’s intent to unduly punish the believer.
Same thing with fasting during Ramadan: today’s Muslims regard it as a most serious offense to not fast, whatever the circumstances. Whether you are sick or it is 115 degrees, you must not eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. Yet the Koran is again very explicit about this: it says very plainly that if you are sick or if you are traveling, please do not fast. And if you simply find it too difficult for you to fast, you can do something else instead: feed a poor person every day during Ramadan.
But go say that to most Muslims today! The taboo has become so ingrained in their culture that nothing will be able to dislodge it, not even the Koran itself. That is because culture subsumes religion, not the reverse.
Same thing with fasting during Ramadan: today’s Muslims regard it as a most serious offense to not fast, whatever the circumstances. Whether you are sick or it is 115 degrees, you must not eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. Yet the Koran is again very explicit about this: it says very plainly that if you are sick or if you are traveling, please do not fast. And if you simply find it too difficult for you to fast, you can do something else instead: feed a poor person every day during Ramadan.
But go say that to most Muslims today! The taboo has become so ingrained in their culture that nothing will be able to dislodge it, not even the Koran itself. That is because culture subsumes religion, not the reverse.
8
The title says it all; these parents are raising American Muslims instead of Americans whose religion is Islam.
36
If Trump, or his like, ever become President we will all be living in fear. The world has seen many dangerous demagogues. They initially discriminate against one or two groups, but ultimately their circle of hate widens until no one is safe. The people that will vote for him think that they would prevail, but in the end they too would be victims.
8
Fear of WHAT?
10
Trump is fanning the flames of religious hate. How unfortunate that classic religion, even in educated people, is becoming stronger instead of weaker.
4
Dear Wajahat:
can you see that putting Atheism and extremism in one and the same sentence is offensive bigotry -- not at all different from putting Islam and extremism in one and the same sentence?
Can you respect the millions of us who believe in free thinking and science, and are deeply convinced that religions, all of them, are superstition, more often than not used to limit freedom of thought an behavior?
You write that your children will be free to choose whether to practice your faith. Thank you, Constitution -- in America they surely will, with or without mom's permission.
But will you be able to accept an Atheist child with serenity? Could she speak her mind? Live her life as she pleases? Would you accept a gay child with love? Will the rest of your family?
This are the relevant issues, not the endearing musings about your life.
can you see that putting Atheism and extremism in one and the same sentence is offensive bigotry -- not at all different from putting Islam and extremism in one and the same sentence?
Can you respect the millions of us who believe in free thinking and science, and are deeply convinced that religions, all of them, are superstition, more often than not used to limit freedom of thought an behavior?
You write that your children will be free to choose whether to practice your faith. Thank you, Constitution -- in America they surely will, with or without mom's permission.
But will you be able to accept an Atheist child with serenity? Could she speak her mind? Live her life as she pleases? Would you accept a gay child with love? Will the rest of your family?
This are the relevant issues, not the endearing musings about your life.
43
It sounds like your desire to be "Super-Muslims" and create Muslim only spaces is turning away from the diversity and inclusive environment you grew up in. Bigotry is eliminated by interaction and assimilation.
31
No, this is not the "age of Trump," for goodness sakes. It's the blip. His disastrous defeat in November will leave him a comical figure, and elicit a collective "well, we got that our of out system" sigh of relief from the country.
6
Start by raising your children without the 'hyphen-American' for starters.
We are ALL Americans first and foremost. Hyphens separate us.
We are ALL Americans first and foremost. Hyphens separate us.
23
While reading this editorial I was thinking: pretty nice people. Normal Americans, and perhaps they are. But my agreement is a bit clouded when I read this: "There is no compulsion in religion, nor should there be. It’s up to him and Nusayba to embrace or reject the faith and our traditions."
Hmm...an odd phrase for Americans, but one with great importance in Islam. This article on the principle of abrogation (which Mr. Ali is sure to know about) explains a lot
http://www.meforum.org/1754/peace-or-jihad-abrogation-in-islam
(Peace or Jihad? Abrogation in Islam).
Basically, later verses in the Koran abrogate earlier ones. And while "no compulsion" does appear in the Koran, it is abrogated by later sections which are quite explicit:
"Suyuti said that everything in the Qur'an about forgiveness and peace is abrogated by verse 9:5, which orders Muslims to fight the unbelievers and to establish God's kingdom on earth." (from the article linked above).
While I applaud people like Mr. Ali, who are trying to lead a normal life, it doesn't help their case when they pretend some things about their religion simply do not exist.
Hmm...an odd phrase for Americans, but one with great importance in Islam. This article on the principle of abrogation (which Mr. Ali is sure to know about) explains a lot
http://www.meforum.org/1754/peace-or-jihad-abrogation-in-islam
(Peace or Jihad? Abrogation in Islam).
Basically, later verses in the Koran abrogate earlier ones. And while "no compulsion" does appear in the Koran, it is abrogated by later sections which are quite explicit:
"Suyuti said that everything in the Qur'an about forgiveness and peace is abrogated by verse 9:5, which orders Muslims to fight the unbelievers and to establish God's kingdom on earth." (from the article linked above).
While I applaud people like Mr. Ali, who are trying to lead a normal life, it doesn't help their case when they pretend some things about their religion simply do not exist.
30
Nicely penned piece of the challenges posed by Trump to American muslims with young children at home. Hopefully this also encourages the author to spare a thought on the condition of minorities (Christians & Hindus) in his native Pakistan. While it's wonderful to celebrate the exceptionalism of America, we don't really need to be the unique refuge of the persecuted. The world is diverse as is in so many corners and it must, if not celebrated today at least must be allowed to survive so it can thrive in the not too distant future.
10
And the condition of women and girls in Moslem nations
19
As a father...now grandfather...who tried his best to raise my kids in the Christian faith of the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount, I am in solidarity with Mr. Ali. It is quite difficult to guide children to any particular religious tradition in this dizzying, materialistic, often pornographic culture. (Porn comes in many forms, not merely sexual). None of my kids is a regular church-goer. There is scant evidence they talk with God or are particularly grateful to any Ultimate Source for their lives and good fortunes, nor do I see them marvel at the luminous within something as simple as sunlight on water. They are loving young people, however, with a great tolerance for people of different backgrounds. They possess a genuine concern for and show courtesy in their dealings with others. Perhaps they will return to the traditions of the Eucharist and the Word when they get older. Maybe they will see in those rituals Jesus' simple welcome to outcasts over a good meal with good conversation about the ultimate meaning of our short and fragile lives on this planet together. I hope they choose to love God with everything they've got, and love their neighbors of all traditions as they love themselves. That is my prayer for their American future. Thank you, Mr. Ali, for your thoughtful essay. Salaam.
39
I believe the Khan's were totally out of line to question whether Trump had ever read the US Constitution. Now that fact does not obviate the sacrifice made by their son or the pain of their loss. Nothing Trump has suggested is unconstitutional. Our govt establishes admission requirements to this country and should set the Admission standards, particularly from areas of conflict. This may be for humanitarian relief, political interests or national safety. So the Khans faux outrage set off Trump, but I believe their premise was wrong and their facts were wrong. We need more Muslims like their son and fewer like the parents. Just as the FBI does not go after organized crime in polish sectors, it looks for the Mafai in Italian bars and social clubs, our country needs to look in the Islamic community for jihad type of terrorism. And we need support in this effort from our Muslim population just as Italian citizens help in the fight against the Mafai.
10
Their son was killed by Moslems in a war voted FOR by Hillary
8
All the author has to do to placate 99% of Americans is to personally come out against Sharia(Muslim law) as it is incompatible with free Western values. Then, have any of the mosques that he is connected with do the same. When Muslims say we want to be Westernized Americans, as he seems to say in his editorial, then they will be accepted with open arms. Show us all the list of Muslim organizations and mosques that say"the Sharia must not be allowed in the U.S. or any other Western country as it can not coexist with Western values." When these same people and members of Mosques have parades down Main Street USA proclaiming the prohibition on Sharia law, they will be welcomed by the vast majority of Americans, until then, not so much. In almost any country where the Muslim population goes above 10% huge increases in activity insisting on halal food, separation of males and females in public and increasing adherence to Muslim law follow. Just look at Western Europe and Scandinavia.
31
This is another in a series of never-ending articles by American Muslims and liberals on railing against Trump on what he will do to Muslims if he comes to power (he has never said he will put them in detention camps, as the writer states). I never see an article about what a Muslim parent tells his/her children about almost daily news of Islamic terror attacks or plots being broken up, or Muslims trying to join ISIS knowing fully well what they do to minorities and justify it by saying they are just following prophet Mohamed- or even how Saudi Arabia(or Iran or Pakistan) treats non-Muslims and women.
49
An African friend, proud of her American-born family, a devout Muslim and I are close enough to discuss Trump, without using the word 'worry'. We have shared our lives this decade last, the happiness, the sorrows, our dreams to be made into goals.
'Thank you' is our closing statement when we come to an end of an exchange and I always count my blessings to have her friendship. She can feel this. When we have discussed a work issue at the end of the day, she always says 'The rest is in the hands of God', so does another mutual Irish friend.
But what about her children now grown and working? They are 'completely involved in American culture, holidays and food'. True, we never expected the Trump Phenomenon to show up on our shores but this much I know is true, we will prevail.
Thinking of Wajahat Ali and his family, their new pink bundle, and it makes one smile with tenderness and joy.
'Thank you' is our closing statement when we come to an end of an exchange and I always count my blessings to have her friendship. She can feel this. When we have discussed a work issue at the end of the day, she always says 'The rest is in the hands of God', so does another mutual Irish friend.
But what about her children now grown and working? They are 'completely involved in American culture, holidays and food'. True, we never expected the Trump Phenomenon to show up on our shores but this much I know is true, we will prevail.
Thinking of Wajahat Ali and his family, their new pink bundle, and it makes one smile with tenderness and joy.
4
Trump may represent the fears of many in our society in face of Islamic terrorism that is spreading throughout the world.
The real issue is How to Raise Muslim Kids during the Time of ISIS and Islamic Jihadism. How do you explain that the practitioners of these heiness and merciless crimes against civilians, including babies and children, claim Islam as their faith and their actions are in accordance with their faith?
That is the real issue for Muslim parents and they know it. The question of prejudice against Muslims is a by product of Islamic terrorism.
The West has been a beacon of hope for those who have lived in oppressive regimes, including the countries ruled by despotic Islamic regimes who brutalize women, gays and all who dissent. Now the west is facing a brutal assault by the forces of Islamic Jihadism. The only way to fight the terrorism and its impact is for Muslim communities throughout the west , including the US , to demand reform of Islam. Rallies, marches and public demands by Muslim parents for reforms need to be heeded by Muslim clerics or they should face a loss of membership as Muslim parents set up their own reformed mosques.
This was done in Christianity and in Judaism, It is time for Islam to face their own reformation.
37
The bigger challenge for muslim parents is helping their kids deal with the undignified comments, and gestures the kids may encounter in their daily life. The emphasis on how to effectively counter this criticism or hate peacefully, politically and socially is equally if not more important their religious and cultural teachings.
And yes, assimilation in and acceptance of the cultural of your new country is a great starting point.
And yes, assimilation in and acceptance of the cultural of your new country is a great starting point.
8
An interesting and heart touching piece. The challenge is for Muslims to thrive in the midst of hatred and discrimination even as African-Americans have had to and continue to do. Critical to success is involvement in the political process. Muslims need to be seen, heard, and join the debates without apprehension or fear. This is democracy in action. Secluding themselves from the larger community and the bad elements of Islam do nothing positive to advance their cause and to build their America. Their hope and aspiration is our hope and aspiration...To pursue life, liberty, and happiness and to make a positive contribution to one's community, state, nation and world. Unfortunately, while doing so, you place yourself as a target of the worst among us. You know, people like Donald Trump. But there is good even in that if we look for it.
5
Like Christians and Jews who try to raise up their children in the faith, emulation is the first step that the children make. What I did not see in this piece was the author's commitment to peace. I saw his tradition and his desire to keep to tradition, a tribalistic adherence. Tribalistism fades with assimilation. The author describes himself and his wife as work, not socially assimilated.
Forget Trump's idea about registering Muslims---ain't gonna happen. In today's world, we realize that registering Japanese and putting them in internment camps was a grave error. Before any such notion could become law, or a POTUS administration regulation, it would be stopped by the courts as blatantly illegal.
But, similarly, Sharia ain't gonna become law, here, in spite of what some in the Detroit area seem to push and partially implement.
And, that gets to something this Muslim author could have done: consider that in assimilating into the USA, he, apparently a lawyer, should clearly state that while he is work-assimilated and socially traditional, he is not going to espouse Sharia either socially or electorally. He almost says that by stating that his children, though emulating him, now, will be able to make their own minds up on faith.
The last point is difficult: is it the responsibility of Muslims in this nation who wish to thwart Trump, also to promise an all-on-board promise to help root out disturbed folks who frequent their mosques and carry dangerously murderous hatreds?
Forget Trump's idea about registering Muslims---ain't gonna happen. In today's world, we realize that registering Japanese and putting them in internment camps was a grave error. Before any such notion could become law, or a POTUS administration regulation, it would be stopped by the courts as blatantly illegal.
But, similarly, Sharia ain't gonna become law, here, in spite of what some in the Detroit area seem to push and partially implement.
And, that gets to something this Muslim author could have done: consider that in assimilating into the USA, he, apparently a lawyer, should clearly state that while he is work-assimilated and socially traditional, he is not going to espouse Sharia either socially or electorally. He almost says that by stating that his children, though emulating him, now, will be able to make their own minds up on faith.
The last point is difficult: is it the responsibility of Muslims in this nation who wish to thwart Trump, also to promise an all-on-board promise to help root out disturbed folks who frequent their mosques and carry dangerously murderous hatreds?
5
L. Bartels
You speak about "Sharia "Law which is a Muslim concept, There is a form of "Sharia" Law propagated in this country by many in the Republican Party. Those who advocate against a women's right to choose, who would pass laws forcing gay people to be second class citizens, those who do not believe in equal right for all, of freedom FROM religion .... These are uniquely American forms of "Sharia" Law.
You speak about "Sharia "Law which is a Muslim concept, There is a form of "Sharia" Law propagated in this country by many in the Republican Party. Those who advocate against a women's right to choose, who would pass laws forcing gay people to be second class citizens, those who do not believe in equal right for all, of freedom FROM religion .... These are uniquely American forms of "Sharia" Law.
13
Good luck raising your kids.
Another couple terrorist attacks (God forbid) and it won't just be Trump calling for restricted immigration but democrats will start on it too. Just wait....
Another couple terrorist attacks (God forbid) and it won't just be Trump calling for restricted immigration but democrats will start on it too. Just wait....
32
The author's self-referential self-absorbed victimology is staggering in its breathless magnificence and monumental disconnection from reality
Muslims, self-identifying as Muslims, have killed 1,000s of Americans and disrupted the lives of more, non-stop, every day, here and in Europe, and if there are vigilantism or reprisal reactions, they are limited and so rare as to be non-existent...
...vs say if a Christian flew an airplane into the holy rock in mecca, there would be a global holocaust against Christians, as there is now without provocation, in the Obama caliphate
The safest place in the world for Muslims is inside Israel and inside the US, where western norms of humanity prevail. The author should watch television some more, to see where he lives, and where ho does not
The author's casual reference to salafism and deo bandi, is too flippant for most casual readers, those are the kill-infidels branches of Islam
We ask, that the author issue fatwa against killing infidels,and expel these people,shame them and marginalize them
silence is consent,and contempt
I thank NYT and the author for such a window into the doomed demented ignorance of this 'enlightened' Muslim
The marvel is, that self-defense and self-preservation, by the targets of these parasites and butchers, have not reached 100%,
and invite the author for followup commentary, of how Islam polices its own, and respects the safety Westernism affords Islam; we see daily how Islam 'protects' its own
Muslims, self-identifying as Muslims, have killed 1,000s of Americans and disrupted the lives of more, non-stop, every day, here and in Europe, and if there are vigilantism or reprisal reactions, they are limited and so rare as to be non-existent...
...vs say if a Christian flew an airplane into the holy rock in mecca, there would be a global holocaust against Christians, as there is now without provocation, in the Obama caliphate
The safest place in the world for Muslims is inside Israel and inside the US, where western norms of humanity prevail. The author should watch television some more, to see where he lives, and where ho does not
The author's casual reference to salafism and deo bandi, is too flippant for most casual readers, those are the kill-infidels branches of Islam
We ask, that the author issue fatwa against killing infidels,and expel these people,shame them and marginalize them
silence is consent,and contempt
I thank NYT and the author for such a window into the doomed demented ignorance of this 'enlightened' Muslim
The marvel is, that self-defense and self-preservation, by the targets of these parasites and butchers, have not reached 100%,
and invite the author for followup commentary, of how Islam polices its own, and respects the safety Westernism affords Islam; we see daily how Islam 'protects' its own
19
Logic of 2016 'Raising American Muslim Kids in the Age of Trump' when the Islamic/Muslim culture is systematically informing terror-genocide against Other = 391 AD 'Raising Roman/Greek Pagan Kids in the Age of Hypatia'
391 AD:
“Theophilus Patriarch of Alexandria released his monks to attack pagans who had occupied the Serupium, temple to Serapis, centre of an important library and lecture halls the museion, academy of arts and sciences founded in the 3rd century BC by King Ptolemy I.
The pagans occupied the Serupium and the museion to protect them and the monks and a large Christian crowds, stormed into these buildings smashing the statues, destroying the papyrus scrolls then the fighting spread across the city of Alexandria. Of course the Imperial army did nothing the population was maddened over the issue.
The result of this attack on the Serupium and museion was that classical Alexandria was essentially destroyed and Christian Alexandria emerged. The pagans that witnessed it, witnessed this destruction were absolutely intimidated and there are reports of conversions on the spot.
The Christians finally destroyed the pagan sanctuaries, where essentially between 391-414 wiped out that elite class that provided the neo-platonic philosophers.”
The Fall of the Pagans and the Origins of Medieval Christianity, Professor Kenneth W. Harl
Pagans have dangerously short memories. The 'few' are not the 'many'? Really? Who creates/sustains the ethics-beliefs-methods of the 'few'?
391 AD:
“Theophilus Patriarch of Alexandria released his monks to attack pagans who had occupied the Serupium, temple to Serapis, centre of an important library and lecture halls the museion, academy of arts and sciences founded in the 3rd century BC by King Ptolemy I.
The pagans occupied the Serupium and the museion to protect them and the monks and a large Christian crowds, stormed into these buildings smashing the statues, destroying the papyrus scrolls then the fighting spread across the city of Alexandria. Of course the Imperial army did nothing the population was maddened over the issue.
The result of this attack on the Serupium and museion was that classical Alexandria was essentially destroyed and Christian Alexandria emerged. The pagans that witnessed it, witnessed this destruction were absolutely intimidated and there are reports of conversions on the spot.
The Christians finally destroyed the pagan sanctuaries, where essentially between 391-414 wiped out that elite class that provided the neo-platonic philosophers.”
The Fall of the Pagans and the Origins of Medieval Christianity, Professor Kenneth W. Harl
Pagans have dangerously short memories. The 'few' are not the 'many'? Really? Who creates/sustains the ethics-beliefs-methods of the 'few'?
2
A suggestion for a followup piece by the NYT, Raising American and Other Western Children in the Age of Increasing Jihadi Terrorism.
21
I do not know enough about Islam. When I ask Muslims I can never learn much. Some of what I read here is chilling. Christianity lived to the utmost is virtually unattainable as it seeks to realize a utopia that is foreign to human nature it seems- care for the less fortunate, love you enemy, share your wealth etc. But I believe it is always worth holding up as an ideal and trying your best. But why would people adhere to a religion that ascribes to violence? I don't understand but keep trying. If American Muslims wish to defuse the rising resentment of other Americans they need to be vociferous in their condemnation of terror. Trumps supporters are suspicious of all Muslims because of the small amount of coverage they see of Muslims denouncing terror as opposed to the almost daily reporting of murder in the name of Islam. BTW, Trump's campaign indeed has similarities to Hitlers and Von Papen and others in Wiemar Republic thought they could offer him the chancellor post and control him. We saw how that went.
3
To read about Muslim anti-violence fundraising & rhetoric, it would have to first be reported in the mainstream media. Good luck finding it outside of Al Jazeera.
3
Yikes. Personally, hummm the forefathers separated religion and politics because?? Having encountered the Muslim working for the NYC
BOE who closely monitored the choices of his daughter, frankly not sure this is such a great sect-- you figure how this differs from religious organization-- for women.
I really want to know what in people's DNA makes them feel that religion is impt for them. I know too many people who are religious who do all kinds of awful things.. to believe that religion in any way has much to do with ethics and morality ... which may be what society needs. OTOH I much appreciate Gothic cathedrals and even a mosque or two however, Hagia Sophia was originally a Christian church.
BOE who closely monitored the choices of his daughter, frankly not sure this is such a great sect-- you figure how this differs from religious organization-- for women.
I really want to know what in people's DNA makes them feel that religion is impt for them. I know too many people who are religious who do all kinds of awful things.. to believe that religion in any way has much to do with ethics and morality ... which may be what society needs. OTOH I much appreciate Gothic cathedrals and even a mosque or two however, Hagia Sophia was originally a Christian church.
11
How about raising the kids to be curious about what is moral, just, ethical, to have an open mind, respect others as you would have them respect you, try to do things so that you leave the world a better place etc.? To learn as many languages as possible and not just a specific language just because a medieval book was written in that language?
To move away from meaningless rituals of, say, facing a certain direction to prey? If one grows up to be a good human being, one would automatically be a good Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Atheist. Whereas, many who call themselves good (put you religion of choice here), are not good human beings at all.
To move away from meaningless rituals of, say, facing a certain direction to prey? If one grows up to be a good human being, one would automatically be a good Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Atheist. Whereas, many who call themselves good (put you religion of choice here), are not good human beings at all.
11
And should Catholics genuflect or make the sign of the cross or have ashes placed on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday? Should Jews continue to wear Yarmulkes? The fact is America was and is supposed to be TOLERANT of different belief systems regardless of the physical manifestations..
7
Afraid of what? The odds of you experiencing any xenophobic incident of consequence is less than experiencing some kinda of sectarian violence in a Muslim country. But you know this. That's why you chose to move to America in the first place.
With the decline of the white population, traditionalist immigrants should seek to fill the power and privilege vacuum left behind. Don't run from inequality, seize it in your favor instead. Leave the victimizing to the white women, and the profitless activism to the perpetually aggrieved.
With the decline of the white population, traditionalist immigrants should seek to fill the power and privilege vacuum left behind. Don't run from inequality, seize it in your favor instead. Leave the victimizing to the white women, and the profitless activism to the perpetually aggrieved.
5
White women?
So many of these comments are evidence of bigotry and fear. How many have actually dared to open a dialog with them? How does our biased media treat them?
9
Good for you for writing this. And good luck for the future of your family. It is difficult enough to be not-white in this country, but to have the Muslim label on top of it, is even more excruciating for parents. Even aside from the obvious ways bias and prejudice shows up, there are so many small ones, especially in certain regions of this country.
8
Mr. Ali has it wrong, shouldn't the article be called Raising American Muslim Kids in The Age of Radical Islam? Mr. Trump as many throughout the world are only a response to the atrocities seen daily throughout the world in the name of Islam. Those parents and Mosques that don't deal with it are doing a disservice not only to their children but the world.
25
"Islam needs to trump them all.” Be warned: Islam is a religion that aches to be triumphant. If it can, at one per cent of the US population, draw so much attention to itself and cause so many headaches for the country, think of what it will do when it is five or ten per cent. It is not bigotry to watch what the increasing arc of Islam has done to other countries (nearly wiped out Christianity before our very eyes) to realize that Islam is a deeply political religion, which cannot be treated like another other. The most fundamental difference in the mind of a Muslim between him/her and others is the he/she is a Muslim and others are not. This bedrock us versus them Quranically sanctioned belief system doom all attempts to deal constructively and peacefully with Islam, all but impossible.
32
Sort of like Jews consider non-Jews Goyim. And Catholics are urged not to marry outside the faith.
2
You can't discuss peoples' reactions unless you discuss the reason they are reacting.
Imagine if I were to wonder why a person jumped out of the building during 9/11 but I omitted the entire attack. I simply looked at him jumping. I would then wonder why he jumped, & fill in my own preconceived solutions.
I had an abusive ex who did this all the time. He would conceal his own triggers & present to the outside world purely my reactions to his triggers. So inside the house he would call me ridiculous, pathetic, worthless. Then outside the house, if I even raised my voice, he would cringe, & act as though I were unbalanced & my anger came out of nowhere.
Now of course this author has a lovely family. But that's not the point. He omits the *reason* people are reacting to restrict Muslim immigration. Why *not* mention extremist Muslim violence across the world? It is dishonest & manipulative.
The author speaks of being 'afraid." Well lots of people are afraid of extremist Islam, & not just the violent ISIS--in multiple worldwide polls, the majority of Muslims are highly intolerant of others, homophobic, anti-semitic, sexist. This is fact.
The author presumably does not share these beliefs--so why act as though peoples' reactions have no cause?No one decent in America would care about Islam one way or the other if it weren't for the violence repeatedly committed in its name & the intolerance it exhibits for others.Address that. Don't pretend it's not there.
Imagine if I were to wonder why a person jumped out of the building during 9/11 but I omitted the entire attack. I simply looked at him jumping. I would then wonder why he jumped, & fill in my own preconceived solutions.
I had an abusive ex who did this all the time. He would conceal his own triggers & present to the outside world purely my reactions to his triggers. So inside the house he would call me ridiculous, pathetic, worthless. Then outside the house, if I even raised my voice, he would cringe, & act as though I were unbalanced & my anger came out of nowhere.
Now of course this author has a lovely family. But that's not the point. He omits the *reason* people are reacting to restrict Muslim immigration. Why *not* mention extremist Muslim violence across the world? It is dishonest & manipulative.
The author speaks of being 'afraid." Well lots of people are afraid of extremist Islam, & not just the violent ISIS--in multiple worldwide polls, the majority of Muslims are highly intolerant of others, homophobic, anti-semitic, sexist. This is fact.
The author presumably does not share these beliefs--so why act as though peoples' reactions have no cause?No one decent in America would care about Islam one way or the other if it weren't for the violence repeatedly committed in its name & the intolerance it exhibits for others.Address that. Don't pretend it's not there.
31
What would you have the author do? Should he tell his family that because some Muslims are terrorists they should hide in their homes in shame, not engage with the world and give up?
4
Mr. Ali ends his story by these words: "My job is only to plant the seeds with care". The seeds of a sinister ideology, that is - if the writer is not aware of that? What about raising your kids in the age of ISIS, as Angie here already asked you? This is the age of fear, and it was not Mr. Trump who initiated it!
22
Islam is not a sinister ideology. And he's already discussed raising kids without the fanaticism of extremism. It is quite possible to live these days without being fearful: the the only thing to fear is fear itself. As for Trump, he is fanning the flames of fear to get himself elected.
3
You may want to consider the possibility that it will take a generation or more for your family to integrate into American life. You may also have to admit that if you cling to Pakistani ways and live only among Pakistanis, this will be a longer road.
Sorry to add that, if you do move away from your enclave, you will have to be smart enough to choose an area that will help you prosper financially, have good schools and safe neighborhoods. You will still have to be strong enough to endure an occasional comment from the locals, as they begin to get used to your presence. But, the payoff is that you may lose the feeling of being a vulnerable outsider.
Your fears of being sent a concentration camp or being prayed upon by an unjust and corrupt government are just that: fears. Generations of outsiders have come before you, survived and prospered. You have no guarantee of an easy time. You are guaranteed a life in a country that has benevolent laws and access to legal recourse.
Sorry to add that, if you do move away from your enclave, you will have to be smart enough to choose an area that will help you prosper financially, have good schools and safe neighborhoods. You will still have to be strong enough to endure an occasional comment from the locals, as they begin to get used to your presence. But, the payoff is that you may lose the feeling of being a vulnerable outsider.
Your fears of being sent a concentration camp or being prayed upon by an unjust and corrupt government are just that: fears. Generations of outsiders have come before you, survived and prospered. You have no guarantee of an easy time. You are guaranteed a life in a country that has benevolent laws and access to legal recourse.
14
Maybe America needs to be human in public first. Finding a balance between private religious beliefs and a common human national identity is key. Separation of religion from state is very important and this is not being praticed by anyone. Being an ethnic immigrant from a minority religion in the US, I strive to be conscious of my humanity first then my religion. Everyone tries to flout their identity and there is too much of groupism by all.
7
Vetting, special databases and proposals to bar Muslims from entering the US did not develop out of the blue. People are not concerned about Muslims because they dislike halal meat or Ramadan, they are concerned and afraid because they fear Islamic terror. These fears are indeed justified. While all Muslims are not terrorists, all (or the majority of) terrorists are Muslim. When yet acts of terror occur, we are told not to jump to conclusions, Islam is a religion of peace, and that non-Muslims must understand the anger that Muslims feel, and there is also silence from Muslim-Americans. If you want to raise your children without fear in the "age of Trump," you might want to consider the justifiable fears that non-Muslims have and also start speaking out against your jihadi radicalized Muslim brothers and sisters. Whether Trump is elected or not, these issues are not going away. Surely you are aware that the next Trump will be a lot worse than this one.
33
Your Islam should but just fine. Live long and prosper.
It is a far cry from the violent, aggressive and murderous Islam practiced by the prophet Mohammed and his immediate followers. That's a good thing.
The westernized watered down pseudo-Islam practiced by folks such as yourself is no threat to anyone. Hopefully your daughter has all he success in the world.
It is a far cry from the violent, aggressive and murderous Islam practiced by the prophet Mohammed and his immediate followers. That's a good thing.
The westernized watered down pseudo-Islam practiced by folks such as yourself is no threat to anyone. Hopefully your daughter has all he success in the world.
1
Please do not call this the age of Trump. It has been 9 months.
2
You should think yourself lucky your column was even published in the Ultra Left NY Times. That you can say the things you say. You should feel happy you even have a mosque to pray in; I don't see too many Christian churches in Muslim countries. Maybe you need to get together with others of your community and try and right the idiots using your religion as an ideology of death. The ones who have usurped your religion. Don't blame Trump; he's just calling it like it is. The facts speak for themselves: 9/11, Paris, Brussels, Nice, over and over again, ad nauseam.
41
Here's a thought. Dont legitimize Saudi Arabia's version of hardline Islam. muslims existed before 9/11, and nobody batted an eye. Why? They didnt stand out. They were like everyone else. But since the destabilization of the middle east, Saudi Arabia has taken over the narrative of the religion, and most of the islamic world has gone along with it. Women who didnt cover their heads now do. Men who previously didnt grow their beards now do, and wear traditional vestments. People who were once open in their beliefs and not so observant, are now hardliners who follow doctrine to the letter
The kind of islam that is being practiced around the world today, is antithetical to western values. It is impossible to be both American and Salafist. because it hold extremely conservative orthodox positions that are at odds with western values. it places islamic law above all, encourage brutal punishment for specific sins, and encourages killing and lying to the infidels until you are in control, at which point you enact sharia.
I always hear about "moderate muslims", but really, what does that mean? because many of the so called moderates, are only moderate in that they aren't the ones chopping heads- but are still the ones standing in the crowd watching. The ones who when asked in polls, if they support death as punishment for insulting the prophet, say yes. Seems to me moderate muslims need to actually take a stand against the radicalization of the religion, and reject radical imams
The kind of islam that is being practiced around the world today, is antithetical to western values. It is impossible to be both American and Salafist. because it hold extremely conservative orthodox positions that are at odds with western values. it places islamic law above all, encourage brutal punishment for specific sins, and encourages killing and lying to the infidels until you are in control, at which point you enact sharia.
I always hear about "moderate muslims", but really, what does that mean? because many of the so called moderates, are only moderate in that they aren't the ones chopping heads- but are still the ones standing in the crowd watching. The ones who when asked in polls, if they support death as punishment for insulting the prophet, say yes. Seems to me moderate muslims need to actually take a stand against the radicalization of the religion, and reject radical imams
44
Do you know ANY Muslims at all?
I mean, in person?
I mean, in person?
4
"There is no compulsion in religion" is in the Coran's Medina verses. This command reverses drastically in the later Mecca verses, which according to Muslim scholars overrule earlier verses when they contradict them.
17
you put a very human face on Muslim families - thank you.
9
It is pitiable in the course of few months, an educated and religious Muslim should write an article thus in NYT. Unthinkable before! What happened to you America!
1
What has happened to our country? What has happened to liberals who are apparently incapable of doing anything but thinking of Muslims as victims!
7
I wish you and your children all the best, and would also suggest that your parents probably also felt inadequate in ways they didn't share with you. It's okay.
8
"At home, my wife and I now deliberately pray in front of the kids. I prostrate toward Mecca and recite the Arabic verses out loud."
That just about says it all. Ostentatious display of religion, taken to its extreme by snake-daring Evangelicals and orthodox Muslims, merely creates resentment against those religions. I have travelled on Lufthansa flights with Muslims deliberately and ostentatiously praying in the aisles at cruising altitude, causing great inconvenience to the crew and other passengers, none of whom dared to utter a word of protest.
Why do Saudis and most other Muslims expect foreign visitors to blend in with the locals and respect local customs while themselves refusing to integrate with other religions and customs?
Most of all, Wajahat Ali, which Muslim are you? The Sunnis and Shi'ites consider each other as heathens. So we can assume that you adopted the branch of the community or family into which you were born. Act of God? Or pure accident? Same with Orthodox Jews fiercely opposed to the State of Israel. Act of God? Accident? God knows.
So before you pray again ostentatiously in front of your children, just think of all the harm Islam, Christianity and Judaism have wrought throughout history, and teach your children to become 'good, private' Muslims and to fully respect the mores and customs of their adopted country.
That just about says it all. Ostentatious display of religion, taken to its extreme by snake-daring Evangelicals and orthodox Muslims, merely creates resentment against those religions. I have travelled on Lufthansa flights with Muslims deliberately and ostentatiously praying in the aisles at cruising altitude, causing great inconvenience to the crew and other passengers, none of whom dared to utter a word of protest.
Why do Saudis and most other Muslims expect foreign visitors to blend in with the locals and respect local customs while themselves refusing to integrate with other religions and customs?
Most of all, Wajahat Ali, which Muslim are you? The Sunnis and Shi'ites consider each other as heathens. So we can assume that you adopted the branch of the community or family into which you were born. Act of God? Or pure accident? Same with Orthodox Jews fiercely opposed to the State of Israel. Act of God? Accident? God knows.
So before you pray again ostentatiously in front of your children, just think of all the harm Islam, Christianity and Judaism have wrought throughout history, and teach your children to become 'good, private' Muslims and to fully respect the mores and customs of their adopted country.
65
How is it ostentatious to pray in your own home, even if it is in front of your own children?!
5
Try this -ism: humanism. Respect and love for your fellow human beings instead of misdirected and society-splitting belief in false prophets and a non-existent God. It's not a fault of Muslimism alone. All religions of the world share this sad trait.
22
Your name says it all.
Except for Buddhism, and I'm talking the meditation version, not the belief in multiple gods version, and plain old humanism, the world would be a far better place without religions.
Except for Buddhism, and I'm talking the meditation version, not the belief in multiple gods version, and plain old humanism, the world would be a far better place without religions.
3
"It's not a fault of Muslimism alone. All religions of the world share this sad trait."
Yes, to one degree or another, all believe their view is the right one.
But you're simply being an apologist for Islam, seeing no differences with other religions. Read some history. You'll see how Islam contrasts hugely with, say, Buddhism or Christianity or Jainism or Judaism in their treatment of those not sharing their faith.
None of those religions, for example, had a word equivalent to "dhimmi" ... because the concept didn't exist for them. As it did for Muslims.
Yes, to one degree or another, all believe their view is the right one.
But you're simply being an apologist for Islam, seeing no differences with other religions. Read some history. You'll see how Islam contrasts hugely with, say, Buddhism or Christianity or Jainism or Judaism in their treatment of those not sharing their faith.
None of those religions, for example, had a word equivalent to "dhimmi" ... because the concept didn't exist for them. As it did for Muslims.
7
This piece might be warmly written, but what I looked for in vain was any sign of introspection into the current violence justified in the name of Islam. There is no acknowledgement of this whatsoever. Instead, it's "bigotry" and "anti-Muslim bigotry", so in a way for the author the blame lies entirely with the others. Just yesterday an islamist attacker cried "Allahu ackbar" and tried to kill two Belgian police women, so this is just no longer good enough.
84
Agree. Perhaps a more pertinent and timely opinion piece to be penned here would've been titled 'Growing up Muslim in America in the time of ISIS'.
5
Are you introspective about how foreigners look at the US Military, and US Corporate presence and their exploitation and abuse overseas? Do you ever consider How Americans like You are complicit in how foreigners look at America, on their own soil? How American arrogance is all they see?
Do you ever consider that Americans are not very good at playing with others, especially on the others home field?
Do you ever consider that Americans are not very good at playing with others, especially on the others home field?
6
The author wrote about raising his children in America. That was his topic. Not a discussion of jihadism.
4
Let's not mince words here. Sooner or later, Mr. Ali's children are going to have to decide whether Islam is a source of spiritual fulfillment or a source of his parents' cultural traditions. If it's the former, they'll stay Muslim. If it's the latter, they'll eventually no longer want to be 'weird' or outside the American mainstream - and they'll drop Islam like a hot potato.
I was raised in a Muslim family, and left it as a teenager. Not because of global events or geopolitics. Islam always felt completely and irredeemably irrelevant to day-to-day life in mainstream American society. Intellectually, it felt vapid and rote. Spiritually, it didn't click (Reciting Arabic mumbo-jumbo would bring me legitimacy in the eyes of an omnipotent deity? Really?).
Muslim-Americans are going to hit a crossroads sooner or later: What's the benefit of staying Muslim? If they can articulate coherent arguments that satisfy the mind as well as the soul, then Islam's got a fighting chance in our marketplace-of-ideologies nation. If it's a tradition thing, it's going the way of the Puritans.
I was raised in a Muslim family, and left it as a teenager. Not because of global events or geopolitics. Islam always felt completely and irredeemably irrelevant to day-to-day life in mainstream American society. Intellectually, it felt vapid and rote. Spiritually, it didn't click (Reciting Arabic mumbo-jumbo would bring me legitimacy in the eyes of an omnipotent deity? Really?).
Muslim-Americans are going to hit a crossroads sooner or later: What's the benefit of staying Muslim? If they can articulate coherent arguments that satisfy the mind as well as the soul, then Islam's got a fighting chance in our marketplace-of-ideologies nation. If it's a tradition thing, it's going the way of the Puritans.
122
Trust me you can feel that way about Christianity or any other religion.
Religions cannot satisfy rational, questioning, thinking people. You just have to have "faith".
I figured that out at the ripe old age of 8 years old.
And then the rise and prominence of Christians in the past decades, who by word and deed are not at all Christlike put the final nail in that coffin for me.
Religions cannot satisfy rational, questioning, thinking people. You just have to have "faith".
I figured that out at the ripe old age of 8 years old.
And then the rise and prominence of Christians in the past decades, who by word and deed are not at all Christlike put the final nail in that coffin for me.
6
Samian, your post gives me hope. Thanks.
1
I never thought I would be saying this in America in my lifetime, but try raising your caucasian Christian children in the age of progressive socialists liberalism !
15
Oh, please...
Try to raise or be an atheist with politicians who loudly and at every opportunity possible proclaim their Christianity.
Or be an atheist in a country where Christians increasingly influence politics.
Six thousand year old earth? Man walked with dinosaurs? "God" favors America over other nations? Or god is punishing America because of "the gays"?
I want separation of church and state, or churches to start paying taxes out of their billions of dollars of revenue.
Most of all, I want your god out of my politics.
Try to raise or be an atheist with politicians who loudly and at every opportunity possible proclaim their Christianity.
Or be an atheist in a country where Christians increasingly influence politics.
Six thousand year old earth? Man walked with dinosaurs? "God" favors America over other nations? Or god is punishing America because of "the gays"?
I want separation of church and state, or churches to start paying taxes out of their billions of dollars of revenue.
Most of all, I want your god out of my politics.
20
I have a question for Muslim Americans. The Koran specifies horrendous punishments for people whose only sin is that they are non-muslims and reject the 7th century Arab as any prophet. It refers to such people as kafirs, infidels who have no rights , including right to life.
Now all religions are man made ideologies.
Do Muslims accept that non-muslims have equal rights as muslims to live and enjoy full freedom or is the koran right in its violent advocay against non-muslims, because its so called 'word of God'.
Now all religions are man made ideologies.
Do Muslims accept that non-muslims have equal rights as muslims to live and enjoy full freedom or is the koran right in its violent advocay against non-muslims, because its so called 'word of God'.
35
your question is best answered by a question: why are you trying to tell us what our book says? If you were really serious and rational, you would know that the only interpretation of our Book that matter is ours, since you certainly do not see it as your life guide. So the Muslim answer is, you using the internet to find your nearest mosque, put down the prejudice think for a minute, come to us face to face, and ask us what we believe, instead of asking silly loaded questions on the internet.
4
Thank you for this sensitive piece-- this is the reality of the regular Muslims I know, as opposed to the rhetoric you hear in politics that depicts a subversive group whose loyalties are questioned. I think that rhetoric comes from an unfamiliarity with everyday lives of American Muslims.
3
Pakistanis should look in the mirror at their own Bigotry and Intolerance before complaining about Trump.
49
I will not be supporting Donald Trump. The actions of many Muslims leave me hopeful, but the Jihadist poison runs deeply in Islam and has it's origins with Mohammad himself. Sadly, I do not believe he was a exemplary man, but some of what he taught was exemplary. As long as the world simmers with Jihadist terrors and threaten to boil, the US will not be an entirely comfortable place for Muslims. There will be a real danger of the kind of segregation and imprisonment that we had with Japanese in WWII.
I would recommend to American Muslims as American as these to consider that Christianity offers a very similar faith and urge them to consider it.
Trump actions relative to the Khan family and Muslim in general has been reprehensible... but ..
I am an American Christian liberal. I don't like feeling very negatively about a religion peacefully practiced by so many, but I know much more about it and I do fear it. I see what happen to freedom in all Muslim majority nations and fear that too -- the massive loss of freedom.
I would recommend to American Muslims as American as these to consider that Christianity offers a very similar faith and urge them to consider it.
Trump actions relative to the Khan family and Muslim in general has been reprehensible... but ..
I am an American Christian liberal. I don't like feeling very negatively about a religion peacefully practiced by so many, but I know much more about it and I do fear it. I see what happen to freedom in all Muslim majority nations and fear that too -- the massive loss of freedom.
12
you so nice....I urge you to join Dr. King and the rest of the adult world, to read the Constitution (begin with the First Amendment), and most of all to leave the Trump campaign.
1
This will get me banned from the Times, but have to say it: I'm halfway through "Why I Am Not a Muslim," by Ibn Warraq, and am losing all my equanimity about Islam being just another religion, just worshiping a different god.
It hasn't been just another religion the past 1400 years. One doesn't see it starting now.
Stories in the media like this one continue the long history of those in the West who defend Islam. To the death, if ISIS had its way.
It hasn't been just another religion the past 1400 years. One doesn't see it starting now.
Stories in the media like this one continue the long history of those in the West who defend Islam. To the death, if ISIS had its way.
23
When I first interacted with a doctor from Pakistan in New York as a fellow resident , her first response to a very general question was that I was not ' of the book'. I quite didn't understand . I said that I am Buddhist . She said and I quote : exactly . We consider you infidel ! And I told her that I considered her ignorant . We didn't get along during the residency together after that as I my mind she was one of the most ignorant person I had met in my life and she must have persistently thought that I am not of the book, and an infidel; so probably worthy of nothing or death ! I am not sure.
48
America needs the help of all Muslims now, not the continuing angst of Muslim victimization. Millions of Americans brfore us have given up their lives to create this utopian bastion of freedom that everyone now wants to enjoy.
Help the rest of us understand why Muslim women are not really second class citizens, and help us understand if Islam is compatible with Western Democracy. Help us understand radical Islam.
Identity politics and the "us vs. Trump politics" mantra is not going to help the rest of America feel any better about this crazy world we live in. Op/Ed pieces like this only widen the real gap that exist between Islam and our traditional Christian-Judeo culture. Help us close that gap by offering answers to questions that can no longer be ignored.
Help the rest of us help you.
Help the rest of us understand why Muslim women are not really second class citizens, and help us understand if Islam is compatible with Western Democracy. Help us understand radical Islam.
Identity politics and the "us vs. Trump politics" mantra is not going to help the rest of America feel any better about this crazy world we live in. Op/Ed pieces like this only widen the real gap that exist between Islam and our traditional Christian-Judeo culture. Help us close that gap by offering answers to questions that can no longer be ignored.
Help the rest of us help you.
11
Wajahat, you have a nice, engaging writing style.
However, you seemingly fall into the same trap as virtually every moderate Muslim who writes op-eds in the Times. You implicitly state that should anyone question the core tenants of Islam that we are anti-Muslim bigots. Your suggestions assume it is the responsibility of all non-Muslims to ensure your respect and dignity are preserved, without any responsibility given to you. As an example, you suggest your own version of a wall with Muslim only centers. How does that ensure anything but further separation?
We need more moderate Muslims such as yourself to use your pieces to speak out against some of the gravely dangerous beliefs espoused by radicals in the name of Islam. These beliefs include horrific brutality towards gays and lesbians, poor treatment of minorities and backwards beliefs on women's rights.
I agree that it is not your duty to reform Islam. But neither is it my duty, nor anyone else's duty to ensure that we put all American Muslims' respect and dignity over that of other Americans.
I have two simple questions for you: I am an Indian American who is Hindu and married to another Indian American who is Catholic: how would our two sons be treated in Pakistan, Iran, Iraq or Saudi Arabia? Would they be afforded the same rights and equalities that both your family and mine enjoy in the US?
However, you seemingly fall into the same trap as virtually every moderate Muslim who writes op-eds in the Times. You implicitly state that should anyone question the core tenants of Islam that we are anti-Muslim bigots. Your suggestions assume it is the responsibility of all non-Muslims to ensure your respect and dignity are preserved, without any responsibility given to you. As an example, you suggest your own version of a wall with Muslim only centers. How does that ensure anything but further separation?
We need more moderate Muslims such as yourself to use your pieces to speak out against some of the gravely dangerous beliefs espoused by radicals in the name of Islam. These beliefs include horrific brutality towards gays and lesbians, poor treatment of minorities and backwards beliefs on women's rights.
I agree that it is not your duty to reform Islam. But neither is it my duty, nor anyone else's duty to ensure that we put all American Muslims' respect and dignity over that of other Americans.
I have two simple questions for you: I am an Indian American who is Hindu and married to another Indian American who is Catholic: how would our two sons be treated in Pakistan, Iran, Iraq or Saudi Arabia? Would they be afforded the same rights and equalities that both your family and mine enjoy in the US?
78
If I may quote Richard Dawkins:
Let us all raise our consciousness, and the consciousness of society, about the religious labeling of children. Let’s all mind our religious language just as we have learned to over sexist language. “Catholic child,” “Muslim child,” “Hindu child,” “Mormon child” — all such phrases should make us cringe. Whenever you hear somebody speak of a “Catholic child,” stop them in their tracks: There’s no such thing as a Catholic child. Would you speak of a “Postmodernist child” or a “States Rights child”? What you meant to say was “child of Catholic parents.” And the same for “Muslim” child etc.
Let us all raise our consciousness, and the consciousness of society, about the religious labeling of children. Let’s all mind our religious language just as we have learned to over sexist language. “Catholic child,” “Muslim child,” “Hindu child,” “Mormon child” — all such phrases should make us cringe. Whenever you hear somebody speak of a “Catholic child,” stop them in their tracks: There’s no such thing as a Catholic child. Would you speak of a “Postmodernist child” or a “States Rights child”? What you meant to say was “child of Catholic parents.” And the same for “Muslim” child etc.
13
Is it American Muslim or Muslim American? I've seen both, wondering if there is a nuance. Which feels more inclusive? More self expressive?
1
Perhaps not a good idea to teach any kind of religion to kids. Let them be free of religion and let them make choice when they have the capacity to do so as an adult. Let the kids be truly FREE and let them enjoy their life without any religious bounds or prejudices.
21
MUSLIM CHILDREN in the US are entitled to live in safety, in loving families, without threat of violence from outside their community. That they are being targeted, primarily by the GOP, for persecution, is wrong. To paraphrase Obama, It's not who we are! It's not what we do! We must welcome Muslim Americans and invite them to be part of our communities. The alternative is to create resentment and stress that will lead to the anger we have shown toward Muslims being reflected back onto us.
8
I invite no one unless that person believes that women are entitled to walk around in a swimsuit rather than a shroud on a hot August day. That anger is justified as long as Muslims continue to practice their sexism, medievalist cult.
11
I really hope that some day we get rid of religions. It's unbelievable that in the 21st century we have people who believe in allah, god, Jesus what have you..
12
For a smart and successful (despite your self deprecating claim to mediocrity!) man I'm afraid you are doing a great disservice to your children. Assimilation is the first rule for an immigrant; the nail that sticks out gets hammered! If you are unwilling to conform in matters of dress, language, food, prayer norms and values you are raising your kids in the wrong place. The second rule is be 100% loyal to the land you've chosen as your adopted home and check whether your religion permits that. Next, you have to instil tolerance and respect for other religions and "gods" and those who profess other faiths and beliefs if your kids want to grow up truly American. And finally without being disrespectful to the Prophet you need to teach your children he lived in another age and society and everything he said may or may not be relevant in twenty first century America. If you can't maybe a good idea to go back to where your parents came from.
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
52
Well said!
1
Simple solution. Reject medievalism. Reject obscurantism. Renounce Islam.
36
Moderate Muslims face a battle that Orthodox Jews don't have. While anti-Semitism is ancient, passionately illogical, and very real, Jews didn't threaten their host countries. The violence was one way, against them. For this writer and people like him, who have adapted to western life but keep their traditions, the menacing specter of Islamists who think that the western world must be brought to their knees unfortunately creates the impression that ALL faithful Muslims deep down believe the same. So yes, you have a burden of not only transmitting your faith and customs - which is your right - to your children, but also of somehow convincing a skeptical world that you not only mean no harm, but are happy to embrace western civilization (up to a point) while cherishing your religious freedoms. Best of luck.
79
Spot on!!!!!
All of us parents want our children to grow up understanding the virtues as we understand them. TOLERANCE is #1 for my family. There is so much goodness in the world. God is great in any language.
1
It's still not as bad as being black in America.
Last I heard, most extrajudicial executions carried out by police in America are of young unarmed black men who have often by detained and restrained before being murdered.
And don't even try to tell a Native American living on a reservation how hard it is to live in Trump's America, which existed long before Trump. You will get a belly full of laughter in your face!
Last I heard, most extrajudicial executions carried out by police in America are of young unarmed black men who have often by detained and restrained before being murdered.
And don't even try to tell a Native American living on a reservation how hard it is to live in Trump's America, which existed long before Trump. You will get a belly full of laughter in your face!
4
Mr. Ali,
Trump is not against American Muslims.
He is against new immigration from places that are hotbeds of Islamic terrorism. There is nothing wrong with that.
When people like Khizr Khan* and you keep shouting wolf, you are doing a disservice to American Muslim citizens who have genuine grievances.
(*Khizr Khan should spend time guiding American Muslim kids instead of advocating Shariah Law and denigrating Americans on Pakistan media like he did last week.)
Trump is not against American Muslims.
He is against new immigration from places that are hotbeds of Islamic terrorism. There is nothing wrong with that.
When people like Khizr Khan* and you keep shouting wolf, you are doing a disservice to American Muslim citizens who have genuine grievances.
(*Khizr Khan should spend time guiding American Muslim kids instead of advocating Shariah Law and denigrating Americans on Pakistan media like he did last week.)
27
looks like Mr. Khan and his wife had a pretty good week to me. As soon as you sink a candidate from a major party for the highest office in the land, get with us so you will have some creds. Maybe sinking that racist orange guy really isn't as hard as we thought it would be?
2
Teaching fairy tales.
20
Horror stories.
2
I thought the 'relocation camps' of WWII were something we would never see again in this country. The very idea that Wajahat Ali could bring himself to envision the possibility of him and his family being imprisoned in a "Trump detention camp" makes me shiver. I find it hard to believe that the American public would allow its government to treat fellow American citizens in that manner again!
I hope I never live to see the recreation of relocation camps -- as the WWII camps used to imprison Japanese American Citizens were euphemistically called. May we never see the likes of them again!
I hope I never live to see the recreation of relocation camps -- as the WWII camps used to imprison Japanese American Citizens were euphemistically called. May we never see the likes of them again!
5
The last paragraph of this article, "There is no compulsion in religion," seems tossed in as an afterthought - a brief, last-minute concession to the idea that the writer's daughter might have some say in her own manner of thinking and living. The body of the article bears no trace of such an idea. I read it with some consternation, pitying the poor girl if she develops an independent mind and chooses not to follow Islam or other religion as she grows up. Being a Muslim is not an innate characteristic. It represents a choice - or should. I got the impression that the writers' children would get very little in the way of choice. The writer might consider why it is so difficult to cram religion down children's throats; might it be that it's so hard to swallow?
24
I do not understand why Muslims only face dilemma? One thing for sure, they or their parents migrated to West, proves that they did not get what they wanted in the Islamic world. They should understand that migration is a packaged deal and you can not have best of both worlds. It will only confuse your kids and keep them backwards from the rest of society.
Just keep your religion to yourself. Do at home what you want to do. No one stops you. Don't teach your children that Islam is a superior religion and that others are non-believers. I was shocked a 5 year old Muslim boy asking another kid (in a kids' party) if she was a Muslim and believer in GOD?
It is better than Muslims live peacefully just like good human beings. For good human beings, no religion is needed.
Just keep your religion to yourself. Do at home what you want to do. No one stops you. Don't teach your children that Islam is a superior religion and that others are non-believers. I was shocked a 5 year old Muslim boy asking another kid (in a kids' party) if she was a Muslim and believer in GOD?
It is better than Muslims live peacefully just like good human beings. For good human beings, no religion is needed.
19
I don't think American Muslims owe any sort of reaction to any world event.
However, I do believe the US defense apparatus should take responsibility for the hundreds of thousands they have killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. What most ignorant Americans call terrorism is better described as resistance to the overwhelming military might.
No one holds Christians or Jews to any arbitrary code of conduct and the same should hold true for every faith in America.
However, I do believe the US defense apparatus should take responsibility for the hundreds of thousands they have killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. What most ignorant Americans call terrorism is better described as resistance to the overwhelming military might.
No one holds Christians or Jews to any arbitrary code of conduct and the same should hold true for every faith in America.
8
As non-Muslims in the civilized West have seen over and over again, the "seeds" Mr. Ali is planting in his children can easily flower into Koran- and prophet-inspired mass-murder against them. The second generation of practicing Muslims in a secular society are often the most religious, and the most violent, in enforcing the Islamic norms set forth in the Koran and the hadith. A thoughtful article about this escalating issue: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/problems-of-the-second-generation-to-...
21
so if he is living a white Christian life and his kids become mass murderers, coming from the cultural place where the majority of mass murderers in America come, then the deaths and suffering is okay?
2
The question how parents will raise their children is just that, for each family to arrive at individually. Furthermore, what Mr. Trump has talked about is neither bigotry nor bias. He is aware and planning how to protect you and your family from Islamic terrorists. Why are you not concerned about this? Maybe I missed it in the article? How will you explain it to your children?
11
Mr Ali, why would you want your daughter to eligible for a Trump Beauty Pageant? The question is would she be allowed to pray together with your son in the same space? Would your children be accepted if they turn out to be Gay or Lesbian?
It's time for us to teach tolerance in religions.
It's time for us to teach tolerance in religions.
24
why would you think it is your responsibility to tell any American what to like?
1
The question about the pageant was rhetorical.
3
Teach them to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.
7
Shouldn't a better question be: how do I raise a Muslim child in the age of Daesh, beheadings and mass murders by Islamists, atheist bloggers hounded down in Pakistan, girls having acid thrown in their faces for wanting to study in Afghanistan, attacks by Boko Haram, and creeping theocracy everywhere in the Muslim world? This is your religion. You are responsible for it. I despise Trump and everything he stands for but do not pretend that the Islamism and Islam are two unrelated things. Clean your own house before asking others to clean theirs.
65
Under that logic we should also ban everything Christian. The horrors are too numerous to mention, centuries of tortures, hangings, internment camps, bombings of Japanese cities, on and on, because "God was on our side." This is "our religion." When will take responsibility for it?
26
your question assumes Mr. Ali is somehow responsible for Daesh or (really what you are saying) He is responsible for all the bad Muslims in the world....to which I reply,,,when do you start taking responsibility for Dylan Roof?
7
Some of my relatives came to America from Ireland. They were Catholics.
And they were treated like the dirt under the carpet.
They became Americans ASAP. Not Catholic Americans. But Americans.
They mainstreamed it pretty hard into becoming American in every possible way.
Welcome Muslims to America. Now please, become Americans.
And this goes for everyone else who chooses to live here in our country.
Retain all the culture and language and customs within your home but first and foremost we are ALL Americans. Hyphenating is getting tiresome and separates us more. The Balkanization of our nation is not uniting us at all.
Stop blaming Trump or whoever for whatever micro aggressions you may feel. ALL newcomers feel ostracized. Until they decide to become a part of the American culture. If you choose to remain outside of it you will remain an outsider here. We're a fairly accepting people if you give it a try. As they used to say, 'America, love it or leave it'. And no, I am not a Trump supporter.
And they were treated like the dirt under the carpet.
They became Americans ASAP. Not Catholic Americans. But Americans.
They mainstreamed it pretty hard into becoming American in every possible way.
Welcome Muslims to America. Now please, become Americans.
And this goes for everyone else who chooses to live here in our country.
Retain all the culture and language and customs within your home but first and foremost we are ALL Americans. Hyphenating is getting tiresome and separates us more. The Balkanization of our nation is not uniting us at all.
Stop blaming Trump or whoever for whatever micro aggressions you may feel. ALL newcomers feel ostracized. Until they decide to become a part of the American culture. If you choose to remain outside of it you will remain an outsider here. We're a fairly accepting people if you give it a try. As they used to say, 'America, love it or leave it'. And no, I am not a Trump supporter.
24
Its more than just religious otherness, its also the brown factor.
Are we talking integration or assimilation? Is it a puree where all of the ingredients loose all their identity or a soup where the meat and the vegetables are still recognizable but part of the same? On becoming Americans, "Some of my relatives came to America from Ireland. They were Catholics. And they were treated like the dirt under the carpet.They became Americans ASAP". How do you explain NYC, Boston, Philadelphia's enclaves, Pubs,great lager, ST Patricks day,corn beef, IRA? Is all of this confined to their homes?
Were the Irish told to confine catholicism, the English told to confine Protestantism, were the Italians told to confine their Pizza to their home? Thank God, no, so that now,we can enjoy Tandoori Chicken Pizza.
What is American Culture? NY's? Ohio's? Arizona's? Wyoming's Culture ?. Is American culture already signed, sealed, delivered and perfected? Is there any room to add a mild "Biryani" to it. Is muslim contribution to America's culture proof of muslims not being already American? Just because Muslims look different, will they be accepted as Americans only if they disintegrate their identity, believes, traditions? Are they the savages that need to be taught proper Americanism? Do they need to be bleached before they can be American ?
Are we talking integration or assimilation? Is it a puree where all of the ingredients loose all their identity or a soup where the meat and the vegetables are still recognizable but part of the same? On becoming Americans, "Some of my relatives came to America from Ireland. They were Catholics. And they were treated like the dirt under the carpet.They became Americans ASAP". How do you explain NYC, Boston, Philadelphia's enclaves, Pubs,great lager, ST Patricks day,corn beef, IRA? Is all of this confined to their homes?
Were the Irish told to confine catholicism, the English told to confine Protestantism, were the Italians told to confine their Pizza to their home? Thank God, no, so that now,we can enjoy Tandoori Chicken Pizza.
What is American Culture? NY's? Ohio's? Arizona's? Wyoming's Culture ?. Is American culture already signed, sealed, delivered and perfected? Is there any room to add a mild "Biryani" to it. Is muslim contribution to America's culture proof of muslims not being already American? Just because Muslims look different, will they be accepted as Americans only if they disintegrate their identity, believes, traditions? Are they the savages that need to be taught proper Americanism? Do they need to be bleached before they can be American ?
3
This is not the age of Trump. This is an age of discontent, leading to some reflexive intolerance, of which Trump is merely a minor malignant symptom.
It will pass.
Dan Kravitz
It will pass.
Dan Kravitz
5
I salute the writer's search for a truly American Islam for the 21st century. It is an essential quest and, as a committed Reform Jew, it reminds me of the evolution of the American Jewish community since the end of World War II. As we became more accepted in WASP society and more successful materially, many of us became assimilated and alienated from Jewish culture and practice. Then, in the '70's began movements like small informal groups ( the chavurah movement), a social justice orientation, neo-Chasidic and return to Orthodoxy (ba'al teshuvah) and modern music influenced by black spirituals, Israeli music and the summer camp songs of the Reform and Conservative denominations. In this country, our cousins of the Muslim faith should be free to experiment and evolve in ways that may not be possible in their ancestral lands. I wish them well. Shalom/Salaam.
5
You confirm what I always feel....often Jews relate better to Muslims than any other religious group in America. Thank you for showing intelligence and respect. Keep saying: I grew up around Jewish kids because of our integration efforts in the 70s. I learned to love Jewish kids and it has affected me and how I look at Jewish people. You can see me as a free person and I love you for it, my fellow countryman.
1
"Will my American Muslim daughter be allowed to leave the Trump detention camps if she grows up to be a “10”?"
I believe if we all rigorously stood behind the meaning the ratifiers understood the constitution to have, this could not happen. Sadly, I believe we clearly don't, and the Supreme court stood behind Roosevelt sending law abiding Japanese American citizens to internment camps in spite of concepts like "Equal protection under the law", and not being denied liberty without due process of law.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korematsu_v._United_States
"In a 6–3 decision, the Court sided with the government,[2] ruling that the exclusion order was constitutional. Six of eight Roosevelt appointees sided with Roosevelt. The lone Republican appointee, Owen Roberts, dissented"
The SCOTUS also ruled that separate but equal was constitutional, and supported fugitive slaves being returned from free states.
This is why it is so important that America appoint justices that will follow the meaning the constitution was understand to have when ratified, and not fight for activist judges who will find the meaning they prefer. When it comes to SCOTUS bias, a judge, in my opinion, can only be biased when the diverge from its original meaning,, since following it is their job.
If you like activist judges however, you should also realizes the weakens protections against racism, religious freedom, and liberty in general in exchange for perceived security like handout.
John
I believe if we all rigorously stood behind the meaning the ratifiers understood the constitution to have, this could not happen. Sadly, I believe we clearly don't, and the Supreme court stood behind Roosevelt sending law abiding Japanese American citizens to internment camps in spite of concepts like "Equal protection under the law", and not being denied liberty without due process of law.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korematsu_v._United_States
"In a 6–3 decision, the Court sided with the government,[2] ruling that the exclusion order was constitutional. Six of eight Roosevelt appointees sided with Roosevelt. The lone Republican appointee, Owen Roberts, dissented"
The SCOTUS also ruled that separate but equal was constitutional, and supported fugitive slaves being returned from free states.
This is why it is so important that America appoint justices that will follow the meaning the constitution was understand to have when ratified, and not fight for activist judges who will find the meaning they prefer. When it comes to SCOTUS bias, a judge, in my opinion, can only be biased when the diverge from its original meaning,, since following it is their job.
If you like activist judges however, you should also realizes the weakens protections against racism, religious freedom, and liberty in general in exchange for perceived security like handout.
John
2
I'd like to see Muslims actively repudiate radical Islam. March in the streets dressed in white...something! The silence of American Muslims on the catastrophe of radical Islam is deafening.
33
What this article is describing as a practice for American Muslims, is the equivalent of Reform Judaism, which was a result of modern thinking and the diaspora. Keeping the best of Jewish culture and pracitice appropriate to the modern world, while participating in the wider community where Jews are a minority.
46
Jews were never a threat to the general population so there never was any reason to fear them outside of the general rule of accepted anti-Semitism.
6
my brain is sort of up to speed this morning (more clear). The way we strengthen bad Muslims, well one of the ways, is this non Muslim talk about reforming Islam. The reformation in Islam has already happened. It gave us Salafi Islam. In Islam, we the only theological debate for us is conservative versus ultraconservative. The liberal non practicing side in this is a tiny minority of Muslims, because if you are not serious about Islam, then basically, you end up not doing Islam. White secular people only empower the ultra conservatives when you try to shove secularism on Muslims. There is no such thing as moderate. There are conservatives who want to be friends with non Muslims. When you talk about how we should "reform," you create the space for intolerant recruiters whose main pitch is, we are not free to practice Islam in America. You accept us or you don't. You can dream of us old Muslims dying off and you getting to our kids, but we see how well that has worked with liberals seeing it as the solution to eradicating racism in America. NOT.
You wear Jewish blinders Mr. Nadler. Reform Judaism gave women Standing sir.
1
"There are so many ‘-isms’ calling for their attention and for their loyalty — individualism, atheism, materialism, extremism. Islam needs to trump them all.”
This statement perfectly illustrates why Americans are wary of Islam's influence on our nation. She admits that religiously indoctrinating her children is more important than letting them grow as individuals.
This statement perfectly illustrates why Americans are wary of Islam's influence on our nation. She admits that religiously indoctrinating her children is more important than letting them grow as individuals.
18
How do you excise the parts of the religion that are not compatible with the Western, secular, democratic world, and not change the religion? Or do you ignore such problems?
54
Teach them not to place Sharia Law above US laws and to reject Islam's tenet of Death To Infidels and they will have no problems existing in American society.
19
Mr. Ali,
Thank you for this article. However I can't help to notice that you skillfully avoided an elephant in the room.
What do you tell your kids when they see on TV yet another suicide bombing, beheading or stabbing in Israel, France, Iraq, Turkey or Belgium and ask : "Dad, why is that?"
I would really like to know what answer do the Muslim children receive - or don't receive. It is way more important for all of us than all the nonsense of Donald Trump combined.
Thank you for this article. However I can't help to notice that you skillfully avoided an elephant in the room.
What do you tell your kids when they see on TV yet another suicide bombing, beheading or stabbing in Israel, France, Iraq, Turkey or Belgium and ask : "Dad, why is that?"
I would really like to know what answer do the Muslim children receive - or don't receive. It is way more important for all of us than all the nonsense of Donald Trump combined.
31
The disingenuous reply is that that has nothing to do with Islam.
7
The generation of Muslim kids growing up in the current toxic anti-Islam environment will face the reality that they have to excel professionally and personally to be reckoned with and respected in this society. The gloomier side of the story is that, like what happened in France, isolation and public humiliation form the majority of the host society, will drive part of these young Muslims to vent their rage and frustration through acts of violence and groups like ISIS may pave the way for that with providing an ideological excuse. Unfortunately it is a FACT that if the present humiliating situation persists we will enter a vicious cycle of violence very much like what is happening in Europe.
2
While Mr. Ali has written an informative piece, he remains victimized by a mainstream news media with little interest in presenting the facts.
Mr. Ali's Family and the Khan Family are examples of why those who have lived in overseas tyranny are lining up at this country's doors (consulates and embassies) to (legally) enter the USA. What these families are doing is no different than what my grandparents did at the turn of the previous century.
Where I break with Mr. Ali is on his discussion on the Khan Family. Capt. Khan is an authentic American hero. No hyphen is necessary. The loss of a child is about the worst thing that can happen to a parent. "Gold Star Parents" have this loss compounded by the loss being in a military conflict.
I keep several copies of the US Constitution in my Office. Mr. Khan should recognize that the First Amendment applies to him, Mr. Trump, and all of the rest of us. While Mr. Trump demonstrated poor judgment, the First Amendment does not preclude prospective repudiation.
On the matter of Mrs. Khan, she has also suffered an unfathomable loss. In many Muslim sects the wife often times does not speak (in deference to her husband).
Likewise, the loss of Benghazi Four cannot be ignored in this context. Specifically, parents like Pat Smith have also experienced great loss.
Perhaps the key lesson to emerge is for the Ali and Khan Families to lead an effort of moderate Muslims in countering the scourge of Radical Islamic Terrorism.
Mr. Ali's Family and the Khan Family are examples of why those who have lived in overseas tyranny are lining up at this country's doors (consulates and embassies) to (legally) enter the USA. What these families are doing is no different than what my grandparents did at the turn of the previous century.
Where I break with Mr. Ali is on his discussion on the Khan Family. Capt. Khan is an authentic American hero. No hyphen is necessary. The loss of a child is about the worst thing that can happen to a parent. "Gold Star Parents" have this loss compounded by the loss being in a military conflict.
I keep several copies of the US Constitution in my Office. Mr. Khan should recognize that the First Amendment applies to him, Mr. Trump, and all of the rest of us. While Mr. Trump demonstrated poor judgment, the First Amendment does not preclude prospective repudiation.
On the matter of Mrs. Khan, she has also suffered an unfathomable loss. In many Muslim sects the wife often times does not speak (in deference to her husband).
Likewise, the loss of Benghazi Four cannot be ignored in this context. Specifically, parents like Pat Smith have also experienced great loss.
Perhaps the key lesson to emerge is for the Ali and Khan Families to lead an effort of moderate Muslims in countering the scourge of Radical Islamic Terrorism.
8
He's not a victim.
3
America has never been short of bigotry.
2
After 9/11, black folks sighed a sigh of brief and temporary relief.
Each generation beings racism anew: the Indians, black slaves, the Irish, blacks, the Italians, blacks, the Chinese, blacks,the Japanese, blacks, Mexicans, blacks, Muslims, blacks and the beat goes on....
Each generation beings racism anew: the Indians, black slaves, the Irish, blacks, the Italians, blacks, the Chinese, blacks,the Japanese, blacks, Mexicans, blacks, Muslims, blacks and the beat goes on....
1
The author seems to think that Islam is mainly about Pakistani foods. Obviously his is not a religious Moslem even though he says he prays toward Mecca in front of his kids. He wrote that "Islam was a vibrant reality for us", and that his parents "taught us the Quran". Well, "Islam" IS the Koran + Muhammad, and here is just a tiny bit of what the Koran and Muhammad say:
– Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are those who disbelieve. 8:55
– Muhammad is God’s Apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another. 48:29
– We will put terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. 3:151
– I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads; strike off the very tips of their fingers. 8:12
– When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. 9:5
– Fight against those to whom the Scriptures were given… until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued. 9:29
Mohammed said, "I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, "None has the right to be worshiped but Allah,
Muhammad said: "Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, ... ”
Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, '0 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.' ”
THAT is Islam!
– Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are those who disbelieve. 8:55
– Muhammad is God’s Apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another. 48:29
– We will put terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. 3:151
– I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads; strike off the very tips of their fingers. 8:12
– When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. 9:5
– Fight against those to whom the Scriptures were given… until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued. 9:29
Mohammed said, "I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, "None has the right to be worshiped but Allah,
Muhammad said: "Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, ... ”
Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, '0 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.' ”
THAT is Islam!
30
I applaud Mr. Ali for his "liberalism". Its litmus test is the right kind of imam he will tolerate. International Islam has been in the middle ages culturally. The approach to the Koran is critical. The Protestant (not the Catholic) West has had 500 years of "historical criticism" of the Christian Bible under its belt. Part of that long tradition is western Humanism which triggered a wave of great love and care for ancient manuscripts, then the Enlightenment, both of which promoted lots of public, enlightening education. Universal reading and writing skills were promoted by Protestantism so they could read their Bible for themselves. We do not wish for western Muslims to decay into the kind of spiritual vacuum west European secularism has promoted during the last two hundred years. American religiosity, including Islam, shows much promise in comparison. But it will take a high amount of a continuing dose of critical scholarship and education. The other point that is critical is ecumenical LIFE and SCHOLARSHIP. This kind of public enlightenment, always including continued spiritual engagement, i.e. going to your synagogue. mosque or church and scripture, is hard work. Hard work also between parents and children and grandparents. What must at all costs be avoided is for the backward spirit of repression to gain ground in the name of a falsely understood "faith". We have and continue to see far too much of that in families, communities and countries and between countries.
2
Let's not get too enthusiastic about Islam. American Jewish kids (except Orthodox) were raised to assimilate, as were every other group of immigrants Catholics, especially.. You can keep your religion in your homes, but don't prevent your kids from embracing the USA, which is a secular country.
15
A rather beautiful and informative essay - thanks.
Like most Americans, I know few, if any, Muslims - though I wish I did! The biggest hurdle for me is simply getting to know the faith and those who practice it, just as I have come to know something of Judaism and have Jewish friends. Perhaps if Muslims did more "outreach," rather than, as we see here in my town, remaining in a clearly defined ethnic enclave. I, for one, would welcome an opportunity to know much more.
Like most Americans, I know few, if any, Muslims - though I wish I did! The biggest hurdle for me is simply getting to know the faith and those who practice it, just as I have come to know something of Judaism and have Jewish friends. Perhaps if Muslims did more "outreach," rather than, as we see here in my town, remaining in a clearly defined ethnic enclave. I, for one, would welcome an opportunity to know much more.
You are this generations Jews. I hope you don't suffer the same indignities we often have suffered, and I hope you do as well as many of us have done. We are natural allies in our common experience.
32
Just wow. I'm sorry to be harsh. But you couldn't be more wrong! This equivocation and the impulses behind it are dangerous failures of reasoning... The Jews and the Muslims were - and still are - engaged in one of the longest running tribal conflicts known to man! And when were there ever 1.6 billion Jews? Stunning really. The guilt and cognitive dissonance is breathtaking!
4
Our weekly dose of outrage by yet another Muslim who has done extremely well in our racist, islamophobic country. One would think that coming from Pakistan, a country where unspeakable things are done to women and ethnic and religious minorities, would have made one slightly less sensitive to insult.
Yes, we're not perfect, but we treat Muslims much better than non-Muslims are treated in their countries.
Yes, we're not perfect, but we treat Muslims much better than non-Muslims are treated in their countries.
26
I would like to see a front page story on how non-muslims are treated in various muslim majority countries.
23
Hopefully America will give your children the impetus to drift away from Islamic ideology (I wish the same for Christians and Jews concerning their respective religions) and become a part of rational, secular America- a place where government is totally separate from religion, and religion is tested in the light of reason (it always fails this test). Yes, Trump is a bigot and American Muslims are the best Muslims in the world, primarily because they are not very good Muslims. Let's all say goodbye to these pre-Iron Age ideologies along with their misogyny, homophobia and spectacular lies. I am hopeful that America (as Western Europe before it) will move further toward an environment favoring the eradication of religious nonsense and toward a sensible epistemology- a way of getting closer to the truth.
83
as salaam alaikum, American Muslims are in a state of constant invention and evolution at this present time. Isolation i wrong. Division is wrong. You can't say you want Islam to be strong in America, but you don't like the people at the mosque. Your article represents one of the biggest challenges we face. If you do not like what is happening at the mosque, then your duty is to go and talk with people and over time to convince them to change our practices. We live in a democracy, with a big emphasis on freedom. Change comes slowly through convincing others. The best way to do iftar is at a mosque. We know those who are radicalized do not attend mosque. Our leaders are not perfect, but they try to do what's best for the community. Islam at its heart is about community. If you isolate yourself, you weaken your practice and the community as a whole. Your attitude shows your youth and that you have growing to do. I used to tell my son when he was a teen. "Caveman belongs in a cave. Muslim men belong at the mosque."
1
By separating and showing your diversity, you undermine socialization. You should plant no seeds of anything. That is America! Do not be bound to any theory, ideology, etc. America is founded on inclusion. Your views are part of the problem.
8
Have courage brother. I love you and your family. There is room for every form of peace.
30
There is no room whatsoever for treating men and women differently.
8
Once Muslims buy into Freedom to Choose and America's new idea of religious freedom they won't have as many conundrums.
3
Why are there no females in the photo accompanying the article?
17
The photo accompanying this article does not show Muslims praying in Chino, California. It shows Muslim MALES. Who made the decision to publish such a stereotypical sexist photo?
16
Anti Muslim sentiments come from very few Americans but there is no doubt that Trump's bigotry has given these people very loud megaphone. As a Muslim American and father of young kids, I will have to make sure that they have full experience of being raised as any other American kid. Isolation is definitely not an answer but I will not be afraid to teach them how to practice their religion. We have a greater responsibility of showing fellow Americans our positive values so yes!! All of us as Muslim Americans will have to try to be best father, mother, coworker, neighbor and among all of them best American. I refuse to give in to cynicism because while my kids are playing in Lake Michigan with other kids and I am reading and commenting on this article on beautiful summer day I have lot to be thankful.
42
Thank you for this thoughtful piece. I spent a year living in a country, where on weekends, I would see black-painted nationalist vans that would drive around spouting hate filled anti foreigner speeches. As a foreigner myself, it was always distinctly unsettling.
Best of luck navigating through these tricky waters. And best of luck finding the religious community that speaks to you. It's a wonderful thing to find kindred spirits, as well as both solace and stimulation.
Best of luck navigating through these tricky waters. And best of luck finding the religious community that speaks to you. It's a wonderful thing to find kindred spirits, as well as both solace and stimulation.
61
I would also recommend a push towards interfaith celebrations. Invite local churches and synagogues to a special service. As to be invited to theirs.
Extol the positive aspects of religion, not the exclusionary ones.
Extol the positive aspects of religion, not the exclusionary ones.
21
How we allow monsters like Trump in our society leaves me hopeless.
All children deserve love from all of society.
All children deserve love from all of society.
16
Baszpos - "How we allow monsters like Trump in our society leaves me hopeless."
It's the monsters in our society that Trump is railing against. Listen to his words not the media's interpretation of his words.
It's the monsters in our society that Trump is railing against. Listen to his words not the media's interpretation of his words.
3
Thanks for a wonderful essay. Your children are very fortunate to have you and your wife so thoughtfully and actively engaged in creating an open future for them. Some might say but of course, all parents do that. Unfortunately that's not the case so I hope your children will come to recognize their good fortune and approach others less fortunate with understanding and humility. All best to you and your family.
18
I don't believe that pontificating on the intricacies of Muslim beliefs or customs is germane to Mr. Ali's concerns. Instead, I hear a man experiencing a spiritual awakening who yearns to live in a country where he and his children can practice their religious beliefs without fear.
My vote is with Hillary, in part because I respect the Alis, the Kahns, and other good Muslim families. God save them and us all from Donald Trump.
My vote is with Hillary, in part because I respect the Alis, the Kahns, and other good Muslim families. God save them and us all from Donald Trump.
36
Just don't teach children to hate or distrust the other. If left alone and not forced most children grow up to be non religious. It's easier to live life happy and loving of others than constantly fearing the other. We are manipulating life at the molecular level, imaging star formations in nebulas light years away and yet we can't let go of ancient superstitions. We are better than this, just let go.
43
You believe that you are "better" for letting go of religion, which is fine for you. However, you have no right to expect others to let go of their own traditions. Our Constitution guarantees free exercise of religion. As for "fearing the other," it strikes me that your secular preconception allows for fear and dislike of the religious.
1
I get that the current rhetoric is awful. That being said, if as a Christian people were dying because of an extremist sect or cult- I would do everything I could to purge them from the ranks of non-violent believers. I wouldn't question the fears other people have, because fear is real- I'd prove they have nothing to fear. The Muslim community could do this if it chose to. Band together. Be everything good about your faith. Conquer fear with love.
18
We have extremist Christian cults in this country, so what have you done to purge them. They have their own churches and you probably never encounter them or know of their existence (except for Westboro Baptist) until they kill someone, but they are there.
Muslim leaders regularly denounce the extremists, but that does not make them go away. Until you can eliminate the Christian haters, it is not reasonable to expect Islam to do what good Christians cannot.
Muslim leaders regularly denounce the extremists, but that does not make them go away. Until you can eliminate the Christian haters, it is not reasonable to expect Islam to do what good Christians cannot.
3
I felt empathy when I read your paragraph about returning the good and throwing away the rotten parts of your faith tradition. I am an American Buddhist, and we have the same problem. The Buddhist traditions imported from Asia are marred by cultural baggage and sexism that have no place in modern American life. We also have to "throw away the rotten parts" and interpret Buddhism for a modern sensibility.
51
The current ugliness of spirit in America, represented by the current discourse emanating from the Republican candidate and many of his supporters, makes me fearful as well. Ultimately, I believe the American values represented in the Constitution will win out. In the meantime, Mr. Ali, there are millions of us who have your back.
29
The article quite excellently captures many of the issues and changes facing Muslims in the West, garden variety Muslims in a jet-based society. People live in small family or sub-family groups. There can be all different faiths and non-faiths within the family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors with whom one co-exists. It's a long way from having big extended families up and down the street, all with the same faith.
8
Dabbling in religion and picking the good parts to believe in gives religious extremists legitimacy and a place to hide in society.
When women and men are separated by ritual they are not able to compete as equals.
When women and men are separated by ritual they are not able to compete as equals.
46
Are you suggesting outlawing "dabbling in religion"? That seems a bit radical.
Many faiths, including Christian faiths such as the Primitive Baptists and the Amish, maintain certain separations between males and females. Many non-religious events that I attend self segregate into male and female groups. This will never change, even if "dabbling in religion" stops.
Given the thousand year plus history of all the major faiths, it doesn't seem likely that "dabbling in religion" will stop anytime soon.
Many faiths, including Christian faiths such as the Primitive Baptists and the Amish, maintain certain separations between males and females. Many non-religious events that I attend self segregate into male and female groups. This will never change, even if "dabbling in religion" stops.
Given the thousand year plus history of all the major faiths, it doesn't seem likely that "dabbling in religion" will stop anytime soon.
1
Shouldn't making a conscious effort to carve a space of good and kindness in the world, especially for one's children, always be the right thing to do?
The author and those in his community are at the forefront of an evolution of thought and spirituality that I can only hope will make people more accepting of all religions.
I wish his family every happiness they can find on the tricky and convoluted path of parenting in today's world.
The author and those in his community are at the forefront of an evolution of thought and spirituality that I can only hope will make people more accepting of all religions.
I wish his family every happiness they can find on the tricky and convoluted path of parenting in today's world.
2
As far as the religious cherry-picking goes, didn't Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony do the same as published authors? That turned out pretty well, I think.
1
Personally, I would be much more concerned with raising Muslim Kids in the Age of Isis, opposed to Trump. Trump may or may not be elected. A large part of his popularity is due to the rise of Isis, and the fear that people are feeling in their daily lives, due to world wide extremism associated with Islam.
Is Trump really what American Muslims need to fear most? As long as Muslim extremist continue to attack innocents, there will always be a Trump, or someone like him, waiting in the wings. Trump is to be feared, for many reasons. However, he is a symptom of the problems American Muslims face, not the cause.
Is Trump really what American Muslims need to fear most? As long as Muslim extremist continue to attack innocents, there will always be a Trump, or someone like him, waiting in the wings. Trump is to be feared, for many reasons. However, he is a symptom of the problems American Muslims face, not the cause.
104
The chances that a Muslim-American (or any American) will encounter Daesh is vanishingly small. However, the chances that we all would have to live under a Trump presidency is close to 50%. So which should be more rationally feared?
2
Maybe I should be afraid of Christian extremists, you know, the ones who shoot up black churches and blow up federal buildings? Oh yeah, they're Christians, so they don't count. Right....
3
Thanks. Except for the fact you're a Muslim and I an Episcopalean converted from Catholicism, we have had many shared experinces. High school, attempting to explain to peers "different" practices, child raising in our country and keeping our self ok with God.
You might note, with little help right now, the major sources of actual terrorist damage in this country has been from ex marines, as well as from other military services - for what ever value- without religious justification for the unjustifiable actions.
Hope to see you in the hereafter..
You might note, with little help right now, the major sources of actual terrorist damage in this country has been from ex marines, as well as from other military services - for what ever value- without religious justification for the unjustifiable actions.
Hope to see you in the hereafter..
12
9/11 didn't come from ex marines.
4
This afternoon a young grocery store employee helped me load my grocery shopping into the back of my car. He was friendly and polite. As is my habit, I exchanged pleasantries with him as we worked. I guessed he might be a college student, so I asked him, "Where are you from? Are you a local person?" Suddenly his face clouded over. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I was born in Texas, but I was raised here." That ended our conversation, but it was clear I had made him uncomfortable. I was confused.
By the time I was halfway home, I figured it out. The young man had black eyes and hair, and a dark complexion, possibly of Middle Eastern heritage. Maybe he thought my question about where he was from was an ugly challenge of some sort. I remembered the startled, vulnerable expression on the young man's face, and it made me want to cry. It is hours later now, and I am still upset. When I told my husband what happened, he said, "Welcome to Trump's America."
By the time I was halfway home, I figured it out. The young man had black eyes and hair, and a dark complexion, possibly of Middle Eastern heritage. Maybe he thought my question about where he was from was an ugly challenge of some sort. I remembered the startled, vulnerable expression on the young man's face, and it made me want to cry. It is hours later now, and I am still upset. When I told my husband what happened, he said, "Welcome to Trump's America."
166
I hope you see him at the store again so you can assure him that you meant nothing more than ordinary idle curiosity. No apology is necessary, as you did nothing wrong, but he might like to hear that he was mistaken in his interpretation. I've been in similar circumstances and it definitely worked when I said something to clear the air.
5
To Madeline Conant: I'm sure your question was benign, but "Where are you from?" is provocative in an age when most immigrants don't come from Europe, and thus, don't look like what has been for centuries the ethnic majority in the USA.
Growing up in the Chicago area in the 1960s, if someone had an accent, I would ask out of curiosity. The reply was usually "Poland", "Lithuania", etc. The person was usually flattered that I knew something about where they came from.
Nowadays, if a person looks like their origins aren't from Europe, i hesitate to ask, as I assume they'll think I'm about to call the INS or Homeland Security. If that young man at the grocery store had no foreign accent, then I can easily understand that he was wary, if not offended. Regardless of his ethnic background, if he was born and raised in the USA, he's an American, period.
Growing up in the Chicago area in the 1960s, if someone had an accent, I would ask out of curiosity. The reply was usually "Poland", "Lithuania", etc. The person was usually flattered that I knew something about where they came from.
Nowadays, if a person looks like their origins aren't from Europe, i hesitate to ask, as I assume they'll think I'm about to call the INS or Homeland Security. If that young man at the grocery store had no foreign accent, then I can easily understand that he was wary, if not offended. Regardless of his ethnic background, if he was born and raised in the USA, he's an American, period.
1
Madeline - Go back, reach out and let him know that you and others will stand with him, make it safe. Your courageous gesture of understanding and heartfelt support support such as this will ensure that Trump's America will perish.
4
Mr. Ali, you carry an unduly romantic image of your parents' cultural heritage. (I speak as one who immigrated to the USA, much like your parents did.)
All religions are enemies of individual agency, equality, and intellectual curiosity, principles upon which USA was built. Our country has dealt with this issue by relegating religion to the private sphere (separation of religion and state).
Even within the low standards that religions set, Islam has serious issues:
1. First, it is not designed to be only a religion. Islam is an integrated system that includes political governance, commercial conduct, education, and legislation. This makes it difficult to make Islam work within the American bargain of keeping religion to the private sphere.
2. The central tenets of Islam are especially galling to a liberal, equal, scientific society. The religion’s current practices in Muslim-majority countries routinely support a) death for apostasy, b) systemic discrimination against women, c) deep antipathy against non-Muslims and non-religious people, e) strong opposition to freedom of speech, etc. The fact that the Quran is immutable makes it difficult and dangerous for reformers to bring the religion’s doctrine to a better place.
If you are committed to creating a “superior product,” kudos! My humble advice is to start with liberal principles. This would be akin to the separation of Protestantism from Catholicism. Incrementally improving the religion—cafeteria Islam—is a non-starter.
All religions are enemies of individual agency, equality, and intellectual curiosity, principles upon which USA was built. Our country has dealt with this issue by relegating religion to the private sphere (separation of religion and state).
Even within the low standards that religions set, Islam has serious issues:
1. First, it is not designed to be only a religion. Islam is an integrated system that includes political governance, commercial conduct, education, and legislation. This makes it difficult to make Islam work within the American bargain of keeping religion to the private sphere.
2. The central tenets of Islam are especially galling to a liberal, equal, scientific society. The religion’s current practices in Muslim-majority countries routinely support a) death for apostasy, b) systemic discrimination against women, c) deep antipathy against non-Muslims and non-religious people, e) strong opposition to freedom of speech, etc. The fact that the Quran is immutable makes it difficult and dangerous for reformers to bring the religion’s doctrine to a better place.
If you are committed to creating a “superior product,” kudos! My humble advice is to start with liberal principles. This would be akin to the separation of Protestantism from Catholicism. Incrementally improving the religion—cafeteria Islam—is a non-starter.
217
With all due respect, I think your comment is a perfect example of the subconscious secular bigotry that is present among many of the elites in this country. Furthermore, you are fundamentally mistaken in your assumption that religion in the USA is designed to be relegated to the "private" sphere. Freedom of religion is intended to prevent the establishment of one official religion by the government, not to prevent it's exercise in the public sphere.
1
This is good start to look to the fundamentals of spiritual and religious life - there are many resource materials available to avoid reinvention. Books of Vevakananda, Maister Ekart, Dallai Lama, and many more. Practicing any religion in America is still our constitutional right and like Khan we need to defend it without intimidated by the rhetoric of Trump. Only care we need to take so that our children do not harbor any hate to other religions when they grow up. Toda's Islamic terrorism is the result of the failure of the previous generation of missing this point.
5
I say this as someone whose childhood was split between Egypt and the US and can identify with straddling different cultures: it is not in your children's interest to raise them "super-Muslim." Identifying primarily by a faith group is divisive, isolating and limiting. Enjoy what is best about the faith at home and in the mosque, but don't make religion hold the child back. Better yet, expose them to the practices and beliefs of other faith groups, too. Parents have a great opportunity to move away from the historical divisions religions create when they consume identity.
75
I like the advice of your old law school roommate- i.e., getting your children "completely involved in American culture, holidays and food." With all due respect, Pakistan is no country to emulate (maybe number one in the world in misogyny, religious fanaticism and corruption). There is a reason that Pakistanis are moving to the U.S. and not the other way around. I wouldn't worry so much about raising your kids Muslim as I would about raising your kids American. I understand that both are possible but it will only help your children to blend into the dominant and highly successful American culture. I'm a big fan of the melting pot theory- that's what makes America great for its immigrants.
65
Mr. Ali’s strategy of raising children by melding the rational and peace loving beliefs of Islam with modern life in America is a sound one. This is the path of the many immigrant communities in the US that faced similar prejudices but have now blended successfully in the American mainstream without compromising core cultural and religious value. Japanese community in the US faced similar racism during in the Second World War, but there is no trace of any hostility towards them anymore. However, it is easy for the European immigrants to blend in because there are rarely any features that make them stand out in the US. Those who equate European faces as truly “American” will continue their prejudices regardless how well the non-European immigrants blend in the American lifestyle. There is no antidote for such prejudices except what Mr. Ali suggests - excel at what you do so that the immigrant’ usefulness and value to society far outweighs their perceived liabilities. Many who entered the Ellis Island off New York and Angels Island off San Francisco have done so successfully and so shall those many others who adopt Mr. Ali’s strategy.
4
"rational and peace loving beliefs of Islam"- where do we see these qualities= Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Somalia...?
8
Nice story; a good read. Thank you for your thoughts and feelings, Mr. Ali.
This is but a selected view of the new bigotry. Bigotry is growing at a clip in America, against groups foreign and domestic. The election has brought out into the open the bigot in so many people, and this does not just include against Muslim Americans. I notice it in Democrats as well as Republicans, and I do not think Trump is the original source. I feel that the mass squelching of group-focused cultural and religious values that has been forced in the last few decades, in the cause of offending no one, has actually trained Americans not to appreciate differences but to fear them and hate them. So many no longer tolerate differences. Individuals have gained cultural and legal acceptance to support their intense discomfort and urge to repel when encountering cultural and religious differences.
Living together as one nation doesn't mean we love each other equally. Love is not voluntary. Love is often accidental. Living together is voluntary. Living together is deliberate.
This is but a selected view of the new bigotry. Bigotry is growing at a clip in America, against groups foreign and domestic. The election has brought out into the open the bigot in so many people, and this does not just include against Muslim Americans. I notice it in Democrats as well as Republicans, and I do not think Trump is the original source. I feel that the mass squelching of group-focused cultural and religious values that has been forced in the last few decades, in the cause of offending no one, has actually trained Americans not to appreciate differences but to fear them and hate them. So many no longer tolerate differences. Individuals have gained cultural and legal acceptance to support their intense discomfort and urge to repel when encountering cultural and religious differences.
Living together as one nation doesn't mean we love each other equally. Love is not voluntary. Love is often accidental. Living together is voluntary. Living together is deliberate.
4
The source of the intense discomfort with Muslims is 9/11 and all the other incidents of radical Islamic terrorism that followed in the US, Europe and the rest of the world. There is something about the religion of Islam itself that predisposes its members towards violence and misogyny.
9
If you are not a bigot, about some things, then there is something wrong with you. You are a bigot- and if you claim you are not you are a liar too.
Female genital mutilation. Sexual slavery. Child soldiers. Murdering gays. Treating women like cattle. Do you accept those things?
I don't. I never will.
I am a bigot. Why aren't you?
Female genital mutilation. Sexual slavery. Child soldiers. Murdering gays. Treating women like cattle. Do you accept those things?
I don't. I never will.
I am a bigot. Why aren't you?
9
Before asking how one should ask oneself why. Why teach ones child to surrender the divine gift of a free mind in exchange for subjugation to belief in a prophet? To be like the family? If the family's ancestors had been conquered by a cult that cut off their feet outdoor they cut off their children's feet?
57
Likde being raised in a culture that "values" female mutilation.
5
"Subjugation?" How do you presume to know what motivates the author? On what authority do you make such ignorant assumptions?
My advice to all immigrants is to raise their children to fit into and to embrace a secular environment.No religion is superior to another. They are equally good or bad depending on your point of view.
40
I would also advise Muslim parents to adopt Western dress for themselves and especially their children both male and female. Nothing is as off putting as seeing the next generation of Muslims wearing the odd pajama like outfits and headgear of the religious culture of their home country many centuries ago.
14
Millions of Europeans left their homelands in centuries past precisely because back then their was no separation or difference between the church and state.
As long as that principle is respected and supported and our government, economic, political and educational systems remain secular and informed by enlightened values and ideals, then any religion and law abiding people should be welcome here, and I believe the majority of Americans are welcoming of you and your children.
Trump is an ignoramus and doesn't reflect the majority or the nation's values. Please teach them that.
As long as that principle is respected and supported and our government, economic, political and educational systems remain secular and informed by enlightened values and ideals, then any religion and law abiding people should be welcome here, and I believe the majority of Americans are welcoming of you and your children.
Trump is an ignoramus and doesn't reflect the majority or the nation's values. Please teach them that.
9
Thank you for sharing!
Often, when I see The D. insult people in speeches, I wonder how people on the receiving end must feel. When I watched the Khan's deliver their pointed presentation at the Democratic Convention, I asked myself quietly if they lie awake at night, worried about what may come.
Whether we will get a Muslim/Latino/Women hater as our new president is besides the point. The damage has been done and has revealed an unimaginable level of bigotry that probably was there, but held steady within the boundaries of tolerance. Now that America's ugly underbelly has become exposed, it will take time and extraordinary effort to undo our cultural and civil losses. Tolerance was not enough, it merely allowed the other person to breath our air and has led to this ugly underbelly. We need to work harder towards integration and acceptance, which is a shared responsibility between people that move/moved to our country, and the rest of us.
Often, when I see The D. insult people in speeches, I wonder how people on the receiving end must feel. When I watched the Khan's deliver their pointed presentation at the Democratic Convention, I asked myself quietly if they lie awake at night, worried about what may come.
Whether we will get a Muslim/Latino/Women hater as our new president is besides the point. The damage has been done and has revealed an unimaginable level of bigotry that probably was there, but held steady within the boundaries of tolerance. Now that America's ugly underbelly has become exposed, it will take time and extraordinary effort to undo our cultural and civil losses. Tolerance was not enough, it merely allowed the other person to breath our air and has led to this ugly underbelly. We need to work harder towards integration and acceptance, which is a shared responsibility between people that move/moved to our country, and the rest of us.
9
I read more and more comments about similarities between the rise of Trumpism and Nazism. I never thought I would feel that such a comparison could be made in persuasive ways but it is being made. The real bulwark against Trumpism is the strength of our federal government and the rule of law but I fear the absence of moral courage by Republicans to speak out against and reject Donald Trump. It is shameful and dangerous as we witness Trump spewing hate and lies.
In a just world, there would be a day of reckoning for the likes of Ryan and McConnell.
In a just world, there would be a day of reckoning for the likes of Ryan and McConnell.
15
Trump might be elected but it's not likely that prejudice will increase against Muslims because of it. What he's said is to not take in Muslim refugees. Well, we are hearing that a lot of the so called refugees of Europe are young men who are economic opportunists. We get lots of these already. And then there are the so called rebels we have been backing in Syria and Darfur. Not desirable either.
In the US religion became quite separated from politics except that the organized churches have tried to have a political say (and found that their collection plates diminished when the parishioners disagreed). And many churches went on the George Bush dole (the sweet heart payments the Bush administration paid to silence or gain support from preachers). There are still some religions that encourage confusion in their parishioners minds about their identity bylaiming that their religion is their political identity. But that doesn't go over very well and is quite dangerous since public opinion can turn against them very easily.
In the US religion became quite separated from politics except that the organized churches have tried to have a political say (and found that their collection plates diminished when the parishioners disagreed). And many churches went on the George Bush dole (the sweet heart payments the Bush administration paid to silence or gain support from preachers). There are still some religions that encourage confusion in their parishioners minds about their identity bylaiming that their religion is their political identity. But that doesn't go over very well and is quite dangerous since public opinion can turn against them very easily.
7
I pray for a time in this country when the blatant racism and hatred of all that is different will no longer be a problem. Donald Trump has set our country back to the pre-civil rights movement era in terms of the emergence of hatred spewing from the mouths of men, women, and children all over. The way you must now parent your child is akin to African American parents having to tell their sons how to avoid being shot by the police. Yet, you too must teach your child survival skills in a nation that has suddenly begun to treat them in a hostile manner. We must work to ensure that Donald Trump never sets a foot in the Oval Office. Even if he is not elected it will take years to clean up the vitriol he has introduced into our normal discourse.
12
Religion is a private issue - building places of worship and offering public demonstrations of a faith especially in these times scares people because of all the violence we see every where. Many of these individuals seem to have belief versions which allow for killing people of any faith other their own.
Some do not care about religion or its ramifications on every day life. Practicing religion in private would lower the high profile of violent actions taken in the name of religion.
Some do not care about religion or its ramifications on every day life. Practicing religion in private would lower the high profile of violent actions taken in the name of religion.
10
Sorry that it bothers you but, in this country, no one is obliged to practice their religion in private. Perhaps you could educate yourself rather than make unwarranted presumptions about others.
1
America's civic religion celebrates diversity, the inevitable by-product of an immigrant society. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and also forbids any religious qualification for holding federal office. So, both our official ideology and our fundamental law prohibit discrimination based on religious differences.
These ideas and institutions do profoundly influence public opinion, but so do prejudices rooted in the fear that adherents of minority religions may lack loyalty to America's political system. In the 19th century Catholics encountered the Protestant suspicion that they would permit the pope or their bishops to control their votes. A generation passed before these fears dissipated, aided by intermarriage between Catholics and Protestants.
Muslims, of course, have lived in this country for many decades, but in numbers too small to attract much public attention. Fear of terrorism has now ended that relative anonymity and exposed the Islamic faith to harsh and somewhat unfair scrutiny. Bigots and people legitimately frightened by terrorism have begun to demand of Muslims the same proof of loyalty Catholics had to furnish in the 19th century.
American Muslims have done virtually nothing to justify suspicion, but then neither had the Catholics. Government officials and concerned citizens must attempt to counter the fears on which Trump thrives, but only time and a record of positive interactions will end the rift in our community.
These ideas and institutions do profoundly influence public opinion, but so do prejudices rooted in the fear that adherents of minority religions may lack loyalty to America's political system. In the 19th century Catholics encountered the Protestant suspicion that they would permit the pope or their bishops to control their votes. A generation passed before these fears dissipated, aided by intermarriage between Catholics and Protestants.
Muslims, of course, have lived in this country for many decades, but in numbers too small to attract much public attention. Fear of terrorism has now ended that relative anonymity and exposed the Islamic faith to harsh and somewhat unfair scrutiny. Bigots and people legitimately frightened by terrorism have begun to demand of Muslims the same proof of loyalty Catholics had to furnish in the 19th century.
American Muslims have done virtually nothing to justify suspicion, but then neither had the Catholics. Government officials and concerned citizens must attempt to counter the fears on which Trump thrives, but only time and a record of positive interactions will end the rift in our community.
12
I am an atheist and an immigrant. I will always stand by my Muslim brothers and sisters in the United State to practice their beliefs against bigots like Trump. I choose to be in U.S. because I believe in American Constitution: "all men are created equal." I will not cede the soul of the greatest democracy that the world has seen to Trump ever. Trump is an arsonist and has started a fire that will burn yet for many years across the land. I am not sure that in the short term, tribalism will not have its day the sun. However, Ghandi's word always give me comfort that tyrant will "always fall. Always."
22
Hmmmmm.....The phrase "all men are created equal" appears in the Declaration of Independence, not the U.S. Constitution.
3
I do hope that the search for a modern way to worship succeeds. Especially where women are concerned. So long as a middle-ages attitude prevails, no one is free as men also remain prisoners of antiquated dogma that sets them apart. So, by all means, help Islam evolve because women's rights are human rights.
77
I sympathize with American Muslims since I do not have much
understanding of what they are going through.
Regardless of who gets elected, American Muslims will need to toughen
Up and get involved in what makes America America.
By that I mean make more money, get involved in business,
And yet not complain about paying taxes. Charitable donations
should be not just to Muslim organizations, but also to secular ones.
From the above points it should be obvious that I am a cynic.
It works wonders for a community if they start making more
Money and then spread it around.
understanding of what they are going through.
Regardless of who gets elected, American Muslims will need to toughen
Up and get involved in what makes America America.
By that I mean make more money, get involved in business,
And yet not complain about paying taxes. Charitable donations
should be not just to Muslim organizations, but also to secular ones.
From the above points it should be obvious that I am a cynic.
It works wonders for a community if they start making more
Money and then spread it around.
3
So much of the discussion matches my Catholic parents' wishes and efforts for me, to instruct in the same or equivalent practices and to defeat those -isms of general society.
I try to respect their intentions but decided it was all too controlling, too escapist, too puritanical, too victimhood-embracing. And like the other religions I visited or joined for a time, too unhelpful for all.
2016 and the natural world is dying. Mindless, angry humanity is surging and our vaunted brain-power shows up unmoved or distracted.
All these religions--what are they to humanity?
I try to respect their intentions but decided it was all too controlling, too escapist, too puritanical, too victimhood-embracing. And like the other religions I visited or joined for a time, too unhelpful for all.
2016 and the natural world is dying. Mindless, angry humanity is surging and our vaunted brain-power shows up unmoved or distracted.
All these religions--what are they to humanity?
31
I sympathize with Mr. Ali's observations. I expect that the impressive performance of Mr. and Mrs. Kahn at the Democratic convention took good care of the 50% score in favor of barring the entry of Muslims. If not, I hope Mr. Ali will find some solace in the fact that 100% of Israelis are barred from entry in quite a list of countries.
Mr. Kane, the Islam expert, did not - unless I missed it - confess to belonging to a religious community himself. I would encourage him to study other religions as deeply as he declares to have studied Islam. He will find that religious fervor can be unhealthy for non-believers, regardless the religion.
All communities seem to have the belief in common, that the dirty laundry better stays inside. Democracy is supposed to take care of that problem by opening up the conversation. If we are honest to ourselves, we cannot help but notice that there is still a lot of work to be done before that holds true. I invite all to join in trying to make a better world.
Mr. Kane, the Islam expert, did not - unless I missed it - confess to belonging to a religious community himself. I would encourage him to study other religions as deeply as he declares to have studied Islam. He will find that religious fervor can be unhealthy for non-believers, regardless the religion.
All communities seem to have the belief in common, that the dirty laundry better stays inside. Democracy is supposed to take care of that problem by opening up the conversation. If we are honest to ourselves, we cannot help but notice that there is still a lot of work to be done before that holds true. I invite all to join in trying to make a better world.
4
Prostrating toward Mecca and reciting verses in Arabic gives respect to Saudi Arabia and grants a certain legitimacy and authority to their take on Islam. If you are not teaching your kids Arabic, perhaps you should reconsider praying in that language in front of them. Prayers that are not understood by the person praying are the prayers of a parrot, not a human being. And facing Mecca is facing occupied territory, since your Islam is compatible with being an American, but the Saudi version isnt. You should not try to dodge or fudge this issue.
As you know, you need an Islamic theology that is compatible with modern reality. This theology might well see the United Nations as the latest attempt to form a caliphate and make a tiny start towards realizing Mohammed's dream of a world at peace. You will have to fund and take part in its creation and development. Its developers will be at constant risk of suicide bombers, and so might you if you get involved.
As you know, you need an Islamic theology that is compatible with modern reality. This theology might well see the United Nations as the latest attempt to form a caliphate and make a tiny start towards realizing Mohammed's dream of a world at peace. You will have to fund and take part in its creation and development. Its developers will be at constant risk of suicide bombers, and so might you if you get involved.
78
Channel Trump much? What does your spew have to do with this article?
1
Facing Mecca is not granting respect to Saudi Arabia but to the location where Islam originated. Christian churches traditionally had the altar at the east so that worshipers faced Jerusalem. You seem to focus on Saudi Arabia. But the writer is from Pakistan and explicitly explained his opposition to Salafism. Perhaps it is your head the Salafists have got into.
1
This is an ideology that treats women as property. Theyre not allowed to pray together!
10
Relax, Trump won't be elected. Some of his latest comments about immigrants in particular call to mind the sickening language that Hitler used to turn people against the Jews, and members of the mainstream media have begun to speculate about a decline in his mental capacity. In any case, many of his "revolutionary" ideas would be prohibited by the US Constitution.
American Muslims will likely have to do what American Christians, especially American Catholics, have done, that is, to decide what is important in the practice of one's religion versus what is not important. Most Christians do not follow a literal interpretation of the Bible. Catholics no longer dress as formally for Mass as in decades past, and Catholic women no longer wear traditional lace head coverings during services. Even nuns have become more practical in their dress, and women's roles are slowly expanding. Many Catholics now attend services on Saturday evening rather than on Sunday morning. Their families are much smaller than in the previous century, as otherwise devout couples no longer feel compelled to follow the dictates of the clergy with regard to such an intensely personal matter. With the exception of segregated groups like the Amish or ultra-Orthodox Jews, the least that religious adherents in the US tend to do is to suppress outward signs that are at odds with American mainstream culture, such as clothing identifying one as not just a member of another religious group, but of another culture.
American Muslims will likely have to do what American Christians, especially American Catholics, have done, that is, to decide what is important in the practice of one's religion versus what is not important. Most Christians do not follow a literal interpretation of the Bible. Catholics no longer dress as formally for Mass as in decades past, and Catholic women no longer wear traditional lace head coverings during services. Even nuns have become more practical in their dress, and women's roles are slowly expanding. Many Catholics now attend services on Saturday evening rather than on Sunday morning. Their families are much smaller than in the previous century, as otherwise devout couples no longer feel compelled to follow the dictates of the clergy with regard to such an intensely personal matter. With the exception of segregated groups like the Amish or ultra-Orthodox Jews, the least that religious adherents in the US tend to do is to suppress outward signs that are at odds with American mainstream culture, such as clothing identifying one as not just a member of another religious group, but of another culture.
106
This comment reflects an astonishing combination of condescension and naivety. It is above all terrible unfair to Mr Ali, who is trying to think difficult issues through at a time of great uncertainty. I'd like to learn more from him.
5
Amen. Too many of the comments here are patronizing, even when they aren't based on a fundamental ignorance of the particular religion the author is discussing, as well as the general place of religion within our culture and society.
1
I think American Muslims face an impossible tasks.
They should be taking a vanguard position in vociferously attacking Islamisists actions, ideology, attacks & terrorism.
During WWII Japanese-Americans volunteered & fought w/ distinction. In France a Japanese-American unit was decimated as it rescued a unit of Texans surrounded by Germans behind their lines.
My Grandmother born in 1907 learned German before English bc she was raised by her immigrant Grandparents while her parents worked. When America entered WWI only English was spoken in the house out of loyalty.
This is what Immigrants in the past did.
My understanding is that Islam is a legalistic religion. The source of law is the Koran. The Koran says over 90 times to follow the example of the prophet. So his bio is an additional source of law. In past generations Muslims did not know Mohammed's bio. Their imam told them what to do & think & that questioning the Koran (taught out of context) or Mohammed's bio was haram/act of apostasy (punishable by death).
But these days kafirs (non-Muslims) are rapidly learning Mohammad's bio & so now know more than Muslims the details of their system: that Mohammed started w banditry & progressed from that to raiding, (sex) slavery, rape, murder, terrorism, and genocide.
How do Muslim's explain/account for this to our society (or themselves)? How do they speak out against other Muslims following Mohammed's example & not commit apostasy? It's an Impossible task.
They should be taking a vanguard position in vociferously attacking Islamisists actions, ideology, attacks & terrorism.
During WWII Japanese-Americans volunteered & fought w/ distinction. In France a Japanese-American unit was decimated as it rescued a unit of Texans surrounded by Germans behind their lines.
My Grandmother born in 1907 learned German before English bc she was raised by her immigrant Grandparents while her parents worked. When America entered WWI only English was spoken in the house out of loyalty.
This is what Immigrants in the past did.
My understanding is that Islam is a legalistic religion. The source of law is the Koran. The Koran says over 90 times to follow the example of the prophet. So his bio is an additional source of law. In past generations Muslims did not know Mohammed's bio. Their imam told them what to do & think & that questioning the Koran (taught out of context) or Mohammed's bio was haram/act of apostasy (punishable by death).
But these days kafirs (non-Muslims) are rapidly learning Mohammad's bio & so now know more than Muslims the details of their system: that Mohammed started w banditry & progressed from that to raiding, (sex) slavery, rape, murder, terrorism, and genocide.
How do Muslim's explain/account for this to our society (or themselves)? How do they speak out against other Muslims following Mohammed's example & not commit apostasy? It's an Impossible task.
167
Well, you for sure have read about him from some hate literature. He was a feminist of his time and the most humble and soft hearted person. I will request you to read some authentic sources rather than reading Patricia Clone
2
It's interesting that you mention "kaffirs" knowing more about the history of Islam than believers. I've had more than one Muslim female student tell me that FGM is mandated by the Koran.
9
You seem to have a lot of hubris here. There has been a lot of scholarship and varying opinions within Islam for over a thousand years. You seem to have relied mainly on western sources and only cited one source.
I suggest you try looking into some non western sources or at least some less biased western writers such as Karen Armstrong or Fred Donner. The things you cite are not taken as immutable facts even amongst western academics. I would suggest to other readers to start with those authors I mentioned and take with a grain of salt anyone who thinks one culture knows more about a people than the people themselves.
I suggest you try looking into some non western sources or at least some less biased western writers such as Karen Armstrong or Fred Donner. The things you cite are not taken as immutable facts even amongst western academics. I would suggest to other readers to start with those authors I mentioned and take with a grain of salt anyone who thinks one culture knows more about a people than the people themselves.
1
It consists largely of accredited private lower schools and high schools offering a very strong secular academic curriculum, in addition to Jewish studies classes. There is a large offering of AP courses, and these students often enter college with 16 to 32 credits. They participate in prestigious science fair competitions at which many are finalists and award winners. They also participate in nationally recognized model UN and model Congress programs with other high school students around the country. Acceptance rates at outstanding colleges from these institutions is high, and many go on to medical school, law school and other graduate programs.
Just wanted to correct your miss-impression about orthodox Jewish education.