Mirrors and Bridges

“I see that the supporters of the faith are weak!” shouted Abu Sa’ad al-Harawi in the diwan of Caliph Billah, arriving in the summer of 1099 to tell of the fall of Jerusalem and the triumph of the Crusaders. Though it was Ramadan, al-Harawi began to eat in public, creating an uproar--- but asking; how can Muslims feel so offended at the violation of fast when the massacre of thousands of Muslims and destruction of holy places had been accepted with passivity and even indifference?

Now, when three-star General William Boykin boasts that his god is bigger than ours, we hear the fanaticism of a new crusader. But is the current occupation of Iraq really a form of Christian crusade or is it more a secular intrusion to ensure American business interests— the New World Order? And is Jihad a mirror of Crusade as most people understand the concept?

Some individuals (like many in the Bush Administration) see everything in black and white and inflexible either/or terms – and over-simplify reality. We Muslims too may define and promote what we see as a perfect “way of life”, but we also need to reflect on the unique human situation we experience. Even the Qur’an clearly reflects the historical events that surrounded its unfolding. Its concepts and lessons need to be understood in relation to those specific circumstances.

Without God we are nothing. If we do not seek Allah, then everything collapses. We are left with the clash of empty fundamentalisms. We are left with a revolutionary ideology that leads to destruction. We may soon sit in the foundations of ruin.

In this troubled world we have the opportunity to work on our iman, our adab, our good works and understanding. With Allah’s help his Deen will guide us in harmonious living. Ramadan practices can enhance this spiritual quality of life.

However, last weeks’ Pre-Ramadan Conference at Police Plaza certainly offended some Muslims, who were surprised to be subjected to a 25 minute lecture about terrorism, with a power-point presentation full of images of scary militant Palestinians.

Depending on their actions, freedom fighters and guerrillas may or may not be terrorists. Yes, unfortunately too many of them are. Those who killed unarmed civilians are misguided to think they will be or become “martyrs”. No, I am not an expert— I am not sure whether assassination attempts of such non-friends as Mr. Paul Wolfowitz would constitute terror (as happened last weekend in Iraq), but it seems to me that violence simply creates more violence. We see this with the Israeli assassinations of Palestinian leaders and we see it everywhere. There is a wide range of responsible (and irresponsible) Muslim opinion about these issues.

Yet none of this excuses the insensitivity of the presentation at Police Plaza. This was a rare opportunity for police and Muslim leaders to build relationships and respect. Instead Muslims were humiliated and offended. A number of Muslims have expressed their misgivings, including Sister Debbie Almontaser who wrote; “I am still trying to get over yesterday's distasteful program that was intended to wish us a happy and peaceful Ramadan. I for one felt very uncomfortable watching that biased presentation. I found it to be unbalanced and biased towards Arabs Muslims, and South Asians…. I ended up leaving because I couldn't take it anymore. I think it is our duty and responsibility to let the NYPD know that we feel, 1) it was inappropriate and 2) the presentation was biased… May Allah help us all in the struggle to proclaim Islam is a religion of peace”.

There needs to be better “diversity” training of NYPD police at precinct level as well as the ICE and FBI officers. But it is not enough to list the five pillars and urge a sort of politically correct attitude during Ramadan. Using material from CAIR, from ING (Islamic Networks Law Enforcement Services) the Interfaith Center, ICNA Relief and the Mosaic Youth Project of CAMBA hope to coordinate more in-depth training and in this way promote honest interfaith dialogue and intercultural understanding. But this effort will take time, and Muslim organizations need your support to do this.
Ramadan is a time for all of us to build such bridges at the community level, while we spend more time at the mosque and at prayer. For example, non-Muslims may be invited to the 3rd Annual Ramadan Dinner of the Arab Muslim American Federation on Thursday Nov.6, 2003 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Widdi Hall, 5602 6th Ave., Brooklyn, NY. Organizers ask that those wishing to attend R.S.V.P by Nov. 1st by contacting Khaled Lamada, at lamada@mas-ny.org.