The Muslim: Responsible Citizen; Consumer of The Real

Americans used to be obsessed by UFOs—Unidentified Flying Objects. While around the world much of humanity lived in fear that their neighbor might turn them in to the secret police, Americans feared Aliens sneaking in from Outer Space, their flying saucers using all the gas and electricity and generally driving up the cost of business as usual.

No doubt this belief persists; but more and more, Muslims and immigrants and other “aliens” have taken their place as perceived threat to the Americans heartland. Where are these aliens? Well, they are everywhere—you just have to look with the eyes of fear! You can see the signs.

But when I look, I see other monsters. When I buy my groceries, what is that in the corner of my eye? The dark shadow of the Iraq war; and I realize that the money in my hand will go into taxes that pay the billions supporting this aggressive war. The military industrial complex is huge—and with all its airplanes, more of a threat than the UFOS can ever be.

Anyway, I buy my groceries; let the money go; and see another monster in the corner of my other eye. What was that? It is the system of globalism and exploitation. Who picked the fruit I eat? Who made the toy we buy the child? Was it produced by slave labor in some Chinese prison? Was that why the price was so agreeable that we bought two?

The monsters of materialism are not hiding under your bed. They are in your television; your magazines; anywhere that advertising may reach. They are taking up permanent residence in your heart. You don’t remember giving them a green card? You don’t recall given them the green light to take over brain and heart? And at what point did you agree to sell your children to the monster?

Perhaps you don’t remember. Perhaps you did not mean to agree; it just happened when you weren’t paying attention. Fine! Pay attention. Some people are trying to find some alternatives. Fair Trade Coffee is only one of many examples of attempts to add morality to capitalism. So while you may dream of a system wide change, there are meanwhile smaller changes you may make in your buying habits that will result in less suffering. Be a responsible consumer. For a Muslim, consuming someone else’s labor should be in proportion as in a balanced relationship. And be a responsible citizen; be informed about a range of social justice issues and interact locally with leaders and representatives.

There are some Muslims who are responsible. For example; yesterday I attended an excellent event organized by the Independent Viewpoints, a capable young organization committed to “creating a public space that fosters political awareness by providing a platform for alternative viewpoints, both within the American Muslim community and between Muslims and other concerned citizens.” (http://www.independentviewpoints.org/)

The organization I chair (Muslim Consultative Network) was one of the co-sponsors of the day-long event, “A Dialogue on Shias, Sunnis, and Politics in Iraq.” The initial panel discussion among diverse Muslims was moderated by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now; and the afternoon session featured Noam Chomsky! In addition, the interaction included extensive questions and answers and break-out groups discussion to encourage active participation.

While the existing national groups such as CAIR, ISNA, MAS, ICNA, MPAC and others often seek to encourage civic participation, both individually and collectively as part of AMT, the long established old boys network of Muslim leadership seems to move slowly, too slowly for many of us. There is a lot of political and cultural baggage. Younger people often have better preparation for working pragmatically with diverse partners. In some cases, this means compartmentalizing-- separating religious and other community projects.

Many of the younger people attending the event were concerned about the lack of tolerance in the MSAs, especially towards Shia Muslims. Some of them had horror stories to tell. It is so important that Muslims do not demonize each other. Muslims! Shia and Sunni are not monsters; are not kaffir; and among us, only a small minority behaves monstrously; the media makes use of this to sell and only sometimes question the status quo of exploitation, domination, distraction, and entertainment in the name of freedom.

However, among alternative sources of information, Amy Goodman and Noam Chomsky are better teachers of freedom. While they are unafraid to have points of view that clash with mainstream prejudice, they are interested in the gray areas and detail of morality, in ongoing discussion, in actual truth and not some ideal of Received Wisdom. Good teachers should embody honest inquiry. Throughout history, Muslims have always respected the free pursuit of knowledge and self-critical analysis. It is only ideologues that prefer propaganda, to buy and sell information in the game of power.

Insha’Allah let us be among those who think and listen; and not among those who shout. Muslims can be responsible consumers of practical ideas; and producers of honest work in praise of Allah, the Lord of All the Worlds.