Power Alternatives for 2007

Like a spider in a web, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed claims that he shares responsiblity for 31 terror plots, including 9/11. He claims to be sorry for the innocent Muslims swept up and detained since then. However, what does he say about the innocent human beings blown up in the terror? He says: "The language of war is victims."

Those like al Qaeda and the Bush Admnistration that see us involved in some sort of vast war of ideas and bombs, a "Long War" according to our military industrial complex, are leading us through hype and fear into the nightmare they have created. Instead of waking up to the challenges of providing for the human family, our leaders scheme and plot. And what kind of ideas mix with bombs? "You are with us or against us"-- as all extemists say. Victims and more victims.

Extremism plays the field. The sectarian conflicts of Iraq are shameful. The fighting is not only about Oil but about identity and petty profit. It is certainly a spiral of deep distrust. And yet there is some good news in the region. Some are looking ahead in a positive and peaceful way. While I am skeptical of the regimes in the Gulf, it is good to hear that Bahrein has created a huge project to move beyond oil into alternative energies. Much of the Middle East could run on solar and wind power; research is being done on how to lower cost. The Bahreini MASDAR project might even power the millions of airconditioners and the indoor ski slope that Gulf residents expect. The Saudi government unfortunately is exploring nuclear energy. But some at least some Muslims are looking to the future, and value innovation in technical if not social development. And even Halliburton has moved its main office to Dubai. Not sure that can be good, but it is interesting.

There are so many challenges ahead. Do we really think we Muslims are smart enough to develop all the forms of human knowledge into action? Instead of funding war, nations might fund education.The community might also invest in Islamic and moral education, not to turn out only Muslim lawyers, but a healthy nation with self respect as well as self knowledge and self control. Most mosques are simply unable to play a major role in this development, it seems. Those that can should develop social services and a volunteer ethic among their congregation. The people are really an alternative energy source. Until then, the leadership is a hollow tree and the people do not dare to climb its branches. Until then, the mosque remains a hollow house of prayer and hot air, unrelated to the community around it but only a refuge-- a place to go when we feel the need to relieve ourselves.

Still, our Ummah is developing national and locally. Some areas have local Muslim newspapers and radio shows as well as access to the Mirror. However, we live in a time when news is mixed with Opinion and Entertainment; our corporate-owned newspapers and radio do not fully encourage free debate. Opinions are what we have instead of expereience, instead of knowledge, which is a dangerous thing as we all think we know.

What gives us meaning? Religion does, so does the vast apparatus of consumer capitalism, which is our competitor as a belief system, with a very different bottom line. Aside from Heaven, or living in GOd's Kingdom, our fellow Americans crave worldly success. Leaving aside Hell, people fear the stigma of poverty, of not having the right shoes and styles. Sex is used to sell everything; what kind of prostitution is this, when sex for advertising is more powerful than advertising for sex?

War is a force that gives us meaning, as Chris Hedges has titled his book on his experiences reporting the last few wars. Like designer sneakers and sunglasses in the inner cities, ideology has become the new brand affiliation, mark of pride and honor, an identity we will kill to keep.

As funds increasingly go to the military, instead of education and health and basic human needs, our fellow religious communities try to address the social ills. Yet what kind of Bible of disastrous proportions guides the reactions of our fellow Americans? The same right wing Christians that demonized gays during the onset of the AIDS crisis also demonized Muslims fifteen years later after 9/11. And many are the same that supported segregation and slavery earlier.

Supporting a sense of righteousness and security, faith-based judgemental thinking will often create more suffering. The various assertions by religious groups, including our own, need to be tested against experience as well as the Spirit of God's compassion. Religious knowledge has got to be deeper than prejudice and wishful thinking. Religious community can be deeper than a warm fuzzy feeling of belonging, and better than a feeling of security and superiority.

On a national level, Muslims voices try to be heard. Last week, at the behest of Senator Leiberman, Congress discussed our community as a threat, but did not include Muslims in the discussion. However, MPAC attended the session and noted the positive developments: "Several Senators, particularly Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) of Missouri, asked Secretary Chertoff to speak out against anti-Muslim hate speech are spouted from talk shows. Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas also showed concern and compassion to American Muslims by stating that they are treated as second-class citizens in the U.S. and wants to see an amelioration of this problem. Senator Jon Testor of Montana offered the scenario that war against Iran would increase radicalization. MPAC thanks these Senators and the full committee for initiating a very important discussion and awaits the Muslim voice to be injected in this discourse."

There are many spiders out there weaving webs. Some of these webs are visible and some invisible. We don't even know which we are caught in. So it is good that MPAC was able to listen to this discussion. We hope the powers that be in Washington are also listening to good intelligence and ready to fund and otherwise support increased engagement of Muslims in the political and social life of this nation. Instead of discussing the Muslim problem, these legislators should have some courage and invite us and engage with us. Until responsible Muslim leaders are part of the dialogue, we will be excluded and many of us frustrated. Until diverse Muslim voices learn to work together, our representation will be uncertain and ineffective. Also, until CAIR is allowed to participate in some of the Capitol Hill dialogues, there will be an inbalance of power. We are glad to note that MPAC supported CAIR in the recent threat to rescind an invitation to them to meet in Capitol Hill. They did not try to elbow out CAIR to take their spot. It would be good to see even more of this mutual support among our institutions, nationally and locally. If you agree, feel free to let MPAC know your measure of support at: communications@mpac.org. Speak out! Take action! You and I can be an alternative energy source.