Good Muslims must strive to be good citizens, scholars say

Abu Dhabi: Good Muslims are citizens actively engaged in their community for the betterment of their fellow citizens who take pride in where they live and strive to make it a better place, scholars and academics said on the eve of an international conference in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

The two-day ‘International Conference on Muslim Minorities: Opportunities and Challenges’ will explore how around 500 million Muslims working and living outside the Islamic world can be good Muslims while making a positive contribution to the society they live in.

“The conference aims at spreading the culture of peace and tolerance between adherents of religions and cultures, and contributing to safeguarding the children of Muslim minorities against violence and extremism and defending the rights of these religious and cultural minorities according to international conventions and treaties,” said Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Supreme Committee of the conference.

Dr James J. Zogby, president of Arab American Institute, told Gulf News that the history of Arab and Muslim Americans in this century has been a mixture of negative and positive experiences, with the positives in ascendancy.

“We have had rights violated by national and local law enforcement agencies. We have endured discrimination and hate crimes from some elements of society. And we have seen some political leaders have used us as bait to snare votes from a frightened public,” Dr Zogby, who has a doctorate in comparative religion and lives and works in the US, said. He has more than 40 years of work experience throughout the Arab world.

He added at the same time, we have seen a record number of prosecutions of those who have committed hate crimes against and an outpouring of support and protection from an impressive array of civic groups (religious, ethnic, and political). And we have seen courageous political leaders not only come to our defense, but to also take unprecedented steps to elevate, promote, and celebrate our contributions to America.

Dr Zogby suggested in a democratic society based on constitutionally guaranteed rights, the role of law enforcement ought to be to help secure these rights for all citizens. “However, for decades this has not been always been the case for Arab Americans and American Muslims. The record of law enforcement has been mixed,” he said.

Dr Zogby said although the immediate backlash of September 11th was harsh, negative perceptions held by Americans of Arab and Muslim Americans are not solely the result of this singular tragedy. “We had been victims of the American school systems poor education about the Middle East and the religion of Islam, media promoted negative stereotypes, and the deliberate efforts made by organisations which were hostile to us and our goals.

Dr Zogby is optimistic about the future. “Dangers remain and work must still be done. But although our communities continue to face instances of discrimination, exclusion from political participation, and harassment even from the highest levels of government, it is important to recognize that this is being offset by strong support from other political leaders, by a host of supportive communities, by the effective work being done by our own organizations, and by a growing public awareness that we and our rights must be protected,” he said.

Abaas Yunas, head of the Abu Dhabi-based Tabah Foundation’s Futures Initiative, a think-tank working to promote moderate Islamic discourse, echoed these sentiments and said most Muslims in the West are citizens of those countries.

“Many are now second or third generation. As with any community, there are a diverse range of experiences for them and every country differs to the other. The diversity within the Muslim community is immense too and this adds to the variety of experiences. in general though, the experiences are positive,” Yunas said.

He explained when you’re able to look away from the media and social media platforms, and focus on the day-to-day experiences of Muslims you find that they are no different to their fellow citizens in their hopes, concerns and aspirations. One positive element of the experience of Muslim minorities is the freedom to practice their religion.

“The same issues which face Muslim minorities face other minorities - discrimination, the rise of nationalism and xenophobia, identity politics and so on. What is important in such a time is the need to work towards alliances of common good that are not restricted to people of the same religion or ethnicity. Many Muslims are proud citizens of their towns and cities and just like others, they want to see good for them,” Yunas said.

Professor Akbar Ahmad, author, poet and playwright, who currently serves as the Ibn Khaldoun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, DC, said the holy Quran very emphatically speaks of all humanity as being a part of the same divine order.

Prof Ahmad, who has been named “the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam” by the BBC, added it is worth reflecting on such Quranic verses as, “We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another.” The last address of the Prophet (PBUH) at Mt Arafat states, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.” Unless we begin to understand and carry out these important messages, we will continue to live in a world rattled by incessant violence.

Prof Ahmad suggested the most urgent step to address these challenges is to increase understanding of the other. “Governments should work to convene conferences and meetings to allow for majorities and minorities to engage in dialogue and learn about one another. They should also seek to facilitate outreach between the communities through the media, so that the wider populace can better understand minority populations and minority populations can better understand the majority population. Studies, books, and films about majority and minority communities should also be commissioned, as knowledge and understanding are some of the most important principles for building lasting bridges. A lot of this violence we are seeing comes from sheer ignorance.

On Muslim minorities’ future in Islam and in the communities of their residence, Prof Ahmad said if these challenges faced by Muslim minorities encourage them to perform better in school, to be more competitive in the economy and in society, and to participate in the growth of their nation, even given their minority status, then this predicament is not entirely a bad thing in the end.

“Muslims in the minority must learn to live comfortably both as citizens of their country and as Muslims. Indian Muslims should feel both Indian and Muslim; British Muslims should feel both British and Muslim. It is this sense of compatibility that must evolve in order for majority and minority communities to live together in peace,” prof. Ahmad said.