Why should I go to Springfield?
Last Modified:
Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:43:24 GMT
v1.001
By Amal Ali
Picture this: You are driving your kids to their annual school performance the theme of which is "The American Rainbow", a celebration of all the colors that make our country. And among their song-list of interfaith and multicultural songs, is one glorifying the beauty that Islam is. And yes, this is a public school. Imagine the eager young voices of your children alongside their Christian, Jewish and other classmates of various skin colors and hair textures, chanting Eid songs and celebrating Islam's harmony before an auditorium packed with parents and faculty.
Later they will go to class where they study the jaw-dropping contributions of Muslim civilization and perhaps the stories of the earliest Muslims in America too! How about pulling more books off your children's library shelf with characters donning hijab, or walking your child into a store that offers key chains, wristbands and other accessories with not only names like Susan and Ryan, but Ahmed and Khadijeh too?
No more working Eid around school schedules and exams, but schools and universities working their schedules and exams around Eid. Consider this: More Muslims in positions of power in federal, state and local politics; serving on boards of academic, philanthropic, and public institutions. Muslims walking down Chicago's busy streets exchanging pleasantries and a reciprocal affinity with passersby, as if to say, "Yes, we together comprise the colors of the American rainbow, and we together uphold its good values."
A daring stretch of the imagination? I don't think so. I just got off the phone with one of the Council's most dedicated volunteers. In our discussion about developing young, proud Muslim Americans she said we need to hold our heads up and look forward, for "Our terrorists are nothing like the Italians' Mafia!" It was through the Italians who said, "I'm not mafia, I'm a hard working immigrant!" and similarly through the Irish and Jewish communities who defined themselves louder than the definitions ascribed to them, that these communities became an interwoven, normalized and contributing part of the American fabric.
Now it's our turn. And might I be bold enough to add that the Islam we proclaim has abundantly more to offer and to enrich American society than any cultural or ethnic heritage that's come before us. It is Islam's code of ethics and social values that will keep America's founding doctrine of integrity and justice on its toes, not slacking.
I have an endless task-list before me of things to do today, but felt compelled to stop and write this piece after just finishing a team conference call for Illinois Muslim Action Day (IMAD). The setback to community organizing is that with all the tension, the logistics and nitty-gritty involved in planning, it becomes easy to lose sight of the big picture for which we are striving, and to lose motivation.
IMAD is about claiming Islam's place in our society so that our children can just be Muslim, feel so right about it, and exude its light onto everyone in their surroundings. If you have not yet signed up your family, your friends, your social network for this day on which 1000 Muslim voices will echo in the capitol building, demanding attention as important voting constituents, seeking to fill gaps where justice has not been met as in the scarcity of healthy food options in our inner city, then call us today and help make Islam not only normalized in America, but hugely appreciated.
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