This is the second part of the blog I posted on November 4, 2010, laying out ways in which Muslims can respond to the problem of anti-Islamic sentiments in America, which I wrote about in my earlier blog “When You’re a Statistic” posted on October 17.
4) Seek common ground with conservatives too. As Muslims, we don’t have a political party. We are morally committed to a sound ethical system that demands an uncompromising adherence from us. The principles, ethics, and values that demand our allegiance do not fit neatly into a particular political school of thought. Thus far, too many Muslims have tried to ally mostly with the Left, but in the current dialectic, the Left is unlikely to win the battle for the hearts of Middle America, especially when it comes to accepting Muslims as full-fledged members of the American tapestry. But there are many intelligent and influential people within the philosophical conservative movement, and some of them know what Islam is and some don’t. We need to make strategic alliances with them and recognize that we share a lot of common ground, as we are also concerned about losing moral foundations in an increasingly secularized, and even worse laicized, world that is downright hostile toward public faith. For example, the conservatives are as troubled as Muslims are about the predominance of premarital and extramarital sexuality, the breakdown of the family, and the proliferation of pornography and drugs. On the other hand, the truly progressive Left and not mainstream Tweetle Dee Left to the Tweetle Dum Right, despite its moral ambiguity on many such personal and social issues, has a far better track record of standing firmly against warmongering, arms proliferation, and American aggression in countries where we don’t belong – but there is also a progressive Right that we forget about best embodied in Ron Paul, who is one of the most outspoken critics of warmongering and American foreign wars and misadventures. So in some things, we are more with the Left and in others we are more with the Right, which puts us somewhere in the middle, as we comprise the Middle Nation.
For instance, in the recent election ballot in California, we had Prop 19, which would have essentially legalized personal use of marijuana. I abstained from voting on it because Islam forbids intoxicants, even though, in my opinion, the ballot measure was based on sound logic within the secular context. A good argument can be made to legalize or at least decriminalize marijuana, especially when alcohol is deemed legal. From a secular perspective, either both should be illegal or both legal. The same holds true for smoking tobacco: it is unsound to legalize it, despite its harmful health effects, while keeping marijuana illegal. As for the effects on one’s behavior, a stoned person is less belligerent and friendlier than a drunk person. People under the influence of marijuana also drive more safely, and slower, given the experience of time being slowed down for them. An authoritative article in The Lancet from 2007 showed through sound research in England that alcohol was far worse than any other illegal drug. The Prophet, peace be upon him, called alcohol “the mother of all foulness” (umm al-khaba’ith). If I had to choose between the two evils, I would rather have stoned people than drunk people but that legal option doesn’t exist in America. Though I digress from our topic, I do so only to make an important point: social problems like alcohol consumption are never solved by outlawing them – a point the progressive Left recognizes, yet the reactionary Right fails to understand. These problems can only be solved by cutting off the demand through personal transformation and abstinence of the individuals that currently generate, through their demand, the supply-side of the drug problem.
Wars on drugs or terrorism or any other problem usually involve trying to battle the problem without addressing their root causes, and so such efforts are doomed to failure. The roots of the marijuana problem are not in Mendocino County’s fertile soil where marijuana is grown in abundance; they are in the spiritual emptiness of the hearts of America’s young and old consumers of the weed. I have been Muslim for 33 years and not once during that time have I desired a drink, a joint, or any other mind-altering substance because I don’t need to escape from anything when I have prayer, patience, community and the wine of natural beauty that surrounds me. I prefer Emily Dickinson’s brew that is not made in “vats upon the Rhine.” In the parlance of Ibn al-Farid: “We’re drunk on a wine that existed before the vine was ever created.”
In any case, when we consider our response to the onslaught of anti-Islamic sentiments we face in the current climate, we ought not to align ourselves totally with either the Left or the Right. One can be “progressive” on one issue and “conservative” on another. Let’s not become a religion of Democrats or of Republicans by politicizing our religion or slanting it to the Left or to the Right. Let us be morally committed to reasonable and just positions. For instance, the Palestinian problem is one of religion (because the Israeli claim is a religious one, that God deeded them the land and hence all previous inhabitants have no standing.) The Muslims also have a religious claim, and that cannot be proven with any absolute proof either, even if Muslims think it is a stronger claim. But if you remove both Islam and Judaism from the equation and consider only the historical facts, you have to conclude that, for the most part, the Israelis are simply acting immorally – I say most, because some land was legitimately purchased by Jews in the exodus to Palestine, and there were also Arab Jews as well as Sephardic Jews living there before Israel came into existence. For instance, the mother of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter beheaded in Pakistan, was an Iraqi Jew, and they were living under Muslim protection before some were forced to migrate. Many Arab Jews, including the Yemenis, did not want to leave but ended up in situations that were so traumatic that they had no alternative. My point is this: it’s not all black and white; a lot of grey exists, but some things are black and white.
5) Build new institutions. Let me re-iterate my third point in the previous blog and add the need for new institutions that will address the needs not being addressed by the existing ones. Muslims must build real institutions to combat the madness. We have a growing community that is far outstripping our capacity to address the social, familial, cultural, and every other type of problem. We need real think tanks of which the ISPU is an excellent start but needs much developing. We need a powerful legal defense fund and an ADL type institution, well-endowed and vibrant, which CAIR can develop into with the right financing and leadership.
Thanks for the patience. I have several more points to come. So please bear with me.
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
I always get a sense that the Friday surmons are an excellent mode to drive the cultural change from within, that Sh. Hamza eloquently describes. Many muslims try to attend Jummah and the fact that it happens weekly, it presents a stable, repetitive forum to implement these training elements. Often, I find that such surmons, although well intentioned, lack relevance to the attendees in the West.
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Peace be upon you all
I am from the UK and remember reading Professor Nutt’s BBC article you have hyperlinked about the harmful effects of alcohol when it first came out. I made the following comment on a Muslim website at the time which I reproduce here:
“Did you know that in the 1920′s America outlawed alcohol consumption in a period known as the ‘Prohibition’? It was an unpopular ruling which was soon repealed whilst in the meantime alcohol manufacturing went ‘underground’ leading to rat infestations (as it is a dirty process!) and the proliferation of ‘speakeasies’ – i.e. illegal saloons where people would gather for a drink. Also, Al Capone made his millions primarily through ‘bootlegging’ – i.e. illegal alcohol smuggling and supply.
The point is (as the above study shows) that it is difficult to deny the negative effects of alcohol on the individual and upon society. Alcohol consumption is one of the big elephants in the room today in terms of crime, domestic violence and anti-social behaviour. But people love their pints too much and it is a deeply entrenched component of our (British) national culture.
Such was also the case in 7th century Arabia – the Arabs drank like fish. Yet our Prophet (peace be upon him) inculcated reservoirs of deep Imaan and Taqwa within their hearts and cultivated a vivid consciousness of the Akhira. When the ruling prohibiting alcohol came, as per the narration of Anas bin Malik – the Sahabah spat out what was in their mouths and vomited what they had swallowed. As we famously hear, the streets of Madina were filled with the gallons of discarded alcohol.
Interesting contradistinction between what our Prophet (peace be upon him) achieved in 7th century Arabia and what the most powerful nation on earth (America) was unable to achieve in the 20th century West. The lesson I take is that any lasting movement for social reform must be predicated upon Imaan and Taqwa: ultimately, it is our internal moral compasses which will prevent us falling into ‘sin’. This is what we should primarily be calling the wider society to in order that they can understand the context of such ahkaam as the prohibition of alcohol. But even without this, the negative effects of alcohol are plain for all to see as Professor Nutt’s study shows.”
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Salam aleikum,
The recommendations in the blog are extremely valuable and truly appreciated. Many young, Western muslims rely on Sheikh Hamza Yusuf’s essays and lectures because of his uncanny ability to teach Islamic concepts in a way that is relevant to our own experiences but also to articulate how Islam can inform and meaningfully contribute to our society.
I sort of have this hope and feeling that their may be a “silent majority” in America whose thoughts and aspirations for the country are not represented by the artificial Right/Left divide– people who are deeply troubled by war-mongering as well as the break down of the family. God-willing it would be muslims who could light the path.
Sophie
Imran Zeb Posted on 04/15/2011
Dearest Sir,
I pray that you are well & in good health. May God Almighty keep your feet firm in this world & the Next.
Sir, though I fully concur that Muslims both in the UK and The States must more actively engage in politics I feel rather weary about any association with either Left or Right. Though the Democrat Party, like The British Labour Party has traditionally been representative of a more diverse demographic. In terms of the Labour Party particularly it has gained a large percentage of the British Muslim vote and has appealed to the Muslim grassroots. The emergence of a Muslim middle class however;many the children & grandchildren of south Asian immigrats has led to many to seek other avenues for political expression. There are two underlying problems however;
the general disillusionment with the political status quo and as such the detachment from the political system.This issue affects the populous at large & requires government to try and re-engage the masses, particularly the youth with politics. However, the constant scandals & feeling of indifference has created a sense of impossibility with regards to governmental integrity-the terms are almost viewed as an oxymoro
When a prominent Muslim tries to engage with the political sphere, even if it is to give advice or put across the Muslim position he/she is subjected to character assassination from within the community & viewed as a ‘sell out’.Sir, you know the nonsense which befell you after your meeting with former President Bush. You were accused of everything under the sun, from being a government agent to distorting Islam & perentialism. The nature of the Internet & the nature of those peoples who buy books & cite Revelation without utilizing the intellect is that their lies spread like wildfire & even though a fore can be put out there is always some damage left afterwards which is difficult to repair. It is a catch 22. & preventing many of our best minds from taking a more active role.
Many people fail to realize the beauty of merely being ‘able’ to be involved in the political process. The Chinese Communist Party, like all totalitarian regimes requires complete obedience & any perceived dissent is met with ‘a knock at the door’. Now we often hear from the liberal or loony left ‘it is not that bad’. Having lived here for almost 3 years-it is ‘that’ bad.
May God Almighty protect you from those who wish you ill.
Imran (Shanghai)
i. m.m Posted on 04/15/2011
salam alaykoum
Muslim community is facing alot of challenges in the united states but mainly as part of challenges facing islam overall…if i may ask if you’re willing to address issues of Muslims from different part of the world as we’re all part of one body ,as the prophet (PBUH) teached us, even if they’re not of the same aspect …
for instance if i may speak of my own experience, as a Muslim studying in the west and witnessing some of the down aspect of western civilization (not denying the virtues though) I seems to have this fantasy of how things are still better back home…
but every time i come back for vacations the reality keep diverging from the image i have in my head …each visit leave me more and more depressed: i see how things are changing , and not for the best, how people are changing, the blessing they’re loosing…
we seems in our path to destruction and people are in a state of heedlessness and they’re missing the spiritual guidance…
I wonder if we’re going to be able to turn back in time and get back on the right track… I’m afraid I’m a bit pessimist …
I feel alien from both societies but at least Muslims in the west acknowledge their blessing…
i’m keeping you in my prayers…
jazaka allahou khayran,
ihsane
France
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Assalaamu Alaikum,
I think the person “11/23/2010 11:28:06 AM” was just making a sincere, enthusiastic suggestion based on respect of HY.
Having said that, we understand HY’s limitations and thank him for his efforts and advice.
Reflecting on the building institutions point — it seems that sometimes the urge is to build these corporate-style, very cold, detached large institutions in order to supposedly compete with the big guys in american society.
Ok, that’s fine I guess, but I think some of these new institutions need to be smaller, creatively organized, organic to the communities they serve and perhaps only “big” through creative networking with other communities. There’s a big gap / disconnect sometimes between muslims who live on their own or within their families and the Muslim Institutions.
Mosques I’ve been to anyway do not seem to perform this intermediary role very well. They are organized very clique-ishly, very top-down, or have a seemingly chaotic structure which in fact is a chaos that masks information hogging, and adeptly serves the interests of a select group.
They’re not malevolent – maybe meeting well-intentioned needs and objectives – but also we need new, engaging forms of intermediary, social institutions for the vast bulk of average, silent-majority muslims.
My 2 cents.
Thanks for your blog!
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah
Without any exaggeration I can say that your lectures and articles have been the main source for increasing my knowledge about Islam.
I just wanted to thank you for all your efforts and inspiration you have given me and so many other muslims around the world.
May Allah bless you, your family, community and Zaytuna Institute for all that you are doing for the muslim community worldwide.
Salamu alaikum
Navid
Germany
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Salam’u'alaykum Sh Hamza,
JazakAllah Kheir for sharing your insight into the problem of “Islamophobia” and strategies to address the situation. It is a serious problem which unfortunately has paralyzed countless youth and put despair into so many.
I work as a doctor and have spent a lot time in the Emergency Department and without a doubt in my experience, alcohol is one of the most destructive drugs in our community from a physical, social, mental and also spiritual perspective.
To address the problem by “addressing the demand” would, as you say, require a personal transformation, which in the current state of our society would most likely need a major paradigm shift and may take generations. In the meantime what can we as active Muslims do to advocate and minimize the alcohol problem?
JazakAllah Kheir
Dawolu Jabari Posted on 04/15/2011
I hope my ramblings do not contaminate the point made here.
In it’s inception, the “right vs. left” paradigm gestures antagonistic objectives. It becomes about picking one party because it’s not the other party. “I’m not convinced my side offers viable solutions, but more importantly keep the other side out of office.” That was exemplified when many supported Bush on the bases of spoiling a Joe Lieberman vice presidency. We are victims of knee-jerk engineering.
Institution building aspires one to take full responsibility of his/her destinies. Our imaginations are often doused by our total dependency on external agents. Because of this dependency, the concept of institution building becomes a distant unattainable mythology. It doesn’t come with BET campaign updates to an “In Da Club” instrumental. It’s without the culture of youtube bickering that seeks representation through bare-knuckle debates between candidates. The very fabric of society is bursting at the “memes.”
Blue/left vs red/right voting, in my opinion, primarily functions as an invocation seeking blessings for our renewal of faith to a party. That we have faith it’ll all sort itself out with 100% voter participation. In reality, switching TV channels will not change TV programming. We continue to hope that in time the ballot will prove to beat out a bail out. If not, then let us continue to settle for the other side to loose.
Yaqub Turtle
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
When you have time, I would like to know what you think about “Moral Injury”.
This is a term coined by western psychologists who deal with traumatized returning U.S. soldiers. Many of these soldiers have had to do morally unacceptable things or watch others do them. Such as killing innocent civilians/children, torture, terrorizing civilians in the name of war…etc This has caused them “Moral Injury” that then causes these soldiers to commit suicide on their return home because they cannot reconcile the horrors they have particpated in.
This may be a new concept to the west, but the Quran already talks/warns of this (Moral Injury) in Surah 91 and other places.
It would be interesting to discuss how we can understand “Moral Injury” in terms of Justice/Jurisprudence as well as how we personalize this principle in our own lives.
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
I agree with your response to the commenter—I think it is important that we Muslims not become lazy in our pursuit of knowledge and spirituality—always relying on someone else to help us out. The fact that you have a blog and your lectures are available on the net is already a big blessing–we should do the rest for ourselves and our community.
I have a problem about legalizing/banning some substances. Alchohol/drugs/tobaco are addictive and harmful. However, neither banning them nor legalizing them solves the root problem of the spiritual black hole that leads some in this direction. The Quran asks us to be a society of the middle way so I think we can have a more nuanced response than one extreme or another. I think that if a harmful/addictive substance causes harm to another (public harm)—then in the interests of justice—laws/fines what-have-you can be implemented. However, a person should have the freedom to make their own choices in situations where there is no public harm —otherwise we are in danger of causing oppression. Islam and its values must be embraced voluntarily for it to have any spirtual meaning. Enforcing Islamic values (or “Christian” values)—no matter how good those values are—will not cause the transformative spiritual change—only oppression. If a Muslim person does not pray 5 times, or drinks or does not fast etc—then the judgements and punishments should be left upto God. Only when the behaviour directly causes public harm—should humans interfere in the interests of justice.
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Salama’likoum Shaykh Hamza,
I laught when I read your response on the comment here : “Created on: 11/23/2010 11:28:06 AM”
MashaAllah, WELL DONE !
It’s exactly what I was thinking about for so long. When I read some comments in your blog or on youtube towards your speech, it’s as if some people think that you are SUPERMAN or something like that :)
We probably forget that we are a Umma and, you, like others try to put your brick.
SoubhanAllah, you gave her/him SO useful advices :
“My advice is find good company in your area or make hijrah to a place of good company. Do dhikr on a regular basis and increase your knowledge of your faith”
May Allah helps us AMEEN !
Salama’likoum
muslima
France
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
asala’mon alaikum,
you have done enough,the rest falls on us.we have to make the sacrifice for money,time,career etc to effect the change we wish.nothing is going to change until we painfully sacrifice.the small charity won;t do.a charity/sacrifice that hurts our pocket or time will definitely do it and will make us care also.
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
We shall feel obliged, if you kindly initiate a public forum where you can answer our queries, and where we can anticipate a prompt reply from your end. In my humble opinion, blogging is not sufficient for the purpose. You need to encourage some interaction via internet with youth. Many people, especially youth, need guidance on almost all the discourses ranging from political Islam to spiritual Islam.
Hamza Yusuf Posted on 04/15/2011
This is the first comment I am responding to simply to say, I just can’t do that as the internet is infinite in its distractingly endless regresses into more and more nothingness. I have a family, with five boys all needing attention; I am teaching, writing, editing, and helping to run four Muslim organizations. There are other things I am doing, but I think you get the point. My advice is find good company in your area or make hijrah to a place of good company. Do dhikr on a regular basis and increase your knowledge of your faith. Thank you.
HY
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Very beneficial and helpful , May Allah s.w.t reward you Paradise for that !
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Some thoughts on point 4.
What is more of a threat, the secularist, materialistic left that is deluded about it’s own morality, mocks religion, distorts our basic human nature and destorys families, and only gets worse generation by generation…or the right who have a higher potential for war, which of course we do not wish for. Secularism (and all that it entails) is an enemy in disguise to the masses, war is an open enemy and won’t neccesarily happen. Under the right we would no longer be able to hide behind the scenes and be passive which may be a good thing. The freedom to operate under the left at times seems somewhat artificial, due to a carefully constructed system which imposes on us comprimise and causes us to constatly wander around the pit of forbiddance. You will likely fall in it eventually.
JazzakAllahu khairan Shaykh Hamza, may Allah guide you and make you a leader for the muttaqeen.
Ibraheem Abdu’rahman
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Carl Sagan wrote about marijuana in a different light that you show it here. Do you care to comment?
What do you tell your college aged son when he’s saying similar things about the wonders of memory recall and analytical thinking?
Please read Carl Sagan’s essay: http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/
Hamza Yusuf Posted on 04/15/2011
I am not a big fan of Carl’s; I did watch about two episodes of Cosmos and couldn’t finish. He said he liked getting stoned and thought it helped his creativity. But, I think for Muslims who believe in waaridaat from God, we just don’t need those artificial means, especially when they’re haram. Thanks.
HY
Anonymous Posted on 04/15/2011
Salam Shaykh Hamza,
I am so glad you are blogging. Your reflections are a welcome addition to the blogosphere. I think your point about Muslims being issue-oriented, rather than party-oriented is an important one. The progressive/conservative absolutist divide is an artificial one. What’s to stop me from taking what would be deemed a progressive stance on one issue and a conservative on the other – depending on the issue.
Ahmed Rehab