Muslims in America, a personal look
This article is related to a two-part series that appeared in the Coeur d’Alene Press Nov. 27-28. Below are three emails a dear friend and I exchanged recently.
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First email from my friend:
My primary care physician is [Dr.’s name] and my housekeeper is [housekeeper’s name]. Yes, both are Muslims, but not Jihadi Islamists. I’ve been with them for years and cherish them dearly. Where am I going wrong? Thanks, [name of my friend]
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Second email from me:
[My friend’s name], you are doing nothing wrong! I have stated in the article if Muslims are not dedicated to having their religion subsume the state, and they do not practice this aspect of religion, they are more than welcome.
If you were to ask [Dr.’s name] and [housekeeper’s name] if they believe Islam and its associated laws should supersede the laws of America that separate church and state, that Catholicism would be out the door, what would be your reaction? [My friend is a devoted Catholic.] Mine would be of uneasiness, especially if they were activists seeking to achieve this goal. If they did not practice this aspect of their religion, I would be completely at ease with them. (Of course, in some areas of the world, Christians and Muslims co-exist.)
Compromise is part of living, certainly part of politics. But for this issue, compromise to the extent of allowing people to practice a religion that if it comes to power, and it adheres to its basic tenets, means others cannot practice their religion...that’s where I draw a line...and I very rarely draw lines.
Of course, if it were not Islam, it would be something else. The Jews have been denied throughout their history the right to practice their religion in many parts of the world. Recently, the Buddhists in parts of Asia are slaying Muslims on the pretext that the Muslims are taking over their societies.
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Third email from my friend:
I am not against Muslims. I cherish mine. I AM against Sharia. My guys are also against Sharia. Thanks, [My friend’s name]
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Hopeful Indicators
“I cherish mine.” My friend has his own Muslims! What an endearing thought, and his statement is one of pride and friendship. My friend is a very conservative Catholic. His words speak volumes about the magnanimity of the American spirit as well as the concern of earnest Americans.
With these thoughts in mind, I return to the themes of the essay “Keep Ancient Lands” to pose a question: Why are the incidences of radical Islamic-based terrorism in America relatively few?
First, American Muslims have blended into our melting pot in a more homogeneous way than other parts of the world, notably France, and, of course, the Middle East, where Sunnis and Shias routinely kill off each other. American Muslim citizens are better educated than many Muslim populations of other countries. They number less than one percent of the United States’ population, yet account for almost 10 percent of its doctors. Fewer than one-half of the Muslims in America say most of their closest friends are Muslim. In essence, Muslims in America are not as interested in deadly religious zealotry as Muslims in other parts of the world.
Second, America is farther removed from the Middle East than are France and Belgium. As well, we have relatively effective law enforcement and surveillance systems. The FBI’s counter-terrorism staff has grown by 2,000 agents in the past few years and is investigating IS activity in all states.
American Muslims are prone to report suspected jihadists in their midst. According to a study by The Economist, 42 percent of uncovered jihadist plots in the United States were reported by suspicious Muslims.
Since 9/11, over 400,000 people in the U.S. have been killed by firearms while 45 people have been killed by jihadist Islamic fanatics. France has already suffered nine attacks this year alone. America has experienced nine in the past 14 years.
Opposing Views
The recent massacre in San Bernardino (Dec. 2) by a Muslim couple has baffled the experts. They were affluent, middle-class citizens. Some terrorist specialists attribute the killings to workplace rage. President Obama asks Americans to view this killing of 14 people in the context of “an already violent society.” Others contend it is part of an Islamic conspiracy to turn America into a Muslim caliphate. Donald Trump says, “Look at all mosques. ... [there should be] a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”
Success and Security for All
I was taken to task by some readers for my “Keep Ancient Lands” essay. I stand by my contentions, which are reinforced by the emails about the Muslim friends of my Catholic friend. This example is just one of many in America: Members of two substantially different religions and cultures can come together, yet both can blend into America’s melting pot of religious tolerance and the separation of church and state.
My friend’s Muslim friends have indeed embraced “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” In so doing, they have achieved success and have likely been granted freedom from death and torture in their “ancient lands.”
By their willingness to assume aspects of the American fabric, and subsume parts of their past to this country’s laws, America has benefited from their presence. This approach is a reasonable and pragmatic compromise to their taking in America’s succor.
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The statistics, data, and direct quotes in this article are sourced from “The Home-grown Threat,” The Economist, Dec. 12, 2015, pages 29-30.
Uyless Black is an award-winning author who has written 40 books on a variety of subjects. His latest book is titled “2084 and Beyond,” a work on the origins and consequences of human aggression. He resides in Coeur d’Alene.