veiled4allah: will the right-wingers go nuts? veiled4allah: will the right-wingers go nuts?In several other states, and in every campaign, Arab Americans are playing key roles in this election. Most of the leading Democrats have hired or appointed Arab Americans in major roles and most states have Arab Americans already slated to run for delegate positions to the National Democratic Convention. In at least three states, Arab Americans are serving in key party positions that enable them to play a role in the delegate selection process. In more than ten states, where the political process allows issues to be raised, Arab American delegates will bring forth resolutions on Palestinian rights, a call for justice and peace in Iraq and a condemnation of civil liberties violations of Arab and Muslim immigrants. These resolutions have already won broad support and so should be passed at the local and state levels. But Arab Americans will make an effort to continue to challenge both parties and the candidates to ensure that these issues are debated and acted upon in the national policy discussion as well...Note: Just to clarify, although the vast majority of the Arab world is Muslim, less than half of all Arab-Americans are Muslim due to historical immigration patterns. Also, only about 20% of Muslims worldwide are Arab, and though the percentage of Muslim Americans of Arab heritage is higher, it's still less than half. The two groups have significant overlap but they are not identical by any means.
...But that's not all. Arab Americans are already raising money and becoming organized in several communities on behalf of congressional and Senate candidates, especially those who have been responsive to the community's concerns. And in addition to the sitting Arab American members of Congress who are running for re-election, it appears that two qualified Arab Americans will be running for a U.S. Senate seat in the state of Louisiana.
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Subject: Re: will the right-wingers go nuts?
As salaamu 'alaykum Sister,Why would right-wingers go nuts? Most of these "Arabs" are right wingers themselves and I don't think any of the candidates for national office mentioned are Muslim. Most of them are so deeply assimilated that I doubt many voters even know they are Arabs.
This is a story that a group like the Arab American Institute will put out every single year so that people will think that they are actually doing something. Look on their website and you will find the same story from 2002, there are probably many others, I don't want to spend the time looking.
These are people who are deeply assimilated and who take no special interest even in Arab issues, let alone Muslim ones.
It's like the Sununu Shaheen Senate Race in 2002 in New Hampshire. Sununu of course is an "Arab American and Shaheen is married to an Arab American political activist. Sununu is a right winger and Shaheen was endorsed by the Israeli lobby AIPAC.
These "Arab Americans" do not have anything to do with helping Islam or Muslims.
Salaam,
Abu Noor Al-Irlandee
Subject: Re: will the right-wingers go nuts?
That is quite an astonishing collection of claims that you've made. Do you have any evidence to back it up? Or are you just venting? Your words certainly don't match the reality of the Arab-Americans that I know and have worked with, or that I've read about. There are certainly Arab-American Republicans but they form a rapidly shrinking minority - and after all most Muslims voted for Bush in 2000. If you have anything better to say that your own preconceived notions, I'll be interested to hear it.Subject: Re: will the right-wingers go nuts?
As salaamu 'alaykum Sister,I realize I was bit emotional and may have been unclear in my first comment. That may have obscured the point that I was mainly critiquing the third paragraph from the AAI that you quoted which dealt with candidates for U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate. I am not aware of any progressive Arab-Americans running for these seats.
Even the progressive Arab Americans we are all aware of (like Ralph Nader) really are very assimilated and in no way do they run on Arab, let alone Muslim issues in their campaigns.
My point was to expand on your point that only half of Arab Americans are Muslims by saying that the percentage among politically active is probably even less than that and the percentage among candidates is almost zero.
My other point is that electing an Arab American to an office does not really indicate that Muslims should be happy or will benefit.
In fact, looking at Arab Americans in the U.S. (like the Sununu - Shaheen example I mentioned) should be a shocking wake up call to how a group can become so thoroughly integrated and assimilated within 2 or 3 generations that they would have basically no connection with their background at all.
Salaam,
Abu Noor al-Irlandee
Subject: Re: will the right-wingers go nuts?
You keep saying "assimilated" as if this is a bad thing.What specific "Arab" or "Muslim" issues should these candidates be running on?
It seems to me that for most Muslim-Americans, the most vital issues are (1) Peace in the Middle East, (2) Religious freedom, and (3) Immigration. Most progressive/liberal candidates probably represent the point of view of most Muslim-Americans. If not all of those progressives are Arabs, and not all Arab candidates are progressive, what's the problem?
Subject: Re: will the right-wingers go nuts?
Amadan,Yes, to me assimilated is a negative thing generally. Why that it is will be obvious to many. To convince someone why it is who now thinks that it is a good thing would be a long discussion.
I am not necessarily saying that they should be running on Arab or Muslim issues, but I am saying if they are not, then why would I as a Muslim be either happy or even care that supposedly more are running or getting involved in politics.
The three issues you mentioned are important to many Muslims. To say that progressives are generally in line with Muslim views on those issues is going too far. They are probably more in line on the whole with Muslim views than any other large political grouping in the U.S. and I think there are several general societal issues where progressives and Muslims can and are working together. (I don't really believe in Muslims participating in electoral politics, at least at this time).
However, the specifics make the issue much more tricky than you might think. Muslims are very united with progressives in opposing Bush but beyond that we would find we also disagree on a lot.
For example, Peace in the Middle East. Many progressives are pro-Israel. Almost all Muslims are more pro-Palestinian (people not Arafat) than even the most radical progressives. Furthermore, there are many different possible ways to get to Peace in the Middle East and the Muslim view of what an ideal solution would be may be different from most progressive views. (Do progressives favor an Islamic Palestinian State?)
On religious freedom, I think both progressives and conservatives think they are very much in favor of religious freedom so I am not sure what you are referring to here. If you are referring to opposition to the post 9/11 Bush attacks on Muslims worldwide and in this country, then as I said before the Muslims and progressives are very united in their opposition to these Bush policies.
However, if for example, one is talking about public money for relgious schools through vouchers, I think Muslims would be almost 100% in favor while this is an issue almost all progressives (except for maybe a few in the African American community) would oppose.
Peace,
Abu Noor al-Irlandee
Subject: Re: will the right-wingers go nuts?
There seem to be two definitions of "progressive". One is that it means the same thing as "liberal" and thus includes the whole Democratic party. The other is that it refers to a political philosophy generally considered to the left of the mainstream Democrats. Ralph Nader is an example of this definition of progressive.It is accurate to say that many Democrats are pro-Israel. However, it is inaccurate to say that most "leftist" progressives are pro-Israel. I read at least half a dozen progressive websites everyday and they are an excellent and consistent source of pro-Palestinian articles. The same is true of the progressive mailing lists that I belong to.
Either you are using the progressive=Democrat definition or you have not actually bothered to study the progressive movement very much before condemning it.
As for political invovlement, the question to me is very simple. What is the course of action that will bring about the greatest benefit or least harm? If there is a candidate whose election will bring about benefit to the Muslim community, or reduce harm, then we should vote for that candidate.
That is not just my personal opinion, but the position of many respected scholars. Some quotes:
Taha Jabi al-Alwani, Fiqh Council of North America: ...it is incumbent upon Muslims to actively participate for the following reasons: 1) In order to protect our rights as American citizens, we must be involved in politics. 2) Our involvement can facilitate our support of our fellow Muslims around the world. 3) Our interaction with non-Muslims and our involvement will help to spread Islam's message. 4) It helps to convey the universality of Islam... Our participation is an obligation in Islam, and not merely "a right" that we can choose to forfeit at will. It affords us the opportunity to protect our human rights, guarantee the fulfillment of our needs, and work for the improvement of living conditions for Muslims and non-Muslims in America and abroad... Whatever helps us to achieve these noble goals becomes Islamically obligatory. This includes: ... Supporting (both politically and financially) those non-Muslim candidates whose beliefs and values are most compatible with ours as Muslims, and who most address and support our issues and causes... Registering to vote and then voting. Although separate acts, they are both an essential part of the electoral process. Our participation in that process is mandatory.
Muhammad ibn Adam, Dar al-Iftaa, UK: ...In a situation where there is no worthy candidate (as in non-Muslim countries, where at least the ideologies and beliefs of the relevant parties are contrary to the teachings of Shariah), then the vote should be given to the one who is the better and more trust worthy then the other candidates... Vote should be given to the candidate that one believes will give people their rights, prevent oppression, and so on... If it is thought that a particular candidate or party will be of benefit to the general public in their day to day affairs, then the vote should be given to him. And by voting a particular party, it will not be considered that one agrees with all their ideologies and beliefs... At times, voting becomes necessary. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (rAa) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (sAas) said: "If people see an oppressor and don't prevent him, then it is very likely that Allah will include all of them in the punishment" (Sunan Tirmizi & Sunan Abu Dawud). Therefore, if you see open oppression and transgression, and despite having the capability of preventing this oppression by giving your vote, you don't do so, then in the light of this Hadith you will be sinful...
Dr. Jamal Badawi, ISNA: I'll just give you one specific example. Suppose you have two candidates for president, for example. Both of them might be not even sympathetic to just Muslim causes, suppose. In most cases that is actually the situation... However, in terms of relative harm and benefit which is a rule of Shariah it may be the collective wisdom, for example, of Muslim voters that one of them would do even greater harm to Muslim causes than the other... Well in that case, obviously, the lesser of the two harms, i.e. electing or voting for someone who will do less harm to Muslims obviously would be much better than sitting on the sidelines and just criticizing both and doing nothing about it... Voting for them and supporting them in elections is not necessarily an agreement with everything that the law, by way of laws and regulations. But at least it would be for that particular, limited purpose.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Munajjid, Saudi scholar: This is a matter concerning which rulings may differ according to different circumstances in different times and places. There is no absolute ruling that covers all situations, both real and hypothetical... It may be the case that the interests of Islam require Muslims to vote so as to ward off the greater evil and to reduce harmful effects, such as where two candidates may be non-Muslims but one of them is less hostile towards Muslims than the other, and Muslims’ votes will have an impact on the outcome of the election. In such cases there is nothing wrong with Muslims casting their votes in favour of the less evil candidate. In any case, this is the matter of ijtihaad based on the principle of weighing up the pros and cons, what is in the interests of Islam and what is detrimental... No one should imagine that anyone who says that it is OK to vote is thereby expressing approval or support for kufr. It is done in the interests of the Muslims, not out of love for kufr and its people...
Imam Mohammad Joban, Islamic Center of Olympia: The voting problem in non-Muslim countries, or voting for non-Muslim to run for offices in non-Muslim countries is an ijtihadiyah problem. This means Islamic scholars have different opinions in the above problem, and the judgments/hukm are different from one place to another and from one time to another time... However, when it is of Islamic interest for the Muslims to vote, that if we don't vote then Islam will be threatened, then it is better to vote. And as according to usul fiqh method, whenever we are confronted with two evils, we must choose the lesser evil. For instance, when we have two non-Muslim candidates, but one of them is less hostile towards Muslims than the other, then it may be wise to choose the less hostile one... But we must remember that when we see a Muslim taking part in voting we must be careful not to accuse him as kafir/infidel or [of] supporting the kufr. The reason being is that he may be doing it for the interest of Islam and/or Muslims where he is living...
I am astonished at the number of Muslims who continue to live in a country and pay taxes to a government that they claim is invalid.
And if you do accept the validity of the American system of government, I wonder why you do not think you have any responsibility to try and influence it for the better. Is that really what Islam teaches us? Or does it teach us to speak up for justice and to take action to improve things whenever we can?
If you aren't willing to take action to improve things, don't complain about how bad they are.
Subject: Re: will the right-wingers go nuts?
note: this comment is in response to Abu Noor's response to my complaint, which starts "I realize I was a bit emotional"Thanks for clarifying what you mean. Since you quoted it back at me, you must be aware that less than half of all Arab-Americans are Muslims. There is no reason for a Christian Arab-American to run as a "Muslim candidate".
However, the main part of the problem is the very one that you expressed in your later comment. You said that Muslims shouldn't get involved in the political process. That's where all the pro-Muslim candidates are. Sitting it out like you. You can't have it both ways.
The main Arab-American candidate running for Congres that I'm aware of is Maad Abu Ghazalah, who is running against the pro-war and pro-Israel Rep. Tom Lantos in the Democratic primaries.