The shadow of 9/11
In the second programme in series 5 of Shariah TV, American Muslims reflect on how the attack on the Twin Towers changed their lives forever and how they are coping with the aftermath.
The experts
Dr Aminah McCloud is a professor of Islamic studies at DePaul University in Chicago, and the director of the Islamic World Studies Programme. She is a Fullbright Scholar and editor of The Journal of Islamic Law and Culture.
James Yee is the Former US Army Chaplain for the controversial prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. In 2003 he was falsely accused of spying and aiding alleged extremist prisoners. All charges were subsequently dropped.
Reza Aslan is a writer and scholar of religions. His first book No God But God; The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, was shortlisted for The Guardian’s First Book Award. His next book, How to Win a Cosmic War: Why we’re losing the war on terror will be published later this year.
Religious freedom
Are Muslims free to express their beliefs and practices openly in post-9/11 America? asks the first questioner from the audience. Freer than Muslims in any other country, says Reza Aslan, because religion is such an integral part of the culture in the USA.
The audience say it’s not that simple. They describe incidents in which women have had their hijabs (scarves) pulled from their heads, and they worry that their mosques have been infiltrated by government informants. On the other hand, says Aminah McCloud, many young people have put on scarves to assert their identity.
One young woman, who witnessed the attack on the World Trade Centre said that since 9/11 Muslims carry more ‘baggage’. She argued that because of this they need to engage with other communities and show that they are part of the American identity.
Reza pointed to a huge rise in interest in Islam since 9/11, as demonstrated by his ‘Introduction to Islam’ classes which increased from 28 to 300 students.
Muslims under pressure
How has 9/11 affected the relationship between black Muslims and immigrant Muslim communities?
Aminah said that tension between them had increased compared with before the attacks, when they were more ready to negotiate and explain their differences. As an example, she described a South Asian funeral in Chicago which women were not allowed to attend, including the wife of the person who had died. The black community was outraged, saying: ‘This is not Pakistan, Bangladesh or India.’
At the same time there is a degree of racism among immigrant Muslims against African Americans. Reza felt this was more to do with socio-economic factors than with race, since the immigrants tend to be middle or upper middle class, while the majority of African American Muslims (who make up a quarter of Muslims in the USA) are poor.
Is racial profiling justified, given that the people who carried out the 9/11 attacks were Muslims? James Yee was adamant that this not justified. The [1995] Oklahoma bombing was carried out by white people – does that mean we should profile every white person? There was general agreement that terrorism is everyone’s problem, that we need to understand the underlying issues and that it is impossible to generalise about all Muslims.
Inflammatory talk
If you do hear extremist views being expressed by Muslims, though, do you have a responsibility to report this to the authorities? There’s a distinction to be made between extremism and criminality. James Yee said he heard extremist views every time he turned on the television, and wasn’t about to report that! However, if you are aware that someone is intending to commit a crime that might lead to people getting hurt, that has to be reported. Muslims believe in fighting crime.
Reza said that if you hear an inflammatory conversation in a social situation, such as a wedding, you can engage with it, but there are some things that should be reported to the imam, since the Muslim community needed to police itself. One audience member said that when he heard extremist views, he felt it could be provocateurs trying to stir up trouble, so he distanced himself.
Aminah pointed out that if people had run to the authorities all the time, there would never have been a Civil Rights Movement.
Home grown terror
Could London’s 7/7 tube bombings, which were carried out by British Muslims, have happed in the US?
The experts felt that there were big differences between British and American Muslims, which made this unlikely. In the US, for example, immigrant Muslims tend to be highly educated and integrated. Tazeen pointed out that the 7/7 bombers were also educated, and spoke with Yorkshire accents.
Aminah felt that American Muslims were less ghettoised, however this is not the case in some cities, like Detroit. There are serious incidents, she said, but the response is for people of all religions to work together on educational initiatives. Reza said that it is not just to do with education or socio-economic status but concerns identity – people are taught that they are not part of society.
How should Muslims react to interrogation? James described being in solitary confinement for 76 days but said that, when he came out he did not want to attack his country because he had access to some form of due process, and could show that he was innocent. This is not to do with Shariah, he said, but with knowing your rights, including the right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself.
Fighting for your country
Should Muslims join the armed forces if this meant killing other Muslims? Killing anyone unjustifiably is against Islamic teaching and any other ethical law, said James. This raised the issue of whether an individual can challenge what the army is asking them to do, like one American Asian officer who refused to serve in Iraq because he did not feel that war was just.
Reza said that there are many Muslims in the military and they are highly valued. However their communities are ambivalent about their role and unlike other Americans, the do not return to a heroes’ welcome.
Aminah argued that Shariah would address the larger question: is this a legitimate war?
Out of the shadows
So, in the wake of 9/11, how free are American Muslims to express their beliefs? Should they consider shaving their beards or removing the hijab if that mean improving their chances of success, for example in a job interview?
Aminah said that a person’s actions are more important than what they wear, and if your Islam is invested in a beard or a scarf, you’re in trouble to start with. She said that there is a difference between Americans who have adopted Islam and those who have come from Muslim countries and now discover themselves as Muslims in a different context. Nevertheless, they all pray, fast and live their everyday lives.
Reza pointed out that Islam has always adapted to different cultures with the result that it was the most diverse religious group in the world. It is possible to remain loyal to both Qur’anic traditions and American customs, he said. The impression of the Ummah, the Muslim people, as monolithic, is false.
It is hard growing up in a place where you are different from everyone else, said one audience member, but we’re lucky that American culture is conducive to you becoming part of both communities as you grow up.