Where Do We Go From Here?
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Posted in:
Aaminah Hernández
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| Aaminah Hernandez | Nov. 10, 2008 | 8:36 AM |
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What this Prophetic guidance is commonly understood to mean is that Muslims are to be the vanguards of truth and justice in this world. Here is a chance for American Muslims to live up to that responsibility, inshaAllah.
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Aaminah Hernandez, is a Muslim-American who converted in July 1998. She is a freelance writer out of Michigan.
For the last week I’ve sat before a blank page, preparing to write this week’s post and searching for profound words on the election. Others have written quite eloquently about the stunned joy of witnessing the first Black President-elect, and the hope for real change in this country. Still others have continued to remind us that this is not an Islamic system we live in and cautioned us to be realistic about the amount of change-for-the-better that we can really expect. I want to write about what I personally experienced that was touching about the elections, but the truth is that I am a cynic. Even as I too am happy to see a Black man win and understand the historical implications of this, I also fear complacency and expecting things that one man cannot do in his position. I fear that we, as citizens, think our responsibility is met in full by marking a spot on the ballot.
I can already recognize that when a Black man succeeds, it is both a blessing and a curse for minorities. It is a blessing for the hope and future that it encourages. Finally when we tell our children “you can be anything you want to be, even President, inshaAllah”, we won’t be lying. I was raised being told that by my father, and even as he was saying it I knew it was not true. I never told my son this lie, although I have told him that with Allah’s blessing he can attain anything. But a Black man’s success is also a curse because it allows others to point to it as the fulfillment of some promise. As so many others have already said, now that a Black man has won the election, the rest of us will be told to “get up and do something already”. There is a misunderstanding that there are no longer any barriers and all racial tension has miraculously disappeared from our society. Even from those of us who know better, there is just as dangerous a misunderstanding that we can relax now. There is still so much work to be done.
So now that we are a week out, perhaps we can start thinking about ways to move forward. A Black President is just a step; here are a few simple next steps we can take towards real change:
-- Learn our Islamic duties, understand and apply them. True change comes from within, as individuals. If we are not changing ourselves, we are hypocrites to insist on others changing. This also means addressing inequities and injustices we see in our local Muslim communities, within an Islamic framework.
-- Get involved in our local communities. Whether it is through interfaith work, charity, or other volunteer involvements, it takes individuals working in a group to make change. It is also a form of da’wah to non-Muslims to see us doing good works. Showing that we are part of the local community, not separate from it, goes a long way towards making it easier for people to consider our concerns and ideas for the community.
-- Get involved in the political process. This isn’t a Muslim country, and wishful thinking that it would be is pointless. We cannot get our government to govern based on our ideals, but we can encourage them towards more justice. So write to your Mayor, Representatives, Senators, and even to the President-elect and let them know what you want to see from them. When you don’t like what you see, let them know. And when you are proud of a choice they’ve made or something beneficial they have supported, let them know that too.
-- Don’t forget about local issues. We tend to think in terms of the bigger picture, but how many of us get involved with the decisions being made in our local community? There are many areas where we can make our voices heard, whether public zoning board or school board meetings, or even groups working for or against local propositions and laws.
The Prophet (salalahi alahi wa salaam) told us to stand against oppression when we see it; if possible to oppose it by our hands, if not then by our tongues, and at the very least to hate it in our hearts. He (salalahi alahi wa salaam) also reminded us that if we only hate oppression in our hearts it is the weakest of faith, though sometimes the best we can do. Another hadith tells us to speak the truth, even if against our own families. What this Prophetic guidance is commonly understood to mean is that Muslims are to be the vanguards of truth and justice in this world. Here is a chance for American Muslims to live up to that responsibility, inshaAllah. |
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