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Response to a Well-Meaning Brother
A well-meaning brother has written a principled criticism of my brief article written in the aftermath of Senator Barack Obama’s victory in the recent American presidential elections. His letter has stimulated a lengthy response from me. I have copied it below in its entirety along with my response. May Allah bless this brother. I will print any response he might write to my comments also.
Hamza’s Letter
Asalamu Alaikum Imam Zaid,
I hope you are well. With the greatest of respect to you, I can not fully understand why you have chosen the position you have taken on Barak Obama.
It is quite clear, I believe, that his foreign policy objectives negates any justified support for this man. As Muslims we are supposed to be concerned with the welfare of the Ummah but he has consistently stated his position on Israel at the expense of the Muslims. He said Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel which is contrary to international law and more importantly the status and wellbeing of the Muslims. He undoubtedly considers Israel’s security as his primary objective and has stated as such which means that, like all previous Presidents, he will remain silent when Israel attacks and kills our innocent brothers and sisters in Gaza and elsewhere; remain silent when Israel launches another war in Lebanon and remain silent when their lands are further occupied.
And of course there is Afghanistan and Pakistan….
He (in fact any President) will never be good news for us and so I am a little surprised at your and many other Muslims position regarding him. There seems to have been a huge propaganda campaign that has been mounted by the powers that be in the United States and man Muslims have been drawn in.
When you stated in your post: “...it is quite clear that Senator Obama valued the support he received from the Muslim community. He appointed a liaison to the Muslim community, high ranking members of his team met with Muslim delegations, and his campaign was supportive of Muslim grassroots efforts such as “Muslims for Obama.” I am left thinking what is the big issue with that? Of course that is what he would do; we shouldn’t have expected any less of him. He didn’t feel the Muslims important enough to have paid them a personal visit; he in fact distanced himself as far away as possible from us. Are we that weak, that low that even if he sends a guy to the community we become all thankful and loving towards him, where is our self respect? As for the “Muslims for Obama” campaign, they need to address their priorities…
[As for your statement] “Senator Obama’s election also opens a new door for Muslims in America.”
This insular way of thinking is one of the main problems with the Muslims today, I feel. We are one body according to our beloved Nabi (saw) and we should therefore be feeling the pain of the rest of our body, whether it is in Palestine, Afghanistan or Iraq etc, but instead we are happy and content if the Muslims in America receive a few smiles and leftovers, because that’s all it will be. Are we so happy with this situation that we will support this system and even vote for it in our muddled delusion?
I am pretty confident that not much will change for you in America and yet many Muslims will be asked on the Day of Judgment about why they supported a man and system that is actively seeking to harm Islam and the Muslims around the world. I hope they have an answer…. To buy into the propaganda machine is to sell the Muslims short.
With love and may Allah (aza wa jal) bless you and your family. amin
Your Brother,
Hamza
My Response
As-Salaam ‘Alaikum Hamza,
May Allah reward you and bless you and your family. Your criticism is fair, respectful and greatly appreciated. As you know, our Prophet, peace upon him, mentioned, “The religion is based on sincerity [and sincere advice].” Please continue to exercise your Islamic duty to give advice and to criticize. However, there are some issues that you raise which I would like to respond to.
First of all, you state, “With the greatest of respect to you, I can not fully understand why you have chosen the position you have taken on Barak Obama.” I would ask, “What position have I taken?” I am not an uncritical supporter of Barack Obama. In fact, I have been and will remain very critical of Senator Obama. In case you have not read critical pieces assessing Obama on this vey blog, i.e. “Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Future of America,” “Hopefully Obama is Not a Used Car Dealer,” “Drilling and Killing for God,” and other articles. I will mention a few quotes from those pieces by way of reminding you some of my criticisms:
“With his slavish remarks at the recent AIPAC conference, Senator Barack Obama, issued an uncritical endorsement of the program of the most right wing elements of the Zionist movement, and suggested, at least through his words, that he has no real interest in a fair and just solution to that problem.”
“By insinuating an unwillingness to talk with the leaders of Hamas, he compromised the most promising pillar of his diplomatic strategy, one designed to demonstrate his movement away from the Bush/Cheney doctrine of preemptive, no room for diplomacy militarism—namely, a willingness to talk, in good faith, with our enemies.”
“If Obama’s value as an “African American” candidate is largely symbolic, As Michael Eric Dyson and others, including this writer have argued, then that symbolic value extends beyond the African American community, and America at large. It extends to the people of the world. If Africans, Asians, Europeans and Latin Americans view the thus far successful Obama candidacy as a symbol of a changed social and political climate in America that is a harbinger of policies that will bring the interests of the American empire into closer alignment with the interests of the rest of the world, then the Palestinian issue is a litmus test of sorts as to the sincerity of any American politician to pursue a new type of politics. In this regard, Obama has failed miserably.”
“The election of an African American, or a woman for that matter, without an associated “revolution of values” will do no more than possibly delay, but will not stave off, this country’s inevitable spiritual demise.”
However, having said these and many other things highly critical of Obama, I cannot deny the momentous nature of his actual election and the coalition that made it possible. That is what is truly important, the grassroots coalition behind Senator Obama’s election. That is the real basis for hope, not Obama himself. It is interesting that you quote many statements from my article to support your arguments, but you did not quote this particular point. To reiterate the point I will quote it:
“However, the coalition of forces that has come together to guarantee Senator Obama’s victory represents a powerful realignment in American politics; sincere whites who were feed up with the corruption, venality, and mendacity of the cabal in Washington, young people of all ages and races (the hip hop generation), a re-energized African American electorate, progressive Latinos, particularly in Florida and the Southwest of the country, and Muslims, yes Muslims, many of whom worked just as doggedly as Senator Obama’s other supporters, despite the stigmatizing of their faith and themselves in many instances.
It is the promise that this new coalition represents as much as the inspiring leadership of Senator Obama that in the long run will translate the prospect of change that drove so many during the long electoral campaign into the reality of change. The heavy lifting that will be required to make the sacrifices necessary to usher in a new day in American society will be undertaken, on the ground, by members of this coalition.”
I ask you, how does my “position” demonstrate that I have been suckered by “a huge propaganda campaign that has been mounted by the powers that be in the United States and many Muslims have been drawn in…” as you word it, to uncritically support Senator Obama? I am not so naïve as to believe the mere election of Barack Obama will reverse the entirety of America’s domestic and foreign policies, that everything he does will be all positive for Muslims, or that his administration will lead to the immediate resolution of all of the world’s conflicts. However, I am not so cynical as to believe that his election is meaningless. Both America and the world are far too complicated and nuanced for me to arrive at either conclusion.
As Muslims, we are hopeful that we will find good in situations that confront us, this is one of the fundamental teachings of the Qur’an and in the Sunnah of our Prophet, peace upon him. The tone of your letter displays a degree of pessimism that does not allow for a positive interpretation of the potential good that might accrue from an Obama presidency. You state for example:
“It is quite clear, I believe, that his foreign policy objectives negate any justified support for this man. As Muslims we are supposed to be concerned with the welfare of the Ummah, but he has consistently stated his position on Israel at the expense of the Muslims. He said Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel which is contrary to international law and more importantly the status and wellbeing of the Muslims.
He undoubtedly considers Israel’s security as his primary objective and has stated as such which means that, like all previous Presidents, he will remain silent when Israel attacks and kills our innocent brothers and sisters in Gaza and elsewhere; remain silent when Israel launches another war in Lebanon and remain silent when their lands are further occupied.”
This statement displays an extremely unproductive approach to international politics that plagues many Muslims. First of all, you judge Obama’s entire foreign policy, in terms of it’s potential benefit to Muslims based on the Palestinian issue, and you assume that his position will not differ from other US presidents in that regard. This statement is a gross generalization. Not all US presidents have been slavish in their support of Israel. Dwight Eisenhower could be described as clearly anti-Israel, John Kennedy, vehemently opposed many Israeli policies, especially Israel’s nuclear weapons program. There are even some analysts who argue that Kennedy was assassinated by the Mossad. In 1991 George Bush Sr. suspended a $10 billion loan guarantee to Israel in order to affect the Israeli political process in a way he deemed beneficial to American mid-East policy, and clearly subordinated US support for Israel to other American policy goals. President Jimmy Carter, who has recently written a book accusing Israel of being an apartheid state, through his UN Ambassador, Andrew Young, was pursuing a very even-handed approach to the Palestinian question. You might recall that Mr. Young was forced to resign when it was revealed that he had engaged in secret meeting with several representatives of the PLO.
So to assume on the basis of some statements made by Senator Obama in the context of the election campaign, such as his recognition of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel, a position he modified a day later, or to assume that the appointment of Rahm Emmanuel as his chief of staff, a position with no real policy-making significance, means that there is no room for Obama to take a more constructive approach to the Palestinian issue is shortsighted. Senator Obama wants to be a great President and he knows that contributing to or actually bringing about a just solution to the Palestinian issue will be one of the measures of his greatness.
Cynicism and pessimism also governs your assessment of Obama’s potential position on Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yes, Obama in the context of the election campaign said some disheartening things about expanding the war in Afghanistan, and about possible strikes on targets in Pakistan. I have condemned these position on numerous occasions. For example, in my article, “Drilling and Killing for God,” I stated:
“Yesterday, September 3, 2008, United States ground forces swept into Pakistan in a raid that resulted in the deaths of 21 Pakistani civilians. This raid has evoked outrage across Pakistan, and is a clear and unnecessary violation of Pakistani sovereignty. It comes in the context of increasing attacks in Afghanistan that are resulting in the deaths of a growing number of civilians. An example of such raids is the recent one on the Afghan village of Azizabad that reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 90 civilians, 50 of them children.
All of this is occurring during the evolving American election campaign in which both major party candidates, the Republican John McCain, and his Democratic rival Barack Obama, have identified Afghanistan as the “good” war that America should be directing the bulk of her military resources towards. If indeed America decides to expand its role in Afghanistan, then it is headed into a serious confrontation with grave implications for this country.
First of all, any expanded role for America in Afghanistan will necessitate an expanded role for American air power, a role that will inevitably result in more widespread Afghani civilian casualties. The rising number of civilian casualties will lead to a more popular and widespread Afghan resistance. As the Afghan resistance expands into a full-fledge Jihad, it will be far more than a fight against isolated Taliban units, although America will present an expanded conflict as a fight against the Taliban in order to maintain domestic support for what will be an increasingly unjust war.”
However, to assume, as you do, that “He (in fact any President) will never be good news for us” is overly pessimistic, for it assumes that all US Presidents are the same, and that the policies they pursue do not differ in their implications for the Muslim world. The inaccurate nature of your assumption is revealed by the fact that Obama and his team are already drafting plans to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and to extend constitutional protections to the prisoners there. That is a stark reversal of President Bush’s policies. He is going to dismiss the heads of both the CIA and military intelligence as part of a sweeping effort to dismantle the regime of legalized torture constructed by Bush. All of these plans have deep implications for Muslims, and they are in stark opposition to his presidential predecessor. Hence, to argue that the person of the president of the United States is meaningless as far as Muslims are concerned is a debatable position.
As for the relations between Obama and American Muslims, had Senator Obama overtly identified strongly with our community he would have probably lost the election, it is that simple. The opportunities such identification would have provided for the right wing propaganda machine would have been enormous and difficult for the Obama campaign to have overcome. However, to imply, as you do, that Obama’s position on the Muslim community and that of the McCain campaign or the Bush administration is one and the same with no positive implications for Muslims, is simplistic thinking.
At the end of the day, had Senator Obama strongly identified with the American Muslim community, would we have his back covered? Would we have spent tens of millions of dollars to counter what would have been an expanded “Obsession” campaign by creating and then disseminating DVDs that showed Islam and Muslims in a positive light? Would we have held house gatherings of the type sponsored by “Move On” to explain our positions and beliefs to our non-Muslim neighbors? Would we have stepped forward with millions of dollars to offset the campaign contributions he would have lost? The answer to each question is, no. If that is the case, why would we even expect Senator Obama to make strong overtures to our community when we know that as a community, we would not have done what is necessary to justify him taking the risk?
Despite the risks, Senator Obama did reach out to Muslims in the ways I mentioned in my article. You can also rest assured that he vetted and approved of Colin Powell’s defense of Islam and Muslims in the statement he made when he endorsed Obama on “Meet The Press.” You dismiss these issues by stating:
“I am left thinking what is the big issue with that? Of course that is what he would do [that]; we shouldn’t have expected any less of him. He didn’t feel the Muslims important enough to have paid them a personal visit; he in fact distanced himself as far away as possible from us.”
The big issue is that the McCain campaign did none of the above. There was absolutely no outreach to Muslims at any level. Furthermore, as opposed to what Obama and his campaign actually did or endorsed, elements in the McCain camp were mounting a smear campaign to link Obama with Islam and to link Islam with terrorism, fascism, and irrational anti-American violence. In light of that situation, the position taken by Obama, his campaign and his surrogates was a very big deal deserving of Muslim support.
You imply that it is wrong for Muslims in America to consider a strategy rooted in our specific interest. You state in that regard:
“This insular way of thinking is one of the main problems with the Muslims today I feel. We are one body according to our beloved Nabi (saw) and we should therefore be feeling the pain of the rest of our body, whether it is in Palestine, Afghanistan or Iraq etc, but instead we are happy and content if the Muslims in America receive a few smiles and leftovers… because that’s all it will be. Are we so happy with this situation that we will support this system and even vote for it in our muddled delusion?”
There are several issues in this statement that demand attention. First of all, it is oxymoronic, for you mention Palestine, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Are not the Muslims in each of these countries doing what they feel is best for themselves based on their “insular” view of their situation? Do you think a Muslim in Palestine is giving a second thought to what is in the best interest of Afghani Muslims when he is deciding on how to get fuel delivered to the Gaza Strip to get electricity to hospitals turned on? Of course not! He or she is looking at the immediate situation that he or she is confronted with and how he or she can best affect that situation with his or her direct action.
Does this mean that he is she does not care about the situation in Afghanistan? It does not. However, as I mentioned in my original article, all politics are local, and if we cannot begin to address local issues in a meaningful way and to organize locally, first and foremost, we are never going to be able to affect events at a national or an international level.
Your statement also implies a bad opinion of other Muslims here in the U.S., namely that we do not feel the pain of Muslims suffering in other parts of the world. I would argue that Muslims here in the U.S. are as concerned about Muslims in other parts of the world as Muslims in other western countries, if not more so. However, we realize that if we do not subordinate our global concerns to that of forming a viable strategy that can unite us here in America, and build real strength in this country where we can eventually have a far more positive impact on foreign policy formation, then we will never do great things elsewhere.
You mention at the end of your letter:
“..and yet many Muslims will be asked on the Day of Judgment about why they supported a man and system that is actively seeking to harm Islam and the Muslims around the world. I hope they have an answer…”
Here is my answer. O God! In this past presidential election campaign Muslims in America were presented with a clear choice: One candidate, Senator Obama, committed to the proposition that America is a constitutional democracy where the rule of law should be respected, and another candidate whose running mate derisively dismissed the rule of law, on the night before that candidate accepted his party’s nomination to run for president, by quipping that Obama wants to “read terrorists their rights.” We were presented with one candidate, Obama, who stated that American military power should be used judiciously as a last resort, and another, McCain, who was committed to a hundred-years-war, in principle. We had a choice between one candidate, Obama, who built a wide coalition that represented the youth, disaffected whites, and racial minorities, who promised the prospect of meaningful change consistent with the changing nature of American society, and another, McCain, who presented an increasingly narrow message that promised holding on to old prejudices and denying the changing nature of American society and the world. We had a choice between one candidate, Obama, who promised to protect our environment, and another, McCain, who promised to complete the destruction of all of the environmental protection standards that had been started by his predecessor. The callousness of McCain’s apporoach in this regard was captured in a slogan his campaign popularized, “Drill Baby Drill!” Finally, we had a choice between one candidate, Obama, who was shaped by a pastor who fiercely condemned the excesses of American power, and the injustices in American society, and another, McCain, who sought the endorsement of a pastor, Rod Parsley, who believes it is the historical mission of America to destroy Islam. That the overwhelming majority of American Muslims, under these circumstances, supported Obama is nothing we should be ashamed of or apologize for.
Does that mean everything promised by Senator Obama will be delivered? No. To again reiterate, “The heavy lifting that will be required to make the sacrifices necessary to usher in a new day in American society will be undertaken, on the ground, by members of this coalition.” FDR did not run on a platform that promised the sweeping reforms of the New Deal. It was pressure from below that pushed him to make those reforms. LBJ did not run on a platform that promised sweeping civil-rights legislation. Again, it was pressure from below that urged those reforms. Major advances in America have always been motivated by pressure from below. However, that pressure from below has to be met by a president with vision and courage if it is to translate into any meaningful change in American policies and institutions. In that regard, if we as Muslims do what we must do, along with others, to generate real pressure from below, then we are hopeful that President Obama will make a real difference in the quality of our lives and the quality of the lives of many people around the world, both Muslims and others.
This ability to hope is what makes America, for all of its many abuses, excesses, and imperfections, such a unique place, and as we know, hope is one of the fundamental virtues advanced by Islamic teachings. Hence, until the verdict of history proves otherwise, can we contribute to a better world under President Obama’s leadership? Yes We Can! That, at least, is our hope.
Hamza’s Response
asalamu alaikum Imam Zaid, i hope you are well. May Allah (swt) continue to bless you
Thank you for taking time out to reply. I know you are really busy. The pessimism you found in my original comment is, in my opinion, not pessimism, it is rather a position of clarity based upon history and the removal of his (Obama’s) rhetoric. The USA has, since 1945; been directly responsible for the destruction of 50 governments, including democracies, and 30 popular liberation movements, causing the deaths of countless (10’s of millions) innocent men, women and children, let us not forget the 1 million plus Muslims in the past 5 years. The lies told to the world about these events were deep and shows us, if we care to look, that the hadith of our beloved Nabi (saw) is true where he is reported to have said:
“The time of the Dajjal will be years of confusion. People will believe a liar, and disbelieve one who tells the truth. People will distrust one who is trustworthy, and trust one who is treacherous; and the Ruwaybidha will have a say.” Someone asked: “Who are they?” He said: “Those who rebel against Allah and will have a say in general affairs.” I do not feel this behavior will change because of the promises of a new liberal black man seeking office, despite what the illusion of change may appear to be. He says he wants to build up US military power; and he threatens to ignite a new war in Pakistan, killing yet more Muslims.
I am not going to be fooled into buying into his idea of “Change” when that just means a change of location for more Muslim deaths. We should remember that although Obama distanced himself from Bush during his campaign, Obama voted to give Bush what he wanted for the wars.
I also cannot and will not separate his foreign policy positions from his domestic ones because for me they are related. However, I hope you are proved right, and that I am proved wrong. Just because the face has changed it doesn’t mean the things we care about will.
With love,
Hamza
comments
By Rowda on November 13, 2008 -- 12:01pm
Jazak Allahu Khairan Imam Zaid. Your eloquent and optimistic response elevates the discourse around whether president-elect Obama is going to be “good for Muslims”.
You are absolutely right in pointing this out:
“Why would we even expect Senator Obama to make strong overtures to our community when we know that as a community, we would not have done what is necessary to justify him taking the risk?” Even if we had the financial resources to do so, would we have donated them to his campaign?
The point is that no man, Obama or otherwise, is capable of healing all the wounds, and righting all the wrongs that have been inflicted on Muslims, and non-Muslims around the world as a result of the current administration’s policies.
Anyone who watched the fundamentally progressive, grass roots movement that helped elect Obama to the presidency must be completely cynical to think that Obama will not be good to Muslims in the long run. Even the closure of the dungeons of Guantanamo will be of benefit to the hundreds of Muslims still trapped there, if that is all he ever does. Where is our gratitude to God for that mercy?
Obama’s agreeing to meet with Iran’s leader without preconditions despite enormous political risks to himself, can be construed as a gesture of openness and goodwill to Muslims. Shouldn’t we applaud him for having the spine to say that?
At the end of the day, Obama has to operate in the political reality of this world. That reality includes making many nuanced decisions, and having to walk a very precarious tight rope where each and every act and decision of his will be scrutinized. It’s enough that Muslims constantly have their integrity and good will questioned, why would we want to inflict that on anyone else? Where is our decency in thinking good of others, and having a good opinion about what God has in store for us in the future?
Muslims will collectively benefit from any positive changes brought about by the next President, whether he overtly supports Muslims or not. If he supports clean technologies which will protect our planet, if he supports the right to people having adequate health care, if he supports freeing students from crushing debt if they give back to their communities, doesn’t it go to reason that Muslims would benefit from these policies as well? Isn’t that something to be grateful for?
Thank you for decisively taking on this argument head on.
Umm Medina
PS I’am a Canadian.
By ayesha on November 14, 2008 -- 12:25am
Thank you for this reminder that Muslims have to work much much harder to be taken seriously and to be an integral part of society at all levels in our Western homelands.
We have the infrastructure, the resources and the rights to take meaningful action to better ourselves and society. Muslims have a great deal to offer our home countries.
However, the mentality of suspicion and cynicism and the attitude of placing blame and that it is ‘us against the conspiracy /system’ will only cause defeat and frustration before there is even have a chance for progress.
I am really tired of the excuse that nothing we do will be good enough or work against the ‘system’
While each small, individual action may not even be visible by itself, collectively progress will be made and we each still have a duty to do our part regardless of what everyone else does.
Thank you again Imam Zaid for your response.
By samieh karami on November 14, 2008 -- 5:28am
asalamu laykum
zaynub, i think the problem we are facing as muslims, america, and the world at large can be pointed out in your comments.
“However, the mentality of suspicion and cynicism and the attitude of placing blame and that it is
By samieh karami on November 14, 2008 -- 5:32am
Imam zaid ....salamu laykum….if my comment doesnt fit your criterion, then let me know… i am working on a letter/essay/article..and would like your response, comments, opinion.
By samieh karami on November 14, 2008 -- 6:17am
ATTENTION….. IMAM ZAID I AM WORKING ON A LETTER TO YOU ON THIS…I GOT CARRIED AWAY ON THIS… I DIDNT INTEND TO COMMENT THIS LONG AND WOULD LIKE TO COMPLETE THE LETTER IN ITS ENTIRETY SO THAT YOU MAY RESPOND.
HOWEVER I EDITED SOMEWHAT THIS PAGE YOU ARE LOOKING AT. AND IF YOU WOULD DELETE THE OTHER THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
I STARTED TO RESPOND TO A COMMENT THEN TOTALLY WENT IN ANOTHER DIRECTION. SO ITS A LITTLE MIXED UP…..ALOT OF WHAT I WANTED TO WRITETO YOU IS IN HERE BUT NOT COMPLETE.
IF YOU APPROVE ON YOUR WEBSITE THIS COMMENT GREAT. IF NOT THEN I WILL COMPLETE THE LETTER INSHALLAH
WITH LOVE, SALAMU LAYKUM
SAMIEH
asalamu laykum.
i think the problem we are facing as muslims, america, and the world at large can be pointed out in some comments below the article on the blog.
“However, the mentality of suspicion and cynicism and the attitude of placing blame and that it is
By jinnzaman on November 14, 2008 -- 1:04pm
Assalamu alaikum
May this reach you in the best state of health and iman. Ameen.
Jazakallah khairun for taking a critical approach to Obama’s election. I think it is excellent that you supported him but also criticized him for his policies.
With that said, do you view the American political system to be a fundamentally democratic system free from the coercive actions of special interest groups, financial elites, and corporations? If the answer is “yes” then wouldn’t you agree that the Constitutional system which sets up a bipartisan system through the electoral college will never produce a leader through the Democrats or Republicans who will be able to challenge the structure of power and class relations in the US?
Also, why not support the Green Party in non-swing states as Noam Chomsky advocated? The Green Party has a platform that conforms to the interests of the Muslim community in several ways. For one thing, they want to cut off all aid to Israel and desire to recognize a Palestinian state. If they accomplished this, this would demilitarize the entire region and enable the promotion of democracy in the region since the logic behind supporting oppressive monarchs and dictators would be taken away.
Also, Cynthia McKinney was not only Black but also a woman. This would help deal with not only the problem of racism but also the problem of misogyny.
It seems strange to support Obama on the grounds that he advocates a change from the Bush administration, but to ignore that their are other viable alternatives in the US political system. Perhaps not at the Presidential level, but definitely at the state and local government level.
Jazakallah khairun and may Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) reward you for your efforts and grant us all hidayah. Ameen.
masalama
By MR on November 14, 2008 -- 1:15pm
Imam Zaid just owned all the Obama haters.
What about the Obama lovers?
By Hamzah bin Talib on November 15, 2008 -- 10:17am
Bismillah
Salaam,
It’s refreshing to hear the Imam speak about this subject with a balanced critique. May we all benefit from this discussion. Ameen.
This article is especially powerful because, as American Muslims, we have a tendency to focus on the politics of other Muslim countries without appreciating or respecting our own political advantages and needs.
It is completely naive to continuously be inactive and detached from our own local and national political movements because of the situations of Muslims in countries thousands of miles away.
Do wealthy Muslim nations finance mosques in impoverished American ghettos?
Not in the neighborhoods that I come from…
Do I blame them for that? No, because I realize that they have their own issues and problems that require their immediate attention.
Similarly, we should have the same mindset, which means, “Do positive work where it is effective, and make dua for everything and everyone else.”
I didn’t support Obama, but I could see why others did. As a matter of fact, most Muslim countries supported President-Elect “Hussein” (wink) for precisely the same reasons that Imam Zaid just recently stated, and this isn’t because they were mesmerized by his eloquence or skin color, but rather it was because it was a clear step in the right direction for this country, and thus for the world.
Furthermore, by being thoroughly pessimistic with our political system, we are disregarding the sunna and tradition of the Prophets such as Yusuf, who was the secretary of treasury for the king of Egypt, and our Prophet Muhammad, who made an alliance with the Quraish despite the clear disadvantages for the Muslims that had been stipulated in the treaty of Hudaibiya. (May peace and blessings be upon them both)
Basically, we have one of two choices: We can work with this administration to change some of the problems that this country and the world is facing. Or, we can sit back and complain about our situation and probably do something more detrimental to ourselves by doing nothing, which is in fact only makes the problems worse.
I leave the choice to you.
Salaam
By Hamza on November 15, 2008 -- 12:35pm
asalamu alaikum Imam Zaid, i hope you are well. May Allah (swt) continue to bless you
Thank you for taking time out to reply. I know you are really busy.
You wrote a very detailed reply mashallah to which I am not able to fully respond to. What I will say, however, is the pessimism you found in my original comment is, in my opinion, not pessimism, it is rather a position of clarity based upon history and the removal of his rhetoric.
The USA has, since 1945; been directly responsible for the destruction of 50 governments, including democracies, and 30 popular liberation movements, causing the deaths of countless (10
By Zarlasht on November 16, 2008 -- 11:56am
Asalaamu alaykum
Dear Br. Hamza,
Your critique of President Obama
By Saalakhan on November 19, 2008 -- 10:22am
Assalaamu Alaikum:
I truly appreciate the respectfully made argumentation that ensued between Br. Hamza and Imam Zaid, regarding the Obama presidency. This is precisely the type (and tone) of challenge Muslim leaders should receive on the major issues of the day. Shukran, Br. Hamza.
That said, I am in full agreement with the response delivered by Imam Zaid to the questions and issues raised by Br. Hamza. As additional food for thought, I’d like to share the closing paragraphs of our press release of Nov. 5th (the day after Obama officially became president-elect):
“We, in The Peace And Justice Foundation, sincerely believe that The Almighty has given America another opportunity (perhaps the last opportunity) to get it right. We pray that the millions of peace and justice-loving souls of this nation will recognize their responsibility, and not allow this historic opportunity to be squandered.
“On this memorable occasion, we think it prudent to remind us all of a brief but powerful dialogue that occurred in the aftermath of the Constitutional Convention of 1789, which established the U.S. [at least theoretically] as a nation predicated on “liberty and justice for all.”
“At the conclusion of the convention, one of the senior most “founding fathers” was asked by one of the reporters of the time: ‘What have you wrought?’ Acording to the historical record, Benjamin Franklin’s response was, ‘A republic, if you can keep it!’
“The work begins anew. May God help us.”
For the sake of this particular record, I would simply add that as Muslims, with the divinely-given mandate for being “exemplars” for the rest of humanity, we share in the global responsibility to do all that we can to bring about positive CHANGE.
Fulfilling this mandate will require far more from us than merely being content to VOICE our support for, or in opposition to, any prospective leader (whether he or she be Muslim or non-Muslim).
May ALLAH bless us to understand the faith-based work that needs to be done (on the ground among the people of the land), and may ALLAH (swt) bless us to DO this very important, indeed critical, work!
El-Hajj Mauri’ Saalakhan
By adem on November 23, 2008 -- 5:50pm
Assalamu alaikum:
I also wish to support Imam Zaid’s clear-sighted and practical approach. As Muslims we can encourage the good in our leaders, recognizing the pluralistic world we live in, and in order to serve all of humanity, not just Muslim interests narrowly defined. Human interests are Muslim interests—let us have some confidence that that orientation to service is a strength and not a weakness.
The USA is divided. Now with the small but real shift in parties in power, the government must continue to create consensus, and so our patient push (and insha’Allah moral light) is needed to move policies in directions we wish to see. But we have to communicate well, be strategic, not locked in our own small heads but seeking larger hearts.
We Muslim must also not be locked in our own “clash of civilizations” paradigm. Reality-based change allows for more complexity in human relations…
I hope we will soon see accountable Muslim leadership draw up a political platform that includes a wide range of human concerns, including of course justice in situations of oppression. And how does it go? “We are the change we have been looking for”...
May Allah guide us!
By Saleem Abdul Hamid on November 25, 2008 -- 8:29am
Assalaamu ‘Alaikum,
Before stating my own misgivings on the question at hand, I want to request that all who read this should first make sincere du’aa to Allah for guidance in this matter to whichever side is most pleasing to Him. The reality is that Shaytaan and especially Nafs can bind our minds with obstinacy and argumentation even when enough objective fact exists to recognize the truth; unless Allah has mercy upon us! I make the same Du’aa for myself.
What seems to me the glaring omission of the argument that Muslims should have voted for Obama (or anyone else) and/or be pleased at his election, is the question of personal responsibility.
We each will go into the grave individually and be asked about our own actions. Therefore, when encouraging a Muslim to vote, what is being implied is that by voting for a certain person, we will gain the pleasure of Allah and/or some reward in the hereafter- after all, that is the motivation for every action of a Muslim. If there is a possibility of gaining the pleasure of Allah through voting for the right person/policies, does it not follow that voting for the wrong person would earn the anger of Allah? How do we choose between the two in the fundamentally flawed system that is American national politics?
More specifically, when a Muslim goes into the ballot box and chooses Obama for President, will he not then be questioned in front of Allah for his part, when that Obama pushes the button that bombs Muslim households in Afghanistan, or for that matter, for the deaths of the Muajaahideen fighting for freedom on any number of American-motivated/supported battlefields, when he signs off to send more weapons to Zionist occupiers in Palestine? When Obama pushes for acceptance of sodomy and abortion, is that Muslim voter not a party to that action in the sight of Allah? This is especially true in the case of Obama since these are positions he has taken upfront, so there is no question of the excuse that we were well-intentioned but he reneged on his promises. In that vein, Muslims who voted for Bush in his first term might be more excusable than those currently supporting Obama. As you may recall, at the time Muslims were being pushed to support Bush because of his conservative stance on sodomy, abortion, etc. and in reaction to Clinton’s adultery scandal. There was no knowledge at that time that he would take the foreign policy stands that he took in response to 9/11.
How can a Muslim be morally justified to express delight in the election of a man who will expand an unjust war against Afghanistan, continue financial and military support for Zionism, and have his hands wet with the blood of Muslims before his first month in office? In this regard, as someone here has already pointed out, third-party candidates and their supporters are showing more commitment to their convictions than the voting Muslim.
It’s not a question of optimism and pessimism. Muslims are always optimistic for the mercy of Allah, who caused Musa (alayhis-salaam) to be raised in the court of Firaun. But would it have been morally justified for a Jew of the time to support Firaun’s regime on the knowledge that Allah was using his food to feed a prophet? We can recognize that hand of Allah in all things, but we can’t support something wrong with the realization that in the end it will turn out all right. We can hope that Obama was “just kidding” on some of his campaign promises or that he just had to make those statements in order to get elected in this political climate, but adding our name to his supporters based on that hope seems foolish.
Many Muslims rightfully feel that we need to be active. Alhumdulillah, we have many, many avenues for individual and collective activism that do not require the sacrifice of our individual moral responsibilities or any compromise of our religion. For example, now that he has been elected, I see nothing wrong in Muslim organizations engaging with Obama to encourage him to become a Muslim/cease US transgressions against Muslims here and abroad.
Wallaahu ‘alam wa ‘ilmuhu atam,
Saleem
By Muslimah on November 28, 2008 -- 9:36am
Assalamulaikum,
I pray that you are all in the best of health and emaan.
I am deeply grateful for the informative responses.
I have been personally vacillating between these two opinions, and while I can understand to some degree where Br. Hamza is coming from, I also learned a great deal from Imam Zaid Shakir’s response.
While as Muslims we must approach every situation with the utmost hope and best expectactions from Allah (SWT), there is some basis for distrust and skepticism of the new President elect.
While the personal nuances of individual administrations have changed throughout the preceding century, the net overall effect of US foreign policy has remained essentially the same.
I think many people look at Mr. Obama, and see glimpses of the ‘Oprah Effect’: where you use a visible minority figure to appeal to a traditionally ‘hard to reach’ demographic of people: women, minorities, etc. However, the financial status, economic interests, and overall condition of this figure are diametrically opposed to the demographic that primarily identifies with them.
Thus, while Oprah elicits the attention and support of a wide segment of ethnic women, African American and not, she herself has more in common with the bloodsucking multinational corporations that seek to exploit these people daily.
I think this is what people instinctively feel about Obama. His campaign was flawlessly orchestrated: moving oratory, heart-rending campaign imagery, complete with a handy slogan for people to cling to and assemble under, like this was some kind of faux battle between the bad movie monster and the good guy.
The entire thing smacks of disingenuity and politcal artifice, but it’s what people wanted after G.W. Bush. The average Joe wanted to be reassured after the deeply troubling Presidency of George W. Bush, that things would ‘be okay’. Many people intuitively realized that the entire Bush Presidency hinted very strongly at something being deeply wrong with the American political system, and rather than confront themselves with this reality, it is easier to accept the idea that ‘the problem has been solved, because we made Obama win’.
If you consider who Obama was running against, it would be absurd if he didn’t win.
Obama, in the initial stages of his campagin, has made the requisite promises that are standard fare for any politician. In August 2007 he vowed to attack Pakistan if necessary, he’s promised Israel that their ‘safety is sacrosanct’ (interesting choice of words), while allowing the campaign to end on the movie credits of ‘hope and change’.
While the grim spectre of Guantanamo will be dismantled, inshAllah, there are hundreds of isolated, nameless torture camps under US ministration throughout the world. I think the fear is that people will forget about the severity and depth of the problem and become complacent once again, because of a few reassuring changes and tweaks.
But all of that being said, these are disquieting thoughts that must be considered but not allowed to govern our attitudes and our initiatives. All Americans, Muslim or not, should not allow themselves to become complacent no matter who is office…we must watch and follow the moves of this administration closely and make sure that our voices are heard.
We are by no means a powerless group of people, and we need to sincerely struggle against feelings of hopelessness and despair, while at the same time not running away from the reality of any situation.
Sorry for writing such a long essay, and thank you all again this interesting discussion.
By Basim Salim on December 1, 2008 -- 9:31am
Assalamu Alaykum WaRahmatullah,
Truly progress in society can only be made by criticizing concepts and challenging the ideas of others and I am glad there is a good discussion going on. Although I cannot say much on this topic because I am a Canadian and I have not been following the elections and what is going on in the U.S. I do want to say something from a perspective that is outside of the U.S. sphere of politics.
The bottom line I see in both arguments is pretty clear cut to me. Imam Zaid simply acknowledges Senate Obama’s win and has hopes that he will do well InshAllah despite some holes in his policies. While on the other had, we have Dear Br. Hamza arguing there is really nothing to get out of this election because things wont change because Obama’s campaign was just all words to win the election.
I have to say and agree with Imam Zaid when he gave the response to what he will answer to God on the Day of Judgement. It’s pretty simple from my opinion, when you have two, let’s say cars, sitting in front of you. Both of them seem to claim different things, one says, I go really fast and Ill get you from point A to point B, but I take a lot of Gas and make a lot of noise, but I’ll get you there. The other one says, I’m economical, I’m also a hybrid and I might not be that roomy but I’m safe. Now you look at both of the cars, you haven’t test driven them. There are reviews about them from industry experts and the manufacturers themselves. Who do you believe? Clearly the one that appeals to you most. You really have no choice. In the case of the U.S. elections, we have two choices and we had to make a critical and logical decision of who is most promising. As Imam Zaid mentioned, Obama sounded better out of the two.
If you negate Obama then your left with McCain, if you negate McCain then your left with Obama. So what does this mean, instead of saying, this president is not good and that president is not good. Why do we not instead come together as community of Muslims, seeing that there are millions of Muslims in the United States, form their own party, try to run for presidency if our current president is doing a really bad job.
My opinion as a sincere Muslim is that, we should really look to ourselves first to see whether what’s happening around the world is our fault? Do we litter and blame the corporations for pollution? Do we spent $100 on meals and then blame the governments of Africa for not supporting the poor? I don’t have to speak any further but, Obama wanted change and he stood up for elections and if we want true change then we need to change ourselves first and then stand up to change something in this world.
I ask Allah Ta’ala to raise a people whom He loves and they love Him. Let those people be the Light of this world and raise this Ummah and take them to Paradise by the will of Allah and his Rasool (May Peace and Blessings be upon Him).
All Praise is to Allah, the Lord of all Worlds.
WaSalaamuAlaykum Warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,
- Basim Salim
By Ali Faruk on December 3, 2008 -- 8:28am
Thank you for your thoughtful and eloquent response Imam Zaid. I voted for Barack Obama because I thought he was good for all Americans and not just Muslims.
By Uthmaan on December 9, 2008 -- 8:10pm
“Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
-Verse from Qur’an
By samieh on December 16, 2008 -- 7:05am
asalamu laykum ...
i respect and love imam zaid very much alhamdullelah. i strongly disagree with bottom line of the whole friendly debate. imam zaid has provided strong proofs very eloquently as well as br. hamza as far as my opinon goes.
there are very strong arguments from eminant ulama who take both opinons. that voting is haram or encouraged. so its basically futile to debate the validaty of either opinon as a valid opinon. the question is what is appropriate in the moment of history, that we are in? its for lack of a better comparison like a template. both are valid. which one to plug in to the equasion is the question? making things even more difficult is how long this destructive and usless type of debating has gone on for. to the point where i assume imam zaid is constantly having to refute his opinons and the opinons of the ulema against rediculus claims, like suicide is permisible under certain situations, were your hands are in salat, prayer beads being haram ect. most debate and argument is about valid difference of opinons unfortunatly mashallah.
the real issue i see is us seeing the state of affairs in the world as they are. our desires, the neffs and our own collective self induced pathetic state with our love affair with this dunya has completly blinded our hearts for the most part. and shayton authoo belah has certainly capitalized.
america has been no doubt been infiltrated and taken over at the highest levels and then those elements have been compartmentalized in key positions all the way down to the bottom. we were clearly warned of this by the last true president of the united states john f kennedy. let us briefly take a look at what is documented and proved in history. kennedy has a pres confrence with the heads of media where he asks them for help in warning the american people. he says that we are in grave danger. he speaks of a massive international conspirisy threating the world at large. he mentions how we are against secret societies, secret oaths and secret orders. he says much more to this and his solution is that he is completly confindent in the american people if they are well informed and educated on this subject that american people will prevail. also kennedy signs an executive order to abolish the illegal and unconstatutional mainly foreign offshore criminal federal reserve bank mainly owned by the rothschilds. who has nothing to do with federal except that they have essentially full power over the federal gov. and treasury. as allan greenspan clearly mentioned in the last month during an interview. this documentsigned by kennedy still hasnt been overturned by the way and is law. then the north woods documentmakes its way to kennedys desk. now declassifed secret documentthat the lifers in the pentagon and high level cia propose several options or combination of for a pretext to war with cuba. some of wich include highjacking civillian airliners and blowing them up. bombing wa shayton dc(which the infrastructure of is filled with satanic and masonic symbolism from pentagrams to the white house sitting on molech’s stomach) or white house. using black opps special forces to attack marines in guantanimo bay. all to blame it on the cubans for a pretext to go to war with cuba. hmmm sounds familar doesnt it? then of course his friction with the zionist as well. of course he wanted to bring the troops home from vietnam. kennedy was no angel but he drew the line and stood for the american people and constitution.
so shortly after all this he was shot in the head in brood daylight. will those who have been guided to al-furqon and follow prophet muhammad salallahu alayhe wasallam the most couragest of all the sons of adam alay salam still childishly shout ‘‘conspiracy theory’’ ?
let us look at and examine albert pike. the alleged founder or cofounder of the KKK and NRA in the same year. he was a general of the south in the 1800’s and 33 degree FREEMASON. while the masses of freemasons are merely part of a fraternal order to build and better society the highest levels were and still are lucifarian. pike admits this in his available book ‘‘morals and dogmas’’ a book written for other high ranking freemasons and a handbook on masonic ritual. the other elite masons were debating there creed and how they descibe their so called god. some called him ja-bal-on others used different titles and manifistations of iblees through out time authoo belah. all of wich were deities worshoped in dark and satanic rituals. bal stands for baal of the old testament. well pike comes out and declares the ‘‘luciferian doctrine’’ that there is no need to hide the identity of the so called chief architect of the universe. they were powerfull and secret enough to be unified in the name they used for iblees. pike goes on to explain how they would take over and reshape the world with three world wars. ww1, ww2 were so accuratly described that there is little room for debate that they were major factors behind theese events. i mean precisly described. let us look to the leaders of those nations of those wars. they were almost if not all in secret societys that were sworn by death to there organazations. the bavarian illuminate founded in 1776 is the international network of these satanic orders. the 3 world war is to be mainly between the jewish(zionist)/christian military idustrial complex essentially and the muslim world. is it not strange these events facilitated the fall of the calipha, and the rise of the imposter state of israel? all the oppressive puppets of ‘‘west’’ in place in the muslim lands? if you doubt this read pikes book, read adam weishaupt’s own writings the founder of the illuminati who’s goal was to create a new world order to get rid of all nation states and religons under a one world gov. and religon. how many will look down on the writter in with unaware arrogance as the offspring of these same family bloodlines and names today are repeatadly calling for a new world order in the news, right in our faces.
David Rockefeller says this in his memoirs a book he wrote : “For more than a century ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as
By samieh on December 16, 2008 -- 7:06pm
salam ‘alaikum
imam zaid, i intent to do some editing to the long long response i left. editing in structure and grammar. so i will inshallah email early this morning the edited response. i hope that it is print worthy. and none the less at least ive expressed my self to you, and inshallah you can advise me with some wisdom.
thanks
salamu laikum
By Jerry on December 26, 2008 -- 8:51am
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be upon to all of you and God
By Molly Darden on December 26, 2008 -- 12:52pm
As-salaamu alaikum. Your profound, well-thought out comments guide and inspire us to bring balance and calm in our newest challenges.
Thank you.
By Mahdi Lock on January 1, 2009 -- 2:07am
Assalaam alaykum,
Has anyone read a book called ‘A Brutal Friendship: The West and the Arab States’? I think we need to look deeper; look at the bigger pitcture and compare with the data we have in Revelation.
Br Hamza was on the mark about Obama being quiet about Gaza. It’s the sixth day now and he hasn’t said anything.
While Imam Zaid has mentioned a few good points about Obama, a perusal of his overall foreign policy, and especially a look at his cabinet, should indicate that continuity more than change is the name of the game.
That is essentially the difference between Democrats and Republicans. They both have and will continue to do much harm, but the difference is that the Democrats will be far more eloquent and stylish while going about it. Remember Clinton’s saxophone? People thought that was cute but he killed far more Iraqis than Bush has.
Indeed presidents are different and have different policies, but these differences are within limits as all presidents serve the same masters, i.e. Wall Street, the military industrial complex, the CFR etc. In one word: the globalist elite. Bush proposed the $700 billion Wall Street bailout and both McCain and Obama vociferously supported it.
The truth is that Obama’s election is a very shrewd move by the globalist elite. More and more people are waking up to how crooked their government is, and it’s amazing that in 2002 Michael Moore published ‘Stupid White Men’, a popular work highly critical of a stupid white man in the White House, and six years later the Democrats put forward a white woman and a black man and in the end the clever black man becomes president.
Imam Zaid’s point about being optimistic is spot on. That’s the Sunnah. I’m not optimistic about Obama but I’m optimistic about how many people stated and manifested their opposition to the status quo, and this in turn could cause severe probles for Obama if he doesn’t live up to all the promises he has made. All politicians make promises during their election campaigns and break most if not all of them once in office, and we more or less expect it and accept. Obama is different because the support he gathered was phenomenal. People have very high expectations of him. If he simply bows down to the global elite and their agenda he could be in big trouble.
They plan and Allah plans, and Allah is the best of planners. The globlist elite have made a shrewd move, like I said, but it could backfire.
And with Allah alone is every success!
Assalaam alaykum
By Hassan on January 3, 2009 -- 11:20pm
As a Muslim who voted for Obama, I am very much sympathetic to Hamza’s point on the terror projected to the rest of the world by the US. The data is in fact clear if we take the time time to look. That being said I believe that a choice of the lesser of two evils was necessary in this case. I think Zaid has a point when he mentions the nuances of the political system. I am sure Hamza understands a lot of the other points you raised…..intuitively I think most of us do. But the pain point I think lies in working with the system when the agenda has been to manipulate the masses in support of state terrorism around the world for decades. It is our duty to work from bottom up in order to ameliorate the burden’s of our brothers abroad. This does not mean we get drunk on the koolaid as it is positioned or defend the propaganda machine to eternity but that we become organized as a political entities with an agenda both abroad and locally. We should think locally and act globally as it necessitates.
By Khalid Abu Malik on January 6, 2009 -- 3:19am
Assalaamu alaikum,
This last comment is about the nearest to truth I’ve seen read about Barak Obama. I’d love to see this thread get updated with the recent onslaught in Gaza and the materialization of Obama’s Cabinet picks (and his complete vaporization on the Gaza issue), to say nothing of his choice to give the inaugural speech/prayer.
If Obama doesn’t explode onto the scene on the 20th and completely reverse the direction of American policy towards Muslims and Israel, he should probably be considered to have dashed the hopes of Muslim supporters in record time. I still strain to understand how he can seriously mention his hypothetical reaction to his daughters sleeping in range of Hamas rockets, and not see the far greater converse of living in a land that an occupying nation has put under near total siege for over 18 months. And which has suffered brutal military assaults over and over again, costing thousands and thousands of innocent lives. They should just put notes in those rockets asking for some food. They’re hardly more than toy model rockets against the best that America and Israel can put together with billions of dollars.
It’s absolutely insane that people seriously debate such things as the equity of warfare between Israel and the Palestinians, or, for that matter, the equality of American policy towards Muslims under President A or President-Elect B, as if these matters stood any chance of being rectified from within the current context they exist.
Jazak Allahu khairun, wasalaam,
Khalid
By Selin on February 18, 2009 -- 2:00pm
I’ve gotta say that I agree with both sides. It would be hard to deny the positive connotations that come along with the election of President Obama. Not only are his policies far better than those of McCain’s were, his “minority” status is what should place hope in Muslims. As a very intelligent speaker, Dr. Jackson said at the RIS conference in Toronto s couple of months ago, his success, which would have been unthinkable half a century ago, should place hope in Muslims that we can rise from our minority position to be the leaders of the most powerful nations in the planet.
However, I have to agree with Brother Hamza to an extent, as well. Obama, while far better than McCain, still has plans to continue war against the Muslims. My only hope is that he is sincere in his intentions of overthrowing the Taliban, and doesn’t go on a civillian-killing spree like Bush has done in Iraq.
On a final note, I want to mention that I just discovered this website, and I’d like to express how much I appreciate you, Imam Zaid, for selflessly sharing your wisdom and spreading inspiration and motivation across the world. You have tremendously helped me strengthen my iman, and I can’t express my gratitude in words. May Allah express it for me by placing you in the highest level of Jannah.
Love,
-Selin Tamer
By Wahid on April 26, 2009 -- 2:48pm
Assalamu alaykum,
With all respect to both of my brothers and with no intention of misrepresenting what either wrote, I must say that I agree with Hamza in my head, and Imam Zaid with my heart. I say that because I don’t think both parties are arguing the same issue.
Hamza I must say is definitely correct in his factual statements (those relating to statistics/actual events) and I would personally go even a bit further than him. His argument isn’t so much directed toward President Obama in particular, but to the idea and the myth of the presidency/politics/etc, with the timeliness of the situation obviously directed at President Obama. And I think recent events, if you dig into them and read between the lines (or just read alternative media), show that President Obama, who while still a man and able to make decisions just like you or me, is a man also deeply indebted. To me, Hamza’s argument isn’t one of pessism as some here seem to think. Rather, it’s one of caution, one of distrust (with good reason), and one that, if others seemed to grasp its implications, could result in some real changes.
Imam Zaid, on the other hand, articulates the response that we as Muslims should have hope and a positive outlook for our situation in all times (and I mean that in a sincere, non-naive way like he says). We must never despair of the mercy of Allah! We should pray for others so that they make the best decisions that benefit. We must not discount them without warrant. He also seems to point out that Muslims tend to be strongly focused either on how things benefit them or on a world-view of Palestine vs Israel. Another point that I both agree and disagree with is his point of a president being able to make his own decisions. Yes, it’s true, but to my eyes only largely within a certain context, or a certain framework. It’s like the voting process itself in the USA—one is free to vote for any candidate, but the result (the framework) is always the same two options. Short of some dramatic shift in the paradigm, this will be the case. Imam Zaid mentioned much else, but I feel that this was the brunt of his argument (although put much more eloquently).
I’ll go further and state that we as Muslims must recognize our situation! We are in a state of heedlessness. There is no doubt that it is one of our greatest dangers! If we are already careless with our own selves, how can we be expected to comprehend the national or world situation? We are also in a state of defence and we don’t even realize it, and this becomes pretty obvious if you ever watch or listen to a muslim on the television or radio. What percentage of the time is spent respondinging to what Islam is NOT vs talking about what Islam IS. Moreover, it’s pretty obvious that we are also caught endlessly debating the issue of hijab with non-muslims when there are probably more pressing issues to talk about. This is defence—we are not framing the discussion of Islam, the non-muslims are! No wonder so many people have a bad impression of Islam, a big part of the problem is ourselves. May Allah truly help us do better and give us strength in this regard.
Therefore, I would posit that some sort of synthesis of the statements of both Hamza and Imam Zaid could and should be made. Hamza is, I believe, correct in stating that we should be vary wary of placing our trust, let alone support, in those who find themselves in positions to make decisions for others (and often against their interests, I might add). Especially when they show themselves to be hypocritical. That said, we must have hope and trust. But it’s not blind hope, it’s not blind trust, it is instead something built upon a foundation. That foundation is obviously laid down in the teachings of Islam—justice, manners, societal norms, and so on.
Thus, in regards to the current president (and by extrapolation, other political figures or people of influence), yes we can hope he makes decisions using good principles, we can advise him to do the right things. But we must also be cautious of being caught up in the system, the paradigm of the political machine and its maintainer, the usury and military system. That was Hamza’s strongest point, although perhaps not obvious to him. To avoid that, we must be wary of how (or if) we play the game, and we must not let ourselves be identified as something we are not. We must set our own agenda, and we must define ourselves, all fisabillah—that, inshAllah will be how we succeed. Allah knows best.
My thoughts.
Abdul Wahid
By Amar Chaudhary on July 23, 2009 -- 7:34am
I am finding difficulty to express in written words just how much I loved this exchange.
It was not about how effective one was over the other in making their argument.
It was not about how both Imam Zaid and Sheikh Hamza expressed their points with intelligence and eloquence.
Rather, it was the sincere mutual respect that was shown to each over - and this was over a difference of opinion that spans both Religion and Politics.
Why is it that the rest of the Ummah - in particular the Muslim youth - cannot show the same kind of etiquette when discussing far lesser important issues - like secondary issues about where to place ones hands in Salah?
I think if we adopt the same etiquette we will be united like the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) were united.
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By Zaynab on November 13, 2008 -- 9:15am
Dear Imam Zaid,
Assalamu alaikum!
Thank you so much for your eloquent writings.
You articulate a clear, well-reasoned argument for Muslims to participate in society and share in their civic duties with their fellow Americans.
We need more voices like yours. The brother who criticized your article demonstrated an isolationist mentality that is detrimental to the long-term interests of American Muslims.
We need to stop harnessing our agenda to what is happening to Muslims overseas. Yes, we feel for the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. But when are we going to forge an agenda that reflects the concerns and realities of life in America?
I voted for Obama and I am not ashamed to have done so. This is not an issue of aqidah, but rather my exercising my right as an American citizen who wants a better future for her country.
May Allah Ta’ala reward you immensely!