The nation’s 3.3 Muslims account for roughly 1 percent of the U.S. population, but, in the wake of terrorist attacks, they’ve disproportionately dominated news.
Deadly mass shootings in California in December and in Orlando, Florida, on June 12 – committed by assailants claiming loyalty to the Islamic State group – have generated calls for identity cards or blocking Muslim refugees from entering the country. They've built on suspicions dating to the September 11 attacks of 2001, increasingly distorting the image of American Muslims and subjecting a whole faith group to suspicion.
“A lot of these people who give a bad name to Islam don’t even come to the mosque,” complained Mohamed Hussein, executive director of the Somali American Youth Foundation in northern Virginia.
Hussein was among four young Muslims who shared their experiences, challenges and goals Thursday morning during a panel discussion at the Newseum. Voice of America organized the event moderated by Akmal Dawi, VOA’s Afghan Service digital managing editor.
Mohamed Hussein, 26, and Morsal Mohamad, 19, both grew up in the United States. Oya Rose Aktas and Othman Altalib, both 22, were born elsewhere but arrived in the country as children.
They’ve all experienced suspicion because of their Muslim identities.
The panelists objected to emphasizing the Muslim identity of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen, who was born in the United States to immigrants from Afghanistan. They noted that most perpetrators of crime aren’t identified as, say, Christian.
They also suggested the religious labeling diverted attention from an assailant’s mental health or other internal conflicts.
The Pew Research Center has estimated that almost two-thirds of U.S. Muslims are foreign born.
Adjusting to American society, where women and children experience fewer restrictions, can be a challenge, observed Altalib, who was born in Iraq but brought to the United States when he was 1. "Cultural acclimation both of parents and Muslim youth is huge."
He volunteers on the board of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), a northern Virginia-based Muslim organization that is one of the country’s largest and that helps smooth the way for newcomers. Its religious, educational and cultural activities include scouting for youngsters. It also offers social services.
Aktas’ family left her father’s homeland of Turkey when she was 9, moving to the U.S. central state of Oklahoma, where her mother came from. Aktas just graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she led the Turkish Student Association.
The Muslim religion too often is viewed as monolithic, said Aktas, whose mother is Christian – a Methodist. "Both religious groups are very diverse."
Dismayed by politicization
Panelists chafed at the politicization of Islam, including calls to suspend Muslims’ entry to the United States or perhaps requiring them to carry identity cards. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, initially called for a ban in December, after a couple in San Bernardino, California, claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group in committing mass murder.
Yet while 64 percent of Muslim Americans are registered to vote, theirs is the least likely among faith groups to actually cast ballots, moderator Dawi said, citing Gallup polling data.
Panelists offered a couple of reasons.
One might be confidence in the United States’ system of checks and balances, Oya Rose Aktas suggested. “There is a privilege in the U.S. to feel like you can go out and not vote and things will work out.”
Another could be skepticism of electoral politics, Altalib said, adding that many foreign-born Muslims witness corruption in their homelands.
He contends Islamic organizations, including mosques, “absolutely” should encourage Muslims to participate in the democratic process.
Alluding to Trump, he added, “It’s hard for me to believe that any sound-minded Muslim would vote for someone trying to put bans on them.”
But Hussein emphasized that voting should be a personal decision. “It is a disservice to Muslims to say vote one way or another way. Teach them to think for themselves,” he said.
He added, “The feeling of safety and comfort is what’s at stake for Muslim voters in this election.”
via Voice of America http://ift.tt/290tqXY
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