An American Muslim Journal

American Muslims to join the public policy process in Illinois

Critical decisions are being made by our state's government.  Our state has a budget crisis, our public education system is largely failing our kids, unions seem to increasingly be in some people's crosshairs and some unions seem to be defensive to point of tuning out meaningful discussions on vital issues such as the quality of teachers in our public school classrooms.  Billions of dollars in expense payments to grassroots human services providers are grossly past due with no hope on horizon of being paid.

These are some of the issues impacting Illinois residents including the 400,000 and growing American Muslim community.  That's why I believe in and support efforts to engage American Muslims in greater levels of civic engagement.

Our community - the American Muslim community in Illinois - is adept at mobilizing in times of acute crises.  We are good at using Facebook, Twitter, blogs and bus companies to bring large numbers of people together for rallies and protests and big events.  In 2009 the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, an umbrella organization of about 53 Illinois mosques and other Muslim institutions, organized the first ever "Muslim Action Day" as a one day citizen lobbying exercise in the halls of the Illinois legislature and in the governor's mansion.  In 2009 about 450 people went to Springfield.  In 2010 CIOGC took 1000 people for its second "Muslim Action Day" and tomorrow (3/9/11) CIOGC is heading down to Springfield once again for it's third annual "Illinois Muslim Action Day".

This is a great event and worthy of support from the American Muslim community at large.  My concern is that this effort has not grown into something more comprehensive since it was first created in early 2009.  A large, energetic day of advocacy in Springfield is a great annual event to highlight civic engagement of American Muslims.  That leaves 364 more days in the year to build on the momentum, excitement and relationships that flow from a day in the state's capitol.  This is where we are lacking, and this is where we need to do more work.

In 2009 I was the executive director of CIOGC, and I worked extensively on organizing Muslim Action Day. I've since moved on professionally but I remain connected to CIOGC and this year (2011) I've tried to help with the civic engagement work of CIOGC.  I'm heading down to Springfield this evening and will be a part of the events tomorrow.  My main goal is to lend my skills and energy to legislative advocacy efforts by American Muslims in between the annual Springfield event.

I'd like to see a committee formed at CIOGC to focus on legislative issues.  If that doesn't pan out or if it seems ineffective, then I think it may be time to create a public policy advocacy organization to educate and train American Muslims in Illinois about public policy advocacy.

Muslim Serve 2010 as Public Relations? Bad. As a catalyst for real service? Good!

 

Public service as public relations is a shallow exercise that betrays the revered place of serving humanity in Islam.  If the upcoming Muslim Serve 2010 efforts don’t include a plan of action (and a sincere commitment) for sustained service beyond 9/11/10, then those organizing this effort should stop right now.  If 9/11/10 is just a photo opportunity, then skip it.

Muslim Serve 2010 is a grassroots effort to encourage American Muslims to dedicate 9/11/10 to public service.  It’s premised on a Quranic exhortation to combat evil with good.  It’s a public relations effort timed on a national day of mourning that, by chance this year, coincides with the post-Ramadan holiday of Eid ul-Fitr.  

The motivation to do something positive on this day is completely understandable.  This year, perhaps more than any other since 2001, anti-Muslim and anti-Islam bigotry is raging in pockets around the country.  The hubbub around the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” shows few signs of abating in the coming days.  Random acts of violence against American Muslims like the vicious stabbing of a New York City cabbie are happening all over the country.  On 9/11 a Taliban-esque Christian preacher plans to burn copies of the Holy Quran in Florida.  The Islamophobic inspired criminal behavior is frightening.

A day of service on 9/11, juxtaposed to the Florida Quran burning, will garner some positive media attention.  It may result in some local newspaper articles and a few 15 second video clips on the evening news.  The positive spin, however, will be short-lived and in-effective. 

Americans on the fence about their views of Muslims may re-evaluate the hateful messages in the media as a result of some good works by Muslims as part of Muslim Serve 2010.  But how long will that last? One day of service, even if it’s a coordinated, nationwide effort, is still just one day. 

Muslims’ service for humanity is an antidote for the rabid hatred that infests communities across America, but it has to be sustained service in order to cure this disease.  The service has to be borne of a sincere desire to help others and not simply a feel good activity or, worse, a PR stunt. 

There are numerous Muslim individuals and Islamic organizations across the country that are serving humanity everyday.  Masjid Dawah, UMMA Center and IMAN come to mind.  They are all worth checking out.  They are models of what Muslim public service should be. 

Masjid Dawah is an storefront mosque on Chicago’s west side.  Compared to many other mosques in and around Chicago, it’s not much to look at, but the heart and soul of Masjid Dawah isn’t in its bricks and mortar, but in its daily efforts to serve the people around it.  Masjid Dawah provides  free meals every week to the hungry in the community.  The only criteria is need.  One need not be a Muslim to receive Masjid Dawah’s help. 

UMMA Center is a community resource center in Waukegan, Illinois.  UMMA stands for United Muslim Minority Alliance.  UMMA Center runs a food pantry and provides GED classes and job training for those in need within the Waukegan community.  They work with people in need without regard to religion. Many of the people benefiting most from UMMA Center’s services are non-Muslims. 

IMAN stands for Innercity Muslim Action Network.  IMAN is based in and serves a portion of Chicago’s south side.  It is one of the most well known and well regarded Muslim public service organizations in the country.  One of its most impressive services is a free medical clinic for the residents living around IMAN. Among other things, IMAN provides free access to quality healthcare to the poor and uninsured families. And again, many of the people IMAN serves are non-Muslims. 

Masjid Dawah, UMMA Center and IMAN will be serving the community on 9/11/10.  But that’s a given, since they serve humanity on the remaining 364 days of the year as well.  And that’s how it should be. A long-term and sustained commitment to service is the way to make a lasting and positive impact on those touched by their good works. 

In addition to these three institutions, there are thousands of American Muslims who quietly perform their public service regularly as well.  They don't issue press releases when they volunteer at the local homeless shelter.  There are no cameras when they drop off the weekly collection of nonperishable and healthy foods to the local food pantry either.  It just gets done, and the people who see it know that these are Muslims and the sincere and sustained acts of kindness open their non-Muslim neighbors hearts and minds to a different and more accurate perception of Muslims and Islam.  But thousands in a community of 6 million is not enough and until Muslim leaders and mosques make sustained public service a cornerstone of their religious obligation, the numbers will not grow.

Doing some form of public service on 9/11 is a good start.  But it has to be done for the right reasons. And it has to continue on the next day or the following week or on some other reasonable timetable all year round. 

Muslim community leaders should build on the Muslim Serve 2010 campaign by using it as a starting point for a discussion on how American mosques can better utilize their space to provide services to their surrounding communities throughout the year.

Muslim Serve 2010 as a PR effort is a bad idea.  But used as a catalyst for individual and institutional public service by Muslims for humanity, it is a great first step in the right direction.

Finally - Tariq Ramadan arrives in Illinois for CAIR-Chicago's Annual Dinner (4/10/10)

One of my high school friends picked up on the title of tonight's CAIR-Chicago annual dinner "Unapologetic Activism".  I posted the Facebook event on my FB Wall saying "This is going to be an awesome event! Be sure to buy your tickets ASAP!"  Just a few minutes later my friend commented on the wall post saying the title sounds awfully aggressive.¹

It was an interesting observation.  Frankly I liked the title and did not think it was aggressive but I wanted to give my friend's observation its due.  He is not a Muslim and does not have a lot of contact with many Muslims besides me and we've only reconnected over the last 5 or 6 months through Facebook.  It matters how other Americans perceive American Muslims.

I'm excited to hear Dr. Tariq Ramadan speak.  I've read a few of his books and one or two of his essays.  Based on what I've read, I really appreciate his contributions to the study and development of Islam in the Western world.

Thanks to my friend's feedback I intend to pay closer attention to the speeches tonight to see how CAIR-Chicago and Dr. Ramadan discuss "unapologetic activism".

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¹ While the discussion of the title was initially raised by a friend who happens to be of a different faith, subsequently two other friends who are also Muslim voiced similar comments about the CAIR-Chicago dinner title.

Michigan State University to hold conference on Islam & the media in February 2010

EAST LANSING, Mich., Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Lectures, a panel discussion and a Muslim comedian are all on tap for an "Islam and the media" conference slated for February at Michigan State University.

Rami Khouri will be the keynote speaker. He is the director of the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut and the editor-at-large of Beirut's Daily Star newspaper.

The conference is the final project of a grant that also funded the new class “Reporting on Islam,” and the new Web site IMAJE, or Islam, Muslims and Journalism Education.

via UPI.com

This sounds like a very interesting and educational conference.  Kudos to MSU for studying this important area.  I would love to hear more about it.  Does any from the Michigan community know anything more about the conference?

Eid al Adha on November 27, 2009 all across Illinois, U.S. & the world

In a few days the American Muslim community will celebrate Eid al Adha.  According to the Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, Illinoisans will be celebrating the festival of the sacrifice on Friday, November 27, 2009.  To read more about the Eid al Adha celebration click here.

Eid Mubarak to All!