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Waiting for a miracle
Samina Faheem
Sir Winston Churchill believed that “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” These are inspiring words but presently, I find myself increasingly discouraged when I reflect upon the pessimism surrounding the kind of change I have been trying to inspire amongst my fellow Muslim Americans. As an optimist, I hold fast to my faith in my Creator and to my own belief that He is with you if you stay on the right path, offer help, seek and speak the truth, always strive to improve, strive for peace and justice and serve humanity. Relatively obscured by the more commonly recognized pillars of Islam, these tenets hold greater personal significance and are the driving force behind all I am striving to accomplish. These tenets continuously feed my optimism and propel me forward whenever I feel the optimism fade just a little.
In recent days, my optimism has indeed faded a little because I see my efforts to free a Muslim brother from possible imprisonment have all been virtually ignored. A few nights ago, I contemplated whether or not to send an e-mail regarding Dr. Sami Al-Arian. Eventually, I did send it to several people, hoping that they would forward my message to several groups. When I followed through to vocally encourage people to contribute to Dr. Arian’s legal fund, I was met with no assistance. Not only did many of them decline to contribute, they questioned my investment in this cause and discouraged me with many pessimistic statements that all began, “you won’t,” “you can’t” and “you’ll never.” I was questioned as to what I would be able to accomplish on my own. I had no doubt that one person can make a difference. History alone proves it. Still, a little encouragement never hurts.
Needing an extra nudge from someone who understood my efforts, I called upon Brother Ahmad Hashmi, a pillar of our community, hoping that he might be able to restore hope. I apologized to him for only ever calling him for one cause or another. He simply listened patiently to me as I described the plight of Dr. Al-Arian. Brother Ahmad Hashmi was the first person who asked me for the address where he could mail the check. I thanked him then and I am thanking him now, for his kindness, patience and understanding.
I got the extra boost I needed after I hung up the phone. It was enough to reignite my courage andpassion in carrying on with my mission. In addition to Brother Ahmad, I want to extend my gratitude to Khalid Saeed sahib, Mahjabeen Islam Sahiba, Hanaan Rasheed sahiba,Dr. Dilsher Nawaz and Athar Tayeb sahib for their support and kind comments.
I am still waiting for a huge miracle. Hopefully the compassion and support demonstrated by a few kind men and women will inspire more goodwill fueled by optimism. As I stated in the aforementioned e-mail, this mission is not just about one man’s legal defense fund. Instead, the mission runs deeper than that. This is an opportunity to empower and enlighten ourselves and to show pessimists that it is never too late, too dangerous or too futile to create change. Where we were once helpless [during the war with Iraq], we can now feel hopeful in taking a stand. We can do something beyond holding candles in vigils nationwide, attending peace rallies and exchanging war stories and corresponding photographs. We can participate in protesting legislation that aims to strip us of our civil liberties. Collectively, we can strive to peacefully and reputably educate those lawmakers who purport the necessity of such legislations in the name of homeland security.
Currently, the U.S. Patriot Act already defies the rights granted to all mankind on this soil, as written in the Constitution. Racial profiling against Muslims, be they law-abiding American citizens or legal residents on student or work visas, has risen dramatically since 9/11. Anyone can be stopped and arrested without being charged, and convicted in court without probable cause. Currently, for surveillance purposes, bookstore owners are required to keep a record of any transactions. This is true at libraries as well. Bankers question potential new customers about their country of citizenship. American citizens are not questioned further. If the country of citizenship is not the United States or a U.S. territory, they will also ask about political affiliation. They are required to ask if the potential customer is a political figure or if a family member or business associate is a political figure. It doesn’t end there. At the airport, three different color codes for boarding will be enforced; green signifies clearance while yellow indicates a thorough search and red denies passenger boarding. The Patriot Act II, if passed, will strip away citizenship and ultimately unravel the Constitution, dismissing everything it has always granted and protected.
I recently served as a panel member for a forum entitled “Covering Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis: Have the Rules Changed?” organized by USC Annenberg’s Institute for Justice and Journalism, in collaboration with New California Media and the Los Angeles Press Club. After the first session speeches were over, we gathered in the workshop trying to brainstorm ways that journalists should cover these issues. When asked about my views and what brought me to the forum, I explained that one of my goals is to educate fellow Americans about the implications and effects of the Patriot Act on Muslims. I spoke of the recent Special Registration conducted by the INS. I observed that thus far, the mainstream media has not covered such an important issue. Since 9/11, nobody has thoroughly covered the plight of Muslims in America. Another forum attendee responded that perhaps Muslims should reach out to other ethnic groups like African-Americans such as himself, and show some respect for their struggles and learn something from that. I assured him that the conversations I shared with my best friend who is an African American taught me a lot about black history. I gained a healthy respect for it. I joked that since the infamous tragedy, treatment of African Americans must be easy.
He replied, laughing, “No, only easier.” Revisiting my plea regarding Dr. Al-Arian, I believe we are at a crossroads. Drawing upon the words of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, I echo his sentiments at such a turning point, “The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it." We can choose to give up right now and face the consequences as they come, slowly but surely. With nobility, we can stand up to our current administration and send a clear message that we will not tolerate unjust treatment. In doing so, we teach our children to embrace wisdom, nobility and courage.
Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed, “Great people aren’t those who are happy at time of convenience and content, but of how they are in times of catastrophe and controversy.”
A powerful message such as this strengthens our community and protects our civil liberties by arming our children with nobility and courage; in essence, the ‘greatness’ of which Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke. By supporting Dr. Sami Al-Arian, you are part of that greatness for you have chosen not to back down in the face of adversity. In response to the original question regarding what one single person can do in such an uphill struggle, I quote Theodore Roosevelt, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
May 14, 2003
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