The United States of America. It's a complex relationship for me because on one hand this country is historically responsible for the theft of the indigenous People's homeland, genocide of our People and continued Oppression in our lives today as we strive to recover from 500 years of brutal contact and colonization. If you can't see today's Oppression, look at Indian Reservations today. The harsh conditions of life are not because Indians are not capable of health and well-being, it's because the players of the Monopoly game of the USA stole Board Walk and Park Place and left us with those cheap purple blocks, I can't even remember what their name is.
On the other hand, our country is the most diverse country on earth. We have citizens from EVERY country on this planet. We shelter those who have suffered throughout Mother Earth. Immigrants have come to these shores seeking prosperity and freedom of religion since the Pilgrims landed. We have the freedom of speech, where in Russia a rock band was jailed recently for their criticism of the government. A blind Chinese citizen fled his country for criticizing his government. Americans fought the Revolution because we didn't like how England was controlling us unfairly. We have the freedom of religion. England and Ireland have had bloody conflict over being Catholic and Protestant. Can you imagine New York City bombing itself over and over for that? India and Pakistan's conflict is also over the conflict of religion. It's a nuclear threat to the whole world.
It's also complex for me because our government was actually based on Indigenous governing practices. When the founding fathers didn't want a monarchy anymore, who did they look to for a model of governing themselves? The near by Indians. The balance of power is based on how the local Indians governed themselves. But today we have virtually no voice in that government.
Our Constitution states:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
It is a blessing and a privilege to have at our foundation this and the Bill of Rights. Let's just focus on the First Amendment.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
200 years ago these words meant something different. Or they were applied differently to be more exact. We didn't have citizens who came from every Nation on the planet, every religion on the planet. But today we do. And it is our duty as Americans to be strong enough in our own beliefs to allow every other citizen their choice of what they believe. If there is a God or not. If they choose to practice the religion of their Ancestors, to convert to another or not to practice one at all.
If Protestants and Catholics have only come to peace recently in England and Ireland, don't you think we should allow Christians and Muslims some time to discover how to establish peace? Protestants and Catholics follow the same Sacred Book and the Life of Jesus Christ, they interpret those differently. Muhammad confirms the station of Christ and His Book respects Christians, as far as I have studied and read the Quran. The disagreements come from a clash of cultures and interpretation. And not allowing someone their basic human right of choosing their own religion.
Why are we prejudiced against Muslims? Because we don't know any. That's what I would guess. I met my first Muslim friends in Moscow, Idaho at the University of Idaho. They were young women from Malaysia. They looked just like me, my Filipina side that is. We shared the Fast. Baha'i Fast sunrise to sunset for 19 days each year. Muslims for 40. If you know Christian history, they used to Fast, too. And Lent is a similar practice, sacrificing something to show Faith. I was amazed to learn how many Asians are Muslim. If I remember right there are more Muslims in Asia than in the Middle East.
And do you know where the largest community of Middle Easterners outside the Middle East is ? Outside Detroit, Michigan.
Muslims have come to America seeking prosperity and freedom of religion just like every other group of Immigrants: the Pilgrims, the English, the German, the Jews, the Italians, the Scandinavians, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Filipinos, the Africans, and the post Soviet Nations. They come from every continent. And we have all together, with the Indigenous Peoples, created a greater country because of our diversity.
Every immigrant group comes and experiences prejudice and racism. Look at our history. We have been prejudiced against our own citizens, the Jews, the Germans during the World Wars, the Japanese we put in Internment Camps. African Americans still experience racism on a daily basis.
We are stronger for our diversity. Or country is built from each group of immigrants who come for the American dream. Who would do the low skilled work that our whole country benefits from? All our service industry is powered by our immigrant population. Who helps produce our food?
Today as we remember what happened to New York City 12 years ago, I hope we have learned religious extremists like the perpetrators of 9-11 and Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols of the Oklahoma City bombing hold us all hostage in fear and prejudice. We must turn to the lives of Jesus Christ and Muhammad and learn from each other how to be better human beings, and build peace not hatred.
Challenge: if you have never read the Quran or learned about the life of Muhammad, read from the Quran. And take a few minutes to learn about the life of Muhammad.
Cool Quran site with Arabic too
http://quran.com/1
The Quran
http://www.clearquran.com/mobi/
Timeline of life of Muhammad from PBS
http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/timeline_html.shtml
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