Reflections of a Novice

Being a young Muslim-American, the 2010 elections was the first time I voted. The Muslim community in America consists of a mosaic of people with ideological, ethnic, and cultural differences. According to the 2009 Gallup Poll on the Muslim American experience, 35 percent of Muslims are African-American, 28 percent White, 18 percent Asians, 18 percent other, and 1 percent Hispanic. These statistics stand in contrast to the stereotypical views of Muslim-Americans being of Arab descent with “antidemocratic” political views. In fact, during my experience with the local Muslim Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Campaign, Muslims were civically engaged and encouraged to volunteer by organizations like CAIR-Chicago. Nevertheless, there were a few instances when we were confronted with voter apathy, but that is a problem not particular to Muslim-Americans. The general mood of frustration is common among Americans due to the intricacies of the political process and the lethargic pace of a promised change.

The first step when it comes to voting is the registration process. It’s quite simple, but immigrant Muslims and young Muslims find it to be a rather arduous task. Immigrant Muslims have not been socialized into participating in politics and there are language barriers to become active in the process. We were able to overcome this barrier with voter registration at mosques and one-on-one attention to their concerns. The unfortunate situation is the passiveness of young Muslims who expect change without any effort on their part. Fifty-one percent of eligible Muslims between ages 18-29 are registered to vote and they overwhelmingly identify themselves as Democrats and Independents. The rampant culture of entitlement that our generation has grown in is an overarching explanation for the lack of participation. This is a critical issue that must be addressed, especially since the bulk of the Muslim-American population falls within this age group.

The next step is for the registered voters to educate themselves. This process of informing ourselves is a daunting task because it requires time and effort, both of which fall under self-discipline. Voters typically use party affiliation to cast their vote, but there were certain issues that American-Muslims were particular about, such as racial profiling, immigration and Islamophobia. For me, as a new voter, it was quite disappointing to see that front-runners took a lenient position in regards to those issues that affect Muslims. It became even more frustrating when some candidates either ignored to address the issues or blatantly supported distasteful agendas.

The final step, and the most crucial is to vote. Like many other first time voters, I was quite excited to go through the process. Fortunately, it was quick and straightforward, but it requires some degree of commitment on the part of the voter. We all have demanding lives juggling school, work, family and an endless number of other activities we have to manage. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon us as Muslim-Americans to prioritize voting on Election Day, because through this process we can gradually prepare for the auspicious future, that of cooperation, between Muslim and non-Muslim Americans.

In order to understand the importance of voting, we have to remember that what we take as a “right” is actually a privilege in most places around the world. We have come a long way from the days where only White elite men could vote or when poll taxes kept minorities away from political participation. Now, all adult citizens 18 years and older are eligible to vote, so it has become a matter of choice. Those Muslim-Americans who vote and those who do not are making a decision that has ramifications for Muslim-Americans at large. The choice to be active or passive is yours.

For statistical information, please see the 2009 GallupWorld Poll:

http://www.muslimwestfacts.com/mwf/116074/Muslim-Americans-National-Portrait.aspx

Will a Change in Britain’s Leadership Lead to a Change in Foreign Policy?

On May 6th, elections were held throughout the United Kingdom. Historically, leadership in parliament has oscillated between two major political parties with other minority parties occupying only a small number of seats. This election, however, had three front-runners for prime minister from three different parties: incumbent Gordon Brown of the Labor party, Nick Clegg (pictured left) of the Liberal Democrats, and David Cameron (pictured right) of the Conservative party. After no clear majority was reached by a candidate on election night, five days of political maneuvering and negotiations ensued. Both Cameron and Brown desperately tried to get Clegg to form a majority coalition with them. In the hopes that Clegg and the Liberal Democrats would unite with Brown’s Labor party, Gordon Brown conceded defeat and resigned. After his resignation, Cameron and the Conservatives “immediately sweetened their offer to the Liberal Democrats, saying Clegg could have not only cabinet posts but also a referendum on electoral reform that could break Britain's traditional two-party dominance.” In spite of Gordon Brown’s attempt, a coalition was soon announced between Clegg and Cameron, where Cameron will serve as the new Prime Minister and Clegg will serve as the Deputy Prime Minister.

This mold-breaking election is likely to inaugurate an era of genuine three-party politics in the U.K. that will more accurately represent the diversity of the population. In spite of the fact that Cameron and Clegg seem to have a good relationship, the coalition only forms a thin majority in parliament and could prove to be extremely fragile. Additionally, the Liberal Democrats are more philosophically in line with the Labor party, so it is difficult to predict just how productive this polarized coalition will be in fulfilling their promises.

David Cameron, who describes himself as a “moderate compassionate conservative” is Britain’s youngest prime minister in 200 years at the age of 43. In terms of the “War on Terror,” Cameron has stated that he believes in “spreading freedom and democracy, and supporting humanitarian intervention,” but he is “skeptical of grand schemes to remake the world.” As one of the first acts of the coalition, Cameron helped create a new US-style National Security Council to “coordinate the work of the foreign, defense, interior, energy and international development departments” in order to aid the nation in assessing national threats and dangers.When it comes to criticisms that the U.K. has received over its perceived unwavering submission to the plans and policies of Washington, Cameron chooses to take a more careful approach towards the U.S. He advocates that the UK should be “steadfast not slavish,” while also recognizing that the relationship is important. He further notes that it is not anti-American to question the U.S.

In terms of other foreign policy issues, Cameron has chosen to make Afghanistan a top priority. While he believes that Britain is on the right track in the Afghan War, he also says that it will take additional time and effort to succeed in removing the Taliban, build up Afghan forces, and fully transition to Afghan control. Additionally, Cameron has criticized Iran for supporting Hezbollah and encouraging further chaos in Iraq, which is a war he voted in favor of entering. In regards to Israel, Cameron is generally a supporter, but he has criticized them in the past for “disproportionate” use of force in the 2006 missile attack on Lebanon. He also advocates for the two-state solution in Israel.

Nick Clegg, the new Deputy Prime Minister, is the leader of the Liberal Democrat party, which is a relatively new party that has never before held such a high office. Clegg, who calls himself a “proud internationalist,” came into favor after appearing on Britain’s very first televised election debates. Although it is not yet known just how much power Clegg will wield in the coalition, it is clear he will bring a more liberal approach. When it comes to foreign policy, Clegg has been unclear on where he stands on a variety of international issues. Clegg and the Liberal Democrats have criticized Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza, yet on a variety of other issues Clegg has only noted that the European nations should work together to solve international problems. Although it seems impossible under Conservative power, Clegg campaigned on a promise to bring Britain’s 10,000 troops home within 5 years.

This historic election also brought a new political enthusiasm to the Muslim community in the U.K. A record number of British Muslims demonstrated their commitment to political engagement by registering to vote for the very first time in the May 6th election. Although Britain’s 1.6 million Muslims have traditionally favored Gordon Brown’s Labor party, this time around they were looking for a change. A pre-election poll of Muslim constituents found that “74 per cent of respondents thought the Liberal Democrats offered the fairest foreign policy, compared to just 19 per cent for Labor and five per cent for the Conservatives.” The reason for this clear shift in allegiance likely has to do with frustration over 13 years of Labor rule that has brought the U.K. into two unpopular wars and launched an era of counter-terrorism policies that many Muslims believe unfairly discriminates against them. Clegg’s pre-election criticisms of Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza likely won him much favor in the Muslim community given that the above mentioned poll also found that “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was overwhelmingly cited as the most important foreign policy concern amongst the Muslim voters surveyed.” Given the uncertainty over how much leverage Clegg will have in the coalition in the coming years, it is difficult to determine what, if anything, will change in British foreign policy. What matters most here is that Muslim voters throughout the United Kingdom made their voices heard in record numbers.

As part of the coalition agreement, Cameron and Clegg have agreed “never to condone torture,” and to further demonstrate this commitment the coalition government has launched an inquiry into the complicity of U.K. intelligence agencies in torture in past years. While this is a positive first step toward ending human rights abuses in the War on Terror, the process needs to be transparent and honest while also providing real solutions to stop these practices around the world. Only time will tell how successful the Cameron/Clegg coalition will be, but it is hoped that we have at the very least entered into a new era of greater accountability.

Do You Know Your Rights?

Being questioned is one thing; being interrogated in an excessive, branching manner is another. Too often, Muslim Americans are caught in situations where they are found questioned about something and feel forced to answer in a detailed, submissive way, trailing themselves into what may become a creation of their own misfortune. In actuality, many do not realize that they are not required to disclose anything and everything given their rights, provided by the United States government.

Whether it is a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee questioning you in the airport or an FBI agent knocking on your door at your place of residence, Muslim Americans have been caught in uncomfortable situations that are complicated because of their unconditional desire to act as law abiding citizens.

In their willingness to assist in the security process, Muslim Americans have been, and continue to be, seen as potential suspects because of the way they mishandle interactions with government officials. These interactions play a significant role in what causes the problem of targeting Muslims through misunderstandings, which has developed even on a federal level. The media and public misconstrue the information they see in a way that perpetuates the misconceptions about Muslims all over the world. This damages any efforts to improve the image of Muslims, whether here or abroad.

The problem in the way we handle uncomfortable situations is perhaps due to an unconscious inability to communicate effectively, allowing the government to misinterpret what is being said in a way that is seemingly suspicious. Such misunderstandings are often due to something as simple as a language barrier. On the other hand, it may very well be that we just do not know how to approach a situation like this, so we become nervous and submit to anything that is being asked of us, essentially making it appear that we have something to hide when in reality we do not. For example, if asked at the airport during TSA questioning what your opinion is on your country of origin’s political leader and his political stances, you have a right to refuse to answer due to irrelevancy and that you would be more than happy to answer any questions that are relevant to the matter at hand.

The solution to preventing such invasive interrogations is not to target the government and demand that we be free of any questioning; after all, they are merely doing their job in their attempt to maintain security for all Americans. Instead, the solution is to concentrate on the source: our knowledge of the system and how to work with it. By learning our rights as Muslim Americans, and more importantly, as American citizens, we are furthering our loyalty to the law by understanding how to react while preserving our dignity. Only when we educate ourselves can we form and maintain a positive image of Muslims in America and finally put an end to the disposition that Muslims are a threat to the security of our country and the rest of the world.

CAIR-Chicago is committed to the education of the rights of American citizens and is seeking more opportunities to help the Muslim community grow in knowledge and participation in the community through the implementation of know your rights workshops and information distribution. If you would like more information on getting your community involved, please contact Reema Ahmad, Government Affairs Coordinator for CAIR-Chicago at 312-212-1520, or visit the CAIR-Chicago website at www.cairchicago.org

Home interrogation tips:
Step 1: Talk to an attorney before answering questions. Lawyer directory- www.muslimadvocates.org
Step 2: Step outside. Do not let law enforcement into your home without a search warrant.
Step 3: Ask for business cards.
Step 4: Say your lawyer will be in touch. Contact your lawyer immediately.
Source: www.muslimadvocates.org

Airport interview tips:
Step 1: Be prepared for a search.
Step 2: Ask why you’ve been selected. Ask for a supervisor or Watch Commander.
Step 3: Object to inappropriate questions about religious or political beliefs. “What mosque do you attend?” “How often do you pray?” “What do you think of ____’s government?”
Step 4: Keep a record and file a complaint later. Get receipts for seized property. Write down the agents’ badge numbers.
Step 5: Confirm your legal status.
Source: www.muslimadvocates.org

Airport search tips:
Step 1: Remain calm and courteous during the process.
Step 2: You have a right to request the pat-down process rather than the body-scanner. Passengers also have the right to ask the pat-down screening to take place with screeners of the same gender and in a private room.
Step 3: If you believe you have been singled out solely based on your race, religion or ethnicity, contact CAIR-Chicago at (312) 212-1520, or contact civilrights@cairchicago.org immediately.
Source: http://www.mlfausa.com