On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I want to extend our best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world. Ramadan Kareem.
Ramadan is a time when Muslims around the world reflect upon the wisdom and guidance that comes with faith, and the responsibility that human beings have to one another, and to God. This is a time when families gather, friends host iftars, and meals are shared. But Ramadan is also a time of intense devotion and reflection—a time when Muslims fast during the day and pray during the night; when Muslims provide support to others to advance opportunity and prosperity for people everywhere. For all of us must remember that the world we want to build—and the changes that we want to make—must begin in our own hearts, and our own communities.
These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings. Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality. And here in the United States, Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America and that American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country. And today, I want to extend my best wishes to the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world—and your families and friends—as you welcome the beginning of Ramadan.
I look forward to hosting an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan here at the White House later this week, and wish you a blessed month.
May God’s peace be upon you.
Photo courtesy of LA Times
This has angered some, and made others concerned. Others feel that it is just common courtesy in a secular society, which the US has been since its inception, that recognizes that some of the US population are celebrating a holiday. Period. The US is about 80 percent Christian. Of the remaining 20 percent, there are people celebrating a large number of other religions, including Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Islam.
The Muslims have been with us since before the founding of the Republic. In those times, the Muslims that came here often came a slaves. Slaves in any society are not a powerful group, and the small numbers of Muslims were not all centered in discreet communities, but mingled among us, and among the Native Americans.
Muslims are here, were here, and will remain in the US. They are US citizens, and our society values all members of our society, even if that value is truly only found on paper, in a bank account, or is evidenced by lip service.
Those that are angry about the presence of Muslims in the US bring up September 11 as a reason for hating the entire group. Collectively, those that distrust or dislike Muslims, are tarring the entire group for the actions of a fanatic few. Now, I am not addressing the issue of whether or not there were 19 Muslim fanatics that hijacked planes, drove them into buildings and caused those buildings to disintegrate into fine dust, falling to earth at freefall speed, all while the defense systems in this great nation failed simultaneously and spectacularly on that horrific day. In other words, we're not going to discuss who did 911 here and now. Hold that thought for later, please.
Let's get back to the topic at hand.
Considering that Muslims constitute 0.6 percent of the American populace, they are hardly a massively frightening bloc in our society.
The Founders of this nation also recognized that Muslims, or as they called them then, Mahometans, and did not do anything to block or impede their participation in society. Also, many of the early Muslims that came to this nation did convert to Christianity.
From Wikipedia: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_the_United_States"]Islam in the United States[/url]
[quote]An early Egyptian immigrant is mentioned in the accounts of the Dutch settlers of the Catskills Mountains and recorded in the 1884 History of Greene County, New York. According to this tradition, an Egyptian named "Norsereddin" settled in the Catskills in the vicinity of the Catskill Mountain House. He befriended the Indian chief, Shandaken, and sought the hand of his daughter Lotowana in marriage. Rejected, he poisoned Lotowana and in consequence was caught and burned alive.
In 1776, John Adams published "Thoughts on Government," in which he praises the Prophet Mahomet (Mohammed) as a "sober inquirer after truth" alongside Confucius, Zoroaster, Socrates, and other "pagan and Christian" thinkers.
In 1785, George Washington stated a willingness to hire "Mahometans," as well as people of any nation or religion, to work on his private estate at Mount Vernon if they were "good workmen."
In 1790, the South Carolina legislative body granted special legal status to a community of Moroccans, twelve years after the Sultan of Morocco became the first foreign head of state to formally recognize the United States.[27] In 1796, then president John Adams signed a treaty declaring the United States had no "character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen".
In his autobiography, published in 1791, Benjamin Franklin stated that he "did not disapprove" of a meeting place in Pennsylvania that was designed to accommodate preachers of all religions. Franklin wrote that "even if the Mufti of Constantinople were to send a missionary to preach Mohammedanism to us, he would find a pulpit at his service."[29]
Thomas Jefferson defended religious freedom in America including those of Muslims. Jefferson explicitly mentioned Muslims when writing about the movement for religious freedom in Virginia. In his autobiography Jefferson wrote "[When] the [Virginia] bill for establishing religious freedom... was finally passed,... a singular proposition proved that its protection of opinion was meant to be universal. Where the preamble declares that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed, by inserting the word 'Jesus Christ,' so that it should read 'a departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion.' The insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend within the mantle of its protection the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo and infidel of every denomination." While President, Jefferson also participated in an iftar with the Ambassador of Tunisia in 1809.[/quote]
If you explore the areas of engineering, architecture and the sciences, many of the developments were first done in Muslim nations, such as Iran. The same can also be said of the many contributions of engineers, doctors, scientists and architects here in the US.
From [url="http://www.muslimsinamerica.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=28"]Muslims In America, a non-profit organization[/url]:
Muslims were retained to assist the US Cavalry in the rearing, breeding and management of horses. In 1775 Peter Salem fought in the battle of Bunker Hill. On our side. Morocco was one of the first countries to recognize the US as independent.
[quote]In 1797 the Treaty of Tripole in Article 11 reads:
Article 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
The treaty was signed at Tripoli on November 4, 1796 and at Algiers on January 3, 1797, finally receiving ratification from the U.S. Senate on June 7, 1797 and signed by President John Adams on June 10, 1797.[/quote]
In all, there are many pages of facts about the contributions of Muslims in the development of this nation. Sure, they weren't as many or as powerful as the Christians, but back then, it was more likely that a Muslim would be from Africa, and as such, they would most likely be slaves. Slaves generally hold little if any power in themselves due to their status as slaves.
At present, we are a secular nation. It is not in the American character to go after a group, to criticize a group, or to ostracize a group based upon their religion. I don't fear Islam at all in America. I believe that the greatest threat to this nation is anti-Christian behavior and policies, which is totally off topic here.
One of my heroes in the building of the United States is Thomas Jefferson.
[quote]n 1791 Thomas Jefferson led the fight for religious freedom and separation of church and state in his native Virginia. This brought him into conflict with the Anglican Church, the established church in Virginia. After a long and bitter debate, Jefferson's statute for religious freedom passed the state legislature. In Jefferson's words, there was now "freedom for the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mohammedan, the Hindu and infidel of every denomination." The bill guaranteed, in Jefferson's own words, "that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever." It guaranteed, too, that no one should suffer in any way for his "religious opinions or belief." Introduced in 1779, the bill did not become law until 1786, when, through the leadership of Legislator James Madison, it was enacted by the General Assembly. When the First Amendment to the Constitution went into effect in 1791, Jefferson's principle of separation of church and state became part of the supreme law of the land. [/quote]
As a result of his efforts to make America an inclusive society, guaranteeing freedoms and rights to all, we have the First Amendment. That simple paragraph is the very bedrock of freedom in this country.
The reality is that this is a nation that doesn't prevent any religion from existing here, nor does the US ever prevent anyone from practicing their religion. The reality is also that, for the less than one percent of the populace that Islam represents in the US, they cannot be a threat to the Christian nature of this country unless we allow them to take over our laws. The problems that Europe has had with Islamization of their laws and the effects upon their culture have come about because the nations there did not stand up and insist that Islamization not occur, when matters such as removal of Christian symbols, or demeaning Christian morals and values arose. A small issue such as retaining the word "God" in the pledge is simply this. No one can take away our right to hold "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, unless we stand silently by and allow it.
The only way Sharia law will come to the statute books of the US is if legislators are crooked enough to allow it to happen. Or, if the people are silent enough not to cause the discomfort to legislators forcing laws to remain in an American vs. Sharia form and focus. Reelection fears drive more policy than anything else. Make an elected official fear for his/her job, and they will do whatever they are able to hold their office.
I don't have a problem with Presidential recognition of various religious holidays. It is a political act and statement, akin to kind words and playing nice with the other kids on the ball field. I would be more offended if he hadn't said anything nice about this major holiday of Islam. After all, we are trying to win hearts and minds, and political fluffery like this is pretty non-offensive when you think about it.
Presidents have always recognized other religions than what is the majority in the nation. We are still a Christian nation, judging by the identification of the majority of the populace (approximately 80-85 percent), identifying themselves as Christian, whether by true belief in the chapter by chapter, verse by verse variety, or the more culturally popular, Rapture-Crapture variety.
Now, most all of the Christians aren't going to be the hard-line variety. Like Judaism, which in this country is usually referring to cultural members of the Jewish community, rather than strict followers of that faith, Christian identification in surveys often allows those that label themselves as such, based on family background, not current church affiliation or belief in their hearts and souls.
Every year, the President acknowledges the Jewish faith at Yom Kippur and Hanukkah. He recognizes the Christians at Christmas and Easter. (Arrrgh! on Easter, but I digress based on my views relating to the whole false doctrine of Rapture, but I digress. Again.) Presidents have noted Buddhism and Hinduism. Our leaders have also given polite statements and speeches regarding religions such as the Baha'i faith, or the Sikh religion when leaders of those faiths show up at the White House.
Do Presbyterians get upset when the Pope is given the red carpet treatment while the Moderator of the General Assembly merely gets a handshake in the Oval Office? I think not.
Mr. Obama's statement was not an endorsement of the Muslim faith, but a nod to note that we can open our hearts to the people that believe in Islam, because that is a civilized thing to do in a secular country with a prohibition on any particular state religion.
Of course, none of this stops any of presently irate Christians that view Mr. Obama's statement as an endorsement of Islam, from letting Muslims know how they feel in a polite fashion. If they believe that Islam is missing something in its doctrines, because Christians believe that Christ is the only one way to God, that's okay. Christians are free in this country to witness, without even speaking a word, through their daily actions. I am not encouraging these enraged Christians to go and preach every day to every Muslim they meet or know.
I am only saying that sometimes the most effective witness a member of any community of faith has is to show, by their actions, what their faith is about. If one is a faithful Christian, the believing that Christians have 'something' others will never experience without getting what real Christian faith, then let actions speak louder than words.
So, let Mr. Obama be nice to the Muslims. And may the month of Ramadan be a blessing to us all.
No comments:
Post a Comment