Archive for November, 2011

By: Editor 

Following the lives of 5 Muslim families from Dearborn, Michigan, TLC delves into what it is like to be Muslim in America. TLC’s All American Muslim will air November 13th @ 10pm ET/PT. This new groundbreaking reality series follows the lives of five Muslim families in Dearborn, MI, one of the oldest Muslim communities in America. The powerful new eight-part series goes inside the rarely seen world of American Muslims to uncover a unique community struggling to balance faith and nationality in a post 9/11 world.

The families featured in the series share the same religion, but lead very distinct lives that often times challenge the Muslim stereotypes we see too often. Each episode offers an intimate look at their customs and celebrations, as well as the misconceptions, conflicts and differences they face outside—and within—their own community. The families on the series share their biggest celebrations and their unexpected challenges. The show lifts the veil of these present day stereotypes and shows the depth and variety present  among American Muslims.

As you can imagine, conversations are heating up across social media and beyond. Fringe anti-Muslim organizations are trying to utilize this show as a platform to spread their hate messaging in attempts to control American opinions. So it is critical that that both American Muslim and American non-Muslim communities are a part of this important conversation as a move that will surely inspire and broaden the public discussion about this community at a time when US public opinion of Muslims is at an all-time low. Ultimately, All-American Muslim is about civic duty, patriotism, religious freedom, the importance of family, and striving to live ‘the American dream’. Your participation is critical to representing the rich spectrum of opinions on this show and themes it explores.

Tune in starting November 13 @10pm ET/PT – and until then, watch the show opening here from the AllAmerican Muslim Facebook Page and if you like what you see, like the All-American Muslim Facebook page. If you are hungry for more, you can see more photos, videos, and learn about all the characters on the TLC.com All-American Muslim website.

New Groundbreaking TLC Reality Series, ”ALL-AMERICAN MUSLIM” Premiers Nov. 13th @ 10pm ET.

By: Fiqh Council of North America 

Adopted in its General Body Meeting held in Virginia on September 24-25, 2011
On Being Faithful Muslims and Loyal Americans

Like other faith communities in the US and elsewhere, we see no inherent conflict between the normative values of Islam and the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Contrary to erroneous perceptions and Islamophobic propaganda of political extremists from various backgrounds, the true and authentic teachings of Islam promote the sanctity of human life, dignity of all humans, and respect of human, civil and political rights. Islamic teachings uphold religious freedom and adherence to the same universal moral values which are accepted by the majority of people of all backgrounds and upon which the US Constitution was established and according to which the Bill of Rights was enunciated.

The Qur’an speaks explicitly about the imperative of just and peaceful co-existence, and the rights of legitimate self-defense against aggression and oppression that pose threats to freedom and security, provided that, a strict code of behavior is adhered to, including the protection of innocent non-combatants.

The foregoing values and teachings can be amply documented from the two primary sources of Islamic jurisprudence – the Qur’an and authentic Hadith. These values are rooted, not in political correctness or pretense, but on the universally accepted supreme objectives of Islamic Shari’ah, which is to protect religious liberty, life, reason, family and property of all. The Shari’ah, contrary to misrepresentations, is a comprehensive and broad guidance for all aspects of a Muslim’s life – spiritual, moral, social and legal. Secular legal systems in Western democracies generally share the same supreme objectives, and are generally compatible with Islamic Shari’ah.
Likewise, the core modern democratic systems are compatible with the Islamic principles of Shura – mutual consultation and co-determination of all social affairs at all levels and in all spheres, family, community, society, state and globally.

As a body of Islamic scholars, we the members of FCNA believe that it is false and misleading to suggest that there is a contradiction between being faithful Muslims committed to God (Allah) and being loyal American citizens. Islamic teachings require respect of the laws of the land where Muslims live as minorities, including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, so long as there is no conflict with Muslims’ obligation for obedience to God. We do not see any such conflict with the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. The primacy of obedience to God is a commonly held position of many practicing Jews and Christians as well.

We believe further that as citizens of a free and democratic society, we have the same obligations and rights of all US citizens. We believe that right of dissent can only be exercised in a peaceful and lawful manner to advance the short and long term interests of our country.
The Fiqh Council of North America calls on all Muslim Americans and American citizens at large to engage in objective, peaceful and respectful dialogue at all levels and spheres of common social concerns. We call upon all Muslim Americans to be involved in solving pressing social problems, such as the challenge of poverty, discrimination, violence, health care and environmental protection. It is fully compatible with Islam for Muslims to integrate positively in the society of which they are equal citizens, without losing their identity as Muslims (just as Jews and Christians do not lose their religious identity in doing the same).

We believe that emphasis on dialogue and positive collaborative action is a far better approach than following the paths of those who thrive on hate mongering and fear propaganda. Anti-Islam, anti-Semitism and other similar forms of religious and/or political-based discrimination are all forms of racism unfit for civilized people and are betrayal of the true American as well as Islamic values.

May the pursuit of peace, justice, love, compassion, human equality and fellowship prevail in the pluralistic mosaic that is the hallmark of our nation.

By: Khtija Khair