On Friday, Federal Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson ruled that an American who was convicted of fighting with the Taliban should be allowed to pray in congregation everyday within the premises of the high security prison. John Walker Lindh joined a suit initiated by two other prisoners against the prison authorities, arguing that not allowing him to pray violated a federal law that disallowed the government from limiting religious speech without showing a compelling interest.

Although the court accepted the argument that such arrangements for daily prayers five times a day were only possible in cases where security was not a concern, they said that the government had failed to prove that allowing prisoners to leave their cells to pray was causing a reasonable security concern. Other inmates were permitted to pray in congregation on special religious events, and no incidents of trouble had ever been reported.

The losing party intends to appeal the decision, claiming that Judge Magnus-Stinson’s verdict would have a massive impact on prison security all over America. Joe Hogsett, the legal representative of the prison facility argued, “This case deals with critically important issues that have significance both inside and outside the walls of our federal prison facilities. Our concern continues to be the safety and security of both our federal prison system and the United States of America.”

Lindh argued that Islam requires him to pray five times a day in congregation, and the prison’s ban was interfering with his right to practice his religion freely. Praying alone in his cell, he argued, was not permitted according to the school of Islam that he adheres to. Although officials from the prison facility said that such a verdict would have to be extended to all prisoners, the court was not in favor of curtailing the right of prisoners to practice their religion. One of the arguments brought forward by the state in the trial was that Muslim inmates use religion as a cover to carry out gang-like activities. The court rejected this plea on a lack of evidence.

Even though people in prisons in the United States do not have all rights guaranteed by the constitution, they are guaranteed a number of rights by the Constitution as well as federal and state laws. Judge Mangus-Stinson’s verdict is not the first protecting the religious freedom of convicts in the United States. In Mayweathers v. Newland, the court sought an injunction to stop a corrections facility from disciplining a Muslim inmate who missed work because he was attending Friday prayers.

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Muslims have made valuable contributions to the United States, but sadly they stay in the news for mostly bad reasons. Right now, the world is more familiar with their negative side. In this section, we will have a look at some of the Muslims that are famous in America and have earned respect.

Shirin Neshat

She is a great visual artist who was born in Iran. Currently she resides in New York and has made a valuable display of her skills in films and videos. She received the Dorothy and Lillan Gish Prize in the year 2006. She also received the artist of the decade award in the year 2010. Neshat has earned great respect for herself due to her artistic skills.

Shahzia Sikander

She was born in Lahore, the heart of Pakistan, in the year 1969. She is famous for her fantastic display of artistic skills in drawings, paintings, animations etc. she received her Master’s degree from Rhode Island School of Art and Design. She is a lady that is deeply attached to her values and at the same time has earned a positive reputation in America. She takes religion very close to her heart.

Ahmed Ahmed

He is the person that spreads smiles on the faces of everyone. He is of Egyptian origin and was born in 1970. He has lived in the U.S. since he was a month old and has earned for himself a reputed place in the media industry. Some of his famous films are Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, Iron Man, The Onion Movie and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan. He has played a huge role in promoting a positive Muslim image in America.

Dave Chappelle

He was born in the year 1973 on August 24.  Dave Chappelle is known for his stand-up comedy skills, screen writing, production, acting and many more qualities. His famous movies are Def Comedy Jam, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Undercover Blues, Home Improvement and The Nutty Professor. He is also a great contributor in the media industry of America.

Ahmad Jamal

He is a pianist, educator and composer who is regarded as a great contributor to American Jazz music second to Charlie Parker. He has been in the industry for 50 years and has earned great success. He is not a Muslim by birth, but he showed interest in Islam when he was in his 20s and converted to Islam in 1950. After his conversion to Islam he stated in an interview that “Muslim prayers five times a day and arises in time to say his first prayers at 5 am. He tells them in Arabic in keeping with the Muslim tradition.”

Akon

His real name is AliauneDamalaBadara Akon Thiam. He is a famous singer who has produced many marvels through his singing talent. He is not only a singer, but also a songwriter, businessman, composer and a producer. He has a huge fan following not only in America, but all around the world.

All of these American-Muslims are loved by the American nation.

 

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Many Muslims and Pakistani citizens have been in the front line to criticize the activities that are performed by Americans in Pakistan. In the process of Americans trying to suppress militia forces and other terrorist groups, so many people have lost their lives. This has made many people across the globe take the American’s activities in a manner that is not welcoming. In fact, rebellious ideas have continued to be expressed from all corners of the world.

Most people have continued to have negative perceptions of Americans and all the activities they conduct in Pakistan. There is a feeling that the America’s intentions are not good. This is because the Pakistan government and the Islamic religions perceive their actions as efforts to kill the Muslims in the name of fighting terrorism. However, in a real sense, the Americans are helping to fight the terror groups that have continued to not only bring havoc and fear among the Pakistan people but also the entire world.

One thing the Pakistan government has to ask itself is how it is possible that the Americans would have ill intentions but at the same time provide the Pakistan government with financial support. One thing that is very evident is that the Americans would not assist the Pakistan government and their citizens if it has all along had negative intentions. The Pakistan nation should therefore start to look at these issues from different angles and appreciate the fact that they have been assisted to rise economically, politically, and socially.

The Pakistan government has been loaned a lot of money for the purpose of developing industrial sectors which are the backbone of many of the countries. Many industries and firms that were very productive failed to operate because of the terror attacks that lead to the closing down of these industries. Through suppressing the effect of terror influences in the region, it was possible to establish the industrial sectors but finance was at a great setback. The American government donated a huge amount of cash for the purpose of renovating these industries.

Large donations have also been awarded to the Pakistan government to boost educational sectors. The schools that had been closed have opened again and are now in operation. Learning facilities have been bought with the cash that had been donated to specifically fund education in all levels of learning institutions. The bright students as well as the needy are given scholarships to advance their education. Some of the cash that has been donated has been injected into construction.

The health sector in Pakistan has also realized a significant improvement. The American government should be allowed to build more centers for offering medical assistance. The cash donated has been used to purchase the equipment for administering treatment to the sick. Research centers have also been established through the cash that has been donated to the government to facilitate study in various medical fields. The Pakistan government has also received large amounts of cash to ensure the funding of the restructuring process of the government for proper administration and governance. The Americans should therefore not be seen as a threat to Pakistan.

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Marc Schneier and Shamsi Ali write:

In addition to having similar dietary laws, customs and rituals, we found out on Nov. 6 that American Jews and American Muslims have another thing in common; each community gave 70 percent or more of its vote during Tuesday's presidential election to President Obama.

According to two national exit polls, about 70 percent of American Jews supported President Obama over Republican candidate Mitt Romney. A poll conducted in the Muslim community in late October showed that 68 percent of American Muslims backed Obama.

What do these similar vote totals in support of President Obama say about our two communities? First, the results show that majorities of American Jews and American Muslims support President Obama's vision of an inclusive society where people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds have a chance to succeed....

There is, however, a second reason for the overwhelming support for Obama among American Jews and Muslims; namely that both communities strongly reject the anti-Muslim rhetoric articulated by prominent Republicans during the past several years. For example, national Republican leaders shamelessly demagogued the bogus "Ground Zero mosque" controversy of 2010 and held congressional hearings in 2011 based on the false claim that 80 percent of American mosques support Islamic radicalism. This year some Republican congressional leaders also claimed the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated the U.S. State Department, while Republican-controlled legislatures in states such as Oklahoma and Kansas passed wholly unnecessary and unconstitutional bans on sharia (Islamic) law.

Despite loud and well-funded efforts to enlist the Jewish community in the Islamophobia campaign of recent years, the majority of American Jews have emphatically rejected it.

Washington Post, 9 November 2012

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The festival that has become a staple in the tight-knit Orange County Arabic community for nearly 20 years has become a place of protest outside the event gates but inside, the party goes on.

By day, families play games, take their children on rides and peruse aisles of Middle Eastern cuisine and hookah tents at the Arab American Day Festival in Garden Grove. When night falls, music will overwhelm the venue on Main Street, a dance party will ensue and, according to some, the protests will begin.

Friday night drew heated controversy outside the gates between festival-goers and a group carrying signs disparaging the prophet Muhammad and passing out Bibles. Police said no arrests were made Friday and about 30 officers were at the festival on Saturday, the night expected to draw the largest crowds.

Festival organizer and founder Ahmad Alam said the protesters stood with a microphone and signs yelling anti-Islamic sayings. One of the signs reportedly used a phrase from the anti-Muslim movie that has sparked riots at U.S. embassies across the world and resulted in the death of a U.S. ambassador and several others.

But Alam said this is nothing he hasn't seen before. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Alam said the festival has seen its share of anti-Muslim groups outside their festival. "Our people are used to this," he said.

Orange County Register, 29 September 2012

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Where does the similarity lay? In fact, 9/11 was not the corollary of just jihad in Afghanistan, ‎though it provided a fertile guide to young minds. Palestinian issue contributed a lot and it ‎added rather fuel to the fire that the United States not only supported the Israeli expansion to ‎Gaza, but also vetoed any resolution that came up or was presented in the UN General ‎Assembly or Security Council, leaving Muslims to lick their wounds. Some other important ‎issues where gross injustice was committed against Muslims also added insult to the injury. ‎The issues of Chechnya, Bosnia, Kashmir and others further augmented this thinking. The ‎major feeling was injustice against the Muslims that still continue.‎

Now that the US backed Arab Spring has taken hold of the entire Middle East, it is not a new ‎thing. It is same New World Order that Bush Senior envisaged though it has backfired in some ‎countries such as Egypt, leading to worries in Israel and the United States and other is to break ‎up the “axis of resistance”. Recently Syrian Foreign Minister has said it during his interview ‎with a journalist of The Independent that the US officials asked them to renounce their backing ‎up to Iran and they would have peace in Syria that they spurned. The world that is backing ‎resistance, insurgency or revolution in Syria is turning a blind eye to the same Arab Spring and ‎Revolution in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain where majority is deprived of basic human rights such ‎as freedom of expression and peaceful protests.‎

As far as US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan is concerned, democracy has not taken any form ‎over there in these countries. Iraq is witnessing unprecedented Al-Qa’ida attacks that were ‎nonexistent during Saddam regime and Afghanistan is witnessing rising attacks in the coalition ‎forces. Mayhem in Pakistan is also the handiwork of the same forces, leading to estranged ‎feelings among some fanatic factions and large-scale suicide attacks, originally intended to be ‎launched against the western targets. ‎

If all these developments in the Middle East and Muslim countries are jotted down together, ‎they lead to a world scenario that is ripening toward another 9/11. In fact, if seen with an ‎analytic mind, the situations that caused 9/11 are very much here. The difference is only that ‎the anti-US and anti-western forces are not much coordinated and embedded in the western ‎world. ‎
Now the question is will these be coordinated enough to cause another such tragedy? The ‎answer to this question is very big yes. The Muslims over there are now going through a wave ‎of anti-Muslim propaganda and even some moves that are totally against the western norms as ‎well. For example, ban of veil in France, Muslim targeting in the United States, permission of ‎caricatures of the Holy Prophet [PBUH] in Germany, anti-Muslim resentment in other western ‎countries are making the Muslim community living over there to feel separated from the ‎mainstream politics and this is highly precarious development.‎

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Mazhar Abbas Bhatti

Professor of English Language and Literature, professional Urdu-English Translator, writer and editor, Mazhar Abbas Bhatti has a deep understanding of international affairs and US role on the global chessboard. He teaches in ICB, the oldest and premier institution in Islamabad, Pakistan.

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The Nation has a special issue entitled "Islamophobia: Anatomy of an American Panic" with articles examining different aspects of Islamophobia in the US.

These include Moustafa Bayoumi, "Fear and Loathing of Islam", Jack Shaheen, "How the Media Created the Muslim Monster Myth" (subscription only), Petra Bartosiewicz, "Deploying Informants, the FBI Stings Muslims", Laila Lalami, "Islamophobia and Its Discontents", Abed Awad, "The True Story of Sharia in American Courts", Ramzi Kassem, "The Long Roots of the NYPD Spying Program", Max Blumenthal, "The Sugar Mama of Anti-Muslim Hate", and Laila Al-Arian, "When Your Father Is Accused of Terrorism".

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We still have not forgotten the attack on Pearl Harbor US by Japan on 7th December 1941. The operation was given the name “Hawaii Operation”. The entire operation was kept secret. The target was the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. 353 Japanese fighters participated in the operation with bombers and torpedo planes. This attack and assault gave the American people a shock and paved their path to enter in the World War 2.

September 11, 2001 attacks, also referred to as 9/11 attacks, by the Islamic Al-Qaeda group on twin towers of world trade center moved the Americans again. It is a wise saying that history repeats itself. These attacks took the people of America in the history…the terrible Hawaii operation. More than 3,000 people died in the 9/11 twin tower attacks. It is said that the world has completely changed after 9/11.The attacks caused serious damage to the economy of the world as a whole. The next day, US print and electronic media was flooded with the headlines like “Day of terror”, “War on terror has begun”, “Acts of War”, “Darkest hour”, “Our nation saw evil”, America’s bloodiest day” and many more like that. This event changed the perception of Islam to the new horizon.

Two years later, reason being given September 11 attacks, US invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003 claiming that Iraq had the weapons of mass destruction. United States alleged these weapons a great threat to the security of people of America. By this, a never ending WAR ON TERROR by United States had started which is still continuing even after the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

After this incident, the perception of Islam and soft image of Muslims damaged badly just because of the few militant Muslims. They put the Muslims of all over the world in an unending problematic, awkward, tough and challenging situation. Muslims were treated like terrorists in the western world especially in America after 9/11. Muslim community there could not even feel sorry and express their grief to the frightened Americans just because they were Muslims. They faced the hardest time of their lives over there.

The circumstances are almost same even today. US Muslims are still striving to get their image back. The psychological and emotional trauma led the Americans to develop the hatred feelings for Muslims. Muslims are still paying for few terrorist acts. The people of Iraq and Afghanistan suffered a lot during this era. Pakistan is also in state of fear and misery after announcing itself a strategic partner of US against terrorists. This war on terror took millions of lives in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Every Muslim in the America was asked as if he/she was associated with Al-Qaeda or had links with Osama Bin Laden. Muslims living there for even years and decades were seen as aliens. The same was the case with the Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor attacks. They were misunderstood, disgraced and treated as strangers. They had to show their identity when asked anywhere anytime. Same happened after twin tower attacks. The people of Muslim communities had to register themselves. Many American-Muslims were taken by FBI after 9/11 for no reason just on the basis of doubt and were kept not for days or months but for years. This is how the perception of Islam distorted negatively.

But not to forget, American Japanese united together and strive a lot to recoup their image and status in America. They condemned against the unfair treatment by the government and people of America at every forum and defended their civil rights. They realized that they need to speak out and become more vigorous to defend themselves. Many Muslim communities, organizations and associations in America have also taken steps to get back their identity. They voice their opinion in the media, politics and social forums to reclaim their positive representation and to participate in the society for a better future of America and to make world believe that they are the peace lovers.

Time will tell that will they succeed to change the perception of Islam as a religion of peace and harmony in the western society or not?

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