Living in the United States is a dream of many. Blacks, Asians, and Arabs all strive to get a share of what the United States has to offer. Until the dark September 9 incident, it was all merry and roses for Muslims living in the United States but what have changed now?
Sadly, Muslims no longer find life in the United States a ride in the park. Islam critics as well as fanatics keen on fostering hatred and negative portray. These people want Americans and the larger word to believe that every Islam is a terrorist. The extremists who claimed responsibilities for the September 9 incidents and other incidents targeting American interest across the globe have not done better either, they too have used Islam as a platform for launching their terrorist acts.
It is however sad that the normal Islam who goes about his day life like any other person in American has had to bear the brunt. There is a growing disdain for the Islam among Americans. Kids have been taught to associate the Muslims with terrorism, intellectuals have portrayed Islam negatively, and sadly, Muslims leaving in America have been forced to wear the brand of terrorism by virtue of their religion.
A question one asks, is why America should, a highly educated society condemn the entire Muslim for crime of a few. Many Muslims are peace loving citizens and rarely thin of harming any American citizens. Despite the rate Muslims have grown among the American citizens, many would harm them and after all, they are humans.
Nonetheless, the Muslim community must as well exhibit patience, tolerance and respect for others. Most of the Americans go about their lives oblivious of the policies their government takes against the Arab nations. Sadly, the Islam world has developed a kind of hatred to Americans. The truth is, both worlds need each other. Americans are as important to Muslims as Muslims are important to Americans.
So, who would sober up and tell Americans to treat their Muslim brothers with love and respect and who would tell the Muslims to love their American brothers? This person would be a hero. A key question often surrounding the bad blood between United States and the Muslims is the Israeli question, so, why can’t the Israelis and the Muslim live in peace. Of course, there is nowhere the Jews can go and so, Muslims should simply learn to live with them. Other than these artificial differences we create between us, we are all humans and must learn to live with each other.
After what had happened on 9/11 the world changed quite abruptly. There were quite drastic changes in the foreign policies by America, and it was felt by other nations of the world that America seems to indulge into torture activities. There have been quite different views about this fact, but many think that a high number of people were taken to detention after 9/11. There is a difference between torture and taking the person into custody without being involved in a crime. But who should be held responsible for such kind of activities after 9/11. Obviously, there would be some well-known names behind these kinds of activities.
The American president and his administration members are directly involved in all of those brutal killings of the innocent people that were murdered without any reason in the form of war against terrorism. A report said that the President George W bush also crossed the lines defined for interrogating the people in the constitution. It was also mentioned in the same report that the task forces were not given an access to the classified information, but there were signs, and found proofs during the investigations that the task forces were given illegal access to the classified information.
The report emphasized on the fact that, as far as the finding goes it is absolutely true that America has been involved in torture activities one way or another. There were no solid evidences found, that the task forces use torture and killing to have their operations done so they still continue to be involved in illegal killing. The report also added that the number of people that were held in detention by the task forces has divulged any kind of information to the force, but there is a high probability that the information provided by the person held in detention is 100% correct. All of the records are also not shown.
The detention centers are quite highlighted by the media as it was shown that how prisoners were treated in those detention centers. At some places, it was also written that these detention centers were worse than hell. One the navy men - from Navy department - who was on duty during the treatment of the prisoners in Guantánamo Bay said that the way with which the prisoners were treated was quite unethical. The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel made it clear in its statement that the way the prisoners were treated during the detention was quite under the defined interrogating laws. Many media organizations have held debates on this hot issue as lots of people are convinced with the fact that these kinds of killings should be stopped. Human activists are also playing their part regarding this issue.
The holiday season is around the corner, and you must be thinking about your holiday destination. If you are really interested in enjoying every bit of your holiday, then it is highly recommended traveling to the United States this season with your entire family. No matter from where you are, the USA is just the right holiday destination for your next trip. This beautiful country is abundant with many jaw dropping and worth visiting places. You will come across the most scintillating scenes which have their own mystical charm and will leave you spellbound.
If you are an adventurous person, and have love for hiking, then Montana is just what the doctor ordered. This beautiful place has 10 national forests and due to its beautiful mountains it is known as the land of shining mountains. It will cater your love for climbing. Kootenai Canyon is an ideal place offering varied climbing and hiking routes to the tourists. Many people visit this place simply to enjoy climbing.
Kansas is a very sophisticated city which is a sight of attraction. If you have a limited budget, and you still want to make the most of your holidays then Kansas is the city for you. It is one of the most economical cities of US. You will find hotels at very reasonable rates, and the transportation is also very economical. Make sure to visit this city during the summer because you will find life at its best during summers.
River Walk of San Antonio is a popular tourist attraction. You can either ride a bike or have a walk on the sides of the river. You will find restaurants and various other shops around the river where you can stop and have loads of fun. Hotels are available at affordable rates, and it is best to visit this during the summer. However, if you visit it during spring everyone will charge you too much since it is the high season of this city.
San Diego is popular for its beautiful beaches where you can have quality time with your family and at the same time you can enjoy surfing, boating and beach combing. You can even enjoy golfing in this beautiful city. Old town, Sea World and San Diego Museum are some of the worth seeing places of this city. Make sure to visit this city during the summer because you will be able to enjoy your time on beaches then.
Well, if you visited the US and did not go to Las Vegas then honestly speaking you wasted your holidays. This is the highly populated city of US which is full of life especially at night. This city is famous for gambling, food and shopping. If you wish to gamble, then you ought to visit Las Vegas the land of the Casinos. This city has resorts and villas which will definitely make your holidays memorable. Make sure to rent a villa instead of a hotel room because villas have everything to make holidays worth remembering.
So, get ready to have a fun filled time with your family in US.
If you enjoy traveling abroad and want to find some country-specific travel information that you can rely on, you should pay a visit to the website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs. On this website, you can find recent embassy notices for American citizens about virtually every country in the world. The information made available on their website includes travel warnings, country descriptions, criminal penalties and entry/exit requirements.
In the case of Libya, the Bureau of Consular Affairs had issued a warning against traveling to certain regions within the country. It informed travelers which areas they should stay away from due to violent protests. Moreover, their website has all the necessary contact information for consular services in Libya that you should never travel without.
If you were discriminated against on the basis of race or ethnicity, you should contact an American civil rights organization immediately for help. Although such incidents are isolated, they do occur and you can seek a legal remedy. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee is such a civil rights organization. It was founded by America’s first senator with an Arab background and it aims to help people of all nationalities and ethnic groups take action against any form of hate crimes or discrimination. This organization works with the White House, the United States Congress and the Department of Justice.
Traveling to america for Muslims
There are approximately five million Muslims in the United States. Since the United States attracts a large number of immigrants, the Muslim population in the country is expected to rise gradually over the next few years. However, the influx of Muslims into the country has worried security agencies, who monitor the activities of Muslim immigrants and tourists very watchfully. This strict watch has also started to extend to U.S. Muslim citizens.
If you are planning to travel to the United States, make sure you obtain a valid visa from the U.S. Embassy. Remember to take along accepted up-to-date identification documents along with your passport . Check your baggage and remove any non-permitted luggage from your carry-on baggage. It is common for people who are visiting the United States to be asked their purpose for their visit when they reach the immigration counter, so be prepared to answer. It is essential that your answer is precise and clear, or else it might result in further questioning.
You should not forget that you have the right to file a complaint against an airline that givs you trouble because of your race or ethnicity. In order to do this, you should contact the Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division. You can also use its web form to write your complaint.
For decades now the US government has had a system for categorizing terrorist organizations. Some groups classified as “designated terrorist organizations” include Hamas, Hezbollah, and Kurdistan Workers’ Party. It is very uncommon, but sometimes a designated terrorist organization can be de-listed. The Irish Republican Army and Kosovo Liberation Army are two such examples.
The Kosovo Liberation Army was founded in the early 1990′s in response to the genocide taking place against Albanians. They bombed police stations and cafes where Serbian officials were, and in the process many civilians were killed. Although these acts were a reaction against a genocide, the US government considered them to be terrorist activities and listed the KLA as a designated terrorist organization.
But in 1999, the United States intervened in Kosovo to stop the genocide, effectually embracing the KLA’s cause. Not that they condoned the bombings that killed civilians as well as Serbian officials. However, they did recognize that even this “terrorist organization” was fighting for a legitimate cause, and it was de-listed as a designated terrorist organization. After the Kosovo War ended, the KLA became the Kosovo Protection Corps, which worked with NATO to provide security to the province.
Terrorist activities should always be condemned. No situation, no matter how dire, justifies terrorism. However, the motives behind terrorist activity should always be examined closely. The United States helped stop a genocide by fighting for the same cause as a designated terrorist organization, and in the end this “terrorist organization” helped build a stable government.
Another group that was de-listed as a designated terrorist organization by the US government is the Palestine Liberation Organization, or PLO. According to its original charter its goal was to liberate Palestine through armed struggle, and it sought to accomplish this through attacks against Israeli officials and civilians. However, at the 1991 Madrid Conference, the US de-listed the PLO as a designated terrorist organization, and in 1993 the PLO recognized Israel’s right to exist. Today, the United Nations recognizes it as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Like the KLA, this former terrorist organization that fought against a genocide is now working to form a stable government.
Perhaps the US will learn from its victory in Kosovo and, while condemning terrorism, fight for the PLO’s cause in Israel and Palestine. Who knows, they might stop another genocide.
A few years ago, the Muslim community in the U.S. had been a small minority. Most of the Muslims from various parts of the world migrated to the United States of America for better economic opportunities. Today, the Muslim community is one of the fastest growing societies in the country. The Muslims came to America for the first time in the year 1860 from Lebanon and Syria. Now, it is estimated that there are more than seven million Muslim individuals living in the United States of America. At first, the various Muslim groups settled in New York, but now they host a great population in the various cities and states of the United States of America.
There are about ten states in America with a great population of Muslim communities. Most of the Muslims living in the U.S. prefer these states in which to live to create brotherhood and Islamic culture and tradition in these states. The list of top ten cities that are considered best for Muslim communities are as follows:
New York City, N.Y.
Houston, T.X.
Atlanta, G.A.
Washington D.C.
Dearborn, M.I.
Cedar Rapids, I.A.
San Francisco, C.A.
Chicago, I.L.
Philadelphia, P.A.
Peoria, I.L.
The above ten cities of the U.S. are considered the best for Muslim communities. The first official mosque was built in the city of Cedar Rapids in the year 1934. Now, there are more than 1200 mosques in the various cities of America including Washington D.C, New York, Houston and various others. The majority of mosques have been established since 1980. Besides mosques, there are various Islamic cultural centers, foundations and schools for the help of Muslim individuals.
Some key Muslim organization in the U.S. are the Muslim American Society established in the year 1993, the Council on American Islamic Relation, Muslim Student Association, and Islamic Society of North America. These provide complete and effective knowledge and information regarding the religious features and various other matters for Muslims. These key Islamic organizations also provide religious education, training as well as provide support to the Muslim communities all over the country. The Muslim American Society defines itself as a social, cultural, educational, charitable and a nonprofit organization in the country. The main objective of this Islamic organization is to create brotherhood among the Muslim individuals and to convey the true meanings of ‘’Jihad’’ and ‘’Islam’’ to the individuals who are unfamiliar with the basic Islamic teachings. It is great to see that there are so many organizations throughout the U.S. working toward the welfare of the Muslim Americans.
In the 1880s, thousands of Muslims from the Ottoman Empire and South Asia migrated to America. Immigration by Muslims began in 1840. It began with Yemenis and Turks, and this process of immigration lasted until World War I. Most of the Muslims from the Ottoman Empire immigrated to America for the purpose of making money, finding work and setting business. After their work was complete, they wanted to return back to their countries. But in the 19th century, there was an economic hardship which prevented all the immigrants from returning to their homeland, thus they settled in America permanently. These Muslims settled in Detroit, North Dakota, Ross, Massachusetts and Quincy.
After their settlement, different movements started along with the establishment of Muslim’s worshipping places. Bosnian Muslims settled in Chicago and started the Benevolent Society. This was the social organization dedicated to Bosnian Muslims and is one of the oldest Muslims communities which are still working today in the United States of America. In 1906, this society used to have meetings at coffee houses, and after discussions they opened forts Islamic Sunday school. The purpose of this school was to give Islamic education to students. The books were written by Kamil Avdich, who was a graduate of Al-Azhar University. He wrote many Islamic related books and taught students himself.
The Albanian Muslims founded the first mosque in Maine and also constructed a Muslim cemetery, which still exists. In 1907, immigrants from Podlaise founded the American Mohammedan society. An Indian immigrant who was an Ahmadiyya Muslim missionary established first Islamic mission station in 1920 and Al Sadiq Mosque in 1921. Muslims living in Cedar Rapids built a Mosque which was enormous in size and could accommodate many Muslims for daily prayers, five times each day. This Mosque was constructed in 1934. Dearborn, MI was the place where many Arab Muslims settled, and today as well, this region has a very high Muslim population. The early Muslims constructed Mosques. Apart from that, they all started their businesses including small restaurants and hotels which catered to Halal food only. Now Halal food is easily available in all states of the USA. Therefore, the condition is very favorable for Muslims in America, because it is a more peaceful country.
Many Chinese Muslims have also immigrated to America and lived in the Chinese community. Two of the most prominent Chinese Muslims in America were China’s national revolutionary army general Ma Hongkui and his son Ma Dunjing. Muslims have played a very important role in the history of America. The Muslim population in America is continuously rising everyday, as thousands of Muslims immigrate to America for work and education. Now, thousands of Muslims are living in the USA, and conditions are very favorable for them, as well as the Muslim students who travel there for schooling.
In the year 2007, while I was a senior in high school in Phoenix, Arizona, I traveled to Montana, the state where I was born, to visit old friends. In one instance, I was wearing a t-shirt with a painted image of then-senator Barack Obama when I decided to enter a gas station to stock up on junk food for a road trip. As I was leaving and walking to our car, a man in a large truck yelled at me from across the parking lot, “Hey, you know he’s going to take our guns away, right?”
This is a common mentality throughout the United States. Yesterday evening, just as the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots was getting underway, the network coverage changed abruptly. President Obama was in Connecticut to give a speech addressing the recent school shooting where 20 children and several school employees were killed. In his speech, the President expressed anger. “We have do to better,” he said in reference to the slew of public shootings that have occurred in the U.S. in recent months. Immediately after the speech, people across the country rushed to gun stores in order to buy automatic weapons in anticipation of stronger restrictions on gun ownership.
The NRA is a prominent interest group in American politics.
The issue of gun ownership rights is the most fervent ongoing political topic in the U.S. The pro-gun ownership side is supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA is the strongest lobbying group in the U.S., which means that every election unsung quantities of money are given to, mostly Republican, lawmakers in order to ensure that no new restrictions on gun ownership will occur. On the other side of the issue are Democratic lawmakers, for the most part, who want to place buying restrictions on certain types of guns, notably assault rifles and hand guns. If it’s not a sensible hunting weapon it doesn’t belong on the streets, is their argument. This debate has been occurring for a very long time, and it doesn’t look to be letting up anytime soon.
But, incidents like the recent shooting in Connecticut give us pause to reconsider gun ownership laws. Last summer I was living in Denver, Colorado with my wife when we heard about a mass shooting in a movie theatre not even 20 minutes drive from our house. The following night, when we attended a theatre to see a film, policemen were guarding the entrances. During the film, if anyone left to buy popcorn or use the restroom, they would return to the anxious staring of everybody in the theatre. We were all on edge.
When I lived in Arizona, we were literally just a few hours drive from areas of Mexico where people are being terrorized and brutally killed by drug cartels. On nearly a daily basis, news of drug-related deaths in Mexico can be read about, but never seen. This violence doesn’t cross the border into the United States, ever. The reason? Think of 9/11. The number of people killed on that tragic day is about 1/5 of the amount of children globally who parish from hunger everyday. But, the American response to an attack like 9/11 was large enough that 12 years later soldiers are still in Afghanistan.
As Americans, we are not exposed to guns and violence. We are never invaded or attacked, and we never see imagery from overseas. There are human rights tragedies of enormous consequence occurring everyday in places like Syria and the Congo. But, we don’t see any of it.
When I tried to visited the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, I arrived too late and was forbidden from entering. The man who told me the museum was closed, though, had an assault rifle strapped over his soldier. To the people who live there, seeing a security guard with a rifle is normal. To me, being from the U.S., it scared the hell out of me. Similarly, when I was walking in a small border town in Mexico, a policeman walked up to a car and tapped on the window with the barrel of his gun. “What if he shoots someone on accident?” I thought to myself. Talking with a friend in Tbilisi, the capital city of the ex-Soviet Republic of Georgia, he recounted to me the story of how he and his friends were in a street fight when some of the kids pulled out hand guns. “Weren’t you terrified?” I asked him. To which he casually replied, “No, it’s normal.”
Don’t think that guns are completely absent from American society, though. I live in Washington D.C. This city was historically one of the most violent in the U.S. Why? Poverty. Even today, incidents of shootings on city buses in low-income neighborhoods is a reality. For the majority of my life I did not live in or even visit poor areas like that. But, now that I see them, I realize something significant. To illustrate this significant point I’ll use two recent natural disasters. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Katrina occurred in 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
To those people who have visited and know that city, it is one of the greatest in the United States. The amount of culture and artistry that exists there is beautiful. But, New Orleans is mostly poor minorities. Hence, the humanitarian response to Katrina was abysmal. Lives there are less consequential. No money, no voice. In the aftermath, wealthy developers have come there to buy destroyed (and un-destroyed) buildings as investment properties. Rebuilding the city is a priority. But, it is being rebuilt to fit a different vision from what existed prior. Low-income housing is being replaced with condominiums and high-rises.
Relief efforts after Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey.
Hurricane Sandy, which happened last month, affected the East Coast of the United States, not the south where New Orleans is. Here in Washington D.C. we had consistent rain and a tree or two fell down, but overall the effects were minimal. Parts of New Jersey, though, were not so lucky. Images of demolished suburbs and inundated boardwalk communities filled television news coverage. While relief efforts were quickly initiated. Now, Hurricane Katrina happened while George W. Bush was president, and as a leader he was a joke. So, perhaps part of the better response to Sandy involved who was in the White House. It should not be dismissed, however, that those communities most effected were neither poor, nor minorities.
It is the same case with gun violence. It’s the worst in areas like those effected by Katrina, but unless it occurs in areas like those effected by Sandy it isn’t prioritized nationally.
What’s to be taken away from this article for anyone who doesn’t live in the U.S. is a broad understanding of the role of guns in society here, and the politics associated with the debate over ownership, or crime. Again, on 9/11 3,000 people died tragically, and it disrupted the country so badly that even 12 years later people are sensitive about the issue and American troops continue to be stationed in South Asia and elsewhere. But, everyday in the world, 15,000 children die as a result of not having enough food to eat. In this case, who is Katrina and who is Sandy?
America is not a Christian nation. It never was. It is a country founded on principles. Not least of these is religious freedom. This is a country where people are free to worship as they please. Or to not worship anything. In this context, the holiday of Christmas deserves further explanation, because, in the U.S., it’s not just a Christian holiday. It’s an American holiday, for all.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25. For some Christians, this date is treated as the birthday of Jesus Christ. This date actually has religious ties to Zoroastrianism that pre-date the existence of the Abrahamic faiths, but the birthday correlation is the reason behind the Christian connection.
And Santa Claus? The history is extensive. But, basically the name is a bastardization of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a Christian figure who lived in Turkey and gave gifts to the poor. The conceptualization of Santa Claus stems from several sources. None of them Christian. The gift giving aspects of Santa Claus, in addition to St. Nicholas’ altruism, come from Germanic pagan traditions. (Paganism is a catch-all phrase that denotes people with an animalistic, naturalistic, or polytheistic spiritual orientation.) Further, the modern imagery of Santa Claus emerged with the American Civil War in the mid-19th century. It wasn’t until Coca-Cola picked up similar images in the 1930s for an advertising campaign, though, that Santa Claus hit it big as an American icon.
What is the purpose of a holiday? Well, it’s a holy day. But, it’s also not. Holidays have a purpose in human civilization. They began soon after we started practicing agriculture 10,000 years ago. They were connected with the lunar cycle, like the Islamic calendar, and used to celebrate harvests or rainy seasons or any significant episode in an important crop’s growing season. Only later did these really have “religious” significance as we define it.
But, America is a capitalist society. Most of the world has many holidays. We have only a few, staggered evenly throughout the year, and always heavily marketed. St. Patrick’s Day. Valentine’s Day. Easter. Sure, these all have some basis in Christian tradition. But, Christian tradition has a basis in earlier pagan traditions tied to agriculture. As do Judaism and Islam. So, the religious heritage of these holidays isn’t why they are significant today. They are brief buying-and-selling seasons. Every holiday in the U.S. with a religious basis is now secularized and associated with a few select commodities.
Christmas is no exception. It is known here in the U.S. as the season for giving. Giving what? Gifts! Presents! Objects of every conceivable sort, from cars, to toys, to skateboards and guitars, right down to the least desirable . . . clothes. But, there’s little altruism here. These presents aren’t for the anonymous poor, like Saint Nicholas used to do in Turkey. They’re for us. To have and hold and enjoy. Sure, some people do charity for anonymous people. Sure, some people attend religious functions. But, that doesn’t preclude them from discovering an iPad under their own tree.
Yes, the traditionalists out there cut down a living tree, place it in their living room, bedeck it with lights and other ornaments, place gifts beneath it, open those gifts on Christmas morning, and then throw that tree away. My own parents did it every year when I was a kid, and they continue to do it now. My family is not Christian, yet Christmas still comes.
This year, I will be celebrating Christmas with my wife. She’s not from the U.S., and hasn’t celebrated Christmas before. So, we’re making our own version. Because traditions also evolve. In America today, Christmas is still a special time of the year. But, the reason why is entirely yours to decide.
The United States of America has played a major role in rebuilding Afganistan and this has resulted in many things, among which some have had positive implications while others have had negative implications. This interference resulted in the formation of a partnership among the two countries in the year 2001. The partnership still exists by today and though it has received many condemnations from the Muslim population, many people consider this partnership to be the best thing that has ever happened to the state of Afghanistan.
Some of the benefits that the world has gained through this collaboration among the two states are reduced threats to international peace and this in turn has boosted world security. Afghanistan has also benefited heavily through this partnership. One of the benefits that has been acquired by Afghanistan is improved security. The security of this country as a whole has been boosted in major airports, hotels and other public gathering areas. The other benefit that has been acquired by the citizens of Afghanistan is improved governance.
The system of governance in the country has been boosted to overwhelming levels. Ever since the American forces captured Saddam Hussein and took him to trial where he was sentenced to death, the country’s system of governance has improved. This eliminated the system of poor governance and leadership in the country. This action also helped to eliminate tyrannical leaders and helped the country to embrace democracy and fairness in elections. The removal of this leader of the government also allowed the country to grow in terms of infrastructure and in other areas.
The infrastructure in the country such as roads, and social amenities such as schools underwent a new transformation that allowed the country to be more habitable to visitors from other countries. The other benefit that the country accrued is improved relations with other countries. These improved relations have allowed the country the ability to trade with other countries – for example, the ability to trade its rarer commodities. The new system of governance has also created job opportunities for many of its citizens in the oil refineries and mining areas and in other sectors of the economy.
Citizens being engaged in income-generating activities has helped to eliminate, or rather eradicate the culture of youths and other citizens who are involved in terrorism activities. The partnership between the two states has also resulted in the redrafting of the country’s constitution. The previous constitution did not include clauses that recognized young women and to worsen the situation, did not place emphasis on human rights. The new constitution has encompassed many rights and values so that human beings may coexist with each other.
Unlike the old constitution, this new one allows women to get into parliament not only as representatives of various dockets but also as the head of the state. The constitution also allows for other human rights such as the right of freedom of speech. In general it can be well-put that the country has benefited a lot from the interference of the United States of America.
At last, the election of 2012 is complete. President Barack Obama has been elected to a second term in office, and the two branches of Congress have each received some new members. In this election, the flaws of our democratic process were especially apparent. This post briefly tells how the American political system works, as well as how it doesn’t work.
In 1775, the colonists of North America rebelled against their British overseers. The end result was an independent country called the United States of America. Originally comprised of 13 colonies, represented by the stripes on our flag, the country today includes 50 states, represented by the stars. Immediately after independence, a constitution called The Articles of Confederation was instituted. This established the country as a Confederacy, where power rested mostly with the individual states, rather than a centralized power. After about 10 years, the absence of a strong central power was problematic, and so a second constitution, which we call “The Constitution,” was ratified. This strengthened the central government, and empowered the presidential position, which George Washington first held for two consecutive 4 year terms.
In our current government, there are three branches at the national level, including the Congress, which proposes laws, the President, who ratifies or vetoes the proposed laws, and the Supreme Court, which handles disputes over the implementation of laws. This three branch system is based on the idea of “checks and balances,” meaning that each branch limits the powers of another, making dictatorship impossible. In addition, each of the 50 states has its own government, led by a governor who ratifies laws proposed by a legislature. National laws apply everywhere, but state laws change in each state.
The biggest difference between American politics and other democratic systems is that we don’t have a parliament where several parties are represented. We have a two-party system, where political leaders either belong to the Democratic Party or to the Republican Party. We have lots of other political parties too, but 95% of American politicians belong to the big two parties. The Republican and Democratic Parties have undergone many changes throughout history. Today, Republicans are the conservative party and Democrats are the liberal party, generally. Democrats favor social policies that help the poor, in exchange for higher taxes rendered on the population. Republicans want a smaller government that does not perform these functions, in exchange for lower taxes. The Republican Party is more overtly religious than the Democratic Party. This is opposite of the Middle East and other places, where the conservative religious parties are more inclined toward social policies.
Our elections have always been scandalous and have involved foul play. Propaganda is as American as apple pie. Just ask our second and third presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The election between them was filled with slander and lies. In the modern era, though, the influence of money is especially powerful. Our Supreme Court recently ruled in a case (referred to as “Citizens United”) that companies and corporations are, like people, entitled to Free Speech. Therefore, it is unconstitutional to limit the amount of money corporations can give to political candidates for elections.
What essentially happens is that political campaigns become so expensive, including the billions of dollars overall that are spent on TV commercials, that the majority of a politician’s time is not spent on government duties, but on raising money for his or her upcoming election campaign. The intentions that political leaders have for bettering their state or the country are hindered by other promises and obligations made to the people giving them money for the election. Do you think Climate Change legislation will ever be a priority of oil company executives, who donate billions of dollars each election cycle? Also, if one reads the Affordable Care Act (aptly called ObamaCare) closely, there is a provision that fully excludes pharmaceutical companies from compliance on certain measures. I wonder, who asked for that?
On this issue, there is one misconception held in parts of the Muslim World that must be addressed: The Israel Lobby. There is an idea that supporters of Israel in the United States donate overwhelming amounts of money to political campaigns, and this is one of the reasons behind the inextricable U.S.-Israel relationship. In fact, that’s largely true. HOWEVER, the majority of Israel’s supporters in the U.S. are not Jewish. They’re Christians, and they’re Republicans.
Support for Israel is a strong tenet of the Republican Party. That’s why Israel’s security is mentioned in every Republican debate, while Obama, who is a Democrat, has never even visited the country. In the U.S., around 80% of Jewish voters support Democratic candidates who don’t overtly support Israel.
The trouble with American politics, is that the overwhelming amounts of money involved sometimes blur the lines between paranoia and rationality. Is U.S. military policy tied into the manufacturing of arms and the extraction of natural resources. Of course. Is this the only cause? Probably not. But when government policies are obviously beholden to the wishes of some campaign money donor, it is reasonable to question its merits, and whether its intentions are for the good of the country, or the money donor.
Recently, Hurricane Sandy bashed through the East Coast of the United States, flooding areas like New York City, and causing fallen trees and other debris to block a few roadways around my apartment in Washington D.C. Even though the storm was light in comparison to, say, Hurricane Katrina, which wiped out the beautiful city of New Orleans in 2005, it was still severe enough for my mother to call me every 10 minutes, anxiously checking-in on my well-being and offering kindly advice like, “make sure to have a flashlight, extra batteries, and bottles of water for when the power goes out.” It didn’t.
But, interestingly enough, when my mother and I discussed the contrast between inland and coastal areas, and she asked me which bodies of water were near D.C., I paused, thought hard, and had absolutely no idea. For Americans, this is normal. When it comes to geography, we’re clueless.
Americans’ poor knowledge of geography is a leading cause of our absence in knowledge about global affairs, and, in that sense, it is inexcusable, especially given the enormous size and omnipresence of the U.S. military. But, what exactly are the causes of this ignorance? With this article, my hopeful achievement is to explain these causes. My intention being that a global understanding of America’s misunderstandings of geography and global affairs will offer some much needed elucidation to our behavior here and abroad, which should also lead to the exchange of a few antipathies for emphathies abroad, inshallah.
The first step in understanding our lack of geographical insight is to look inside our own geography. Americans are cut off from everyone else. To the east, the Atlantic Ocean keeps Europe, Africa, and the Middle East at bay. To the west, the Pacific does likewise for all of Asia. To the south, we are discouraged both by a tangible metal wall guarded meticulously by xenophobic minutemen and an intangible wall of traumatic news coverage and other horror stories. While to the north, Canada, though with colder temperatures measured in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, is not all that dissimilar culturally. Essentially, we our geographically isolated.
The theme of isolation also describes our culture. Few Americans could name a Japanese rockband. But, I’ll guarantee you Snookie and the Jersey Shore are known in Tokyo. True, we are a nation of immigrants, not discounting Native Americans, who have inhabited North America for a minimum of 12,000 years; Western Europeans, on the other hand, did not start settling until the late-16th century. Indeed, it has only been in the last 500 years that the majority of Americans arrived here, all coming from someplace else. As of late, however, there is a paradigm shift. Whereas Europe once dominated ethnically, as of this year the majority of babies born here have non-European origins.
We are taught in school that America is a melting pot, where different peoples all come together to form one unified entity. This is obviously a highly simplified rendering, but, for the most part, it’s true. We buy burritos, kabobs, and egg rolls all on the same street. America amalgamates cultures. But it doesn’t import them. Westernization has exported Levi’s to the furthest corners of the earth, but when it comes to popular culture, the current of globalization runs in one direction: downstream.
It’s important to understand that everything in America is commodified. Everything revolves around a capitalist lifestyle, where advertisements, endorsements, and sponsorships are pervasive. Holidays were once just that, holy days, and there were lots of them, mostly determined by seasonal agricultural cycles based on the lunar calendar. Now, we have condensed our holidays, spread them out strategically, and promoted them at every store. For Christian holidays, Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, as he exists in his modern form, was invented by an early-20th century advertising campaign from Coca Cola, while Saint Patrick brings charitable liquor sales. For Jewish holidays, Hanukkah has been given primacy by its close proximity to the Christmas buying season. The transformation of this minor Jewish holiday into the biggest of the year speaks to the power of commodification. Islamic holidays are also promoted similarly. For example, the U.S. Postal Service sells stamps that say Eid Mubarak during Ramadan. And just like Nike, Pepsi, and Levi’s, America has become a brandname; a product for sale. It is sold in the U.S. as nationalism and patriotism, while it is marketed abroad as modern progress.
Commodification is not all bad, though. It also drives innovation because companies are always in competition with one another, constantly vying to create a better technology, and ultimately a better-selling product. But, what does this do to news coverage in America? Well, news companies here are just that, companies. Journalism used to be a public service. Now, it is another commodity. So, as a commodity, it has to make money, and it does this through commercial advertisements. Whichever news company has the better news then makes the most money from advertisements. So, news coverage in America is determined by . . . ratings. The news company doesn’t broadcast what’s necessarily most important. Instead, it shows what people want to watch, in order to have the best possible ratings. And what’s most important, is not global affairs, but what’s happening at home, in America. The world’s worst conflict is not Israel-Palestine, but the Congo in Central Africa, where innocent people are suffering tremendously. And what about Darfur, where upwards of 3 million people have been displaced? Or Nigeria, where violence between Muslims and Christians frequently claims the lives of women and children? Or Western China, where the Uighurs, a Turkish-speaking Muslim minority, are persecuted by the Chinese authorities? We don’t see that. None of it.
Hence, the biggest problem: global affairs are deemphasized in American culture. In 2006, CNN polled college students about geography, and, after three years of war, 60% of them did NOT know where Iraq was located on a map. These were college students. Educated youth. Imagine what the majority of Americans, who don’t attend college, know about geography and world affairs. It’s not that we don’t care. It’s that we’re conditioned not to look. We can go weeks at a time without hearing about the war in Afghanistan, even though lives are lost on all sides of that conflict everyday. And as far as showing the violence of war on television news, forget about it. It isn’t like Aljazeera, which broadcasts wounded bodies. We see images of someone shooting, but never the target that is hit. Thus, we are also desensitized, because the human elements of war are a mystery, unheard and unseen.
When it comes to not knowing geography, Americans are guilty as charged. But in some ways, we’re innocent too. Unlike in the newspapers, nothing in real life is black and white.
If you had to choose one item to be a metaphor for all of humanity, what would it be? A strange request, I know. But, think about it. What might you choose? A piece of fruit, to represent Eve’s forbidden act in the Garden of Eden? Facebook, to show off your 7 billion friends? Water, a substance we can’t live without? A Big Mac sandwich from McDonald’s, because “we’re loving it”?
The item that I would choose is . . . a fingerprint. Why? Because no two fingerprints are exactly the same. Just like us. We are all unique. And while we sometimes try to deny it by dressing the same, listening to the same music, liking the same movies, or using the same slang words, the fact remains that human-beings, the creators of mass-civilization, are also individualists.
So, if we accept the premise that humans are fundamentally differentiated from one another, the next step is identifying the bases for that differentiation. What really separates us? And why?
There are a few broad categories of differentiation with which we are all familiar, like nationality, religion, or language, as well as more specific ones, like shoe size, eye color, or boxers or briefs. There is nothing wrong with categorization. It’s instinctual. It’s how we make sense out of our environment, and the people in it, to best enable our chances for success. When we hear an accent in speech it’s sometimes compulsory to ask, “Where are you from?” This way, if we hear a similar accent later on then we can make an assumption with increased precision. What is the purpose of this? I don’t know. Perhaps identifying the accent’s origin simply means we better understand our environment, which makes us more comfortable, and increases our chances for success. Or something like that?
So, what’s the problem? Well, when we categorize too often, it sometimes leads us to focus on differences, or similarities, a little too much.
This is the purpose of America Explained. This will be a series of articles that will attempt to explain American culture, history, politics, lifestyle, etc. from an American point of view, but intended for non-American readers, especially from the Muslim world. Each article will focus on a different theme from America that is in some way misrepresented, misunderstood, or just missed.
Here’s why I think I can do this: I am an American. I am an aspiring cultural anthropologist, which means I believe in cultural relativism, or the idea that every society is equal, and that no one culture, civilization, ethnicity, etc. is better or worse than any other. I have lived in many different areas of the United States. I have a college degree in area studies of the Muslim world, so I have dedicated lots of time to learning about many different aspects of many different places there. I am married to a Muslim from the Muslim world. I also live with a non-Muslim from the Muslim world. I have visited the Muslim world. And, when I say “Muslim world,” I don’t mean any specific place or people. It is a term, just like “the West.” Europeans and Americans are very different, but both are from the West. Uzbeks are very different from Egyptians, but both are from the Muslim world. (Check out my past article Religion: We are all Right)
I humbly acknowledge that even though it is my fascination, I know very little about the Muslim world. When I am choosing themes for my articles, it will be based on questions, comments, or concerns that I have either heard raised from someone or someplace related to the Muslim world or that I personally estimate to be relevant in that regard. And I especially hope for international comments that include similarities, differences, and impressions. I’m ultimately doing this to listen, not to talk.
So please look for America Explained in the title of future posts. It will be fun, educational, and reading it will make you more handsome (results may vary). But in all seriousness, my sincere hope is to start the dialogues that I feel are lacking with regard to cross-regional relations between the West and the Muslim world, especially at the human level with respect to differences and similarities.
I want to eliminate our presumptions, while reminding us that we all drink water to survive. But, what type of vessel do you use, a cup, a mug, a ladle, your hands?
We’ll get to all of that shortly. Stay tuned . . .
Since the declaration of War on terror against the main culprits an attack was made on Afghanistan to capture Osama Bin Laden live or dead. This is the same person who was at one time considered as the warrior against the Russian forces present in Afghanistan and liberating the Muslims of Afghanistan from the clutches of occupying forces. At that time the Afghanistan Government system was run by a communist party with the help of Russian helping forces. These forces were deployed there on the request of the Afghan regime at that time. There was a bunch of groups claiming themselves as Mujahedeen. These Mujahedeen groups were sponsored and financed by the Americans. Mujahedin claim was to collectively make efforts for the liberation of their countrymen from the oppressive system of communism. These all Mujahedeen were supported by the American CIA and were provided with weapons and Military support from the neighboring country on the request of the United States. At that time all this system was considered as the demand of time as claimed by the United States of America.
With the passage of time, when the situation changed and after some decades the same person who was once a hero declared by America turned against the policies of the United States. At that time Osama Bin Laden had attained the position of a liberator for the Muslim public of Afghanistan. Public of Afghanistan were not ready to accept the demand of America to expel Osama Bin Laden out of Afghanistan. So United States launched an attack on the land of Afghanistan After the incident of 9/11 in search of Osama Bin Laden. It was declared as war on terror, but after so many years of search and a lot of killing of innocent people of Afghanistan, they could not find the main suspect on the land of Afghanistan. American Forces along with allied forces have gained nothing to bring peace in the region and the incidents of opposing retaliatory attacks by the Taliban suicide attacks have taken the lives of many military men of foreign forces. These killings of the American troops have given alarming situation for the public in America. The American public is not ready to get their men killed at the faraway lands of other countries for useless efforts.
The period of eleven years for army personnel living away from their homeland has made the military men patient of home sickness. Now there is rising demand of the American public to see their sons and hubbies back to their country. They don’t think it a sensible decision to let engage the forces in military action for such a long time. There had been a lot excessive expenses being incurred on the movement of military forces for keeping peace in the area. When there is a lot of military expense so the main burden is on the GDP of USA. Besides having its no fruitful result as imagined by the previous deciding authorities it is causing a lot of difficulties for the people of the United State of America. Now this agenda will play a big role in the upcoming elections in the United States of America.
After 9/11 attacks of world trade center, Anti-Islam extremist politicians and groups became active. They were provided with a reason to create a negative image of Islam and Muslims. They started propaganda and pictured Islam as a terrorist religion and Muslims as terrorist, extremists and disloyal to others.
The dilemma of Islam being misinterpreted in America has its profound roots in the anti-Islamic attitude by the Western writers and media as well. They can’t bear Islam to flourish at their homeland. Contrary to this, Islam is a religion of humanity, peace, justice and love. The basic moral values Islam provides are same as all religions. There is no difference between US constitution, Bill of rights and normative values of Islam. They are almost identical. For this reason, people should believe that following Islam and being loyal to America is not a distinction.
The values and teachings of Islam come from two main sources…The Qur’an and Hadith. They provide complete direction in every aspect of life. Islam respects the values and teachings of other religions as well. It gives the followers of other religions the liberty and freedom to perform their religious duties. The Fiqh Council of North America and the members of FCNA (body of Islamic scholors) strongly believe that Legal, moral and social systems in West are fully compatible with Islamic rules and set of laws. This is the proof that following Islam and being loyal to America are two sides of a coin.
We need to make it clear that there is a misunderstanding and contradiction or negation between being Muslims who are faithful and committed to ALLAH and being loyal and trustworthy citizens of America. It is a misconception especially after September 11 that a Muslim can never be a loyal American.
American Muslims have no issue and problem to follow the laws of the land. They feel that they have the same duties, obligations and civil rights like all people living on US land. All Muslim Americans feel that they are also participants to solve the social problems because Islam bounds the Muslims to involve positively in the society they belong to. They want to keep social contacts with US citizens and want to live in peace and harmony. Being a “Muslim” or following “Islam” is not at all hindrance in doing so.
Efforts should be made to disclose the propaganda against Islam and Islamic values by anti-Islam agents. It is the time to tell them that American Muslims are faithful and loyal to their religion as well as to America. Following Islam and being loyal to America simultaneously is a moral obligation for them. A lot of hard work is still required to change the perception about Islam and its core values. But nothing is impossible. American Muslims should keep trying by their behavior to tell the opposition that they respect the soil of the land they live on.
