The above seven words say so much about the state of Islam in the world today. More immediately, they describe a despondent viewpoint of Muslims in Switzerland, who, after having high hopes that the Swiss would embrace them as one of their own, had that hope dashed on the rocks in a vote of 57% majority against the construction of minarets in their country. As many have felt, this vote had more to do with the rejection of Islam as a valid religious expression in Switzerland than anything to do with architecture. And while I empathize with the Muslims in Switzerland, I also find this moment highly prophetic. In many ways, I see the issues that European Muslims face a presage to the reality that Muslims in America will face if we do not act while we still have agency to do so. I do not want our children to utter those same seven words.
In order to take stock and lesson from this major roadblock for Muslims in Europe [the ramifications stretch far beyond the borders of Switzerland – just ask any of the Muslims in France as to how they’re reacting to it] the first step will be to analyze what the hardships were/are [and thus, what they may be/are for American Muslims] for Swiss Muslims and what they might have done differently [what might we do/not do]. Some of my first thoughts drift towards what inroads did Swiss Muslims make, in their efforts to navigate Islam in the Swiss cultural and social landscape. Did they attempt to broker an accord that would have allowed them to see themselves as validly Muslim [as well as the Swiss seeing them as validly Swiss] and Swiss? Pre-9/11, did this discourse did not seem to occupy European or American Muslim imaginations to any great extent. To be fair, this process is not wholly in the hands of Swiss Muslims. The Swiss themselves play a key part in for who they open their cultural doors to or not. And yet, I feel there is a self-applied stigma amongst the Muslims that being Swiss or European is somehow innately un-Islamic. This mentality relegates Swiss Muslims to the fringe – often to live a xenophobic experience – where they are incapable of playing any important role in society. The specificities of this argument at too numerous to delve into here but the proofs are readily accessible for anyone wishes to read deeper.
In this inquiry on inroads, we have to ask how are such inroads made and who paves them. Who is best skilled for such a job? In a conversation I had with a brother the other day, he lamented that as a father, he failed to inculcate his children with the tools, agency, and autonomy to navigate their lives as second generation Muslims in America. As a result, his children have grown up not only not practicing Islam, but having an aversion to it. They perceive it as a foreign enterprise or country club, where their membership was either denied or not offered in the first place. Similarly, many young Muslims in Europe have bemoaned that they do not feel a close kinship with their religion because the method in which it is preached and propagated leaves them feeling like second-class citizens. The old guard speaks Arabic or Turkish or Urdu while the new generation speaks French or German, or English. A classic generational divide that has real consequences for the survival of Muslims in Europe.
I believe there is a tremendous lesson to take from this; a lesson not simply to catalog and file away, but to use a call to action for Muslims in America. In a private conversation, one of the top Muslims scholars in America estimated that Islam in America has at most, fifty years, perhaps less, to indigenize and find its footing before it is washed away by the tide of the demands of the dominant culture. Looking towards the European model, those words certainly seem to ring true. Islam in Europe is a a teetering point – will it stay or go? We can see that if the very difficult challenge of making Islam valid and relevant in its environment – be it America, Europe, or anywhere else, is not met, European Muslims cannot hope for any longevity in their predicament.
The title of this post is a quote from a recent article by Tariq Ramadan, one of Europe’s most popular scholars on Islam. In his article, he continues the conversation and states that Switzerland is, “the land of my birth”. And while Ramadan may identify as Swiss, how many of his other co-religionists in Switzerland identify in the same manner? For that matter, in Europe as a whole? This crux of identification is one of the most important dilemmas that Muslims the world over have to contend with in modernity. This is something that both American and European Muslims are having tremendous difficulty articulating. I see this as especially pertinent to American Muslims, where indigenous Muslims struggle to see themselves as legitimately Muslim in the face of foreign-born expressions of Islam, and immigrant Muslims scramble to appease the dominant culture without loosing their religion. Will American Muslims cooperate to find a middle ground or will they continue to play high-stakes winner-take-all chances?
Going back to Ramadan’s article, he sites some of the issues being related to the invisibility of Muslims in Swiss society [read Europe for the purposes of this article]. I would challenge this observation in that it is not simply the invisibility of Swiss Muslims but rather the Swiss may not like what they see. Again, I acknowledge that this decision is not wholly in the hands of Swiss Muslims but it does beg the question of how non-Muslim Swiss see Swiss Muslims and how that can be analyzed for the betterment of Muslims in Switzerland. It would be grievous, not to mention complete dereliction of duty, to conclude that what the dominant culture thinks of Muslims is frivolous or inconsequential. The challenge is to meet this test with a creativity and intelligence that has the dignity and longevity of Muslims as its chief and primary concern, not simply blaming the European [read American as well] populists as failing to, “assert that Islam is by now a Swiss and a European religion and that Muslim citizens are largely ‘integrated’.”
I pray we can learn from this, that we can take the opportunity to reflect on what we’re doing and how good we have it. And believe me, we have it good compared to our European cousins. May God make it easy for all of us. Amin.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:22 am
Alsaum Alukem
Nice article brother Marc,
First of all I believe we have to know the differences between West world and Muslims world.
If we do so we will understand and deal correctly with most problem the Muslims face it today.. In fact the old scholars were more open mind, and they were aware about the differences. Many Muslims have misunderstand about this issue,they think we mean create a new religion( which is may be mix between religions. We do not say that, what we are saying simply is that what we know or even use to see or do in Islamic countries, it is not necessary valid here.Of course the basic (like: Tawheed, Salah, Fasting etc…) will stay anywhere and any time,however the Fatwy (Fageh) has to be different for Islamic country.
Second thing is; we have some Social problems we see it every where especially from immigrants ,who they were born in Arab or Muslims countries, most of them came here with their problem they have in their countries to the west world. They unfortunately became bad reflection for people here.
In my opinion, if we want to solve our problems that we should work on both sides. Muslims side and non Muslims side.
I hope my points are clear enough, and I hope you are fine after your ailment.
Best regards
December 4th, 2009 at 3:30 am
Yay verily to Margari Aziza
The wonderful empty miracle to me is in living the personal paradigm of the Deen as Americans. I use the word empty in the sense that, when you subtract the emotional investment from conviction you are still left with the Noble distillate that tipifies the human condition. The best of Islam is this. There not being a centralized nexus makes it all the more dynamic. Perilous at times;’cause you and I know many who’ve lost their way, in the Deen and out. Roll up on a brother with half of the mealy mouth talk we engage in or read about in process and theory and you’re liable to get your neck snapped back sooner or later. Boots on the ground application is whats needed and if we look closely we’ll see that they’ve been here all along. Many walks of life and persuasions to be sure, but we look to the Muslim in this instance. Many many to emulate all around us. Go to a Masjid and seek out a brother or two, w/ your idioms if it’ll help, and I guarantee you’ll be met with open arms, a strong back and kind words. BAR NONE! The meritocratic dig is where you take it from there. Brothers are livin’ HARD and dyin’ for this Deen all over the world right now. What we do here is no less epic; theres lotsa good people feeling bad right next door to us too. Someones hungry, feed them. Someones cold, give ‘em a coat. Muslim or not.We all know this. A dear friend of mines only request when being thanked for his good deed was that it be oblidged to a Muslim whenever given the opportunity. This is our idiom.
It may read like IKEA instructions written by Martin Heidegger on the first pass(it did to me anyhow) but Sherman Jacksons’s “Islam and the Black American, Looking toward The Third Resurrection”, Oxford University Press, is as thick as it gets in our idiom and has been, at least for this veteran Latino soldier, the consummate pointer to the best of what we’ve always had, Mash’Allah.
December 4th, 2009 at 8:31 am
“In his article, he continues the conversation and states that Switzerland is, “the land of my birth”.”
…which isn’t actually the same thing as saying he is Swiss. Indeed, most Swiss people would identify themselves not as Swiss but as coming from a particular canton. The Duke of Wellington, born and brought up Ireland but considering himself English, said “You might as well say Christ was a horse because he was born in a stable.” when someone said he was Irish.
Secondly, most of the muslims in switzerland are first or second generation. Apart from wealthy individuals with no aspiration to citizenship and no interest in Switzerland’s internal affairs, about a fifth are Turks who came to do contracted jobs, with the expectatio on both sides that they would return home, and most of the others are refugees from Bosnia, which is now at peace and so- in Swiss eyes atleast- they need no longer stay in Switzerland.
December 4th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
This was a great post. One of our biggest problems as a community is that we often forget to rely on the example of our beloved Prophet(may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him / p.b.u.h.)
The prophet was not offensive or stand-offish. He did not go to another region without considering it’s inhabitants and leaders. For example, he visited a group of people and braided his hair the way they braided their hair so as to let them know that he comes in peace and means no offense. This is key, because there are a number of Muslims who fail in this regard.
Additionally, I would also like Muslims to ask themselves whether or not a minaret is a requirement on a masjid? It may be time for the Muslims to show some flexibility and innovation when it comes to developing masjids and musalahs. Many communities are thinking that if they can’t add minaret, they wont have a good masjid. Perhaps we can maintain a masjid’s architectural reputation as well as compliment the cityscapes in which they’re constructed without a minaret? It is an additional expense.