The Dilemma of Muslims in America at MP Book Point

Friday,Febuary 8 2008, I attended a dialog. The title was "The Dilemma of Muslims in America". The speaker was Mr.Putut Widjanarko. He earned a PhD from Ohio University with his dissertation "A Study of Indonesian Transnational Muslims in New York City". He is also a director of Mizan Publisher.

He began his presentation by describing Muslims in America. Their number are not precisely known since census in US never ask about religion. According to Ba Yunus and Kone (2004), the largest ethnic group is Arabs, which are 32 percent of American Muslims, followed by the American Muslims (mostly African American) with 29 percent. The Muslims from South Asian countries (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Ceylon, Afghanistan and Maldives) rank third with 28.9 percent. Then, they are followed by the Turks (5 percent), Iranians and Bosnians (each 2 percent). The rest are Malays, Indonesians, Kosovars and others[here].

This ethnic groups had their own mosque and they only go to their ethnic mosque. Originating from many different countries, cultures, and various schools of thought in Islam, a monolithic perspective and treatment towards Muslim communities in the US will not help us in understanding the aspirations and internal dynamics of each community.

The situation changes after 9/11 with the increased sentiment towards Muslims. Some Americans do committed violation towards Muslims. But, the others show great kindness. Real story, the moderator was there, when 9/11 tragedy happened,to study and his wife is wearing hijab. Her office friends,trying to protect her, asked her to stay in the office till the situation are better. Some American friends shops for their Muslims neighbor who were afraid to showed up in public. So, to see American from monolithic perspective is also wrong.

Lesson learned, hasty generalization are always wrong. Muslims are not only those in the middle east or a bunch of terrorist and Jihad is not terrorism. And America is not George W Bush foreign policies, which are criticized by nations all over the world and even American them self. Mr.Putut said that "the strongest critics towards American Government policies came from American". I agree and I believe those who've read the books of Noam Chomsky or watched the documentary movie of Michael Moore would agree.

Please stop spreading hatred around the world...