Posted 8/25/2002 06:27:00 PM by Ocean Guy
Moderate Islam Watch

I found this particularly offensive. Maybe I'm taking it wrong...

There was a time in the past, and even now, when a Muslims Islamic perspective of the world was made through interpretation of the immigrant sheikh, who declared that America was evil, and kuffaar, and thus, an enemy to Islam. People would convert to Islam and over night; start to hate America, Americans, the west, the government and so on. American Muslims were willing to discard their sense of nationalism in order to be in solidarity with their Muslim brothers and sisters from abroad. We took the attitude that "if you guys don't like America, then we are your Muslim brothers and we don't like her either". You never used to hear references such as, "we are American Muslims" in exclusion of the other immigrant Muslims. On the contrary, we tried to be one and the same with them. Now it is paradoxically apparent that immigrant and American Muslims have separate political and patriotism agendas...

...In a personal sense if you find that you are able to get a job, buy or rent a house, go to the movies, buy goods and services for your family, have good neighbors with no one saying hey, you Muslims cannot do that here! Then there is no harm in being kind and just and even loyal to the country that extends such latitude in spite of your religion. As Allah has said: "Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just" 60:8, al-Mum'tahina.

by Imam Abu Laith Luqman Ahmad