Siah
23-09-04, 10:43
Outrageous!
The Future of American Muslims: The Meaning of the Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) Denial of Entrance Into America
By Sam Hamod
Al-Jazeerah, September 23, 2004
Outrageous is the only word to describe the U.S. for denying Cat Stevens, aka Yusuf Islam, entrance because they see him as a "security threat." This is absurd. But I fear it has deeper implications for American Muslims.
There is no evidence ever linking Stevens (Yusuf Islam) to terrorism or threats of terrorism. In fact, he has been a model citizen in England, a devout and moderate practicing Muslim since converting to Islam in 1977. This follows the U.S. banning Professor Tariq Ramadan from coming to teach at Notre Dame University earlier. Though these acts have caused outrage, no major American political leader has condemned these actions by Tom Ridge and his minions at the Homeland Security Office. This is ominous.
Earlier, Mr. Islam had condemned the killing of hostages in Iraq on his website in England. Mr. Islam has stated, "The killing of hostages has no place in Islam." However, the mere mention of a Muslim leader's name seems to put an unjustified anger into the American administration, so much so that people like Ridge and others break our own American ethics and proper patterns of legal behavior by abusing Muslims. This may be a presage to locking Muslims up, much in the same way that Japanese were locked up in WWII, Germans in WWI and Native Americans in the 19th Century. As one Native American leader put it, during the opening of the Indian Museum in Washington, DC, today, "We were supposed to be gone, only a memory as the white man took over our land." Since this has been the case in the past, what are contemporary Muslims to think? I think things look very dire and we should start clamoring more loudly now than ever, if not--we'll get the same treatment as the Native Americans, the Germans and the Japanese.
I think our country has gone mad. The real madman in this situation and the real terrorist is sitting in the White House and his stooge is the relatively uneducated Tom Ridge, the head of Homeland Security. Everything scares them. No wonder, they know they have been the perpetrators of so many evil deeds that they are scared of everyone and anyone who is a Muslim.
Something must be done to stop this wholesale discrimination against Muslims and people the Bush team can inciminate just on their hunches without evidence. Unless this is done, we not only will become the laughing stock of the world, we shall become a total copy of Orwell's nighmarish 1984. And guess what, Muslims, all over the world, and especially in America, will be "the enemy."
Sam Hamod is a former advisor to the State Department; Director of The Islamic Center of Washington, DC (retired); he may be reached at [email protected]
The Future of American Muslims: The Meaning of the Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) Denial of Entrance Into America
By Sam Hamod
Al-Jazeerah, September 23, 2004
Outrageous is the only word to describe the U.S. for denying Cat Stevens, aka Yusuf Islam, entrance because they see him as a "security threat." This is absurd. But I fear it has deeper implications for American Muslims.
There is no evidence ever linking Stevens (Yusuf Islam) to terrorism or threats of terrorism. In fact, he has been a model citizen in England, a devout and moderate practicing Muslim since converting to Islam in 1977. This follows the U.S. banning Professor Tariq Ramadan from coming to teach at Notre Dame University earlier. Though these acts have caused outrage, no major American political leader has condemned these actions by Tom Ridge and his minions at the Homeland Security Office. This is ominous.
Earlier, Mr. Islam had condemned the killing of hostages in Iraq on his website in England. Mr. Islam has stated, "The killing of hostages has no place in Islam." However, the mere mention of a Muslim leader's name seems to put an unjustified anger into the American administration, so much so that people like Ridge and others break our own American ethics and proper patterns of legal behavior by abusing Muslims. This may be a presage to locking Muslims up, much in the same way that Japanese were locked up in WWII, Germans in WWI and Native Americans in the 19th Century. As one Native American leader put it, during the opening of the Indian Museum in Washington, DC, today, "We were supposed to be gone, only a memory as the white man took over our land." Since this has been the case in the past, what are contemporary Muslims to think? I think things look very dire and we should start clamoring more loudly now than ever, if not--we'll get the same treatment as the Native Americans, the Germans and the Japanese.
I think our country has gone mad. The real madman in this situation and the real terrorist is sitting in the White House and his stooge is the relatively uneducated Tom Ridge, the head of Homeland Security. Everything scares them. No wonder, they know they have been the perpetrators of so many evil deeds that they are scared of everyone and anyone who is a Muslim.
Something must be done to stop this wholesale discrimination against Muslims and people the Bush team can inciminate just on their hunches without evidence. Unless this is done, we not only will become the laughing stock of the world, we shall become a total copy of Orwell's nighmarish 1984. And guess what, Muslims, all over the world, and especially in America, will be "the enemy."
Sam Hamod is a former advisor to the State Department; Director of The Islamic Center of Washington, DC (retired); he may be reached at [email protected]