Why Islamic schools should take off MLK Day
I did not get a day off for Martin Luther King's birthday. My banker did, as did my letter carrier. I, however, did not. In fact, I don't think I remember clearly when the last time I had his birthday off. We in the medical field do not take it off, except, of course, if you work in a county hospital. Yet, I was surprised and disappointed to learn that the Islamic school where my daughter attends pre-school did not have a day off. It should not have been so.
All Islamic schools, except perhaps those established by African-American Muslims, have been built by Muslims who have immigrated to this country from abroad. They, even more than many African-Americans themselves, have benefited from the struggles of the civil rights movement. But for brave Americans like Dr. Martin Luther King, Rev. Jessie Jackson, Rosa Parks, and countless others, immigrant Muslims would not have been able to come to this country, establish themselves economically, live in peace and security, and build those mosques and Islamic schools. But for the brave Americans who faced the stinging spray of the fire hose, the ferocious bite of the police dog, and the blunt brutality of the officer's baton, American Muslims would not have advanced to the place in society in which they are today.
The same goes with me. But for those brave Americans (and the Grace of God), I would not been able to grow up in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, a predominantly white and affluent area. I would not have been able to go to the elementary and secondary schools I attended. I would not have been able to attend Marquette University, a predominantly white and Catholic institution. I would not have been able to attend medical school. For everything that I am, after the Precious Lord, I have them to thank: those brave Americans who said "Enough!" and stood up for their rights. They stood up--endangering their lives in the process--and asked America to cash the "promissory note to which every American was to fall heir...a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," in the eloquent words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The discrimination that American Muslims have suffered in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11 is indeed shameful. The attacks on American mosques is indeed hurtful and horrible. The increased scrutiny to which American Muslims are now subject is indeed most unwelcome. Yet, they are not new. Legions before us have suffered as we have suffered. Nay, they have suffered worse. They have been murdered for allegedly whistling at a white woman. They have been attacked, lynched, raped, and pillaged for no other reason than their skin is brown and black.
Their houses of worship--Christian churches, not Muslim mosques--have been, not only attacked, but burned to the ground, sometimes with worshippers still inside. I have never had to sit at the back of a bus because of the color of my skin. I have never had to drink from a different water fountain because I was not white. I did not have to attend a "separate, but equal" school. I have never had to eat at a restaurant whose sign read "Coloreds Only." I have never had to pay a tax or take a test so I can exercise my constitutional right to vote. They did, however, and they struggled to end this injustice. We eat of the fruits of their struggle each and every day.
We, as American Muslims, have to acknowledge this. We, as American Muslims, would not be worthy of being called Servants of God if we did not acknowledge this. And we must be grateful. This does not mean we should thank every African-American we see on the street. No. Our gratitude must be manifested in our actions. Yes, we must stand up and defend the rights of American Muslims who have been wronged. But, as Senator Barack Obama said, "If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to [us], even if it's not [our] child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes [our lives] poorer, even if it's not [our] grandmother." An injustice committed anywhere in America must be an affront to American Muslims everywhere.
I hope and pray that my local Islamic school is in the minority, and other Islamic schools have taken the day off and, more importantly, told their students why they have taken the day off. Yet, a day without class is not the only way to commemorate this very important occasion. Many schools do not take the day off, but rather spend the day, or a substantial part of the day, talking about Dr. King, his legacy, and the civil rights movement. It is my hope and prayer that more Islamic schools do the same. It would send a very powerful message: American Muslims are not heedless of the enormous sacrifice of Dr. King and his contemporaries for equality and justice. More importantly, however, it is my hope and prayer that more Islamic schools study Dr. King and the civil rights movement and learn its many, many important lessons; for the good of the American Muslim community, and the good of the country.
Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago physician and writer. He is author of "Why I Love the Ten Commandments," published in the book Taking Back Islam: American Muslims Reclaim Their Faith (Rodale Press), winner of the prestigious Wilbur Award for 2003 Best Religion Book of the Year by the Religion Communicators Council.
His blog can be visited at http://drhassaballa.blogspot.com
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Peace!
I think that the reasons for bringing MLK to such a status is because it reinforces the belief that people could bring change by protesting.
If that is the case what do you say, when the whole world protested against the Iraqi Occupation, and the bush administration still carried out their imperialistic agendas.
The people who are in power are happy with the way things are, change takes place when the people no longer allow the conditions, which permit the powerful to abuse and use violence against the powerless.
What I learned from MLK is how America is a police state, and still is.
Words like democracy, liberty are just words.
And the politicians are hypocrites!
I feel that muslims should learn from world history and world changes and use that to integrate with the rest of the humanity.
Our beloved prophet(saw) always reminded us to respect the rights of minorities and not only that but also support peace. That is what Martin Luther King always advocated for. The history of African American is part of humanity and we should do all that we can to support it.
The author is absolutely right in saying that without the struggle of African American for justice and rights the minorities living in America would not be enjoying the rights they have now and take it for granted aswell. Anyone who can not see this from his/her heart has not lived up to his/her conscious.
Peace for all.
I was once "trapped" in the slavemasters "religion":(polytheism,trinitarinism,drank,christians performing GAY marriages,catholic clergy rape etc.)until ALLAH made me REVERT back to ISLAM.
MLK had good intensions but as he said"my dream has become a nightmare"
When he was assinated by white Klan members the "christian" African "americans" lost focus and has been on a downward slide eversince with no forseeable moral,economic,spiritual,judicial,social positve rebound in the near or distant future.
Christianity does not have the moral or spiritual strength to solve the un-reversable moral DECADENCE of the AFRICAN "american""christian" community.
Just prove me wrong my brizol!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is just too much rascism in todays "version" of "christianity."
At a church where MLK celebrations were taking place there was european "image" of "jesus" in a Black church.
Islamic schools taking off would be a good DAWA.