Where Do You Stand?

Israfil wrote: Yusuf you can always leave bro all you need to do is pack things of necessity and go to a Muslim country. The one thing about America I do like is the choice to leave this country.

Assalamu alaikum,

I find an American passport useful for my purposes of dawah at present, and my position in society affords me the ability to influence young people and thereby Insha'Allah affect the future.

But of course you're right, I could leave anytime. However, it is my right not to, and as a law abiding inidividual no one has the right to force me to leave either.

I have a brother in law who is a flag waving republican who looks upon me as some sort of traitor. Yet I know for a fact that he cheats on his taxes. Who is the better citizen?

Assalamu Alaikum

Brother Yusuf, you say your position in "American" society affords you the ability to influence young people.  How do you influence them?  By passing on your bitter hate and distain for the society which affords you such a valuable position in life, or do you simply thank Allah for the opportunity and means to influence these young people and show them the beauty of Islam?  I may not approve of the way GWB and those who run the US government behave regarding internal or global affairs, or even the materialistic lifestyle that is so widely touted in American society; however, I do know how to thank Allah for the good things in my life and to accept that even in things that I may dislike, Allah may have provide many good things.  Life is not black and white and Insha'Allah that is not what you are passing on to the young people you are afforded the privilege of influencing.  Only Allah knows what is best.  You have no true idea why Allah has you where you are right now in this life and in this world.  All you know is that Allah always knows what is best for us.  So, no matter where we live or in what time, it is our responsibility to live as close to Allah as humanly possible, and if we reach out to others, we should do so in a way that shows them Islam in its true light.    

PAZ, Khadija

Yusuf this is the point where I come from! When there is an event (or series of events) in our lives which are negative we tend to shy away from the geenral perspective of life. In this case you mention the U.S government. Well I cannot say how you felt during that period of time because I was raised before and during the gulf war and the present war. I understand where you are coming from bro, I too do not agree how America militarily has acted throughout its history. I don't believe in the tatics and motives of today, but from how you spoke earlier you seem to take such an event and seem to have generalized all of what America is. Let me also add there there is a view you can have about the U.S which can be against what it stands for or you can have a gernal disagreement but to condone murder or hatred or even extreme dislike for the U.S to me in my view is hypocritical I use this cliche because it rings true today.

From what you have said you obviously are older athan me and obviously are more wiser than me in age and experience but the only thing I can offer here is that as one who tries to look at life at different angles I have to say that everything that we see in the world does not need to overshadow our view.

When I mentioned earlier about the taxes going towards murder I truly believe that. I feel that my brethren jump to conclusions when we discuss this issue. Yes a percentage of our taxes goes to the funding of our military, yes our taxes goes towards the funding of weapons and yes our taxes may even support some military campaigns that may go against our beliefs. But let me tell you. There are other areas where my money goes that isn't all about war. Because we pay taxes doesn't mean we iontentionally condone the action of our military. We pay taxes because that is apart of the U.S economy/government. We pay taxes to give the government its share of our labor. We pay taxes for the upkeep of our country.

Not including you in this brother but it would be hypocritical of any Muslim who hates/dislikes America yet migrates to this country for a better life. The same country that supposedly bombs his/her country! I believe in the immortal words of David Hume: "If you have an hypothesis about something test it out yourself!" I believe if you truly believe in your belief about America then leave, but you cannot sit and criticize the country in which you reside and hold all these beliefs because if so, then you yourself condone the very beliefs you loathe. again this is not including you brother but in general.

I'm sure you all heard the Arabic Assassin who was fired from LAX for making a Rap song condoning September 11th. I'm not sure if he's Muslim or not but he's an idiot. I'm sure he's a prime example of what I mentioned. He hates everything about the U.S but works in a baggage claim paying taxes to the very country he hates what a hypocrite! I can understand if you live in Turkey or Iran or whatever then you can have a logical opinion but dont work at LAX and pay taxes and eat here and at the same time spit on the country which you reside its just hypocrisy!