WSJ:
Muslim Americans Against Hamas
Equivocation and anti-Semitism serve only to feed suspicion of our community.
As a child in Afghanistan, my father watched his female cousin get hacked to death in a so-called honor killing. He came to America so his daughters could grow up without such threats, and he raised us to abhor senseless violence.
I was 18 and living in Chicago on Sept. 11, 2001, a day that revealed that the extremism my father fled could reach the U.S. When ISIS burst onto the scene several years later, committing atrocities in the name of my faith, I felt compelled to counter its message and help Muslim Americans show that we are very much a part of American society.
With a group of fellow Muslims, I established the Muslim American Leadership Alliance in 2015 to celebrate Muslim American heritage and promote individual freedom and diversity. Our first project was recording the personal narratives of Muslim Americans in partnership with the Library of Congress. We have since sponsored scholarships for academic studies, organized interfaith events on shared traditions, and launched a Muslim American Heritage celebration supported by acclaimed leaders such as designer Naeem Khan.
These efforts were designed to celebrate our communityās advancement in the U.S. For years weāve been successful. Last week, however, our progress came to a standstill as Muslim leaders failed to respond adequately to Hamasās massacre in Israel.
President Biden said in an Oct. 10 speech that there are moments in life when āpure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world.ā Hamasās attack, he said, was āa moment for the United States to come together to grieve with those who are mourning.ā American Muslims should have followed the presidentās lead by denouncing the terror groupās attacks as an affront to the sanctity of human life according to our faith. With a few notable exceptions, prominent Muslims chose instead to make excuses and equivocate.
The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations refused to condemn Hamas. The only two Muslim women in Congress, Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, were so equivocal about Hamas and hostile toward Israel that the White House press secretary felt compelled to call their comments ārepugnant.ā Ivy League academics fueled the fire, as demonstrators celebrated the massacre.
My organization typically doesnāt weigh in on headlines but felt it was necessary this time around. When we posted on Instagram expressing solidarity with our Jewish and Israeli friends, the post received few likes, and most people who commented on it expressed solidarity with Palestinians rather than Jews.
A few things led Muslims to fail in this critical moment. The first was an irrational ideological fixation on Zionism, which has no effect on most Muslims. The second was an activist-fueled dehumanization of Israelis.
Americans are horrified by Hamas and see many Muslims respond either by saying nothing or by blaming Jews for the rape, beheading and kidnapping of their people. In a single weekend, extremists have taken our identity hostage, tarnished our reputations and endangered our families.
Suspicion of Muslims has returned, with terrible consequences. On Oct. 14, a Chicago landlord stabbed a 6-year-old boy to death in what the local sheriffās office has said was an anti-Muslim attack. Muslims have worked for years to combat Islamophobia.
To my Jewish friends, I am sorry. My organization remains committed to protecting you and your heritageāwithout compromise. To my fellow Muslims, we bear the cost of remaining silent. It will take years to restore our good name. Itās time to get to work to build peace.
Ms. Khan is a co-founder of the Muslim American Leadership Alliance.
Equivocation and anti-Semitism serve only to feed suspicion of our community.
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