Politically Active??

Disclaimer: what follows is simply a rudimentary analysis of transpirings from the past few days and thoughts on the religio-politic dynamic within the Muslim Community.  It is not a fatawa and is definitely not intended to indict any one group for its visions and predilections, no matter how much they may be in contradistinction to my own….

Almost every week I attend Dar Al-Hijrah for salatul jumuah (sometimes I have to be offsite and attend jumuah’s elsewhere), and for those who havent been to Dar Al-Hijrah, just know that it is one of the most vibrant Muslim Communities that I’ve ever been around.  Alhamdulillah, jumuah just has a special feel there and I’ve come to enjoy Imam Shaker ElSayed’s khutbah’s quite a bit, may Allah bless him and the community.  Ameen.

The masjid itself is situated off of route-7 (leesburg pike) and due to the lack of parking space, the majority of the attendees have to park at a church across the street.  Occasionally there will be random people passing out fliers at the crosswalk and since that area is public property there is little that can be done about it.  I remember once receiving pamphlets in Arabic about Isa (alayhisalam) and how he died on the cross for our sins and just pretty much Christian propaganda fliers.

For this past Friday, there were Muslim brothers passing out fliers which read: “to vote or not to vote?”; the fliers were being distributed by a relatively obscure Muslim group (I had heard of them before but dont know of many people who had) and the position being outlined was the impermissibility of voting and how it goes against our belief in Allah as the ultimate Legislator in our lives.

It’s not the first time I had heard this position, but it’s been many years since I’ve heard it discussed in large part due to the fact that this issue really rears its head during presidential elections. Local elections dont elicit the same fervor or activism as national one’s, and our communities become a lot more politically charged for a presidential candidate they feel will be favorable to the Muslim contingent than a school board member or city counselor, even though the city counselor or school board member will probably have a much bigger direct impact on our local communities than either Obama or McCain.  I think most people recognize this reality, but there is little work done at the ground level in support of this (in my opinion).

To me, the issue of voting really revolves around a larger issue, and that is the vision and future of Muslims in America.  Where do we want to go, and how do we get there? This seems to be the question on everyone’s mind, and the alternative methodologies are fueled by suppositions concerning the past, our current reality, and what can be done to further our own cause as Muslims in North America in light of the Prophetic Tradition (alayhis salaatu was salaam).

The most disheartening part of the electoral process has become the polarization with which it operates.  Many practicing Muslims have transitioned from merely supporting a democratic candidate to actually becoming a democrat.  When you sit down with a practicing Muslim who espouses over the edge pro-choice positions, gay marriage initiatives (as well as the whole, ‘they are normal people and not some psychological disease’, stuff), and insults the ‘religious right,’ then what do you really say?

Along with that is the general disillusionment that can come with aligning yourself with a politician who’s motivation and methodology is driven by policy makers and not by the Quran and Sunnah.  In the process people are apt to overlook the politicians faults and make up justifications for positions and statements that are clearly against what any Muslim (and many non-Muslims) would deem as appropriate or correct.

That said, I personally feel that elections are critically important (and by elections, I mean local elections!) and that supporting national muslim organizations will probably do more towards establishing our goals than national elections ever will.  The current Muslim population in North America is somewhere between 1% (2-3 million) and 2% (high estimates say 6-7 million) and much of our population is not eligible to vote (non citizens or under the age of 18).  So assuming that everyone that can vote does, thats probably less than 1% of the total US population and I just dont see politicians on the national stage ever pandering to the Muslim vote vying for that .x% knowing the damage it may do to their career.  Allahu Alam.

May Allah bless our Muslim leadership and guide them on this issue, and may He grant us the tawfeeq to understand how to apply the Quran and Sunnah in our social-culture context. Ameen.

A few articles and lectures relevant to the topic of Islam, political participation, and our future are listed below (most of the list courtesy of Abu Noor).

Sherman Abdul-Hakim Jackson, “Muslims, Islamic Law and Public Policy in the United States”

Umar Faruq Abd Allah, “Islam and the Cultural Imperative“

Yasir Qadhi, “Muslims in the West: Where are We Going?” (lecture)

Hamza Yusuf, “From Protest to Engagement” (lecture)

Keith Ellison (interview) “First of the Mohicans: A Muslim in Congress“

Shaykh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, “From Protest to Engagement” (lecture, Arabic with translation)

Suhaib Webb, “The Need to be Socially Relevant” (lecture)