U.S. Muslims Existing Prior to 9 / 11

I live in Harlem at a street where three churches and a mosque located. The mosque is adjacent to one of the church. When the pilgrims men mingled on the sidewalk, who is new from the church and who is new from the mosque, were indistinguishable. Only the veil worn some women who can make you know who've been in the mosque or church.American Muslims are not found on September 11, 2001. Their history in New York, and also throughout the United States, far ahead of the event. Some of the Muslim arrival in America of the earliest along with the arrival of slave ships crossing the Atlantic.However, the "cancer" of anti-Muslim hatred which infect the entire United States today is fierce as to make the identity of "America" ​​and "Muslims" are contradictory.Only in a week, a taxi driver was stabbed in New York by a passenger who asked whether he is a Muslim; a drunken burst into a mosque in New York and urinating on the carpet; a brick thrown at a center of Islamic activity in Madera, California; and fire at a mosque in Tennessee is being investigated by the FBI."What will happen to me, mother, sister-in-law, and all the women in America who wear hijab and do not need to be asked again whether they are true Muslims?" Asked my sister, Nora, a graduate student.It's not just about Park51, a mosque and Islamic center in lower Manhattan, two blocks from Ground Zero. There are at least four other mosque building plan in America, many miles away from the "sacred land", it is facing opposition to anti-Muslim.Some people try to blame the Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the leader Park51, because fishing is still feeling wounded by September 11. But the imams who described it as a fish in murky waters just unforgivable amnesia would show where the term "Muslim" was made as an insult in this country.Although President George W. Bush appeared at a mosque after the events of September 11 to show that he did not consider all Muslims are responsible, yet the government continues to demonstrate the contrary: military tribunals for civilians, secret prisons, detention of hundreds of Muslims without dakwan, torture and interrogationabusive of detainees, and the invasion of two Muslim-majority country.When the Republicans "accused" President Barack Obama as a Muslim in the 2008 presidential campaign, the Democrats also never once said, "So what?"Someone who was a strategy adviser to Hillary Clinton's Secretary of State, advised him to expose Obama's weakness in 2007 while campaigning for the election of presidential candidates - to describe Obama is too foreign and exotic to lead America in a war situation. He ignored that advice but still in its campaign to spread the photos of Obama wearing traditional Somali clothing.Those events, as well as others, are climbing the ladder steps bigotry that is now done through the charm of its political leaders. When former vice presidential candidate and former governor (Sarah Palin), a former speaker of parliament (Newt Gingrich), and a number of lawmakers peddle the most lurid picture of Muslims, is not difficult to understand why the violence that appear faster and faster lately.I do not forget these acts of violence or terrorism efforts by American Muslims last year.Muslim American community is not silenced. They issued a number of criticisms but also refused to be considered guilty just because of religion.And we refuse to play it safe. We will not let the fanatics destroy the American fabric.Those Muslims who mingle outside the mosque in my place is a miniature America. We vote in elections - and our votes meaningless, particularly in countries-sections are difficult to predict who the winner. The cab driver was stabbed in New York is one of thousands of Muslims who represent 50 percent of taxi drivers in New York City.The Muslims became a teacher, comedian and now even the American beauty queen, Rima Fakih.And we are also the American doctors. Me and my brother in law, that an obstetrician / gynecologists, are witnessing one of the medical-themed soap opera when she told me a story that neatly encapsulates all of the above facts: "Not long ago I was taking care delivery in the presence of the father of the child through the Skype camera. He was a soldier in Afghanistan. I thought, well this is me: a veiled Muslim doctors who take care of the birth of a baby whose father was an American soldier in Afghanistan, a Muslim country. "