Defining Islamic values in America

There are non-practicing Muslims. And there are groups that call themselves Muslim although most Muslims say they do not follow a legitimate form of Islam, such as Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam.

One of the most intriguing and least publicized stories of American Islam is the remarkable shift of the vast majority of African-Americans in Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam away from his teachings on black separatism into Sunni Islam, under the leadership of Elijah's son, Warith Deen Muhammad.

Now recognized as one of the major Muslim leaders in the US, Imam Warith Deen was the first of his faith to open the US Senate with a prayer and, Smith says, "is responsible for certifying all Muslim Americans who wish to undertake the hajj to Mecca."

Muslims, proud of Islam's global reach and practice of equality, feel it has something to teach a society still rife with racism. They put a high priority, Smith says, on bringing together the diverse groups in US Islam. While many mosques cater to specific ethnic groups, "there are increasing efforts not only at communication but at mutual representation on shura [consensus councils]."

The internal debate ranges over a host of issues - equal rights and responsibilities for women and men, appropriate dress, youths' participation in social activities, public or private Islamic education, proper financial practices, engagement in politics. Smith's book highlights the issues and gives helpful context: the basic elements of Islamic faith and practice, roles of historical figures in Islam's development, how Islam took root in the US and its various manifestations here, and how the demands of US society are reshaping Muslim experience. For instance, imams, are having to take on multiple roles not played in Muslim societies similar to the demands made on Christian pastors.

Even as the US serves as "a place both of experimentation and affirmation of traditional values," Muslims feel Islam has much to offer American society - whether it be liberation from addictions, a recapturing of fundamental moral values, or a deeper appreciation of communal responsibilities.

They talk a great deal about da'wa - the spreading of the faith. Perspectives on what that entails, Smith says, vary from simply being a good example to active propagation of Islam. For some, the goal is making the US a Muslim country. For the most part, "what they are talking about is not a kind of actively taking over and propagating, but a slow process by which increasing numbers come to understand Islam and accept it."

What isn't often understood is that "freedom of conscience is a very important thing" in Islam, Smith adds. The Qur'an says, "There is no compulsion in religion." The restriction or persecution of other faiths in some Islamic countries is a tough issue, she admits: "How do you reconcile some very hard truths with the ideals? It's like trying to justify the Inquisition and ask, 'Was this a Christian thing?'.... So much of what is happening that is extremist is disavowed by most Muslims. "

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society

Page: 1 | 2