There was a reduction of hate propaganda against Muslims during the year 2006 in comparison to the previous year. Yet incidents of attacks on mosques have not decreased, according to surveys of community-based organizations and human rights organizations.
Following 9/11 the Muslim community in the United States came under high surveillance. Many Muslims suffered because of their Islamic-based names or found themselves with long stays at local police precincts for minor incidents like traffic light violations. Several hundred Muslims had to spend time at detention centers and many of them were expelled from the United States.
Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International – which have been working for the dignity and rights of Muslims in the United States – have continued to speak out against the repression of Muslims. Many times court protection was sought against such repression. Newspapers like New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post have tried to be objective but have also spoken out against the unnecessary repression of Muslims.
Meanwhile, the Muslim community, where people were working hard to build a future, they also found themselves subjected to difficult times in America, the land of their dreams, facing depression and anxiety. But, according to surveys, since the end of 2005 this situation has diminished.
Observers say that focus on the unnecessary harassment of Muslims during the mid-term election campaigns was minimal. Yet, extremists continue to attack mosques. Writing on mosque walls in the dark of night continues. In one incident, a woman was killed when a bullet was fired into a mosque during this past holy month of Ramadhan. Several instances of people being killed during the course of mosque robberies have also occurred.
The United States is a country of immigrants. The rule of law is said to apply in this country, even if it is occasionally only used lopsidedly. That means law remains active for those communities that remain active in mainstream politics. Social scientists believe that it has become imperative for Muslim Americans to establish bonds of religious fraternity, rising above racial and linguistic differences. They should look into communities with smaller populations than the Muslim community here, that have more influence on the U.S. government.
All efforts should be made to help U.S.-born Muslim students in school and in college-going students to organize themselves – after all, this is their motherland – who can speak more forcefully than Muslim immigrants. Campaigns to increase voter registration among Muslims – which were initiated prior to the last election – should also be furthered. Those who help coordinate affairs in our mosques can do this work throughout the year. This way, more community members would be registered and their votes would gain importance. Then we would not have to seek out our congressional representatives to get their help; they would come looking for us.
The Council on American Islamic Relation (CAIR) and many other organizations support Muslim Americans throughout the year. But if every mosque also builds up a network of devotees, those 1800 mosques can be reliable institutions for maintaining the rights of Muslim Americans.
Another instance of reduction of anti-Muslim sentiments was the holding of a three-day-long international seminar in New York that began last November 19. One-hundred-twenty Muslim scholars, organizers, writers, and journalists from 29 countries attended this conference of Muslim women. No one was hassled when trying to obtain visas and there were no problems entering the United States, said Daisy Khan, the main organizer of this conference.
Community surveys also indicate that in 2006 there was no increase in the number of hate crimes reported against Muslims by the police authorities. Workers at various mosques say that the devotees feel more comfortable attending mosques nowadays then they did before.
But the executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relation said that he did not believe that the rate of hate crime has reduced: “As per our information available now, it is seen that the attack on Muslims has increased by 29 percent since last year.” He added that after November 20, six imams were taken off a flight at the Minneapolis Airport. They were returning to Arizona after attending a function in Minnesota. They were released on Monday afternoon after being interrogated. On November 21, local Muslims in Phoenix protested against this incident and demanded an investigation into what they claimed was unnecessary harassment.
