If I Were an American Muslim …

Unfortunately, I do not have the privilege of being personally acquainted with an American Muslim. I am, however, personally acquainted with my own thought processes and the inclinations of my feelings. Therefore, this article is an outsider’s attempt to assess the experience of American Muslims and to imagine, based on his own thoughts and feelings, what he and other non-Muslim Americans can do to improve that experience.

A Difficult Situation

Muslims are about 1% of the US population — a minority among minorities. Whether they be Christians in Egypt, whites in South Africa, Buddhists in South Korea, Chinese in Jamaica, or Atheists in Turkey, minorities always endure a higher risk of suspicion, negative stereotypes, and marginalization. Members of majority groups are always inclined to feel threatened by the differentness and unknownness of minorities. Humanity’s past and present have consistently demonstrated the universality of this reality. It has also been demonstrated that this reality exists without intentional encouragement. Even if no other forces have agitated relations, members of majority groups are naturally inclined to view members of minority groups with more suspicion than members of their own group. They are naturally inclined to assign negative stereotypes to members of minority groups. They are naturally inclined to marginalize members of minority groups.

A More Difficult Situation

And so, if there were no other forces at play, American Muslims would be at a high risk of undue suspicion, negative stereotypes, and marginalization. Unfortunately, there are very significant other forces at play. Firstly, the religion is intellectually incompatible with Christianity, the professed religious affiliation of the majority in this country. Secondly, those two religions have violently clashed at many points throughout history. Thirdly, there are today places in the world where Christians are persecuted in Muslim-majority countries. Fourthly, there presently exists a relatively small contingency among those claiming to be Muslims who, in the name of Islam, commit some of the most heinous atrocities. These “other forces” increase the already high risk for American Muslims to be victims of undue suspicion, negative stereotypes, and marginalization.

I’d like to observe that the 4 “other forces” I’ve described are indisputable facts. However, a fair person would not consciously conclude that these facts justify prejudice towards individual Muslims. But subconsciously I, perhaps like you and many other members of the majority, have allowed these facts to cloud my judgment when seated near a Muslim on a plane. Consciously, I reject such unjust applications of these facts. Nevertheless, my, and your, subconscious prejudice forces millions of law-abiding patriotic Americans to daily live their lives as guilty until proven innocent.

A Much More Difficult Situation

So we have a difficult situation without other forces; a more difficult situation with other forces working subconsciously; what could we expect with other forces working consciously? For this we turn to Donald Trump. As a presidential candidate he unequivocally stated, “I think Islam hates us,” and refused an opportunity to clarify if he was referring to “Islam itself” or “radical Islam”. Since he provided no evidence for this conclusion, merely prefacing it with the phrase, “I think”, we can be certain that this is an opinion and, unlike the 4 “other forces” I previously mentioned, not a fact. And so, in addition to the 4 indisputable facts subconsciously clouding the judgment of many in this country, we then had a presidential candidate consciously urging an opinion, which, if true, would justify prejudice towards all Muslims.

I am sure many American Muslims were confident this would be the breaking point. I am sure many American Muslims were confident that the America they knew and loved would never tolerate such intolerance in the highest office of the land. I am sure many American Muslims were confident that tax cuts, Supreme Court nominees, a republican-dominated government, and “I just can’t stand Hilary” would all be considered far less important than affirming what they thought were core values of this professedly inclusive society. I’m sure they were encouraged by the many public affirmations of the primacy of these core values over other concerns — most notably by 4 of the 5 living previous republican presidential candidates. However, they were to be sorely disappointed. America said other concerns were of greater importance.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump’s election was not to be the end. In addition to all that has been mentioned, American Muslims have now seen their president promulgate propaganda originating with a woman convicted of abusing a woman just for being Muslim. This woman is the deputy leader of a group that purposefully antagonizes and harasses Muslims in the UK. The clear aim of the propaganda was to incite fear and suspicion of all Muslims without distinction. And the White House’s defense of this promulgation was that, “the threat is real” — not the threat from radical Muslims, but, without distinction, the threat (from all Muslims) is real.

So, putting everything together, American Muslims are at risk of the normal suspicion, negative stereotypes, and marginalization experienced by minorities in all contexts. Their risk is increased by the subconscious unjust application of indisputable facts of Islam’s past and present. Their risk was further increased by the conscious urging of an opinion that justifies prejudice towards them. And finally, their risk is now increased beyond measure by the explicit advocacy of fear and negative stereotypes by the person occupying the most influential office in this country.

Where We Can Agree

So maybe you believed in November of 2016 and even still believe today that the “other concerns” of the election demanded a vote for Donald Trump. My purpose is neither to dissuade you from nor denigrate you for this position. I believe this is a healthy disagreement between fellow citizens. However, my purpose is to highlight the experience of other fellow citizens, hard-working Americans, who, through no fault of their own, are forced to live, at best, as second-class citizens in our great nation. Despite our electoral disagreement, I believe we can agree that this is un-American. I believe we can agree that, as we would have others do unto us, we ought to personally do what we can to improve this condition.

We cannot change the indisputable facts or the indisputably elected president. But, if I were an American Muslim, there are a few things I believe I would appreciate from members of the majority. Firstly, I would want members of the majority to genuinely acknowledge the injustice of my reality. This acknowledgement may be in personal conversations with a Muslim co-worker, neighbor, taxi-driver, or a stranger at a gas station. A simple expression of sympathy can go a very long way. Also, this acknowledgement may be a public expression of sympathy before other members of the majority — in person or on social media platforms.

Secondly, I believe I would want members of the majority to do their best to fight against their own subconscious prejudices as well as encourage those within their spheres of influence to do the same.

Finally, I believe I would want members of the majority to remember and share with others, that, though I may dress, eat, pray, and/or worship differently, I too, am an American. We salute the same flag, sing the same anthem, pay the same taxes, and vote in the same booths. We give birth together, learn together, play together, drive together, fly together, fight together, and die together. Together, we are America.