Walid gives “Get Out To Vote” khutbah

Today’s sermon was given at the Islamic Center of Detroit.

http://share.ovi.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10135

Boom Box, Ballot Box

http://www.mana-net.org/pages.php?ID=activism&ID2=&NUM=283

An Islamic opinion on the 08’ elections from a member of the

Hip Hop generation

by Yahsmin Mayaan Binti BoBo

I admit, I have never voted.

In my short 30 years of living, the inclination to vote has entered my mind a few times and was usually impelled by a discussion about how Civil Rights elders fearlessly sought the privilege. Seeking this right was bloody and painful, dangerous and courageous all the same. Ironically, I was born to a family of politically aware and vocal African American grandparents whose loyalties were both Republican and Democrat. My grandfather was a staunch upper middle class Republican whose wife, far less conservative, continually supported Jesse Jackson in his heyday. She later became a supporter of Clinton, not surprisingly. My parents, on the other hand, were so extremely liberal, voting and knowledge of issues weren’t really much of an issue at all. The conversation never exceeded anything casual and seldom left the dinner table.

Yet, I grew up in a different era. The era from which I arose was tagged a rebel generation whose associations were typically apolitical and sometimes misunderstood to be apathetic. But when it came to local issues, particularly in overpopulated but economically depressed urban communities, we were impassioned to speak out, rally and resist gentrification, the rise of unemployment, high incarceration rates and the blind eyes of police brutality. In fact, several controversial phrases were popularized as a result of these conditions, phrases and terms I will spare you of remembering for their brazen nature. Such sentiments blasted from the boom-boxes on every block in nearly every city. And still do, from stout Public Enemy anthems to subliminal Lupe Fiasco serenades, the beat goes on.

I would argue that those in my generation are political but lack engagement from within our peer groups and externally. We feel politically displaced, for the most part. In this statement, I would like to clarify that our concerns were generally domestic and didn’t always absorb a sharp criticism of foreign policy and international affairs. Therefore, an analysis of geopolitics didn’t come about, within these age groups, until recently when things overseas seemed to spin out of control.

In recent elections this generation has been challenged to reconsider why we aren’t involved, registered to vote and informed about the issues in various campaigns. What prompted this challenge was the dire state we, as a country, were thrust into by the Bush administration. It seems our only reprieve was during the Clinton terms when Americans of all age groups believed things were progressing. Two presidential terms later with Bush Jr. in the Big House, those in my generation were finally angry enough to become involved but this time, in a proactive manner. Finally, the bicultural (and bipartisan) voice within began to be heard outside of our tight knit peer groups.

Popular culture had something to do with this.

Music gurus like Russell Simmons and Sean “Puffy” Combs led hype campaigns to get youth registered to vote. These efforts were, of course, accompanied by financial opportunities to make a buck or two from the sales of t-shirts lettering slogans that encouraged people to vote. During this election, P. Diddy has now tamed this marketing monster to simply endorse the candidate of his choice. Although these pop culture icons see profit to gain, they have also effectively pushed fans to be responsive and to empower the vote. Another example is high profile recording artists making tribute songs to Democracy and mostly, the Democratic Party. Barack Obama has received more “love” from the music industry than any presidential candidate I can remember and yet, he doesn’t even play the saxophone like Bill Clinton did.

The shift in generational activism and within formerly marginalized groups has finally happened. 

It is very clear who the candidate of choice is. But I can only hope those who are voting are informed about their choices. After all, Senator Obama won’t be the only option on your ballot in November. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney is running with Rosa Clemente on the official Green Party ticket. Their issues are well articulated, balanced and have an emphasis on the grassroots initiative that has mass appeal with common, working class folk. Problematically, these running mates aren’t likely to be as well publicized as Democrats are. It is unfortunate that in a society like ours, campaign contributions make such a massive impact on a candidate’s success or demise.

Among domestic and social issues listed, McKinney offers a radical improvement for employment, environment, education, health care, Civil Rights and the list goes on. She has asserted, time and again, that our federal budget has been compromised by misallocated finances and that fair housing could be guaranteed to minorities through home ownership. She also believes the Patriot Act should be repealed to minimize the paranoia induced Islamophobia- a serious point of interest for the Muslim community.

Aside from highlights of the McKinney campaign, she is a woman and member of the African American populace while her running mate is a well known Latina organizer. This adds another layer of excitement that people felt when Hilary Clinton was still in the running. While these attributes seem superficial, we live in a day and age where people want to relate to their President on a deeper level than just policies. This is probably why McCain chose a woman, Governor Sarah Palin, to be his running mate.

The Ralph Nader-Gonzalez campaign is the choice for Independent Party voters where promises for military budgets cuts are made, corporate crime crackdown, solar energy will replace nuclear, and reversal of US policy in the Middle East is proposed. Again, for the informed voter, his issues are enticing answers to the international threat of militarism and our crisis with global warming. His agenda addresses electoral reform, immigration and fair trade juxtaposed against multinational corporate supremacy. As the son of a Lebanese Catholic family, Ralph Nader brings another element of multiplicity to this election, one that may re-sensitize American citizens to the immigration experience in addition to educating people about the real politics taking place and affecting international relations in the Mid East.

Just this past week, I registered to vote at a local supermarket. I felt conflicted and it was admittedly an awkward moment. You should have seen the expressions on people’s faces when they passed by, watching me fill out a form at one of those tri-color stands. Even the gentleman helping me seemed uncomfortable. This was only days after the televised footage of a bigoted woman in John McCain’s audience called Obama an “Arab”. So imagine the thoughts of passerby upon seeing me, someone frequently mistaken for an Arab also. And when coupling that with my non Anglo name- a name the gentleman couldn’t pronounce- the setting only seemed to thicken.

But I did register to vote that day.

My reason was not to stake a claim in Democracy and it wasn’t to merely vote for a popular candidate because his ancestry is common with mine. I will vote in hopes to oust the current party that has done so much damage domestically and internationally. I don’t have an affinity that strong for any of the candidates, nor do I believe that they will act as some sort of savior for the American people. Only the people can save themselves, not a politician. Our power resides in our communities, and that’s my true grassroots principle.

I do believe that historically, Republicans have done things worthy of impeachment. Therefore, to see another set in office will be difficult, if not unbearable, for people like me. The freedoms we boast of will soon diminish and the agony of fellow human beings around the planet will only intensify. We need to think on a global level, for their sake as well. As Malcolm believed, and you should too, the next phase is a Human Rights platform.

I come from a generation that is skeptical of politics, yet we have been urged to get involved and to stay that way. It has taken a great emotional force to bring us to the ballot box. There is something awfully compelling about the way Colin Powell defended Barack Obama; the conviction with which he spoke and how he admitted to the colossal misgivings of his political party. There is wisdom in that for those who are keen to it.

Likewise, I was drawn in by the response McCain gave to his bigoted groupie and the implications of its message to the general American audience. His reply was appropriate and impressive, given that he is running against a so called “Arab”. Even McCain realizes that Obama’s ethnicity (or religion for that matter) matters far less than his policies and how he plans to uphold the White House legacy. He chalked it up to “differences” whereas some spectators only mouth the sounds of a foreign name and see a Black man who might serve the next presidential term.

This is a historic time indeed.

We have a range of candidates, with compelling agendas, to choose from this time around. Long gone are the days of a monochromatic selection.

For many Muslim Americans, the issue may not be partisan but whether or not to vote at all. This is, for certain, a personal decision to make and one that carries a tremendous amount of weight and responsibility. Let us not waste time making sweeping judgments to those who do or do not vote this year.

It was rumored that Muslims had supported and voted for Bush in his first term but lived to regret it shortly after. These voters must have naively assumed that somehow, because George W. Bush was a “conservative”, this translated to mean action would be carried out with moral consideration first. Quite the contrary- the Bush administration is now argued to be war criminals in today’s public discourse. Even with a well known Muslim advisor on hand, some of the greatest atrocities the Muslim world has endured have taken place during his terms. And this is aside from the debt our country has accumulated since his head has rested upon White House pillows. The word deficit has an entirely new meaning for our country where citizens face sleepless nights ahead, tossing and turning at the mere thought of our collective debt.

There are critical arguments against the Democratic candidate for his position on Occupied Palestine/US support of Israel and questionable plans for Pakistan. What critics must understand are the ties between the Washington Lobby and how heavily Israel is represented there. This is where things tend to get the dirtiest when foreign relations are concerned.

Politics are no doubt tricky. That is why the term “poli-tricks” has been coined by my generation. But this won’t stop us from exercising voting power come November elections.

And I can only hope, for the truly conscious among you, it won’t stop you either.

***********
Yahsmin M. B. BoBo is an essayist and music journalist with published work in Words Beats Life Global Journal of Hip Hop Culture and Platform Magazine. She sits on the Editorial Board of Timbuktu Review and co-founded Illume Magazine while presiding as Editor in Chief for its first year. By day, she writes curriculum for youth programming and consults non-profit professionals in areas of program development.

www.yahsmin.com

Muslim Voters’ Waning Support for Obama?

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5237333&page=1

Recent Events Put Damper on Support Obama Had in Primaries from Muslim Americans

In Democratic primaries this year the overwhelming majority of Muslim Americans voted for a man who has, throughout the campaign, vigorously knocked down rumors that he is a Muslim.

But support for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., during the primaries doesn’t mean the Democrat has a free pass from the Muslim American community.

Last week’s incident at an Obama rally in Michigan put some added strain on Obama’s support in the Muslim American community. A campaign volunteer reportedly barred two Muslim American women from appearing in camera-range behind Obama’s podium after they refused the campaign representative’s request to remove their headscarves. After the incident received media attention, Obama called the women personally to apologize. But the hurt still lingers for some Muslim Americans.

“I was quite disappointed. The Obama campaign to me, represents a change from traditional politics and embodies an America which supersedes discrimination and racism. This incident is in stark contradiction to that notion,” said Lydia Habhab, a 23-year-old Arab Muslim-American graduate student and Dearborn, Michigan native.

“For a candidate who is talking about change, and who is a minority … who is talking about giving hope to everyone, it was very offensive to me as a Muslim woman who wears a headscarf,” said Tuqa Nusairat, a 24-year-old Arab Muslim-American who is a Virginia native and graduate student.

“Although Obama personally called the girls wearing hijab to apologize, it is still disheartening to think that the level of Islamophobia in his campaign and within America is so high, that having women wearing hijab within a camera shot away from Obama was even an issue, especially within one of the most highly populated Muslim areas in the country,” said Habhab.

Reza Marashi, a 26-year-old non-practicing Iranian Muslim American raised in Seattle, agrees. “I think it’s a testament to both the climate of misunderstanding in this country surrounding Muslims and Islam, and the inexcusably poor job the Bush Administration has done in trying to educate American people on Muslims and Islam. ”

“Obama called the two women personally to apologize. That’s the classy thing to do. If he becomes president, hopefully he’ll continue to address these issues with class,” Marashi added.

Like Marashi, leaders of the Muslim community appear to be willing to accept Obama’s apology for the incident and his statement that it does not represent his campaign, says Dr. Yvonne Haddad, a Christian Arab professor at Georgetown University and expert on Islam in North America and the West. But Haddad said it’s hard to tell whether this incident will have any lasting repercussions among voters.

 Muslim Rumors as ‘Smears’

The Michigan speech episode adds to some feelings of resentment at the way that Obama has knocked down false rumors that he is, or was at one time, Muslim. Some say they are offended when the Obama campaign refers to those false assertions that he is a Muslim as “smears.”

The Obama campaign earlier this month launched a new Web site dedicated to knocking down false rumors, especially those circulated on the Internet, called www.fightthesmears.com. The third ‘smear’ listed on the site’s homepage is the one that claims Obama is a Muslim. The campaign explains on the site that the truth is: “Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised as a Muslim, and is a committed Christian.”

“When the mudslinging began and campaigns were launched ‘exposing’ Obama as a Muslim, he had every reason to deny it,” said Habhab.

But, she said, “I would have preferred Obama to have seized the opportunity to rhetorically ask, ‘What is wrong with being a Muslim?’ raise awareness of this phobia we are self-imposing, and promote the fact that regardless of religion, we are all Americans, which is what matters.”

The Obama campaign earlier this month launched a new Web site dedicated to knocking down false rumors, especially those circulated on the Internet, called www.fightthesmears.com. The third ‘smear’ listed on the site’s homepage is the one that claims Obama is a Muslim. The campaign explains on the site that the truth is: “Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised as a Muslim, and is a committed Christian.”

“When the mudslinging began and campaigns were launched ‘exposing’ Obama as a Muslim, he had every reason to deny it,” said Habhab.

But, she said, “I would have preferred Obama to have seized the opportunity to rhetorically ask, ‘What is wrong with being a Muslim?’ raise awareness of this phobia we are self-imposing, and promote the fact that regardless of religion, we are all Americans, which is what matters.”

Haddad agrees that Obama is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to disproving claims he is Muslim. “What Muslims are objecting to is that his dissociation from Islam is confirming the American attitude that there is something wrong with Islam and that it has no place in American democracy.”

“Muslims are often not viewed as fully American or are seen as the ‘other people’,” said Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR Michigan.

Walid says Michigan has had mosques vandalized in recent years, and spray-painted with hate slurs such as “9/11 murderers go home,” as well as death threats against Muslims American leaders, including at his office. (MORE)