How to begin? First off, it’s been one of the most rewarding Ramadans in Tucson under the summer sun. Rewarding, because of the inner reality checks and balances one goes through. And rewarding still, with the outer reality of a dry intense heat blessed with food and water to sustain ourselves throughout the days.
It’s also been one of the most challenging, with visions of a hate rally to be held at the Islamic Center of Tucson on the second day of the Islamic holiday, Eid-ul-Fitr, on July 18, and its counter rally.
The hate rally, hosted on Facebook by a “Dean Remington,” is the “Let Freedom Ring Free Speech Rally.” It claims it is not meant to be filled with hate, yet protesters are encouraged to bring arms to the event.
There’s not a whole helluva lot one can say to the craziness of this event other than, ‘WTH?!?’
Sure, we can discuss the First Amendment rights, and we should, especially in this context of hate-filled rhetoric towards Muslims and Islam which has been a growing money-making industry geared towards fear, xenophobia and Islamophobia for years.
Such a rally is no more than ignorance masquerading as “freedom of speech.” It’s an abuse and manipulation of our constitutional right to defend the First Amendment.
The cray cray does not stop there. The counter rally, also promoted on Facebook, “Stand Up Against Hate,” is nothing more than the same of the Hatriots rally. The organizer of this event, a “Sumayya Dawud” of Phoenix (aka, not a Tucsonan and not a member of ICT) fails in her attempts to defend the First Amendment as well.
How does she fail? By implementing a rally in front of a mosque with no support of its members, magnifying the situation to a potential hazard for its members, neighbors, and anyone who attends, with an utter lack of knowledge of the concept of shura, or consultation, in Islam.
While the hatriots are just as much to blame for the potential harm to anyone in the area, their excuse of ignorance is more valid than that of Sumayya Dawud’s.
Take for example the hate rally in Phoenix recently (which brought about the upcoming rally in Tucson) and its aftermath.
Just three days after that rally, Azra Hussain, of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Arizona, held an inspiring event to promote peace and tolerance, “Love is Stronger Than Hate,” at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix.
Azra received numerous calls from throughout the Phoenix Valley from interfaith organizations to ask, “What can we do to help?” This moral support gave her the idea to hold a counter event, but first, she sought ‘*shura’ or consultation with the imam and the board of trustees of ICCP. And while the imam and the board of trustees of ICCP gave her the go ahead, Azra went through every detail with them via texts and phone calls to ensure a hopeful outcome of the event. She used diplomacy, respect, and consultation, a key ingredient to follow and practice. Something which Sumayya Dawud sorely lacks.
As we are near the end of Ramadan, the uncertainties of what the outcome will be for the two rallies is ahead of us. From all indications though, Dean and Sumayya will be face-to-face. Exhibiting their similarities as cut from the same cloth; and as well, one hatriot vigilante across from a Muslim vigilante.
As a member of ICT for 36 years I am dismayed, disappointed and extremely embarrassed by the actions of Sumayya Dawud. She does not represent my community, a community of loving and caring people, of families. She does not represent me, as a convert, and as a Muslim woman. She only represents herself, a renegade, seeking a shouting match with the hatriots at the expense of ICT, using them as their pawn.
One can hope though, that Dean and Sumayya will stand alone, on a street in Tucson throwing verbiage towards one another under a monsoon filled southern Arizona sky.
*Q:42:38
This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2015.
The Dean Remingtons of the world are just hate-filled. It’s not about free speech, it’s about intimidation.
“Suppose They Gave a Hate Rally… And No One Came….:” That would be nice!
If you think that Islam is compatible in the west in it’s current form, you are living with your heads in the sand. Let me guess, not a single one of you were deployed to the middle east in the past 20 years.
They don’t assimilate. The Koran will always be served before any national flag.
After today’s tragic news in TN, this article is poorly timed.
Assalamu alaikum.
I’m Sumayyah Dawud, the organizer of the Stand Up Against Hate counter-protest. I am appalled that almost the entirety of this article is dedicated to backbiting and slandering me. This is especially appalling when it comes from a Muslim who should know better.
I created the event page in the early stages once I heard the bigots were planning on protesting the ICT mosque with a similar plan of action as was done to protest the mosque in Phoenix. In the early stages of organizing, I reached out and sent a message to ICT’s Facebook account as well as a message to Maryam Mir, the one who wrote this article. Neither was ever responded to and in the case of ICT, Facebook stamped the message as indicating it had been read. Further, on the event page I stated multiple times that we were more than willing to work with ICT to support them as that was the whole intent from the beginning and to make sure that our counter-protest would not create a hardship. Despite all of this, no one from ICT reached out to me even though my contact information was readily available.
Only in the week before the event, did ICT reach out and we came to a conclusion that if the bigots were to cancel their protest, we would either cancel ours or move it to an alternate location which we did.
Maryam makes assumptions and accusations about my intent of the rally as well as my background yet never actually took the time to talk to me before writing this article of backbiting and slander. I used to live in Tucson and I have been to ICT on multiple occasions. Further, scholars and leaders do not necessarily have to be obeyed in Islam when they are not ruling by the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Defense of the Muslim community is an obligatory duty of Muslims. Shura or not, the fact is that bigots were planning on protesting a mosque with firearms and some of them posted threats of violence (and activists on our page reported these threats to law enforcement).
If Maryam’s slander wasn’t bad enough, she took it further and compared me–a Muslim who was standing up in defense of the Muslim community and potentially risking my own life in doing so–to the islamophobic bigots themselves. Her statements actually indicated that in many ways she considered me worse than the bigots. If you think a Muslim who stands up in defense of the Muslim community is worse than islamophobes wanting to eradicate Islam from the face of the earth, then you are a disbeliever. End of story. Think wisely about what you post because Allah (swt) is watching.
Maryam chose to attack my character and what I was trying to do to support my Muslim community. Maybe you don’t consider Tucson “my community” but I am a member of the Muslim ummah and we are all ONE community regardless of where we live or come from. Backbiting and slander are sins in Islam and those who engage in them can expect to be held accountable on Youm al-Qiyamah (Judgment Day).
Sister while you may have some points its necessary to understand the deen from a deeper perspective and understand the roles we occupy.. I do not agree with your actions as well and we need to always look back to how the Prophet sas used to deal with such issues for they did occur during his time as well. Even if you intended to be peaceful, just the fact that you showed up is provocative. There are other ways of standing up for your religion than foolishness which is how I see such things. If however, you had supported and coordinated with the ICT to have an open house inviting people to ICT to gain information and answer questions, I am sure you would have had better reactions from people, and while i am in no position to say what Allah would or would not accept or how he would judge, I might suppose a proactive instead of reactive position would receive greater ajr.
Dear OLD PUEBLO, I would like to point out a few things for general education purposes as I disagree with your statement.
First of all, people need to realize that many ME countries have several sects some of which are considered deviant,, for example the Alawi in Syria are not really considered Muslim because many of their beliefs follow what is called shirk or worshiping some one in addition to or instead of God Almighty, whom most Christians call God the Father.
Secondly, again very important to realize, just as not all Americans are good practicing Christians or even believing in Christ, also many many born Muslims do not KNOW, UNDERSTAND OR PRACTICE what Islam TEACHES… and often they color their Islamic interpretation with tribal rules and culture– not what Islam teaches..
Thirdly, you are very Naive if you think the majority of Muslims are immigrants from the ME and btw Indonesia and Malasia make up the majority of the Muslim population worldwide. They are in Asia not the ME. Many of whom make up the US Muslim population are actually AMERICANS who converted to Islam such as myself and I have roots in Germany. Unless you consider yourself a native American, you too are descendant from Immigrants…..
Finally, and if you had educated yourself just a little bit you would know that Islam espouses the constituents of a country to follow the law of the land unless it specifically counters or denies something forbidden in the QUR’AN, which is the correct spelling btw.
In reference I give you this: http://en.islamtoday.net/node/604 The Muslims living a non-Muslim country, even if they originally entered that country by means of forged documents, are considered to be living in their adopted country under a covenant. They must, therefore, comply with the laws of their country of residence without, at the same time, disobeying Islamic Law.
Allah says: “Oh you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 1]
He also says: “And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant will be questioned about.” [Sûrah al-Isrâ’: 34]
He says: “And fulfill the Covenant to Allah when you have covenanted, and break not the oaths after you have confirmed them.” [Sûrah al-Nahl: 91]
A Muslim is not to break or violate oaths or promises. He will not be a true faithful Muslim if he does so. Allah Said: “It is not the case that every time they make a covenant, some party among them throws it aside. Nay! The truth is most of them believe not.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 100]
Among the characteristics of a hypocrite is that he: “…acts treacherously toward covenants (pledges), and when entrusted he betrays.”
Scholars have stated that those who enter non-Muslim countries have to adhere to their respective laws and regulations even if they entered those countries illegally, and they have no excuse for breaking those laws, since they were entrusted to abide by those laws upon entry into those countries.
The eminent Hanafî jurist, Mohammad b. Hasan Al-Shaybânî writes [Biographies (2/6)]:
If it happens that a company of Muslims pass through the enemy’s front lines by deceptively pretended to be messengers of the Muslim’s Caliph carrying official documents – or if they were just allowed to pass through the enemy lines – they are not allowed to engage in any hostilities with the enemy troops. Neither are they entitled to seize any of their money or properties as long as they are in their area of authority. This also applies in case of being truly trusted by the other party.
Accordingly, we conclude the following:
Muslims living in non-Muslim countries have to comply with laws and regulations of the country they have been entrusted though valid visas to enter. At the same time, they have to avoid whatever contradicts Islamic teachings. In case they are obliged by law to uphold something contrary to Islamic teachings, they have to adhere to the minimum that the law requires of them.
One of the best approaches for a Muslim living in these countries is patience. As long as he agrees to live in a non-Muslim country, he is never to rebel against the inhabitants of his choice of residence, even it seems to hard for him to endure.
Sumayyah might I kindly add that simply by posting your name on the Facebook public page you left yourself open to comments so you have to be ready to deal with it and I dont think that it was meant to slander or backbite you however it was simply as a comment upon your behavior seen from the perspective of devout muslims who do fear Allah yet know that Islam does teach us that we should always follow “mutual consultation” and yes I am sorry but we must always have a shura and even when only three travel one must be appointed as Imam or leader,, and in your case we view it as you overstepping that process.. And Allah knows best.