Upon declaration of our independence on July 4, 1776, two of the first three heads of states who recognized the sovereignty of the United States were Muslims and one of them was a Muslim from India.
Americans, Indians and Muslims have a connection since the very beginning of our independence. We were all opposed to colonial rule, and fought them and chased the British out of America, but they continued to rule India through divide and conquer for another 150 years.
Morocco was the first country to
recognize the independence of the United States of America, signing the
Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, the first of its kind. Friesland, one of
the seven United Provinces of the Dutch Republic, was the next to recognize
American independence (February 26, 1782) and Tippu Sultan, the King of Mysore
State (India) was the third. According to Dr. Range Gowda, Tippu Sultan's
historiographer, the congratulatory letter to America is preserved in a French
Library. Tippu celebrated America's independence by bursting fire crackers
in Srirangapatna.
What does July 4th mean to Muslims and Indians?
It means everything and the biggest thing is freedom. Islam is indeed about freedom of conscience, justice and
liberty.
The Pledge of Allegiance is one of the most cherished statements for Muslims,
"One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." There
are several verses in the Quran that assert those values, so it's like coming home for
Muslims.
The concept of equality is etched and nurtured in the Muslim psyche in every ritual and spiritual practice of Islam. Prophet Muhammad delivered the following words in his last sermon, "All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor does a black have any superiority over white except by piety and good action." Muslims hold this declaration close to their hearts and as American Muslims, "We hold these truths to be self-evident..."
The raging battle among Americans to keep the state and church apart resonates with Muslims living in America as the Quran speaks out to them, 49:13- "O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. The noblest of you, in the sight of God, is the best in conduct. God Knows and is Aware." Indeed, knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance of the otherness of others and appreciate a different point of view without having to agree with it.
Honoring merit appeals to Muslims: you can be who you want to be and Muslims bpast about their ability to rise on the basis of their merit. The Prophet tells his
own daughter that she will not get a free pass to paradise because she is a
daughter of the prophet; she has to earn it on her own through good deeds to
fellow beings, such is the emphasis placed on merit and individual
responsibility. That is what capitalism, democracy and America are all about.
Every immigrant in general and a Muslim in particular loves the idea that you
are innocent until proven guilty. They see the wholesomeness of justice in
America and they love America for it. An observant Muslim recites at least 17
times a day that God alone is the judge and we must refrain from judging
others.
On July 4, 2015 we will be celebrating the 239th birthday of America. It is time to reflect upon our journey from the historic declaration of independence on July 4th, 1776 to July 4th, 2015.
Our Founding Fathers had a vision and laid the
ground work for a sustainable cohesive America for centuries to come, " We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
We have come a long way, and still have miles to go to realize the above truths,
and to fulfill the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. Indeed, the last two
months have packed an incredible amount of events in our history. The pulling down of the confederate Flag in
several states after the tragic events in Charleston, South Carolina gives us a
lot of hope, the Supreme court's landmark decision to make same sex marriage
legal brings freedom to the GLBT community; yet another decision by the Supreme Court brought
freedom to those who were vulnerable, the sick and the poor Americans. Thanks to
President Obama for making health care a reality for all Americans. The affordable care Act is the law of the land
now.
First, I pray for the spirit of that freedom to be born again, again and again
every year, for eternity. Indeed, we are the land of the free and the
brave. The whole world looks up to
America with admiration, although we still have a few more milestones to
achieve.
Donald Sterling, the basketball billionaire and Don Imus, the popular American
Radio host and several others faced severe retribution for racial
slurs. Rick Sanchez and countless
Senators and Congress persons were taken to task for making Anti-Semitic comments. Now thank God for the Supreme Court, no one
will dare abuse the freedom of these three communities: African Americans, Jews
and the LGBT community.
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