The Case for American Muslim Identity

"American Muslim" as an identifier, is understandably a loaded term. It has many critics as well as ardent supporters. While such disagreements are understandable and may indeed be healthy, it is time for some agreed upon definition of "American Muslim" identity to be presented to the rest of America. But first, a general consensus amongst us needs to develop.

The remaking of Muslim relations with America amongst American Muslims has been prompted by the not so profound and chagrined realization that they are here to stay and their nostalgia for the old country is NOT shared by their offspring. This experience is certainly not unique to Muslims, but one shared by all immigrants irrespective of religion. The religious identifier "Muslim" in the hyphen is shared only by the Jewish experience, although negatively highlighted and accelerated by events of 9-11.

Some of us who live in America, but pretend to conduct their lives as though living in countries of our origin, our deep suspicions of the West unfortunately extend to fellow Muslims who propose ideas like the American Muslim identity. In some cases, having a birthday party at the local community center is seen as "haraam" simply because the concept of birthday party at the time of Prophet was unknown or attempts to build bridges with outside community are seen as "getting cozy with the Kuffar". But before such silly and harmful notions can be dispelled, can there be an entity as an "American Muslim" with a distinct perspective? Hyphenated Americans are as commonplace as pickup trucks on any Midwestern city streets.

When one talks about African Americans, or Cuban Americans or even Asian Americans, nationality is at the core, with ethnicity as an add-on for the effect. But in the case of American Muslims, as with American Jews (this example is offered for its effectiveness and success!), the religious identity takes precedence over the national identity and the term American Muslim signifies a special kind of a Muslim, while a Cuban American is a special type of American. Moving past this, bear in mind that this identity "American Muslim" is still very much a work in progress; a hypothesis only, until we can demonstrate that it brings some "difference" to Muslim identity.

A glaring, but largely ignored barrier to the development of this identity is the fact that the American Muslim community itself is a multicultural community composed of people from all races, and from nearly every country on the planet. And each one of theses groups brings their unique regional and cultural baggage into Islam and its practice. Adding to this rich mix is the effect of intermarriage with local population and conversion to Islam, this unique group shares none of the cultures of Islamic lands that often masquerades as edicts of Islam itself, as such they are subject to endure this nonsense in uneasy but respectful silence. This is not to suggest that culture and Islam are mutually exclusive or somehow "bad", but only to point out the perils of confusion of the two separate and distinct entities.

American Muslims, though largely by default, have become a microcosm of the global Muslim community. The politics of identity and identity formation that are shaping the American Muslim community cannot be fully understood until the internal diversity within the community itself is fully appreciated. A thorough discussion of these topics is beyond the scope of this article, other than to suggest that these complications and confusion needs to be resolved before any such American Muslim identity can be concretely defined.
Muslims in America consist of three primary groups, 33% South Asia (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) 25% Arabs (All of Middle East). The remainder, 42% are from rest of the world and American born converts. Having a bird’s eye view of Muslim population in America, Muslim community centers generally tend to reflect the ethnic immigrant’s culture and nostalgia for “back home”, often competing with other ethnic group’s similar interests. This is a natural process of growth, given scarcity of resources in any one group.

The advocates of this trend by default defend their existence as a means of grounding their children in the faith and culture of their ancestors, this reason, though well meaning, tends to be counterproductive. While the ethnic mosques may provide comfort for the immigrants, they are an alienating experience to many of their children or converts who do not share any of those sentiments. Our children, regardless of a particular sub-group’s desires or nostalgia are first, American Muslim kids. Anyone who insists otherwise will raise, at best, a kid with a confused identity.

But why have yet another identity to an unending list? What about a “Muslim” kid? Shouldn’t the kids have an “Islamic or Muslim” identity first? So argue the well meaning parents. This, at best, is a specious argument, or one that has an attractive ring to it, but ultimately fails on its merits. The idea of a universal “Muslim” identity has a long but sad history of failure and misery. It has its roots in Pan-Islamism or an idea of one Muslim nation-state ruled by a Caliphate, where Muslims regardless of their ethnicity or region would be one happy family ruled by an “Islamic Caliph” operating under Shari’ah law.
This proposition is at once a dangerous delusion, divorced from all modern reality or history. Muslims (or any one else) as a cohesive group have never been united in anything except when it serves their narrow national or economic self-interests, this is not to suggest that Muslims are incapable of uniting, but simply economic and national interests always have and will take precedence over common religious banner. Inter Muslim conflict has always been with us, Iran-Iraq, Syria-Iraq war, Iran-Taliban war, Algerian and Lebanese civil war between many Muslims factions, not to mention constant killing among Muslims in Pakistan. So, this Muslim or religious identity as a unifier is an empty promise.

Here in America, it is quite possible and indeed desirable for our Muslim youth of different ethnicities to co-mingle and marry; indeed their children will have no culture other than a confused ethnic hybrid of an American culture to identify with.

“American Muslim” identity offers a common point of reference, language and experiences for our youth, potentially uniting diverse interests of parents. “American Muslim” identity and culture on the other hand, for this generation and many more to come, offers a unique opportunity for the perfect blending of many into one or as the motto on the dollar bill suggests, “E Pluribus Unum”, or “from many into one”. Here, an “American Muslim” identity can be the catalyst that forms a unique American Muslim culture that is a mosaic of all other cultures, all fitting within the core American values.

This American Muslim culture would then reflect and recognize the universally accepted values of fairness, equality and freedom that forms the core of American identity. None of the above suggests any dilution of Islamic values; on the contrary, both have possibilities of complimenting the other. Stated differently, it is possible and desirable to be a patriotic American Muslim and a pious Muslim at the same time.

A community of American Muslims that has its identity and interests placed ahead of illusory or ill-defined “Muslim” interests can then a have a greater credibility, acceptance and influence on issues and political power in proportion to its size in this country.

As Professor Muqtader Khan says, “this will not happen until all Muslims in America have the same identity--American Muslim. As long as many of them continue to think of themselves as Arab-American, African-American and so on, the community will remain divided. However, it is possible for enlightened leaders to at least agree on one unified goal--to strengthen the American Muslim community. As we succeed in this, everything else will slowly fall into place as we wait for the next generation of American Muslims to grow up with a more unified and more homogenous outlook”

My problem is that I would like to see this American Muslim identity formation in my lifetime.