[Applause]
ald We Stand
today at a significant junk in our
history 10 years ago today and by that I
mean 910 the day before
911 the Muslim Community really could be
compared to an innocent child playing
outside of his house unaware that a
disaster is about to strike and on 911
that disaster struck and a Calamity
befell that household that forever
changed this child's life
in many ways the Muslim Community was
forced to grow up overnight and face
realities and problems that it was
simply not prepared for the terror of
911 was horrific the Carnage Gastly the
images continue to be Haunting in my
hotel room last night every news agency
was showing videos of that day and even
though we've seen those videos so many
times over over the last 10 years they
never ceased to be as riveting and as
haunting as they were when we first saw
them a decade ago I along with all other
American Muslim leaders unequivocally
and unconditionally must condemn those
who perpetrated those acts and firmly
believe that they do not represent Islam
or the teachings of
Islam
however as Muslims we firmly believe
that there's always some good that comes
out of evil and there's always positive
repercussions of anything that happens
and on that day the Muslim Community
although it suffered a great loss also
began to realize things that it must it
should have realized way before that the
Muslim Community was galvanized into an
action 911 was a catalyst it was a
necessary Catalyst that the Muslim
Community needed in order to understand
that it was living a very childish life
a very naive life before 911 9/11
allowed Muslims to understand that we
need to cooperate together that we need
to build Bridges between different
communities bridges that should have
theoretically been there from the
beginning but did not exist and so post
911 we saw for the very first time
Bridges being built between Arab Muslims
and Pakistani Muslims between immigrant
Muslims and between africanamerican
Muslims between a M Institute and zetuna
college and the list goes on and on post
9911 Muslims realized that they needed
to be actively engaged in the media in
politics and in Civic cervix basically
Muslims realize that they need to be a
part of the framework of the land that
they live in and for the very first time
in American Muslim history and this is
extremely symbolic brothers and sisters
this is unprecedented for the very first
time some immigrant parents actually
supported their children's decision to
choose majors in fields other than
engineering and medicine and if you're a
child of immigrants as I am then you
know how groundbreaking that decision is
now the real question here today 10
years after 9/11 is have the events of
9/11 truly taught us to be proactive
instead of merely being
reactive yes it is good that we realize
the need to unite and the need to be
politically engaged and the need to be
socially relevant we should have done
that a long time ago so 911 was a type
of catalyst it was our growth spt if you
like but we still have many other needs
that are as of yet unfulfilled are we
going to be proactive about addressing
those needs or will we wait God forbid
for another catastrophic Calamity for us
to to be facing another Catalyst are we
going to be thinking about our strengths
and weaknesses about our problems and
issues or are we going to take be laad
isical as we were pre 911 as we stand
here today commemorating those innocent
Souls who lost their lives on that
fateful day criticizing those who caused
such senseless death
and such catastrophic Mayhem it is also
useful to reflect on two
issues firstly a message to those
misguided individuals few as they may be
who actually believed that the Carnage
was deserved or even Justified to them I
say look at the results of the last 10
years and see what good has come out of
it for the Muslim world two colossal
Wars hundreds of thousands dead most of
whom are Muslims in Muslim lands civil
liberties threatened Abu and Guantanamo
and the list goes on and on the people
who perpetrated 9/11 claim to be
fighting to free the umah they wanted to
free Palestine they wanted to send a
message to America to stop interfering
in the lands of the
Muslims and they were wrong on each and
every every one of their presumptions
brutally wrong on all counts let this be
a clear lesson for those overzealous and
misguided youth few as they may be but
they still exist let this be a clear
lesson for those overzealous and
misguided youth that the way of violence
is not only unislim it is also
counterproductive if you refuse to learn
from the Quran and Sunnah if you're not
going to read the book of your lord to
tell you that killing innocent people is
not a part of your tradition if you're
going to be too narrow-minded to
understand that our Prophet was the
prophet of mercy and not the prophet of
Terror if you're going to shut your eyes
to all the religious texts then at least
learn from history and understand that
perpetuating violence inevitably results
in yet more
violence the second message that we
have the second message that we have to
learn from
9/11 is that we really do need to
discuss where this rage and where this
blind anger came from we do need to
discuss what motivated those terrorists
and those who simp who simplistically
blame the religion of Islam or wish to
ignore that blind rage I'm afraid that
that ignorance is not going to be
beneficial to anybody not only is it
incorrect to blame the religion it is
also potentially dangerous to ignore the
rage that fueled it and let me be very
clear here trying to understand that
rage is not in any way trying to justify
the attacks it is simply an analysis
that is aimed at better preventing
future crimes it is clear to any neutral
Observer that what motivated these men
was a rage generated by political
grievances not religious griev or
religious differences religion was what
they used to justify their deeds it
didn't cause those deeds therefore if we
wish to truly prevent such blind rage in
the future one necessary course of
action is to also examine the grievance
that those people had and whether there
was any legitimacy and if they could
possibly continue to enrage people
around the world now before I proceed we
need to point out that for far too long
American Muslims have been stigmatized
when they dare criticize any foreign
policy of their own country for far too
long American Muslims have been wary
even of such criticism because such
criticism is invariably viewed as
somehow being indicative of deeper
feelings of hatred or perhaps even
treachery but I have to say here that a
clear double standard exists
because it's only when we as American
Muslims criticize a policy of our land
that we're deemed
anti-American and yet the fact of the
matter is that those who wish to portray
us as anti-American and here I refer to
segments particularly of the Republican
party and their extreme manifestation of
the Tea Party those people who wish to
portray us as
anti-American they themselves are the
greatest critics of American policy what
whether it be whether it be recent
attempts to solve the health care crisis
or to lower the federal deficit or to
better tax policies I mean it's as if
the current Administration can never get
anything right and there appears to be a
cart blanch impunity to find fault even
with the place where Obama's mother gave
birth to him but yet when I come along
with a different skin color and a name
that's not as familiar as Bill or as
Shan and point out the sheer hypocrisy
of American foreign policy in the Middle
East I mean just a few days ago we
discovered that for decades America has
been saying Libya is a pariah State and
we're not going to have any relationship
with Gaddafi and yet all of a sudden we
discover that there has been a continual
communication between the CIA and
between the M or the secret police of
Libya and that the CIA has been actively
spying on behalf of Libya uh the the
Libyan dissidents Living in America
America and they have been colluding in
torture and whatnot when we point these
things out and we point out such such
colossal failures then somehow this is
being viewed as being indicative of of
what we're simply pointing out some
inconsistencies that will inevitably
enrage people and as an American
brothers and sisters as an American it
is my constitutional right as a Muslim
it is a requirement of my faith that I
speak out against Injustice whenever and
wherever it occurs and regardless of who
perpetuates that
Injustice those who killed innocent
lives on 9911 are answerable to God on
Judgment Day for their despicable
actions and wall I have no sympathy for
those people but in the eyes of God let
us be very clear here let us be very
clear here in the eyes of God an
American child is no more holy or sacred
than a Mexican child or a Canadian child
or an African child or an Asian child
and so just as we criticize the
perpetrators of 9911 when they killed
innocent civilians by hijacking planes
we have to also criticize those who
willfully killed innocent Iraqi children
through inhumane sanctions those who
ordered drone attacks against Afghani
civilians those who deprived and
continue to deprive Palestinian ion
women and children from basic food and
medical services and the right to live
free brothers and sisters in
Islam brothers and sisters in Islam
until we speak out and talk about these
problems we're not going to solve them
and until we solve these problems that
is causing so much rage the world will
continue to be an unsafe place the fact
of the matter and nothing should shy us
away from saying this
the fact of the matter is that our
foreign policy is an imperial
catastrophe of the highest magnitude
that our military might has become an
economic weakness it's become an
economic black hole sucking everything
into it do you know that we as one
nation America spends more on our arms
and our military than all of the nations
of the world combined there's something
seriously wrong with that do you know
brothers and sisters that this complex
this this this relationship has produced
a military industrial complex a
corporation multibillion dollars whose
business is to manufacture and sell
weapons that kill the largest number of
people and for that business war is the
best business even if it kills people
and therefore there is a huge incentive
for such corporations to shape American
policy towards such a direction and you
know I'm not the one warning against
this President Eisenhower back in the
late 50s preent warned in his very final
speech in office President Eisenhower's
final speech in office Google it and
watch it on YouTube President Eisenhower
warned back in 1956 of the dangers of
just such a collusion just such a
relationship between the government and
between military companies our civil
liberties as well have been eroded bit
by bit over the last decade and it was
the civil liberties of America that made
America The Shining Beacon that it used
to be pre 911 post 911 these Liberties
under the GU of National Security have
been chipped away bit by bit and bit by
bit but the same excuse National
Security is the excuse of foreign
dictatorships and of evil potentates
when they strip away their own country's
Freedom W those of us who live pre 911
we never expected to see these types of
civil liberties taken away post 911 we
never expected that people would quietly
quient allow strangers to go and frisk
them sexually at the airport all in the
name of security we never expected that
our own government would be able to spy
on us would be able to set us up for for
sinister plots this was simply
unbelievable slowly but surely in the
last last 10 years we have seen all of
this and more another problem that we're
facing is the excessive materialism
which is a spiritual catastrophe this
materialism which is promoted and perpet
perpetuated by a a corporate media
Multiplex and a multi-billion dollar
culture industry it's hardened the
hearts of Hardcore consumers it's
coursing the consciousness of wouldbe
citizens look at the riots in England
look at the riots that took place a few
weeks ago in England people went to the
street and behaved like animals for no
reason why because there's no
spirituality there's an emptiness that
this Society has caused them to be
brought up without those values without
those ethics and all of this is being
funded by clever gimmicks of mass
distraction to yield a cheap soulcraft
of addiction and self-medicated
narcissist our two main political
parties pretend to give an illusion of
diversity but as Chomsky and others have
pointed out they merely offer slightly
alternative versions of oligarchic rule
and both of them are beholden to the
super rich in light of all of this
ambiguity in light of all of this mess
President Bush came so many years ago
and many In America still follow this
line and he wanted us to take sides
you're either with us or against us to
choose to either be with one one mess or
another mess and both of them have their
pros and their cons and this message was
exactly the message echoed by Bin Laden
it is still being echoed by an that you
have to choose sides and you cannot be
in the middle but it's not as simplistic
as that brothers and sisters the world
is not black and white the world is
color and those who want to look at us
and tell us to look at the world through
back black and white lenses they're the
ones blinded by reality the world is a
colorful place there is no dichotomy of
Good and Evil there is no clear-cut mani
and line of with us or against us we as
people of faith cannot indiscriminately
choose sides when both sides are are
guilty of of moral crimes instead
instead as Muslims as people of faith we
will choose the truth wherever the truth
might be and so in some
issues in some issues we will point out
the mistakes and errors of our own
nation and in other issues we will point
out the mistakes and errors of our
co-religionists and it is exactly what
our Lord tells us to do in the Quran and
in speaking this truth This Bitter truth
it is very possible that we will gain
more enemies than we will friends
because that's what happens when you
speak the truth the whole truth and
nothing but the truth but we as Muslims
believe that this is the path that our
Lord has ordained for us and we hope to
rise to that challenge it is a daunting
challenge make no mistake about it we
are simultaneously attacked on so many
different fronts by a suspicious
government that doesn't know what to
believe about us by law enforcement by
law enforcement that presumes that the
best course of action is to insens snare
disillusion brainwash misguided
teenagers in deceitful PLO by a gullible
scared public worried about another
attack by media pundits and egotistic
iCal politicians whose sole desire
appears to be to boost their own ratings
and popularity even if it be at the
expense of American unity and American
Security and we're even attacked by
elements from within our own ranks
extremists in every sense of the word
who view us as sellouts and who call us
Hypocrites merely because we refuse to
join them in their violent manner of
expressing their blind rage but to all
of them and more to all of them and more
I say go ahead go ahead and bring forth
your worst because in return my faith my
Islam my IM dictates upon me that I'm
going to put my trust in Allah and reply
to your worst with my very
best respond to evil with good this is
the command from Allah and it is the
command that I shall take to heart
andless one get the impression that my
analysis is all dread and
Gloom of course that is not the case for
every story of hate there's also a story
of compassion and mercy in my own City
of Memphis when the construction of our
new mosque was delayed due to unforeseen
circumstances and we didn't have a place
to pray Twi last year the mega church
across the street heard of our plight
and they reached out to us and they
insisted that we use their facilities
every single night for which means from
700 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. every single
night for 30 days and in fact they
refused to take any payment from us for
that act of generosity my dear brothers
and sisters what that church did what
that church did in allowing us to pray
in their Sacred Space what our own
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi
wasallam did when he allowed the
Christians of njan to pray in his holy
Masjid that is what true faith in God
brings about compassion and mercy not
hatred and
bigotry in the last few minutes of my
speech I'd like to stress that one of
the lessons that we should have all
learned by now is the need to move past
simplistic slogans the realization that
any Victory will not be gained
instantaneously progress will only be
achieved through hard work not by fancy
rhetoric and and and good speeches and
this is the only way this is the only
way that we're going to move forward
brothers and sisters in Islam the gist
of my message to myself and especially
to the youth over here is that no one
person can do this job single-handedly
and all of us each and every one of us
has to do our part we all have a role to
play reflect upon this my brothers and
sisters in Islam that the Beloved
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alai wasam
he was born in Mecca as an
Arab he lived amongst a specific society
and culture he was surrounded by
immorality by idolatry by by racism he
faced the worst islamophobia imaginable
so what did he do ask yourselves this
question what did he do did he run away
from this evil Society did he cut
himself off and live an isolationist
life did he scowl in the faces of the
quray and said I don't care about any of
you you're all dirty kufar going to hell
is that how he spoke to them or did he
choose to remain in that Society in
order to better that Society do we not
have a role model in our Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam in
the face of such hostility surrounded by
every evil imaginable by the worst
islamophobia ever he showed the people
of his City the people of his time the
people of his place the meaning of
righteousness and the reality of true
spirituality surrounded by Darkness our
Prophet Muhammad sallallah wasam didn't
try to find the light he became the very
light that Allah subhah wa ta'ala sent
and that is why he is
called he became the Blazing light to
show the reality of what this religion
is to the people around him oh Muslims
and especially my younger brothers and
sisters do not listen to the voices that
preach hatred amongst us do not act on
emotions alone use your intuition and
use the common sense that Allah has
given you to judge what is right and
wrong and remember that our Prophet
sallallahu alaihi wasallam taught us to
be merciful and compassionate even in
the face of blatant hostility all of you
are aware of the story of and the
prophet's response to the people and the
angel that came to tell him about the
people of
and that is why Allah calls him in the
Quran we have only sent you as a mercy
not a curse not a plague not a terrorist
not somebody to hate and despise we have
sent you as a mercy for all of mankind
oh Muslims we should be proud that ours
is the religion of Mercy revealed to the
prophet of Mercy by the Lord of mercy
and this aspect of Mercy is what we need
to show and to prove to the people
around us so that they see the true
message of this religion of Islam we
should never be ashamed of our religion
there is no need to hide our faith quite
the contrary we declare boldly and
proudly that our religion is what gives
us hope and meaning our religion is what
gives us a a a meaning for our lives our
religion inspires us to be moral even if
the whole world around us becomes
immoral our religion gives us the
spirituality and the Tranquility that
this materialistic era completely lacks
and is deprived of and we say boldly and
firmly but with politeness as well and
unabashed pride to our fellow citizens
and in fact to the whole world we say to
them that if you wish to experience this
peace if you wish to experience this
Tranquility then believe as we have
believed and all of this and more shall
be yours but if you choose not to then
that is your choice and we have no right
to force you or anybody else to change
their faith in conclusion let me state
that we are of course facing daunting
problems challenges that we never
expected 10 years ago there's no point
denying that these are very difficult
times but we are told to be optimistic
it is a part of our faith to be
optimistic and therefore I am optimistic
and inshallah I believe that we shall
overcome and in order to overcome those
challenges we all understand that we
need Allah's help
because nothing changes and there is no
power to affect any change except if
Allah wills it and so if we want Allah
to help us then we need to deserve that
help we need to earn the pleasure of
Allah
those who strive in our way to be better
Muslims those are going to be the ones
who will guide and will bless for the
future way oh Muslims the bottom line is
that the only thing that we can do in
the face of all of this hatred and
islamophobia is really to turn back to
Allah and to turn back to the Sunnah of
the messenger of Allah to strive what we
can to have a relationship with our Lord
and to live our lives as God-fearing
practicing honest Muslims brothers and
sisters in Islam we don't just have to
talk the talk we have to walk the walk
we have to embody the very virtues of
our religion we have to
impersonification
a
[Applause]