Who is to say who is a
patriot and who is not? Is Bush or
McCain fitting this mold, or is it Obama, or perhaps Rev. Wright? Blindly following actions of our government, showing
support by waiving the flags, condemning any opposition as "unpatriotic", or it
is to stand firm against what seems to be popular, yet we find wrong and
immoral. Patriotism is a complex definition
often stained by our moral, perceptive deficiencies. We don't have to go far in history to find
examples of men renowned at their time with highest approval ratings, only
years later exposed as savage murderers, yet other people vilified at their
time, later celebrated as icons for freedom and justice. Hitler, and Bush come to mind on one hand,
while Rev. Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X on the other.
Now that the dust is settling
for the Rev. Wright controversy, one has to examine our own actions. First, Obama was taunted for possibly being a
Muslim, a despicable dishonorable gutter tactic, using fear and bigotry to label
someone as being less patriotic to lead America. When this did not work, he was then labeled
as "Not Christian enough". Then as grievances
by his church pastor were presented as "Unpatriotic", leading the masses to
temporarily switch their preferences from Obama to the other camps, evident by the Indiana
election results. Yet, one must respect
the courage of Rev. Wright, agree with his positions or not. He stood in solidarity with Minister Farrakhan
- leader of the Nation of Islam -, despite their differences in faith. He stood for legitimate concerns on issues of
poverty and injustice in this country, and he openly expressed his views on
real problems dealing with racism, which are not necessarily limited to color.
Don't we need courageous
people such as Rev. Wright - despite his short comings - to help us focus on dismissed yet important and
unresolved problems? In Islam, one is
required to take action and correct what is wrong, and if this is not possible,
then one must speak out, and if this is not possible, then at least one must disapprove
and reject the wrong in our hearts.
This is an opportunity for
us to work together for collective solutions, not to disparage anyone as unpatriotic. After all, the future will again reveal who
is really patriotic and who is not.
Allah scans our hearts, rewards us not only for our good deeds, but also
for our good intentions.
____________________________
By MuslimBridges staff Writers
This article is posted in the Features - Weekly Bridge Publication: Features, Reflections, Stories should not be told, Film in a spoon, Book in a Spoon, Letters to Editor, YouTube Basket
Features
|
