U.S. Muslim Existing Prior to 9 / 11

I live in Harlem at a street where three churches and a mosque located. The mosque is adjacent to one of the churches. When the male pilgrims mingled on the sidewalk, who is new from the church and who is new from the mosque, were indistinguishable. Only partial veil worn by women who can make you know who has just from a mosque or church.

American Muslims are not found on September 11, 2001. Their history in New York, and also throughout the United States, far ahead of the event. Some Muslim arrival in America of the earliest along with the arrival of slave ships crossing the Atlantic.

However, the "cancer" of anti-Muslim hatred which infect the entire United States today is fierce as to make the identity of "America" and "Muslim" contradict each other.

Only in a week, a taxi driver was stabbed in New York by a passenger who asked whether he was Muslim, one who is drunk broke into a mosque in New York and peed on the carpet, a brick was thrown into a center of Islamic activity in Madera, California; and fire at a mosque in Tennessee is being investigated by the FBI.

"What will happen to me, mother, sister-in-law, and all women in America who wear headscarves and not have to be asked again whether they are true Muslims?" asked my sister, Nora, a graduate student.

It's not just about Park51, a center of Islamic activities and mosque on the outskirts of Manhattan, which is two blocks from Ground Zero. There are at least four other plans to build mosques in America, the miles and miles away from the "sacred ground", it was facing opposition to anti-Muslim.

Some people try to blame the Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the leader Park51, because fishing is still feeling hurt due September 11. But describing it as a mosque imam who fish in murky waters just unforgivable amnesia would show where the term "Muslim"is designed as an insult in this country.

Although President George W. Bush appeared at a mosque after the events of 11 September to show that he did not consider all Muslims are responsible, yet the administration continues to demonstrate the contrary: military tribunals for civilians, secret prisons, detention of hundreds of Muslims without dakwan, torture and interrogation roughly the prisoners, and the invasion of two Muslim-majority nation.

When the Republicans "accused" President Barack Obama as a Muslim in the 2008 presidential campaign, the Democrats also never once said, "So what?"

Someone who was a strategy adviser to Hillary Clinton's Secretary of State, advised him to expose the weaknesses of Obama in 2007 while campaigning for the election of presidential candidates - to describe Obama is too foreign and exotic to lead America in a war situation. He ignored that advice but still in his campaign to spread the photos of Obama wearing traditional Somali clothing.

These events, also the others, is climbing the ladder steps bigotry that is now done through the charm of political figures. When former vice-presidential candidate and former governor (Sarah Palin), former speaker of parliament (Newt Gingrich), and a number of Muslim MPs peddle the most lurid picture, not difficult to understand why the violence appeared louder lately.

I do not forget the acts of violence or terrorism efforts by American Muslims last year. American Muslim community is not silenced. They issued a number of criticisms but also refused to be considered guilty just because of co-religionists.

And we refuse to play it safe. We will not let the fanatics destructive to the American. Those Muslims who mingle outside the mosque in my place is a miniature America. We vote in elections - and our votes mean, especially in countries with parts that are difficult to predict who the winner. Taxi driver who was stabbed in New York is one of thousands which is 50 percent Muslim taxi drivers in New York City.

Muslims became a teacher, comedian and now even the American beauty queen, Rima Fakih.

And we are also American doctors. Me and my brother in law, that an obstetrician / gynecologist, was witnessed one of the medical-themed soap opera when she told me a story that neatly sums up all the facts above: "Not long ago I take care of deliveries attended by the father of the baby through Skype camera. He was a soldier in Afghanistan. I also think, well this is me: a veiled Muslim doctors who take care of the birth of a baby whose father was an American soldier in Afghanistan, a Muslim country. "

Mona Eltahawy is a leading commentator and journalist who lives in New York, as well as an international lecturer on issues of Arab and Muslim. This article appeared under the authorization the Common Ground News.