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AMC - July 21, 2005
On “Not in the Name of Islam” campaign
By Eric E. Vickers
While I applaud the national “Not in the Name of Islam” campaign condemning terrorism, it is a sad commentary about America. Neither Christians nor Jews feel compelled to take out newspaper ads declaring their faith’s innocence whenever acts of violence and extremism are carried out by individuals or groups who share their religion. And that’s simply because we are enlightened enough as a nation to know that you can’t condemn Christianity just because a few Christians committed the Oklahoma City bombing terrorism.
The Not in the Name of Islam campaign is being sponsored principally by Muslim Americans who immigrated to this country beginning in the sixties when Robert Kennedy declared that America’s fight against racism included opening our shores to people of color. Knowing the atrocities committed against blacks in the name of Christianity, African American Muslims feel no similar defensiveness about Islam.
But while all Muslims in America have felt the sting of stereotyping and discrimination since 911, the immigrant Muslim community has had to live in fear in this land where they have excelled as citizens. They have felt the full brunt of the war on terrorism – automatic suspects.
Thus, the Not in the Name of Islam campaign is really a plea. It’s asking America to have the good and common sense to not judge an entire religion by the acts of a few. It’s asking America in advance to not lose its cool if another terrorist attack should strike this nation – like we shamefully did in locking down Japanese Americans in World War II. It’s asking that religious prejudice not be in the name of protecting America.
Eric Vickers, is the Communications Director of American Muslim Council http://www.amcnational.org
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