Guest Editorial by Hassan Alaouie
Terry Jones and Osama Bin Laden: They both taught me a lesson in life . They both made me question who I am and what my role in society is. They both motivated me to take a real hard look at being Muslim and more accurately what being a Muslim in America is all about. In that search I found answers.
They both drove me to question my faith. At the same time, those questions resulted in profound and enlightening answers. They both spoke of an Islamic faith which I never knew, nor was ever taught. They both spoke of a foreign religion that seemed completely inhumane and ungodly. And both of them tried to instill in me a fear and unyielding hatred. That did NOT work on me. However there was at least one lesson that I learned from each of them:
The Osama Bin Laden lesson: Break out of your shell. Now that Osama is gone, many of us rejoiced in Dearborn. We (Muslims, Christians, and all others) have a sense of relief. One of the bad guys is gone. Many in the community believe that we will be more accepted into the mainstream. We can finally live our lives as Americans, instead of being looked at as outsiders. It’s as if the Navy Seal who executed Osama also removed the shackles of Muslim Americans.
It wasn’t one man who caused our disenfranchisement. It was the result of us not speaking openly and frankly. It was the result of us feeling secure in a bubble that we had created for ourselves. A bubble which was ultimately popped and exposed by the wrong person. It is time to come out of our shelters and show our true identity — Americans who will live in a country that honors, celebrates, and grows because of the numerous freedoms embedded in its constitution.
The Terry Jones lesson: Interfaith discussions are powerful and progressive. Now that he has “expressed” all his hearts desire, Terry Jones can go back home victorious. He received the much needed and wanted press attention, and at the same time ruffled the feathers of the sensitive. It is true that he has a right to protest. It is true that he has the right to speak freely. It is also true that he can publicly denounce an entire group, race, ethnicity, or religion without worrying about being arrested. However, what is the message in that? If his intent was to tarnish Dearborn area Muslims — then he did the exact opposite.
In all my years of activism, I have never seen the interfaith community of Dearborn come so close together. During the attacks of September 11th, many of the interfaith partners came in and sympathized with local area Muslims. However everyone understood that Dearborn was not an area of concern because of the generations of Muslims that lived there. Terry Jones’ event was different. It was a direct attack on Dearborn Muslims. And that brought a much greater and more focused interfaith community. It brought political, and religious leaders in a bond that I had never experienced. With people of so many different backgrounds (ethnicity, racially, and religiously) it seemed as though the promise of humanity took a firm stance and claimed a throne in Dearborn. I was impressed by the many meetings and gatherings and I was humbled by the presence of all who attended. I was in complete awe of how they collectively worked for a common cause.
I would never congratulate Osama or Terry on these lessons because I know that wasn’t their intention; however I would like to thank the countless sources of accurate information. Thank you to the religious leaders, educational instructors, community leaders, journalists and countless authors that speak the truth, rather than those that leech on peoples’ fears.
Now I have a deeper of understanding of one principle: No matter how wrong or how inhuman a person or action is, there is a lesson to be learned.
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Hassan Alaouie was born at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan and grew up in Dearborn Heights. Mr. Alaouie attended Crestwood High School and studied Computer Engineering at UofM Dearborn. He is the father of 4, and currently works as a Ford engineer.
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Thank you Hassan for your thoughts and insight and hopefully you realize we all look from different eyes. I certainly would not congratulate Mr. Bin Laden but I would be more apt to congratulate Mr. Jones because he accomplished much without killing and mutilating his fellow man; just a book of paper.
You must notice the time frame between Mr. Jone’s actions and those of Mr Bin Laden. How many books and how many lives did Mr. Bin Laden snuff out? Jones: 1 yr. Bin Laden: 10 yrs.
Did you notice the chastisement Mr. Jones recieved in the short time he acted from people of his own faith. Did you see the people hurling shoes, bottles and death threats at Mr. Bin Laden. Did you ever see people here in America protest like you saw in Dearborn against Bin Laden?
You see Hassan, untill we see some balance, some truthful action against that which is evil on both sides of the fence, we will be skeptical of the side that seems to be hiding something. Why did we have to go into a Muslim country to administer justice to a Muslim when it should have been done by the people of his own faith. How long do think Christians would have put with Jones had he been guilty of the same sins as Muslim Bin Laden?
I’m sure you are a just and honest man. Would you please work to right this wrong for the sake and future of America and those four little kids of yours. Thanks, Jack
I am not one to comment on other comments, however this is my first editorial so I will point out a few things.
Firstly, you missed the part when I said all celebrated Bin Ladens death. This was the case in Dearborn as well. We were all happy that justice was served.
Secondly you have a comparison of Jones to America and Bin Laden to Muslims. This is a very dangerous comparison. I am both American and Muslim and neither one of them represent me. Just as I protested Terry Jones, I protested Bin Laden. The difference being that Jones’ protest had much more media coverage than did Bin Laden’s.
Please dont make dangerous references and insinuations that do not forward the cause of hope and humanity. That bucket is already full and I know the citizens of Dearborn see through that as we have been tested time and time again.
” It wasn’t one man who caused our disenfranchisement. It was the result of us not speaking openly and frankly. It was the result of us feeling secure in a bubble that we had created for ourselves. A bubble which was ultimately popped and exposed by the wrong person. It is time to come out of our shelters and show our true identity — Americans who will live in a country that honors, celebrates, and grows because of the numerous freedoms embedded in its constitution.”
This is the most important work you as a Muslim has to do, and God Bless..!
Mr. Alaouie, truth is the only way to forward the cause of hope and humanity sir. I believe you missed my questions regarding the actions over a long period of time of both Bin Laden and Jones.
Your editorial declared there were lessons from both men. When I noted the details of both and the stark difference in how they were handled you called my observations “dangerous references and insinuations”. Is that because truth is being neglected or just not welcome?
What I find hard to understand Hassan is how you can simply say, “had better media coverage” when the Muslim had ten years plus to get better media coverage for you to let us know how you hated what he was doing. I think sir, in the name of hope and humanity, there needs to be some real, honest self-examination of actual truth. What happened in Dearborn was a test and the Muslim did not score well, you saw that, right? Thanks for your reply
Hassan,
Great article. Very nicely done.
It’s refreshing to see that there are still people out there that are able to take what’s wrong in this world and make something positive out of it. I still well up with pride every time I think of how the melting pot of faiths came together in Dearborn for a cause. The thing is, it’s always been this way in Dearborn. But now the world knows that people of all different faiths and backgrounds can and do get along on a regular basis with out any conflict.
Looking forward to more of your readings.
Chadi,
Did you view the obscene gestures, verbal insults, and the throwing of bottles and shoes as something positive? Yes, the world did discover something that day (friday) when the city officials of Dearborn openly displayed their fear of the Muslim society in their town. They knew they could be expected to be violent and their fears were correct?
Thank you Jack
OK, let’s take one simple issue: Is the islamist view of women in keeping with American values?