Got A Plan? If You Don’t, Get One
Dear People:
Sunday evening I received a
letter from an attorney who works for the NAACP. He needed a small favor, which
I could
accommodate. In the past he has been very helpful to the Muslims and all other
minority
communities in this state and has worked tirelessly for the civil rights of all
human beings for several decades.
I was a little surprised
when we first met three years ago, he’s a white guy who works for what was once
a black organization. It has since evolved and represents the underprivileged
people of color. In North Carolina the NAACP is doing an excellent job.
The attorney wrote,
“Dear Sister, Stay strong. There are going
to be 55 more days of right-wing terror coming down on Muslims,
Hispanics, and African
Americans, as the rightist Movement that has
controlled the White House, the Federal Courts,
and Congress up until
two years ago, is backed into a corner like a scared snake that a
coalition of progressive and centrist Americans interested in change is
about to snatch the keys to "White" House from them...
He is right. Part of this presidential campaign has
the commitment of the “Religious” Right and it is working very hard to add its
conservative
fuel to the fire that seeks to mislead this country about Islam and ethnic
minorities. In full force it has
launched an assault which began with the introduction of a DVD that was
purposely constructed to instill fear and destroy the humanitarian effort and
religious credibility of American Muslims. Obsession:
Radical Islam's War Against the West is 60 minutes of malicious
lies, red neck speculation, and was re-distributed for the purpose of affecting
how people will vote on the next election.
These
pompous human pieces of moral hypocrisy fear an administration that might usurp
their ability to continue their reign of terror over innocent lives in the
Middle East; and rattle the hope for a peaceful existence of Muslims here is
the United States .
As racist and divisive as
these people are, they are not stupid; on the contrary they are shrewd and
decisive. The wise man seeks to see
through the eyes of his perceived enemy; only then will he know his apparent
failures and what kind of motivation will give purpose to allies who will join
him in the destruction of his enemy.
Our perceived failure is to
not
act persistently and affectively. As much as we want equality and justice, we
are to busy arguing about how to get there, who going to be there with us and
when
we are going to get it started. There appears to be no joint effort between
Islamic organizations. Which leads to the question: if we haven’t answered
these questions within an internal framework, how are we going to activate a
real solution within the external one? Hence, where is the game plan?
Fact one: Our Congress is
driven to power, like maggots are to a dead body; sustained position and power
is what steers their moral compass. From one term to another they learn to vote
for the vision of powerful lobbyist, passive in the presence of the depraved and
corrupt. These words are not to infer
every representative is necessarily evil, but they are unnecessarily
accommodating. They know who is going to butter their bread and sustain the
lives that they live. They start learning to adapt after their first term and
begin to adjust to a chronic disease in Washington DC., diagnosed as
indifference. By a second term, some have learned that it is not necessary to
be urgent in compassion or persistent in justice beyond that which is allowed by
powerful interest- seldom America’s interest- by the name brand lobbyist, and
not
the ordinary citizens;
Fact two: The media, the
largest educational institution in the United States , is controlled by the
private sector that aids and abets, and faces no political censorship by the
government and media serves at least three important functions in influencing
public policy;
Fact Three: The media reports facts and
conducts independent analysis concerning public policy issues, thereby educating
the public. It provides a forum for publishers and broadcasters (and their
readers and listeners) to present editorial opinions that may influence others.
Many large newspapers, for example, endorse particular candidates for office or
publish guest articles favoring one policy over another and allow for various
organizations and institutions to influence policy and public opinion by
arranging
for “expert” opinions, providing facts, data, and opinion polls to support
their positions;
Muslims
and all other Americans who support real
democracy are going to have to work very hard, and with non-stop motion if they
are going to get the message heard and civil rights secured for its entire
people.
When
public campaigns are waged against a particular group of people because of
their religious beliefs or that campaign is founded on lies because of
ideological contempt, the group being attacked should begin a campaign to
discredit the sharks that control the sea of distortion and mendacity.
On Sunday, September 14, MAS- Freedom held news conferences
in Raleigh, Charlotte and Ashville. Several stations came out and our position
on “Obsession” was printed
in several newspapers. We are scheduled to give more interviews during the week
and our peace alliances have stepped up to assist in our campaign against the
vile propaganda. Bridges
Media Group was asked and agreed to donate 160,000 copies of a DVD that
authentically portrays Islam. We will submit a proposal to the News and
observer to offer this DVD to their customers, in the name of fair and balanced
journalism.
Now that might be alright for North Carolina but what about the people
who received their copy of the DVD’s
in national editions of the New York Times
and Wall Street Journal within other
selected swing states. These included Ohio , Pennsylvania , Michigan , Colorado
, Iowa , Florida , Wisconsin , Nevada , New Hampshire
and Virginia .
We are asking you to join our effort to
suppress the right wing mandate to destroy Islamic credibility and disrupt the
lives of Muslims who reside in this country. Contact your newspaper and send a
letter to the editor of the News and Observer in North Carolina . It doesn’t
matter where you are;
it is what you do that makes a difference. Ask your friends and neighbors to do
the same. Enjoin other civil rights’ organization to actively participate in
this worthy effort.
Sincerely,
Khalilah
Sabra, State Director, North Carolina
Muslim
American Society (MAS)- Freedom
Khalilah Sabra
Director
MAS-Freedom, NC
www.masfreedom-nc.org
*A people's movement must have continuity!
