9/11, American Islam, and Generation Change

This Ramadan, Muslim Americans reflected for 30 days leading up to September 11th on themselves, their country, and their faith.

Today, across America, we mark the ninth anniversary of the attacks carried out by enemies of Islam and enemies of America, or more simply put: enemies of Good. But while many millions of Americans will mark the day with a somber moment, or a short prayer, many more millions of Muslim Americans will mark this tragedy of tragedies by doing good works and community service. I myself will be giving blood to the Red Cross, after spending the morning volunteering for causes I believe in.

We have a lot of obstacles to face as a community. Many of us face identity crises, or questions of faith and morality. Others face xenophobia from fellow Muslims, or outcasting for being a Republican or Democrat. Still many more face religious intolerance and ignorance from our fellow citizens to whom we have not yet reached out.

But we are learning and responding to the changes and questions in our country today. While much is left to be desired, I am proud of where my community is today, and the ways we have come from the turmoil and confusion that immediately followed 9/11. Muslim America is the one of the youngest American faithful communities, but it is also one of the most proud and most dedicated minority community to be found anywhere in the world. All of us rejoice in the very special gift of being Americans, and many of us have dedicated our lives to public service, and through that service, to our country. We are school teachers, poets, professors, developers, marketers, lawyers, but most important of all: we are Americans.

And while I spend my day remembering and reflecting on the terrible events of nine years ago, I will be proud and ever so thankful to be born and raised an American. I will pray for those who died on 9/11, for those who are dying still to this day in its aftermath, and for those who might yet be spared the anguish we all felt when we learned that Terror had come to our homes and into our cities. Most of all, I will pray that my country–our country, be kept safe and that our children grow up in a world cured of Hate, blessed with peace. I won’t be the only one. As Muslims mark the second day of Eid ul Fitr, all of us will pray for a better future, and a stronger, happier America.

Generation Change

Last Tuesday, I was one of 70 Muslim American youth leaders invited to the State Department as part of a new generation of Muslim thinkers: Generation Change. (Twitter tag: #GenChange). We came together on the heels of the Park51 and the Koran burning scandal in Florida, with days to go before the ninth anniversary of 9/11.

All of us spoke of the pressures at home from inside and outside our community. Our parents wanting us to be remain culturally attached to their ethnic homeland, our friends wanting us to hit the clubs with them, and ourselves wanting to find the perfect balance of culture, religion and identity.

We talked at length about our frustrations with the greater world, about how no matter what we did it wasn’t enough to make people understand: Muslims do not support terror, Terrorists support terror. We struggled to explain to relations abroad, living in the Old Muslim World, that America loves all peoples, all creeds, and all religions. That we are a tolerant bunch, with a few crazies here and there. That we’re Muslims just like them.

But we really aren’t the same. we’re Muslim Americans-a group of people who are uniquely poised to communicate across the global divide. We’re more tolerant, more wealthy, and more educated than many of our old world counterparts. We’re also more willing to admit the wrongs and mistakes our religious community has done, and more willing to resolve them.

And so, all of us Generation Changers agreed to launch initiatives of varying purpose and commitment to begin the process of changing our community, and of helping all Muslims, American and otherwise, become productive members of our global society.

In the months and weeks ahead, you’ll hear more about Generation Change, and about the amazing personalities behind it. Some of us are diplomats, others are fashion designers, others are philanthropists and playwrights. Some of us, like me, are political consultants and public relations specialists. All of us have one purpose: to better America, to better Muslims, and to better our world. Tikkun Olam.

Here are some links about Generation Change

Generation Change Event Gathers Future Muslim-American Leaders

New Generation of Muslim Youth Praised at State Department Iftar

Secretary Clinton’s Iftar Remarks

In memory of the lives of all Americans, please donate blood to the American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/en/

My Favorite Comedians.

So it’s 2010. New decade, and so its time for a new life.
…Or at least a new blogging style.

I wanted my first post of the decade to have a bit of a new flare to it,
something a little more uplifting then heavy posts about Muharram, and
Islamic martyrdom (#FBI, we’re talking about Karbala 680 CE, not terrorism).

In any case, I thought I’d share my favorite comedians with you all, and show
that Allah can Muslims funny, too (I mean me being funny, since none of the comedians are Muslims).

I like edgy ethnic humor, particularly about Mideasterners. Given that I’m a dork, I also love political
and historical humor. I consider religious humor a bit too heretical.

So without further ado, check out three clips from my three favorite comedians:

Omid Djalili is an Iranian Bahai with a hell of a humor. He reminds me easily of a family friend in Boca Raton. I love his off-color humor about his background, mainly because it matches my own.

Eddie Izzard is a riot. If I ever became a comedian (and its seriously crossed my mind oh, maybe a dozen times this past week), I’d probably mix Izzard with Djalili, minus the whole obese/cross-dressing thing.

Maz Jabrani hastam Shah e Humor. If there’s a guy who understands Persians even better than I do, it’s Maz.  I’ll give him credit on his Arab identity routine, also.

Welcome

My name is Hamza Khan. I am a 22 year old Political Science student. But that really doesn’t describe me.

When I was 13 years old, the Twin Towers and the Pentagon were struck. I live about twenty minutes from the Pentagon in suburban Maryland. My life completely changed when I saw the dangerous and maddening depths terrorists were willing to go to in order to promote their agenda, and I promised myself to put a stop to it.

Growing up Muslim in the DC area, I was the least likely out of my parents’ circle of friends to do anything extraordinary. Average grades, average looks, and a not so impressive record of just being “different” meant I should have just studied to become a doctor or an engineer, and stayed out of trouble.

Instead, as soon as I graduated high school, I enrolled myself in the country’s second most diverse university. I had grown up in a tremendously Jewish part of leafy Montgomery County, and my first social task at college wasn’t to meet single Muslim ladies (in the end none of the ones I knew interested me), but to get involved with the Baltimore Jewish Community. I started by getting involved with our Jewish Student Union, and later joined the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, of which I would be elected President, twice. I served as the JSU’s Israel programming chair for about three semesters, and helped to found SABRA: UMBC’s short-lived pro-Israel organization. I also worked as a Cultural Peer at UMBC, sponsoring cultural and interfaith events, and as a political consultant to two non-profits in Northern Virginia.

Last year, I ran for President of the Maryland Federation of College Democrats, the governing body of all College Democrats of America (CDA) chapters in the state. When I took the job, there were two chapters. Now there are ten.

I also serve as the Chair(man) of the CDA’s National Middle Eastern Caucus, a position that takes intensive vetting to get appointed to, and makes me the national representative for College Democrats of Middle Eastern heritage.

I spent a lot of my free time in college organizing interfaith events, including atleast twice a joint Jewish-Muslim breakfast (albeit we Muslims were so busy eating, I’m not sure how much we all actually talked to each other).

I have a strong background in the Middle East, and this blog will talk a lot about issues and affairs in that part of the world (I define the region very broadly, spanning North Africa all the way to Pakistan, including Turkey and Armenia, and sometimes Greece and Cyprus).

I will sometimes talk in depth about issues facing the United States domestically, but only sparingly since those topics are so dramatically partisan, that my opinion might start a fire storm of insults and criticisms I really have no desire to suffer through.

Once in a while, you might even get a glance of my personal life, since I abide by the principle that all things are connected in the Universe, so why not talk about how awful the Redskins are, or maybe spend a few paragraphs explaining my deep love of Maryland, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.

I will also talk about my community organizing projects, and my deep passion for both orthopraxic (aka “by the book”) Islam, and traditional Judaism. You might read me ‘k’velching’

about lovestruck couples where both partners are either Jewish or Muslim, and are in serious anguish about how their social worlds collide (if you feel you are in a similar/identical situation, feel free to e-mail me for emotional support and/or advice: HamzaK87atgmail.com). and how these couples make love work.

I am an erratic writer. Sometimes I am, in the words of Marquez, “seized by the holy spirit”, and will write enigmatic posts daily. Other weeks, I will find myself identifying more with my fellow Scorpios Sylvia Plath and John Keats: emotional outpourings only once or twice a month.

Do not let this discourage you from coming back though! I plan to make this blog my personal project for many months ahead.

With that, L’Chayim!

-HSK