By David R. Graham
25 December 2002

Warning Order For Muslims
   

Loyalty and Universality      

The core suspicion of Muslims by non-Muslims is two-fold:

1. that Muslims aim, by peaceful or violent means, to install some form of Muslim Law in place of the Constitutions of nations -- in other words, Muslims are intrinsically a threat to the national security of any nation not currently operating by Muslim Law;

2. that Muslims believe Islam is the only valid religion and aim, therefore, by peaceful or violent means, to ensure Islam is the only religion allowed to exist in the world -- in other words, Muslims are intrinsically a threat to the peace and freedom of any society not exclusively practicing Islam.

Your problem is theological and not civil or legal, if indeed the above suspicions are not justified. You must convince the leadership of nations and humanity in general that you do not intend to dominate the world with Muslim piety and Muslim law.

I have not heard any Muslim leader make such affirmations, not during a long life as a theologian. My sense is that any Muslim leader who attempted to make such affirmations would be justified in expecting an attenuated career.

Essentially you are in the position of having to prove a negative, which we know is the next best thing to being in an untenable position. If you would be willing to make strong approval of and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, without caveat or crossing your fingers behind your back (you see how deeply runs the suspicion), this would provide you a positive platform for treating with what I presume are your fellow citizens of our great nation.

In other words, you must learn to speak as responsible citizens speak, who do not speak as victims but as supporters and actors in the process of life under the U.S. Constitution. Offer to serve our nation, to act in her defense and to assist her to think through her errors and opportunities.

Service is the key word. Think of how to do service for our nation, self-less service. If you can bring yourself to do that you will be accounted an American, because at their core, Americans are practitioners of self-less service. Self-less service is our national trait. If you cannot bring yourself to do that, well ... I guarantee your descendants will.