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by Jon Alvarez - 01/14/04 If you are like most Americans, you've probably kept a close eye on the Muslim community not only within the city in which you live, but also across the nation. After the horrifying events of 9/11, this would only make sense. It would not be considered irrational to expect such scrutiny. We are at war with a group of fanatics that happen to share many of the same traits as they do. However, if you were a part of the Muslim community living within America, wouldn't you act to dispel any concerns regarding where your loyalties lie? Sadly, that does not seem to be the case, at least from this American's perspective. By their actions and their words, those choosing to represent the Muslim community have only succeeded in bringing negative attention to those they speak for. The Muslim population living within the Syracuse, NY area is estimated to be around 5000. Members of this community appear to be somewhat isolated from the mainstream population as their presence is known, but rarely seen. Several negative incidents have occurred since 9/11; an arson case involving two Muslim men and a Jewish Synagogue, raids centering on Muslim-owned stores selling counterfeit DVDs, and a high profile case involving an Iraqi doctor accused of illegally funneling funds to Iraq thru his charity. The latter two in particular resulted in claims of profiling and bigotry from the Muslim populace. It would appear that the only time the Muslim community is heard from is when one of their own is arrested. Rather than working to foster an atmosphere of trust, the Muslim community acts in such a way as to only cause further mistrust. Just recently, a member of the Islamic Society of Central New York penned a letter to the editor of the Syracuse Post Standard. Magda Bayoumi wrote to complain about what she perceived as discriminatory and bigoted reporting concerning a Post Standard article. The article discussed Iranian earthquake relief and the aforementioned charity that is being investigated for channeling funds to Iraq. It's this defensive attitude that does not help the Muslim cause in America today. Rather than cry foul over every perceived injustice and slight, as if they were the victims of a lynch mob, they need to stop whining and work harder to convince their neighbors that they truly wish to be a partner for a greater America. They need to prove to us that they are willing to be a partner in the war on terror. Let's face it, what is weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of American citizens as we face new terror alerts is whether Muslims in America are with us or against us. The Muslim community must do more to calm our fears that the next attack on American soil is not going to come from one of their neighborhoods. It would appear that they have not grasped the fact that within their very secretive society there exists a radical element that wishes to cause America great harm. It's not Christians or Jews who are releasing audiotapes weekly calling for jihad; it's the radical followers of Islam. The Muslim community could be a great asset in this fight, as surely they would be able to identify the radicals amongst them. Another example of Muslims failing to convince their neighbors of which side they are on involves an organization called the Syracuse Peace Council. These left-wing activists attempt to cover their anti-American agenda by claiming to be advocates for world peace. However, upon witnessing their demonstrations against our American government several times this year, they have rightfully earned the nickname "The Syracuse Hate Council". This angry organization of social malcontents calling for radical Socialist change within America happens to draw support from the likes of Magda Bayoumi of the Islamic Society of CNY. Something tells me Ms. Bayoumi is not a strong supporter of the war on terror. If she is against the destruction of terrorists, then perhaps she could be nice enough to persuade her fellow Muslims to stop trying to kill us all? Muslim groups in America such as the Muslim Public Affairs Council, CAIR and the AMC aren't helping matters, either. These groups have let it be known that they intend to vote as a bloc for any Democrat in order to defeat President Bush. They aren't fawning over Dennis Kucinich because they like his bio-diesel bus. Kucinich is the only Democrat to call for the immediate abandonment of Iraq by U.S. troops. This attitude speaks volumes concerning the Muslim population in America and its laissez-faire attitude towards terrorism. We already know that there is no negotiating with terrorists; they cannot be appeased. Their goal is our destruction. Yet, Muslim groups seem to have a problem with President Bush using the military might of the United States to destroy terrorism abroad and the Patriot Act to catch terrorists within our borders. It's time for the Muslim community to step up to the plate and prove to us which side they are on. If I have my doubts about Muslims who reside within my community, then surely many others do as well. So far, those representing them are doing a terrible job of convincing us. They need to stop the whining about being profiled and lumped into the same category as those who seek to destroy us all. Perhaps if they would do more to help us protect this country that has welcomed them with open arms, more of us would be convinced that their religion does represent peace. Jon Alvarez is founder of Patriotic Americans Boycotting Anti-American Hollywood (P.A.B.A.A.H.) and can be reached here. Disagree?
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