Arsalan Iftikhar
American-Islamic Relations CAIR
Previously Aired On: July 25, 2006 - Listen to this Show!
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR is a nonprofit 501(c), grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. CAIR is America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, with regional offices nationwide and in Canada. The national headquarters is located on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.
Since its establishment in 1994, CAIR has worked to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America. Through media relations, lobbying, education and advocacy, CAIR puts forth an Islamic perspective to ensure the Muslim voice is represented. In offering this perspective, CAIR seeks to empower the American Muslim community and encourage their participation in political and social activism.
CAIR’s Civil Rights Department counsels, mediates and advocates on behalf of Muslims and others who have experienced religious discrimination, defamation or hate crimes. The department works to protect and defend the constitutional rights of American Muslims, thereby supporting the rights of all Americans.
CAIR’s Governmental Affairs Department conducts and organizes lobbying efforts on issues related to Islam and Muslims.
CAIR’s Communications Department works in conjunction with local and national media to ensure an accurate portrayal of Islam and Muslims is presented to the American public.
Website: CAIR
I saw the BBC Doha Debate this weekend. I got so interested in the topic and the positivity of MR. Arsalan Iftikhar.
Here in the Philippines, we also have Muslims scattered around the archipelago, although down south is where they mostly can be found. MR. Iftikhar is right when he said that Muslims around the world should strive to change their image. I used to be afraid when buying pirated CD’s & DVD’s in the Muslim area in Quiapo, Manila. Muslims usually speak loud, and if you are not educated enough to understand some of the Muslim norms then you will be terrified especially with the Muslim image being portrayed in Movies, some TV series and documentaries.
My perception changed when I went to Thailand although I can’t pretend that the fear still exist.I was assigned to teach English in a Muslim Public School then. The location of the school is a little bit scary. It was not along the highway but inside the inner roads passing rice fields, cows and goats. The school and the children’s home are just basically beside each other including their Church and cemetery-a community.
The parents are so concerned with their children to value education which the latter tend to take for granted. There are 3 Muslim schools in the area. The other 2 are very competitive with students willingness to learn and participate in any inter school english academic contest.My school assignment was the least among the 3.Where students go to school wearing the same clothes they had been using for several days already,sometimes not even wearing slippers or taking a bath.They are so rowdy and disrespectful even to their Muslim-Thai teachers.They always get a spanking before and after Lamad.Even when inside the temple, we teachers can still hear our students name being called and reprimanded. My Thai teachers were veterans in the school and seem not to mind the thing anymore or have lost hope for the students post to be hopeless beyond anyone’s reach at times. Inside the classrooms, they either send sms, chat, put nail colors or make up, shout at each other,boys spank and kick their girl classmates and vice versa, pulling hairs or scratching each other sometimes ending in a bloody fist fight.
I realized amidst their financial set backs and their home squatting, western influences and ills not fully discerned and digested hindered some of my Muslim students from becoming their best.But I was also awed and inspired with some of my Muslim students showing some empathy and care that we foreign teachers are sweating it all out even when our local teacher counterpart gossips. There were also unexceptionally good natured,respectful and bright students who can influence the others if not that the ratio of bad students to good ones was like 90:10 in a room composed of 45-50 students.
When my assignment was over, I left the school missing my students for I know if just given the proper guidance while letting them be to enjoy their childhood and the right educational tool that they can become the best and succeed.I hope that the ejected Prime Minister Taksin will still have the influence to the Parliament to continue on the English Program.
I only regret not sitting in with my students in their Arabic lesson. I could have learned how to write and speak a bit as I like to learn different languages and treasure friendship with different people of various race.
Everybody else need to understand fully about a certain information, race, a nation, their culture and socio-political status for him to appreciate and know where to be cautious and when not to. As a person, I have to show my best behavior most of the time for perception lingers and it happens one time big time. A wrong notion about a person can go round and round and can even fly faster than his own stride. We can’t plead on how we will be treated. There will always be racism but we can show them how we want to be treated. Most often than not, our actions are the loudest voice we need to be noticed especially when we do pleasant things to others. As the Rule of Newton Law of Motion says for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So it always better to do things good, better and humanitarian just in case it backfires we are still able to get something good.
Good luck to the advocacy of Mr. Arsalan Iftikhar. May the allegations being filed against CJP be resolved as not to affect Mr. Iftikhar advocacy.
God Bless.
Comment by Butch Lopez | March 10, 2008