Michigan : For Muslims it is often one step forward followed by several steps backward in the fight against Islamophobia.
On the morning of the attack on Paris Charlie Hebdo in France, the Michigan Muslim Community Council and the Islamic Relief USA announced a major gift to the City of Detroit, providing $100,000 to help pay water bills of residents in need, Detroit press news reported.
Taking attention away from everyday acts of helping neighbors, that usually receives little limelight, the Muslim community instead faces the task of responding to Islamophobia generated in the aftermath of terrorist acts making national and international news.
The fact is, Muslims die and suffer at the hands of perverted individuals who claim to be “defending Islam”, too, whether that be in France, Nigeria, Syria or Pakistan.
In the Paris massacre, a brave French Muslim patrol officer, Ahmed Merabet, gave his life attempting to save the victims murdered by men wanting to “avenge the Prophet”, beside that a Muslim employee, Lassana Bathily risked his life to save Jewish lives in a kosher grocery store when they came under attack in Paris.
Muslims who joined the French demonstrations may have also remembered the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which is full of examples in which his response to the insults and abuse was kindness, forgiveness and mercy.
Islamic civilization cherishes scholarship as a gift from the creator, it should be recognized that extremists who engage in actions in the name of religion are simply ignorant, twisting scant knowledge of the faith they profess to pursue a political agenda, or as a desperate response to social conditions.
Muslims globally, are tired of the perpetual violence and want to see the cycle of war, terrorism and consequent Islamophobia must end.
As Muslims around the world continue to denounce all acts of terror and loss of innocent lives, Muslims in metro Detroit will continue to fight Islamophobia while working to improve the community and to uphold the shared ideals as Americans.