Moving Mountains

The story of Mohammad Salah and the community of the Mosque Foundation should to be told to all the Muslim communities throughout the US. Many lessons can be learned from this fifteen year long saga; lessons of perseverance, audacity, persistence, hope, faith, brotherhood, and of an entire community joining together to help the one in need, and of the family who faced intimidation and scare tactics with courage, and the personal struggle (jihad) of Maryam Salah.
 
We learned that we cannot ignore the attacks on the civil liberties of American Muslims in the post 9/11 era by distancing ourselves from those who are being unjustly prosecuted, labeling ourselves moderate or liberal to appease you know who.
 
We learned that our only response must be to break out from our cocoons by offering our unconditional support to those in need without hesitation or fear; to extend our hands to the larger community; to appeal to the common values of justice, equality, and humanity; and to work within the law and through the media to reveal the true story.
 
If people with "special agendas" look at us and treat us like we're all the same, without differentiating between an Arab or non-Arab, a Palestinian or Pakistani, an African American or Latino American, a Muslim convert or immigrant, then shouldn't we unite as one community?
 
We learned that a community that stands together wins together. The Mosque Foundation community was faithful to its ideals, faithful to its God, and faithful to the Salah family. Without that solid community support, the end results would have been disastrous, not only to Mohammad Salah but to the whole American Muslim community as well.
 
We learned that patience and perseverance are the best virtues during times of tribulation. I never saw brother Mohammad Salah without a smile on his face, even during the darkest moments of his ordeal. He was always thankful to God, and he always remained hopeful. He knew he had done nothing wrong, and he remained steadfast to defend his rights and clear his name.  Above all, he put his trust in Allah, relying on the Writer of Destinies to fulfill his own destiny.
 
What can we say about the strength of our Muslim women?  We learned that one woman with determination can move mountains. The reservoir of strength and courage displayed by Maryam Salah should be an example for our youth.  Her consistency and quiet reserve should be a role model to all our sisters and brothers alike. An immigrant Muslim woman in post 9/11 America, whose husband is labeled a "terrorist", who had young children needing her full attention, who had a job necessary to sustain her family, who was alien to forming alliances and coalitions, and with all the legal procedures, did her best to move mountains, and she did.
 
Dr. M. Zaher Sahloul
President