“Others May Doubt My Patriotism, But I Never Will” 

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According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, patriotism is “love for or devotion to one’s country.” As an American Muslim female living in the United States, my patriotism is likely different from that of a typical American.

I was born in the United States to an immigrant father and an American mother. Three of my four grandparents are immigrants. My grandfather came to the United States to flee religious persecution in his home country. Although he was raised in a small village, his migration to the United States led him to pursue a college education and eventually end up as a professor with a Ph.D. His love for his country stems from the opportunities that his immigration afforded him, both religiously and professionally. Most immigrants in his situation feel similarly in their devotion to this country.

Being born and raised in the United States, my situation is slightly different. While the US was a second home for my grandparents, it’s the only home I have ever known. I can only call myself an American – I was born and raised here, and the only language I speak is English.

This past year’s presidential race changed the way I conceptualized patriotism. I have always been fairly aware of people who have racial, ethnic, and religious prejudices, but I always found solace in the idea that these people do not represent the majority. However, witnessing Trump’s presidential campaign forced me to reconsider. If someone who not only condoned but also promoted intolerance and bigotry gained traction with so many people, what did that say about my fellow American citizens? Regardless of whether or not he ended up becoming president, I no longer found solace knowing that many Americans supported him.

When Trump enacted a travel ban that prevented immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, it made me rethink my patriotic ideals. Yes, I still have the opportunity to practice my religion freely. But the man who is leading our nation explicitly stated that he wanted to find a way to ban Muslims from entering the very same country that I cherish for its religious freedom. He regularly equates Islam with terrorism, whether explicitly or implicitly. To think that the nearly half the country thought Trump would be fit to be leader of the free world was mind-blowing to me.  

Seeing people’s reactions to the ban; however, restored my faith in the citizens of the US. Several demonstrations were planned at our local airport and around the city as soon as the ban was enacted. Much to my surprise, the majority of people protesting were not Muslims or immigrants. They were concerned citizens who were not okay with Trump’s attempt to prevent an entire religious group from entering the “land of the free.” Several non-Muslim friends reached out to me that week. One of my friends texted me to say that he was sorry that there were people in this country who were intolerant enough to support these policies, apologizing on behalf of people he had never met. While I was comforted by the unconditional support, I was forced to make peace with the fact that there are still a significant number of people who will never accept me or my fellow Muslims as they accept others.

Perhaps naively, I have always believed that people who have racist and prejudiced beliefs cling to them out of ignorance. Yet, even if out of ignorance, those people elected a president who reflects many of the dark aspects of America – aspects that most of us would rather live without.

Do I love my country? Yes. Does my country love me? That’s more complicated. I am fully aware that a large portion of this country, including its leadership, will always view me as an outsider. But I am American born and bred. I love watching football, July 4th fireworks, and a good barbecue. I’ve never sung another national anthem, and I never will. Others may doubt my patriotism, but I never will. 

Similar Read: Patriotism Is A Dirty Word

This article was originally published on 4 July 2017.

“I Still Believe In My Country And Party”

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[Last year we published several articles under the category “Define Your Patriotism.” In light of the NFL controversy and other major issues, such as proposed tariffs and the upcoming North Korea Summit, we felt that revisiting several articles in this category would be helpful at a time when many of us might be questioning our patriotism.] 

My first association of patriotism with myself comes from my family history of military service. All of my brothers, my sister, my uncles and aunts, grandparents and great aunts were in the Army. The vast majority served in wartime, and so did I. How I was raised undoubtedly framed how I’ve thought about my country, and I’m not afraid at all to say that I’m very, very inclined to side with my own country over the World. However, I do feel that our position gives us a responsibility to have an impact in the World. American values – freedom of expression and religion, human rights, property rights, self-determination, and the idea that those rights are worth dying for – for all people – frame how I think about my country and the World.

Related: “Patriotism Is A Dirty Word”

The last few years of politics in the street have been hard to watch, but I still believe our core ideals (though we may not always follow them) are the best in human history, and our system will ultimately bring us back to our ideals. Populism has its place in the center of a democracy, but the Bill of Rights is there to keep the majority from oppressing the minorities. An electoral college makes sure our leadership reflects both the will of all people and the importance of consensus of the different ways of life across our many states and districts. The three branches of government are there to keep any one branch of government from dominating the others, and the Bill of Rights contains the elements that keep all branches of government from ever wrestling power from our citizens. That’s the brilliance of American democracy.

I believe in promoting our values overseas, and the idea of our ideals making possible again Reagan’s idea of the “Shining City upon a Hill”. We are still the country that brought down the Soviet Union with a steady and orchestrated combination of military and economic might, and I believe the US still has a leadership role to play in the World that we should not surrender to Europe, China or a global coalition.

The daily politics of the past few years has bothered me a lot. It feels like a bulk of the country thinks about either “I want this, or I need this, so I have a right”, or “mine is mine”, or at least each side frames the other that way- very successfully. Natural rights aren’t things people have to do for you, they are things they can’t do for you. Citizens have the right to be treated equally before the courts, to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Whether they catch happiness or fail is up to their desire, determination and ability, and failure is part of life. Collective healthcare may or may not be a good idea, but it’s a privilege and not a right that one person (regardless of their means) provides that care for another.

By the same token, far too many with means focus only on “what’s mine is mine”. The free markets of the US, the roads we drive on and the infrastructure of safety and order that predicate the wealth-creation of our country require that everyone in the US must have an opportunity to succeed and a place in society. Without that, the environment of order that makes our economy great doesn’t work. Furthermore, whether inside or outside of government, our duty to our fellow man isn’t one we can forget by pushing others away. It may be that’s not the job of the government, but if it’s not, it’s because we private citizens instead make the active effort to create that opportunity for others on our own. If you say it’s the private market’s job because the private market is more efficient (as I do believe), you are placing that responsibility for your fellow citizens holistically on your church, your private organization or on yourself. You can’t say “I already pay my taxes so I’m good” and then just fight for lower taxes.

Conservatism didn’t use to be just about saying “no.” It used to be a vision for the US that our founders’ ideals were superior – that America has a dominant place in the World- and a vision with a place for all people.   We were the ‘Party of Lincoln’ when we were the first to foster the idea that “all men were created equal” really meant all men- and then all humans. We were the ‘Party of Reagan’ when we believed in our special role with a duty to defend the World and promote democracy globally. I still believe in my country and my party, and it’s my hope that in the coming years, my patriotism will help me guide those I care about in making sure that our next evolution in conservatism is not simply the ‘Party of Me.’

How do you define your patriotism?

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This article was originally published on 3 July 2017.

Ideas Make This Country Great

by with 2 Comments Diversity & InclusionFeaturedGen Z

As a Muslim-American, I spend a decent amount of time thinking about patriotism. This has become increasingly so as some far right politicians and “conservative media outlets” seem to be intent on suggesting that my citizenship and my religion are incompatible. So what does it mean to be a patriot? Does it mean blind support of everything the United States does? Does it mean that anything the government does, especially anything it does abroad, I have to support? Does not doing so make me unpatriotic?

My answer to all the above is no. American patriotism extends far past borders, political affiliations, and current administrations. It has nothing to do with any specific policy objective, and it has even less to do with politics. It is not nationalism. It is idealism.

Ideas make this country great. Concepts like diversity and pluralism. Values like freedom and liberty. The rights guaranteed to us in the constitution. Being a patriot means standing by these values; no matter the circumstance, no matter the time period, and regardless of what may be politically expedient.

Patriotism has nothing to do with unconditional support of the government. In fact, I would argue that unconditional support of anything is toxic, and unconditional support of the government is almost certainly unpatriotic. When the NSA violates the constitutional right to privacy and the Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable searches by conducting warrantless domestic surveillance it is unpatriotic to be unopposed. Thinly veiled attempts at retroactive justification by appealing to issues of National Security aren’t patriotic. They’re hypocritical and contrary to the ideals that this country was founded on. As Benjamin Franklin famously wrote, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

To make this more contemporaneous, when Donald Trump proposes a completely un-American Muslim Ban we can’t allow silence to take the guise of patriotism. Silence is not patriotism. Unconditional support is not patriotism. Standing up for American values is patriotism, regardless of who is in office and what their policies entail.

“Patriotism… Who Am I And Where Do I Belong?”

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July 4th is approaching. People are forced to think about the state of this country, its leadership, the relationships it has with other countries and whether or not its accomplishments are actually a reason to celebrate this holiday, which represents independence and freedom.

As I think about all of this red, white and blue, I ask myself, “What am I celebrating?” Is this holiday really about my people and me? Are African Americans truly considered to be a significant part of this country? In spite of all of the contributions we have made to this country, is our citizenship really worth anything?

When I look at communities overridden with poverty, drugs and a lack of fair and equitable education systems, and legal systems set up to fail people as opposed to help them, the black and brown people in these communities are suffering. The great system is set up to benefit others; yet, it plant seeds of inequality, self-hatred and slavery in our communities. People’s lives look more hopeless than hopeful and day-by-day the picture seems bleaker and darker.

I sit from a perspective of “privilege”, some would say. “You don’t experience these things”’ and “You have beaten the odds”. I wish that were absolutely true, I respond. My skin color makes me no less hated, but my drive to exist and succeed in spite of- is what separates me from others. And while the outside looks polished and stable, my inside is crumbling from seeing my people self destruct because they cannot recognize all of the traps that are being set for them through broken educational systems and cultural “norms” such as music and social media. Our children’s minds are being captured, just as our enslaved ancestors’ bodies were. And although we walk around “free” as if we enjoy the same luxury as others… we are not free; thus, where is the patriotism in that?

This country represents ultimate greed. It bullies other countries and takes their resources. Wars are fought over property…not principle.  Even the wealth that is acquired when we are successful isn’t for Black people. We merely exist in a place where we were dumped after we were stolen. And our true culture and heritage is trampled on and made to seem nonexistent more and more everyday. Black children have nothing to identify with culturally, so who are they? And if they don’t know who they are, then where are they going?

Patriotism… who am I and where do I belong? 

“Patriotism, No T-Shirt Needed”

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Since my childhood, I’ve had an unadulterated love and support for all my respective sports teams, all of which hail from the DC area. Sadly, outside presidential inaugurations, there haven’t been any parades going down Pennsylvania Ave in quite some time. Like all fans of a respective team, we’re fans of the team, not every aspect of the team. We question player transactions, hiring of coaches, even supporting changing a certain team’s name. (More about that later on.) In the final analysis, wanting better and questioning the ways and means of your team isn’t the characteristic of a non-fan, it’s the opposite.    

So, what does sports fandom have to do with patriotism? In a sense, if you replaced the word fan with patriot in the aforementioned paragraph, all the elements stay true. By definition, patriotism is the vigorous support for one’s country. By definition, a fan is one who is enthusiastically devoted to something or somebody. In my example I used sports fandom to illustrate how it comes with both criticism of your team as well as support for said team. As a fan, being critical of a team, is something as unifying around a team as cheering for a team (see Randy Quaid as Johnny in “Major League II”).

Being a patriot on the other hand, for some, does not engage in critical discussions about their nation. I’ve noticed post 9/11 the term patriotism used as a shield to fend off the need to address and solve real issues and problems. Typically coming from conservative and republican circles, patriotism is many times used as a political guilt trip. The goal being one should feel ashamed for their reason for it goes against the essence of the nation. If that fails, the “If you don’t like it, you should just leave”, standard becomes the last resort.

Being critical of one’s nation is not a loss of patriotism. This is nonsense. Disagreeing with another person on their views of the nation is not grounds to question their patriotism.  

Much like a fan wants best for their team, a patriot should want what’s best for their nation. What’s best for the nation is a little harder amongst social political topics than sports, for the end game isn’t as clear. Thus why many deflect to terms like “if you don’t like it, you should leave”. To figure out the needs of a nation, it requires real work, research, dialogue, and the inevitable debate.  In sports for example, at the time of this writing my beloved Washington Nationals are having the time of their lives trying to save games. So the solution is the need for a closer. Regarding social political issues, it’s not as cut and dry. Standard national issues like healthcare, the environment, and education are contentious and divisive. What each issue means to all citizens and how in the most sensible and feasible way it comes into fruition requires a process. A baseball save is very much defined, something my Nationals seem to have a hard time with; however, it’s still very much defined.

“Patriotism Is A Dirty Word”

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When I was asked to define my patriotism, I initially laughed. I honestly can’t tell you the reason I laughed other than realizing the word patriotism makes me feel uncomfortable, but I couldn’t really explain why. Then I thought about it, and I remember when I officially broke up with patriotism.

Back in August 2016, NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick made headlines for kneeling during the national anthem before a game. Social media was going nuts, and I remember seeing a post on my timeline about Kaepernick being a coward and a disgrace. The post went on to say that Kaepernick’s actions were basically a spit in the face to true patriots like Pat Tillman. To refresh your memory, Pat Tillman was the military vet who turned down an NFL contract to enlist in the military after 9/11.

Please don’t get me wrong. I have so much respect for the women and men of the military. Anyone who is willing to take the chance and sacrifice their life and the life of their family to defend others deserves our utmost respect. They put their own wellbeing in the hands of a government they individually may or may not agree with; yet, they follow orders to protect our lives. That’s amazing.

However, I also think it’s amazing that someone like Colin Kaepernick is willing to put his own well-being on the line for a cause that was sensationalized, and then ignored. The Black Lives Matter movement was like a pawn to the media. They used it for clicks and views and then when the story died down, they moved on to the next. Kaepernick was using his platform to bring awareness in the simplest way and now he’s not only out of a job, but they called him names and belittled his character. All because he didn’t stand for a song that is itself racist! (Reference to Francis Scott Key and the third stanza of the Star-Spangled Banner.)

I don’t think patriotism is an inclusive word. Patriotism in my mind is the nemesis of progress. I recently heard someone call Mitch McConnell a patriot, and that honestly made me laugh out loud. Is this the same Mitch McConnell who was considered an obstructionist during the Obama administration? If you ask me, he should be the face of patriotism.

Now I know why my face twists up when I hear the word patriotism. It’s because the examples I’ve seen of patriotism are always used to belittle someone who’s trying to make progress. It’s kind of like a dirty word. I could also just be one of those millennials. You know… the ones who don’t like to be labeled or put into a box. It’s not that I hate the word; I’m just ambivalent about it. Instead of celebrating the Patriots, I’ll celebrate the humanitarians, the people who put others first. That seems more American to me.  

Similar Read: American Democracy: A Paradox