Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "Voices That Must Be Heard" Articles Description An account of the resource The Independent Press Association (IPA) translates articles from the ethnic press (when necessary) and distributes them via web and fax newsletter to mainstream and ethnic press, government offices, nonprofits, and interested individuals. Voices That Must be Heard was designed by the Independent Press Association staff in New York City in response to the horrifying events of September 11. After Sept. 11th, Voices focused on the South Asian, Arab and Middle Eastern communities in New York. Since February 2002, the project has expanded, selecting articles from the broad range of ethnic and community newspapers throughout the city. Here, the Archive has preserved the Voices collection from its inception until November 2002. VTMBH Article VTMBH Article: Edition 26 VTMBH Article: Article Order 4 VTMBH Article: Title American Muslims ambivalent celebrating July 4th VTMBH Article: Author Atiq Siddiqui VTMBH Article: Publication New York Awam VTMBH Article: Original Language Urdu VTMBH Article: Translator Rehan Ansari VTMBH Article: Section edits VTMBH Article: Blurb On July 4th, people celebrated the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with rallies, fireworks, and music. On July 4th, people of all races were proud to be American, with the exception of seven million people in the country who felt ambivalent. VTMBH Article: Keywords VTMBH Article: Body Americans fought a war against the English colonial power and some the values they fought for are contained in the Declaration of Independence: All men are created equal and they are endowed…with certain unalienable rights…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is this declaration, written by Thomas Jefferson, that Americans celebrate every July 4th since 1776. I believe that people are inspired by the declarations tribute to humankind. On July 4th, people celebrated with rallies, fireworks, music. On July 4th, people of all races were proud to be American, with the exception of seven million people in the country who felt ambivalent. Muslims in America were not sure if we would be able to celebrate in the streets. Will we be stopped at airports and road checks? Will we suffer racial profiling? Will people on the streets, afraid of terrorism threats, view us with suspicion? I feel that overwhelming numbers of Muslims stayed home this Fourth of July. Muslims in this country wonder why we have been excluded from the principles enshrined by Thomas Jefferson. Why do we feel alienated? Is it because we are Muslim? Muslims living in the United States, along with the rest of the one billion Muslims around the world, are presumed terrorist. Is it because of the way America conducts its global campaign against terrorism? If President Bush believed in the principles of Thomas Jefferson, he would not tell the Palestinian people that they should not elect Yasir Arafat as a leader. He must not regard Afghans as equal human beings, so every so often he bombs civilians in Afghanistan. He has declared has declared the Kashmiris freedom struggle terrorism. One would think that Thomas Jeffersons ideals were not revolutionary, that they were not fought for. That his words were not inspired by Locke and Rousseau. That they did not inspire the French Revolution and its bloody cries of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. If Muslims were the only people in the country who felt ambivalent then our dismay would have no end. Thankfully there are lots of people and associations who are concerned that Bushs campaign for terrorism is an attack against civil liberties. There are many who see an evangelical spirit in President Bush and Attorney General Ashcroft. Keeping in mind Bushs reluctance to combat corporate greed, it is clear that a new pledge of allegiance must be made up: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under the God of the conservative evangelical tradition, with liberty and justice only for those who have amassed enough wealth to afford it. VTMBH Article: Line Breaks 1 VTMBH Article: Date 2002-07-11 VTMBH Article: Thumb VTMBH Article: Article File VTMBH Article: Hit Count 113 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Muslims ambivalent celebrating July 4th 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. article Original Name The original name of this item. On July 4th, people celebrated the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with rallies, fire Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-07-11