From AIFD:
The relentless campaign to paint the NYPD as Islamophobic is itself an offense to Islam. In fact, our faith compels American Muslims to stand with the NYPD - both to protect the faith, and by its direct dictates.
Let me be clear: By investigating Islamist sympathizers who seek to curtail the freedoms of all Americans, the NYPD is aggressively protecting the freedoms and privileges that Muslims enjoy in America (freedoms that aren't available even in the birthplace of Islam).
Islamism is distinct from the beliefs the majority of Islam's 1.6 billion followers hold dear. The cry of "Islamophobia" is often merely an effort to silence those of us who seek to communicate this distinction, or to express concerns about Islamism.
Most Muslims are spiritually private, committed persons active in their societies without a subversive political agenda. Think of them as pluralistic Muslims.
Because America's religious freedom is protected by constitutional ideals, Muslims can pursue this pluralistic life - an American life that makes private space for faith, in parallel to public roles. Indeed, Muslims in America are freer to do this than Muslims in Pakistan (where my family is from), Saudi Arabia (where I have lived) or even Indonesia, because each of these Muslim-majority countries imposes laws restricting the practice of religion.
In many ways, Muslims are best able to follow their Islam - to become Muslim in the fullest sense - here in America, because of this nation's astonishing, constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
Political Islamism - variously called radical Islam, jihadism or Islamic fundamentalism - is completely different. In contrast to our centuries-old faith, it's a modern political project that seeks to return any society to a supposed "scriptural foundation" of the Muslim community, removing existing forms of government and laws.
Sound like a war? Well, in the wider world and here in America, there is indeed a war afoot - a war of ideas, a "Battle for the Soul of Islam," as my colleague, American Islamic Forum for Democracy president Zudhi Jasser, has termed it.
In this battle, the Islamist thrives - citing freedom of speech, claiming disadvantaged civil rights, exploiting the privileges that a liberal democracy accords him. Often operating via advocacy groups or "Islamic societies" that purport to represent mainstream Muslims, he or she truly serves a political agenda centered on replacing liberal democracy with fundamentalist theocracy.
In fact, the Koran is explicit on the loyalties a Muslim must accord his host nation, mandating a Muslim's duty to be an unwavering and loyal patriot:
O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey His Messenger and those who are in authority from among you.(Ch.4: V.60).
That verse demands the Muslim express loyalty to any ruling authority. This isn't a suggestion, this is mandated Islamic duty.
The Koran does not state leadership specified as Muslim. Leadership is whomsoever is empowered in the society where the Muslim finds himself. For us here, that includes loyalty to the NYPD, the FBI and their work to safeguard our highest authority - the principles of our liberal democracy.
Can any one group speak for the entire American Muslim community? Islam is diverse - especially in America. Islamism isn't. The sooner we understand this, the better - because at stake are America's ideals.
America's extraordinary freedoms afford us an ability to define our own expressions of Islam as Muslims in a way that no Muslim-majority nation secures for any Muslim anywhere today. We must preserve these values, and join the NYPD, in understanding the Islamist threat to these values.
This means we must support, not vilify, our policemen and -women, our federal agents and our police commissioner - especially when they gather and interpret information they need to preserve us and our values.
How many devout Muslims were among the thousands killed on 9/11? Let us never forget that Islamists - moving among the broader Muslim and secular communities - have wrought atrocities in this city and around the world, and seek to do so again.
If you choose to smear the NYPD for its work to protect us and our society, so too you choose to smear me, a pluralistic patriotic Muslim in America, for demanding an honest discourse.
Dr. Qanta Ahmed practices medicine in New York. She is the author of "In the Land of Invisible Women."
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