Faroque A. Khan, MB, MACP on being thankful

A Day of Gratitude and Challenge for American Muslims

Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday. No denominational strings are attached. It has not been taken hostage by an extravagance of gift giving or the burdens of shopping. Built around the family meal, the feast celebrates the exquisite tension between appetite and its satisfaction.

Legends of Thanksgiving evoke the conflict between white European settlers and the native peoples who welcomed them but, even so, this holiday emphasizes inclusion more than displacement. Generations of varied immigrant groups have identified as Americans by embracing this holiday –and its peculiar menu.

What I love most is Thanksgiving's underlying idea that existence itself is a gift. If the holiday ritual calls for the bounty of culinary excess, it is not to celebrate affluence but to acknowledge the accidental richness of life itself. The multiple desserts are tribute to all that we don't deserve. In taking time away from work, we are remembering that the most precious things are those that we do nothing to earn.

As a Muslim immigrant from Kashmir, I am a part of America's journey. I did not leave my history behind at Immigration's door. Our various immigrant pasts and shared present are wedded in hyphenated names: Arab-Americans, Indian-Americans, Pakistani-Americans . . . or Kashmiri-Americans.

In some parts of the world our differences would be threatening, but in America, we feel enriched. Our differences resonate in our names, language, food, and music. They inspire art and produce champions and leaders. We feel free to disagree. We are a family, and what is a family gathering without debate?

We are thankful for the freedom to speak our minds. We are thankful for the freedom to change our minds. We are thankful for the freedom to chart our lives. We are thankful for the freedom to work for a better world.

Remembering the words of Surah Nisaa (Qur’an 4:97), we thank God for giving us, “a spacious land”of freedom and opportunity, to which Allah has allowed “migration of the weak and oppressed," so that we may live and prosper. This verse describes the experience of millions of arriving immigrants when they first saw the Statue of Liberty, with its inscription penned by Emma Lazarus, a descendant of Jewish immigrants: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

In America, each of us is entitled to a place at the Thanksgiving table.

However, while we thank Allah for all the gifts that have been bestowed on us, we are mindful of the challenges facing American-Muslims.

One out of four of our fellow Americans hold very strong anti-Muslim views. The good news is that when people have access to accurate information and relate to ordinary fellow citizens who are Muslims, their perceptions and stereotypes change dramatically. Our Jihad –our struggle, challenge –is to reach out to our colleagues, neighbors and co-workers.

There are nine principles adopted from the Sunnah (life) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which can guide in reaching out with a message of peace, love, tolerance, and mercy:

(1) Take the easier path.
(2) See advantage in disadvantage.
(3) Change the place of action.
(4) Make a friend out of an enemy.
(5) Receive education from wherever it comes.
(6) Don't be a dichotomous thinker.
(7) Do not engage in unnecessary confrontation.
(8) Pursue gradualism instead of radicalism.
(9) Be pragmatic in controversial matters.

These are just some of the principles by which the Prophet of Islam conducted a life of remarkable achievement. We would be wise to follow his example.

Do you have thoughts about spiritual development you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send an e-mail of any length to info@PlainViews.org.