After 9/11: Silence about what matters

By Charisse N. Montgomery

Undoubtedly, a sense of unity followed 9/11. Americans of all creeds and ethnicities were affected by the heinous act of terror that took place on our soil. Since that day, however, many Muslim Americans have been the victims of terror and hatred. When we, as Americans, took on an “us-against-them” attitude toward terrorism, we had difficulty distinguishing who “they” were. Were all Muslims our enemies? How could we separate the 9/11 terrorists from other Muslims? Do all Muslims believe we Americans are infidels? Will Muslims attack us again?

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American Muslims: The new niggers

By Richard Montgomery

The idea that we live in a post-racial society in America has no credibility, however there are some within the African American community who not only believe this idea is credible, but also believe they have license to turn the ugly finger of discrimination towards others. Soledad O’Brien of CNN recently aired a segment called “Unwelcome: Muslims Next Door.” The focus of this segment was to document the discrimination being expressed towards American Muslims in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. More specifically, the Muslim community in Murfreesboro is in the process of building a 53,000-foot Islamic center, which houses a school, a mosque, and a recreation center. The current mosque, which has been in the community for years, has become too small for the number of American Muslims who worship there, but the townspeople have staunchly protested the plan for the mosque’s expansion.

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