By Ryan Mauro
June 10, 2012
RadicalIslam.org
At only 18 years old, Samir Abdelkhalek is an anti-Islamist activist and is on the Board of the Directors of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and has been a core member of its Muslim Liberty Project since March 2011. He participated in the pro-NYPD rally on March 5, 2012.
Since January 2009, he has served as the Cadet Chief Petty Officer in a unit of the USN Sea Cadet Corps, a Navy youth program. In November 2011, he was flown to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs to participate in their Diversity Program week. In June 2011, he was selected to participate in the Leadership Seminar week at the U.S. Military Academy. He has accepted an appointment to the Class of 2016 at the U.S. Military Academy and will be joining the “long grey line” at West Point in early July.
The following is RadicalIslam.org National Security Analyst Ryan Mauro’s interview with Samir Abdelkhalek:
Ryan Mauro: What got you involved in anti-Islamist activism at such a young age?
Samir Abdelkhalek: Although I was only 16 years old when I first read about AIFD [American-Islamic Forum for Democracy] in a news article, I decided immediately that I would like to be part of the solution to a problem I had already recognized and could not ignore: Threats of terrorism and radicalism by Islamist groups. I was concerned for my country’s future and felt it was necessary to preserve our American values which separate religion from state and guarantee equal rights and justice without regard to religion, race or gender.
As an American Muslim, I can practice my faith in the way I believe it was meant to be practiced most freely here in the USA than anywhere else in the world. In other countries, Islamists control the government and enforce their own interpretations and applications of Sharia. When free thought on religious or social principles is not encouraged and, instead, all Muslims are required to agree with the instructions of a few religious scholars and clerics, Muslims are unable to submit to God's will by their own free choice. They are mandated to do so and most are only complying in order to escape fines and punishment.
Mauro: As an 18-year old Muslim, what can you tell us about the younger generation of Muslim-Americans? What are their attitudes to groups like Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood and their views on Sharia-based governance?
Abdelkhalek: Some of my peers do not have an opinion at all and if asked their opinion, they respond that they have not even thought about it at all. Therefore, it is somewhat difficult to raise awareness of Islamism among my peers because they are focused on other things, such as education, employment and social activity. All of my friends appreciate and value our American system of pluralism and freedom.
However, a small percentage of them express an opinion that seems to be a bit misguided with regard to maintaining a healthy balance between love of God (faith) with allegiance to country. When mass media only gives a voice to Islamists who claim to speak on behalf of all Muslims, this only adds to their confusion about what they "should" believe and understand. If an American Muslim group denounces terrorism, yet refuses to denounce organizations which the U.S. government has designated as being terrorist entities, then young adult American Muslims will be forced to side with one or the other.
This is why it is important that other voices, like AIFD, AILC (American Islamic Leadership Coalition) and MLP (Muslim Liberty Project) be heard so that other viewpoints regarding serious topics like Sharia and politics can be considered, instead of distracting young American Muslims with news about Muslim converts in the entertainment industry.
Mauro: Have you received any negative reaction in your community to your activism?
Abdelkhalek: My community is well aware of my activism from my participation in AILC's March press conference to show support for the NYPD's surveillance program. I live in a very diverse community of Muslims and non-Muslims and have received nearly 100% positive feedback, support and encouragement. Incredibly, I received some negative feedback from non-Muslim classmates who insisted I was supporting a surveillance program that was unconstitutional and discriminatory.
However, their arguments refuse to deter me because it exposed their ignorance of our constitutional rights and misunderstanding about supposed "violations" by the NYPD in their effort to keep us all safe, Muslims and non-Muslims.
Mauro: How can we best educate young Muslims about the danger of the Islamist ideology?
Abdelkhalek: We need to perform active outreach to young American Muslims via schools, sports teams, clubs and other extra-curricular activities. Since Islamist ideology is actually a political ideology that "attaches" itself to a religion, it would be helpful if imams at mosques would be part of the solution, instead of ignoring the problem altogether. Some Muslim Brotherhood front organizations have positioned themselves well to capture the attention of youth, while deceptively avoiding discussion of the Islamist threat. Some well-known terrorists are former members of some of these organizations.
The Muslim Liberty Project (MLP) has begun to perform outreach to students before they may be incited to radicalism by other Muslim student groups. MLP members are planning their first chapter of a Muslim Liberty Project at Arizona State University, scheduled for the fall semester. We intend to open more chapters on public and private college campuses across the nation. MLP will give young Muslims an alternative to the Muslim Students Associations’ to raise awareness of the dangers of the Islamist ideology, rather than promoting it.
Mauro: Where do you see yourself in five years? What do you want to do over the long-term?
Abdelkhalek: In five years time, I will have graduated the U.S. Military Academy and will be serving my country as an active-duty Army officer. While I'm at West Point, I've been authorized to retain my position on the Board of Directors of AIFD and will continue to work with MLP as often as possible. Encouraging young American Muslims to appreciate their American citizenship by practicing their faith free from political and religious pressure is something I will likely continue to do over the long-term. I hope other young American Muslims will join me in taking ownership of both their religious rights and pride in their American heritage.
Ryan Mauro is RadicalIslam.org's National Security Analyst and a fellow with the Clarion Fund. He is the founder of WorldThreats.com and is frequently interviewed on Fox News.
http://www.radicalislam.org/analysis/muslims-against-islamists-samir-abdelkhalek
