The Golden Age of American Muslims is starting - opinion

The Hamas attack on October 7 could’ve been another 9/11 moment for Arabs and Muslims in America, which brought a rise in Islamophobia with death threats and harassment towards Muslims following the attacks. But contrary to intuition, one of the worst-ever attacks executed by an extreme Islamist terrorist group has not brought an extreme rise in Islamophobia but rather a surge in pride, acceptance, and public visibility for one of the fastest-growing demographics in the US.

Since 9/11, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim assaults have been on the rise, with an exceptionally high uptick in 2016 following the Trump “Muslim ban.” But while being racialized and marginalized, American Muslim communities continued to grow with high fertility rates. Estimates project that by 2040, Muslims will replace Jews as the second-largest religious group in America.

But the “Trump ban” can also be seen as a turning point for American Muslims. Trump’s divisive politics and rhetoric created a coalition of progressives, liberals, and moderates who saw the rise of Trump as a threat to the basic norms of what it means to be American. Women, the LGBTQ community, and people of color all felt threatened by Trump’s administration and accepted Muslims as part of the coalition of the oppressed. For Muslims in America, it’s been enough, and they were ready for the tides to turn.

In recent years, we’ve been seeing a crawling acceptance of Muslim and Arab identity in American politics and culture. In 2007, Keith Ellison was the first Muslim elected to Congress, and in 2018, Rashida Tlaib became the first Palestinian woman elected. By 2020, a record 1.5 million Muslim Americans registered to vote, and 71% cast a ballot, 4 points higher than the national average of 67%. More Muslim Americans are also running for office, with a record of 81 candidates in 2020.

Arab Identity, specifically Palestinian identity, has been gaining more visibility, transforming from a purely political concept to a popular and even desired cultural identity. In 2022, Mo Amer became the first Palestinian lead on American TV with the Netflix series Mo, which depicted his years as a young entrepreneurial refugee in Houston, Texas.

By presenting the Palestinian experience in a funny and digestible way, Amer kicked off the “Seinfeld-ization” of the Arab identity. In one scene, he brings his girlfriend to an olive tree grove where he works and bonds with Mexican farmers. He sees the olive trees as a little piece of home in Houston. “Houston isn’t home?” she asks. “of course, Houston is home, but I have another home I can’t go to yet,” hinting at Palestine. Being Palestinian isn’t foreign anymore but part of the American dream of working hard, finding success, and achieving a sense of belonging.

Hitting cultural milestones in the US

Arab identity hit another cultural milestone when Ramy Youssef hosted Saturday Night Live last March, becoming only the second Arab host in SNL history. One of the more memorable sketches was “Ozempic for Ramadan,” which received both praise and criticism from the Muslim community and brought Ramadan through humor directly into the mainstream. In his monologue, he makes fun of the Biden team’s outreach attempt to Arab communities, not before ending with a sincere prayer for peace in Gaza, calling, “Please free the people of Palestine. And please free the hostages.”

ARAB IDENTITY has also found a way into the mainstream through the widespread protests in support of Palestine on college campuses across the US. The rising popularity of the keffiyeh (traditional Palestinian scarf), worn by protesters, shows how a symbol once associated almost exclusively with terrorism is transforming into a fashionable and sexy accessory. Since October 7, Google searches have surged by 1000%, and keffiyeh sales have risen 75% on Amazon.

The rise of Arab and Muslim identity in the US has many similarities to another American minority who was able to transition from the sidelines of society – right into the heart of the American mainstream – the Jews. If you can appreciate the irony, the Muslim community is implementing lessons learned straight from the Zionist playbook.

A century ago, American Jews were far from the highly integrated and successful minority that they are today. Jews at that time were relatively poor and suffered from prejudice and antisemitism. They were barred from country clubs, suffered from quotas at private universities like Harvard, and many businesses refused to hire Jews. So how did Jews turn from a sidelined minority to one of the most successful groups in the US, with three out of the four last presidents having children choosing to marry a Jewish partner?

Two events had a pivotal impact. The first is World War Two, when 500,000 American Jews served in the American forces. On returning from the war, these veterans received benefits from the GI Bill that supported their social mobility. Upon learning about the horrors of the Holocaust, Americans were filled with a deep sense of empathy for the Jewish community. For most, this was the first time being exposed to the history of Jewish persecution.

The second event that brought Jews to the American center stage was the 1967 Six Day War between Israel and the Arab States. This was the moment that American Jews took their yarmulke out of their pockets and stood proud for a shared cause. When filled with fear that Israel was on the brink of a catastrophe and haunted by their failure to act during the Holocaust, American Jews mobilized through massive fundraising, rallies, and intensive lobbying. With a swift and impressive victory, Israel transformed from a weak state to a regional force, showing its might to the entire world. With Israel viewed as a winner, American Jews became far more comfortable displaying their love for Israel, and Cold War calculations led the US-Israel alliance to grow stronger.

THE TRANSITION of Jews to mainstream America quickly translated into political and cultural influence. In 1961, there were only 12 Jewish members of Congress, but by 1979, they almost tripled their representation. Interfaith marriage is another indicator of Jewish assimilation into American society. Up until 1970, only 17% of Jews married outside the faith, but this number doubled to 36% by the end of the 1970s.

October 7 is to Arabs and Muslims in America what the 1967 Six Day War was to American Jews. In 1967, Israel was perceived as a winner that helped Jews elevate their status. Although widely condemned, Hamas gained the desirable “winner” status on October 7, and the Palestinian cause is proving to be a galvanizing element for the American Muslim community. The highly successful “Uncommitted” campaign in the Democratic primaries showed they could successfully mobilize voters. For the first time, the Arab vote has become a voice to be listened to. The rise in support for the Palestinians amongst Americans, especially young Democrats, proves that many Americans are indeed listening.

We should expect to see many pro-Palestinian organizers transition to politics. As their identity moves from the shadow into the light, more Arab and Muslim Americans will integrate into positions of power and influence.

But this “Muslim moment” isn’t without its challenges. The fact that October 7 has become the catalyst for this moment has stained the Arab and Muslim community with anti-American and antisemitic sentiments, as evident in many of the encampments and the antisemitic protests in front of the Nova festival exhibit.

American Muslims lack mainstream organizational capacity, with most of their economic infrastructure consolidated in mosques and organizations like CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), which The White House disavowed after the group’s director declared that he “was happy to see” Palestinians break out of Gaza on October 7.

The “Muslim moment” is coming at a time when American Jews are experiencing an unprecedented rise in antisemitism and hate crimes. One of the most circulated articles in the Jewish community is an Atlantic cover story titled “The golden age of American Jews is ending.” It describes the end of a period of unprecedented safety and prosperity for Jewish Americans, and it struck a chord with the hearts of many.

As it is currently playing out, the rise of Muslim and Arab identity and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas is putting Jews and Muslims in America at odds with one another and creating immense challenges for both communities accessing their place and power in America.

America is experiencing a “Muslim moment.” That is indisputable. However, how it will develop is still unknown. Will the Muslim community eventually distance themselves from the atrocities of October 7 and create more moderate and mainstream organizations, or will the extreme movements take the role of representing the Muslim American voice?

Jews and Muslims in America are importing the Middle East conflict into the United States instead of providing an example of coexistence and exporting solutions for peace. This must change. The tides of history cannot be controlled, but both communities can choose how they respond.

The writer is a research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Middle East Initiative and is an expert on Israel-US relations, the Middle East, and world Jewry.