Aslam Abdullah is the Oscar Goodman of Islam in Las Vegas. That sounds worse than it is. Abdullah doesn’t drink gin or overstate his importance, so no similarities there. The comparison is a reflection of his being every bit the champion for his faith that Goodman is for this city.
On his own dime, he globe-hops (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan), teaching students about the tenets of the world’s second-largest religion and addressing the Muslim world’s rickety relations with the West. (“Islam is about nonviolence,” he says.) Stateside, he edits the Detroit-based Muslim Observer newspaper, a USA Today of sorts for the Muslim diaspora. Back home, as director of the Islamic Society of Nevada, the state’s largest mosque (on Desert Inn, east of Nellis), he leads hundreds of worshipers in weekly prayers. His latest mission: He and other politically astute Muslims aim to craft the fledgling American Muslim Federation into a powerful political action group, while simultaneously channeling the electoral might of America’s seven million Muslims. He wants them to be the new soccer moms.
Short, bespectacled, with a layer of facial hair that’s not quite beard, not quite peach fuzz, Abdullah, 49, dissects a question (clasped hands, furrowed brow) before responding. His voice seems incapable of rising beyond a determined whisper. His is a rumpled professor’s look: errant hair, slightly disheveled outfit—the clothes meant for wearing, not for showing.
He came three years ago from Los Angeles to run the place, which looks like one of those McMansions you’d find in Summerlin. A sign inside the front lobby requests guests remove their shoes. Abdullah’s office is to the right of the main sanctuary, where followers kneel and offer supplication. Logged onto the ESPN website, which he checked periodically during our conversation, he talked about political activity among Muslims, the struggle to disassociate Islam and terrorism and why, nearly six years after 9/11, he still gets profiled.
How politically active is the Muslim community in Southern Nevada?
We’re very active on both sides of the aisle, Democrat and Republican. We had a Muslim candidate—I can’t remember his name—run for the Assembly, but he didn’t win. We contributed more than $300,000 in campaign contributions in the last election last year. I can see in the future a Muslim being elected to the City Council or the County Commission.
Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota, was the first Muslim elected to Congress. Are there any Muslim candidates in the pipeline?
Not at this point, but soon, I hope.
How many Muslims live in Clark County? Are the numbers growing? If so, how fast?
There are approximately 7,000. The largest number comes from South Asia. African-Americans comprise the second-largest contingent. Iranians, Afghanis, Arabs, Africans, Southeast Asians make up most of the rest. We also have whites and Hispanics. In the last two years, I’d say we’ve experienced 10 percent to 12 percent growth in the Muslim community. That’s based off the growth in the numbers of Muslims who attend services. I’m part of the International Institute for Research Education and Dialogue, and I travel a lot speaking to people about Islam and nonviolence. A lot of people are surprised that there are mosques and a strong Muslim presence in Las Vegas.
What issues are important to local Muslims? Are they similar to those of the general populace?
Our issues—civil liberties, health care, education, jobs—are all the issues that are national issues. Locally, we’re working hard on the homeless issue. Every year, for three to four weeks, we let homeless families live in the mosque.
Describe the political activity among Muslims in town.
We’re gearing up for 2008 elections right now. A group of Muslims from around the country have formed the American Muslim Federation. We want to ensure that a maximum number of Muslims are registered to vote and to streamline the issues of importance for Muslims. We’ve had meetings in Detroit and Ohio, and I just came back from a meeting in Albuquerque. A Las Vegas meeting is upcoming. At the mosque here, we’ve had Harry Reid, Sen. Ensign, [Sheriff Doug] Gillespie when he was a candidate, Tessa Hafen and others.
We’re very interested in laws like the Patriot Act, which have been used to single out Muslims as suspects. We don’t feel either party [Democrats or Republicans] has taken a strong stand against this. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Jesse Jackson or an Al Sharpton in the Muslim community to make this a big issue.
Does being in Las Vegas make it challenging to generate political interest among Muslims?
There are similar dilemmas all over the world. It’s not much different when you have casinos, gambling and prostitution here than if you’re living somewhere else where there’s depravity, poverty and exploitation. In both settings, human beings are exploited. Irreligious things happen everywhere. These challenges will always be a part of society.
In your experience, are Muslims issue-driven or ideal-driven voters? Is theirs a monolithic voting bloc?
We are issue-driven. The ideals form the foundation of the issues. For example, we all want a good education system for children, and we want everyone’s civil rights to be respected. The issues are where politics come in. As far as the political process, we want to focus on issues that bring ideal dividends to all parts of the community. The Muslim voting community isn’t monolithic. We support Democrats and Republicans and support issues of consequence.
How has the global war on terrorism affected Muslim political activity in America?
The global war on terror needs to be looked at objectively. Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq are three Muslim countries that are at the forefront of the fight against terrorism—they’re doing their part. It’s ironic that Muslims in the United States, oftentimes, are not considered loyal citizens of this country. We can make a difference in this global war on terrorism. We can offer insight and analysis, but we’re not being used. We want to be politically active at all levels, but we’re not being given the chance.
Another global-war-on-terror question: Is there another struggle we’re missing here—a growing disconnect between moderate and nonmoderate Muslims—and is that civilizational battle playing at ballot boxes here?
There is no civilizational struggle or conflict in terms of civilization. It’s a battle of knowledge over ignorance. The Sunni vs. Shia conflict is more about political and economic conflict than sectarian issues.
Do Las Vegas Muslims vote in accordance with religious dictates?
No. We vote in accordance to what’s right, as it’s spelled out in the Quran. Our faith dictates honesty and being cognizant of the needs of the society as a whole.
So is the world in the midst of an Islamic reformation—the forces of moderation slowly changing the religion? Or is it that Islam is finally opening itself up and letting the world in?
Islam has always been the same—then, now and forever. It’s always been about monotheism, justice and freedom. Muslims are starting to learn more about their own religion and being ambassadors for our faith.
Have things improved for U.S. Muslims six years after 9/11? Is ethnic profiling still a big problem?
We, as Muslims, have not done enough outreach to convince our communities that we are effective participants in public life and are patriotic. Locally, we have more than 200 doctors, engineers and service-providers. So we’ve proven our worth as citizens. Yet we’re continually profiled. I’ve been profiled recently. A friend from Los Angeles was profiled three weeks ago. The airport workers apologize profusely. They’re just doing their jobs, but it’s still not right. It’s pathetic, humiliating and degrading, and the national parties shouldn’t be silent on this.