Should Muslims, or Shouldn't we Participate in American Politics?

[Al Haj Karriem el-Amin Shabazz]

The Muslim community in the United States is facing what could be a crucial stage or turning point in the course of our ability to influence America and the Muslim ummat world-wide in a positive, peaceful way. The dilemma is; “Is it religiously in accordance with recognized or accepted standards or principles for a believer to be politically active in a system of government, which is not only non-Islamic, but is potentially anti-Islamic?” Should a Muslim vote under the United States Constitution and against the background of the role of the United States' controlling if not intimidating many Muslim leaders and their countries?

Medieval Islamic Jurists Divided the World into Two Camps

Some of the medieval Islamic jurists divided the world into two camps Dar al Islam (the land of Islam) and Dar al Kufr (the land of disbelief). Are the millions of Muslims in America an enclave of Dar al Islam lodged in the body politic of Dar al Kufr? Where does the political participation of Dar al Islam fit into the political process of Dar al Kufr? Or should we abandon these medieval, Islamic divisions of the world and deal Islamically with the present day realities of where Allah subhana put us and why?

In the world as it exists today, we allow non-Muslims to vote in every Muslim country. If non-Muslim minorities vote in Muslim societies, why should Muslim minorities not vote in non-Muslim countries? If Christians can vote in Egypt, why should Muslims not vote in the United States?