Psychosis”? Spot the Difference A Cham Muslim Immigrant’s Perspective

A Cham Muslim Immigrant’s Perspective on the Black Lives Matter Movement Cham-American youth join the struggle for social justice

BY SEAN-HABIB TU

During May 2020, with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in full swing, the world woke up stunned at the brutality unleashed on Black Americans. Across American, African and European cities, people rose up to support the movement and protest against police brutality and racism.

Amidst the social upheaval engendered by youth and others who are eager to change the social order, Cham — the nomenclature for Muslims in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam — immigrants and their families in the U.S. are caught in the crossfire.

Historically, the vast majority of Cham in this country have been unconcerned with social equality or justice issues due to their economic uncertainty and adjusting to their new lives here. Arriving in the 1980s, the first generation remains largely unattached to their new land or its mainstream “American” culture. Even today, they often speak with great nostalgia about their homelands and express feelings of belonging and genuine care for one another.

However, life in the U.S. is vastly different. Everyone is working to make ends meet, and all the while family members are drifting apart due to work-related responsibilities and schedules. The communal feelings they once had are faint memories, and feelings of alienation pervade their present lives. In essence, BLM does not really resonate with the first generation, who feel out of place for various reasons.

The younger Cham generations view life very differently. They speak this land’s language and live its culture, dress like the kids around the block, communicate in slang with their peers and dream the same dreams as any other second-generation Asian American kid.

Their childhood was part of the American culture fabric, and so they are more aware of the significance of slavery, the Civil Rights movement and the daily oppression faced by Black Americans. The younger generations,

Asma Men conducts a workshop

THE YOUNGER CHAM GENERATIONS VIEW LIFE VERY DIFFERENTLY. THEY SPEAK THIS LAND’S LANGUAGE AND LIVE ITS CULTURE, DRESS LIKE THE KIDS AROUND THE BLOCK, COMMUNICATE IN SLANG WITH THEIR PEERS AND DREAM THE SAME DREAMS AS ANY OTHER SECOND-GENERATION ASIAN AMERICAN KID.

all of which have grown up as a minority within a minority, have experienced “being different” because of their ethnicity and faith. In a twist of fate, they shared the feeling of alienation with the minorities and Black communities who came before them.

Thus, BLM resonates with their line of thought as the movement takes on the mainstream. Those who are socially conscious join it, knowing that their stand is linked with that of the BLM movement and all people of color.

Yet some of the negative actions during the BLM protests have reignited a generational split. When civil unrest erupted in Los Angeles in 1992 because the mostly White, middle-class jury acquitted the policemen who beat Rodney King, many communities witnessed the ensuing destruction. In Long Beach, local Cambodian businesses were also looted. Many hearts were broken, and the Black community was stereotyped.

Having witnessed similar events during recent BLM protests, a flood of negativity has surfaced. Yet these moments have also inspired attempts by youth to level with their parents about what’s been going on. Even as these generations share a common understanding of police brutality against Blacks, Indigenous populations and people of color, communities and the older generation cannot vent their anger outward due to the language barrier and cultural differences. On the other hand, the younger generations have actively supported the movement on social media and on the streets.

They took on the challenge of providing an intergenerational workshop at the Islamic Center of Santa Ana about Black American history and the struggle for equal rights. Those who attended were amazed about the wealth of information provided. We came to learn that Blacks advocated the admission of Southeast Asian refugees during the late 1970s. Our connection to the Black community is much deeper than we knew. This event provided knowledge to bridge generational gaps and overcome cultural barriers with other races.

The BLM movement has opened a window in the Cham community. It’s like looking into a community through a prism of time and history hidden from plain sight, one on top of the other through layers of their history and experiences. Just like any other community, those who refuse to live under injustice joined the movement to shatter systemic racism, and those who are content with their lives continue on, never making a sound.

The Cham immigrant communities that face injustice and oppression may not vocally join in the protests on the street, but they are participating through donations and prayers, each in their own way, depending on their own historical context and upbringing. The oppression of Blacks in the U.S. has a deep history and is full of righteous struggles. The BLM movement continues to give people of all races an opportunity to rethink this nation’s justice system as well as racism not only here but all over the world. ih

A Small Community’s Perseverance Pays Off The Darulislam Masjid is an example of creative riba-free financing

BY NABIL RAGEH

Darulislam Masjid Sunday School

Some of us are blessed with the opportunity of relating inspiring stories to our grandchildren. Remember the phrase made famous by the 1966 comedy “What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?”

Muslims of Walnut Creek, a city located in San Francisco’s East Bay region, have such a tale to tell, one that their grandchildren will proudly relate to their own grandchildren, about how a community of around 400 people bought and founded the Darulislam Masjid.

The center’s journey started more than 40 years ago, a time when the fledgling community was renting small houses in the East Bay Region to hold prayers and arrange celebrations and religious activities.

A few years before acquiring their current premises, they were renting a space in a shopping mall. As their means were modest, it was not always easy to pay the rent. Thus, several community meetings were held to discuss the situation and formulate feasible future plans to house the mosque. Eventually, a large lot in Concord was purchased and a series of development plans were considered. However, the City Planning Board’s decisions eventually obliged them to seek alternative solutions.

A break came in early 2010 when a Korean church group decided to sell its facilities — five buildings with a total space of approximately 7,000 square feet, located on a 37,000+ square feet lot, which has a 51 car parking lot — in the adjacent city of Walnut Creek.

The facilities’ design was ideal. Moreover, the city is located at the junction of I-680 (from Sacramento to San Jose) and SR-24 (from San Francisco to Oakland) and is easily accessible by the Bay Area Rapid Transit public transit system.

Today, in addition to the main prayer area, the center features a library, a youth center, an office, four separate classrooms, a kitchen and storage spaces. Gatherings after prayers and for the Eid and special occasions are held in the spacious courtyard.

THE DEAL

The right facilities were there, but the small community’s limited financial resources became clear when the church’s asking price was revealed: $1.65 million.

A 20+ member task force was immediately formed and met regularly to find ways to raise this large amount. Their quest led them to knock on all accessible doors, including several Islamic banks, overseas sources, as well as local businesses and individuals; however, these approaches met with little success. The several fundraising events didn’t even come close to meeting the actual needs. The total available funds, including the possible sale of the Concord land, amounted to only $1 million. But never losing faith or hope, they continued working as hard as they could.

God answered their prayers and guided them to propose a very unique solution: The church would carry an interest-free $650,000 loan, which would be paid over three years, and no payments would be made during the first year. To their great surprise and gratitude, the church elders agreed. Upon the deal’s closure in early May 2010, the real estate agent stated that this creative and unique financial plan should be written up as a case study to be taught to interested college students.

The loan was paid off in early 2013. Darulislam Masjid’s financial position has continued to grow even stronger over time.

The masjid is actively involved with the region’s other mosques in sharing lecturers and fundraising events, as well as cosponsoring activities designed to meet some of the members’ needs — especially those of the youth.

It also enjoys a long and mutually beneficial relationship with their region’s interfaith council. The faith communities frequently attend each other’s events and always show solidarity through large gatherings, especially during difficult and trying times.

SERVICES OFFERED

The Board of Trustees is committed to offering a wide range of ongoing services and programs, such as: ■ Being open for all daily prayers, in addition to the Friday, taraweeh and Eid congregational prayers. ■ Offering classes for memorizing the Quran, tajweed and other religious subjects. ■ Arranging a guest-lecturer series featuring the region’s leading Muslim scholars. ■ Arranging regular sports, picnics, hiking, special studies and other youth programs. ■ Holding women-only study groups. ■ Initiating a cooperative program with

Darulislam Masjid Iftar

GOD ANSWERED THEIR PRAYERS AND GUIDED THEM TO PROPOSE A VERY UNIQUE SOLUTION: THE CHURCH WOULD CARRY AN INTEREST-FREE $650,000 LOAN, WHICH WOULD BE PAID OVER THREE YEARS, AND NO PAYMENTS WOULD BE MADE DURING THE FIRST YEAR. TO THEIR GREAT SURPRISE AND GRATITUDE, THE CHURCH ELDERS AGREED.

area mosques to connect young people wishing to get married. ■ Participating with other mosques to help the homeless. ■ Advancing interest-free loans to individuals planning to start their own businesses. ■ Holding special events, including weddings, celebrating a child’s birth and private events. ■ Making burial services and plots available for community members and offering financial assistance when needed.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

The region’s lack of religious and Arabic lessons necessitated the establishment of a Sunday school. Volunteers at all needed levels stepped forward to help. Opening with just five students per semester in 1995, the school now has around 70 students.

The school teaches a wide range of ethnicities and ages, ranging from 5 to 60 years of age. The curriculum covers Arabic classes, which are designed around the skill levels, religious studies, as well as Quran memorization and recitation classes. One of the community’s proudest achievements was to graduate three huffaz.

Future plans call for the setting up of a K-12 Islamic school to meet the needs of the greater San Francisco Bay Area’s Muslims. One school graduate recalled, “My sister and I attended the school from 1995 to 2006. In the beginning, we made up every excuse possible not to go to school. This hesitancy quickly faded due to the openness, care and excitement that the teachers brought to school every Sunday. The lessons and programs, which were well-designed and -delivered, also added to this experience. This amazing experience we had at Darulislam Sunday school motivated me to continue my Arabic studies at a local community college and also motivated my sister to pursue a degree in religious studies.”

FUTURE PLANS

The Board of Trustees is currently focused on four major areas: ■ Enrolling Darulislam Masjid in the North American Islamic Trust. This decision is motivated by the board members’ strong desire to keep the masjid true to the purposes for which it was established and to avoid any loss due to neglect and/or demographic changes and conflicts. This important project was recently initiated. ■ Adding new members to the board. Most of the current members are founding fathers and/or members of the early task force: three accomplished project managers, a medical doctor, a university professor and two federal government employees. Young, active and multicultural groups are carefully being canvassed to identify possible new members. ■ Hiring a full-time imam. Despite several attempts, the masjid only enjoys short periods of having a qualified imam due mainly to visa-related issues. The search remains ongoing. ■ Upgrading facilities and practices. Several upgrading projects have been carried out; others remain in the planning and implementation stages. Necessary reconfigurations of the facilities and modifications of our practices are underway to protect all attendees from COVID-19 and financial dangers.

GRATITUDE

The community appreciates all of its members who continue to volunteer their time and resources to help the masjid expand its services and upgrade its facilities. ih

Dr. Nabil Rageh is chairman of the Board of Trustees, Darulislam Masjid, Walnut Creek, Calif.

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