[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 160 (Wednesday, September 16, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4476-H4478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING ISLAM AS ONE OF THE GREAT RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McAdams). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as the grandson of a Methodist 
preacher, and I would also add, whose wife--my grandmother--was a 
missionary, I am proud to rise today to present H. Res. 1090, 
recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world.
  I am proud to acknowledge that this resolution was introduced on 
August 21, 2020, with three original cosponsors: The honorable Rashida 
Tlaib, the honorable Ilhan Omar, and my friend who is with me today, 
the honorable Andre Carson.
  I will say much more about the resolution, but I do want to at this 
time acknowledge my friend who's present from the Seventh Congressional 
District of Indiana.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson), a 
wordsmith par excellence.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Green, Congressman 
Green, Chairman Green, Judge Green, Pastor Green, public servant Al 
Green.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my colleagues' resolution 
recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world.
  I commend my friend, Representative Green, for honoring Islam. This 
action helps to honor the millions of Muslims of many different 
backgrounds who proudly call America home.
  Mr. Speaker, as one of three Muslims currently serving in Congress, 
it is my great privilege to speak here today in the people's House 
about a special faith. Though we are a minority in this country, we 
have participated fully in the story of our Nation since its earliest 
days. Even before America's founding and our Declaration of 
Independence, this brilliant declaration enshrined freedom of faith and 
religion for all of us.
  Today, there are Muslims in all parts of the country who are business 
owners, who are teachers, construction workers, engineers, lawyers, 
judges, elected officials.
  The first Muslim in Congress, my friend, comes to mind--Keith 
Ellison. We now have sisters Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, and the list 
goes on, statewide and locally.

                              {time}  1615

  Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Speaker, you would be hard-
pressed to find a hospital in this great Nation without a Muslim 
healthcare worker on the front lines serving fellow Americans, not just 
in urban centers, but in suburbia, in rural parts of our country.
  As more and more Muslims call America home, Mr. Speaker, we will 
continue working tirelessly, guided by our faith, to ensure our great 
country lives up to the principles of equality, compassion, and 
opportunity for all. Our faith keeps us motivated every day to advance 
these great goals.
  Around the world, billions of Muslims are also engaged in this 
struggle, also using their faith as a guide. We have seen what has 
happened with Uighur Muslims. We are seeing the dispute in Kashmir. We 
are seeing conflict dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian question. And, 
sadly, we still see Muslims who endure hurtful stereotypes and 
discrimination on this journey.
  But our faith teaches us to be bold, to be brave, and to always 
choose love over hate. We will not be deterred, Mr. Speaker.
  I am a proud Muslim. I am a proud American. I am honored to be a 
member of a very diverse and growing global community, and I am 
thankful to live in a country that enshrines the right to practice this 
faith.
  We wouldn't have the foundation for American Muslims in this country, 
Mr. Speaker, were it not for the contribution of African-American 
Muslims. Scholars say 30, 40, maybe even 50 percent of the slaves who 
were brought here from West Africa were Muslim.
  We see Muslims as first responders. I was one of them. We see Muslims 
who were a part of responding to the call to fight against terrorism in 
the post-9/11 reality, oftentimes thwarting potential attacks that you 
will never hear about in the news. Muslims are on the front lines in 
our law enforcement community and in our intelligence services.
  Muslims have been critical in this country with establishing Islam 
and promoting self-respect, self-determination, creating your own 
enterprises and businesses. We hear terms now like ``stay woke.'' I 
submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that that terminology came from the 
contributions and the foundations laid by African-American Muslims.
  It began as a kernel in the inception of this country, and it started 
to blossom in the early 1920s and 1930s, during the Great Depression. 
During those times, you had variations of Islam that was not Arabized. 
Because if it was an Arab presenting Islam, it wouldn't have been 
attractive. It certainly wouldn't have been attractive to me.
  But the Islam that was presented was created in a way to fight 
against the poison and toxicity of white supremacy. Now, you have a 
beautiful religion with an interfaith coalition with Christian brothers 
and sisters, Jewish brothers and sisters, Sikhs, Hindus, atheists, 
Buddhists, all coming together to make America a better place.
  Now, some people are comfortable with talking about Islam, and in 
their critiques of Islam, they overlook the hypocrisy of their own 
faith. You cannot really call yourself a lover of God and show hate for 
others of a different faith. You cannot call yourself an elected 
official and a representative of the people if you are only committed 
to serving and representing one segment of the population. You 
certainly can't call yourself a true public servant without recognizing 
the contributions that have been made by this wonderful community.

[[Page H4477]]

  I salute Representative Green for his bold leadership, for his 
visionary leadership, as a proud Christian man in the tradition of 
Jesus Christ, knowing that in my Father's house, there are many 
mansions.
  To stand up and recognize the wonderful religion of Islam, I commend 
him, I thank him, because we are America.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his very 
kind words. He is more than generous. I also thank him for his service 
in Congress.
  He and I started out together on the Financial Services Committee. He 
has since moved on to the Intelligence Committee and is doing an 
outstanding job serving his country as an American Muslim.
  Mr. Speaker, I indicated that I am the grandson of a Methodist 
preacher, but I am also a very proud Baptist. My grandfather would not 
hold it against me.
  Religion is something that each person has to make decisions about 
for himself or herself. It is not something that we impose on people. 
This is a free country, a country wherein you have the right to be 
whatever you choose to be, within the spirit of what the law allows.
  This is the case with religion. You can be whatever you choose to be, 
be associated with whichever religion you choose to, within the spirit 
of what the law allows.
  I want to just say a few words about why I have brought this 
resolution. I have lived in this country all of my life. I love my 
country. It means something to me. I respect the words ``liberty and 
justice for all'' in the Pledge of Allegiance. I respect the concept in 
the Gettysburg Address: ``government of the people, by the people, for 
the people.''
  It means something to me to know that a person who came from what I 
consider humble beginnings has had the opportunity to stand in the well 
of the House of Representatives. So, I love my country.
  But it doesn't mean that I overlook some of the things that have 
happened to me along life's way that were not so pleasant.
  I had persons who called themselves Christians to burn a cross in my 
yard. I don't consider them Christians. They called themselves 
Christians.
  I have had persons who called themselves Christians to say some very 
ugly things to me and do some very ugly things to me.
  But let me tell you what it did not do to me. Those persons who wore 
the hoods, who came to my yard, burned the cross, it did not cause me 
to conclude that Christianity was represented in what they did. The 
people who said ugly things and did ugly things to me in the name of 
Christianity, they did not cause me to conclude that that is what 
Christianity is all about.

  I am mentioning this because, quite candidly, I want other people to 
understand that Islam is a peaceful religion, that there are people who 
abuse others in the name of religion, but that doesn't mean that the 
religion is about the abuse that is being perpetrated.
  I am honored today to present this resolution, and I rise in 
solidarity with my Muslim brothers and sisters around the world. I do 
so because I have seen them in action.
  In Houston, Texas, we have storms. When these storms have come 
through our city--Hurricane Harvey being one example--the Muslim 
community was right there to do all that was necessary to help others.
  One of the greatest callings that you have in any religion is to help 
somebody. They have adhered to the call for justice. They have been 
there to march in protest for freedom and justice for other people.
  This community has been there with aid and comfort for people who 
have been left homeless. They have been there with aid and comfort for 
people who have suffered harm by way of their physical well-being.
  Muslim doctors have helped people, and I have seen the evidence of 
it. There is a clinic in Houston, the Ibn Sina Clinic, and they have 
been assisting people with the COVID virus. Free tests are being 
administered.
  This community has been helpful in my city. Persons from the 
community have served in public office, on city council. We have 
persons who are serving as precinct judges.
  The community is there and a part of the greater Houston community. 
Houston is a very diverse city. The Muslim community enhances the 
diversity of the city of Houston.
  This religion is a complete system of strong moral convictions that 
promotes peace, equality, and social justice. Islam is the second 
largest and fastest growing religion in the world.
  America is home to one of the most diverse Muslim populations. It has 
within it almost every ethnicity, country, and school of thought. There 
are approximately 3.45 million Muslims of all ages living in the United 
States of America. This is as of 2016; this is the last information 
available to me.
  In an overwhelming measure, Muslims make a significant, positive, and 
growing contribution to our Nation. We have successful Muslims in all 
areas of our national life. Names that come to mind, for a good many 
Americans, would include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, would include one who was 
known as Cassius Clay but became Muhammad Ali. There are Muslims in all 
areas of life, including business, sport, media, culture, medicine, 
law, and politics.
  Although American Muslims make up approximately 1 percent of the U.S. 
population, most Americans can name some of these prominent Muslims 
that I have called to your attention.
  Another is Malcolm X. Many persons don't revere Malcolm X, but I am 
proud to say that the United States of America has had Malcolm X on a 
postage stamp. Of course, his name moved from X to Shabazz.
  The Nation has honored many American Muslims for their service and 
sacrifice, including Salman Hamdani. Mr. Hamdani was there for 9/11. He 
made sacrifices on 9/11 as a first responder.
  Many American Muslims are also civically engaged, working with their 
neighbors to better their communities. They are members of the Rotary 
Club, the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Yes, Muslims served in the military 
of the United States of America.
  They are members of school boards, and they volunteer in our 
communities. They actively engage in charitable giving. And I say this 
with some understanding of it, as I have seen it in action. I have seen 
the Muslim community not only give their in-kind services but their 
American dollars to worthy causes.
  In short, American Muslims and the organizations they create are a 
part of the fiber and fabric of the great country that I love.
  Today, during this pandemic, many Muslims work on the front lines, as 
was said by my dear brother, Andre Carson, Congressman Carson. They 
work on the front lines. They work as essential workers. They put their 
lives on the line to help others through the pain of the pandemic.
  I believe that we must acknowledge and appreciate that Muslims 
further the diversity and success of our great country.

                              {time}  1630

  To this end, I trust that persons will join me in demonstrating 
solidarity with and support for Muslim members of the community 
throughout the world by recognizing Islam as one of the great religions 
of the world.
  I hold in my hand the actual resolution that has been filed. I will 
not go through the whereases, but I do want to go to the be it 
resolved: `` . . . be it resolved . . . to demonstrate solidarity and 
support for members of the community of Islam in the United States and 
throughout the world, the House of Representatives recognizes the 
Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world.''
  Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the time, but I also want to thank the 
House leadership for the time. I do so because there was a time in the 
history of this country when a person who was born into poverty, who 
had to suffer the slings and arrows of invidious discrimination, would 
not be allowed to stand in the House of Representatives and present a 
resolution honoring Islam. We have come a long way.
  I would like to acknowledge the fact that we have come a long way, 
because too many proclaim the notion that nothing has changed. The mere 
fact that I am standing here bringing this resolution means that things 
have changed. Many may not agree, but things have changed to the extent 
that

[[Page H4478]]

I have got the freedom to speak my mind with this resolution on the 
floor of the House of Representatives.
  So I thank all of the leadership for acknowledging the change and 
allowing the resolution to be presented. With this said, I kindly and 
respectfully yield back the balance of my time.

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