U.S. Embassy Cairo

May 29 at 2:00 pm:

Join Ms. Geneive Abdo – an American journalist and writer - in a webchat which is a part of the Embassy’s ongoing initiative to promote mutual understanding between Egypt and the U.S.

You may ask your questions anytime before or during the chat. We look forward to hearing from you.

29/05/2008 02:04:21 م
Moderator : Thank you for joining us today. Our guest today is Genieve Abdo, the author of "Mecca and Main Street: Muslim Life in America After 9/11" and a foreign policy fellow at The Century Foundation, a Washington and New-York based think tank. Ms. Abdo is visiting Egypt on a private trip and has graciously agreed to take part in this chat and discuss her views and experiences on Muslim life in the United States. We look forward to an interesting and engaging chat. Thank you, again, for being with us.

Guest views do not necessarily reflect the views of the US government or US policy.

Geneive Abdo: Thank you for inviting me. It's very nice to be back in Egypt again. I've had a very interesting week in Cairo meeting young activists who have informed me of how the political discussion in this country is much more open and diverse than in the past.

29/05/2008 02:11:16 م
د.أسماء الطناني : what is the difference between east and west muslim peoples????

Geneive Abdo: There is a great difference between Muslims living in predominately Muslim societies and those living in the West, particularly the United States. I will address my answer to Muslims in America based upon my research of my latest book, "Mecca and Main Street: Muslim Life in America after 9/11." First of all, Muslim-Americans are affluent and educated. In fact, according to many studies, they are wealthier and more educated than the average American. This is true in part because Muslims who emigrated to the US beginning in the 1960''s were members of the elite in their countries of origin. Now, their children who are second (first) generation Muslim-Americans, are able to take advantage of the social mobility that American society has to offer. Muslim-Americans are also very detached from events in the Middle East, and many young Muslims have spent little time, if any time at all, in the Middle East or the broader Islamic world. So it is important to understand that their concerns and view of the world is different than Muslims here who are directly affected by US foreign policies. There is one other important difference. Muslims in America, for the most part, lack a formal Islamic education and for many of them, practicing their faith is not part of their daily life.

29/05/2008 02:16:53 م
Yasser Khalil : Hello
I read a statement of an American Muslim engineer (on the US Department of State website) he said that, the American principles conforms very much with Islamic principles.

This is the context and the link:
يصف ذلك المهندس شاهد أمان الله، الذي يسكن في مدينة سان فرانسيسكو بولاية كاليفورنيا، "فإن القيم الأميركية تتوافق بدرجة كبيرة جداً مع القيم الإسلامية لجهة التركيز على الأسرة، والدين، والعمل الدؤوب، والالتزام بتحسين الذات والمجتمع."
http://usinfo.state.gov/arabic/muslimlife/index.htm

My questions are: do you agree with him? And if your answer is yes, why there is a big division between the two parties (I mean U.S.A. and Muslim World)? And what is the role of American Muslims to bridge between them?
Thank you

Geneive Abdo: I believe the answer is Yes and No. It is misleading to try to compare Islamic doctrine with American values, which is generally the comparison that is made when these kinds of statements are given. It is true that Americans value a unified family and are generally more religious than Europeans in the public sphere. However, I believe it is a false comparison to try to draw similarities between Christianity and Islam, nor is it correct as is often said in America, that Muslims attend mosque as frequently as Christians go to church. This comparison is often made to show that it is acceptable to pray frequently. However, the role of the mosque for Muslims is very different than the role of the church for Christians. More significantly, Islam encompasses all aspects of life and is a moral compass for many Muslims (shari'a). There is nothing comparable in Christianity which guides Christians in the same way.

29/05/2008 02:23:51 م
سهى علي رجب : عزيزتي
أهلا بك في قلب الشرق الأوسط "مصر" .. نود لو نعرف كيف يتم التعامل مع أدباء المهجر المصريين والعرب في أمريكاوخاصة بعد أحداث الحادي عشر من سبتمبر.. فهناك عدد كبير من الأدباء المصريين والعرب هاجروا إلى الولايات المتحدة وأقاموا هناك وأعتبروها وطنا ثاني لهم

Geneive Abdo: أهلا سهى،
ربما يكون ذلك مفاجأة لكي ولكن الأدب الذي يكتبه العرب أصبح مشهورا للغاية فى الولايات المتحدة. فهي طريقة للمتعلمين الأمريكيين للتعرف على العالمالعربي بطريقة شيقة بالنسبة لهم دون الحاجة على التركيز على الشؤون السياسية. مثلا أحد الكتب الذي اصبح مشهورا كتاب يحكي عن "مبنى المجمع"في ميدان التحرير فى مصر. وهؤلاء جيل جديد من القراء الأمريكيين الذين يقرأون الأدب العربي اكثر من الأمريكيين مثلا الأكبر سناالذين كانوا يقرأون كتب نجيب محفوظ. فبينماهناك بعض الأمريكيين الذين ينتقدون الحال فى الشرق الأوسط، الا ان فى الأوساط الأدبية هناك اهتمام كبير بالأدب والتراث العربي.

29/05/2008 02:30:26 م
atta abd elaal : الى أى مدى نجح مسلمو الولايات المتحده الامريكيه فى لعب دور لدى اخوانهم من دول العالم الاسلامى لاقناع البعض منهم بسياسة الحكومه الامريكيه فى العراق وافغانستان والصومال وفلسطين وهى ممارسات وسياسات مرفوضة من جانب غالبية شعوب الدول الاسلاميه؟
------------------------------------------------------كيف تنظرين الى مستقبل العلاقه بين الولايات المتحده الأمريكيه والدول العربيه والأسلاميه بعد الانتخابات الرئاسيه الأمريكيه القادمه ؟ وهل تتوقعين ثمة تغيير يمكن أن يطرأ على هذه السياسه ؟ وما أبرز ملامحه ان حدث ؟ ----------------------------------------------------- لقدحظيت بزيارة الولايات المتحده الامريكيه منذ ست سنوات تقريباوسممعت حكايات من مسلمى الولايات المتحده الأمريكيه تؤكدعلى تمتعهم بكافة الحقوق التى يحظى بها المواطن الأمريكى بل أن كثيرا من مسلمى امريكا كانوا فى حماية جيرانهم الأمريكيين عقب أحداث 11 سبتمبر وأن رئيس المركز الأسلامى الدكتور عبدالله الخوج أكد لى أن مستقبل الأسلام فى الولايات المتحده الأمريكيه فكيف سوف يكون هذا المستقبل لهؤلاء المسلمين فى ظل اتهام الأسلام بالأرهاب من جانب الحكومه الأمريكيه وحتى من جانب المرشحين للحكومه القادمه ؟----------------------------------------------الحكومه الأمريكيه الحاليه انفقت الكثير من الأموال فى الدول العربيه والأسلاميه فى صور مختلفه من خلال برامج اعلاميه ودعم مؤسسات المجتمع المدنى من اجل ترسيخ مبادىء حوار الحضارات ونشر ثقافة قبول الأخر وهى جهود محموده ومشكوره .. لكن هل هذه الجهود تسير بالتساوى مع جهود أخرى مبذوله فى هذا المجال فى الولايات المتحده الأمريكيه لدعوة الأمريكيين الى التسامح وقبول الأخر العربى والمسلم داخل أمريكا وخارجها ------------- أشكرك على جهودك وزيارتك لمصروالتى اعتبرها من قبيل الجهود المبذوله فى اطار الدعوة الى التسامح بين الانسان واخيه الانسان
وللشعب الامريكى بدون الحكومه كل الحب والتقدير ----- عطا عبدالعال
صحفى
جريدة الأهرام المصريها

Geneive Abdo: عزيزي عطا،

شكراعلى أسئلتك الشيقة جدا.
بالنسبة لسؤالك الأول وهو الأهم، فإن كثير من الناس ربما لا يتفقون مع رأي ولكن لا أعتقد ان على المسلمين الأمريكيين ان يحاولوا اقناع المسلمين فى الخارج عما اذا كانت سياسة الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية جيدة ام لا. فهم لا يعيشون حياتكم فى الشرق الأوسط، فهم لا يتأثرون مباشرة بهذه السياسات، والعديد منهم لم يقضوا وقتا طويلا فى هذا الجزء من العالم وليس لديهم معرفة كافية بالمنطقة.

والآن اود ان اترك المساحة لأسئلة اخرى نظرا لضيق الوقت وكثرة الأسئلة.

29/05/2008 02:36:58 م
ahmed : hello mrs geneive abdo
i have participated in work and travel programme last summer and im going there also this summer
i have noticed in america that alot dont know where is egypt and alot love to visit egypt but they say its too much violence here they scard from the middle easte which is wrong in your opinion how can we change the wrong idea about that and in your opinion who make this bad image about egypt in america i think the media also the people must come here to see by their eyes im trying to do my best to change that imgae when im there but i cant do this only by myself in four months also i think more people from two countries must excnahge their cultres not only students everyobody old peolpe women men kids this is the only way to make peace between the two countries
the other thing in america after 9/11 life has become more difficult for the muslims i met egyptians in new york and they said to me this alot of people has been deported they arrest muslims there with no reasonable reason just 2006 its become better cause the human rights protest agains these laws against that cause its racist actions and i would like to hear your point of view
thank you

Geneive Abdo: Dear Ahmed,
Your question is one that is often asked. Yes, the media is largely responsible for the misunderstanding of Islam and Muslims. I can tell you this firsthand because I was a journalist for 20 years. Even years after 9/11, the media didn't understand the difference between a Shi'a and a Sunni. In the US, the media generally falls in two categories. Those who want to try to "secularize" Islam by finding Muslims who share the same values and lifestyles as Westerners, or those who dismiss Muslims as "backward and pre-modern." In the first case, for example, American journalists will go to Tehran and find a small group of young and wealthy Iranians drinking alcohol and wearing tight clothes. They will use this to show that young Iranians don't like religion and that a popular rebellion to overthrow the regime is afoot. CNN has done this many times. In the latter category there are too many examples. Some of this coverage is deliberate to paint a bad image of Muslims, and other coverage stems from ignorance. It will take at least a generation of Muslims who have recently entered the American media to make a significant difference.

29/05/2008 02:47:02 م
said mansour : من خلال خبرتك الكبيرة فى الشؤن الاسلامية وبخاصة داخل الولايات المتحدة الامريكية ما توقعاتك لمستقبل الاسلام والمسلمين فى الفترة القادمة داخل امريكا وبخاصة مع اقتراب الانتخابات الرئاسية؟

Geneive Abdo: اهلا سعيد،

شكرا على سؤالك. أعتقد ان المستقبل لن يختلف عن الحاضر.
فى الفترة التي اعقبت 11 سبتمبر، وعندما قررت السلطات القانونية اتخاذ اجراءات متعسفة لمراقبة الجوامع والهيئات الإسلامية في الولايات المتحدة، لقد انتهى هذا العصر. ويعود ذلك كجزء منه للإجراءات التي اتخذتها السلطات الفيدرالية للتعاون مع الهيئات الإسلامية. بالرغم من ان هناك تقريرين حديثين صدراعن السلطات الفيدرالية والسيناتور ليبرمان يحذران ممايصفونه "بروز التطرف من الداخل"، فالسياسيين والشعب الأمريكي لا ينطلي عليهم مثل هذه التقارير الآن كما هو الحال فى الماضي. فأنا اعتقد ان احوال المسلمين الأمريكيين لن تتغير بطريق جذرية بعض النظر عمن سيفوز بالرئاسة.

29/05/2008 02:50:57 م
yasmine mohamed : what about HEJAB in a country like amirica? did the socity look at that muslim girl wearing HEJAB as forign and strange one?

Geneive Abdo: Dear Yasmine,
Thank you for your interesting question. Many young women in the US began wearing hejab after 9/11. They felt that they wanted to show that they were Muslim. This has caused them some difficulty because many Americans don't understand why Muslims living in a Western society would want to cover their hair. And this has caused some Americans to view Muslims in America in the same negative way that they view Muslims abroad. For some Americans, it also confirms their belief that Islam cannot be modern, even in a Western society. However, Muslims are free to wear hejab anywhere in the US, according to law. It has become a big issue among Muslims - whether wearing hejab is a good or bad idea in the US.

29/05/2008 02:56:41 م
moustafa raouf : اريد ان اعرف ما هو محتوى كتايك لااله الا الله؟

Geneive Abdo: اهلا بك مصطفى.

شكرا لسؤالك عن كتابي. "لا اله الا الله" هو سرد مفصل عن تطور الإسلام فى المجتمع المصري وهو ايضا يحكي كيف اصبح الإخوان المسلمين حركة معارضة للسلطة. وكان هذا الكتاب نتاج البحث الذي قمت به فى مصر والعالم العربي والذي ادى بي الى كتابة "مكة والشارع الرئيسي". فالمسلمين فى الولايات المتحدة يعتنقون الإسلام بطرق مشابهة ولكن لأسباب مختلفة عن المسلمين فى العالم العربي.

29/05/2008 03:02:05 م
samar elhelw : هل يتمتع ابناء الجاليات الاسلامية والعربية تحديدا بنوع من الحرية فى ممارسة امور حياتهم المختلفة واختصاصاتهم وهل يتم اشراكهم فى نوع من المشاركات المتنوعة بامريكا

Geneive Abdo: اهلا يا سمر.

سؤالك مهم جدا. ففي الحقيقة المسلمين فى الولايات المتحدة يستطيعون ممارسة ديانتهم بحرية مثل اي مواطن امريكي اخر. وفي الحقيقة زاد عدد المسلمين الذين يزورون المساجد منذ احداث 11 سبتمر وزاد عدد الطلبة فى الجامعات الذين ينضمون الى جمعيات طلابية اسلامية. وهكذا فبينما هناك بعض المشكلات التي صادفها المسلمين، الا ان مشاركتهم فى الحياة المدنية وممارسة شعائرهم الدينية لم تتأثر.

29/05/2008 03:08:56 م
mostafa mohye : peace be upon you miss Geneive Abdo as you are expert in muslim life in us and can you tell me why the americans muslim convert are active and better than american muslim born in their efforts to show the beauty of islam like shiekh yosuf estes,sheikh hamza hanson,sheikh khalid yassin,sheikh shuiab webb all those americans converted islam and begin to correct the image of islam after 9/11 ,and from other side what is your annalyzing about hispanic americans are most americans interested in islam according to some reports talk about 200 000 hispanic american are converted islam in last 8 years thanks for your time

Geneive Abdo: Dear Mostafa,
Thanks for your question. You must know a lot about the subject because most people outside the US don't know these details. I wouldn't say, however, that converts are more active than Muslims who were born into the faith, but they are one very important defining characteristic of Islam in America. They have played an important role in serving as role models for Muslim-Americans. Someone such as Sheikh Webb can speak to the concerns of Muslims because he was born and raised in America. Many young Muslims can relate to someone like him more than, say, an imam from Egypt because he understands their life in America. Regarding Hispanic converts, I think the number you cited is too high, but there are no reliable statistics on this question. It is true, however, that many Hispanics have converted to Islam and I wrote a chapter about this in my book, "Mecca and Main Street." This is also happening across Latin America, which has become a concern of the Vatican.