اﻟﺮﺣﯿﻢ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ ﷲ ﺑﺴﻢ
We begin by praising Almighty God, Who is without beginning or end, Who is not contingent nor does
He need, the All-Knowing, the Just and Merciful, the Loving Creator of all. And may peace and blessings
be upon Abraham, Moses, Christ Jesus, the Seal of Prophethood, Muhammad, and all of the Prophets
whom God sent forth for the guidance of mankind. To proceed:
“Islam and the American Spirit”
Today we are witnessing a very disheartening trend of hate, distrust and willful ignorance that is being
fomented in our nation. There is a great deal of time, energy and money being spent on propaganda
seeking to sway the American mind. The state of Israel itself admittedly has spent two million dollars to
advance this propaganda upon our shores. The message – Islam is incompatible with America and
Muslims have invaded and seek to take over our nation.
Not only is this message incorrect, it is, in its own right, in-American. What is worse, it manufactures a
division amongst our people where there was none. This propaganda doesn’t just effect one group or
another, it has a wide effect on our nation. We witness lies being spread, not only by foreign interests but
by Christian Nationalists and even Politicians holding seats of government at the highest levels. This has
the potential to not just effect policy in our nation but to change the very nature of what our country is and
has always been.
The nature of such propaganda is that it doesn’t just effect policy, it effects the hearts of those who are
inundated with it. It causes fear where there doesn’t need to be any but too, it also causes anger. It causes
an anger on both sides and perhaps this is the aim. On the side of non-Muslims who are caused to harbor
fear and anger towards their Muslim neighbors, violence may ensue. On the part of the Muslims, a pride
in their faith and identity may very well lead to them speaking emotionally or behaving brashly which
then feeds the cycle of accusations.
One might ask what is the purpose behind all of this propaganda. To be honest, any answer I offer is but
conjecture as I have no real clue of the inner workings of the minds of the treacherous. I do not know why
they want to divide our nation or create a state of religious intolerance in our lands. What I do know is
that they are preying upon the ignorance of the common American regarding islam or the Muslims and so,
the aim of this paper is not to counter their propaganda – I am one person without wealth or backing and
this paper is but one small effort. No. Instead, this paper is meant to dispel the ignorance (on all sides) and
to establish clearly that the rhetoric of “Islam is not Compatible with America” is nothing more than a
Misconception being circulated – whether it be from those who are sincerely concerned or those who are
working hard to divide and distort our nation.
With all of that said, the goal of this paper is to present the essential principles that define, not only
America but, the American Mind and to see exactly what Islam teaches regarding each of these. Of
course, this could be a great undertaking spiraling into a full book and so, I will limit myself to what I
believe are the five most essential ideals – 1.) the understanding that life and liberty are natural rights
endowed by the Creator, 2.) that there is individual liberty for every human being, regardless of race,
gender, creed or social class, 3.) that there is a general equality and that folk are judged on merit, 4) that
every individual is expected to responsibly govern themselves, 5.) that government is to be limited in its
authority, power and reach. Without a doubt there are more than these five, however, I believe that any
and all others will ultimately be tied back to these.
Now, I would like for every reader, Muslim or non-Muslim, whether you are from a long ancestry of
Americans or are relatively new to this nation to reflect on the wisdom of the opening words of the
Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” These
words, written in the year 1776, echo the words of the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet
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Muhammad ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص that every human being is born upon a pure primordial nature deserving of human
dignity. Far from being a threat to our nation, I will show that Islam and the Muslims are not just woven
into the fabric of our nation, there is an alignment with its very essence.
Life and Liberty are Natural Rights endowed by the Creator
One of the cornerstones of stones of America and the American identity is the firm belief that there are
inherent, unalienable rights (including but not limited to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness) which
are not granted by rulers of any kind, nor are they privileges to be earned or removed, but rather, they are
endowed by our Creator. These are rights that all of mankind are born with as part of the very nature of
their humanity and as such, to usurp these rights (be it usurpation by a government or other than that) is
not just oppression but from the greatest of tyranny. What is more, the Declaration of Independence
declares that this is something that is “self evident” – meaning it is known a-priori, standing on its own
without need for any evidence. Indeed, evidence is only needed for the one who opposes this fact.
Indeed, another document written in 1776, “Virginia’s Declaration of Rights”, written primarily by
George Mason, affirms, “all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent
rights… namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty.” Many patriots fought, killed and were killed so that
these rights would remain secured against any government.
In Islam there are seven such rights delineated and Islamic scholarship has asserted that every single
command and every prohibition established in the Shariah are meant to protect these seven rights. These
rights are structured in a hierarchy such that the first is more valuable than the last. They are – the right to
faith, life, intellect, honor, lineage, wealth and, property. These rights are viewed as inherent to every
human being, being endowed by God and protected by law. It is the primary role and responsibility of a
government to ensure the protection of these rights for all of her citizens.
Individual Liberty: No Compulsion, No Tyranny
One may readily notice that “liberty” is not on this list. The reason for this is that it is not seen as a “right”
but the natural state of the human being. God endowed us all with intellect and free will and, as we will
see, there is an inherent responsibility that comes with this…and it is the combination of intellect, free
agency and responsibility that we call liberty. This is not seen as something “special” or even a “right” in
islam – it is from the primordial nature of what it means to be human.
A shared ideal is the principle that there is individual liberty for every human being, regardless of race,
gender, creed or social class. The bedrock of the American Mind is the “Bill of Rights” and the First
Amendment is seen by many as the most important of the rights enshrined therein. How does it read?
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Along with this, one of the greatest
of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin said, “Without freedom of thought, there can be no such
thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech.”
Every ounce of this is directly protected in the primary sources of Islam – freedom of religion, freedom of
speech, a free press, the right to peaceably assemble and the ability to petition the government fro redress
… even against the government itself.
Now, one may begin by raising the specter of “blasphemy laws” but, it should be stated clearly that the
free speech protected under the Constitution is also limited – albeit abused due to an ignorance regarding
it. For example, true threats, obscenities, incitements and defamation (amongst several others) are NOT
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deemed “protected speech”. As for Islam, there are limits set but, for the most part, the matter falls under
personal responsibility such that the Muslim is advised in the Qur’an,
“And do not insult those they invoke besides God,
Lest they insult God out of enmity, without knowing better.”
(6:108)
But, what about Freedom of Religion? Freedom of Religion has always been an institution of Islam, the
Shariah and the Muslim Mind. God states this clearly multiple times in the Qur’an with various words
such as,
“There is no compulsion in religion
Right guidance is distinct from falsehood.”
(2:256)
And,
“If your Lord had willed,
All people upon the earth would have believed.
Do you think you can force people to become believers?”
(10:99)
And,
“Whoever wills—let him believe;
and whoever wills—let him disbelieve.”
(18:29)
And,
“So remind them!
You are only a reminder.
You are not in control of them.”
(88:21-22)
And also,
“To you be your way and to me be mine.”
(109:6)
The claim that Islam spreads by compelling people to convert is perhaps one of the greatest slanders of
history. If one were to look at the history of Syria, it was the seat of the entire Islamic world within 35
years after the life of the Prophet Muhammad ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص. It was the capitol and a center of knowledge (and law!)
and yet, it took 400 years for it to become a Muslim majority nation. Egypt is similar in that the Coptic
Church asked the Muslims for aid against the invading Byzantine (Catholic) Church less than 20 years
after the life of the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص. The Muslims entered and repelled the Catholic Church and then set up an
Islamic governance ruled by the Shariah. Despite this, Egypt did not become a Muslim majority (meaning
it did not become 51% Muslim) for 200 years. This wasn’t due to “resistance” and fighting – its because
no one was compelled to accept any faith at all. This is the reality of the history of Islam and it is very
much reflected by Jefferson’s sentiments in his 1786, “Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom” wherein he
insists that no man “shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship.”
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And so, again, we see that free agency – of every kind – is not a special right but rather an inherent aspect
of human nature such that the role of government is to ensure Individual liberty. This isn’t foreign—it’s
the same bulwark against despotism
General Equality – A Merit Based Society
While it is firmly embedded in the American Ideals, “All men are created equal”, with the 14th
Amendment ensuring, by law, no state can deny any person “the equal protection of the laws”, the Islamic
position is even more fierce in protecting this ideal. In the Qur’an we read,
“O mankind! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female,
and made you into peoples and tribes that you may know one another.
Surely the most noble of you,
in the sight of God,
is the most righteous among you.
Indeed, God is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware.”
(49:13)
And the Prophet Muhammad ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص taught, “”O’ People, indeed, your Lord is One and your father is one. All
of you belong to a single ancestry going back to Adam and Adam was created from earth. There is no
superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab or for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor is there superiority for the
white over the black nor the black over the white – except in piety. Indeed! The most noble of you are
those who are most pious.”
What is more, we read in the Qur’an,
“O Believers!
Stand firm for justice,
Witnesses before God,
Even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives.
Be they rich or poor.
God is the best to ensure their interests.
So do not let your desires cause you to deviate (from justice).
If you distort the testimony or refuse to give it,
then (know that) Allah is certainly All-Aware of what you do.”
(4:135)
The propaganda paints Islam as an unjust, hierarchical class system based on creed but the truth shows
that Islam dismantles negative tribalism and nepotism. Like the ideals of America, there are to be no
aristocracy And no special classes – justice is to be blind to race, gender, creed and even economic status.
There must be equality before the law.
Self Governance and Responsibility
The very means for the formation of the United States of America, the Revolutionary War, was fought to
ensure that “We the People” would never be beholden to some distant lord. There is an ideal from
enlightenment philosophy that has become part of the American Mind, indeed, it is part and parcel of the
American identity – “each man is a sovereign unto himself”. This, despite it not being found in any of our
founding documents. The concept is most likely based on John Locke’s “Two Treaties of Government”
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wherein he wrote (in the second treaties), “Though the earth, and all inferior creatures be common to all
men, yet, every man has a property in his own person; this no body has any right to but himself.”
Still, it is understood that there is no aristocracy in America – that is one of the great changes America
established when breaking itself free of her European masters. This was firmly established in the
“Declaration of Independence” with the words, “governments are instituted amongst men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the governed – that whenever any form of government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it…”.
In America, our system of government is primarily self governance. A government of the people, by the
people and for the people. Still, there is a hierarchy of offices – from town halls to town counsels, from
mayors to governors, from the Senate and Congress to the Courts – and all the way to the Presidency
itself.
The Islamic system is actually flexible in this regard. Islamic governance is not fixed and has taken
different forms in nearly every time and location based on the culture of the people. However, one thing
that is a mainstay is mutual consultation and the idea that the people have a right in the say of how they
will be governed and by who. This is based on the words in the Qur’an,
“…those who respond to their Lord, establishing the prayer,
conducting their affairs by mutual consultation,
and giving out from what We have provided for them,
and who enforce justice when wronged.”
(42:38,39)
And,
“It is out of God’s mercy that you have been lenient with them.
Had you been cruel or hard-hearted,
they would have certainly abandoned you.
So pardon them, and ask God to forgive them,
and consult with them when conducting matters.
Once you make a decision, put your trust in God.
Surely God loves those who trust in Him.”
(3:159)
While the outward appearances may be different, the spirit between America’s Town Halls and the Shurah
(mutual consultation) Counsels in Chechnya do not differ in spirit.
Limited Government – in Authority, Power & Reach
In America one thing is certain – government is the servant, not the master. While the Constitution is
established as the “supreme Law of the Land”, Madison warns in Federalist Paper No. 51, (even if) “If
angels were to govern men, … controls on government would (still) be necessary.”
The U.S. Constitution is not there to set the Government up over the people but rather to constrict and
regulate the government – limiting it at every turn. This is the reason for the very checks and balances we
are so proud of – it binds the would be tyrant and protects all that we have mentioned leading up to this
point from those who would upend it.
Henry David Thoreau said in his “Civil Disobedience, “…if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be
the agent of injustice to another, then i say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop the
machine.” And, “ truth is always in harmony with herself and is not concerned chiefly to reveal the justice
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that may consist with wrong-doing.” And also, “There will never be a really free and enlightened State
until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its
own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly.”
This is the sentiment of Islamic Law (Shariah). In Islam, the judgement of any law – as to whether it is
just or unjust – is whether it is in accord with the guidance of God for mankind and there is a principle –
“there is no obedience to the creation if it entails disobedience to the Creator.” Divine guidance always
trumps the laws legislated by the minds of men. We were given conscience That we know right from
wrong, justice from oppression and so, while the Muslim is commanded to be dutiful to those in authority
over them, they are duty bound to God and their humanity before the statutes of any courts.
To this end, even the highest seats of authority are subject to being corrected from even the most common
of citizenry. There is example after example of this from the earliest days of Islam – setting precedents
that are upheld and codified in Islamic law. The checks and balances in Islamic governance differs very
little from what we know here in America – the idea of the President being very similar to that of a Sultan,
of a Congress being similar to that of a Shurah Counsel and of the Supreme Court being very similar to
the Jurists…and in both instances you have Scholarship guiding all three, prepared to call out any misstep
along their way.
We see in both the preamble to the Constitution and the words of President George Washington in his
“Farewell Address” that the purpose and aims of our government are six in number – 1.)The formation of
a strong union, 2.) the establishment of Justice, 3.) ensure domestic tranquility, 4.) establish a common
defense, 5.) promote general welfare and, 6.) secure liberty. This is what America is supposed to be about
and it is to these aims only that the federal government exists as it does; this is the defining objectives of
our system of government. The concept of Islamic governance very little and the self governance of every
Muslim is naturally in line with these objectives.
———
This is not an attempt to say that America is somehow “Islamic”. It is a clear message refuting the idea
that Islam is incompatible with the United States. It is an effort to show that Islam and the Muslims are
not some form of “other” nor is the spirit of America foreign to Islam.
Islam is not some “Johnny Come Lately” to our nation. There were Muslims in these lands before
Columbus sailed the ocean blue, according to archeological and linguistic evidence. There are famous
Muslims in our history such as Bilali Muhammad of Sapelo Island, Georgia who died in 1859 with his
prayer rug and Qur’an and too, there is “The Maryland Muslim” Yarrow Mamout of Georgetown who
died in 1823. There were Muslims who fought in the Revolutionary War, such as Yusuf Ben Ali who
fought with General Sumter, Corporal Bampett Muhamed of the Virginia Line, Joseph Saba and Salem
poor who fought on Bunker Hill. In the Civil War there were Muslims fighting with the Union such as
Mohammad Khan, Nickolas Sa’id and Max Hassan. Even in both the World Wars there were Muslim
Americans who fought and died with some sources numbering around 5,000 U.S. Muslim servicemen.
The idea that Islam is somehow new to our nation is an error.
Lest we forget, the very First Nation to recognize the independence and sovereignty of the United States
was the Muslim nation of Morocco. What is more, in the “As the government of the United States of
America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion, -as it has in itself no character of enmity
against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen, -and as the said States never have entered into any
war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising
from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two
countries.”
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This article is significant because it has been used to support the separation of church and state in the U.S.
but, for our purposes here, and to be clear, let me emphasize the words – “it is declared by the parties that
no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony…”. The idea
was that no religious difference held by those in the U.S. or by the Muslims of Algeria would ever be
made a reason for disharmony…
…so how much more so for those who are our fellow Americans?!?
In closing let me quote James Madison who said, “It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator
such homage…before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as
a subject of the Governor of the Universe…”.
As a Muslim, and an American, I fully agree with these words.
Islam is not some kind of invasion of our nation! It is a reinforcement. A reinforcement of our ethics,
morals and values. It fortifies all that we say we are supposed to be about – the rights of the Creator,
Liberty’s flame, equal justice, people’s self-governance and the limits of worldly power over us. It is in
light of this that I call upon every reader to reject the propaganda being spread in our time. Do not allow
ignorance and hate to win, do not allow fear and anger to spread. From the Qur’anic to the Constitution,
let unity dominate over tyranny as the Qur’anic says,
“Do not let the hatred of a people
(who once barred you from the Sacred Mosque)
Provoke you to transgression.
Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness,
And do not cooperate in sin and transgression.
And be ever mindful of God.”
(5:2)
I began this and was able to complete it on Saturday, the 29th of November, 2025, corresponding with the
8th of Jumaada Al-Ukhra, 1447 of the Islamic calendar. I praise my Lord and thank Him for allowing me
to produce this work and I ask that He allow it to reach its mark and be of benefit to all who read it; may
He grant it success and guide the one who wrote it and all who read it…ameen.
William (Halim) Breiannis
Baltimore, MD.
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