Civil dialogue needed to bring races together

By Shams Ghoneim

With the election of the first black U.S. president nearly two years ago, many of us hoped that we as a nation were moving beyond some of our darkest chapters in our collective history. Unfortunately, the election of Barack Obama seems to be creating - or unleashing - new racial tensions within America.

And the recent rash firing of and quick apology to Shirley Sherrod - the U.S. Department of Agriculture's former state director of rural development for Georgia - is opening a new, difficult chapter in the history of race relations and white privilege in America.

Despite many improvements since the civil rights era in the 1960s, inequity remains. Black farmers in Georgia, for example, still are denied loans more often than white farmers are. Sherrod herself was a claimant in a cooperative case against the USDA, which culminated with a $13 million settlement last year.

The USDA also faced many persistent complaints of racism and discrimination in hiring. The Government Accountability Office - an independent federal watchdog - reported audits dating back 20 years still sat without attention or resolution.

The Sherrod situation - when placed in a larger historical context - seems just the tip of the iceberg of ongoing institutional racism all across the country.

Here in predominately white Iowa, for example, we still are having problems dealing with how to talk about race and white privilege. Although the state has been overwhelmingly homogeneous throughout its history, the number of black Iowans who are incarcerated is much greater than the percentage of blacks in the greater population. Such an imbalance is symptomatic of institutional bias penetrating throughout our courts and judicial system.

Here in Iowa City, we have been trying to engage in difficult conversations regarding not only race but also faith. Muslims have been facing venomous attacks from extremist media outlets, talk show hosts and ordinary citizens. The hate rhetoric, which has been ongoing since the 9/11 attacks, has painted millions of American Muslims with the same ugly brush. Islam, as a religion, continues to be maligned and significantly misunderstood and misconceived.

Local and national efforts to engage in interfaith dialogue have been successful in bringing together Muslims and non-Muslims in a respectful and accepting manner. Although Muslims face barriers in reaching out to fellow Americans, these dialogues have been positive.

My question for the Iowa City area is: “Why can't we do the same regarding race?” I truly believe that only in a kind, civil and caring dialogue that we as a community and a nation cannot only heal old wounds but move forward together as one people created by the One God working together for the betterment of our communities, states and country.

As the Qur'an states, “And among his wonders is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the Diversity of your tongues and colors: for in this, behold, there are messages indeed for all who are possessed of (innate) knowledge!”

I urge our community faith leaders and others to call for a race-based dialogue that would bring us closer together and not further apart. In our unity we are strong and in our division we are weak.

Shams Ghoneim of Iowa City is coordinator, Muslim Public Affairs Council, Iowa Chapter. A native of Egypt, she's an Iowa resident since 1967 and has worked 33 years as a medical researcher with the University of Iowa. Comments:

shamsghoneim@uiowa.edu