She was wearing a camo. Short for the hot camouflage fashion must-haves nowadays. Most designers have something in their line in camouflage, ranging from the affordable to the ridiculously expensive. No, she wasn’t wearing a pair of  cargo nor low-waist pants nor an upper shirt that  exposes her navel. Her camo was in fact styled as an abaya, the long-flowing type of dress worn by Muslim ladies. Her hijab was also in camouflage. She invited attention to herself, not only for her unique style and taste, but because she was holding a sign that read: My name is not Terrorist.

Like her, I was among the hundreds of Muslims  coming from all over the world converging to attend the Annual Muslim Day Parade in New York City. The parade happens every year and this year’s parade was the 22nd. It was sponsored by the Muslim Foundation of America (MFA) and usually held on the last Sunday of September. However, since Ramadan this year fell  on the third week of  September, the MFA decided that the parade should be on September 9, only two days before the commemoration of the 911 tragedy.

It drew the ire of some New Yorkers, claiming that the parade  was a threat to New York City. About twenty protesters shouted anti-Muslim slogans from behind police barricades along Madison avenue where the parade ended. Earlier on, the office of New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg received letters of protest asking him to cancel the permit for the parade.

However, Mayor Bloomberg allowed the Muslim Day Parade to go on, citing that the New York’s Muslim community is a vital part of the city and that “it would be terrible mistake for anyone to implicate a whole group of innocent individuals with the terrible acts committed on September 11, 2001.”

Being new to New York, I didn’t know that Muslims have their own parade. I knew about the famous other parades here in New York City like the Macy’s Thanksgiving, St. Patricks’ and other slew of ethnic parades which were naturally featured on TV and other media. I only learned about the Muslim Day Parade after I have read the many hate blogs condemning the parade.

As one Muslim said, the protest against the parade will only increase the resolve of the Muslims to join the event. Despite the summer heat  and my splitting headache at that time, I joined the parade, more because I was challenged by the gripes against it. It was also an opportunity for me to be both a Muslim and a New Yorker, finally.

I was with two other Moros. Unlike other Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia who had a sizeable Muslim population in New York, we were only specks in the tapestry of Muslims in the financial capital of the world. We looked at the other Muslims  with envy who were representing their countries from all over the world: Afghanistan, Malaysia, India, Morocco and United States. Between the three of us, we could hardly follow the parade and make a separate contingent. We decided to join the Indonesians instead. After all, we are neighbors.

The delegations had their own banners, songs, chants and some even had floats. The Indonesians were singing the Arabic songs I so often hear in radio stations in Lanao  every Ramadhan. My heart grew heavy with remembrance of my beloved home as I sang with the Indonesians. There is no place like Ranao.

The Black Muslims had their own way of  chanting  too which reminded me of cheerleaders in many American games we often see in movies. A sister wearing an abaya was leading the group shouting at the top of her voice, ala cheerleading style of  vocalization: We are the Muslims, the mighty, mighty Muslims!!! Everywhere we go, people want to know.

Every now and then the different groups would shout Takbir! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! I too would join the shouting as I proudly added myself to the number of Muslims in New York City. Like the sister wearing camo, we wanted the world to know, that our name is not terrorist.

The parade ended at Madison where the group of protesters were also waiting for us ready with their anti-Islam placards. The only acknowledgment they got from us was a louder, stronger and heartfelt proclamation of Allah’s greatness. Allahu Akbar! There were no confrontations although we were both pretty aware of each other.

The New York Police Department (NYPD)  were there to manage the traffic and to see to it that the parade was orderly and peaceful. They were also some who joined us in the parade. Yes, some of them are Muslims too and they proudly joined our ranks -- officers, men and women who were neither afraid nor ashamed of their Muslim roots.

Some non-Muslim Americans lent support to us by joining the parade and holding placards that read: We support our Muslim neighbors and friends. Community High School parents support the Muslims. There were also leaders from the government and from the Jewish and Christian community who showed solidarity with us in very supportive and sincere speeches.

There may had  been a handful protesters but there was also a lot of others whose support to the Muslims were significant. Mayor Bloomberg for one who was fair and wise enough to allow the parade to go on, despite the complaint of some sectors of New York.  I have never seen so many Muslims in one place at the same time speaking so many different tongues. The mini bazaar was a display of different Islamic arts and crafts  and cuisines from different parts of the Muslim world, not to mention a melodious mosaic  of different languages  and accent too.

Indeed, the parade gave us the chance to meet  other New Yorker Muslims who were mostly immigrants from various countries. It was a very unusual and memorable experience. I would hop from one store to another not only to look at the merchandize but also to see the vendors who were wearing their native costumes. I heard Assalamo Alaikom so many times that I felt teary-eyed. After being a year in New York City, I  rarely hear the Azan, unless I am inside a mosque nor people  who greet each other with the Muslim greeting. I would often hear, “Hey dude, what’s up?” It was a nice break from my life in the Big Apple.

Being a Muslim is in the heart. No matter what people say or do to you, nor how governments will regulate you, nor how mighty monarchs will stop you from practicing your religion -- nothing can really shake your faith unless you allow them. In such a country like America, it is also easy for you not to observe your religion because of the distraction, temptation, freedom and anonymity you have in this vast land. But, you can also practice your religion when you want to. For once, I was glad that the New York City government gave us the opportunity to gather together.

The parade was a very New Yorker thing to do. Parades in New York had been around for decades, most famous is  the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade which was started by European immigrant workers at Macy’s who wanted to celebrate the American Thanksgiving with an event they were familiar with back in Europe. Most months in New York have parade events.

The Muslim Day Parade was to me more of a New Yorker tradition, rather than a Muslim or Islamic one. But then, who says one cannot be a New Yorker and a Muslim? Who says that I cannot have so many layers to my identity? Meranao, Moro, New Yorker and above all a Muslim? Did I just forget Filipino? Oh, yes, add that to those  strata.  After all, our beloved Prophet Mohammad S.A.W. exhorted us to seek education, be it as far as China.

I didn’t go to China to search for knowledge , I went to the United States instead and yes, one can still be a practicing Muslim here. One can still be a Meranao here. Sometimes I would walk along the streets of Manhattan wearing my malong proudly.  Oh yes, by the way, the Chinese also have their own Lunar New Year Parade.

Perhaps I will watch the parade, one more time before I finally go home to the land of “dancing light”—Ranao. One thing that my adopted home shares with my beloved home is their flickering lights. New York with the bright neon light that glimmer at night only in some parts of Manhattan like the Times Square and Broadway. But my beloved Ranao is different.

The lights in the entire province  of Ranao would shimmer at night in unison that would seem to a faraway observer to be an artistic display of alternating luminance and darkness. Or perhaps a drill like those during the World War where an entire city would be purposely bathed in darkness to camouflage it, or to train or prepare its  people for the bomb raids. Except of course, the reason for our “sparkling light” in Ranao is neither for art’s sake nor for the art of war.
   

	1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 03-10-2007 13:04 - Registered
	Muslim Pride Hi Maam Elin,    Welcome to Ranaw.Com!    Maybe you don\'t know me but I certainly know you as an MSUan.     Thank you for your article. Indeed, this will inspire our Muslim brothers and sisters, wherever they are, that being a Muslim is a pride and honor.

	2. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 06-10-2007 03:58 - Guest
	msa EAC gandang article nyo..hehe nag enjoy aq s mga picture nyo kc d p aq npunta ng ingud..thnx http://ranaw

	3. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 06-10-2007 04:00 - Guest
	msa EAC hi thre..ganda ng home page nyo!! http://muslim

	4. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 07-10-2007 23:35 - Guest
	msa EAC Your informative and nationalistic article clearly portrayed to the whole world that we , maranaws are always keeping within our hearts and mind our being a Muslim and our traditional belief - PRIDE.  I was touched by your article and reminded once again that my being a Maranaw is a great belessing from ALLAH. Though I am out of our beloved Ranaw but my heart and mind remains a MARANAW... I am proud of you.....[B][/B]

	5. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 08-10-2007 13:51 - Guest
	msa EAC Hey, salam to you all!    Thank you for your nice comments! Happy Eid El Fitr everyone.

	6. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 07-02-2008 03:15 - Guest
	hi pls send me lyrics of that song maguindanaon version...said iloveyou but i lied http://friendster

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