SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE:

The spirit of the American people has upheld American values by their electing the first African American president, Barack Obama.

The election of Obama is a monumental testimony to the thriving American principle of equal opportunity and the concept that anything is possible for those who dream and sincerely endeavor regardless of their ethnicity, color, gender or socioeconomic standing.

However, let us not forget that racism and religion still exist in our nation. American Muslims are suffering and being discriminated against more so under the scrutiny of ethnic and religious profiling. The surge in Islamic-phobia and anti-Islamic rhetoric that assails American Muslims only bites at the core principles of American equality, acceptance and pluralism.

Nonetheless, American Muslims embrace hope and belief in the indivisible citizenship of all Americans. American Muslims look forward to developing and sustaining cooperation in every sphere with the new leadership. We hope that under the wise leadership of Obama, the culture of tolerance and understanding will be more emphasized.

As our nation begins a new era, it is our hope that the new office of president upholds to the American values of true democracy, ethical and moral standings, religious pluralism, equal opportunity, and securing the rights, integrity and dignity of all U.S. citizens. Like all concerned citizens of this nation, we earnestly urge the new administration to promote civil liberties, world peace and justice, better education, global environment, universal healthcare and a fair immigration policy.

We wish Obama every success in his new duties. We pray that he leads this nation with honesty, fairness and wisdom. His success is the success of our nation as well.

IMAM SAYED MOUSTAFA AL-QAZWINI leads the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County.