Explore the America’s East to West

Learning from the Exploration of America’s East to West drive (in April 2021) 

‎قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلُ‌ۚ 

"Travel through the earth and see what was the End of those before (you)" - Surah Al-Room

In April, I traveled and learned the America’s landscape and its history. I have experienced  the Native Americans lands, learned the nature’s making of the the Grand Canyon in millions of years and the native Americans living there for thousands of years, touched  the Mormon history at salt water wash in Utah, went through the very high elevation and the landscape of Utah, felt the East to West American expansion, saw the history of the Nipton gold rush and the human greed. It was an experience that can’t be captured in few words but it’s worth to capture few of my realizations to share with everyone - if it has any usefulness to anyone. 

- Islam is the fastest growing religion. This is a very partial narrative or at times misleading. The truth is Islam is the fastest growing “Immigrant” Religion. There are local Americans, especially the Black Americans who are getting converted in a rate that adds to narrative but overall, I found that most Islamic centers in the USA are built and maintained by the immigrant Muslim communities. A quick recount of my observation: Connecticut- Bangladeshi, NewYork - Bangladeshi, Pakistani; Bridgeview, Michigan- Arab, Dearborn, Michigan- Arab; Columbus, Ohio- Somalian, African American; Amarillo, Texas - African immigrants, and Afghans; Albuquerque, New Mexico - Afghans, and Arabs; Las Vegas, Nevada- Arab, and South Asians, the list goes on. I found hardly few centers run by non-immigrants- Illinois and Ohio have a good number of Black Americans. But I didn’t find any Islamic centers run by majority White Americans whereas they represent more than 70% of the U.S. population. What does it tell us?

- My realization through these road trips reminds me that America is more of a continent and union of states than a country that we are used to see in Asia or Europe. Though I may be exaggerating it a bit but driving through the landscape and its vastness gives that feeling. The vastness and diversity may be true for Russia, Canada, China, India, etc. however, unlike those countries, the USA is built in just last couple of hundred years. It’s also so connected through the Interstate highways. East to West and North to South are a spectrum of landscape and climate. When you are in Florida, you won’t remember what does it like to live in Maine or Vermont- when you’re In Arizona or Nevada, you won’t know how does it like to live in Kensas or Oklahoma or in upstate NewYork. The change in landscape is spectacular. If you fly out you may not internalize that changes but driving through it gives you an euphoric feelings. It feels unreal sometime  when you see 90 degree (Fahrenheit) in Mojave desert and then you see the snow covered houses and icy roads in Colorado.

- It’s also surprisingly homogeneous. You see same kind of stores, homes, and roads. It tells that USA was built in a short period of time rather than forming organically. Some of you may know the history of ethnic cleansing done to the native Americans who had lived in this land for thousands of years. 

- The sufferings of Native Americans are muted but vivid to the eyes of the beholder. Navajo nations in Arizona, Natives Americans lived in the bank of the Colorado River, the great migration of Mormans up to the Salt Water Wash in Utah tells you the stories that remain hidden or forgotten.

- The excessive consumptions is visible everywhere. The massive solar thermal power plant in California Mojave dessert, miles after miles of solar panels by destroying the dessert ecosystem, leveling off the mountains in Utah for minerals, massive farms in Oklahoma/Kansas (and the list goes on) are a few examples of our excessive consumptions. We eat more than we should, we throw 40% of food to the trash (it’s from statistical data), we build huge house for few people that takes up more land, requires more building materials and consumes more energy. Scientists and environmentalists talk about saving the earth by reducing carbon foot print but we should save ourselves from excessive consumptions and waste to save the earth. If we reduce our excessive consumptions then our production would be reduced and we would create less pollution, less toxics (plastics, chemicals, etc.), and less of everything. Because of our actions driven by greed and consumptions, we are wreaking havoc in this earth. 

‎ظَهَرَ ٱلۡفَسَادُ فِى ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَيۡدِى ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعۡضَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُواْ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ

Surah Al-Room:

Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back (from Evil).

- American West, in particular, and the America, in general, is the story of a Triumph and a Tragedy. Triumph of the human ingenuity, perseverance, and courage that turned this vast land with unlimited opportunity and natural beauty into a homogenous country. However the very triumph of human ingenuity brought the unforgiving tragedy to the indigenous natives who had lived in this land for thousands of year. I don’t know if such a transformation and takeover were done to a land in such a short period of time anywhere in the world in human history. 

Finally, my humble wish to continue to explore this land and the world to learn more from its history and to gain any wisdom whatsoever from it. This helps me to realize that how insignificant I am in the scale of space, and time; what’s the purpose of my life and what should I prioritize over the materialism that we all are surrounded by.