editorial:

POLITICS OF BUSINESS IN AMERICA

by Reza Ghadimi

The American "Free Enterprise System" is the American politics and policies.

To understand and appreciate this statement, is to succeed in business in America.. American policies and laws are based solely and entirely on business and commercial needs and demands. Business dictates all political agendas.

Many of us who immigrate to this country or do business with this nation fail to realize the importance of this very significant rule. Thus we fail to become truly successful. We continue to relate to our environment much as we did in the country we came from. Many of us relocate here from the so called "third world countries". While we do know our business and trade, most of us however, do not know how to apply it to the American environment. If we are to succeed here we must learn how to conduct our trade the American way.

There are more than eight million Muslims in America today. This is a very significant number. We represent nearly 4 percent of the American population. If we were united, this would give us an immense political clout.

The world is changing at a rapid rate. The "New World Order" and the " New International Community", are not merely empty phrases. They have remarkable substance. Commerce and trade, business and technology are the future ruling elements of our planet. Our children will be living in this world. European Community (E.C.), North American Treaty Organization (N.F.T.A.), General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (G.A.T.T.), the Pacific Rim Cartel, etc. these are not political entities. They are commercial powers. The business world no longer cares about our petty quibbling, historical background, nationalistic ideologies or national boundaries. While we are spending our energy defining our borders and boundaries with other countries and cultures, the business world is tearing them down all around us. The passage of G.A.T.T. through both Houses of Congress two years ago, is a very good example of how business dictates politics in this country. Most of the Americans haven't got a clue on what G.A.T.T. is. And every single individual who does know any thing about this agreement is totally against it. Yet, it passed without a glitch, by a by-partisan and overwhelming majority. Furthermore it was passed by a Lame Duck Congress, whose membership has been significantly altered since then. Why? If this was a political issue, it would never pass. It passed because it was a business decision.

The Islamic Community needs to unite in order to partake in this new world venture successfully. Our community can not be fragmented and in war with itself. We can't afford to have too many leaders with different ideologies and concerns. While the whole world is making peace with us, we continue to fight with one another. If our people are to succeed in this volatile environment, they will have to speak with single voice. Our business community and leaders are the best avenue to help us unite. The Islamic Business Community in The United States is competing with other American companies and they, in turn with the rest of the world. If we are to have a voice in this New World, we need to unite and act as one business community. Our focusing factor needs to be the future and the future of our children. Let us make sure that our business leaders receive our total support in dealing with this New World Order. We have the resources, we have the manpower, we have the knowledge. We either join together and be one of the leaders, or stay apart and serve the leaders. The choice is ours. But unless we are one of the leaders, we will not have a say in it's order. Then and only then will we have the power to support, and preserve our ethnic cultures, religion, traditions, and beliefs.

To achieve this, we need to start at home. Instill in our children and our family a strong sense of pride in being a Muslim. Find and support Muslim owned businesses in your community. Make friends and interact with successful people. Become the most trusted person in your community, be brutally honest in your business dealings. Become a leader in your community. Become active in your community's concerns and take action in it. Bring your children up as leaders. Send them to the best schools at all cost. Support your local Islamic Chamber of Commerce. If there is not one in your community, start one. Take part and join the local American Chambers of Commerce. Run for political office. If there is a Muslim brother or sister running for a political office, support and campaign for them. Join the National Islamic Chambers of Commerce such as:

The American Islamic Chamber of Commerce -P.O. Box 93033 - Albuquerque, NM 87199-3033. or e-mail us at aicc@americanislam.org

America is the land of opportunities, but to succeed, you'll have to play by their rules and work very hard at it.

"Such of the believers as remain passive - other than the disabled - cannot be deemed equal to those who strive hard in God's cause with their possessions and their lives. God has exalted those who strive hard with their possessions and their lives far above those who remain passive. Although God has promised the ultimate good unto all [believers], yet has God exalted those who strive hard above those who remain passive by [promising them] a mighty reward"

The Holy Quran 4: 95.

Assalamu Alaikum.

REZA GHADIMI IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ISLAMIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.