(ToledoMuslims.com)- February 1, 2004 will only be remembered as one of the greatest Superbowl games ever. The day the New England Patriots squeezed by the North Carolina Panthers with a last second field goal. The day that over 700 million people world wide watched one of the greatest Superbowl competitions ever.
On this very same day, over 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide were also celebrating the Grand Eid. On this same day, 1.5 billion Muslims prayed the morning Eid prayers. On this same day over 8 million Muslims in America celebrated the Grand Eid. The chances of Eid and the Superbowl coinciding again are impossible. But who would know? Someone really dropped the ball.
For the first time in the history of the world, the single largest sporting championship game coincided with the single largest religious celebration. Never have the Superbowl and Grand Eid ever been on the same exact day, and it may not ever be for the remainder of history. But who would have known?
Not a single mention of the Grand Eid during the Superbowl broadcast, pre-game, or analysis. No one even knew. No one recognized this great coincidence and no one really cared. You'd think that with about 8 million Muslims in America someone would have said something. But no, of course not. That'd be too easy.
The significance of the Superbowl and Grand Eid being on the same exact day is debatable. But it must be mentioned, that because the Muslim and Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, the Grand Eid may not be at the end of January for another 33-34 years. The lunar calendar moves up by 11 days every year and repeats every 33-34 years. Further, the possibility of the Grand Eid ending up on the exact same day of the Superbowl in 34 years is almost impossible, since there are a lot of variables at play.
Firstly, the lunar calendar depends on moon phases. While they are calculable, they have to line up properly for Eid to have a chance at being on Superbowl day. Secondly, the (unpredictable and opportunistic) Saudi government has the final say on when the pilgrimage season begins and hence when Eid will be. Thirdly, the NFL decides yearly on which weekend the Superbowl will be played. Fourthly, all kinds of chances, disasters, and unforeseen variables may occur. Unless, a concerted effort is made between the Saudis and the NFL, the likelihood of the Superbowl and Eid coinciding again is precisely slim to none.
So what happened? Why didn't anyone make a big deal out of this? Where were the great Muslim advocacy organizations? What happened to this great public relations opportunity? Where was the fuss? No one said a word. Silence.
Muslim organizations in the United States have been working vehemently for many years trying to show or prove that Muslims are "normal" Americans. They always want to show Muslims hard at work, doing mundane tasks, and being good citizens. They advertise when Muslims build homes with Habitat for Humanity, they talk about Muslims voting and working, and they talk about how Muslims are normal Americans. But they really dropped the ball on this one. How can they overlook one of the greatest public relations opportunities mankind has ever seen?
What better event to show how "normal" Muslims are than the Superbowl? Muslim organizations could have sent out press releases to media outlets depicting Muslims praying Eid in the morning and watching the Superbowl in the evening. They could have sent letters to editors, local newspapers, done radio and television interviews. But we had none of this.
Do Muslims watch the Superbowl? Yes, of course. In Toledo, Ohio just about every Muslim family was tuning into the game. Whether it's young American-born Muslims or seasoned immigrant families, the majority of Toledo's Muslims were watching the game. And all of them prayed Eid prayers that morning. So where was the media coverage?
Unfortunately, with the exception of Toledo, Ohio, no media outlets covered the fact that the Superbowl was on the same day as Eid. Or the fact that over 2 billion people worldwide will be somehow involved with either event. That's over a third of the world's population. Nor the fact that this will probably never happen again.
Where are the national Muslim organizations? Why do we have such a huge lack of competence? Do they even care about the Superbowl? How can they be so out of tune with the rest of America and the world? Are their leaders even aware that the probability of Eid and the Superbowl coinciding again is virtually nil? How can they not take advantage of this amazing coincidence?
Part of the problem facing the national Muslim advocacy organizations is a serious lack of connection with the grassroots. All of the self-proclaimed national Muslim leaders and organizations were built top-down. A few people got together, decided that they were important, and began "representing" Muslims. These newly acquired "constituents" usually didn't even know that they are now being lead. This may be adequate for now, but eventually a bottom-up approach will be needed. We are seeing signs of grassroots organizations sprouting up all around. Eventually, the newer groups will overtake the antiquated ones.
Another part of the problem is that the leadership of the national Muslim organizations are all immigrant Muslims. While, they may have spent many years here acclimating themselves, they still did not grow up here. They didn't play high school football, didn't win states, or make the playoffs. Hence, the significance of the national icons like the Superbowl, Joe Montana, New Year's Eve, or the NCAA National Championship may not be as significant or comprehendible. That's why a Super Eid coincidence can go by without anyone really caring or noticing. At this time, leadership transitions from immigrant to indigenous don't seem very likely. New all-indigenous organizations are sprouting up and will eventually takeover the market.
Further, Muslim organizations are usually reactionary in nature. They were formed to "respond" to situations, problems, dilemmas. They are like the Emergency Medical Team, they are first-responders. Their role has primarily been to respond to problems and situations. They never really were formed as proactive, create-your-own-news type organizations. They don't push the agenda, they respond to someone else's. They don't move forward, they react to your move. It's very difficult for a reactionary mindset to evolve into a proactive one, regardless of how much they may think they have evolved. New organizations will have to take over the proactive, promotionalist role and leave the reacting to the current organizations.
With that said, it is a very sad day when the greatest of Muslim holidays coincides with the greatest of sporting events, and no one cares. One third of the world's population either prayed Eid or watched the Superbowl, and no one cared. Ironically, over 8 million Muslims in America prayed Eid, visited family, and watched the Superbowl, and no one even knew. The most expensive television advertisement featuring a Muslim, Muhammad Ali, aired during the Superbowl, and no one cared. The longest receiving touchdown in the history of the Superbowl was by a man named Muhammad, and no one cares. Not even a small honorable mention. Not a single blip. Not a sound.
Note: The views expressed in these articles does not necessarily represent the views of Muslims in Toledo, Ohio nor the views of ToledoMuslims.com, it's staff, owners, editors, webmaster, or writers. The views expressed represent the views of the writer only. ToledoMuslims.com is not responsible for any of the expressed views. Please feel free to comment on our articles in the article discussion area provided.
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