Reclaiming the Inner Struggle

The Words

Reclaiming the inner struggle to repair our souls, the nation, and the world. We are living at a fragile moment. Over the recent campaign cycles leading up to the midterms, we have witnessed a dangerous escalation in our public discourse. Specifically, we have seen politicians and media corporations systematically weaponize and politicize the word jihad. What is in reality a profound, multi-layered spiritual concept has been hijacked by political mouthpieces across major news channels to stoke fear and divide neighbors. This must change.

A word that should stoke deep, uncomfortable self-reflection is instead being used as an ideological weapon to ignite panic. We must demand an end to this dangerous game. The political mouthpieces on our airwaves must be held accountable. They must stop using sacred language as sensationalized soundbites for ratings, and instead start broadcasting a message of unity, accountability, and truth. As the independent, non-partisan observer of the state of chaos in the world — all from my thoughts and reflections — it is my firm conviction that our political leaders and our faith leaders have reached a fork in the road.

This brings me to a message for Michigan's newly elected Senator Abdul El-Sayed and the broader Democratic Party. History has been made, and he will step into Washington as the nation's very first Muslim U.S. Senator, with extraordinary historic precedents he now has the power to set. Yet, in his victory speech, we saw the immediate temptation of our current politics, when he joked about the delicious irony of Vice President J.D. Vance being constitutionally obligated to swear him into office. While modern campaigns reward a clever counterpunch, trading personal jabs only adds fuel to the fire.

My urgent counsel to Senator El-Sayed and the Democratic leadership is in the exact same ballpark as what I was hoping Israel would do in the wake of tragedy. After October 7th, I pleaded with Israel to show restraint in their response — to change the status quo, and to bring the entire national community together to collectively respond to the horrors of that day. They ignored that counsel, choosing instead the path of overwhelming force and unilateral retaliation — and look where that has taken our world today.

Violence detached from spiritual restraint only breeds more chaos. Just as the Senator-elect from Michigan once said: hurt people hurt people. That doesn't justify or give right for any of these retaliations; it's just an honest truth. Just as Israel should have chosen a higher collective path, the Democratic Party and its historic new Senator must break our domestic cycles of division. Do not match escalation with escalation. Do not let the cycles dictate your moral center. Take the higher ground, and focus entirely on the concrete issues facing everyday Americans and the global citizens abroad.

To do this, you must engage the opposition with the humble spirit that rises far above the partisan fray. Set aside the temptation to gloat, mock, or pursue endless political warfare. Let the corruption pursuits of Donald Trump sit on the desk. Do not consume your energy with impeachment. The truth of our political system is complex, and if we are honest, there are Democrats with blood on their hands too.

You must dismiss the extreme agendas within your own ranks and separate extremism, just as mainstream Republicans must be ready to do. Return to the common-sense foundations that unify families. Keep our borders secure. Ensure fairness by keeping men out of girls' sports. Stop federal funding for transgender operations. If the government does not pay for universal healthcare, cosmetic surgeries, and so on, it should not be funding gender reassignment surgeries. Protect the sanctity of the family. Strengthen family courts to recognize both parents' rights to be in their children's lives, unless there is absolute endangerment to the child at hand. Recognize that the children are under their parents' care and guidance until they are 18, and nothing regarding their well-being should ever be kept secret from a mother or a father. And let us be unequivocal: we must not abolish the police, and we must not abolish the presidency. We need stable, just institutions.

But fixing our policies or politics is only the first step. The true healing of this nation will not come from Capitol Hill or a cable news studio. It must come from our spiritual centers. It must come from our reflection of our internal self. The message of the interfaith community must be a unified shield. We need leaders of every background — rabbis, pastors, imams, priests — all to step up in the pulpit and preach and teach about self-reflection. We must denounce violent extremism and the politics of fear in America.

We must collectively draw a line in the sand against any radical ideology that distorts religion to justify violence or to justify oppression. Yet, as we slam the door on extremism from the pulpit, we must open a window to a global movement of renewal. We must launch a global movement to reclaim the inner struggle as a tool to repair the world. Jesus profoundly initiated this calling — looking past our rituals to demand a complete internal cleansing, challenging us to clean the inside of the cup first and face our own inner hypocrisy before judging the world. The Prophet Muhammad similarly taught that the physical, defensive struggle is secondary. He looked his followers in the eye and said that the true fight is the inner spiritual struggle — the cleansing of the heart, the deep self-reflection, and the constant striving to overcome temptation and ego. It is what Jewish mystics call seeking the King in the field: searching for the divine within the mundane, doing the hard, eternal work when the Almighty feels closest. This inner war is not unique to one faith.

It is a universal heartbeat of the human spiritual experience. It is Jacob wrestling with God in the dead of night, refusing to let go until he was transformed. It is Jesus fasting in the wilderness, facing his own inner struggles and preaching self-reflection before casting the first stone. We see in the Bhagavad Gita where Arjuna's battlefield is a metaphor for the eternal struggle between righteousness and desire. We see it in the Buddhist practice of mindfulness, conquering the illusion of the ego.

By setting an example of profound restraint at home, imagine the global impact if a unified stance were then taken on the world stage — if our political mouthpieces, backed by a unified interfaith community, echoing this inner struggle toward ourselves as a nation, aim this exact same truth directly at the regime in Iran, while directing it at our own politics here at home. A coordinated international message broadcast across the world, challenging hostile nations to look inward, to see the destructive seeds they too are sowing, to drop the sword of violent extremism and end the war. It is the necessary next step for global peace. This is necessary to turn swords into plowshares. As the scripture reminds us: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.

Now is the time to pursue this sacred, eternal struggle with all our heart, body, and soul. Let us stamp out Islamophobia by replacing ignorance with the shared truths of Jacob, Jesus, Muhammad, and the great teachers of human history. We fight back against a broken political system not with anger, but with the truth and profound self-reflection. Let us remember our ultimate calling. We are not here to dominate one another. Nor are we here to win temporary political victories. We are called by the divine to answer the ancient question with the resounding declaration: Yes, we are our brother's keeper.

Our stewardship and our brotherhood are not separate paths, but a single destiny, beautifully grounded in our internal purpose — found in Micah 6:8 — to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. In this sacred blueprint, the internal and external realities merge. Justice flowing through our land requires an ongoing internal revolution of the heart. Mystically, when we love mercy, we are healing the broken mirror of humanity, recognizing that the struggle within ourselves is the exact same struggle our brother faces. Through deep self-reflection, quiet contemplation, and the commitment to conquering our own worst impulses, we unlock the divine guidance required to execute this heavenly mandate on earth.

Let us master ourselves so that we may honor our role as the true stewards, the protectors of our brothers, and the temporary inheritors of this beautiful, sacred earth. Thank you, and may peace be upon you all.