Epigraph: O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the most honorable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware. (Al Quran 49:14)
Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota: It features 60 -foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865).
(CNN) — Columbus Day often brings to mind the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. This Monday, some cities and states would rather you think of the Sioux, the Suquamish and the Chippewa.
For the first time this year, Seattle and Minneapolis will recognize the second Monday in October as “Indigenous People’s Day.” The cities join a growing list of jurisdictions choosing to shift the holiday’s focus from Christopher Columbus to the people he encountered in the New World and their modern-day descendants.
The Seattle City Council voted last week to reinvent the holiday to celebrate “the thriving cultures and values of Indigenous Peoples in our region.” The Minneapolis City Council approved a similar measure in April “to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous people on this land, and to celebrate the thriving culture and value that Dakota, Ojibwa and other indigenous nations add to our city.”
In many cities, Columbus Day is a celebration of Italian-American heritage, leading to opposition to the recasting of Columbus Day.
“Italian-Americans are deeply offended,” Lisa Marchese, a lawyer affiliated with the Order Sons of Italy in America, told The Seattle Times.”By this resolution, you say to all Italian-Americans that the city of Seattle no longer deems your heritage or your community worthy of recognition.”
President Benjamin Harrison established a celebration of Columbus Day in 1892, the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the Bahamas in 1492. The holiday started being celebrated on the second Monday in October in 1971. Today, 16 states, including Alaska, Hawaii and Oregon, don’t recognize Columbus Day as a public holiday. South Dakota has celebrated Native American Day since 1990.
Additional Reading
Racism in USA and Universal Brotherhood in Islam
Categories: Americas, Racism, Universal Brotherhood
The following title is strongly recommended in this respect for more academic objectivity:
Quick ,A. H (2007) Deeper Roots
Muslims in the Caribbean From Before Columbus To the Present DPB Printers and Booksellers Cape Town SA
In my view reading this wonderful work is a must.
My best and god bless