Are moderate Muslims really FOR the US/West?

I am writing this article to help solve a seemingly alarming problem that Muslims in the US seem to face lately.

In my published article “Allah bless America” from way back on 1/24/2004, I had suggested (but to no avail) that US Muslims use that phrase to show their support for the US and to advocate that Islam can embrace America – because Allah is in practice commonly associated with Muslim God.  Ongoing presidential debates involving Islam/Muslims related issues reminded me of the said article. So, I posted a “Allah Bless America” photo on social media and asked my Muslim social media friends to share it to show that they really are for America. None of my US Muslim social media friends shared the photo. Evidently, most Muslims in general would rather not use the phrase or share the photo. The million-dollar question is, WHY?

My take on why most Muslims in the US are hesitant and feel intimidated to say “Allah Bless America” (vice merely “God Bless America”) is that, deep down, most of them don’t want to associate Islam with America/West. In my view, it is ingrained in most Muslims to associate the US/West with the Satan. By extension, chances are, most Muslims consider saying "Allah Bless America" is like saying "Allah Bless Satan". Notably, in virtually every other context, when it comes to the word "God", almost all Muslims prefer using "Allah". But for whatever the reason, and consistent with trying to distance Islam from America, they seem reluctant to do that when it comes to the phrase "God Bless America".

Furthermore, in my view, many Muslim leaders seem to dwell on HOW to answer questions by non-Muslims – essentially, by being politically correct and taking advantage of the liberal US civil right laws – rather than on WHY those questions are arising in the first place. Some methods that many Muslims have tried to use post 9-11 to promote a positive image of Islam/Muslims include serving in soup kitchens and organizing interfaith meetings. These methods, while helpful, are nevertheless in my view ineffective in terms of easing the suspicion against the Muslims in the US – especially if deep down, there is no genuine “For the US/West” feeling.

That will be the day when an "Allah Bless America" (not just "God Bless America"), a slogan that implicitly says “Muslims FOR the US”, sign will be conspicuously placed outside the gates of mosques in the US. Hopefully, Muslim leaders will not find that request outrageous. But if they do, I suggest they ask themselves WHY, introspect, and realize that Muslims have a long way to go in terms of easing tensions with the US/West.