[adarmaSen]

Reading that second article, I've decided to stay in America

Brother, your comment above made me laugh. Not sure if you meant it that way but I do appreciate it.

I studied in Yemen two years ago, and though I wasn't imprisoned, al-hamdulillah, I was forced to pay all kinds of bribes. This is just the way a lot of 'developing' countries are, especially when they see a 'white-looking' foreigner. For example, I had to pay three people just to get an exit visa. One immigration official made me take a taxi to his home so you could get the proper rubber stamp to stamp my passport, then he demanded even more money. This is an example of how things function in Yemen.

And don't get me started about coming back into the US. Homeland Security is not an enjoyable experience after returning from Yemen.

As I understand it, hijrah is obligatory when the practice of Islam is not permitted by the powers that be. I understand it to mean that we do not necessarily have to cross national borders, but can move within a country if it means we can then fulfill the tenets of Islam.

While it may be beneficial in many ways to live in a Muslim-majority country, we can also improve ourselves here in the US. We're in the belly of the beast, so we have an amazing opportunity to change things and to be a first line of defense for our beloved brothers and sisters in the rest of the world. And there are strong Muslim communities in the US, so we can protect ourselves somewhat and be shielded from the kuffar way of life.