COMMUNITY MATTERS USAID Muslim Employees Zaid Shakir Agrees to Lead MANA Seek Harmony Among Imam Zaid Shakir has Imam Zaid sees MANA agreed to become the new as an historic organization People whose flourishing beneleader of the Muslim Alliance
In the aftermath of race riots, USAID’s (https://www.usaid.gov) Muslim American staff issued a statement that as federal workers, they strive to uphold the values embodied in both the nation’s founding documents and Islam’s tenets that we are all children of Adam who God has honored in our humanity (17:70). “It is therefore our affirmative obligation as citizens, Muslims, and public servants to always enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and uphold the highest ethical standards,” they declared. The Muslim Americans made by this group, as well as the Employee Resource Groups at USAID, summarizes their common commitment to the sanctity of all life and specifically affirmed that “Black Lives Matter.” The Muslim American employees cited 5:32: “... whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.” They also cited “Musnad Ahmad,” hadith no. 22978, which states that the only things that set people apart is their righteousness and good actions. In other words, ethnicity and skin color are irrelevant. The most famous African Companion was Bilal (radiy Allahu ‘anhu). Although he wasn’t the only one, we should be aware of the following similarity: George Floyd died under the knee of a White officer, whereas Bilal survived the violence inflicted on him by his Arab owner Umayyah ibn Khalaf. He had Bilal laid out spread-eagled on the hot desert sand, whipped and beaten, and then ordered a hot boulder placed on his chest, all in an attempt to “convince” his slave to renounce Islam. Bilal refused. As Muslims, we reaffirm the sanctity of all life and proudly proclaim: “Black Lives Matter.” Just as the Prophet proclaimed equality and denounced racism, we pray that one day all Americans will come together in peace, dignity and respect. ih
in North America (MANA). Zaid Shakir, an internationally recognized Islamic speaker and educator and one of MANA’s original founding members, is also the co-founder of Zaytuna College, in Berkley, Calif. He accepted the invitation of Imam Siraj Wahhaj, MANA's founding and long-time leader, to succeed him. MANA's board concurred. Speaking of MANA’s important historical significance, he said, “MANA is a great trust -- it is intricately connected to the history of many great pioneers whose tireless efforts and sacrifices have led to the African American community being the only indigenous community in the Western world to have a trans-generational Muslim presence. Such a communal engagement, argues Dr. Sherman Jackson, affords a degree of invaluable legitimacy to Muslims in America, especially those of African descent. If we do not build on that legitimacy it could well be lost and once lost it can never be regained. Such a loss would have deep implications for American Muslims.”
fits not only Muslim African Americans, but also all Muslims in the U.S. He plans to draw on the entire Muslim American community’s resources to ensure that MANA flourishes, because, “MANA’s success is our collective success — our beloved Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘believers are unto each other like the individual bricks in a wall, each one strengthens and supports the next.’ We all need and must support one another, if our community is to be that strong wall” (“Sahih al-Bukhari,” hadith no. 481). Imam Zaid especially thanked all of those who have worked to establish MANA and to keep it viable for almost two decades. Besides taking on a new role with MANA, he continues to work with Zaytuna College and hopes that the two institutions can work together to help produce future leaders for our community. We pray for God’s blessing and guidance upon Imam Zaid in his new role of leader of MANA and look forward to seeing positive fruits emerge from his leadership. ih
The Center for Islam in the Contemporary World at Shenandoah University (CICW) and the Muslim Student Life at Syracuse University (MSL) conducted a survey (https://www.contemporaryislam. org/covid-survey.html) to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Muslim students in higher education in the U.S.
of the questions from previous and ongoing data collection efforts conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Student Veterans of America and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Conducted from March 30 through April 10, 2020, 498 students from 32 states completed the survey. The researchers asked
It found that the majority of them have no confidence in the federal government and the president to effectively respond to their pandemic-related needs. In contrast, they have far more confidence in state government and their school, while the majority has confidence in their local mosques, national Islamic institutions, their school’s Muslim chaplain and the MSA. The survey leveraged and adjusted some
100+ MSAs in 42 states to help disseminate the survey. It was also shared through the Association of Muslim Chaplains (AMC), Hartford Seminary, the National Association of Campus and University Chaplains (NACUC) and the Association for College and University Religious Affairs (ACURA). The resulting data show an overall increase in religious practice as well as higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression.
10 ISLAMIC HORIZONS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
