9 minute read
Standing Together Against Injustice
self-preservation and progress in their ongoing militarization.
Transforming our society into a compassionate and just one based on some form of democratic socialism will take more than a generation. In the interim, we must not squander our universal goodwill on confronting frivolous false flag operations. Humanity’s only viable choice is to reach out to one another with unconditional reconciliation.
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BUT FOR BLACKS, HUMILIATION DOESN’T END THERE. EVERY TIME A NEW SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUE ARISES — ABORTION RIGHTS, GAY RIGHTS, SAMESEX MARRIAGE, LGBTQ RIGHTS, GUN OWNERSHIP RIGHTS, ALONG WITH THE SPENDING OF OBSCENE AMOUNTS ON THE MILITARY, THE CONQUEST OF SPACE AND NUCLEAR ARMS — THEIR AGENDA IS PUSHED TO THE BACKBURNER.
In the words of Pope Francis I, “The way we understand each other is built upon the foundation of mutual respect. What we are called to respect in each person is first of all his life, his physical integrity, his dignity and the rights deriving from that dignity, his reputation, his property, his ethnic and cultural identity, his ideas and his political choices. We are therefore called to think, speak and write respectfully of the other, not only in his presence, but always and everywhere”(August 2013).
The silver lining to Covid-19’s cloud is the multiracial, intergenerational and socially diverse global protests, all of which are based on Maya Angelou’s simple premise, “We are more alike, my friend, than we are unalike!” ih
Dr. Abdul Cader Asmal, a retired physician who has been an ISNA member at large since the 1980s, is a past president of the Islamic Council of New England. He was a director of Inter-Religious Center for Public Life, is a board member of the Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries and serves on the Needham Clergy Association and the Human Rights’ Committee. Standing Together Against Injustice On May 1, 1992, Rodney King, a Black man who experienced police violence first hand, asked “Can we all just get along?” His question remains unanswered …
BY ABOOBAKER EBRAHIM
Our hearts are breaking over the tragic and senseless killings of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis, Ahmaud Arbery on the streets of Georgia, Breonna Taylor in her own bed in Kentucky and other Black men and women.
As Muslim Americans, another community that is profiled and discriminated against, we share in the national grief and outrage over such brutality against Black Americans. Tragically, these are just the most recent examples of a horrific history of people of color in this country.
I was raised in apartheid South Africa. In 1974, the UN declared this government-imposed system of discrimination, racial injustice and separation based on skin color a crime against humanity. As a non-White individual, I have firsthand experience with being dehumanized by man-made rules. The systematic and structural racism embedded deep within the apartheid system is once again rearing its ugly head in the U.S.
While this country doesn’t have an officially legislated policy of apartheid, far too many disparities exist everywhere and in all spheres, be it justice, economics, the inner cities, redlining, poor housing, inequality in education and health care, mass incarcerations, prison systems or police brutality. Then there is political rhetoric, discriminatory policies and legislation, such as the “Muslim Ban,” not to mention the media and disinformation campaigns that continually seek to divide and cause racial tension.
The history of racial inequality and economic injustice in the U.S. has created ongoing challenges for all Americans, and more must be done to advance our collective goal of equal justice for all.
After the end of apartheid, South Africa set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC; https://www.justice. gov.za/trc), a court-like restorative justice body. Identified victims of gross human rights violations and police brutality were invited to relate their experiences. Some were selected for public hearings. The perpetrators could also testify and request amnesty from both civil and criminal prosecution. The aim was to ensure that the lessons learned from apartheid South Africa’s transition to democracy were taken into account as the nation moved ahead. Perhaps the U.S. should convene its own TRC under the Senate Judiciary Committee or a similar body and conduct such hearings.
Twenty-five years ago, South Africa’s TRC set the gold standard for how a divided society with a violent past might work through that past and move forward. While inspiring similar efforts around the world, it has learned over time that working through a complicated past takes — and is still taking — time. However, it did open up a way to talk about the individual and systemic wrongs committed under 43 years of apartheid.
Certainly, publicly confronting the truth about our history is the first step toward recovery and reconciliation among all parties.
Muslim Americans, for whom justice and equity are enshrined in the Quran, have a special obligation to demand that we do better and actively work together toward a more just and compassionate nation, one free of the discrimination and hatred
that continue to plague this country. As a community, we must commit to advancing justice, inclusion, diversity, love and compassion for each other, especially since we are cognizant of the fact that these principles form an integral part of our belief system.
To all of our fellow citizens — We stand with you during this difficult time and deeply value each and every one of you and your contributions to this great nation.
The Declaration of Independence declared that: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and pursuit of Happiness.”
Quran 49:13 proclaims: “O humanity! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).”
As Nelson Mandela reminded us 56 years ago from the dock on April 20, 1964, during the Rivonia Trial, which lasted from Oct. 9, 1963 to June 12, 1964: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
The preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document in the history of human rights, states: “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world…” and continues in Article 1, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
All of the above documents refer to noble actions and guidance. So why are we not adhering to them? We should strive to become an indivisible nation, one that ensures equality and espouses justice and the inclusive concepts of liberty and justice for all — to all men and women of all races and colors. This battle for hearts and minds must continue.
One of Islam’s core tenets is that all humans are equal regardless of skin color, race, tribe, origin or creed. Given this fact, Muslims cannot be silent; rather, we must stand in solidarity with those demanding justice.
Perhaps the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made his most noteworthy statement on anti-racism during his Last Sermon in 632: “All humanity is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab. Also, a White person has no superiority over a Black person, nor does a Black person have any superiority over White person, except by piety and good action.”
This message is especially important now in the U.S. Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X) reflected on the Prophet’s message of universal brother/sisterhood. After completing the hajj, he realized that all races could live in peace and harmony, began following the Prophet’s anti-racism teachings and started preaching friendship and inclusivity. For us, El-Shabazz is another role model for the anti-racism movement.
Injustice and racialism in those lands where military and police brutality is rampant against unarmed and defenseless populations flash across our TV screens on a daily basis. This reality must change, and a solution must be found and implemented.
The recent occurrences of police brutality in Minneapolis and other cities transcend politics. “Man’s inhumanity to Man” has reached unacceptable levels. Therefore, it is time for all of us to take a stand so that we may unite with each other based upon our common humanity. That is our challenge today. ih Cultural Diversity: An Honest Truth Are all children being exposed to multiple cultures from a very early age so that they can see themselves represented positively and accept diversity as the norm?
BY WA’QAAR A MIRZA
In recent months, with the Black Lives Matter movement gaining traction, the subject of diversity and inclusion has been making headlines, spotlighting the need for change and bringing to the fore previously subdued voices. However, will we see any real change in the education and entertainment industries, or is it all just more lip service to pacify the “noble activists”?
The lack of culturally diverse content is nothing new — from tokenistic preschool programs that children watch at home, to history textbooks spinning heroic tales of colonization justifying how the “discovered” Indigenous people were no better than animals.
Are we finally seeing a realization in the Western world of how education surrounding the 18th century has negatively impacted cultural differences, not only through history but also to the current day? Are we looking at another era of monumental change? With statues being toppled and misconceptions changing, history is indeed being challenged once again. We are seeing historical recognition that the “newly discovered people” by European settler colonists and their descendants were victims of commercial exploitation, not “animals” as they were portrayed. If our predecessors had been honest, we might have been spared all of these issues we see in the world today.
Growing up in the U.K., I was taught how Britain set out to “educate” different cultures around the world, where we were made to believe these people were not equal to us. These lies have been
