as-salamu alykum,
I'm going to be blunt about this.
In recent days, the curtain has been drawn back on a terrible virus that plagues this country.
Though COVID-19 has and continues to impact and take the lives of so many in this country and around the world, it's not what I want to draw your attention to today.
Systemic racism is a virus that we, as a collective, have attempted to brush under the rug in this country for far too long.
Like any virus, if gone untreated, it will spread and fester.
As people of faith, we have a divine directive to change such evils and cure such diseases.
ِAllah says what means, "And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil, and those will be the successful" (3:104).
Most of you may not know this, but the Islamic perspective on race, class, and equality was one of the defining points which compelled me to accept the faith.
It's one of the beauties of Islam that makes me a proud Muslim today.
During his farewell pilgrimage, our Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab ... a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor does a black person have any superiority over a white person except by piety and good action.”
When learning of those words at the age of 19, I knew this was the faith for me.
And though it is not my experience as a white man, to see what has happened to people like George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and countless others, my heart is filled with pain and anger.
I'm honestly outraged!
We as a community have a great deal of work to do in the fight for justice and to end the systemic racism found in this country.
As an initial step, we at GCLEA stand in solidarity with our black brothers and sisters of all faiths and backgrounds.
Alongside numerous other NJ Muslim communities, "We are committing to long-term reform which includes educating and holding ourselves accountable and addressing anti-Blackness within our communities. We are committing to support local efforts that challenge and eradicate anti-Blackness within the circles we preside over." (CLICK HERE to see the full statement sponsored by CAIR).
This work must be at the core of our mission at GCLEA.
If you are interested in supporting these efforts at a grass-roots level, please let me know by responding to this email with a "Yes, I'm in".
I will then reach out to you to set up a meeting to discuss an initial action plan.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Faithfully,
Imam John
|
|
