CAN MUSLIMS IN AMERICA PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC RALLIES

By Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid

            The above question has been posed to me by a young Muslim seeking guidance regarding Islamically legitimate means for resisting evils and injustices. He showed me a question posed by a Muslim to two scholars from amongst those of our faith, which read “Are demonstrations considered to be a means from the legitimate means of  Da’wah?” The esteemed scholars answered the questions posed to them (May Allah reward them), and from that answer the questioner sought refuge in Allah from “evil ideologies and destructive manners”, characterized  rallies under “destructive manners”, and identified those who call for Muslim participation in demonstrations as those ignorant of “Islamic principles”.   

The response of the questioned scholars contained the following statements:

Filed under: American Muslims, Fatwas and American Muslims, Muslim Thought, Social Justice, activision, Add new tag, Imam Talib Rashid, Islam

Muslim man, puts on Niqaab, Then Commits Robbery and Murder in Philadelphia. Are we paying attention?

The murder of a Philadelphia police officer by what appears to be Muslims, while dressed in Muslim woman’s clothing, has tragedy all over it. I’m afraid that Muslim women will be subject to more scrutiny from the public, particularly those who wear niqab. It’s easier for brothers to ‘blend in’ but our sisters by their attire are immediately identified as Muslim. As for whether or a not the Muslim brother, can be legitimately denied burial services by an individual imam, or  group of them, is too complex an issue  to summarize without full comprehension of every shariah as well as circumstantial variable, not withstanding knowledge of the facts on the ground in Philadelphia.   There are arguments which support washing and janaaza as well support not giving him the consideration. Janaaza is at best; fard al-kifaaya, and as far as we know, he may have been one of those who believe that we are all part of the ‘global’ Muslim community which would make the Muslims in China as much responsible for his burial as the Muslims in Philly.

This is the call of the Philadelphia Imams and leadership involved in the situation.

Filed under: American Muslims, Muslim Thought, Trials of the End of Days, American Muslims, Behavior, Crime, Islam in America

American Muslims Openly Address Racism in Muslim America

Sacramento California Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 – Masjid Ibrahim Islamic Center, a Northern California American Muslim community, took an unprecedented step towards addressing racial and ethnic division amongst American Muslims by convening the first public community debate that centered on racial, ethnic and religious division. While American Muslims are nationally engaged in efforts to reach out to the non-Muslim community; very little attention is paid to the racial, ethnic and doctrinal divisiveness that exists among American Muslim Communities Nationwide.

On Saturday, April 24^th, Imam Luqman Ahmad, a second generation American Muslim whose parent’s converted to Islam in the 1950s, spoke before a packed audience about the issue of racial, ethnic and religious sectarianism amongst Muslims in America. Sectarianism and division along tribal, racial, ethnic, and religious lines has plagued the Muslim world for generations. American Muslims along with their immigrant Muslim brethren, who have settled in the United States from all parts of the Muslim world, have a unique opportunity to candidly address the division, which lies at the root of many of the problems in the Muslim world.

Filed under: American Muslims, Black American Muslims, Muslim converts, Muslim Disunity, Muslim Thought, Muslim Unity, Muslm Division, Racism, Trials of the End of Days, Add new tag, Division amongst Muslims, Islam, Islam in America, Muslim Reform, Racism