Obama and American Muslims- The Way Forward

American Muslims, Obama, the Change and the Crossroads

Speaker: Imam Zaid Shakir

Opening Remarks and Appreciation

May Allah continue to give you the strength to do the work that you do and bless your teachers for teaching you so that you could teach us inshallah. You know, we find ourselves in a situation quite often where we're visited by our shuyukh and our teachers. You know, we tend to listen to them for the hour, hour and a half that they share their knowledge with us, and then we just go back into things, you know, where we were at before we sat with them.

One of the unique opportunities that many of us have the ability to take advantage of is that even after Sheikh Faraz leaves from this place, we can still engage with him in a more formalized approach of instruction and acquiring knowledge. He's recently established an organization called Seeker's Guidance, which allows for people to study the traditional Islamic sciences via an online mechanism and portal. And I believe right now there's four or five courses that are being taught. And you know, it's open to pretty much anyone. And so again, the website is seekersguidance.org.

The Importance of Action Over Words

I think it's also important for us to take heed of advices that are given to us during the course of these conversations and really think about on an individual level how we can inculcate them and begin to allow for them to actualize in a tangible and practical way in the course of our daily lives. And so we're given four points and four reminders. We have to make critical sense of it in terms of how it will benefit us and how in turn we can utilize it in a way to benefit those who are around us, where we're not longer in a place where we can basically say certain things and be given credence based off of our words.

Our actions have to begin to reflect all of those things that we've been saying for many years because people just don't believe us anymore. And I think, you know, what's remarkable is that we do have individuals who not only teach us and say certain things to us, but their examples are things that are most remarkable and they display, you know, a sense of activeness that we can only hope to, inshallah, achieve within the course of our lives at some point or another. Imam Zaid Shakir is one of these individuals who not only teaches us and speaks to us, you know, on numerous occasions, but most remarkably he also does what he tells us to do.

Introduction and Biography

Imam Zaid is amongst the most respected and influential Islamic scholars in the West. As an American Muslim who came of age during the civil rights struggle, he has brought both sensitivity about race and poverty issues and scholarly discipline to his faith-based work. He's a frequent speaker at local and national Muslim events and has emerged as one of the nation's top Islamic scholars and a voice of consciousness for American Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Let's welcome Imam Zaid Shakir.

Formal Opening

Greetings. Welcome. Good evening. Did I say good night? It's a great honor and a great pleasure to be here.

First of all, I'd like to thank all the organizers, all of whom are volunteers for organizing the program to bring us together. We pray that our coming together will be a source of mutual benefit.

Appreciation for Sheikh Faraz

Secondly, I'd like to thank Shaykh Faraz, who is a very beloved brother and respected for his knowledge and his efforts to bring that knowledge to the common Muslim. He's an individual, unlike a lot of his peers, not all, but a lot, works ceaselessly in both locally and traveling all over North America. He just returned. He flew directly in here from the Dominican Republic and was picked up at the airport and hustled over here. And he wouldn't want me to say this, but I just want you to realize how hard he works and how truly blessed you are that he was able to come here and share very thoughtful words, very thought-provoking words, and very wise words with all of us, myself included, because I've benefited greatly from his presentation.

Denouncing Terrorism and Violence

Before going any further, I'd like, first of all, to reaffirm once again that as Muslims, and I'm sure everyone in here would unanimously approve of what I'm saying, we have our religion, and as Muslim individuals, we have absolutely nothing to do with any form of terrorism or any acts that place the lives of innocent human beings, regardless of their religion, that randomly jeopardize the lives of innocent people. Our religion has absolutely nothing to do with that. And so these recent events that we've seen in India and other parts of the world, Muslims have nothing to do with that. And it's, well, that's a separate lecture.

The Sanctity of Human Life in Islam

Just to give, many times when these sort of statements are made, the person making the statement usually references a very powerful Quranic verse, the first part of which is:

Because of the murder of Abel by Cain, we decreed for the children of Israel and by extension all of humanity thereafter that whoever kills an innocent life, other than retribution for murder or murderous sedition in the land, it's as if they have killed all of humanity and whoever saves a human life, an innocent life rather, it's as if they've saved all of humanity.

Now there's an interesting commentary on this verse by Imam Fakhruddin al-Razi. Imam al-Razi says one of the reasons that a person who kills one innocent person it's as if they've killed all of humanity is because that person has in effect made the blood, spilling the blood of any human being on the face of this earth lawful. Any human

being on the face of this earth could have been in those hotels in Mumbai. I could have been there, Sheikh Faraz could have been there, doing research with some Muslim scholars in the city, staying in one of those hotels, any one of you could have been there. So a person who randomly kills and targets indiscriminately any human being it's as if that person has made it lawful to kill anyone on the face of this earth. And he goes on with a lot of interesting explanations, but again we don't want to deviate too far from the theme.

The Comprehensive Definition of Righteousness

Another verse though that's extremely relevant not only because it points out a very relevant fact in this regard but it also outlines what we as Muslims, what our religion is all about. And that verse is the 177th verse of the second chapter of the Qur'an:

That it's not righteousness that you turn your faces in the direction of the East or the West in prayer. So something deeper than these superficial manifestations of religion which are necessary but not sufficient is involved in righteousness. Rather righteousness that you sincerely believe in God and the last day the angels, the scriptures, the messengers, the prophets rather. So belief is what it means to be a believer. But that's necessary but not sufficient.

And that you spend your wealth in spite of your love for it. For the relative, for the poor, the relative, the orphan, the poor. Wayfarers, those who are forced to ask due to adverse circumstances and for the liberation of slaves. And so again social involvement is a necessary part of what it means to be a righteous believer but not sufficient.

And that you have a personal relationship with God. Many times the activist will burn out because he or she lacks a deep relationship with God. And that you establish regular prayer and pay the poor due. That's necessary but not sufficient. There's more.

So in addition to personal devotion, there has to be a commitment to principles, societal principles. That you fulfill your covenants when you convene them. That you fulfill your oath when you take it or give it. And one is steadfast, so again that's necessary not sufficient. One is steadfast and patient to summarize the first two terms in all forms of tribulation. Illness, disease, hunger, starvation, calamities, tsunamis, hurricanes, whatever the case may be. And when tested with warfare. And this is the relevant point.

Islamic Principles of Warfare

Part of what it means to be patient and steadfast when tested with warfare is to adhere to the principles that have been delineated and outlined for the believer to adhere to when he or she is tested with a situation that involves conflict. And part of those principles is not to endanger, not to kill human life. Even innocent human life. Even

those innocent human beings who are amongst the combatants. The enemy's combatants to borrow a term. Even those, their lives are to be spared. What are called Usathat in our legal terminology. The cooks, the administrative and support personnel who aren't directly involved in conflict. So the sanctity of human life is a great, great, great, great thing that as a human family we all have to affirm.

A Universal Problem of Violence

Because this isn't just a problem of some lunatics in Mumbai. This is a problem for the United States Armed Forces and their supporting personnel from Canada. This is a problem for the IDF. This is a problem for the Russians in Georgia. This is a problem before the Russians came into Georgia for the Georgians in South Ossetia. This is a problem that all of us on the face of this earth have to get beyond. That any human life, whether it's our enemies or the other guy's enemies, if they are innocent, if they are non-combatants, then their lives are sacred and not to be violated in any way, shape or form. We have to get to that. But I have to get to my presentation.

Obama's Election: Understanding the Deeper Implications

I'd like to start where Sheikh Faraz left off, or where he began with Obama. He approached it from an individual angle in terms of our individual understanding of hope and the ramifications of that for our individual faith. I'd like to move it to a societal realm and to understand or to endeavor to convey the deeper societal implications of what the election of a person of African descent to the presidency of the United States involves.

A Historic Step Beyond Racism

First of all, our context is a context that has been deeply informed by racism, overt and subtle, at many, many different levels. A huge step forward has been taken by the people of this country and especially a large majority of so-called white people to make it possible for us to be talking about President-elect Barack Obama. And this should not be lost to us because this creates unprecedented opportunities.

Now, an opportunity is there to be taken advantage of. And either we realize that and we proceed to take advantage of it or we let the moment pass to our detriment. So this opening, this willingness on the part of an overwhelming majority of white Americans to get beyond, at least in this context of electoral politics, many of those nagging questions, issues, insecurities and to put their hope in a son of Africa and a son of America on the side of his mother is a monumental, monumental step.

A Referendum on Islam in America

Secondly, and to reflect on, and we'll try to flush this out as we move along. Secondly, to a certain extent, this is very important for Muslims to understand, this election, to a certain extent, so if you're taking notes, don't misquote me, was a referendum on Islam in America. How so? It was a referendum on Islam in America, first of all, because the names that Barack Hussein Obama carries are names that reflect the Islamic enemy we have been fighting. Hussein, we went to war with Saddam Hussein in Iraq. And one of the reasons we went to war was because of Osama, which rhymes with Obama. And here in New York, one of your precincts or towns, a little upstate, actually put Osama on the ballot. Oversight. Republics are republics. Understand that.

The "Obsession" Campaign and Its Failure

Secondly, why do I say this? In part, it was a referendum on Islam in America. That during this electoral campaign, upwards of 40 million copies of a DVD that would make Goebbels proud, called Obsession, was distributed free of charge via the New York Times and other major newspapers and also mailed to the tune of $100 million invested in the swing states to exploit the fact that 15% of all Americans, according to surveys, believe Obama is a Muslim. So if we can get just 5% to make an association between Barack Hussein Obama and the dehumanizing, the inhumane religion that's depicted in those DVDs, whose central character, who's the central character in Obsession? The whole effort to make a connection between fascism and Islam. Islamo-fascism? Who's at the center of that argument? Al-Hajj Amin al-Husseini. Al-Hajj, Amin al-Husseini. Hitler's friend.

Now, despite the fact that this was put out in all the swing states, New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Florida, Missouri, Obama won every one of those states except Missouri, which could have gone to a recount, but it wasn't necessary. Some by unbelievable margins. Pennsylvania by 11 points. Florida, Virginia, North Carolina. Let's not forget North Carolina.

A Window of Opportunity

So, despite the fact that people were being told or it was being suggested that Obama is a Muslim and this is his religion, these goose-stepping Hezbollah soldiers, these little girls who are screaming, death to America and death to Israel, who could be that Muslim neighbor next door. People said, no, I will still put my hopes in this man. Now, what does that say about their attitudes towards Islam and Muslims? I'm willing to judge you based on your merits. Now, that is a window of opportunity that provides, again, a window of opportunity that must be seized.

The Question of Muslim Visibility in America

Now, the title of this program, as I received the flyer, was Invisible No More. American Muslims, wake up, or something like that. Now, there are certain assumptions in that title that give a privileged and privileging position to a segment of the Muslim population that had consciously been invisible, on the one hand, and it denies the visibility of another sector of the Muslim population. And the fact that the former has been invisible is because of their unwillingness to accept the legitimacy of the Islam of those visible Muslims. And I will argue, and this is just food for thought, I'm not here to make anyone mad. I'm here to make you think that it is that whole attitude and the nature of how this whole discourse is being shaped is a function of the same racism that it has been so difficult for white America to get beyond.

Visible Muslim Icons in American History

Here you have some very, very visible Muslims, all of whose names, well, almost, Hakeem Olajuwon, very visible. When he won his first of two championships, he walked around with his finger. Every reporter, thank Allah, oh, he's fasting in the NBA, having some of his best games. Very visible. A national icon. When Michael Jordan retired for two years, who was the best basketball player in the NBA? Sports fans. Don't make, I'm a Muslim, I'm a sports fan. I'm not worried about how the Giants are doing. I was crying last night when the Jets

Contemporary Visible Muslims

Malcolm X. David Chappelle. Very visible. Muslim. Sometimes you don't want to say that too loudly. Depending on who he's entertaining. Mos Def. Very visible. Recently we got Mike Tyson. Recently we got Michael Jackson. I don't want to say that too loudly. Two Muslim congressmen. Andre Carson. Keith Ellison. Very visible. They're not hiding their Islam. Keith Ellison took the oath of office with great visibility on a Qur'an. Whose Qur'an? Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Qur'an.

The Issue of Race and Recognition

Now, the fact that all of these gentlemen are of African descent might be enough to render them invisible. Hence in 2008 we suddenly became visible. But Muslims were beyond that. Supposed to be.

O people! We created you from male and female and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Your nobility is with Allah. Allah is All-Knowing and All-Aware.

The Need to Root Ourselves in America

Now, brothers and sisters, as we think ahead, as we look ahead, it is critical for us to have as much integrity as those 44% of white males, which is more than John Kerry got, who voted for Obama. And do what? And to do what many of us have refused to do. And that is to root ourselves in this country. There are Muslims that are born and raised here. Born and raised here. Speak English without an accent. Can barely speak Arabic or Urdu or Hindi or Bengali. Yet, their hearts are attached to Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Syria, Egypt or wherever. Will go to those countries and be rejected. Be extremely uncomfortable. And yet, they want to dress like somebody over there. Want to eat like someone over there. Except when it's pizza night.

Now, this is very critical. This is very critical. And refuse to practice what one preaches. We preach this Ummah as one.

This Ummah is one Ummah. We don't recognize race and nation and tribe. Right?

Muslim Ancestors in America

Then why is it so hard to inherit the legacy of those Muslims who preceded us here? Why is it so difficult to say that my Muslim ancestors with their blood, sweat and tears contributed to building America? That my Muslim ancestors with their slave labor were instrumental in creating the surplus capital that allowed America to have a competitive advantage amongst the nations of the modern world. Why is it so difficult, brothers and sisters? Because they were from Africa?

If in 1731, before America was even America, during the time of the British colonies, when Ayyub bin Sulayman came to America as a slave and was sold into bondage in Annapolis, Maryland, a hafiz of the Qur'an, a scholar of the religion. If Ayyub bin Sulayman was from Egypt or India or Syria, would Muslims today from India or Egypt or Syria have a difficult time accepting him as their ancestor here in America and therefore see themselves as legitimately belonging to this country? Ask yourself.

Ibrahim Abdur-Rahman, his name is Abdur-Rahman, that's his own handwriting. After 28 years in bondage, he could still write the Arabic script. He was educated in Timbuktu, one of the great centers of Islamic learning in that day. The prince of his people. He was called prince because he was so stately. And then his master found out in reality, he was a prince. He was the son of the king of Futa Jallon, and others. Yarrow Mahmud, who has the distinction of possibly being the oldest living American.

Muslim Converts in Early America

And not just Africans, Europeans. Muhammad Alexander Russell Webb. Dr. Omar has written a monumental biography of his life. The Ambassador to Philippines. Now if an ambassador to a major country, the Philippines were a lot more significant in 1882 in terms of America's foreign policy. If an ambassador to a major Muslim country today accepted Islam, we'd be doing backflips. Subhanallah, the ambassador in France became Muslim. Subhanallah. We'd open a website. AmbassadorinFranceBecomesMuslim.com You have a blog dedicated to him or her. And we would take ownership of them as an integral part of the community. Why? Because it affords us legitimacy.

So just because it happened in 1882, why is it so difficult to say, that's my Muslim ancestor in America. That's a person that gives me roots in this land. That's a person whose existence and whose sacrifices affords me legitimacy in this land. Why is it so difficult, brothers and sisters?

Cast Down Your Bucket Where You Are

Why are we looking elsewhere? One of his contemporaries, Booker T. Washington, told his people, don't look to Africa. Prophetically, don't look to the north. Cast down your bucket where you are. Allah has brought you

here, brothers and sisters. Cast down your bucket where you are. Because if we don't, we're not going to be able to do the things that we need to be doing. As Muslims committed, as Sheikh Faraz mentioned, to addressing problems realistically where we are. And we've already proven our effectiveness to a limited degree. If we were focused, if we were committed at a mass level, then that good that's been demonstrated in a limited degree could be multiplied exponentially.

Muslim Contributions to Social Justice

We've demonstrated our ability to mediate the gang wars. As in the aftermath of the Rodney King riots, who was a Muslim, who mediated a truce between the bloods and the crips. We've illustrated our ability to humanize those people incarcerated in our prisons by the hundreds of thousands. Who have been dehumanized by America. Who've been made killers and murderers by America. Who've been made into cold-blooded terrorists in America.

We're up in arms and we rightfully should be. Again, don't misquote me. Because 300 some odd people were killed in India by terrorists. There are people terrorizing our inner city neighborhoods year after year after year. Last year, 300 some odd innocent people were gunned down in the streets of Philadelphia. Most of them young and African-American. And you never saw a headline. Now multiply that by Brooklyn. Multiply that by Oakland. 150 in a population of 400,000. By Compton, and Watts, and South Central LA. By Detroit, by Atlanta, East St. Louis. Dallas, Houston, New Orleans. More dangerous than Sadr City. Before Katrina. And even more so after Katrina. Now the headline. Neighborhoods terrorized.

Taking Back Our Streets

We were involved in some anti-drug work in New Haven, Connecticut, where the Muslims went out and took over streets and said, you're not selling drugs on this street because Muslims live here. And the people in the neighborhood came out and sat on their porch and said, I have been terrorized. I have not sat on my porch in years because I'm afraid I might be struck by a mis-aimed bullet. A stray bullet. Brothers and sisters, we have work to do. But we won't do that work if we don't even see ourselves as belonging here. We won't do that work if we don't even see ourselves as having a solution to the problems here that are going to get worse.

Feeding the Hungry: An Islamic Imperative

There's a need for soup kitchens and alhamdulillah there are Muslims here and there and other people who are feeding people. But how many people could we feed if we organized ourselves effectively and saw that as part of why we are here. And again, some people might say, well, what does that have to do with Islam? That sounds like, like, like you want to spread the wealth around. And that shows how far we've gone away from our ideals as a people. The fact that that will become a political issue. Joe the Plumber shows that how some people, again, a mentality that was rejected. People rejected the Joe the Plumber argument.

That's an opening because that argument would have resonated to people four years ago. That argument would have resonated with people eight years ago. But some social space has been covered in that interim that we have to be aware of.

The Robin Hood Principle

But what is the great principle? One of our great cultural icons and heroes in Western, not America, it transcends America, in Western mythology is Robin Hood. What did Robin Hood do? He borrowed from the rich and gave to the poor. In essence, he was spreading the wealth around, Joe the Plumber. So when we can no longer relate to Robin Hood, something fundamental has happened, brothers and sisters. And so as Muslims, we have to be part of spreading the wealth around because we have a wealthy community. We have a wealthy community.

Immigration and Rights

We have to be concerned about definitions of legal and illegal immigrants. In a country where everyone's an immigrant, in a country where the governor of the state I reside in sounds like he just got off the boat. To talk about legal and illegal, especially as it relates to people whose ancestors were here before, again, the country was the country. There were Mexicans in Colorado, California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas before Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas were a part of the United States. Don't those people have rights? In the treaties of annexation, they were given rights. They were given well-defined rights.

Our Right to Engage in National Discussions

So again, as a community that increasingly includes immigrants and their children, we have a responsibility to be in the forefront of these discussions as to what's happening in our land. And again, to see ourselves as legitimately entitled to engage in those discussions, legitimately entitled to engage in those discussions until Sitting Bull's descendants and Red Cloud's descendants and Crazy Horse's descendants and Geronimo's descendants and Cochise's descendants tell us all to pack up and leave. Then we'll all leave. But until that time, as Muslims, we have just as much a right, perhaps more so, considering the long history of Muslims in America, than others to engage in those discussions. But if we don't see this as being our land, if we don't see ourselves as having roots here, then we won't be able to engage in those discussions.

The Need for Courage

Many of us, sadly, we don't engage in those discussions. We don't see ourselves as having a part to play in addressing many of these issues and others that could be up here because we have no courage. Many, not most. We don't have the political courage, the social courage, even the religious courage.

Feeding Others for the Sake of Allah

We talked about feeding people. How can we read in the Quran:

They feed, despite our love and need for the food itself to the poor, the orphan, the prisoner of war. Rather we fed them for the sake of Allah, for the sake of God, we desire no thanks, no reward, compensation or thanks. That's our religion. So we're not talking doing something tactical. We're talking our religion.

The Best Manifestation of Islam

Our Prophet ﷺ was asked:

أَيُّ الْإِسْلَامِ خَيْرٌ؟ or أَيُّ الْإِسْلَامِ أَفْضَلُ؟

Which manifestation of Islam is more virtuous or which manifestation of Islam is best?

تُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ وَتَقْرَأُ السَّلَامَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ

Feed people and greet people, those you know and those you don't. That's the best manifestation of Islam. Where is that? Where are we?

A Letter from Abigail Adams: Great Times Call Out Great Virtues

So brothers and sisters, I want you to consider the following quote. This quote is from Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, second president of the United States, the mother of John Quincy Adams. This quote was in a letter that she wrote in 1780 to 12-year-old John Quincy Adams, who had accompanied his father to France to be John Adams, the first ambassador to France, the first ambassador of the United States to France.

She said, in the context of the Revolutionary War, the context of holding down the farm by herself, husband gone, sons gone, these are times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a Pacific station that great characters are formed. Would Cicero have shown so distinguished an oratory if he had not been roused, kindled, and inflamed by the tyranny of Catiline, Verres, and Marc Anthony? The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. All history will convince you of this, and that wisdom and penetration are the fruit of experience, not the lessons of retirement and leisure. Great necessities call out great virtues.

When a mind is raised and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lie dormant wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.

Embracing the Challenges of Our Time

This should be something that reverberates and echoes to the core of our being. Yes, there are challenges in this post-9/11 America. Yes, there are difficulties in negotiating the minefields the various articles of the Patriot Act entail. Yes, there are many challenges from the dastardly and nefarious words and actions of certain right-wing elements and their surrogates. It's all there. There are difficulties and challenges put in our path by the actions of the likes of whoever might have been behind these bombings and random murders in Mumbai and elsewhere.

But we should embrace the challenges of this time. Because this is our time, and this is our place. This is our time, and this is our place. If Allah wanted you to be somewhere else, He would have put you somewhere. If He wanted you to live in another time, He would have raised you up, us up in another time. But He gave us this time, and He gave us this place. And He's put a particular set of challenges in front of us.

Relying on Allah, Not Ourselves

Brothers and sisters, if we embrace those challenges, if we rise up and meet them head-on, if we recognize who we are and where we are, and as Sheikh Faraz said, if we do that relying not on ourselves and our paltry resources. Another aphorism of Ibn Ata'illah is the following: Nothing you seek relying on your Lord will ever be difficult. And nothing you seek relying on yourself will ever be easy. So put your reliance in Allah and stand up and meet the challenges before us.

At a Fork in the Road

In conclusion, as a community, I would argue we are not invisible. Some of us have chose to pretend we're invisible. But we are at a fork in the road. We're at a fork. And we have to decide which path we're going to go down. We can go down the path that allows us to relish in the comforts of a Pacific station, as Miss Adams said. We can go down the path that allows us to go along to get along. We can go down the path that we seek to just not rock the boat.

Or we can choose the path that involves meeting the challenges head on. We can choose the path that involves service, leadership and guidance to our fellow countrymen. We can choose the path that might involve difficulties and hardship, incarceration possibly. But if we choose the latter path, brothers and sisters, that is a path that will indeed bring out from this community the characteristics that create the hero and the statesman. That is the path that we must choose. And not for our sake, but for the sake of those who can benefit from that which has benefited us.

Closing Hadith and Prayer

Avidly seek that which benefits you. And that which benefits others. Put your reliance in Almighty God and don't see yourself as being incapable. That is our path. بإذن الله That is what we advocate. And we pray that we can find it within ourselves to walk down that path.

جزاكم الله خيراً That's a fancy way of saying thank you very much.

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته