Preparing for the Storm: NV-Resistance

Preparing for the Storm:

We are facing a storm on the east coast of the United States, today.  Washington, DC area is poised to have potentially two feet of snow overnight.  In our greater struggles we have other kinds of storms.  The winds of change are blowing but we must not face the violence wind by striking it with our swords or weapon systems.  We must take the moral high ground and stand firmly with peace in our hearts and patiently march through the wind and the rain to a brighter day.

Three Responses to Oppression, Violence and Occupation

One could respond to oppression, violence and occupation as a people in many ways and with many means.  The response contain an overall strategy for victory employing a variety of tactics.  I believe that often we confuse strategy with tactics.  Within these considerations scholars have asked people to weigh the concepts of the potential benefit (Maslahah) and the potential harms (Mufsadah).

I believe that the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, did this.  He applied different tactics at different times to achieve the strategic victory.  That victory was to establish a society that was peaceful and just for all of its people.

He deployed the tactic of non-violence in the treaty of Hudaibiyyah and this tactical move allowed the message of his PEACE to prevail and brought to his way dignity even from enemies.

Once moving beyond complacency, people will say that the responses to the assault on a people of faith (i.e.. Muslims) is the following:

1. All members of the faith worldwide rally to the aid for their brother.
2. In the West organize, protest and vote to change the foreign policy, while saying that oppressed in their country have the right to self-defense.
3. Worldwide movement of Non-violent Resistance.

I am in favor of a worldwide movement toward non-violent resistance to establish justice.

A young man was asked the other night in our focus group on radicalization and when asked, ‘what do think about young people going overseas to fight?’, he responded with a question, ‘what would you do if some people killed your family?’.  This response is a nature human reaction.  It is not the highest human response either and this is not jihad, this is revenge.  Revenge is not the method of the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh.

This is what is happening in Nigeria as we speak, rioting and vigilante behavior.  This is what we saw in Rwanda (Hutu – Tutsi). This is what we see in Darfur.

The idea that it is okay for Muslims in other parts of the world to engage in warfare as we know it today is not acceptable to me in Islamic terms.  Nuclear and conventional weapons are all weapons of mass destruction – which are not allowed by my understanding of warfare of the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh.

We must go another way – the way of non-violent resistance.

Ending Violence Against Women: Analysis of Power

Today, I got blown away by the analysis ACT Men presented in the following diagrams.  I never saw violence against women in this context before.

	Power Analysis
Men	Women	Gender
White	People of Color	Race
Protestant	Non-Christian	Religion
Middle Age	Seniors
Heterosexual	LGBT
Able	People with disability

	Those Who Are Invisible
People of Color	Uneducated	Marginalized
Financially poor	Sex Workers
Women	Lookism: People look different	High Tolerance for Pain
People with Disabilities
Hx of incarceration		Generational Impoverishment
Undocumented
LGBT		Internalized Oppression
Non-Christian
Rural Communities

Marginalized people are a business for a class of people who provide services.  The pay checks depend on clients to serve.  One of the facilitators, Lina – a latino women, said, “The response to injustice in America is charity” rather than to end the system of oppression and exploitation.

The Qur’an teaches, ‘Men have been given a degree (of strengthen and responsibility) over women’.  Natural unbalance of power and men need to be aware of their “male advantage” and use their gifts wisely before they meet their Lord.

THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S LAST SERMON

(This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat )

“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don’t know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and TAKE THIS WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived.

Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers………

Objectification of Women

Getting out of the “Man Box”

The man code:  What would you do something if a man smacked his wife (assumption) in the mall?  The man code says stay out of another man’s business.  At the conference I learned today that men will not step in if the women belonged to the man = wife-daughter-girl-friend.  If men see a women attacked by a stranger they would get involved = criminal.  If it is a husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend…..we think about the women as property.  We got to change our change our attitudes about women.

The traditional wedding ceremony in the America.  This example has been adapted by Muslims.  Although in the tradition of the marriage of the prophet Muhammad, as, Khadijah, ra, choose and offered herself to the prophet in marriage.

When a woman walks passed a group of men she is concerned about her safety.  After a day at the conference I went to the food court at the mall next to my hotel.  Some young women passed by me and passed around my table in the mall, one of them spoke to me and then laughed at her friends.  She was showing that she was bold enough to “hit on me” so to speak.  She only said, “hi” but I never felt unsafe.  I think that if this was a group of boys and they walked passed a female she would have had a different feeling, even if she is a black belt or if she’s packing.  The feeling of personal safety of women and girls is real.

People make and ASA, Automatic safety assessment, and men and women make different assessments based on our gender.  People of color make these assessment on the regular.

One afternoon Naeem Muhammad and I checked into a hotel in the deep south……

We opened the door, walked into the room and looked out the window.   The window of the room faced a parking lot and the side of wooded hill side.  Immediately, I walked to window and looked at the brother with me in the eye.   He looked at me and said, “Yeah” and I closed the curtains.  We made the “Black man – Muslim” in the deep south Automatic-Safety-Assessment moment together.  Women go through this kind of feeling and ASA many times a day.

A World Without Violence Against Women

If men were a nation and women were a different nation among other nations, the United Nations would gather together against the nation of men for crimes against humanity or genocide.

How positive the world with be if women felt safe.  We would like to think that promise of the Quran and the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (as) to honor, provide safety, provide education, give inheritance, the right to divorce, the right to work outside of the home, amicable dissolution of marriage ……

The reality is that Muslim men and women don’t have the knowledge or the understanding to combat violence against women by men.  These men are not devils.  They are “Well Meaning Men”.  I am sharing the book that I edited along with Imam Mohammad Magid, ” What Islam Says About Domestic Violence”.

I am sitting with an activist from Miami.  She has raised a critical issue – The Power of Words.  Batterer don’t have enough stigma.  We need to some new words, what do you call a person that beats women.  Punk has a powerful pejorative.

The world I would like to see, is a world where women are respected in their homes, houses of worship, neighborhoods, workplaces, schools and society.

A Call To Men: Stopping Violence Agains Women

Salaam:

I will be spending today and tomorrow attending the conference to deal with violence against women.  In the opening of the conference we have gone over the history of violence against women.   The presentation dealt with race, gender and the abuse of power of primarily white males.

The facts were presented that in the period of slavery violence against ALL women was condoned.  That murder or beating of women was legal.  We have come from all types of backgrounds police, social work, religious support groups and coalitions that work around violence against women.

The rape crisis movement has raised the issue of violence against women and girls in the 1990’s.  The burden of this work in to place men at the center of violence prevention.

The workshops and groups are developing in different communities, faiths and cultures: Men to Men (English speaking groups)/Hombre a’ Hombre (Latino groups)/Garson a’ Garson (Haitian groups).

If women could stop the violence from men they would have done it.  A women who was a self-profest feminist sexual violence advocate shared that she had to learn the lesson that men and women have to work side-by-side to stop the violence.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ABOUT MUSLIM YOUTH FALLING INTO “RADICALIZATION”?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Inner-Attainment TV – Washington, DC

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ABOUT MUSLIM YOUTH FALLING INTO “RADICALIZATION”?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE FIVE NORTHERN VA MUSLIM YOUTH THAT GOT ARRESTED IN PAKISTAN?

GOT AN OPINION? WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU!

On Monday, February 1, 2010 at 6:30pm, Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, host of “Living Islam in America,” will host an engaging town-hall session. The discussion will explore the dynamics of “radicalization” amongst Muslim youth.

We are seeking participants between 18 and 30 years old who represent the spectrum of gender, ethnic and ideological diversity. Most importantly, however, we are seeking participants that have opinions they are not afraid to express. This discussion will be lively and frank.

At the conclusion of the town hall we will select up to 12 of the most outspoken and engaging participants and invite them to participate in the studio taping of “Living Islam in America” on Monday, February 8, 2010.

There are only 30 spots available for the town-hall discussion. We ask that all interested person do the following two things:

(1) Reply to this email with the following information:

NAME:

AGE:

GENDER:

ETHNICITY:

WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC?

(2) – Click on the following link - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M3C9Q5V - and complete the brief 10-question survey.   Even if you are not selected to participate in the town hall session, your responses to this survey will help shape that discussion and ultimately the direction of the studio recording.

About “Living Islam in America”

Our flagship project, “Living Islam in America” – scheduled to launch on broadcast television in the Washington, DC metropolitan area early this year – is a thirty minute discussion/magazine formatted series hosted by Imam Johari Abdul Malik. The primary goal of the program is to educate the general population about the faith and culture of Islam and the burgeoning Muslim communities throughout America and the world.

For more information about Inner-Attainment Television (IAT) please click on the following link to our website: www.ia-tv.org

Thank you.

Urban Muslims Use Art to Challenge Stereotypes & Work for Social Change

As-Salaamu alaikum,  Something is happening at The Apollo this weekend.  IMAN is leading a Youth Movement with Muslims using art as tool of resistance to racism and discrimination.  This event will connect American Muslims to their roots in the Afro-American community in Harlem on the ground that has been preserved by great leaders like Mayor Percy Sutton.  I’m from New York and I remember Percy Sutton’s campaign for mayor “You’re on the button – with Sutton”.  My mother took me to see Bill Cosby live when I was knee-high to a grasshopper and we went into the alley to the backstage door and I got my first autograph from a big name star.  As a high school student I saw James Brown and his big band with Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley.

This gathering on the shoulders of the institution that Percy Sutton struggled to maintain from the era of the civil rights struggle until today will host  Muslim cultural-warriors who are fighting the civil rights struggle today – the stereotyping of Muslim men, women and youth.

The media needs to give voice to this growing movement lead by cultural artists from the Muslim community; comedian- Preacher Moss-Allah Made Me Funny, from roots of rap, from The Last Poets to Amir Sulaiman, up from hip-hop with artisans like Mos Def and Lupe’ Fiasco.

We need to talk about this movement – A Muslim Cultural non-violent Youth lead resistance to racism, discrimination and oppression.  This work will have implications for the de-radicalization of Muslim youth worldwide.  The most power tool America has in the world today  is its culture.  We are exporting the Muslim Youth culture of speaking truth to power with non-violence and this is our contribution to bringing peace to the worldwide jihad that is targeting thw West but that is destroying the Muslim world; from Darfur, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia…..

Urban Muslims Use Art to Challenge Stereotypes & Work for Social Change

IMAN at the Apollo: Special Edition of Community Cafe.

WHO: Mos Def, Aasif Mandvi from the Daily Show, HBO Def Jam poets Liza Garza & Amir Sulaiman, Azhar Usman from Allah Made Me Funny and many more nationally recognized Muslim artists

WHERE: The Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York 253 West 125th Street, Harlem, NY

WHEN: Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 7:30-10:30pm

WHAT: Over 1,500 people will gather…needs to talk about the event itself.

IMAN will be hosting one of the first Muslim-led art & culture event of its kind at the Apollo Theater, a premiere institution in the Harlem Renaissance and a symbol of America’s rich and diverse cultural history. A diverse crowd of over 1,500 will come together to witness powerful performances that deliver a vast array of stories, sounds, movement and visual art from rich cultures all across the urban Muslim community. IMAN continues the Muslim tradition of creating some of the most powerful artistic movements in the world; movements that celebrate our oneness as humans.

WHY: American Muslims represent many ethnic and cultural traditions, placing them at the forefront in bridging differences between disparate communities. IMAN at the Apollo seeks to do just that by showcasing diverse Muslim artists that speak for empowerment and social change.

HOW: American Muslims will use the arts as a transformative tool to promote social change and bring together diverse communities

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The Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) is a community-based nonprofit that works for social justice, delivers a range of direct services, and cultivates the arts in urban communities. Since 1997, IMAN has engaged the arts as a way to build bridges, increase cross-cultural dialogue and build mutual understanding. Signature arts events include Takin’ it to the Streets and Community Cafe, both based in Chicago and expanding tremendously since their inception.

Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN)
2744 West 63rd Street
Chicago, IL 60629
(773) 434-IMAN; (773) 303-8858 fax
Visit our web site: www.imancentral.org

Contact: Ahlam Said (773) 434-IMAN (day) 469-835-7551 (eve) (773) 303-8858 (fax) ahlam@imancentral.org

Stand for the Environment! Now!

As-Salaamu alaikum,

As an Imam I believe we that must stand for the environment and therefore we must let our government know where we stand.  I stand with The Alaska Conference of Catholic Bishops and ask you to join with us in stopping the cosponsorship of this bill. Alaska conference of catholic bishops

We’ve learned that Sen. Webb’s staff is meeting today to decide whether or not he will co-sponsor the “Murkowski amendment” introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

The Murkowski amendment is being dubbed the “Dirty Air Act”.

It would:
*  Weaken the Clean Air Act that protects our air and climate.
*  Roll back the Obama Administration regulations that protect us from polluters putting greenhouse gases in the air.
* Amount to a bail-out for big polluters.
* Strip away our ability to enforce the pollution reductions we need to stop climate change.

Instead of looking for ways to delay action, Senators need to finalize comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation as soon as possible. Clergy and green leaders from dozens of congregations, including many in Northern Virginia, testified passionately at the EPA last Spring about why we are called to care for Creation, and in support of the EPA’s “endangerment finding” that it must regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act.

Now, the Murkowski amendment threatens to undo what we fought so hard for last spring.

The faith community in Alaska has spoken up, asking Senator Murkowski to take strong action on climate change. I’m attaching a letter from the Alaska conference of Catholic bishops.

Please call Senator Webb right now and let him know that the faith communities in Virginia, too, support Creation care, not his support for the Murkowski amendment.

Call the Northern Virginia district office.
Tell them that you are a constituent and give them your address:703-573-7090

Please drop me a line to let me know you called, and how it went.

–
Joelle Novey, director
Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light
Our religious response to climate change.
joelle@gwipl.org

Help local congregations save energy, go green, and respond toclimate change:
http://www.gwipl.org/support_us.asp

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): The Lessons of Non-Violent Resistance at At-Taif

620 C.E. Leaders of Ta’if

Muhammad was received by the three chiefs of the local tribes of Ta’if[1] and they let him freely have his say, however, they paid little heed to his message. After a while they even showed signs of apprehension lest his welcome in Ta’if might embroil them with the Meccans, so they left him to be dealt with by street urchins and the riff raff of the town.

Rejection

By rejecting Muhammad’s religion, the people of Ta’if ordered their children to throw rocks and stones at Muhammad and Zayd to make them leave the city and never come back. Muhammad and Zayd were finally turned out by mocking and jeering crowds. The rocks that were thrown at Muhammad and Zayd by the Ta’if children caused them to bleed. Both were wounded and bleeding as they left Ta’if behind them. Muhammad bled so profusely from the stoning that his feet became clotted to his shoes.

Vineyard

Once Muhammad and Zayd were outside the city walls, Muhammad almost collapsed.  They went a short distance outside of the town and stopped in a vineyard that belonged to two Meccans who were there at the time.

The owners of the vineyard had seen Muhammad been persecuted in Mecca and on this occasion they felt some sympathy toward their fellow townsman. He took Muhammad into his hut, dressed his wounds, and let him rest and recuperate until he felt strong enough to resume his journey across the rough terrain between Ta’if and Mecca.  It was there that the angel Gabriel came to him with the angel of mountains and said that if Muhammad wanted would blow the mountains over the people of Ta’if.

Muhammad prayed:

After going through such hardship and torment by the people of Taif, the Noble Prophet (pbuh) turned to our Lord and Creator and said:

To You, my Lord,
I complain of my weakness,
lack of support and the humiliation I am made to receive.
Most Compassionate and Merciful!
You are the Lord of the weak,
and you are my Lord.
To whom do You leave me?
To a distant person who receives me with hostility?
Or to an enemy You have given power over me?
As long as you are not displeased with me,
I do not care what I face.
I would, however,
be much happier with Your mercy.
I seek refuge in the light of Your face by which all darkness is
dispelled and both this life and the life to come are put in
their right course against incurring your wrath or being the
subject of your anger.
To You I submit,
until I earn Your pleasure.
Everything is powerless without your support.

No Revenge from the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh.

`Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I asked the Prophet (PBUH) “Have you ever experienced a day harder than the day of the battle of Uhud?” He replied, “Indeed, I experienced them (dangers) at the hands of your people (i.e., the disbelievers from amongst the Quraish tribe). The hardest treatment I met from them was on the Day of `Aqabah when I went to Ibn `Abd Yalil bin `Abd Kulal (who was one of the chiefs of Ta’if) with the purpose of inviting him to Islam, but he made no response (to my call). So I departed with deep distress. I did not recover until I arrived at Qarn ath-Tha`alib. There, I raised my head and saw a cloud which had cast its shadow on me. I saw in it Jibril (Gabriel) (PBUH) who called me and said: `Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, heard what your people said to you and the response they made to you. And He has sent you the angel in charge of the mountains to order him to do to them what you wish.’ Then the angel of the mountains called me, greeted me and said: `O Muhammad, Allah listened to what your people had said to you. I am the angel of the mountains, and my Rubb has sent me to you so that you may give me your orders. (I will carry out your orders). If you wish I will bring together the two mountains that stand opposite to each other at the extremities of Makkah to crush them in between.”’ But Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “I rather hope that Allah will raise from among their descendants people as will worship Allah the One, and will not ascribe partners to Him (in worship).”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary:  In the vicinity of Al-Madinah stands a mountain, called Uhud, where the `Battle of Uhud’ took place. It was in this battle that the Prophet’s face was wounded, one of his molars was broken and he fell into a pit dug by `Amr Ar-Rahib. Besides, his uncle, Hamzah (May Allah be pleased with him) was martyred and the disbelievers mutilated his body.

`Aqabah was a place at Ta’if where Messenger of Allah (PBUH) rode up from Makkah and met the worst experience. Or, it could be that the incident occurred somewhere at Mina where, during the Hajj season, he urged the different clans to accept the message of Islam so as to seek their help to establish the true religion. Qarn Ath-Tha`alib is also the name of a place which is the Miqat (transit-point where pilgrims assume the state of Ihram) of the Najd people.

This Hadith also reflects the marvellous character of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that he never rebuked the ignorant and those who caused him harm, nor did he ever avenge anybody on grounds of personal hostility. Secondly, he would endure all forms of hardships in the way of Allah with patience and endurance. He never became furious over his harassers, rather he prayed for their guidance. No doubt, the Prophetic life-pattern perennially provides inspiration to preachers and religious instructors. The responsibility of preaching is not a bed of roses but a thorny path to tread on. It is not the welcome and applause which is meted out to him, but people’s taunts, reproaches and insults are heaped on the preacher. Consequently, patience, self-possession, self-control and tolerance are vital to braving trials and tribulations in the way of Allah.

Riyad-us-Saleheen, Chapter 75

A Voice Crying in the Wilderness for Non-Violence

As-Salaamu alaikum,

Someone may ask who am i to make this call:

i am nobody, i am nothing, i am a single voice crying out in the wilderness of North America, i am a caller, a caller to peace, a caller to non-violent resistance, i am an American, i am a Muslim calling as the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, did.  Calling for ten years of peace and non-violence.

Let everyone who has a voice, artists, athletes, preachers, doctors, teachers, workers, professionals, day-laborers, documented and people out-of-status, Jews-Christians-Muslims-Hundus-Sikh-Jain-Zoroastrians-Buddhist-Mormon-Friend or Foe -Atheist – Agnostic – Believers in anything and believers in nothing……

Learn the language of Non-Violence and Practice it in our world today.

Right now! i am not interested in who’s right,

Right now! i am not interested in who’s wrong,

Right now! i am calling for an unconditional cease-fire

And He said follow My way that you might be successful….live and let live….

i am hip to the devils game!

kill and be killed, an eye for an eye

The management of low-level conflict.

Divide and conquer, call it what you want…

The Muslim world is destroying its own future, fighting over who gets control.  The West is fighting for security that only makes us less secure.  The killing isn’t about faith it’s about winning.  Allah says that, ‘God gives sovereignty to whomever God chooses’.

Our quest for justice has become a blood thirsty quest for revenge.  The Prophet’s that I know never took revenge.

It is time for a radical call for non-violence before more innocent people are killed while we debate who is winning the war.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X were coming together at the ends of their lives.  Let’s come together before the end of our lives.