Summary

The web content discusses the importance of grieving and prayer in the face of ongoing racial injustice, emphasizing the need for Muslims to support Black communities and fight oppression.

Abstract

The article expresses deep sorrow over the persistent violence against Black individuals and underscores the spiritual necessity of mourning these losses. It recounts the author's experience attending a lecture by Sheikha Ieasha Prime, which focused on the significance of crying and seeking divine refuge amidst the pain of racial injustice. The piece highlights the teachings of Islam that call for the protection of the oppressed and the pursuit of justice, referencing the Quran, hadiths, and the wisdom of Imam Ali. It also stresses the importance of empowering the families of victims and acknowledging the unique struggles of Black people, urging non-Black Muslims to confront racism within their own communities. The author provides resources for education and activism, encouraging readers to become informed allies and to support organizations like the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative.

Opinions

The author believes that while action is crucial, it must be accompanied by prayer and grief to be sustainable.
Sheikha Ieasha Prime is quoted to emphasize the spiritual importance of crying and grieving as a response to the loss of humanity.
Omar Suleiman's opinion is cited to affirm the rights of victims' families to seek justice and to highlight the societal impact of injustice.
The author points out that the struggle against racism is not equivalent to other forms of oppression and that Black people face unique challenges globally.
The author advocates for the recognition of privileges held by non-Black people of color and calls for introspection within Arab and Latinx communities regarding anti-Black racism.
The article suggests that the visibility of current events could be a catalyst for change and encourages gratitude for the increased awareness of racial injustice.
The author endorses specific resources and organizations as valuable tools for Muslims to engage in anti-racism work and education.

We Haven't Cried Enough

Grieving the loss of humanity this week

Illustration by Torrenta Y via Shutterstock

I write today with a heavy heart. As our Black brothers and sisters are being violently and constantly oppressed before our eyes, I wanted to share with you words of inspiration, to talk about our religious duty as Muslims to fight injustice and brutality. I wanted to quote the Quran and tell you that whoever saves one life it is as if she had saved all of mankind (3:32). I wanted to tell you about our Prophet's hadith and remind you to fear the prayer of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah. I wanted to share with you the righteous teachings of Imam Ali and how in his last minutes of life he urges us to be the rivals of oppressors and the aids of the oppressed. But nothing I can write now will possibly make sense of the tragedy that is (thankfully) impossible to ignore this week.

Grieving the loss of humanity

"It’s part of our spiritual well being that we find someplace to cry this week" — Sheikha Ieasha Prime

I joined Sheikha Ieasha Prime’s weekly class at ICNYU looking for answers this Wednesday. I wanted to find more fuel to act, to support, to talk about the roles we each have as allies. I soon realized that the lecture was not about our religious duties, but about grief. About being concerned with the loss of humanity.

To my surprise, Sheikha Ieasha talked about the importance of crying. Of crying out to God and seeking refuge. It seemed so counterintuitive when our first impulse is to act, to donate, to be out in the streets, to post. And we absolutely should be supporting each other and Black communities around us as much as we can. But action without grieving, action without prayer, is simply unsustainable.

I noticed that so many of my friends, as well as myself, have been utterly exhausted this week. Numb to the point of not knowing what is physical exhaustion and what is emotional. It wasn't until I truly submitted to prayer, to grieve for the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery from the bottom of my heart, crying for the loss of life happening before us that I was truly able to engage in the movement with more energy and spiritual strength.

“It’s time to move hearts. That’s when things change — when our hearts begin to move” — Sheikha Ieasha Prime

We need to empower the victims of injustice

An important part of grieving is empowering grieving families. As much as this is a human rights movement, we must not forget this is a human movement. Omar Suleiman mentioned this week how in Surah Al-Isra we are reminded that for whoever is killed unjustly, the family is given rights and authority. They are fully empowered to demand retribution and justice or to show mercy as they please. We must affirm the full right of the victim and the families of the victims of this oppressive system. We must listen to their grief.

As we march in the streets and mobilize our resources, let us not forget to cry with the families for the dehumanization of Black lives. Let us not forget to pray for them. To truly share in their grief and submit to the overwhelming pain they are immersed in. To allow our prayers to move our hearts towards listening and seeking justice.

"Society suffocates when there is injustice" — Omar Suleiman

Turning to hope

A dear friend of mine pointed out the importance of finding hope in the middle of all of this. This is a person who has lived her entire life as a war refugee, who experienced the grief of losing a parent to armed conflict. While she has experienced more pain than many of us could ever fathom, she was the first person to remind me this week of the importance of finding space for hope and gratitude. To pray that the unmissable visibility of violence, that the outcry for the individual names that would otherwise be left in the darkness will be a turning point for humanity. Pray for this communal grief we are experiencing to have the power to truly change hearts that were unmoved before. To thank God for bringing the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Dreasjon Reed, Jamel Floyd, Marielle Franco, João Pedro and so many more to the consciousness of millions of people around the world.

A note on supporting black communities

As Muslims, our community is not new to the dangers of oppression. It has been part of our history from the early years of Islam. But I would remiss if I didn't emphasize that, while it is important to build coalitions and look at this as an intersectional human rights issue, we must not equate the experience of Black people to other struggles. From a personal perspective, I am starting to see honest conversations that emerge in my Arab and Latinx communities about how being brown awards many of us privileges, even if they differ culturally and geographically in status. For example, I hold privileges as someone from Arab descent in my home country Brazil that don't translate into the Arab experience as a resident of the United States. But we must remember this — there is nowhere in the world where it's easier to be Black. This is not a conversation that pertains to all people of color. We must look within our own communities and sincerely ask ourselves how we can do better and acknowledge the racism towards Black people that is pervasive absolutely everywhere.

Resources

Bryanna Wallace and Autumn Gupta have created this amazing resource on how to become more informed and be an active ally to Black communities by taking 10 to 45 minutes of your day dedicated to this effort. It has information and action items. Please consider using this month to broaden your knowledge as it relates to our responsibility as Muslims to stand against oppression and educate ourselves.
The Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative has a great anti-racism essential reading list for Muslims that I encourage everyone to check out. It provides a great introduction and framework for doing anti-racism work in the Muslim community. On that note, they are also a great organization to support now and always. They relentlessly fight for our Black brothers and sisters, creating space for learning and cultivating solutions for racial equity.

Do you have more helpful resources to add? Please share them in the comments below.

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