Originally posted on 11/19/2019
Our faith in G'd requires us to ponder, consider deeply the condition of all oppressed Peoples. I would like to think that most African-Americans, not just us Muslims, would think in this way. We are a people who have had great suffering in our past and that suffering was witnessed by the nations. Peoples who have felt the abuses of oppression should feel a special sensitivity for others similarly abused. It rises to an obligation for those with an Islamic conscience. As Muslims, we are to offer assistance to those oppressed with the intent of helping to relieve the effects of that oppression or to help remove the causes of the injustices in whatever manner we are able that is acceptable to G'd and complies with our highest ethical sense of decency and intelligence.
Our assistance must be thoughtful and well-meaning with no unjust and hidden agendas or motives. It must respect our moral obligations to ourselves. It cannot be reckless, or place any unwanted or unwarranted risk or discomfort on other's innocence. This is our duty as Muslims. This is required of us as people of faith in G'd under Islamic teachings. Our Prophet Muhammed, the prayers and the peace be on him, taught and demonstrated this reality. I believe that faithful Jews and Christians will join me in this awareness and commitment. Our late leader, Imam W. Deen Mohammed, was the friend to all oppressed Peoples and all Peoples of Faith. In the late '90's he visited the occupied territories and Chairman Yasser Arafat with these interests in mind. He also visited over many years with Jewish congregations and leaders and his message to them was received with respect.
When we look at the condition of the Palestinian People, study it, we cannot be unmoved. It must appear, even to the untrained and least informed, that this is a People unjustly locked into cycles and systems of perpetual conflict with a domineering, arrogant, abusive, ruling regime. For all of my lifetime, over 50 years, I know that the Palestinian People have suffered the disrespect of their humanity and the denial of their legitimate and righteous claims to an existence that would afford them the dignity and rights of citizenship. When I reflect on this I see that the question does not only center on issues of 'statehood'. This is a major concern, but it is not the central concern for us Muslims observing from America. We are thinking of what the common man and woman, child, family, naturally desire for themselves as essentials in this modern world of inter-connected social systems, and how it could be possible that the Palestinian people are not able to acquire that. I do not think that the common Palestinian person is only thinking of 'statehood', or only in terms of a national pride. I observe that the issue for them is much more fundamental than that. Statehood is the public language coming out of the mouths of representatives, but what the People are asking for essentially is no more than a dignified human existence, to which they are entitled by natural right. We, who come from the history of slavery in America and the struggle against oppression and all of its related pathologies and abuses, know this deep within our minds and hearts. We can clearly identify the problem.
The Palestinian leadership is not sinless, and we are always praying that those with the healthier hearts will understand the necessity of repairing their behavior. Reactions in desperation are hardly ever governed by principle and these desperate acts fall even lower on the human scale when they are encouraged by leadership. But, neither are any of this world's leadership, including the United States and Israel, sinless. On behalf of their People, Palestinian leaders have sought recognition and counsel from the international community. In years past, they have received recognition from the United Nations as to the legitimacy of their claims. They have sought assistance in our American government for an honest, even-handed negotiating partner who would also respect just Israeli interests and concerns for an honorable peace.
What we observe now with this White House administration, first moving its Embassy to Jerusalem, and now declaring that Israeli settlements previously deemed unlawful in the occupied area by the international world are not unjust and do not reflect an affront to the peace process, appears to be no less than the morally blind tactics of a strategy of calculated insensitivity toward the Palestinian cause and unfairly favoring the Israeli ruling characteristics of dominance, heavy-handedness, forced compliance, and intimidation. How can Palestinians view these actions by the United States as that of an honest, impartial partner for a just and honorable peace?
We are a largely un-established Muslim African-American people. We have the dignity of our religious and cultural life and the honor of our American citizenship, but we continue to struggle for our own economic and social stability and planning for our own good future as Muslims and Americans. We have no stature or desire to survey the world or lecture leaders. Yet, our dreams for the best possible human life extends beyond the pains of our struggles in America, and joins with the causes for justice of the Palestinians, the Kashmiris, the Rohingya, and all others who are deserving to be respected in their humane claims. It extends to Jewish congregations in the world threatened by bigotry and violence.
We want the best for all People, and not to the destruction of any others. No less is required of Muslims no matter our economic or social influence. It is beneath us as a People of Faith to not desire for all others what we desire for ourselves. I sound this concern in the ears of our American government to consider more of the promises of freedom and justice, and to obey the demands of our special American democracy with the sense of conscience that reflects the impartial obligations it proclaims as the entitlements of all free People. Common sense says that this American obligation is above that of any special relationship with Israel, or any other nation.