MSNBC Journalist Joy Reid made the following comments recently on the program she hosts:
“Leaders — let’s say in the Muslim world — talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence, including on their own bodies, in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy. We in the U.S. media describe them as they are ‘radicalizing’ those people — particularly when they’re radicalizing young people. That’s how we talk about the way Muslims act. When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?”
Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed made the following comments after being asked about Ms. Reid’s remarks:
“We are not ordinarily inclined to address the remarks of journalists. In most cases we listen to them to be informed generally and we are simultaneously considering that as we listen it is revealed that most of their opinions come from a superficial knowledge or understanding of the subject at hand. That is why journalists must quote experts of the field they are reporting about. Their true skill is characterized by their ability to quote expertise and thus tell the stories of the day. Journalism expertise, in most cases, is in the story-telling. There are a few very special journalists who have distinguished themselves by their depth of understanding. Gwen Ifill, Walter Cronkite, Tony Brown, Charlene Hunter-Gault, Irv Kupcinet and the like of them are a rare and distinguished group in the journalist class of excellent reporting and opinion.
Ms. Reid’s comments on Muslim world leadership reflect profound biases and deep ignorance, but also a singular truth . The bias and ignorance is not from journalistic arrogance. It is the bias and ignorance of American pop-culture, and the elitism of white-world authority as an influence in the minds and souls of its subjects. The African-American psyche often speaks from the pain of oppression even when it finds opportunities in the white world establishments to speak. Ms. Reid is not an expert nor claims expertise in her knowledge of Islam or the Muslim world. Her knowledge base on this matter is the cross-section of ignorance, biases, and pain, not knowledge.
In my view she speaks from the hurt of an oppressed existence. I say this as a leader in the Muslim world. From the perspective of what I represent in the Muslim-American Leadership Tradition of our late leader W. Deen Mohammed and his father, the implication in Ms. Reid’s remarks is that our African-American Muslim life does not count in the estimation and summary of what Islam is in the American public mind. On the contrary, our perception and practice of Muslim life matters most, especially in this time of confused knowledge and sensitivities coming from world leadership and its supporting mechanisms. In fact, our perception of human life in human society matters and registers in the highest realm of existence.
Political uproar and hyperbole matters nothing against Truth. The truth is that general Muslim leadership in the world have lost their moral ground, and this is also the truth spoken in Ms. Reid’s remarks. However, ‘radicalization’ is more political terminology in the schemes of orchestrators than it is truth. Notwithstanding the very real, condemnable crimes of the enemies of human beings who occupy many seats of influence in the Muslim world, the term ‘radicalization’ as it refers to Muslims has meaning for governments and politicians and journalists who are scheming and faking their way in assessing the needs in human life and aims in the culture. Ms. Reid is guessing and borrowing from her masters, and doing that guessing and borrowing from within the hurt-feelings context of a damaged African-American psyche.
The fact is that Islam has no tradition of violence. There is no sanction or acceptance in Islam for any injustice, whether against an individual or group. This principle is plain and easy to discern. Muhammed the Prophet said “It is better to allow a guilty party to go free than to punish an innocent one.” This teaching is a reflection of the Holy Qur’an principle, and is the highest standard of a straight, universal system of Justice. It is not a dream existence. In other words, Islam is innocent, and the Muslim-American community is an example and demonstration of that innocence. If Ms. Reid cannot perceive its innocence then she will obviously not be able to report on it correctly or effectively. That is the concern of Muslims, and it is my most important concern - to promote the correct image of Islam.
As for the relevance of the President of the United States’ influence in the world, we seek protection with Allah from the rejected enemy and his schemes. In this instance it appears that the part of his scheme to sit and occupy G’d’s Throne is in full operation. And we are reminded that the enemy of man is an arrogant rejecter of G’ds Authority and man’s created dignity, and that his schemes are weak.”