So You Want to Start Dismantling Anti-Blackness With Your Community?
This month we want to discuss racism within the Muslim community and how each one of us can help in dismantling this system within our communities.
We are well aware of Islamophobia but something Muslim communities fail to acknowledge and provide support for is the racism BIPOC Muslims can face. To further this conversation we need to understand the unique way our Black Muslim brothers and sisters experience both.
It’s crucial to remember that everyone has their own unique experiences and factors (such as gender, religion, race, class, etc.) that mold their identity. The term “intersectionality” is defined by Kimberle Crenshaw as “a lens through which you see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects.” These intersectionalities can not only define how a person sees themselves but also how others see them and thus how others discriminate against them. Since 2020, there has been a 49% increase in anti-Black hate crimes in the United States.
February 6, 2022
Black Americans face a multitude of issues including economic and housing inequity. The median annual wage for Black workers is approximately 30 percent, or $10,000, lower than that of white workers.
The Bronx apartment fire in January that took the lives of 17 Black Muslim brothers and sisters is a heartbreaking example of this racial inequity. This tragedy unearthed important conversations from Black Muslims on social media, many expressing their disappointment with the lack of responses from American Muslim communities. Many say they are not surprised by such silence because the victims were Black and African. While Black Muslims make up a fifth of Muslim Americans in the United States, their issues seem to be at the bottom of the list.
Last December, Rep. Ilhan Omar shared a recording of death threats she received. In the recording, she is called slurs that are both anti-Black and anti-Muslim. These crucial moments should awaken our communities and call us to join together against racism, to have deeper conversations about the intersection of racism and Islamophobia. We also need to reflect individually and ask ourselves if we have our own bias. If so, how do we tackle that?
It is difficult to articulate to fellow Muslims that their actions or words can hurt you, that they too have racial bias and prejudice. While we as an ummah follow the same religion, which teaches us that we are one and equal, we also need to remember that we are humans with our own personal flaws. While researching for this article I came across a piece written by Jamilah A. Karim, titled “To Be Black, Female, And Muslim: A Candid Conversation about Race in the American Ummah.” where she says:
“I’m seen as an african american before I’m seen as a Muslim american. i’m seen as an african american, then a muslim, for whatever reasons or prejudices other people have.”
This quote speaks volumes to the experiences that many Black Muslims feel. Black Muslims make up 20% of the country’s overall Muslim population. Yet, I have personally seen Muslims and non-Muslims question Black Muslims Islamic knowledge or give confused looks that when Black Muslims affirm they are indeed, “both Black and Muslim.” We also face ridiculous stereotypes that we or our parents must’ve converted to Islam while in jail, instead of considering the vast differing histories of Black Muslims within America.
It can be hard to have an open dialogue about religion and race, and especially racism within your religious community. Combating your own prejudice can be even harder, but it is a necessary step toward achieving true equality of Black Muslims in our communities. These dialogues strengthen our ummah and help create a safer environment. “Act against those who oppress people and transgress (sin) against justice.” Surah 42:42-43. Having these conversations and educating ourselves and one another is a form of social justice and actively helps those being oppressed.
To expand your knowledge of Black Muslim Americans, and learn how you can help, check out Sapelo Square, an organization dedicated to solving the erasure of Black Muslim voices, history, and culture.
To start amplifying your Black Muslim brothers and sisters, please take time to advocate for the victims’ families of the Bronx fire. They have opened a lawsuit against the city and need our advocacy. Money donated to the Bronx Fire Relief Fund will aid the victims' families.
Sources:
“2020 FBI Hate Crimes Statistics.” The United States Department of Justice, The Untied States Department of Justice, 9 Dec. 2021, https://www.justice.gov/crs/highlights/2020-hate-crimes-statistics.
III, Shelley Stewart, et al. “The Economic State of Black America: What Is and What Could Be.” McKinsey & Company, McKinsey & Company, 31 Jan. 2022, https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/the-economic-state-of-black-america-what-is-and-what-could-be.
Mohamed, Besheer, and Jeff Diamant. “Black Muslims Account for a Fifth of All U.S. Muslims, and about Half Are Converts to Islam.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 18 Aug. 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/black-muslims-account-for-a-fifth-of-all-u-s-muslims-and-about-half-are-converts-to-islam/.
