Currently Browsing: Notes
notes
Trump Has Trumped the “Wait and See Crowd”
by Imam Zaid Shakir
There are some well-meaning folks who thought Donald J. Trump would be an “America First” isolationist president, despite his sabre rattling during the primaries and his promise to build up the military. When he staffed his cabinet with generals, wall street riff raff, and white nationalists many of those people…
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notes
International Women’s Day
by Imam Zaid Shakir
International Women’s Day is on 8th March. The day has been set aside to celebrate the social, economic and political accomplishments of women. March is a most appropriate month for such a celebration. In the northern hemisphere, March signals the arrival of spring and the blossoming flowers whose colors and…
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notes
Justice In This World
by Imam Zaid Shakir
As we work for justice in this world, let us never lose sight of the fact that ultimately we are not living for this world we are living in it. We search assiduously for the program that will assure the most abundant share of justice for ourselves and those we…
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Reality Check
by Imam Zaid Shakir
One man asked another with a bit of a stutter Has Trump got you down in the dumps? The other man said I’m doing just fine and here is the reason why. The birds yet sing, the sun yet shines and the clouds still float across the…
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Chaos or Community
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Chaos or Community The events of this past weekend, beginning with the Trump Administration’s anti-Muslim executive order and culminating with the murder of six Muslims at a mosque in Quebec have sent chilling signals to the Muslim community in North America. Many Muslims are not surprised by these developments, knowing…
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notes
The Fourth Reich Did Not Begin Today
by Imam Zaid Shakir
The legendary singer, actor and activist, Harry Belafonte, recently referred to the advent of the Trump presidency as the Fourth Reich, the heir apparent to Hitler’s Third Reich. Others have expressed similar sentiments. While the nature of Trump’s campaign and the dark forces it has helped to unleash, along…
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Brothers On The Block
by Imam Zaid Shakir
If you’re feeling afraid about an anti-Muslim attack, The brothers on the block always got your back. Some started down in the streets, but now they gaze firmly above, So take a little time to show the brothers some love. They’ve weathered recessions and the ravages of inflation.
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Election 2016
by Imam Zaid Shakir
America today is no different than it was yesterday. The sun will shine, the birds will chirp and the clouds will still roll across the sky. We need to move beyond the cycle of panicked reactions to crises, real or perceived, and begin working more systematically to address issues concerning…
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notes
Trump: The Chicken That Came Home to Roost
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Jen Senko’s brilliant documentary, “The Brainwashing of My Dad,” examines the systematic popularizing of the raunchy racism, misogyny, and anti-Muslim bigotry that has come to dominate our political discourse through the lens of her father’s transformation from a normal guy into a mean-spirited nasty bigot. Her father’s “demise,” facilitated by…
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notes
Like A Flower
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Like a flower her smile reveals the truth, Her clarity defies the need for proofs. That even in these dark days of our hate, To blossom and to shine shall be our fate. The deep morass that couches our sins, Can be traversed if we but look…
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notes
Choose Wisely!
by Imam Zaid Shakir
One of the reasons many Muslim women find it difficult to find a viable mate is the increasingly large number of Muslim men who are choosing to marry non-Muslim women. Of course this is something that is lawful in Islam. That being said, in choosing a mate one has to…
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notes
Sun Setting Into The Western Sea
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Sun setting into the western sea,
More beautiful than Joyce Kilmer’s tree.
Sun setting into the western sea,
Is there a reality onshore she’s trying to flee?
Or is she simply obeying the Divine command -Be!
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Standing at Arafat, Standing with Standing Rock, Standing in the Need of Prayer
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Today is the greatest of days. It is the day the pilgrims will stand on Arafat longing for the Mercy of their Lord. It is one of the days that sees the deeds of the servants multiplied in ways unmatched throughout the year. It is the day when the final…
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notes
Not a Hate Crime
by Imam Zaid Shakir
An elderly Muslim woman, Nazma Khanam, is brutally stabbed to death in New York, but it is not a hate crime. A few weeks earlier, in the same neighborhood, two Muslim Imams are singled out and executed in broad daylight, but it is not a hate crime. Three Muslim college…
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Descent Into No Dissent?
by Imam Zaid Shakir
I had the great honor of presiding over both the funeral prayer and memorial service for Muhammad Ali. I was scheduled to deliver the final speech at both of those events. The funeral prayer was scheduled for an hour and a portion of that time was spend establishing order. There…
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Thank You Allah!
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Thank you Allah for the mind that produced these words. Thank you Allah, for private thoughts, shared with only You, unheard. Thank you Allah for gracing me to see another day. Thank you Allah for blessing me with the ability to say… “Thank you Allah.” Thank you…
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