New Islamic DirectionsThe official site of Imam Zaid Shakir
Notes

Statement on the Killing of Charlie Kirk

By Imam Zaid Shakir · September 11, 2025

An assassin’s bullet ended the life of Charlie Kirk. As Muslims, we reject the misinformed, xenophobic fear-mongering Kirk engaged in against our community. We likewise deplore Kirk’s wholesale endorsement of the Zionists’ ongoing genocidal slaughter and starvation of innocent civilians in Gaza.
We abhor Kirk’s incendiary rhetoric and demagogic hate-mongering; however, we abhor the type of political violence that ended his life even more. Such violence only serves to further polarize conflicting political factions, rendering them less prone to civilized discourse and more prone to savage acts of violence. Without wise leadership and skilled statesmanship, that violence could well escalate into the type of internecine strife that has destroyed many nations.
At this tense time in both American and global affairs, we cannot allow violence to become the preferred instrument for adjudicating our political disputes. Bad ideas are defeated by good ideas, not bullets. Flawed logic is vanquished by sound logic, not bombs. Racist politics are defeated by the politics of inclusion, not missiles. Genocidal propaganda is vanquished by the truth, not by a stultifying silence.
We Muslims, as is the case for everyone in our country, must decide if this flawed American project, currently unraveling before our very eyes, is worth fighting for. Should we choose to fight for it, we must understand that the battle is a peaceful one of ideas, morals, and oftentimes conflicting visions. It is not a violent one that could easily culminate in a hellish war of all-against-all.
May Allah bless us with the wisdom to not only survive these challenging times but to help lead others in the creation of a saner, safer society.
Imam Zaid Shakir
© New Islamic Directions. 9.10.2025

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