Yesterday, Sunday, December 13, 2015, Basim Callens, one of the young brothers from my New Haven, Connecticut, “Jamaat” was murdered in Atlanta, Georgia during a carjacking. This brother was one of the kindest, most pleasant, mannerable young men you could ever meet. His death comes as a shock to us all. His mother, Sister Aisha, was so shaken by his untimely and tragic demise that she broke down and is currently hospitalized. Please pray for her and all mothers who have seen their children consumed by the epidemic of gun violence that has besieged our sick nation. Our condolences go out to them all, as well as to their families.

Add Another Brother to the List

Basim is dead, there is no more to say.
The killers could find no villains to slay?
Diddle, diddle the cow over the moon,
Another brother leaves us much too soon.

We are consumed with rockets and our dreams,
Reality is just too tough it seems;
Carjackers will never be terrorists.
So add another brother to the list.

So many years ago as just a boy,
He filled so many hearts with so much joy,
The pride and joy of Mama’s precious eyes,
The most beloved of the younger guys.

Traveling overseas to learn his Deen*,
He never said or did a wicked thing.
Those who knew him very well had been blessed.
To others he was just a terrorist.

A Muslim man you see, ignore his smile,
And send him walking down that long green mile.
He’s Willie Horton and Bin Laden too.
Yet never did a thing to threaten you.

If you want to look far beyond the lies,
Then look at those who live and those who die.
The yellow, black and brown men fill the graves,
While white men they become the killers’ slaves.

Basim killed no one he was so sweet,
A kind word and a smile for all he’d meet,
but only Muslims are the terrorists,
so add another brother to the list.

*Deen is Arabic for Religion