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Stop This Killing…
by Imam Zaid Shakir
“Stop this killing!” was the fervently repeated plea of Alton Sterling’s aunt, being interviewed in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of three police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That is the very town that witnessed the gruesome killing of Sterling himself. Indeed, we must stop the killing, on all…
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Violence: As American as Cherry Pie
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Every day, there are 44 homicides in the US, the majority are committed with firearms. There are approximately 5 gang-related murders in America each day. Every day in the country, an average of 110 people commit suicide, 60 of those deaths involve firearms. Of those daily suicides 20 are committed…
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Murder Is Murder
by Imam Zaid Shakir
The recent killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling are inexcusable outrages and the police officers involved in those shootings should be duly tried for their crimes. These and similar police killings, however, cannot be used as a blanket indictment against all police officers, the overwhelming majority of whom carry…
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Dabiq: An Argument Against ISIS
by Imam Zaid Shakir
The Hadith of Dabiq: A Proof Against ISIS One of the most powerful recruiting tools of ISIS has been its ability to create an apocalyptic appeal around the prophesized destruction of a “Crusader” army at Dabiq, a location in Northern Syria. So central has this idea been to the call…
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Suicide Murder
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Once again, the filthy scourge of suicide murder has reared its despicable head, this time in Istanbul, Turkey. Innocent people are once again the target of brainwashed homicidal lunatics, one of whom was captured on film dispatching himself to Hell, the destination our Prophet (peace upon him) has promised anyone…
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Should We Apologize?
by Imam Zaid Shakir
In the aftermath of the Orlando murders many Muslims are adamant that they will not apologize for anything. This is a proper stance as our religion does not advocate collective guilt, nor collective punishment. We are informed in the Qur’an, “No bearer of burdens (a sinner) can bear the burdens…
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Ali’s Torch
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Physically, the last phase of Muhammad Ali’s life was very difficult. The ravages of Parkinson’s Disease had robbed him of his health, vigor and voice. Spiritually, however, Ali was only strengthened as he approached the end of his earthly tenure. His illness could not steal his generous heart and noble…
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A Joint Muslim Statement On the Carnage in Orlando
by Imam Zaid Shakir
On behalf of the American Muslim community, we, the undersigned, want to extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the barbaric assault that occurred early yesterday morning at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida. We unequivocally say that such an act of hate-fueled…
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On The Passing of Daniel Berrigan
by Imam Zaid Shakir
April 30, 2016 witnessed the passing of Daniel Berrigan. Daniel Berrigan, along with his brother, Philip, both ordained priests, are among the most recognizable names in the history of protest against American military imperialism. One of the distinctions of the Berrigan Brothers was the strong spiritual basis of their activism.…
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Spiritual Grammar and the Danger of Complaining
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Complaining (Shakawa) to other fallible humans has no part in our religion. Sincere advice (Nasiha) does. What is the difference between the two? Usually, the complaint starts with what we describe as the first person, “I”. For example, “I don’t like…” “I don’t feel…” “I want…” “I think….” etc. Therefore,…
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A Poetic Reflection On The Life of Muhammad Ali
by Imam Zaid Shakir
A Poetic Reflection On The Life of Muhammad Ali Part One: Ali the Fighter He floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, the greatest fighter the world has yet to see. On one thing his opponents agree, they all got it right; in the ring with…
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Evolution or Revolution?
by Imam Zaid Shakir
ISIS is squarely situated in the realm of modern utopian movements that are doomed to fail. The defining feature of these movements is captured by the British political philosopher, John Gray, when he says: “The use of inhumane methods to achieve impossible ends is the essence of revolutionary utopianism.”…
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Embracing Prophetic Character
by Imam Zaid Shakir
The word أخ or “Akh” means male sibling from the same mother. أخواء or آخوان –> share common goals. أخت or “Ukht” means female sibling from the same mother, plural أخوات. We are all brothers and sisters in the pursuit of a common goal. - The Prophet…
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How Do We Push Back?
by Imam Zaid Shakir
As racism, xenophobia, anti-Muslim bigotry, nativism, hatred and violence escalate in our society many are asking, “What is to be done?” To begin, we have to understand that these issues did not begin yesterday or with the emergence of a particular political figure. They are problems that to greater or…
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Keep the memory of Taha Omar, Adam Mekki and Mohannad Tairab Alive
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Nearly a month has passed since the execution-style murder of three young men, two of them Muslim, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We have to keep the memory Taha Omar, Adam Mekki and Mohannad Tairab alive and continue to pressure the authorities for answers. I am consciously writing these lines after…
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Bike Lanes
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Black folks ride bikes to work and ride bikes for fun, Some are faster than an ice cube melting in the sun, Some can break the sound barrier: Brother Super Sonic! So why are black folks and bike lanes so oxymoronic? If brothers can ride in…
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