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Why don’t you ask African Americans

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Jenni View Drop Down
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    Posted: 18 November 2006 at 3:45pm
If you are all mad about my post that I agree was generalizing, then consider this. First of all I admit not all Muslims are racist, definitly Islam itself as a faith is NOT RACIST. But I will say that I believe 50-75% of Muslims are racist in some way. Whether it is Arabs that can't stand Pakistanis, or Pakistanis that can't stand black Africans or African Americans it exists widely in our community and people don't talk about it and are in total denial. You CANNOT blame the west if you have never invited an Ethiopian refugee to your home. And it is not a conspiracy by the west if YOU would not allow your son to marry and african american convert!! And if you see the war in Iraq and feel sad and cry about it and want to help, but see the black people in darfur, or the Congo, or chad and are numb to thier pain and suffering then you have a problem, not me!
You cant be a good muslim if you are not decent and have a cold heart. Be a decent and kind person and care for women and children and the elderly.
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Jenni View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jenni Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 November 2006 at 3:53pm

By the way, how many of you would invite a convert who is African American to your home? I know there are lots of converts out there, but I never see them at any Arabs, or Southasians home. Brothers in the Masjid, but outside the Masjid your on your own!

Maybe I am upset, but I am tired of people being in denial. I have no problem calling an American on the carpet about the war in Iraq and what a total load of crap it is, and I also have the right to call my own community on the carpet and air their dirty laundry. I live in one of the most liberal educated parts of the country and I still see the Muslim community as split, divisive, secluded by culture, race, education class and financial class. Even more so than the larger American community.

When I married my husband it was a huge scandal because I am a white convert and he is south asain. I come from a poor family with a policeman father and a mother that never went to college. He came from a wealth Military family. He had a masters degree I had a community college degree. He got a huge amout of heat and trouble for wanting to marry me. My family(who are mormons) accepted him more quickly and with open arms much faster that his did!

You cant be a good muslim if you are not decent and have a cold heart. Be a decent and kind person and care for women and children and the elderly.
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Israfil View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Israfil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 November 2006 at 4:03pm

Wa Alaikum Salaam Jenni

Jenni I understand (as well as share) some of your frustrations regarding the Muslim community, but even myself I would say we must limit ourselves in generalizing other Muslims. Although racism exist in the muslim community we cannot say that "all muslims who are non-black, are racist." The same goes for those who would think black muslims are only those of the Nation of Islam you cannot understand how many times I get that only because I'm black. Jenni what you are proposing is beyond this forum and those who involve themselves in dialogue here. The progressive change from ethnocentrism to pregressive thinking will come....in time.

This emuslim community is not ready to here the word "racism in muslim community" because some believe and this is always funny to me, that because Allah says that he created all humans and that Islam contains multi-ethnic groups that it cannot possibly be racist. That is as funny as someone saying a KKK member who enjoys watching black athletes is not racist....LOL

The racist mind is a disease and no human is immune to it because it can creep into anyone of us, but it takes strong will and knowledge to avoid this sick mind. Jenni let me say that I appreciate your voice and you putting the issue out there but it must done so in a way that does not shun others. I know that in your frustration its hard to NOT generalize the muslim group because you have experienced this but we still must refrain from lumping others who practice true Islamic thought into this category.

This ecommunity is not ready to hear that media wise, Arab conflicts get more attention than African/Black conflicts. They are not ready to here that the muslim culture is not racist when in fact it contains very much racist elements within it. Some would argue that in order to make change we shouldn't dwell on the bad things but that may be true to an extent. However in order to make change on something we must identify the problem to change. In this situation its racism in our community.

Your thread is titled "Why don't you ask African Americans?" Well I as an African-American am saying that racism exist within the Muslim community although not on the scale as, let's say, the United States but the fact that it exist we must be aware of it and make change. We comment so much on political issues that we begin to blind ourselves of our political zeal, overlooking the other important issues. In my opinion "black" is the most underappreciated pigmentation of human history. Not in the physical sense but in the ethical and metaphysical sense. Global cultures for instance abhor its color and any association with it hopefully, Godwilling this will change.



Edited by Israfil
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Jenni View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jenni Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 November 2006 at 5:12pm

Thanks Israifil, I understand what you are saying. And I who has had alot of exposure to wealth upper class and upper middle class Arabs and south Asains have come to understand that they are mostly prejudice in some form. Some of my more open minded Muslim friends(born here) will openly agree with this fact saying thier own parents are very prejudice and would never have allowed them to marry a black person. My friend who married an African Immigrant had a daughter and then divorced him tried to remarry and no Arab or Southasian would consider her becuase her duaghter was black. She had hundreds of responses to her photo and profile but when they found out her first husband was African, they were in no way interested and very honest about it. And again this was hundreds of people. The reason I am being so in your face rude here about this issue, is I am so sick of people saying" Oh we are all brothers and sisters ect." but outside the Masjid people ignore and marginilize each other. I will stick with my comment that 50% or more of Muslims are in some way racist, not just here  but around the world. In fact in Pakistan I was told by and African American man teaching there that people point to him laught and say Look! A Negro A negro! He was so disgusted with the attitude of the people towards his color he couldn't wait to leave!

I guess I am rambling, but I believe peoples xenephobic and ethnocentric attitudes make them care for the plight and suffering of people that look and talk more like them. Hence I beleive that the Suffering in parts of the African world is ignored by some of the Muslim community because those people don't look like or talk or maybe think like us. And the love of white skin has been ingrained in Arab culture and south asain culture for centuries. Making it easy to just kind of ignore poor black people. Like they don't even exist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes thats it! they just ignore them, like they aren't there. They don't even exist!

You cant be a good muslim if you are not decent and have a cold heart. Be a decent and kind person and care for women and children and the elderly.
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herjihad View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herjihad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 November 2006 at 9:57pm

Originally posted by Jenni Jenni wrote:

If you are all mad about my post that I agree was generalizing, then consider this. First of all I admit not all Muslims are racist, definitly Islam itself as a faith is NOT RACIST. But I will say that I believe 50-75% of Muslims are racist in some way. Whether it is Arabs that can't stand Pakistanis, or Pakistanis that can't stand black Africans or African Americans it exists widely in our community and people don't talk about it and are in total denial. You CANNOT blame the west if you have never invited an Ethiopian refugee to your home. And it is not a conspiracy by the west if YOU would not allow your son to marry and african american convert!! And if you see the war in Iraq and feel sad and cry about it and want to help, but see the black people in darfur, or the Congo, or chad and are numb to thier pain and suffering then you have a problem, not me!

salaams and bismillah,

an african american sister was so kind enough to allow her children to become my nephews and stay in my home for the weekend.  may Allah bless her faith in me.

some white american sisters think i am not good enough to talk to.  so what?

only speaking for myself i care for all of these situations and try to follow as much as i can on the news and the net and the radio.  however, since my family are from certain areas of the country, i pay more attention to what happens where they are.  similarily, my children are Phalasteenee, so this issue is not just a world issue but a family one wherein family members are in danger daily and many friends whom i love live without basic needs in phalasteen.

personally, i wish i could be 'numb' to their suffering because i cry and cry when i hear about their difficulties.

i also feel badly for the israeli jews who are neglected by their country so that they can have money to send bombs to kill innocent phalasteenee.

salaams

Al-Hamdulillah (From a Married Muslimah) La Howla Wa La Quwata Illa BiLLah - There is no Effort or Power except with Allah's Will.
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Jenni View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jenni Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 November 2006 at 6:40am
The numbers of African Muslims who die every year from starvation and warfare are in the millions. I'm sorry, but the number of Palestinians being killed doesn't even come close. The suffering in Africa from disease, civil war, corrupt governments, and famine makes Palestine look like a picnic. I mean come on lets be realistic! I feel for the Palestinians too, but they get much more help, have alot more media attention than other poor suffering people. And my husband is Pakistani, so my children are half. I don't feel the suffering in Kashmir or Paksitan should be any more important to me or them than the suffering in Africa.
You cant be a good muslim if you are not decent and have a cold heart. Be a decent and kind person and care for women and children and the elderly.
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Jenni View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jenni Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 November 2006 at 6:44am

Herjihad, what is the comment about Israeli jews about? I really don't get it and what do they have to do with this topic? I am really tired of people not addressing the topic and putting blame on others. Muslims are responsible for themselves regardless of what others do.

You cant be a good muslim if you are not decent and have a cold heart. Be a decent and kind person and care for women and children and the elderly.
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amah View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 November 2006 at 8:02am
Originally posted by Jenni Jenni wrote:

Herjihad, what is the comment about Israeli jews about? I really don't get it and what do they have to do with this topic? I am really tired of people not addressing the topic and putting blame on others. Muslims are responsible for themselves regardless of what others do.

I agree.

Allah is Sufficient as a Walee (Protector) and Allah is Sufficient as a Naseer (Helper).
(Surah An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #45)
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