Interfaith Racial Justice
Anti-Racism and Islamic Spirituality (from Tala Ali)
Racism is unequivocally prohibited in Islam. There are numerous verses and prophetic examples that model and instruct for humankind to act in a just and equitable manner:
In Quran 49:13 we are told:
“O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may get to know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most righteous among you. God is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware.”
This verse was revealed after one of the companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made a remark about another man and his mother (who were of another race). Muhammad (PBUH) asked the companion to look around at “the faces of everyone present,” and asked him what he saw to which the companion replied, “I see White, Red, and Black people.” To this Muhammad replied, “Well, you are not better than any of them unless it be through good actions and God consciousness.”
Those “Coexist” stickers do not go far enough. We are not created to coexist. We exist in all our beautiful, unique differences so that we may know one another… so that we may witness all of the unique, creative, and infinite ways our societies communicate and express themselves, in a way that no singular, uniform society could have the capacity to do on its own. The culmination of humanity encompasses a beautiful diversity of Creation. We are to know one another and exist in equity and harmony, not in states of privilege and degradation. This is the essence of what it means to live for the Greater Good under our Creator.
In his final sermon, delivered only months before he passed away, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once again addressed the disease of racism and superiority in our society when he said:
“All humankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab. Also, a White person has no superiority over a Black person, nor does someone who is Black have any superiority over someone who is White -- except by piety and good action.”
It is incumbent upon us as individuals to do the necessary heart-work to undo the racism from our hearts. This ignorance is not natural or innate but a social ill that we have been socialized into. We must do the work to purify our hearts from, what is referred to in Islamic teachings as a “state of ignorance” or a “disease of the heart.” We must challenge our ignorance and lean into our discomfort in order to transform and heal.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, "O Messenger! It is alright to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?" The Prophet said, "By preventing him from oppressing others."
One way of looking at this hadith (narration), is by realizing our own implicit biases towards people who are not like ourselves. It is incumbent upon us to do the heart-work necessary so that we may be people of justice and act for the greater good.
Another way of looking at this hadith is by taking action to end oppression outside of ourselves, speaking out against oppression. We can prevent the oppressor from oppressing others by addressing societal ills and doing the work to end systemic forms of oppression.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was recorded to have said: “If my ummah (community) comes to a time when a person cannot say to an oppressor, ‘O oppressor…’ then you might as well walk away from them.”
Here, the Messenger is NOT saying to abandon the community. Rather, he is saying what goodness could be left in them if things reach such a point that they cannot call oppression what it is. It is our duty and obligation to not only do the work within ourselves, but also speak truth against oppression in society, and actually strive to undo the oppression.
Another prophetic hadith states that, “Whosoever of you sees an evil, let them change it with their hand; and if they are not able to do so, then [let them change it] with their tongue; and if they are not able to do so, then with their heart — and that is the slightest [effect of] faith.” In this narration, to have strong faith is to address an ill, to act. ‘Change it’ means to ‘remove it’, and it is a communal obligation for us to act to stop those committing oppressions. If we do not strive to stop these types of actions, even though it is within our capacity to do so, we fail to meet this obligation and therefore enter into the blameworthy realm of social sin (and are also individually accountable).
To “know one another,” and to be courageous enough to change things with our hands, will only follow once we have done our heart-work. That struggle of perfecting our character as we strive towards God is known as jihad (no, it does NOT mean holy war). To struggle for justice and the betterment of society is to be engaged in jihad. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “The best form of jihad (striving) is to speak a word of truth in the face of an oppressor.” In another narration, he (pbuh) said, “A word of justice in the face of an oppressor is the best form of jihad.” In our journey to be courageous, to live in radical love and remove injustice, what is it that may keep us from acting with our hands or tongue? Fear. Fear is usually what stops people from speaking out against oppression; fear of physical harm, loss of career, loss of friends, etc. Fear of persecution is a very real and tangible thing. It is for this reason that the greatest jihad is acting and speaking out, despite this fear. When we put in the work to purify our hearts, we are attuned to hearing the innate inclination to rise in righteous anger against oppression and to act in radical love.
In the Quran (16:30) we are told that, “Indeed God enjoins justice and excellence (the doing of good), and generosity towards relatives, and He forbids all that is shameful, wrong, and aggression. He advises you so that you may take heed.” This verse tells us that one cannot have excellence (Ihsan) without justice (‘Adl). - When people’s rights are taken away, we do not focus on embellishing privileges, we remove the oppression. We not only struggle for justice but we strive towards excellence. Justice is the minimum. Excellence is the maximum.
It is narrated that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) never left his home except that he looked up to the sky and said the following words to his Lord:
“O God. I seek refuge in You from leading others astray or being led astray, or against slipping or being caused to slip; or doing injustice or being done injustice to; or doing wrong or having wrong done to me.” This is a prayer I have committed to memory. I routinely utter my own prayer:
“O Lord, make me not of the oppressors. Let me not be counted among the oppressors nor those who allowed oppression.”
Anti-racism and Catholic Spirituality -
Essays shared by Luke Hansen, S.J., including his own sermon:
Sermon: “A Lynching that Cuts to the Heart”
Rev. Luke Hansen, S.J.
Essay: “The assumptions of white privilege and what we can do about it”
Rev. Bryan N. Massingale
Essay: “Black in America: I am tired”
Rev. Joseph A. Brown, S.J.
Essay: “What Black Lives Matter can teach Catholics about racial justice”
Olga Segura
Book: Racial Justice and the Catholic Church
Rev. Bryan N. Massingale
Litany: “I Can’t Breathe: A Litany for Justice”
Rev. Rafael Garcia, S.J.
Prayer: An Examen for White Allies
Maddie Murphy
Sermon: “A Lynching that Cuts to the Heart”
Rev. Luke Hansen, S.J.
The Ignatian Solidarity Network
The National Catholic Reporter
Anti-racism and Protestant Spirituality –
(From Rev. Nelson Pierce):
A Lenten Practice for Black Liberation:
posted by Nelson Pierce | 1193.20sc
February 10, 2016
Re-Imagining the Rosary for Black Liberation
I am a Christian minister who believes in the revolutionary call of God and of the gospels both to resist the oppressive and isolating power of Empire as it appears in our time and place, and to work to bring about God’s realm of love and justice. To that end I often look for ways to connect my spiritual practices with my revolutionary beliefs. I attended a Catholic school for K-12 and spent many Religion courses during that time praying through parts of the Rosary. I appreciated the contemplative nature of the practice, even if most of the prayers did not connect with me. This year, during Lent I have decided to try using the rosary for contemplation on the struggle for Black Liberation. I am at the beginning of this process, so I welcome input.
Below you will find the Contemplative formula that I am using. The opening reading is a combination of quotes from Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. I have used a quote from Assata Shakur that received new life in the streets of Ferguson and South City St. Louis, a quote from Angela Davis, and a couple of mantras that have become staples in many protests.
Opening (The Short Strand)
Power in defense of Freedom is more powerful than power on behalf of tyranny and oppression.
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.
I believe that we will win.
I believe that we will win.
We goin’ be all right.
Each Decade (The Longer Strands)
It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.
I believe that we will win.
I believe that we will win.
I believe that we will win.
I believe that we will win.
I believe that we will win.
We goin’ be all right.
We goin’ be all right.
We goin’ be all right.
We goin’ be all right.
We goin’ be all right.
You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.
Closing (The Short Strand)
I believe that we will win.
I believe that we will win.
We goin’ be all right.
It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.
Power in defense of Freedom is more powerful than power on behalf of tyranny and oppression.
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
(From Rev. Abby King-Kaiser):
A Psalm for Summer
To put it simply,
I cannot love a god
who would allow chattel slavery
to build an economy,
who would hesitate to tear down
that which burns crosses,
bombs churches,
executes deadly warrants
in the name of safety.
For too long, god have been
captured,
hemmed in,
masked
by white supremacy.
And yet, we wrestle with angels,
the dry bones live,
the exile is returned,
and the stranger welcomed.
And yet,
the tomb beckons.
God above god,
God beyond god,
to enter this tomb,
to seek liberation,
I must let die,
No, I must tear down,
I must burn
those images of god
thin and flimsy wrapping
for supremacy.
I seek the dark place,
the in-between,
the sound of the stone
rolling into place,
where the God beyond
breaks through.
- Rev. Abby King-Kaiser
Pentecost 2020
I believe in resurrection—by that I mean, transformation comes often through a process of loss, liminal space (tomb time), and newness. But the newness comes bearing scars. It does not forget.
We are overdue for societal resurrection. The systems that support white supremacy have to die if we want to usher in a new era in which Black lives thrive, in which we welcome people in, in which we invest in those who need it the most.
Fire is not always bad. It refines and change the nature of things. It makes way for new growth. As Pentecost came and went this year, I was reminded of the place of fire in this resurrection process. Perhaps this is my visual way of saying—let it burn, let white supremacy burn to the ground.
For me, the hardest part of resurrection is staying in the process. I pray that as a leader, I don’t know stay in this process, but I invite others to do the same… even when the tomb is dark, even when that resurrection day seems so far away. What spiritual resources do we need to stick it out?
- Rev. Abby King-Kaiser
(and because I think social location can matter: Presbyterian pastor, campus minister, white, cis-gendered Midwestern Millennial)
Anti-racism and Jewish Spirituality
From Rabbi Jennifer Lewis –
During the Jewish holy day of Tisha B’Av, we read from the Book of Lamentations, “Eicha yeshva badad…” – “How it [is to continue] sitting alone!” This phrase refers to the pain and loneliness experienced through expulsion, through abandonment. To be an Anti-racist is to acknowledge that racism exists so that no person or people must sit alone. The great Rebbe Nahman of Breslov, an 18th century Jewish mystic, taught that the practice of self-secluding, hitbodedut – when one chooses to take time in solitude to quiet ones soul and draw closer to God -- draws us to acts of compassion towards others. Our forefathers Abraham and Moses modelled this behavior. Yet, when solitude is forced upon a person – it is a crushing burden. When those who experience Racism, through the actions – or inactions – of others, it is as if they are, “…like a sparrow that is alone upon the housetop.” (Psalms 102:7). When one is abandoned by his neighbors, Torah teaches that one is not in a place of drawing close to the Divine in others – rather one is in pain and does not experience connection. We must, therefore strive to combat the injustice of racism to emulate God’s desire for humanity. In America today, this means acknowledging our blind spots (when we are blind to the suffering of others, particularly our African American brethren who have been subject to institutional obstacles and inequities) and to assess where each of us can contribute to building an Anti-racist society.