Published: June 1, 2020

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In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

From the Texas Muslim Students’ Association and Nueces Mosque standing with the Texas Black Muslims Alliance:

A Letter of Solidarity

We, the Executive Committees of the Texas Muslim Students’ Association and Nueces Mosque, write to express our grief and outrage at the murder of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers earlier this week. Floyd’s death is a crime against humanity; the failure to swiftly prosecute the murderers proves to be yet another travesty of justice at the hands of a system that has deemed Black lives to be inherently suspect and disposable. Once again, we are confronted with the graphic, disturbing images of the murder of an innocent Black man. It is our responsibility never to turn away from injustice or choose to disregard it when it unfolds. We stand in solidarity with the Black communities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Washington D.C., Milwaukee, Louisville, Houston, Austin, as well as any other city that is currently standing against police brutality and racism in all its forms. We must amplify the voices of people on the ground and stand unequivocally against the heinous murder of George Floyd and the many other victims of racially motivated police brutality in the United States each year.

We write this letter, not only as Muslim-Americans or in spite of our certain privileges, but to emphasize that we have an imperative moral duty and Islamic obligation to stand against injustice where we see it. As two organizations largely comprised of racial minorities, it is necessary for us, the greater Muslim community of Austin, to take a clear stand against racism and police brutality, whether the victims are Muslim or otherwise.

The importance of solidarity cannot be underestimated, and we recognize that standing in unity against injustice is critical to the health and growth of our own faith community. Silence on matters of injustice means being complicit; the previous attempts from our leadership on issues of racism and racial injustice must be improved upon if we are to align ourselves with a truly Islamic vision for a just world. As a diverse community of students coming from various stretches of life, it is critical to recognize that we have power. Let us use those tools available to us, which may differ from person to person, but which together can work to persuade the hearts and minds of those around us, encouraging them to re-evaluate their intentions and rediscover what it truly means to work toward a just world.

“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin…,” [Qur’an 4:135]. We acknowledge that unfortunately racism, anti-Black sentiments, and other harmful stereotypes are instilled and perpetuated in many of our private lives. Given the prevalence of these sentiments, addressing these issues of racism begins in our homes first and foremost. We must collectively commit ourselves to no longer standing idle and allowing these reprehensible attitudes to go unchecked.

It was reported by Sa’id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said the following:

“Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable to do so, then with his tongue. If he is unable to do so, then with his heart, and that is the weakest level of faith,” [Sahih Muslim 49]. When we see racism in the world and feel as though there is nothing we can do within our power to change it systemically, let us remember that our words and actions in the short term have effects in the long term that we can hardly begin to grasp at present. The hadith emphasizes that at the very least if we can act neither upon our words nor our actions, we must go against evil by holding resentment for it in our hearts. We must initiate tough conversations with our fellow community members whose words or actions play into racist and anti-Black sentiments. We must speak up when someone is comfortable using racist language. We must unlearn the racism and anti-Blackness that is embedded in our cultures and change what is within ourselves.

Furthermore, we must work to promote justice in the community: One simple starting point is to donate to causes and sign petitions. If we are unable to donate, we should attempt to raise awareness in our own homes, places of collective gathering, and social media. At the very least, we should make sincere dua for the oppressed and pray that Allah ﷻ grants them ease in this life and the next.

As Muslims, we believe that true justice will not be served until the afterlife, and yet it has been ordained by Allah ﷻ as our responsibility to stand against oppression where we see it in the world. The Texas MSA and Nueces Mosque Executive Committees hope to lead by example. We will be donating to local fundraisers and organizations and also encourage all MSAs, Mosques, and Muslim-based community organizations across Texas and the United States to donate and take action. We are committed to the fight for the liberation of Black people everywhere and demand to see a world where our Black brothers and sisters can live free from the fear of anti-Blackness, racism, and systemic oppression in all forms, insha’Allah.

In Solidarity,

The Texas Muslim Students’ Association and Nueces Mosque

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

May Peace and the Mercy and Blessings of Allah be Upon You

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DONATE TO THESE CAUSES

Minnesota Freedom Fund – An organization that pays the criminal bail and immigration bond for those who cannot afford to as they seek to end discriminatory, coercive, and oppressive jailing.

Campaign Zero – A comprehensive platform of research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.

Reclaim the Block – Local Minneapolis community organizers pushing research-based policies to urge states to divest from police engagement and strengthen community-led safety initiatives.

Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar – Originally founded in 2015, the coalition now in memory of Jamar Clark and serves as an intersectional community organization committed to placing public pressure on local representatives to persecute acts of police violence in the Twin Cities, also operates under MPAC, the Minneapolis Police Accountability Council.

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SIGN THESE PETITIONS

Justice for George Floyd

Justice for Ahmaud Arbery

Justice for Breonna Taylor

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CALL THESE REPRESENTATIVES

Here are some helpful tips & instructions

Minneapolis Police Department
Tel: 612-673-3000

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
Tel: 612-673-2100

District Attorney Mike Freeman
Tel: 612-348-5550