“When we say things politely, nobody listens. We have the right to be enraged.”
“When we say things politely, nobody listens. We have the right to be enraged.”
On TMV’s weekly Podcast, Chief Editor Salim Kassam speaks to comedian and activist Nabil Abdulrashid on how prevalent anti-Black racism is in the Muslim community, what we need to do to step up as a community, and how the Black community time and time again is there to fight for justice – often without the support of fellow Muslims.
To listen to the full podcast, click below:
Focusing specifically on racism and anti-Blackness within the Muslim community, Nabil explains that as a community, Muslims still have a long way to go – racism is still deeply embedded within almost every single Muslim community across the world.
The problem with Muslims today is that we see things happening to Black people and we just don’t care. When it happens to South Asians or Arabs, then its a travesty…if we really want to be honest, [Black people] are seen as less human…”
Speaking from personal experience, Nabil explains that despite being Nigerian and coming from a history and lineage with around a thousand years of Islamic heritage, Muslims in the UK continue to see him as “other”, often assuming he is a convert or not a “real” Muslim.
When asked if there is room for allowing people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to being ignorant, Nabil laughs – “we are in the age of information”, he explains, saying that Muslims today do not have an excuse in being racist. Often brushing aside the topic of racism as unimportant or not a serious issue, the Muslim community at large needs to refocus its attention on what the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) deemed truly important.
The fact that the Prophet’s last sermon was about combatting racism speaks volumes, Nabil explains. When the Prophet and the entire religion of Islam implore us to treat one another as equals and to stand up against injustices, it remains disheartening to say the least when Muslims do not take racism seriously. We have a duty, Nabil highlights, to stand up to racism and to stop using the excuse of being “peaceful” to not be enraged about inequality:
Not doing something [about racism] doesn’t make you gentle, it makes you a coward. It’s not on me to be nice to people who are justifying oppression.”
Speaking on the issue of how Black Muslims are often painted with the image of being “violent” or “aggressive” when it comes to fighting for racial equality, Nabil explains that Black people have all the right to be angry at systematic oppression that targets and continues to kill the innocent.
When we say things politely, nobody listens. We have the right to be enraged.”
To listen to the rest of the podcast, click below:
