Perhaps a slightly different perspective... I think people are stuck on "raising awareness" to the extent it's become the peak of taking action for many of us. We now look for who's repeating the news and who isn't.
But hasn't enough awareness been raised? Shouldn't there be a follow up with some practical actions?
One of the worst things to come out of this is the eagerness to share graphic images of dead and injured Muslims. All in the name of "raising awareness".
Mosques should be educating their attendees on what's happening in Palestine. Yes. But don't the people already know?
The mosque could and should be a place to find the solutions. The next steps. Not just a relay point for the same information everyone and their aunt is consuming hundreds of times a day anyway.
(And constantly consuming negativity has it's effects. The mosque should heal. Not amplify.)
I cant speak to most masjids, but I'll say that I'm inclined to take them case-by-case based on personal experience.
I'm on the board of directors for an Islamic relief org, and they explicitly told us to make sure we dont accidentally publish or post anything critical of Israel. That means that when i give khutbahs, I have to ask they dont record anything. Why? Because they don't believe in a free Palestine? Of course not.
It's because 3 out of the 4 world banks are owned by Zios. And one misstep by us could mean the end to aid for countless others.
I know it doesnt translate exactly to masajid, but I wanted to give an example of censorship that actually makes sense when you peel back the layers. Maybe there's an equivalent for some of these masjids censoring pro-Palestinian content.
So help me understand what “critical of Israel” means in this self-censorship regime, which has an institutional preservation logic to it. Can you make factual comments about Israel limiting access to aid or destroying medical facilities?
Based on how the government is cracking down on simple op-eds, I wouldn't risk it. If I'm recorded saying "the genocide in Palestine" (and I say much more than that in my khutbahs, believe me!) and they link me to the ngo, I have no doubt they'll use that to hurt the org.
As Islamic Relief is using money for advocacy, and saying anodyne factual statements (like Israel is blocking aid, something they brag about and all other organizations say it all the time)- I wonder how effective the advocacy can be?
I get the issue of just doing your work if it was just delivery of aid. But once you are in the field of advocacy and saying things like Israel is killing children is verboten, why pretend to do government relations and advocacy?
Oh, i've just realized I said I was on the board for an "Islamic relief" group, but Islamic Relief is literally the name of the most popular org. I completely missed that! Im not on Islamic Relief! Sorry for that confusion.
I'm on the board of the US branch of the SECOND largest Islamic relief (lowercase) org.
Climate is very similar to 9/11. Fear and mistrust is everywhere. I remember during Ramadan, the most a guest Imam made du'a was "to protect the innocent people in those areas" and any mention of Gaza/Palestine was generic and in Arabic.
In the United States the fear of being targeted and even shut down by the authorities so we're speaking out against what is taking place in Palestine and advocating on behalf of the Palestinian people is a very risky business indeed. As for here in Canada where I live, although I can't speak for every masjid, the one that I do attend there is a brief mention of what is taking place in Gaza, mostly in the Dua, but that is about it. I don't know if it's due to fear or if it's just a sense of powerlessness where all these words are spoken but nothing really happens. Realistically, what can the Canadian government do in the face of the support that's being given out by the American government? I have no easy answers to that question.
We have an election coming up on April 25th. All parties are strongly pro Israel. I personally do not vote in elections at all. I know some people are passionate about that that but I'm not one of those people. These various parties make all kinds of promises and then continually break them afterwards. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I've been studying politics for over three decades and I'm pretty much Fed up. Democracy, at least the kind that is being promoted at this moment in time, is the biggest farce that has ever been heaped upon us in the history of humanity, except for perhaps shirk. Both our lives and both have systematically do people in the behaving in ways that they would not otherwise behave.
Similar to how Rutgers' board proposed coming together with different universities to pool in money for a legal fund, maybe masjids should consider doing the same.
Immigration judges are article 1 (administrative) judges and don’t have the ability to make rulings based on constitutional law as I understand it. It’s an obvious farce in cased like this. However there is a habeus case in federal court that is still going on, I don’t understand why he is still incarcerated. Shocking case.
“You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in Allah.” (Surah Aal Imran 3:110)
If employees and board members of Masajid are unwilling or unable to live by the Quran and Sunnah they should find employment elsewhere. Wahn will not be an excuse when they stand before Allah.
Perhaps a slightly different perspective... I think people are stuck on "raising awareness" to the extent it's become the peak of taking action for many of us. We now look for who's repeating the news and who isn't.
But hasn't enough awareness been raised? Shouldn't there be a follow up with some practical actions?
One of the worst things to come out of this is the eagerness to share graphic images of dead and injured Muslims. All in the name of "raising awareness".
Mosques should be educating their attendees on what's happening in Palestine. Yes. But don't the people already know?
The mosque could and should be a place to find the solutions. The next steps. Not just a relay point for the same information everyone and their aunt is consuming hundreds of times a day anyway.
(And constantly consuming negativity has it's effects. The mosque should heal. Not amplify.)
You are right. The 501c3 structure is an impediment to what a Masjid should be.
I cant speak to most masjids, but I'll say that I'm inclined to take them case-by-case based on personal experience.
I'm on the board of directors for an Islamic relief org, and they explicitly told us to make sure we dont accidentally publish or post anything critical of Israel. That means that when i give khutbahs, I have to ask they dont record anything. Why? Because they don't believe in a free Palestine? Of course not.
It's because 3 out of the 4 world banks are owned by Zios. And one misstep by us could mean the end to aid for countless others.
I know it doesnt translate exactly to masajid, but I wanted to give an example of censorship that actually makes sense when you peel back the layers. Maybe there's an equivalent for some of these masjids censoring pro-Palestinian content.
So help me understand what “critical of Israel” means in this self-censorship regime, which has an institutional preservation logic to it. Can you make factual comments about Israel limiting access to aid or destroying medical facilities?
Based on how the government is cracking down on simple op-eds, I wouldn't risk it. If I'm recorded saying "the genocide in Palestine" (and I say much more than that in my khutbahs, believe me!) and they link me to the ngo, I have no doubt they'll use that to hurt the org.
As Islamic Relief is using money for advocacy, and saying anodyne factual statements (like Israel is blocking aid, something they brag about and all other organizations say it all the time)- I wonder how effective the advocacy can be?
I get the issue of just doing your work if it was just delivery of aid. But once you are in the field of advocacy and saying things like Israel is killing children is verboten, why pretend to do government relations and advocacy?
Oh, i've just realized I said I was on the board for an "Islamic relief" group, but Islamic Relief is literally the name of the most popular org. I completely missed that! Im not on Islamic Relief! Sorry for that confusion.
I'm on the board of the US branch of the SECOND largest Islamic relief (lowercase) org.
Ah
Climate is very similar to 9/11. Fear and mistrust is everywhere. I remember during Ramadan, the most a guest Imam made du'a was "to protect the innocent people in those areas" and any mention of Gaza/Palestine was generic and in Arabic.
In the United States the fear of being targeted and even shut down by the authorities so we're speaking out against what is taking place in Palestine and advocating on behalf of the Palestinian people is a very risky business indeed. As for here in Canada where I live, although I can't speak for every masjid, the one that I do attend there is a brief mention of what is taking place in Gaza, mostly in the Dua, but that is about it. I don't know if it's due to fear or if it's just a sense of powerlessness where all these words are spoken but nothing really happens. Realistically, what can the Canadian government do in the face of the support that's being given out by the American government? I have no easy answers to that question.
Canada can actually do a lot. Only the US can stop it. But Canada is too supportive of the apartheid regime.
We have an election coming up on April 25th. All parties are strongly pro Israel. I personally do not vote in elections at all. I know some people are passionate about that that but I'm not one of those people. These various parties make all kinds of promises and then continually break them afterwards. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I've been studying politics for over three decades and I'm pretty much Fed up. Democracy, at least the kind that is being promoted at this moment in time, is the biggest farce that has ever been heaped upon us in the history of humanity, except for perhaps shirk. Both our lives and both have systematically do people in the behaving in ways that they would not otherwise behave.
Similar to how Rutgers' board proposed coming together with different universities to pool in money for a legal fund, maybe masjids should consider doing the same.
They need to decide if it worth the fight if one comes, or just hide for now
In a follow-up to my previous comments, take a look at this article and reflect upon how chilling it is when it comes to speaking on behalf of the Palestinian people and against the actions of the Israeli government. Although the courts should be protecting political speech, it is actually doing the opposite. https://www.commondreams.org/news/mahmoud-khalil-deportable?utm_source=Common+Dreams&utm_campaign=133dbc2e93-Top+News%3A+Fri.+4%2F11%2F25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-c56d0ea580-600867753
Immigration judges are article 1 (administrative) judges and don’t have the ability to make rulings based on constitutional law as I understand it. It’s an obvious farce in cased like this. However there is a habeus case in federal court that is still going on, I don’t understand why he is still incarcerated. Shocking case.
Something similar happened at my masjid. No, we cannot be cowards and bend this easily. We must fight back.
If they want to protect green card holder, people on work and student visas, what do they do?
Is the masjid on a green card? It’s a non profit.
Yes, but an Imam, employees and board members may have concerns
Is the price of the blood of the Palestinians a green card?
“You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in Allah.” (Surah Aal Imran 3:110)
If employees and board members of Masajid are unwilling or unable to live by the Quran and Sunnah they should find employment elsewhere. Wahn will not be an excuse when they stand before Allah.
What if they do that in the Masjid, just make sure only US citizens say it. They also make sure it is not recorded for YouTube?
Yes, they could do this. But that would be a strain of quietism, no?