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The reality is that radicalism is a political problem, not an Islamic one. It is well established now that the more observant a Muslim becomes, the less likely they are to become “radicalized” or be swayed into extremist ideology that leads to violence. From a theological perspective, the Muslim community is fully equipped with the teachings to birth contributing, productive, and peaceful citizens in any society, something we have already been doing without being asked or told to. It may serve us better to look at radicalization through the lens of gang research than to pathologize a whole religion and in turn further marginalize Muslim communities.

It’s been a rough time for the Muslim community of America. Many Islamic organizations will surely be sending safety guides in the following days advising us to be aware of our surroundings and maybe even suggesting classes in self-defense. That’s great, but let’s not forget we are a faith based community that can tap into a rich spiritual tradition. Our Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him and his family) taught some great spiritual self-defense techniques that I want to share with you.

CVE is not just about deputizing Muslims for law enforcement. It is an outcome of the wholesale enlistment and manipulation of Islam to serve the goals of the American empire. It is about a greater effort to reshape Islam as a religion so it is rendered deaf, mute, and blind after it had previously been packaged for Afghanistan in a way that focused on its armed resistance aspect. It is about how we as Muslims think of our own agency, our religion, and our role in the world. Instead of being independent witnesses upon the people as we are called to be in the Quran [2:143], which means there will be times when we have to stand up and call people to doing good and declare when we believe they are committing evil, we are rationalizing how we can theologically castrate ourselves and pass through this part of our journey to God unnoticed. We have submitted our understanding of Islam to governments, and now believe we are being true to its teachings because we recognize the concepts and Islamic terms being used. This is the result of making Islam subservient to political goals.

Eid al-Adha is not only about Qurbani, but faith, family and sacrifice. By reading the narrative of Ibrahim and his son intertextually, we can better appreciate how the Qur’an views “sacrifice” and understand the larger lessons that the scripture conveys.

With a look of complete despair, I turned to my teacher and I told him about my anxieties. I told him that I really wanted my Hajj to be accepted but every book I read was telling me to do something different and now it was all garbled in my head. I was afraid that I was going to mess something up and that my Hajj would be null and void, or at the very least, not maximized. I told my teacher that ultimately, I just wanted to know the answer to one question,

“What is the best dua that I should make while I’m here?”

My teacher replied, “The absolute best dua?” And I anxiously said, “Yes.”

He calmly looked at me and said, “The one that comes from your heart.”

The concerns about CVE is not about disengagement from keeping our country safe but rather an issue of protecting our sacred tradition, community integrity while also helping to keep our country and our community safe on our own terms.

To bring in the power of the Divine, the power of nothingness must be given up in return. Our grandmother Hajar understood this and so must we.

Ramadan and Hajj are examples of times and events when God wishes to break us of our cycles, embrace the abstract and become totally dependent upon Him.

It is known that you are Mercy
sent by your Lord
And you dwelled in this world
a king
of incomparable stature
but you wore no crown

What allows people to kill the unarmed, children, or their friends? What convinces them they have to kill and perhaps even fills their veins with hatred is what is so commonly forgotten: dehumanization, the process by which we are convinced that another human is, in fact, not human at all.

In the last few years, the number of high quality Islamic children’s books, toys and products has skyrocketed. Here are some of my personal favorites for smaller children. What great Islamic products have you come across for young children?

Given the disturbing incidents of the recent homicides of two Bangladeshis in Queens and one Arab American in Tulsa, conjoined with the currently hyperbolic political rhetoric targeting Muslims and Islam, our community must remember to trust in Allah, take necessary precautions and increase our involvement in the broader community.