On South Africa and the Palestinian Determination
by
Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed
18 January 2024
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
“Help one another in righteousness and regardfulness of G-d, and do not help one another in sinfulness and troublemaking. And regard G-d for surely He is strict in punishment.” - Qur’an
مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَٰعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ نَصِيبٌ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَٰعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ كِفْلٌ مِّنْهَا ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقِيتًا
“Whoever recommends and aids in a good cause becomes a partner in it. And whoever recommends and aids in wrongdoing shares in its trouble. And G-d’s Decision is over everything.” - Qur’an
It is not a strain for the Muslim-American community who are in the association of Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s leadership where our focus and support should be as we stand witness to one of the most awful atrocities of our lifetimes and in human history unfolding in occupied Palestine. Perhaps it is better to say that it should not be a strain for us given the fact that too many of our leaders are entirely oblivious and unconcerned.
It is an obligation for me to be clear in establishing that we are a great distance from those leaders associated with our Muslim African-American community that visited Israel recently. We are unsentimental in our stance and do not mind their frustration or anger toward us. They were operating under a cloud of guesswork and weak understanding when they accepted that invitation without appropriate counsel, and even weaker faith. They did not and do not represent us. And certainly, we will agree that G-d is Sufficient as a Judge in these matters.
For me, between the late leaders, Yasser Arafat and Nelson Mandela, is our late leader - W. Deen Mohammed, the son of Elijah Mohammed. The cause of the Palestinian Determination was never far from his ready reference, always in his heart and conscious mind. Those closest to him know this even now as many of them behave sheepishly and cowardly in this serious moment for the test of faith and proof of courage. Nelson Mandela and his people’s hopes and plans and suffering was in his heart and on his mind as he gave a humble but significant $85,000 to him personally when he visited the United States after his decades long prison term and prior to his election as leader of South Africa. Imam W. Deen Mohammed established long ago what our stance should be now.
We have in our leadership reference, in the clarity of our memory and experience, Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s hand in the hand(s) of Chairman Arafat and President Mandela. We have in our conscious mind what that meant then and what it means now. My hand as his successor is in the hands of the suffering Palestinian people, and it is in the hands of the South African leadership and their courage to stand on the universal principles of Justice before all nations on this earth at the World Court, to condemn a mighty aggressor acting against the dignity of a People’s inherent right to human respect. The leadership of Namibia is also congratulated in their rebuke of hypocrisy and falsehood emanating from shameful western nations who speak irresponsibly in support of that aggressor.
If we have not the power of material resources or reach of international offices, we have Faith in the Lord-Creator, Islamic life and identity, and our own social history as a People knowing the struggle for Self-Determination to assure us that we are right and correct. That is an assurance absolute, a most trustworthy hand-hold.
We Muslim-African-Americans belonging to our leadership tradition stand with the righteous Determination of the People of Palestine against the oppressors and wrongdoers, for their establishment in their homeland and their human dignity before the Nations. Those that aggress against them unmercifully and who aid in that aggressive mischief and wickedness will have G-d’s Judgment. We know this is and must be the stronger commitment of good human beings everywhere. And we believe G-d’s Help is Near.
