Black Lives Matter: If You’re Right With God, You’re Right – Imam Zaid Shakir
Imam Zaid Shakir has had to bury people who were shot by cops and those who were shot by their peers – predominantly young, African-American men. He concludes, if you’re right with God, you’re right. If some racist thinks you’re not right that’s their problem.
Black history is filled with injustice. The actions of Rosa Parks, Brown vs. Education, and Malcom X all are long-standing proof of that. But, Imam Zaid explains, we don’t need anyone external to tell us that our lives matter.
The internal dignity that tells us that we do matter, is what can get us through anything. That was what enabled generations upon generations of African slaves to love, to laugh, and to enjoy life with their families, even knowing that their happiness was temporary. It was what taught black labourers working menial jobs, that their lives mattered.
Dignity can’t be taken, he says. It can only be forfeited.
We are grateful to Festival of Faiths for this recording.
Resources for Seekers
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- Shaykh Hamza Yusuf on Doing Dawah
- Black People, Racism And How The Arabic Language Rises Above It All
- How Do I Motivate Someone to Perform the Good?
