Asalaamu alaikum brothers and sisters in Islam.
The title of this thread probably caused several different reactions to you brothers and sisters when you first read it. I'm walking out on a limb here to make an assumption: most of you probably thought "Racism in Islam? Never!" We know what Allah's Messenger s.a.w. said about racism having no place in Islam. But does that mean it doesn't happen?
My masjid has many revert brothers & sisters of different races, and several of us are Caucasian. Two of the white brothers - myself and one other - are active members of our community. I am active in two committees, one being our dawah committee - and he is a member of our education committee.
Because of this, he and I are both in the community's eye frequently. We are both known on first name basis by our masjid's board members. But even so, we're both amazed at the treatment we get by our brothers.
I can literally point out at least 5 random members on first entering for Jumuah that will refuse to accept my Salaam - or who will accept it but refuse to shake hands or reply to it. I was standing in a group with four other brothers in the wudu room; we were chatting as we dried off from making wudu. I was literally nudged aside by someone approaching us so he could give the Salaam to the other four - and ignored me (and this young man is one of our school's teachers!). Once I had approached the shoe rack getting ready to leave. There were four brothers standing in a rough circle in front of the rack. I offered the Salaam and extended my hand. The first brother shook it enthusiastically, the second mumbled something and turned his back. The other two - both of whom were younger - looked very embarrassed at this blatant snub and turned away from him to greet me & engage me in a "lets hurry and put this behind us" conversation (bless them for that!).
At the end of May this year the masajid in Sacramento hosted a large Palestine event. Our guest speaker was George Galloway MP (member of parliament). Outside the lecture hall we set up three tables: the first was the dawah table (mine), next to that was the Al Maghrib Institute's table (manned by the ameer of our Qabeelat who is Pakistani and next to him the other Caucasian brother mentioned above) and the 3rd table had merchandise offered for sale and was also manned by two non-Caucasians.
During the intermissions, the audience would spill out the doors and come down the row starting with my table. Though I was wearing a taghiyyah & have a Sunnah beard - and representing a fairly large Masjid's dawah committee! - I was shocked at how many brothers ignored me in favor of the Pakistani brother sitting at the table next to me. Some would even start asking HIM questions about Dawah while I sat there. One man skimmed past my table and then offered him the Salaam, at which point the other Caucasian brother offered his hand and the Salaam to the visitor. Afterward, he turned to me and said "See that? You have to reach in and TAKE it sometimes!" I think what got to me the most though was when the lecture took a break so the Muslims attending could pray Maghrib, not one single person came to tell me where they were praying or that they were going to begin. I ended up being the lone Muslim in the hall - the white guy who was NOT PRAYING - with all the non-Muslims looking at me with that "Oh he's not really a Muslim after all" look in their eye (I was able to join the salaat after the first rakat though as I already had wudu and was prepared).
Anyway - before I turn this thread into any more of a rant (sorry!), I guess I just needed to express how difficult it has been, at least in my community, to be both white and Muslim.
May Allah forgive me if I've said anything untrue, it is due to my ignorance and not a deliberate lie.
Ma salama
Danyal
The title of this thread probably caused several different reactions to you brothers and sisters when you first read it. I'm walking out on a limb here to make an assumption: most of you probably thought "Racism in Islam? Never!" We know what Allah's Messenger s.a.w. said about racism having no place in Islam. But does that mean it doesn't happen?
My masjid has many revert brothers & sisters of different races, and several of us are Caucasian. Two of the white brothers - myself and one other - are active members of our community. I am active in two committees, one being our dawah committee - and he is a member of our education committee.
Because of this, he and I are both in the community's eye frequently. We are both known on first name basis by our masjid's board members. But even so, we're both amazed at the treatment we get by our brothers.
I can literally point out at least 5 random members on first entering for Jumuah that will refuse to accept my Salaam - or who will accept it but refuse to shake hands or reply to it. I was standing in a group with four other brothers in the wudu room; we were chatting as we dried off from making wudu. I was literally nudged aside by someone approaching us so he could give the Salaam to the other four - and ignored me (and this young man is one of our school's teachers!). Once I had approached the shoe rack getting ready to leave. There were four brothers standing in a rough circle in front of the rack. I offered the Salaam and extended my hand. The first brother shook it enthusiastically, the second mumbled something and turned his back. The other two - both of whom were younger - looked very embarrassed at this blatant snub and turned away from him to greet me & engage me in a "lets hurry and put this behind us" conversation (bless them for that!).
At the end of May this year the masajid in Sacramento hosted a large Palestine event. Our guest speaker was George Galloway MP (member of parliament). Outside the lecture hall we set up three tables: the first was the dawah table (mine), next to that was the Al Maghrib Institute's table (manned by the ameer of our Qabeelat who is Pakistani and next to him the other Caucasian brother mentioned above) and the 3rd table had merchandise offered for sale and was also manned by two non-Caucasians.
During the intermissions, the audience would spill out the doors and come down the row starting with my table. Though I was wearing a taghiyyah & have a Sunnah beard - and representing a fairly large Masjid's dawah committee! - I was shocked at how many brothers ignored me in favor of the Pakistani brother sitting at the table next to me. Some would even start asking HIM questions about Dawah while I sat there. One man skimmed past my table and then offered him the Salaam, at which point the other Caucasian brother offered his hand and the Salaam to the visitor. Afterward, he turned to me and said "See that? You have to reach in and TAKE it sometimes!" I think what got to me the most though was when the lecture took a break so the Muslims attending could pray Maghrib, not one single person came to tell me where they were praying or that they were going to begin. I ended up being the lone Muslim in the hall - the white guy who was NOT PRAYING - with all the non-Muslims looking at me with that "Oh he's not really a Muslim after all" look in their eye (I was able to join the salaat after the first rakat though as I already had wudu and was prepared).
Anyway - before I turn this thread into any more of a rant (sorry!), I guess I just needed to express how difficult it has been, at least in my community, to be both white and Muslim.
May Allah forgive me if I've said anything untrue, it is due to my ignorance and not a deliberate lie.
Ma salama
Danyal
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