ILIA hosts The Hidden Ummah: A Panel Discussion on Islam and the Incarcerated Community

GREENBELT, Md. - Oct. 26, 2019 - PRLog -- Islamic Leadership Institute of America (ILIA) hosted The Hidden Ummah, a community forum on Islam & the Incarcerated Community. Co-Hosted with Aging People in Prison Human Rights Campaign (APPHRC), it touched on important topics such as finding Islam while incarcerated, the role of oppression in the prison system, and the barriers towards reintegration.

The panel consisted of: Tyronne Morton, the National Advisor for APPHRC who himself found Islam while incarcerated; Imam Bilal Prather, who works as a Muslim Chaplain for prisons in D.C.; Dr. Maha Hilal, the co-Director of Justice for Muslims Collective; Dr. Acklyn Lynch, a professor on Carribean Studies; and Nabihah Maqbool, a legal fellow with Muslim Advocates. Tomiko Shine, the founding director of APPHRC, served as the moderator.

The event also served as the official launch for the APPL track at ILIA. The track focuses on developing and mentoring youth as they navigate the public sphere, as well as advocating for issues relating to not only Muslim Americans, but Americans as a whole.

The panel opened with a discussion on the word hidden. Prather laughed, saying the term was funny to him "because it's not hidden to us." However, he remained optimistic about the event, which felt was a long overdue conversation and a signal that we are in the middle of a shift. Dr. Hilal; however, felt "Some of these prisoners are literally out of sight, out of mind," she stated. No one wants to advocate for them, rendering them invisible in the community.

As the discussion continued, one theme emerged: Fear. Shine emphasized the urgency of addressing this phenomenon stating "abuse continues as long as there is fear." Overcoming this fear begins with the abolition of the antiquated mindset that sustains the prison industrial complex, noted Mauri' Saalakhan, Director of Operations of Peace Thru Justice. Dr. Hilal added to this notion, mentioning that getting beyond fear also requires "undoing these problematic ahistorical narratives in order to shift the system." She maintained that it is incumbent upon Muslims to know about their history and the narratives of incarcerated Muslims.

Among the audience were youth, educators, and members of the community who had themselves been incarcerated. One such person was James Lambert, who was incarcerated for 35 years, 33 of which he spent on death row. Now home for 14 months, Lambert said he came out because he was "here now trying to make things right."

Most everyone agreed that this dialogue will serve as an impetus for continued conversations and the uncovering of narratives of incarcerated Ummah. Ayman Nassar, Founder of ILIA, echoed this sentiment. Noting that the event was developed entirely by youth, he remains hopeful the youth can and will change the narrative.