ILIA Stands in Solidarity with the Black Community and Looks Towards Real, Structural Change

BALTIMORE - May 30, 2020 - PRLog -- ILIA Stands in Solidarity with the Black Community and Looks Towards Real, Structural Change

"Help one another in goodness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and oppression, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, surely Allah is severe in requiting (evil)."

(Surah al-Mā'ida 5:2)

The recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others have once again revealed the continued deep, structural racism in the United States. The Islamic Leadership Institute of America (ILIA) stands with our black brothers and sisters in fighting the oppression they face simply due to the color of their skin.

ILIA understands that police reform is not enough to address this issue. The racist oppression in the United States is a web that permeates all aspects of life. It's effects are widespread, from structural issues such as the prison industrial complex and housing discrimination, to prejudice that is replicated in the academia, media, and the public discourse.

ILIA stands with our black brothers and sisters and recognizes that our struggle is one. We recognize that as Muslims, we have a duty to fight against this oppression. This also requires us to be introspective: are we as a community doing enough for our black brothers and sisters? Do our black Muslims feel welcome in our non-black communities? This reflection is a requirement incumbent on all of us, so that we do not become part of the oppression.

Our Advocacy and Public Policy Leadership (APPL) track empowers ILIA youth to be advocates for justice in their communities. Our youth have become khateebs at local prisons and hosted panels reflecting on incarceration and america's Muslim population. However, progress and change on this front requires much more action, intersectional action specifically. Therefore, we strive to expand our efforts as well as continue to partner with other community organizations.

While this is a bleak time, we at ILIA have hope in the future. The guidance found in the Quran and Sunnah, as well as the examples from Black Muslim Leaders such as Bilal ibn Rabah and Malcom X, will guide us in the fight against this oppression.
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The Islamic Leadership Institute of America is a non-profit 501c(3) educational and research organization founded in the State of Maryland in 2009/1430 to promote leadership development, education and research based on Islamic values and principles, through personalized experiential learning leadership programs. The organization services are open to all individuals regardless of their faith
Learn more at https://www.islamicleadership.org/overview/
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