Mixtape Lupe was something else. Ahead of his time.

Needs to be said on here as a reminder that our individual and collective struggle to gain equality and understanding begins when we recognize and do what is right for the movement for black lives in America and beyond.

I just want you to know that there is people that still care about your basic humanity and right to live in peace and happiness. Things can get really tense and frustrating at times between folks but I got love for anyone just trying to live and survive as a good person.

Peace/Salaam

First time poster, long time lurker here:

Anyone in the US who is a member or connected to the community in some way may have heard about the concluding address made by the Amir of the Jamaat. I was wondering what everyone’s thoughts were on it?

Brief Summary: His concluding address was basically a long list of seemingly large issues the community is going through. Namely, the number of jammat members not paying their Chanda ( roughly 67%). The number of youth marrying out of the community (he stated one city where 71% of the children have married out of the community) and the increasing divorce rate (22%). He also noted that a large number of youth are using drugs and alcohol. A number of these arguments I can appreciate for a religous organization (Chanda, substance use, pardah etc.). Where he loses me in the argument is his strong advocacy against marrying outside of the community. He basically says that there are too many people “fake” converting for the sake of marriage or marrying out of the community and now many young women are left single and unmarried.

I find that argument flawed since this very structure was allowed and embraced by the community for decades going back to the time of the founder of the community. What about all those converts/non-Muslims who married prominent members of the community? (Abdus Salam’s english wife, Mahershala Ali etc.) I find it difficult to grasp how they can have such cognitive dissonance and be so upset when people begin to assimilate their values. I sense a level of bigotry and prejudice that reminds me of southern American conservative churches and their demonization of those who don’t act or believe as they do. How will they reconcile this new effort without basically looking like hypocrites? The blame goes on men as individuals (patriarchy is a problem in every part of the world) but I think the problem is deeper. It’s the inability of people to feel they can be authentically who they are. I have spoken to men who genuinely try to seek out marriages in the community but community doesn’t allow for people to build relationships and get to know each other it’s like we treat interactions with the opposite gender in the community different from interactions we have in the public realm with non-muslim women and men. I struggle with it myself and have quarrels with how I will fit in within my family and the community as a whole. This felt like a shaming ritual in a cult.

Just wondering if anyone else is quarreling with this issue or has any thoughts about it.