A JOINT STATEMENT OF IMAMS/MUSLIM LEADERS OF THE U.S. ON THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD
We, Imams and American Muslim leaders, are deeply impacted by the murder of our brother, George Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020.
This brutal killing has set in motion a chain of events that hearken back to dark days in American history – a time when racism supported by rogue policing were lethal weapons used against people of color, especially African Americans. As slavery was the original sin, racism continues to permeate throughout our criminal justice system and the social fabric of the country we all love.
Therefore, as leaders of Muslim communities across the United States, and as Americans, we call for immediate and comprehensive criminal justice reforms. Total police reforms must be instituted to root out racism and bias and ensure that law enforcement officers respect the basic human and civil rights of all citizens. This requires police officers undergo diversity sensitivity training, as well as de-escalation training to remove excessive deadly force. The overall goal is to end corruption in police departments and their discriminatory targeting of communities of color.
We also endorse the following “8 Can’t Wait” reforms for each police department to adopt without delay regarding when and how they use force:
- Ban chokeholds and strangleholds
- Require de-escalation
- Require warning before shooting
- Exhaust all other means before shooting
- Duty to intervene and stop excessive force by other officers
- Ban shooting at moving vehicles
- Require use-of-force continuum
- Require comprehensive reporting each time an officer uses force or threatens to do
so
As leaders of our Muslim communities, we are fully engaged in our intra-community relations to implement the initial action items as follows:
Urge national Muslim organizations, local mosques and Islamic centers to join in solidarity with bereaved Black communities that continue to be targeted by these unethical and illegal actions of law enforcement, resulting in death and injury.
Work proactively with African American Muslim communities in the U.S. standing in brotherhood and sisterhood as a solid wall, noting that that which impacts one community affects all Muslim communities. Muslims are ordered in the Quran to stand up for justice (4:135). We cannot remain silent in the face of such ongoing historic victimization and murder.
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “When a Muslim sees an injustice, s/he must act out against it. And if s/he cannot act out, s/he must speak out against it. And if s/he cannot speak out, then at the least s/he must hate it in his/her heart – and that is the least of faith.”
List of Signatory Imams/Organizations and Affiliations:
Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, President, Sound Vision, Chicago, Illinois
Samana Siddiqui, Sound Vision, Chicago, Illinois
Imam Abdul Jabbar, Justice For All, Marietta, Georgia
Zahir Adil, Justice For All, Boston, Massachusetts
Hena Zuberi, Justice For All DC, Editor in Chief, Muslimmatters
Shaikh Ubaid, President Indian Minorities Advocacy Network.
Co-Chair Muslim Peace Coalition, Albany, New York
Faizan Atiq, Treasurer,
Imam Yahya Hindi, Muslim Chaplain, George Town University
Imam Al Amin Abdul Latif, Masjid Allahu Akbar, Long Island, NY
Imam Yasir, Masjid Maryam, Atlanta
Ismail Fenni, Imam, Yusuf Mosque, Brighton, Massachusetts
Humayun Morshed, President, Islamic Cultural Center of Medford, Medford, Massachusetts
Kashif Imam, Muhammad Islamic Center of Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Kandeel Javid, Imaam / Co-director, Muslims for Progressive Values – Boston Boston, Massachusetts
Reza Mansoor, President, Islamic Association of Greater Hartford , Berlin, Connecticut
Foudil Selmoune, Imam, ICC, Brossard, Quebec
Meher Khan, Justice For All, Dublin, Ohio
Abdul Iman Muhammad, Student Minister Muhammad Mosque #32, Nation of Islam Phoenix, Arizona
Abdessamad Qesmi, Imam, American Muslim Society,Danvers, Massachusetts
Bouchaib ElGueEnaoui, Imam, Malden Islamic Center, Medford, Massachusetts
Nadim Bashir, Imam, EPIC (East Plano Islamic Center), Plano, Texas
Aamer AbdulJaleel, President, Muslim Association of Bolingbrook, Bolingbrook, Illinois
Sami Zaharna, Imam, Muslim Family Center, Columbia, Maryland
Mohammad Sirajuddin, Imam, Islamic Society of Michigan, South Bend,Indiana
Haroon Ahmed, Imām, Muslim Association of Bolingbrook, Bolingbrook, Illinois
Arshad Ameen, Memphis Interfaith, Memphis, Tennessee
Kimberly Young, MD, TPMG, San Francisco, California
Ilyas Sidyot, Imam, Islamic Association of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Inc. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Abul K Azad, Zonal Director and Khateeb, Islamic Society of Greater Houston Pearland, Texas
Mustapha Elturk, Ameer, Islamic Organization of North America, Warren, Michigan
Khalid Iqbal, Imam, Rahmaa Institute, Sterling, Virginia
Aly Lela, Imam, MCC, Rochester Hills, Michigan
Wissam Abdul Baki, Imam, The Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts, W Springfield, Massachusetts
Michael Abdul-Halim, Imam, Muslim American Community RVA, Richmond Virginia
Zafar Jawaid, President Islamic Society of Winchester, Winchester Virginia
Saffet A. Catovic, Imam and Muslim Chaplain, Drew University Madison New Jersey
Imam Irshad Osman, Khateeb, Danforth Islamic Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
Imam Jawad Rasul, Islamic Center of Augusta, Georgia
Imam Rashid Anwar, Muslim Center of Roswell, Georgia
Br Manzoor Khalid , member of the board , Masjid al Mumineen, Stone Mountain, GA
Br Naeem Mulla, Masjid Jafar, Alpharetta, GA
Imam Nisar Ahmad, Islamic Center, Anniston, Al
Khalid Mahmood, Islamic Center of Anniston, Al
Mufti Abdur Rahman, imam Masjid al Madina, LaGuardia, NY
Hafiz Ateeq ur Rahman, Imam, Masjid al Madina, LaGuardia, NY
Imam Irshad Osman, Khateeb, Danforth Islamic Centre, Toronto
