Tag Archives: Islam

God’s Unruly Friends, BAM Cafe, and Paris.

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Last night (11/13/15), God’s Unruly Friends played at Bam Cafe in Brooklyn. Permit me to shout out to Kaveh Haghtalab, Tom Chess, and Chenana Manno for performances above and beyond the call to duty!

 

However, the event coincided with the Paris attacks, and the vibe was, shall I say, heavy.

 

I recall a story. The night when Martin Luther King was killed, Jimi Hendrix was booked to play Newark NJ (of all places). They wanted to cancel the concert, but Hendrix said no; he would do the show. Everyone was scared of the possibility of race riots. Hendrix walked on stage, and said “This is for a friend of mine.” He then abandoned all his usual songs, and improvised a long blues ballad that was so moving even the theater stagehands and janitors were in tears. (Naturally, nobody recorded it).

 

As you know, I’m a Muslim. And as it stands, I and my people are pretty much all “on trial” for the events in Paris. Whoever did those horrible attacks in Paris (and all over the Middle East, for that matter) are NOT Muslims! I see absolutely no Islam in what they do, and refuse to acknowledge ANY connection between them and real Islam. They are NOT my brothers in religion.


To the people of Paris, my heart goes out to you. I’ve visited your beautiful city a number of times, and your people are wonderful. Stay strong, and know that there are a lot of people who are sending love your way.

 

I’m a musician, and in many ways, I count for very little in this world. I have to do what I can with what I have. God’s Unruly Friends’ performance last night was us using our music as an imposition of love and spiritual power upon a political upheaval to counteract the presence of evil, oppression, and destruction. I pray it did some good. I pray that my music brings something useful into a chaos of futility, and something beautiful into a world of ugliness.

Islam and Racism

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Islam forbids racism. Not by insinuation (i.e. “brotherly love.” or the like), but in specific terms impossible to deny or contradict.

“And one of the Signs (of Allah) is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your colors (i.e. races) and languages. Surely there is a Sign in this for those who have wisdom.”
– Qur’an 30:22

I take this as meaning (among other things) that, since the creation of heaven and earth is mentioned in the same sentence as the different languages and races among humanity, that this diversity exists as in integral and indispensable component of creation. Humanity NEEDS a variety of people; without it, we couldn’t exist.

The Prophet Muhammas (sas) said, in his last sermon:
“The while man has no superiority over the black man, and the black man has no superiority over the white man; and the Arab has no superiority over the non-Arab, and the non-Arab has no superiority over the Arab, except in (individual) piety / nearness to Allah. And the best among you are those who remember that all people are descended from Adam (as) and Adam (as) is created from dust.”

Hard to get more obvious than that. But it didn’t stop there. In the Prophet Muhammad’s biography, there is a striking example of walking the walk and not just talking the talk.

Bilal ibn Rabah (ra) is one of the greatest saints of Islam. He was an African slave who accepted Islam when there were maybe two dozen Muslims in the world. His owner beat and tortured him to get him to renounce Islam. Bilal refused, despite the unspeakable agonies inflicted on him. The Prophet (sas) asked if anyone would purchase Bilal, and his companion Abu Bakr (ra) did so, and immediately freed him. Bilal became one of the Prophet’s closest companions, the treasurer of the Muslim nation, a great warrior, and was the first to make the adhan (call to prayer).

One day the Prophet (sas) said that he had a dream that he was about to enter Paradise, and heard footsteps of someone ahead of him. The companions were amazed, and asked who it was. He said “It was Bilal.” Consider what it means when the Prophet (sas) sees a vision of a former African slave entering Paradise before him; and makes it a point to happily share the news.
Muslims must cure their hearts of the cancer of racism, without hesitation or condition.

Now, permit me a “secular” analysis.

Racism is a disease that extends to both the psychological and spiritual dimensions of a human being. It is based on a number of factors all racists have in common:

1. Fear of surface appearances that differ from their own, or do not conform to paradigms of human cultural or physical manifestations that do not resemble imagery in the mind (which, by the way, only exists in their mind, and has no correlation to anything in reality).

2. Fear of loss. Exposure to some anthropological “other” triggers a reaction wherein the “other / different” is associated with the threat of being forcibly or cunningly deprived of possessions, social status, or some personal sense of pride or honor. This is similar to that found in many species of animals.

3. A lack of perspective and insight. This is either the conditioned behavior, or hard-wired incapacity to recognize similarities between people of different persuasions, and to understand on a deep and fundamental level that differences in humans / a multiplicity of manifestation, is essential to the structure of the existence of the universe. This is a subtle form of polytheism in its most degraded form. Polytheists look at unity and see multiplicity, whereas a true monotheist looks at multiplicity and see unity (lest you think otherwise, external appearances of polytheism or monotheism may harbor a very different internal motivation).

I must point out that some people associate all this with a lack of intelligence, however, this is a mistake. While you will certainly find morons among their ranks, many racists are extraordinarily intelligent people. They are not stupid: they’re insane. Such people are extraordinarily dangerous, because they usually have the capacity and the will to attempt to shape social order to conform to their insanity; and know how to incite other less intelligent people to do their dirty work for them.

(PS: yes, racists, I just dissected you as if you were laboratory rats, and exposed your inner dementia to the world. My assessment is true, and you are powerless to defend your position with anything but lies or violent outbursts, which only prove my assessment to be correct.)

I challenge anyone to prove what I posted here to be wrong.

Epitath for a Friend.

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The morning of March 24th, 2015 was difficult on me. Imam Salihohu Djabbi; Imam and founder of Masjid Imam Ali in Brooklyn, Imam at the GMDC-C73 facility at Riker’s Island Prison Complex, and Amir of the Council of African Imams of New York City died after a four year battle with ALS. I knew Imam Salihou’s passing would not be far; the last time I visited him, he didn’t look well. Watching his health deteriorate was heartbreaking, Yet throughout it all, he never lost his faith, nor his good humor.

And now, Allah called him home. He made it; and we’re still here, asleep and dreaming our dark dreams. 

Imam Salihou  was a man of great spiritual attainment. Sitting with him, one shared in his blessings, and learned some very deep lessons. He was a wise and kind man whom I learned a great deal from. I worked with him for many years at the C73 building at Riker’s Island, and I can never forget how he always went out of his way to place me in a position of honor and status (which I was always worried about how I merited this).

But one thing I fear may be lost among the statements shared about him was his great sense of humor. He was a lot of fun and would often share a good joke! Once, when I bought a sarangi, he asked me why I did that. I told him I found one for a good price. He said “Man, there must be something wrong with you!” I laughed until I could barely breath. He and I shared many light hearted moments.   He was a friend and teacher; a man of immense spiritual knowledge and authority who commanded great respect, and who was nonetheless humble, charitable, and filled with love and good humor.

Many people talk about being spiritual. Some cast derision on people who fake it for gain. Some search and search for it. Imam Salihou was the real thing; he was absolutely authentic, and exemplary as a real spiritual leader. To him, all men and women were his brother and sister. His heart was full of compassion. And a no one could ask for a better friend.   I haven’t the nerve to say what Allah will or will not do. But if Allah welcomes him among the ranks of the elite on the Day of Judgement, it will not surprise me in the least.

I salute him, and thank Allah for his life.