Monday, October 23, 2006

slavery, genocide and the politics of outrage: understanding the new "racial olympics"

I've linked to articles from Hishaam D. Aidi in the past. Now, in the article Slavery, Genocide and the Politics of Outrage: Understanding the New “Racial Olympics”, Hishaam D. Aidi explores the intersections between Black Nationalism, Zionism, Black Orientalism, Afro-Arab unity, 9/11 and the current crisis in Darfur.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Bilal Muslim Mission

The Bilal Muslim Mission is an organization founded with the goal of spreading Islam (particularly as understood by Ahlul-bayt) to Africans and people of African descent. When it was founded in Tanzania in 1964, there were almost no African Shia Muslims. Due to the hard work of renown scholar, Allamah Sayyid Akhtar Rizvi and others who followed his guidance, the community has grown tremendously and spread to numerous other countries.

In 1993, the Bilal Muslim Mission of America was founded to continue this mission of tabligh in the Americas. Starting in Orlando, Florida, it has now spread to Trinidad and Guyana.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

hasan shakur

I don't know if Hasan Shakur could credibly be called a political prisoner in the same sense as some of the people I've discussed in the Planet Grenada entry: black cats who became muslim. But he was a Muslim, and he passed away and the least I could do is give him some small acknowledgement.

Hasan Shakur was executed on August 31, 2006. He was pronounced dead at 6:18 pm. The day before his execution he wrote a letter to the people that had supported him. The following is an excerpt of that letter:

To many of you, I am different things you know? I may be a righteous brotha, a militant man, a brotha, a father, a friend, a husband, an asshole; all of that. However, I know one thing, I am ME. I stayed ME and in the event of my demise, I will remain ME. My love for the people and what I do is unrelenting. I will ALWAYS be that. I love you. I love what you have done for me and I love the fact that people believed into my cause and believed in me, and you know what? I love you and I believe in you. I believe you will continue to push the work I have done....

Fight for Freedom - Hasan Shakur
Uprising: Hasan Shakur Faces Execution
APoC:Article on Hasan Shakur by Chucky Mamou