Imam Azhar opens this podcast with the comment that “we are not here to debate what was said, we are here to open a dialogue,” which is what Raw Islam is all about.
When we hear that someone said something about Black Live Matter or another topic, we tend to go back and watch the video or listen to the audio recording – focusing only on that topic. Listening for it, waiting for it, it is all we want to hear. But what about all the other information that was said? What about all the other topics that were brought up?
When Shaykh Hamza Yusuf spoke at the RIS Convention, was he out of line? Is he someone that has the right to speak on the Black Lives Matter Movement, or was he outside his wheelhouse?
Then question arises – Who can speak for who?
When things like hate become normalized, there needs to a message to counter balance the message of hate. Martian Luther King Jr. used his platform to speak out about normalized hate towards African-Americans in the United States, and over time more and more people started to listen and understand.
Islam is simple, Islam is about having 7 billion problems and fixing the big problem – ourselves. We treat people different because of their social status, we treat people because of their religion, and Muslims tend to proudly show their interfaith work… but what about intrafaith work?
If we are looking for that one voice, like Martin Luther King Jr., to speak out for the Muslim community, how can we find it if we have such major riffs in our own communities?
And lastly, B.C. Dodge expresses his true feeling towards how should and shouldn’t eat bananas.
Do you have questions for the Imam or thoughts on the show?
Drop us an email at rawislam@vennnetwork.org
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