Muslims Invoke Activist Malcolm X; Plan Rally, "Die-in" at LOVE Park
Jonathan Lai, Inquirer Staff Writer
Saturday, December 27, 2014, 11:55 AM
Invoking the life and legacy of Muslim activist leader Malcolm X and others, scores of demonstrators are expected at noon Saturday to join a rally organized by the Muslims Mobilized Against Police Brutality.
The march, set to begin at LOVE Park, is the latest in weeks of demonstrations sparked by the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, unarmed black men, at the hands of police.
Kameelah Rashad, the lead organizer of the event, said the event has particular importance because black Muslims, who have a tradition of activism, can face injustice on multiple fronts.
"We see all of the injustices along the same continuum," she said before the march, citing the deaths of Brown and Garner, as well as the recently released CIA torture report. "So we want to also lift our voices in unison and solidarity with everyone across the country who has recognized the urgency of the moment."
Saturday's event includes a march and "die-in."
Rashad, founder of the Muslim Wellness Foundation, organized the protest with the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative and United Muslim Masjid, based in South Philadelphia.
"What we see is that if these issues are not addressed, we become vulnerable on multiple levels, as religious minorities but also as racial minorities. For some of us that may not be easily identifiable as Muslims, we are still profiled racially," Rashad said Saturday morning. "We stand at the nexis of all of these discriminatory practices."
"Our faith compels us to stand against justice, and our American tradition, stemming from black resistance and the civil rights movement, also compels us and obligates us to participate actively in these discussions," she said.
jlai@phillynews.com
856-779-3220
 |
| Malcolm X speaks to the people of Harlem during the early 1960s. |
Saturday, December 27, 2014, 11:55 AM
Invoking the life and legacy of Muslim activist leader Malcolm X and others, scores of demonstrators are expected at noon Saturday to join a rally organized by the Muslims Mobilized Against Police Brutality.
The march, set to begin at LOVE Park, is the latest in weeks of demonstrations sparked by the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, unarmed black men, at the hands of police.
Kameelah Rashad, the lead organizer of the event, said the event has particular importance because black Muslims, who have a tradition of activism, can face injustice on multiple fronts.
"We see all of the injustices along the same continuum," she said before the march, citing the deaths of Brown and Garner, as well as the recently released CIA torture report. "So we want to also lift our voices in unison and solidarity with everyone across the country who has recognized the urgency of the moment."
Saturday's event includes a march and "die-in."
Rashad, founder of the Muslim Wellness Foundation, organized the protest with the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative and United Muslim Masjid, based in South Philadelphia.
"What we see is that if these issues are not addressed, we become vulnerable on multiple levels, as religious minorities but also as racial minorities. For some of us that may not be easily identifiable as Muslims, we are still profiled racially," Rashad said Saturday morning. "We stand at the nexis of all of these discriminatory practices."
"Our faith compels us to stand against justice, and our American tradition, stemming from black resistance and the civil rights movement, also compels us and obligates us to participate actively in these discussions," she said.
jlai@phillynews.com
856-779-3220
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