The reality & the hope...
 
 
 

Assalamu’alaykum John,


It is often hard to reconcile the dream of America with the nightmares we see: bans and border walls, Brown kids in cages, White knees on Black necks, Blue badges against civilians. Lives were lost, dreams were shattered, rights were trampled on... but the challenges we face today are not new. The trials that befell the great Prophets will continue to test all of Creation until the end of time.

Our role is to "enjoin good and forbid evil" with our hands, our words, or at the very least, within our hearts, until the end of our own appointed time, and to hold on to the hope that every good deed, no matter how small, will indeed make a difference and be rewarded by God.


It is our experience at the Muslim Legal Fund of America that every effort counts and every case matters. Even in the losses, there are lessons. We give the oppressed hope in justice and a voice to air grievances that would otherwise go unheard, unacknowledged, and unchallenged - setting the stage for more abuses to come.


Our ultimate aim is to hold our government accountable to its citizens and discredit the notion that anyone’s rights, dignity, or life is less worthy simply on the basis of their race, faith, or identity.

Exposing the roots of racism sheds light on the intersectionality of oppression and injustice. The same elements that cry War on Terror today, launched the War on Crime and on Drugs yesterday, and may spawn the ‘wars’ of tomorrow if left unchecked.

Recognizing the interconnected struggles of our time is the first step. Accepting the challenges with optimism is the second. Doing everything we can to facilitate hope and fulfill promises is the third - and there is no better time to take those steps than during these best ten days of the year.

In faith and for justice,