Names of Allah Series:

We have already spoken about Allah’s attributes of justice in a previous article, and today’s Name is al-Muqsiṭ. Al-Muqsiṭ comes from the word qisṭ and means the scale or balance. Taqasaṭū means to split something up fairly (Lisan al-Arab). Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) says in the Qur’an:

“And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with an even balance (bilqisṭas al-mustaqīm). That is the best [way] and best in result.” (Qur’an, 17:35)

Allah commands us to be balanced, and He is al-Muqsiṭ: the One who is most equitable, balanced and just. In some translations of the Qur’an, `adl and qisṭ are both translated as justice, but I will be using the term “equity” here so we can understand the difference.

The Even Balance

We envision justice in many different ways. For some, justice is treating people the same. We expect that, if two people commit the same crime, they should receive the same punishment. Similarly, if two people do the same good, they should receive the same reward. Likewise, all people should be given the same rights. Some of us may define that as justice.

But equity allows for more nuance and greater justice. Testing two people the exact same way because they share, for example, the same age and gender ignores crucial differences they may have. I can ask two 22-year-old men to do 100 press ups, and this might be regarded as fair because they both share similar characteristics. But would it be fair if one of them was recently getting over an injury in his wrist? Most of us would say no; the ability to see that is equity.

If we look at stealing in Islam, we might think that the punishment applies simply for the act of stealing, regardless of who stole and what they stole. But anyone versed in jurisprudence (fiqh) knows this is not the case, and this is why `Umar suspended that punishment when there was a famine; the circumstances matter.

This is why our understanding in Islam is that a person may give something that is seemingly small, but be rewarded greatly for it, and vice-versa. We are told of a prostitute who gave a dog water and was given Paradise, but of an ostentatious, wealthy philanthropist who was punished. To an outsider, it might not make sense; the philanthropist gave so much more than the prostitute! But Allah (swt) knows the individual circumstance of each person, and judges accordingly. The prostitute was sincere, and the philanthropist was not.

Also, it could be that Allah (swt) tests you with loss, but He tests others with wealth. Perhaps He blesses you with giving you, and He blesses others by taking away. He may delay something for you, and hasten it for other people. It may take you years to get something that you want – blood and sweat and tears – and for someone else, it requires no effort at all. But if you knew all that Allah (swt) knows, you would understand that His decree is ultimate justice and mercy that is specific to you and your circumstance. Indeed, this is why Allah (swt) tells us:

“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.” (Qur’an, 2:256)

Moreover, in a hadith qudsi (narration), it is reported that Allah (swt) says:

“Verily, from amongst My slaves is he whose faith cannot be rectified except by being inflicted with poverty, and were I to enrich him, it would surely corrupt him. Verily, from amongst My slaves is he whose faith cannot be rectified except by wealth and affluence, and were I to deprive him, it would surely corrupt him.” (Tabarani) ((This hadith has been classed as weak, but some scholars permitted using the hadith because the meanings align with what we understand of Allah’s justice and mercy. Ibn Taymiyya alluded to the meanings found in this hadith in Majmoo’ al-Fatawa, where he states that, “It could be that, for some people, poverty is more beneficial than wealth, while wealth is more beneficial for others…” ))

When you are tested with an affliction, and yet you see someone else who may have sinned worse than you seem to get off easy, remember that Allah is al-Muqsiṭ. This will make sense some day.

Justice for the Wronged

Al-Ghazali says that al-Muqsiṭ is the One who delivers justice to the wronged from the wrongdoer, and only Allah (swt) is capable of that. In a hadith recorded in Hakim, two people are brought forth before Allah on the Day of Judgment. One of them says to Allah, “O Allah, let this person compensate me for how he has wronged me!” And Allah orders that of that person. The wrongdoer then says he does not have any good deeds left to compensate the one he had wronged. The wronged then asks to be relieved of his sins by the one who wronged him. Allah (swt) then asks the wronged person to look up and see Paradise, and proceeds to tell him that it is only for those who are willing to pay the price. When the wronged one asks how to pay such a price, Allah (swt) responds: “By forgiving your brother.” After recounting this, the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said: “Fear God and make peace among yourselves, for God – may He be blessed and exalted – will make peace among the faithful on the day of resurrection,” (Hakim).

Connecting with Allah al-Muqsiṭ

1– Remember that Allah will not test you with more than you can bear

This is a principle: Allah (swt) tests you to build you, because you have potential. In the grand scheme of things, His decree is most equitable and therefore the most just.

2- Think well of Allah, and work with what you have

Some of us adopt a very fatalistic attitude. We hear that Allah (swt) may choose to test us with poverty, and then assume that that means we are destined to be poor for all of our lives. The only certainty we have is that we do not know: perhaps you are tested with poverty now in order that you work hard to come out of it. It may be as a result of an economic system that collectively we have allowed to thrive, and we must work collectively to end it. It could also be that Allah blesses you in other ways. The point is, we do not know. Our individual responsibility is to think well of Allah and work with what we have.

3- Understand people’s circumstances

It is, at the same time, reassuring that Allah (swt) looks at our individual circumstances. Just as we love that from Allah, try to afford people the same gesture. That person who does not pray regularly may not have a deficiency in their eman (faith), but is going through difficulty. Reach out.

4- Those with the greatest share of this Name

Al-Ghazali says only Allah (swt) is capable of true justice, but we can emulate this characteristic partly by insisting on justice from ourselves for others, and being forbearing with other people.

There is a story in the Qur’an that we are seldom told about. Before revealing the ayah (verse), let us understand the context in which it was revealed. The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) had lived in Madina for about two years before this incident occurred. The situation in Madina was very different to Makkah, as were the demographics. There were two tribes—al-Aws and al-Khazraj—as well as hypocrites, and three Jewish tribes. Al-Aws and al-Khazraj had a troubled history. Though they accepted Islam, tensions sometimes flared between them.

A man from al-Aws named Rafa’ bin Nu’man was awarded a shield of armor from a battle in which they were victorious. Armor was considered precious at that time as not many people were able to acquire it. But two days later, his armor was stolen. Rafa’s cousin, Qatada, said that he saw a man named Ta’ma bin Ubayriq steal the armor. Ta’ma was from Khazraj, and he was a new Muslim.

To ascertain the truth, the Prophet ﷺ sent people to look in Ta’ma’s house. The armor was not there. People from the tribe of Khazraj said that it was a Jewish man who stole the armor. So they went and checked in his house, and found it buried in the backyard. The Prophet ﷺ was mad at Qatada. How could he accuse someone, and a Muslim no less, of theft?

In any case it seemed that the matter was solved. The Muslims prayed `Isha (evening prayer) together.

But something happened. Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, sent the Angel Gabriel to the Prophetﷺ to declare that the Jewish man was innocent, and it was indeed Ta’ma who stole the armor. Allah (swt) revealed in the Qur’an:

“Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth so you may judge between the people by that which Allah has shown you. And do not be for the deceitful an advocate.

And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.

And do not argue on behalf of those who deceive themselves. Indeed, Allah loves not one who is a habitually sinful deceiver.

They conceal [their evil intentions and deeds] from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from Allah , and He is with them [in His knowledge] when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of speech. And ever is Allah, of what they do, encompassing.

Here you are – those who argue on their behalf in [this] worldly life – but who will argue with Allah for them on the Day of Resurrection, or who will [then] be their representative?

And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness of Allah will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

And whoever commits a sin only earns it against himself. And Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.

But whoever earns an offense or a sin and then blames it on an innocent [person] has taken upon himself a slander and manifest sin.

And if it was not for the favor of Allah upon you, [O Muhammad], and His mercy, a group of them would have determined to mislead you. But they do not mislead except themselves, and they will not harm you at all. And Allah has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great.” (Qur’an, 4:105-113)

Ta’ma had stolen the armor. He told some of his relatives, and they all conspired with him to protect him. But Allah (swt) knows all. And Allah, al-`Adl, revealed these verses before fajr (morning prayer) so that the Prophet ﷺ could declare it after prayers.

The Jewish man did not accept Islam. This is important to point out. Allah is al-`Adl, and He is the Most Just. He commands us to be just for the sake of it, not for the reason to convert people to Islam. Da`wah (inviting people to Islam) is important, but justice is established because Allah (swt) commands us to do so.

Allah is al-`Adl

This story highlights to us Allah’s justice. The issue was not about tribes, or Muslims vs. non-Muslims. Allah’s justice is true justice; it does not favor any ‘group’—only the group that establishes His justice. Indeed, this is why one of Allah’s Names is al-`Adl, and according to an-Nabulsi, it is a Name that the entire ummah (Muslim community) agrees upon. While we touched briefly upon this Name in a previous article, we will go into detail here. `Adl comes from the root `a-d-l (ع-د-ل) which means to make something upright; it is the opposite of transgression.  Al-Ghazali explains to us Al-`Adl means “one who is Just, and He is one from whom just action emanates, the opposite of injustice and oppression.”

We see manifestations of Allah’s justice both in this world and the Next. That said, not everything will see the justice that we expect in this world, or in the time that we want. We might live to see the demise of the Pharoah, and we might not. But at the same time, while it might seem that the person committing the injustice has ‘won’, we need to look beyond the superficial. We do not know what Allah (swt) has written for the unjust after he dies, nor do we know what spiritual nourishment this person has been denied because of his transgressions. Moreover, when it comes to injustice, we need to reflect inwardly. We sometimes fail to uphold our covenant to Him. Allah (swt) has commanded us to be just, but we do not act in such a way. We allow those small transgressions in our daily lives, and only complain when something affects us. This can even be at the lowest of levels; do we believe rumors about people without being absolutely certain about the evidence? Do you give people the chance to explain themselves?

A Muslims, as servants of al-`Adl, we can never ever give up on striving for justice on all levels. Allah (swt) in the Qur’an says:

“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.” (Qur’an, 5:8)

Ibn Taymiya is even reported to have said that Allah (swt) will protect a just nation even if it were not Muslim, and He would bring down an unjust nation even if it were Muslim. So crucial is the principle of justice to our faith that Allah (swt) also says:

“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.”  (Qur’an, 4:135)

Allah tells us to uphold justice even if it were against our families or even our own selves. When we understand that Allah (swt) has Named Himself the Most Just, it should reassure our hearts that even if we do not see justice now, there will be justice eventually. Moreover, it should push us to strive to establish justice, because we are servants of the Most Just.

Connecting to this Name

1—Commit yourself to justice

Justice is at many levels, and true submission to the Most Just is to work for justice at all levels:

• With yourself: Al-Ghazali states that justice concerning yourself means to put your “passion and anger under the guidance of reason and religion; for as soon as he puts reason in the service of passion and anger, he will certainly commit injustice.” Every time we transgress—by crossing the limits of Allah—we harm ourselves. Even if we do not see the immediate effects, these things affect us spiritually. So be just with yourself.
• With your family: We know that charity starts at home, but so does justice. We cannot be unjust to our siblings, abusive towards our spouse, or unfair in the treatment of our children, and claim to be servants of the Most Just.
• With your community: The Prophet ﷺ told us, “The believer who mixes with people and patiently bears their annoyance will have a greater reward than the believer who does not mix with people and patiently bear their annoyance,” (Tirmidhi). It may sometimes be disheartening to deal with a community that only gives lip service to the principles of justice, but this is Islam: to strive for justice when it is most difficult; to continually improve; and be just not only to humans, but to the environment and to the animals. It applies as much to the rejection of gossip as it does to establish equitable mosques where all members of the congregation are respected.
• With the wider society: As we have heard many times, justice is not “just us”. The Prophet ﷺ stood with the oppressed in his society before they became Muslim. He ﷺ was witness to a treaty when he was young that guaranteed the rights of the weak, and said that if Quraish had offered to sign such a treaty with him, he would accept.
• For Allah (swt): Being committed to justice at all these levels for the sake of Allah (swt) means that we cannot transgress. We do not choose our ‘group’ over others. Allah is the Truth and the Most Just, and thus we need to seek Truth and Justice in all our interactions, even if it were against ourselves.

2—Always remain hopeful

When you see a situation that is unjust and feel helpless to change it, remember that Allah (swt) is the source of justice. Nothing passes without His knowledge and there will be ultimate justice.

3—Be certain that He is the Most Just

Al-Ghazali says, “Man’s religious gain from his believing that God—great and glorious—is just lies in not taking objection to Him in His plan, His decree and all of His actions, whether they correspond to his will or not. For all that is just: it is as it should be and how it should be.” Al-Ghazali reminds us that sometimes we do not know the alternative to what seems to be a big injustice. Indeed, He (swt) knows the unseen.

4- Be Merciful

Just like, when it comes to our sins, we like for Allah (swt) to deal with us with His Mercy rather than justice, so should we be merciful with people’s slights against us and in covering their sins, as long as they are not harming others.

May we be of those who stand for justice for all, even if it were against our own selves.

“Say, ‘O Allah , Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.’” (Qur’an, 3:26)

The beautiful poem in the video above by Brother Ammar al-Shukri reminds us of Allah Maalik al-Mulk. We will explore these meanings today.

Recently, we were all shocked to hear the news of the tragic murder of three beautiful souls: Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha. For many of us, this violence was, and still is, hard to process. Perhaps what made it more infuriating was some of the media coverage: some giving ample airtime to the wife of the man who committed the murders while others used it to talk about how to calmly get parking space. In Canada, a dear brother, Mustafa Mattan, was also shot and killed, but the media coverage was almost non-existent. We look around and the world seems to be overtaken by tyrants and oppressors. And those people act as though they are kings or possessors of other people, acting how they will with the lives of innocents.

But who is ultimately in control?

Al-Ghazali stated about Allah, al-Malik, that “everything other than He is subject in its essence and its attributes, while He is independent of everything—and this is what it is to be king absolutely.”

At the end of it all, even if it seems that people are able to act in unjust ways, they are all subject to Allah, who is both al-Malik and al-Maalik; He is both the King and the Ultimate Possessor. When we recite Surat al-Fatiha, we say, “Maaliki youm ad-deen” or “Maliki youm ad-deen”  (“Sovereign of the Day of Recompense”) depending on the type of recitation. They both come from the same root, m-l-k (م-ل-ك), which means to have power over, to possess, and to have kingship.

Maalik means a possessor, while Malik means that you have sovereignty over something and can do with it as you wish. And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He) is both Maalik and Malik. He fully controls and has ownership over the Day of Judgment and what occurs therein. He is also Maalik al-Mulk, to emphasize and intensify these meanings, that He is the Sovereign over all worlds. And this is something we seldom reflect upon; there will be a day when we will be face to face with the One who has true sovereignty over everything.

Allah tells us that He is “Maaliki youm ad-deen” after He tells as that He is Lord of the worlds. If He is the Lord of the worlds, then He must also be the Lord on the Day of Judgment. But to specifically single out the Day of Judgment is for all of us, who either behave in unethical ways or wonder how others are allowed to behave in such ways. But Allah reminds us that the innocent lives lost are not lost forever. Power will fade. And we will all be before Allah, al-Malik al-Maalik.

Ultimate Justice

While the above Names speak of the reality of who is truly in control, we need to be acquainted with another Name of Allah to understand how Allah exercises His power. We know that “Indeed, Allah does what He intends,” (Qur’an, 22:14). We are also told that on the Day of Judgment:

“And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, ‘Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?’ And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one,” (Qur’an, 18:49).

We are also told in a beautiful hadith (narration):

“O my servants, I have forbidden oppression for myself and I have made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another. ” (Muslim)

Allah is al-`Adl. This word comes from the root `a-d-l (ع-د-ل) which is the opposite of transgression, and thus means to act justly and fairly. Allah has no desires and so His judgment is never clouded, and thus He is able to apply true justice. Al-Ghazali states that to know Allah is Most Just enables us to feel tranquility and prevents us from objecting to God’s judgment or cursing Fate. We know that He is the Most-Merciful as well as the Most-Just.

Connecting to these Names

Al-Malik

Al-Ghazali recounts a story where one person said “to a certain shaykh: ‘Advise me’, and he said to him: ‘Be a king in this world and you will be a king in the next.’ When he said: ‘How might I do that?’ The shaykh answered: ‘Renounce this world and you will be a king in the next.’ He meant: detach your needs and your passions from this world, for kingship lies in being free and able to dispense with everything.”

Al-`Adl

In knowing that Allah is just, we must seriously consider whether we apply justice in our own lives. Are we just to our souls, in ensuring that we have connected to Allah? Are we just to our relatives? And are we just to animals?

Allah (swt) tells us that He has forbidden oppression for Himself and made it forbidden for us. So we should be vigilant over our souls and actions.

In the end, we must know with certainty that Allah is the Ultimate Possessor of everything, and this will be made apparent on the Day of Judgment. We are reminded of this everyday when we recite Surat al-Fatiha so that we never lose sight of that, even when tyrants act like they run the world And Allah, the Possessor and the Most Just, will surely make justice prevail.

When Religious Leaders Fail: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

(This article was reviewed by a licensed therapist.)                    

The first level of disappointment is regarding the religious leader him/herself. Here are the aforementioned points that deal with this level:

• You may feel your trust was betrayed by their behavior because they did not practice what they preached. They not only did the opposite, but they did so in ways which are lower than you would ever expect in a friend, let alone a teacher and spokesperson for the religion. You may have trusted them, looked up to them, helped them, loved them, and/or obeyed them with devotion. The closer you were, the deeper the pain.
• Perhaps you feel the whole “Religious Preachers Industry” is corrupt to begin with. After all, you may have found out that others in the field were aware of this person’s ethical issues and did nothing to protect the public, or defend the rights of those abused. In fact, some continued to work with and promote their work as it was mutually advantageous to do so. Somehow, when religious leaders fail, they seem to be treated as above the law, above justice, and others in the field are part of the cover up using excuses of selective mercy that do not extend to the masses these people have harmed, or have the very real probability of harming, based on their issue reflecting an untreated pattern of such behavior.
• If you were specifically harmed by a religious leader, you may feel unsafe around religious leaders in general, particularly ones with the same physical profile or features as the person who harmed you.

As for the first point, your trust was in fact betrayed. You have a right to feel wronged. This feeling though, thankfully, does not mean you have to remain a victim to the mountainous pain of disappointment. When a religious leader fails, it has nothing to do with you, even if you were the one they directly harmed. It is a reflection of themselves, their own weaknesses, and internal states. There is no benefit that you can gain from holding onto the mountain of pain. Sometimes, a person might think by reliving the pain regularly, by carrying the mountain, they are protecting themselves from becoming desensitized to corruption, as the person who ‘doesn’t care’ is part of the problem. One can care very much, and be fully sensitive without having to carry the burden of pain with them. Integrity does not require self-imposed suffering. Just as you have a right to feel wronged and disappointed, you also have a right to let go of this pain while retaining the lessons.

The second point can become a dangerous slippery slope. There are hundreds of religious leaders in America. Even 30 Failed Leaders should not make us think the rest are in the same boat. At the same time, there is also no need to be naïve and assume everyone else is a saint. Everyone is human and capable of great good and great evil. To have the best opinion, do not assume more than what you see, in either direction. If someone does a clearly wrong action in front of you, “making 70 excuses” does not mean you say the action was right or justified. It means you might think, “Perhaps they are having a bad day, maybe they didn’t realize it was wrong, etc.” You also don’t extend it beyond that by thinking, “They probably do this all the time, this is how they *really* are, etc.” This would be having the worst assumption, and it’s not something allowed in Islam. To have balance means you don’t assume in any direction where their heart is as only Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) knows the hearts, and you only judge through actions, their observable behavior whether or not they are someone you’d like to take as a teacher. No one should be idolized. The religious leader is not the religion. I repeat, the religious leader is not the religion, no matter what claim to authority they might make. Even the most honorable ustaadh or ustaadha (teacher) is still human and makes mistakes. In Islam, we put following principles above following people.

Umar radi allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) once asked his people when he was amir al-mu’mineen (the Leader of the Believers) what they would do if he bowed down to corruption. He asked three times, until one of the people responded and said they would fight him. He congratulated the man who responded for having the appropriate response. If Umar (ra) as the khalifah (Caliph) was not above the law, no one else should be. If people have been wronged, they have the right to have their claims addressed even if they have to go to court. Sometimes people don’t want the stories to get out because they feel like such stories hurt the community’s faith. That might be true when it comes to smaller claims that can be negotiated between intermediaries. But for situations where a person is a clear danger, allowing a dangerous religious leader to continue harming people causes a much bigger crisis to faith and trust in religious leaders and institutions in the long run. Seeking justice is a means of having mercy on the community and even on the offending personality. Having once been involved in helping out with an intervention in which therapy was one of the requirements placed on the offender, the community leader who compliantly left their position, after some time, thanked those who intervened saying, “For the first time I felt like my problem can be, and will be, solved.” Alhamdulilah (all praise be to God), it was.

That being said, the entire field is not corrupt. The entire field is not pristine and pure either. Look for people of solid character, sound credentials in their learning, and people who work with others to build institutions that are about a cause bigger than their specific persona. Avoid taking people who display regularly narcissistic behavior as personal guides. You might be able to benefit in knowledge, but over time the behavior becomes normalized to you, and you would unknowingly adopt it yourself. The sincere teacher connects you to your mission, and calls you to God, not to himself or herself. Sound credentials are also important. Don’t take anyone as a teacher in religion who does not have the educational background that gives them ijaza (credential) to teach others. A beard, accent, and long robe are not indications of an educational background nor good character. Be wary of online degrees where the person has not also studied directly from scholars. Peer acknowledgment of requisite knowledge, character, and training by those who are credentialed and of exemplary character is another form of legitimacy. Our religious understanding is a living tradition, and it is inherited through people and institutions.

As for the last point, you may need therapy to fully recover from your experience. This is not something to fear or dread. Does anyone fear taking medicine when they feel physically ill? Medicine does not contradict prayer and tawakkul (trust in God), it completes it. If you don’t get treatment, you may find yourself turning away from anything and everything that reminds you even remotely of religion. After being harmed by a religious symbol, it becomes tempting to turn away from all religious symbols. If one was fake, there may be an urge to paint it all as fake. This is a trap of shaytan (the devil). When we are tested, we are in even more need of turning to Allah and holding onto His rope for our survival, guidance, and healing. If you feel like turning away, then allow yourself to stop the downward spiral by getting up, and turning back to Allah. Call on Him to guide you, help you, strengthen you, and liberate you from your pain.

Here are some tools that help alleviate overwhelming emotional distress:

1. Journaling in the third person: By expressing, you release the tension and come to realize the situation is not so big that it has to overwhelm you. It’s small enough to put into words and make sense of. By using third person you are able to dissociate from the heavy emotions while acknowledging what happened, and gaining lessons as well.
2. Channel your energy into a helpful hobby: exercise, painting, etc..
3. Releasing: A technique that is taught in the Whims-I-Kill program at ipersonalenrichment.com.
4. Speaking to local trained Muslim counselors and therapists.
5. Surround yourself with support. Fight the tendency to isolate. Spend time with worthy friends who would be like perfume sellers not blacksmiths. [i]
6. Increased worship and du`a’ (prayer). Every time you feel a whisper telling you to turn away from Allah, rebel and rebel hard. The shaytan wants you to despair in Allah, so you can feel utterly alone and without support. When you call on Allah, do so with hope in Him and His infinite abilities and wisdom. Believe in Who you don’t see much more than what you do see.

In the next piece, we will deal with the second and third levels of disappointment insha’ Allah. Until then, I pray this is of benefit for those affected and a conversation starter for all. Please feel free to add comments or reflections to this. You never know whom your shared thoughts are going to help.

When Religious Leaders Fail: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Sexual Harassment.  Marrying a second wife secretly for a temporary amount of time.  Pedophilia. Pornography. Adultery and its kin: developing ‘back-up’ plan relationships while married. Embezzling funds.  Spiritual abuse and false religious justifications for harmful/ immoral behavior. Slander.

Then you see their names on flyers for Islamic events, and hear them speaking about modesty, integrity, courage, family life, being a good husband or wife, a good father or mother, detached from money and wealth, the ethics of speech. They might have adoring crowds who don’t know or just a small team of people they work with who don’t care.

If you’ve ever had a religious teacher or teachers who didn’t just fall, but they *failed* miserably at upholding a basic ethical standard for themselves, you may have experienced emotional burn-out as a result. Please note that religious leaders may fall all the time because they are human and it is human to fall as no one can fully escape the minor sins. This is why I used the term “Fail.” A Fail, as I use it in this series, is when a religious leader falls into a major sin or a socially reprehensible sin that is beneath the level of trust afforded to their position, is confronted, and they stubbornly refuse to make proper amends even when given the chance. This is a fail.

Please also note that I use the term emotional burn-out, and not spiritual burn-out because the spirit is essentially untouchable. Our bodies on the other hand produce emotions, and they do get affected by the stress of disappointment. Sometimes spirit and emotion are used interchangeably in language and it’s important to realize they are certainly not one and the same, as described by Ustadh Abdelrahman Mussa here. This is significant because once you realize the burn-out is emotional, you have a pathway to recovery.

Let’s unpack some of the emotions and delve into the conscious and subconscious thoughts behind such disappointment:

• You may feel your trust was betrayed by their behavior because they did not practice what they preached. They not only did the opposite, but they did so in ways which are lower than you would ever expect in a friend, let alone a teacher and spokesperson for the religion. You may have trusted them, looked up to them, helped them, loved them, and/or obeyed them with devotion. The closer you were, the deeper the pain.
• As a once devoted student, you may now feel nothing when you hear about Islamic lectures, classes, and events featuring other speakers and religious leaders. After all, they could be corrupt as well. Why risk the pain of getting emotionally ‘burned’ again?
• Perhaps you feel the whole “Religious Preachers Industry” is corrupt to begin with. After all, you may have found out that others in the field were aware of this person’s ethical issues and did nothing to protect the public, or defend the rights of those abused. In fact, some continued to work with and promote their work as it was mutually advantageous to do so. Somehow, when religious leaders fail, they seem to be treated as above the law, above justice, and others in the field are part of the cover up using excuses of selective mercy that do not extend to the masses these people have harmed, or have the very real probability of harming, based on their issue reflecting an untreated pattern of such behavior.
• If you were specifically harmed by a religious leader, you may feel unsafe around religious leaders in general, particularly ones with the same physical profile or features as the person who harmed you.
• Deep down you may be questioning God for allowing such corrupt people to represent His faith. You may feel at a subconscious level disappointed in God for allowing them to be the leaders of the Muslim community.
• You may also feel disappointment in yourself for not being ‘smarter’, wiser, for not seeing through the deception. This may also mean you lack trust in your own judgment and don’t trust yourself to trust again.
• You may feel disappointment with the masses for following such people with the same ‘blindness’ that you once did. Some of their fans may even continue to defend the religious leader and blame the people who were harmed for daring to speak up.
• You may feel a general lack of hope for the Muslim community. If corrupt or complicit are the leaders, and blind are the followers, what if anything can be done toward progress?
• You may feel like you have no control over holding the religious leader accountable if you were personally harmed, and you may feel no control in preventing them from harming others.
• You may feel isolated and disconnected because this issue doesn’t seem to bother others around you as much as it bothers you.

This is not a comprehensive list by any stretch of what may be some underlying frustrations. Each of these points can create a myriad of different powerful emotions, so imagine what a few or all of them could create? Rather than feel all the sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, disappointment, helplessness, dislike, pain, loneliness, vulnerability, hopelessness, (insert huge overwhelming emotion here), etc. , you may have simply shut down your feelings altogether, thus creating apathy and numbness. Holding onto to the apathy and numbness for a prolonged period without help can lead to a crisis in one’s faith as there is a tendency to extend the apathy to one’s relationship to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) Himself.

This post is simply an introduction to the topic and future posts are meant to deal with each of the aforementioned points in greater detail. If you are someone who has experienced this test and what you’re struggling with emotionally is not addressed in the points above, please add your specific struggle to the comments section and we will try to address it insha’ Allah (God willing). If you have a specific trauma that you would like counseling or therapy for, we can try to connect you to someone qualified insha’ Allah. If you have not gone through this test alhamdulilah (praise be to God), it is hoped that these posts may empower you to help someone who has.

Even though this is simply an introduction, there is one important lesson I would like to leave us with for this week: We can and should disagree with unethical behavior from anyone without disapproving of the qadar (decree) of Allah. Disagreeing with someone’s harmfulness is healthy, needed, and productive. Blaming Allah for having experienced it is not. Once something is in the past, it is part of His decree. Once it is part of His decree, you accept the good and bad of it as being a test from Him, which could not have been other than what occurred. There is no changing the past. The pens have been lifted and the ink has dried on it. You embrace His test without doubting His Perfection, Justice, and Mercy. There is no need to attribute either to Allah (swt) or even to yourself anything negative about this test. Allah does not hate you and you are not a horrible or unworthy person because this test happened to you. These are harmful thoughts that lack any benefit and only push you into the mud, so you can imagine where they came from. The whispers of shaytan (the devil) are to make us despair in Allah (swt), and despair in ourselves. Instead, look to what is beneficial and ask yourself: What do I have control over? What will I be asked about when I am resurrected? My immediate choices. How can I use my immediate choices to better the situation? How can I use my immediate choices to make the best transaction with Allah (swt) through this test, and gain unfathomable reward insha’ Allah? How can I rely on Allah (swt) for strength and guidance and come out personally stronger and wiser? Some answers insha’ Allah will be in the upcoming posts. For now, allow yourself to reflect on your own answers and realize that this is simply the practical application of the famous hadith (narration):

“The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, while there is good in both. Guard over that which benefits you, seek Allah’s Assistance, wa laa ta’jiz [‘don’t lend yourself to things devoid of benefit’, ‘don’t stop hoping’—both acceptable meanings], and if something befalls you, then don’t say ‘If I only would have done such and such,’ rather say, ‘Qaddar Allahu wa maa sha’a  fa’al’ [‘Allah ordained (this) and He does what He wills’], for verily the phrase, ‘If I would have’ makes way for the work of Shaytan.” (Muslim)

No matter how weak you might feel in your faith, the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) affirms there is still good in you and the fact that you believe is evidence of the love Allah (swt) has for you. The recipe to increased strength starts with embracing the decree of Allah, remaining hopeful in Him, and focusing on what is beneficial to you in this life and the next. Know that gratitude in Allah (swt) for the faith He has blessed you with increases it, and is immensely beneficial. You may not realize it yet, but you got this insha’ Allah.

Stopping the Evil of Zionism – What We Can Do

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Prominent American-Muslim Websites Initiate Online Blackout
Internet Protest to Call Attention to Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

(7/18/2014) — Today, five of the largest American-Muslim websites are simultaneously participating in an online blackout to raise awareness about the ongoing Israeli incursion in Gaza that has claimed more than 200 Palestinian lives–most of them civilian according to the United Nations–and one Israeli life. The websites have shut down for 24 hours, and redirected viewers to a message prompting them to take action around the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

SEE: Four Out of Every Five Palestinians Killed in Gaza Have Been Civilians, UN Reports

The first-of-its-kind online protest organized by American-Muslims aims to mobilize community members to advocate for Palestinian human rights. The daily estimated audience of the websites is more than 80,000.

What: Onlineblackout to raise awareness about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza
When: July 18, 2014
Participating Organizations(in alphabetical order):
HalalTube.com  | IdealMuslimah.com | MuslimMatters.org | QuranWeekly.com  | VirtualMosque.com

The group of websites is calling for an immediate ceasefire to prevent the further loss of innocent lives, and advocating for a just, comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It condemns the violence that has led to trauma on both sides. Visitors to the sites are being urged to contact their local representatives in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in order to express their concerns over the growing humanitarian crisis.

The Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) has started a new campaign to aid our brothers and sisters in Syria: SOS Syria. The first project in this campaign is ‘Write a Revolution‘ – a writing competition, open worldwide, to raise money for Syria. ‘Write for Revolution’ aims to revive and reinvigorate the Muslim youth to cultivate the intellectual and moral clarity to stand up against oppression and injustice, and to unite for freedom, justice and hope.

Ali Shareef

From eastern Congo with the rapes of hundreds of women to bombs that kill dozens in Pakistan and Afghanistan; from the raging drug battles in Mexico to the attacks on Sept. 11 ten years ago, or the other uncountable acts of violence that occur all over the world, the specter of oppression and injustice takes its daily toll on human lives.

Unfortunately, these acts of oppression and injustice have become all too common. There is not enough space in all the newspapers or enough time on the radio and television stations of the world to recount all the injustices suffered each day. Only the sadistically bizarre or the grotesquely violent forms of oppression are reported in the news; for every act that is reported there are many other abuses that will never see the light of day.

In the United States alone, FBI reports indicate that in 2008 there were approximately 2.6 violent crimes every minute. This included an average of one murder every 32 minutes and one rape every 6 minutes.

If we are to believe that a Just and Merciful Being created this world, then what role does He play and what is His response to this daily occurrence of oppression?

Human oppression is nothing new. This cycle of bloodshed and cruelty has existed since Cain killed Abel, son of Prophet Adam `alayhi as-salam (peace be upon him). There are many places in the Bible’s Old Testament where the issue of oppression is addressed, and God clearly states He will not tolerate injustice. People guilty of oppression will suffer the consequences of their actions.

The Old Testament states, “O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done — burn with no one to quench it,’” (Jeremiah 21:12).

There are entire passages in the Bible where the Prophet Habakkuk cries out to God of the injustices committed, and God is said to have responded in a lengthy recrimination that curses these oppressors:

“Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. ‘Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime!’ Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?” (Habakkuk 2 9-13).

In the Qur’an as well, we read, “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firmly for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just: that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed Allah is Acquainted with what you do,” (Qur’an 5:8).

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) is quoted to have said, “Beware of the supplication of the unjustly treated, because there is no shelter or veil between it and Allah.” ((Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim))

Many scholars agree that the cries of the oppressed rise straight to God who will answer in due time — regardless of the race, gender, or religion of the oppressed. However, one may ask, not all perpetrators of oppression face the consequences of their actions in this world.

In the great balance of justice, and all the ages of oppression that weigh heavily on the side of injustice, when and how will this balance of justice be set right? A Just God cannot allow this skewed balance to exist indefinitely. It stands to reason that there will come a time when people must account for their actions and face their consequences.

Islam teaches that people who die await the Day of Judgment or the Day of Resurrection. Depending upon the person’s deeds, he or she will rest in a state of either peace or despair. Just like Judaism and Christianity, Islam teaches that on day this universe will come to an end and herald the Day of Judgment. On this day, every single person who was born will be presented with their deeds and will be called to account for them by God.

According to one interpretation there will be three courts of judgment:

1. The first will deal with belief in the Oneness of God;
2. the second will deal with the duties and conduct of a person to other human beings;
3. and the last will deal with duties to God.

A person unable to successfully pass any of these courts will be punished in hell. ((Fazaile- A’mal))

In regard to the second court of judgment, the companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Ali bin Abi Talib radi allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) said, “By Allah! If I am made to spend from dawn to dusk on thorns; and if my hands and feet were chained, and I were to be dragged through the streets and markets, it is better than to present myself to the court of Allah, if I have committed an oppression against any one of his creatures or if I have usurped the rights of another.” ((Nahjul-Balaghah))

In another narration, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  is quoted to have said, “Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be no money (to compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to his oppression which he has done, and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him.” ((Sahih Bukhari))

It is far better for those who have wronged others to make amends with them in this world than to wait until the next. The punishment of those who oppress others is such that their good deeds will be taken from them, or the sins of the oppressed will be placed upon them.

In another place in the Qur’an, we see, “The cause is only against the ones who wrong the people and tyrannize upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment,” (Qur’an 42:42).

Islam confers no privileges for Muslims who oppress others, nor does Islam confer on them the status of the “chosen people” and excuse their actions. There are people of Muslim origin who are guilty of heinous actions, and there are Muslim rulers who are tyrants, but neither represents the Islamic spirit of justice.

There is a double-standard in the media by which the media is quick to label these individuals as “model” Muslims representing Islam, while it hesitates to label other oppressors of, for example, Christian origin as “model” Christians representing Christianity.

Further, due to the U.S. engagement in Muslim lands such as Iraq and Afghanistan, Muslims receive disproportionate coverage and scrutiny in the news, the likes of which is not afforded to other groups involved in violence.

This is not to say that the actions of these Muslims are to be excused, but to claim that only Muslims engage in these acts is preposterous. The level of hysteria that is raised on some news and talk shows does not reach the same fevered pitch when discussing the recent events of the Congo as it does with minor Muslim-related incidents.

Nevertheless, there can be no excuse for the oppression and injustices committed by anyone. The perpetrators of all wanton acts of violence, like those of the Congo, like those of Sept. 11, will face their Lord one day and receive their just due.

Davi Barker will be sharing his thoughts and experiences from #OccupySF. We invite readers to share their own experiences from similar #Occupy movements across the country.

12/2/2011

It’s time to acknowledge that the Occupy movement began as an anarchist movement. Adbusters, the magazine that started the ball rolling, describes itself as “anti-consumerist,” but it’s arguably anarchist, or at least heavily influenced by anarchists.

The hand signals now commonplace at Occupy originated with the Direct Action Network, a confederation of anarchist groups formed to coordinate WTO protests in 1999. And the whole concept of the consensus process used at the general assemblies comes straight out of anarchist organizing manuals.

Mainstream commentators are baffled, because they are trying to define how this horizontal, leaderless movement intends to influence top-down, authoritarian politics. They don’t realize that the movement was designed from its outset to replace mainstream politics with a horizontal, leaderless society — building a new society in the shell of the old, as the saying goes.

There are no demands, because the movement is the demand.

Most of the occupiers probably don’t even know this, but it was those familiar with anarchist thought who picked up on these themes and became the early adopters of the movement. Anarchists still represent a minority, but they hold many key organizing positions.

Admittedly, most of them are social anarchists, not market anarchists; but I’m still hoping that the movement expands into a full-blown autonomous anarchocommunist experiment, because nothing spoils someone on communism quite like actually trying it. (Or I could be proven wrong. Either outcome would be excellent.)

I do have one piece of advice. It strikes me as strange that the “social-justice” crowd focuses on legislativeprocesses like democracy, when justice comes from ajudicial process. The movement needs to develop a judicial branch for dispute resolution. I suggest that the Occupy movement look to the existing anarchist judicial method in Somalia, which anthropologist Michael van Notten calls “kritarchy.” It could easily be adopted with or without approval from the general assemblies.

Kritarchy is a judicial process in which justice (“krito” in Greek), rather than written law, is the ruling principle. A kritarchy does not form a court of law. It forms a court of justice, which is completely compatible with the horizontal, leaderless nature of the Occupy movement.

There are two types of justice, commonly symbolized as the sword and scales. The sword connotes punitive justice, which assigns punishment for breaking written laws. The scales connote restorative justice, which holds that a person is liable for the damages they cause another person. Kritarchy is only concerned with restorative justice, not punitive justice.

Until someone claims to have suffered an injustice, all behavior is permissible. Disputes are mediated by judges, but it’s important to understand that judges do not enjoy any special status. They serve only at the request of the disputants. Anyone in the community may serve as a judge, or request a judiciary be formed, so a court of justice is truly a people’s court.

A simple kritarchy involves just three people: two disputants and any third person they approach to help them resolve the injustice. The judge investigates the conflict and attempts to discover the justice between them — to balance the scales. This could be as simple as mediation or as complex as weighing evidence and witness testimony.

The judge decides a case based on the normative customs of the community and the reason and conscience of the disputants. This judicial model is elegantly suited for the Occupy movement, because it’s not based on written law, and it can accommodate a wide diversity of philosophies.

The seeds of a simple kritarchy are already developing in the movement. Normative customs emerge out of people’s natural respectful conduct without any written law or central coercive authority; and there are already individuals in the movement developing a reputation for diffusing conflicts. They are commonly being called “peacekeepers.”

Peacekeepers are already engaged in the first phase of the judicial process in a kritarchy, which van Notten calls “segmental opposition.” Whenever there is a physical altercation between two individuals, those around them move in to establish a stalemate so that the dispute must be settled with words instead of fists. All that would need to change to make this a simple kritarchy is to transition from having proactive peacekeepers who break up fights to having proactive disputants who seek out peacekeepers to act as judges.

A recent conflict that occurred at OccupySF (San Francisco) could easily have been resolved by a simple kritarchy. Someone left his guitar in the common area while he went to the restroom. While he was gone, another Occupant used it without permission and accidentally broke one of the tuning pegs. This erupted into shouting. Segmental opposition prevented a physical fight, but justice was never satisfied.

A court of justice might have decided that the guitar player was liable to replace the broken part, or that the guitar owner was negligent in leaving the guitar in the common area. But either way, the discussion would happen in public, which facilitates the development of normative customs.

Hopefully the disputants honor the decision of the court, but if they refuse, they do so with their own names and reputations on the line.

Enforcement of a verdict requires a more complex level of kritarchy, and it would likely require the participation of the general assemblies. Somali society is organized into extended clans, called xolos, each composed of many subclans, called jilibs. Somali clans are unified by family ties, but they could be replaced by self-selecting groups based on common philosophies or goals. The regional occupations, for instance, could replace extended clans: Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Denver, Occupy Phoenix, and so on. And the autonomous groups within each occupation could replace subclans.

Clans serve two basic functions for the judicial process. First, judges emerge from the confidence of subclans. So if a dispute occurs between individuals in different subgroups, they may select a judge from each subgroup to decide the case. Second, clans maintain communal funds that members voluntarily contribute to. This fund serves many purposes. Among them, it operates as a social insurance for every member against liability. If a person owes restitution that they cannot or will not pay, the responsibility falls on the subgroup to cover the liability with the communal fund.

This ensures that victims can always be made whole, and also incentivizes clans and subclans to enforce verdicts on their own members, because they are ultimately liable for the damages. The regional occupations already have substantial communal funds of donations that could easily serve this purpose.

A conflict at Occupy Oakland can help illustrate how a complex kritarchy operates. During one of the marches, the windows of Tully’s Coffee were broken. This was particularly egregious because the owner of Tully’s Coffee had been a substantial supporter of the occupation. The cafe is adjacent to Oscar Grant Plaza, and the owner had allowed activists to use her restrooms and Wifi Internet, and she had made donations of food and money.

The specific activists who broke her windows are unknown because they cover their faces with bandannas, but the subgroup is known and had a regular tent site. In a kritarchy, the owner of Tully’s Coffee could serve a claim of injustice against the offending subgroup. A judge representing Tully’s Coffee would approach a known judge inside the subgroup and request a Court of Justice be convened, and the two judges would attempt to find agreement over the liability.

If the individuals who broke the windows will not take responsibility, the damages can be paid by the subgroup collectively. Holding them accountable for their actions would incentivize them to be more judicious with their tactics in the future.

But imagine that an agreement could not be reached. In that case, a third judge would be approached from the extended clan, meaning the general assembly of Occupy Oakland. If this third judge awards damages and neither the individuals nor the subgroup will abide by the verdict, the restitution would come out of the occupation’s general fund.

First and foremost, this prevents the movement from losing the support of its productive members because of the injustices of its destructive members; but also, by placing the burden of injustice on the general fund you express clearly that the movement will not tolerate injustice internally, and you cause a huge hit to the reputation of those activists who refuse to balance the scales.

If the price of injustice becomes too great, and reputations become too poor, an individual may be cast out of a subgroup, or a subgroup may be cast out of the occupation to preserve justice. Social ostracism is sufficient to enforce the vast majority of verdicts in Somalia, and it would likely be the only mechanism available to the Occupy movement. (Also, in a kritarchy, an outcast no longer enjoys the protection of any court of justice until they offer restitution.)

Developing a judicial branch of the movement also has exciting and powerful long-term potential. If a simple kritarchy can become a normative custom and a complex kritarchy can become as firmly established as the general assemblies are, then we will be able to begin developing a real alternative to the state monopoly of the courts.

11/1/2011

10/26/2011

Oakland Occupants meet at the Main Library at 4pm to protest the pre-dawn raid of the encampment. What was just a hundred, becomes thousands as they march in an effort to reclaim the plaza but are met with police in riot gear & are diverted to side streets.

This young woman was targeted, pulled in & slammed onto the ground by two huge police officers after protesting the arrest of another Occupant.

At some point a group of Occupants covered police in paint. I didn’t witness this, but here is Tom’s raw footage.

At least two helicopters with spotlights and one low flying CHP helicopter followed the Occupants through Oakland. After being diverted into side streets by police the march returned briefly to Snow Park, which was a backup location and ultimately decided to take their stand at the Plaza, which was blocked by multiple levels of metal barricades, and multiple lines of riot police. Every side entrance was also barricaded and guarded by riot police standing shoulder to shoulder in two rows at least. It was the most well protected empty field I’ve ever seen. Occupants immediately grabbed hold of the first line of barricades and dragged them into the street (knocking me over by the way). And police began repeating over the loud speaker, “This is the Oakland Police Department. This has been declared an illegal assembly. Immediately Leave now! If you do not you are subject to removal by whatever force necessary which may result in serious injury.”

A lone Navy Veteran stood toe-to-toe with the police line waving the flag of Veterans for Peace.

After everyone refused to leave the intersection of 14th and Broadway, in front of the Plaza, police began firing tear gas, flash bombs, and percussion grenades into the crowd.

The crowd disbursed, if only temporarily. Tear gas is nasty! It’s like rubbing a first full of wasabi in your eyes. And the Occupants in wheelchairs got it much worse than me. But the last to leave was that lone Navy Veteran who stood right in front and then walked through the tear gas calmly, seemingly unaffected. They must have special training. It looked like a scene out of an action film.

The protest was scattered at that point. Divided groups walking back and forth between the Plaza and Snow Park. Scattered reports of more tea gas and flash bang grenades throughout the night. Small patrols of riot police stationed on almost every side street. At one point formations of riot cops were clearing streets block by block.

Ultimately everyone ended up at the Plaza. At some point someone threw a bottle at the cops and the crowd began chanting “Don’t throw shit!” The person was eventually identified and scolded by other Occupants.

I have to say something about this. There’s one perspective out there that force should be met with force. I have no moral objection to this, although I think it’s stupid tactically. But when you have a crowd that has an overwhelming consensus that they are non-violent and non-retaliatory, and that’s a central part of their message and strategy, if you provoke the beast and then disappear into the crowd you are a coward. You endanger the lives and bodily integrity of others when you should be taking responsibility for your own risk taking. The police response to such actions is completely predictable, and when you take such an action in a crowd you are exploiting the bodies of those bystanders as human shields knowing full well that one of them is more likely to suffer the wrath of the beast than you. If you want to be a tough guy, and throw stuff at police, do it like they do did in Tahrir Square. Stand by yourself in the middle of the street. Don’t use our bodies as a shield without our permission. Maybe we can organize a time for trigger-happy cops and bottle-throwing “anarchists” to fight without endangering the rest of us. You probably have more in common than you think.

Around midnight all the black clad riot police were relieved by new grey units who assumed the front line. They had no badges or patches, just “Sheriff” across the front. They had thicker armor and no shields. Just batons and zip ties. I figured new units meant new strategy and decided it was time to leave.

In closing all I can say is I’m optimistic. If they have to call in goons from 12 different departments just to control one Plaza in Oakland that means they’re probably spread pretty thin as it is. Imagine if two Bay Area cities marched on the same day? It’d be over.

That’s all for now. I’m headed back out there. But if you’d like to contribute a verse to this powerful play you can call Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and let her know how you feel. 510-238-3141

10/25/2011

Breaking: Riot Police Destroy Occupy Encampment and Tear Gas Media

Chris Rock once said, “That tiger didn’t go crazy. That tiger went tiger!” Well this morning the Oakland Police department went State. 500 paid thugs (i.e. officers and sheriff’s deputies) from over 12 agencies assisted the OPD in a pre-dawn raid of OccupyOakland, evicting campers from the newly named Oscar Grant Plaza in front of Oakland city hall. Riot police clad in gas masks used rubber bullets, bean bag rounds, flash grenades, tear gas canisters and an LRAD sonic cannon against non-violent peaceful protesters. Mass Arrests are being reported, and although the police reported that there were no injuries, live-twitter accounts disagree. City Officials have advised downtown business to remain closed until further notice.

The Occupiers were not unprepared for this eventuality and have activated an “emergency reconvergence plan” beginning with an emergency assembly today at 4pm at Oakland Public Library on 14th and Madison. I’ll be there, and I’ll keep you updated.

One of the first eyewitness accounts is coming from Kevin Army, a journalist with Salon.com. He reports that when the police lined up before the raid he attempted to capture video of their helmet numbers when officer #570 shouted and rammed into him, pushing him to the ground. He was told by a commanding officer to stand in a designated area with the mainstream media trucks and other independent media. After the police had herded all the media together, Kevin reports that they were shot with tea gas, disbursed and not allowed to return to cover the raid. He believed this was intentional.

Here’s his video:

OccupyOakland had been dubbed a “demilitarized zone.” While OccupySF has faced raids and police brutality from it’s inception, the City of Oakland had been exceptionally welcoming of the encampment. They were permitted to set up over 150 tents. The encampment had portable toilets and garbage service. They had both a first-aid and childcare tent. They even hosted live music and screened films with a projector on a theater sized screen. Although there were isolated reports of fights, drug use, and sexual harassment… such is Oakland… and the encampments General Assemblies were already organizing autonomous solutions to these problems. A leaderless patrol of 10 to 20 Occupiers originally formed to run 24-hour “cop watch” for the encampment were working to diffuse fights, discourage hard drug use, and protect women and queer Occupiers from sexual harassment. OccupyOakland had become more than an organized protest. It was an experiment in self-governance, addressing many of the systemic problems the City of Oakland is not addressing. For nearly two weeks not a single person went hungry in Oakland, and many of the cities homeless population reported a sense of safety in the encampment not felt anywhere else in the city.

Friday afternoon the city posted eviction notices saying that those who stayed would be subject to arrest because, “neither the demonstrators nor the City could maintain safe or sanitary conditions.” Karen Boyd, a spokesbureaucrat for the mayor, told the Oakland Tribune that, “the protesters had shown themselves incapable of self-governance.” But that’s patently false. All the city’s complaints were already being spontaneously handled by the Occupiers. The purpose of this raid, in my opinion, was precisely because they were showing that they were capable of self-governance, and both Police and City Officials are terrified that you’ll realize we don’t need them. Occupiers had no intention of leaving, deciding at the next General Assembly to defend the encampment. Several hundred Occupiers worked to block off the entrances to the plaza using dumpsters, wooden pallets, and even police-style metal barricades in the hours before the raid.

Around 3:00 AM reports circulated amongst the campers that 10 to 20 police cars were patrolling the streets around the plaza. At least two helicopters lit up the plaza from above. Police action began around 4:40 AM when hundreds of officers from multiple Bay Area cities surrounded the encampment. About 170 Occupiers remained on site when officers ordered them to disburse over loud speakers. The Occupiers locked arms and shouted as police moved in. The invaders fired tear gas and beanbag rounds at the non-violent protesters and ultimately arrested 75 for “misdemeanor illegal lodging.” Police ripped apart the tents and threw them in the street. According to authorities the plaza was “contained” around 5:30 AM.

PHOTOS
Truly horrific photos of OccupyOakland police raid

The Occupy Oakland account live tweeted the raid:

The Occupiers fully intend to retake the Plaza insisting that they are neither defeated nor discouraged. They expect this aggression from the city to fire people up even more and to translate into a new protesters.

10/21/2011

Occupy Property Rights