Sherman Jackson – Lamppost Education Initiative – The Need for Conversation

			That's where we come from. But that's a part of what we've lost.
		

			We have to begin again, to understand that we have a concept in Islam is called the concept of
jihad.
		

			It is justifiable disagreement. It's not disagreement, just because I'm disagreeable
		

			is justifiable disagreement. And the important takeaway from this is the following. Because this is
what makes our conversation so difficult.
		

			If I go into the conversation,
		

			understanding that there is the possibility of multiple justifiable points of view, then the point
of the conversation is to learn what those justifiable points of view are, and to separate those
from those points of view that are not justified.
		

			The virus, no my point about that. But if I don't have that mentality, then I'll go into the
conversation on the understanding that there was one right view.
		

			And I listened to everybody in terms of what
		

			are you saying that, which will confirm my view? If you are, then I will accept you, if you're not,
I gotta kill you.
		

			I have to destroy your point of view. Why?
		

			Because that's the only way mine can stand.
		

			And you can see what this does to us as a community, I can't even listen to you.
		

			I can't even listen to you. Because of you even sound like you're going in a direction that
threatens the point of view
		

			that I'm inclined towards. All right, I'm gonna shut you down, either by shutting you down, or by
psychologically blocking you.
		

			You're gonna talk about right?
		

			Right? I mean, it's like, I hate to say this, you get an argument with your wife, or your husband,
you ain't listening and that
		

			you pretend to listen.
		

			I'm shocked at myself.
		

			I'm looking for the home. I'm trying to understand that.
		

			As I got a position I want to defend.
		

			And I'm breaking up the gaps.
		

			And as soon as she's done, what?
		

			The whole time she's speaking or the whole time he's speaking, you may not know no defense
mechanism.
		

			This is what we have to get away from brothers and sisters.
		

			And this is why it's so important for us on a very fundamental level, to get back to a basic
religious literacy in our community.
		

			There are many things, as I said that there is no discussion on but look at all of the issues that
have been raised in this conference. What is the best way to create wealth in our community? There's
going to be one point of view about that. And even if there is one point of view, because at some
point, we got to make a decision, how are we going to arrive at that?
		

			We want to have to have the kinds of discussions that will enable us to come up with the very best
point of view. And that means a willingness to listen and