Your Civic Duty – Shaykh Waleed Basyouni
Clear Lake Islamic Center on October 14, 2016.
Waleed Basyouni – Your Civic Duty
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the history and importance of Islam, including the historical significance of honoring the Prophet Muhammad sallal and the need for a culture of justice in the political system. They also touch on the history of American democracy and the importance of voter education in preventing voter fraud. The segment concludes with a recap of the historical significance of American democracy and the importance of voter rights in preventing voter fraud.
AI: Summary ©
hamdu lillahi wa salatu salam ala rasulillah he was early he was happy to be here woman What about all praise Do you to align His praise and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his family, his companions and his followers until the day of judgment, and all the prophets and messengers and their followers. I bear witness that Allah is the only one worthy of worship, and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam his last and final messenger. My dear brothers and sisters 1400 years ago or more, a little bit more than that when our Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam was sent to the people of Mecca and to the whole world after that, he came into a
society with the don't understand the concept of being unified under one leadership.
They consider every tribe and every group of people every community, a state by itself, and they will feel it is a kind of dishonor for someone to obey someone from another tribe. And that's why they were a constant fight with each others. when things change, long time after the Prophet sallallahu his or longtime friends after that, when the Muslims first approach the Persian and the first conflict cabin between the Muslim state at that time and the Persian Emperor, that leader of the Persian Emperor said to be up Ahmed, who was that representative of the Muslim at that time, said magic become what brought you to the shore of aura to the border of our line. You all all that
what we know about you herbs, you just divided fighting one another, never been unified.
The same thing exactly was said when Jonathan bubonic winter picea and mid the king of a proscenium. He was wondering what happened to Arabia, what's new things happening? What kind of change happening to that society. And Jafar said it very eloquently. He said, oh, great king. We used to be Louis used to live in the time of ignorance, worshipping idols, eating dead animals, doing all evil things, cut ties, we bad to all the neighbors, the strong among us in the week, that's how we were until Allah sent us a basically a messenger and a religion that change us change the way we think. That's why the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to those racist remarks that you hear it
everywhere in Arabia, time against black, for example, or people from Africa, he came to tell them sell a lot and sell them and change the society, the culture of the site to to be, to the extent that he is such a badass Mirror, mirror appear smarter will appear less than and obey. When I was starting me to actually come up, don't have a sheet you cannot say who's Habiba. He said, You have to listen, to obey your leader, even if your leader is what person who originally slave brought from Africa, from Africa from a proscenium and how to Muslim. He made that society who consider being basically,
citizen, that there is a law and order organize their life, something very well accepted. Not only that, and maybe salada, send them in through the message of Islam, if you look the transformation that he did, to the Society for Arabia, when he moved to Medina, it's unbelievable, how he put a very unique political system to govern that society at that time. He mentioned that it is obligatory upon people to have a head of a state. And to basically that person who we call the head of the state, you want to call it a president, you want to call it a mural, meaning you want to call it some fun, you want to call it collar if you want to go whatever name all these titles used over the
centuries in our history, but the point was that there is a leader and that leader must be less than two must be obeyed. Allah subhanaw taala said appear, allow our owning and remain come, obey Allah obey the messenger and obey the leaders among you. Also, that system came to state that the leader is there to serve the citizen. His role is to protect the religion and the faith of the people and as well to protect the livelihood of the people. So he might provide security, economic stability, and so forth. Without this He doesn't deserve to be a leader. If he cannot provide this he cannot be a leader to the society, where he would provide a society where his morality flourish, where people
can practice their
Faith safely and will not persecuted based on their belief where people will be basically feel safe to trade to grow and provide safety and security for them and protect them from enemies. That's the role of the ruler. That's how to constitute it in the early early days in Islam, and again to talk about more than 1400 years ago, also, this political system clearly stated that the nature of the relationship between the government and the people or the governor or the head of the state, and the citizen of that state, that country, it's a, it's a contract. And that's a very intelligent way of putting it because if you say it's a contract, contracts are left to the both sides to decide what's
in that contract. So that's why should slang do not came with the details what should be written in that contract, that contract should be figured by the people themselves, that is a certain guidelines, but that contract can be you have unlimited terms, or two terms, three terms, no terms, you know, it can be this way or that way. This is how to elect not to, like all this thing's been left to the people, but it is a contract between the leader and basically the citizen of the Society of that nation.
And if this is the case, it means both have to fulfill what's in that contract. Also an important concept that came in Islam, that the citizen of any country should hold their leaders accountable for their actions matassa Dodo retardo that the oma in charge of watching over the practices of the leaders, not because they became a leader that they have a free pass, not because they are a leader that they cannot be questioned and stopped and asked by the citizen of that country, and in nebby sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said once tala Boudicca, Toma,
Rama Tata, when an incident took place, just an average citizen objected to some thing at that time, and the companion kind of reacted, how can you be so vocal in front of the prophet like that? Then he said, let him express his anger. Let him express his view. Allah would never bless a nation where a weak person in that nation cannot stand up freely and ask for his or her right. Yeah, you had Latina Manu, Kunal Amina de la he Shahada
when I actually met Shanna an omen Allah Allah tada doo doo, who Accra Buddha taqwa, Allah said in the Quran, all you who have believed, be presently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice. We have to stand firm, when it comes to the issue of justice in the society, when it comes to social justice in the society. That's our role as the oma to stand firm, not to hide, not to be in the backseat. Not to say it's not my concern, not to say you know, I live in a suburban area with a very good life. Who cares about what happened in the urban city or what happened in the other places in our country or other nations? That's not how it is?
Allah Subhana Allah said that this oma stands up for the truth for justice. And nibio sallallahu wasallam when he said a dino nasi had this religion is based on nausea, and he giving us sincere advice. He included who is a Muslim Muslim, you know, I met him to the leader of the Muslims, and the average citizen. He starts with the leader before the average citizen, when I'm going to get us heard, and Mustafa devenish had died Ravi Allahu anhu. Jamia saying that the Prophet sallallahu Sallam said that in the end of the days the Romans world dominate the world, kind of people just strange Wow, that will happen. Then, I said I witnessed that I heard that also from the prophets of
Salaam and they will be so powerful nation because five qualities and he said the fifth one, a narrow human Luke Carlo from Cami satin jameelah. Well here
it is because they will not let a dictator rule them. When someone who has a dictator or someone who applied injustice in the side they will stand in front of such dictator.
It is a very clear concept in Islam, that the citizen of any country should always hold their leaders accountable for their actions. When Abu Bakar or the alarm give his first speech, he said in accent nguni were in assert we Mooney if I do good help me. And if I do bad, correct me. He making it very clear. That's the first president in the history of Islam.
for Muslims, he made this in his first speech that I give you the responsibility to do that. When Abdelaziz hired, he is basically the head of his as we call it today, the security detail. You know they want to protect the president, when they came when he hired someone that is loyal to him and he knows him very well. He said, your first job is not to protect me from my enemy. Your first stop is to protect me from myself to do any type of injustice to anyone. If you see me doing that, treating someone unfairly, shake me and remind me until me Oh, Mom, what you're doing. That's Omar, Abdel Aziz Rahim Allah, Allah Islam made it very clear when it comes to establish the political system of
the country, that it must be based on justice. If you look at to Judaism, for example, Judaism known of how firm and strict rules of the firmness and strictness something very clear about the religion. Look in Christianity, the Merson and the lenient and mercy is a very standout quality in Christianity.
But when if you want to look to slam, if there is some one quality that I can think of, that truly represent what Islam is about, and the message of Mohammed Salam is about our say it is justice.
And that's what I share about him Allah tala.
Many of the scholars have said that, as you know, contemplating deeply and concept of Islam, and what's really the main Foundation, that's why Chicago has not been to me and said, very famous a statement in the LA Hylian, sort of dolakha adira. We're in Canada calf era, when I answered de la vida, Ma, we're in Canada, Mina, that allow will give victory to a non believing country, a country that is not based on any fate.
If it is just unfair country,
and will not give victory to a country that it is based on faith and the people of that country are faithful and have faith and I believe, but they are not fair. And they're not just to themselves unto others.
Also, as part of the political system that was put at that day, at that time, that the leader who lead the nations must not only be just but also capable of running the country, have the knowledge, the expertise, and righteousness, and a person of morality, a person that who is merciful to his citizen with his citizen, and also a person of trust. Also, it's interesting to note that tel Islam have left many of these areas to us to decide in so many details, because Islam is not a religion came for a limited period of time in one society knows that people will change, society will be different culture will change and evolve, evolve. And people might change the way they choose the
leaders and the way they impeach them, they remove them from power. So all of this was left completely to the society to decide that. And I think that's very unique. Why I'm giving this, this is not a one on one kind of class in Islamic politics, even though it's important sometimes to know, what's Islamic view about this, we living in a time and you know, and this time of the year, where elections are very close. And people talk a lot about politics and voting. And I thought it's a good to put this as just an introduction. So we have canon understand that what we practicing today in America is not something odd or strange for us as Muslims, what we've been encourage our community
to do to participate, not only in voting, but to be part of the political system in America is something deeply rooted in our religion. You know, the concept even a voting we have a concept in Islam, it's called Albania. Albania means that no leader can be a leader islamically unless the masses is give them approval for that person. So no matter how many if someone nominated, or someone basically puts himself in charge of the masses don't give the buyout of the people don't agree on the majority of the people don't agree on that he will never be a leader.
You know, in the time of an early early time, I'm talking about 30 years after the Prophet sallallahu Sallam after the death of Amara, the Allahu and and the election of earth model the Allah and what I've said as Kathy told us in his book of history, he said he was in charge to find out should we choose a man or choose an evening
Listen to what other American outside for three nights I couldn't go, I couldn't sleep. I never enjoy sleep. I spend all these three days asking a lot to guide me. Then I made the commitment to go on to ask. So he thought I couldn't I ask everybody. I ask people individually, I ask people in the certain groups, I go to them, and he said, I even went to homes and knock on the doors and a reach to the young ladies. young woman inside the house in their houses on an ask them for their vote with the vote for Ellie, or will they vote for us man?
And I went to older woman, Lynn Nisa, if you could read No, Elijah is if he will, to him, was about to rock band, I mean and bad idea. And it was standing in the roads looking for the Bedouins who traveling by asking what's your vote is that shows you that the vote of choosing your president at that time, or the one who will, you will choose to be a leader of that time, a vote that been cast by every single member in the community, regardless of their racial, basically diversity, or based on their stature, social status, or gender or anything, you'll notice structions at all.
And I can go on and on. And many examples like this. That with the concept of voting is so early happened in Islam, not only in one incident, but in many other incidents as well. Yes, there is maybe a little bit of differences between the why there are certain guidelines, you might see it in that Muslim jurist put, which is, I think, very beneficial to the concept of electing and voting. The concept in itself is so Islamic in its nature. And I'm saying this because I'm tired of hearing people say, Oh, it is allowed for me as a Muslim to vote. I'm tired of, you know, listening to this. I think our community should not be in that level of talking and debating, is it permissible
islamically to vote or not? I think we should have bigger role to play in the community. And in this election cycle, bigger than that, for God's sake, usually Muslims are secondary thing and election. Did you notice that we are the issue of this collection of this election cycle, we are one of the issues that people talk about.
So if you are being basically elevated to that level, what we do with Muslims, and we still thinking about, oh, it's a lot for me to vote or not, you know, I don't see a very good progress going on here. So there's no doubt that's why the Muslim scholars the most famous prestigious fair to a committee in the Muslim world, the Islamic Council, and their 19th session, which is held in their headquarters in Mecca in November 3 2007. didn't even say it is allowed. They said, in many cases, it is highly recommended for the Muslim to participate in voting and then to the political system in our in their countries.
Voting started very early in our country here in America.
Among the first things, the Jamestown Voyager dead when they step up.
English when they set up the English Americans first permanent settlement, they conducted an election nearly as soon as they landed in 16 107.
So that concept is so old in our country here, the first representative assembly in English America convened in gemstones church in July 13 1600 19.
That's very early time.
And they were presented from Virginia's 21 plantations and corporations. And by the mid 1700s, representative government had became a tradition in the 13 colonies that became later on the United States of America that we have today. Voting was commonplace. So though, not uniform, each county proceed its methods, policies, and exceptions. But by modern standard the right to vote and colony, America was narrow, and there's a few basically opportunity for it to be exercised.
Don't misunderstand me when I say in the early as the first thing that they did when they settled in America the vote Don't misunderstand me in America at its birth.
was a democratic society.
We're far away from being a democratic society at that time. I mean, the word democracy had at that time and negative overtones, summing up images of disorder, government by the unfit and even mob rule. That's what's democracy kind of sounded like that, in that time, but through time, through a long history of struggle, and I don't want to give you a history of American history, but through a loan. And it's important for us as a community to understand that, that what you're enjoying today was not and it's not only as a Muslim American, like most Americans, most Americans, they don't vote. Most of Americans, they don't vote.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of our country, they don't vote. And I think one of the reasons that we don't, we kind of forgot that what we have today, it's the result of a long term struggle. And the people that they sacrificed their lives, just to get that right to you.
Just as a technical
faulting is not really technically a right in the Constitution.
It's not technically considered a right. And I mean, by that the Constitution, guarantee you that you will not be prevented from voting based on, you know, color skin, or this or this or that. But to say it's a right, it's not technically a right. That's not how it's written in our Constitution. Because if it's a right, it will not be there is other amendment preventing a lot of people from voting, you still an American citizen, he still can vote. And that's one of the thing I will mention it in a little bit. But anyway, just it's a very technical thing. So from the beginning was not like everybody can look out for surprise, President George Washington was only elected by 6% of that
people in America, because most of the people cannot vote. Why? Because until later on, they allowed first as a slave not allowed to vote. If you don't own a land, you're not allowed to vote and owning a land, that condition remain for a quite long time. And that prevented African Americans and a lot of slaves from voting after the constitution was changed, and allowed slave former slaves to vote. But still, if you don't own a line, you can vote, a lot of white fox cannot vote as well, because they don't own the land, and that remain for a very long time.
And the 1869 if you're a woman, you cannot vote.
Many lows as well prevented American Indians, American Japanese, I don't know if I can call American that time, Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese by name, that they not allowed to obtain a citizenship.
Even if they deserve it, they are not allowed to obtain citizenship. For a very long time until you read in the history, there is a first basically a legislative made for the Indians that made for even Native Americans were not allowed to vote. And there were a lot of that history for American for a Native American to give up their tribes name to give up the rights of other land in order for them to vote. It was a long history of struggle until later on, all the slows power effort of a very sincere men and women, people who work tirelessly to make sure that this will change. And as a solid, and even after changed in this, especially in the south, from Texas all the way to Georgia.
In the south, we had all these loopholes out to the elections. And the only reason for it is to limit the number of people who can vote
for godsake people will be asked questions that is not related, you know, one of the rule that it was there in the poll tax, for example, now paying a tax you cannot vote, you know, literacy test, do not read and write you're not allowed to vote. And guess who will suffer from this, or the former slaves not only because the black owned the people who are in the bottom of the of the of the society,
but the one who will benefit from it, those who are on the top that will take advantage of it. It's known, you know, one of the most famous one, that Louisiana grandfather's class, read about it if you go to die and see how what that means, you know, also known as Jim Crow laws, which has played a major role in preventing a lot of Americans from voting.
You know, things change people like Martin Luther King in 1965 and the famous Marsh in Selma, Alabama.
This incident
In our history have closed and led to great winning woman rights to vote passed by the Congress in 1919 1919. You know, in many time, that in America, there were religious tests. And I mean by that you cannot be elected to an official position unless you pass a religious test.
That's why Quakers Catholic, for a very long time cannot vote, because they don't pass that test. Jews,
many independent non denominations groups will not be allowed to vote. Until this was basically a change on 1700 76.
You know, in Delaware, for instance, there is a law says, if you're not a Protestant, you cannot be elected to an office.
Same thing, you will find it in Georgia, if you're not a Protestant, you cannot be elected to be an official. So when you hear that test, that's not something strange. We have that in our history, you know, even after the law change this for the record.
And
in 1700 87, that still uncertain place in Maryland, for example, Jewish American, were excluded from state office until the law changed in 1800 28. Why? Because one of the requirement to hold an office and Maryland the time that you believe in the hereafter. And Jews they don't believe in the hereafter the way the Muslim in Christianity believe in and they were held from office because of that.
Today we hear people saying about making a religious test.
Didn't someone when we Keith Ellison was elected, we heard is not only that psycho people have that sentiment of basically bringing these old, ugly racist
remarks back.
You know, I have to end the hook. But because this is a very touchy concept for me, and it's something I wish that our community will deal with it more maturely, and became more involved, and it Melis panatela to give us success in our life. Hello, my semester was over allottee Welcome.
Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala via, by the way, but
I do believe that America has a struggle with democracy and voting is far from far from finished. We still have so many issues as the Muslim community, we should start thinking about it, what will be our role in these issues. And just give you an example. That's the conversation that I want to see my community more involved in the issue of preventing convicted felon to vote, which is in many country, this is not the case, if someone convicted and fallen and did his sentence, why he would be prevented from voting is still in many cases that the case even in some places, they will allow people while they're serving their sentence to vote.
That's something nice that you know what that means. It means that basically, majority of African American and America unfortunately, won't look law, the people who are not, basically high income citizen will not have the chance to vote. Because if you are rich, you can go away with a lot of things
when it comes to be convicted, and felon or not. But if you don't have good lawyers, if you don't have the money, easily to be convicted, why the conviction rate is so high in America and African Americans when it comes to the use of drugs, even though statistics speak speaks clearly that the number between white and black is the same when it comes to the use of drugs. And even some suggests, in certain types of drugs, white might be able to do it well, more, because it's easier for a cup to arrest and convict someone from the urban side than the suburban side of the society.
I'm not trying to divide our community, that's not my nature. But what I'm saying that is many things here need to be looked at, to be to be re examine. They should have registration votes, they should have the ID, you know, for for a voter, the put all this restriction that preventing people from practicing that exercise that democratic way of electing their officials is fairly limited. You know, the issue of no limit terms to congressmen and senators, which created kings and queens up there in Washington, DC.
20 3040 years of practice.
a senator or a congressman until one.
These are things that our community should have a say on it. That's the conversation that I want to see us going. But if we don't take step one, we're basically how can we go farther?
You know, the issue of the DC districts until today, they cannot elected representatives. Until today, many American territories, they don't have the right to votes, Puerto Rico, Guam, and many areas that contain American territories.
what's the what's the justification, there are Americans, they carry American passports, but still cannot participate in their elections.
There's a lot of things that our community can contribute to change the community decide we want the best for our country. We want justice for all. So my brother and sisters, you know, election is coming very soon. Make sure that not only that, because if you don't cast your voice, I doubt you will care for any one of these issues that I talked about. Because that's the number one step. Early voting starts in October 24.
And, and November 4, the voting day, it's in November 8. But maybe if you're voting for a specific individual, you can go 28.
But the Election Day, is the eighth of November.
So it's a funny election cycle this year. Anyway, so I hope that this is something collectively we can work on together as a community. It's not about who's the president, you know, I had a T shirt about five months ago. It says, I already hit my next president. He had a, I saw it, it's funny because they're present a lot of people's feeling about who's going to be depressed, but it's not about to, it's about the concepts about you participating. Local officials are more important than even federal
elected officials. So I asked that we help one another. Go and groups help one another to have an awareness about it. Educate yourself about the issues attend. May Allah subhana wa tada to give us access and with all of us outside, these leaders, who leading our country in our society deserve our prayers. We pray that Allah subhanaw taala they mercy for our nations and for the world. We ask Allah Subhana Allah to guide them and to only let those who rule us those who have mercy upon us, and those who will do the best for us and for all humanity, Lama to Allah Allah Subhana Allah Allah Allah Elena Fiorano in North manolito, among other Geraldo de la minion silicon hood out to our life
Afro Latina, Latina for Santa Rosa canta humans a casa la sala Milena Amina Mohammed and apologize for this being dragging the topic that long