Yasir Qadhi – How Should We Feel About Protesting

			How do should we feel about protests? And people say that there's a lot of free mixing going on in
protests? So should we prioritize the power of protests over the issue of free mixing at the
protests? And then we have also a question in Arabic, I'm just gonna put it in here is that this is
not a question. This is a statement of fact, he says, the solution is not in protests, the solution
is not in Facebook posts, the solution is not in writing to anybody, the solution is in returning to
the religion. So this isn't a question or a statement of fact, and he's already answering that there
is no fire there and protests, that we should go back to the religion and that is the solution. So
		

			I'm going to respond to this.
		

			As for the claim, that the second one I'll do first, the solution is going back to the religion.
		

			The religion teaches us to tie our camel and put our trust in Allah together. The Sierra teaches us
that the Prophet system never just prayed to 100 for a solution. He never just raised his hands and
expected a miracle, even when a miracle happened. That was from Allah Azza wa Jalla, He tried his
best to do something. This is the entirety of the Sierra. So anybody who says the solution is to
turn back to the religion I say, yes, you're right. But the religion teaches us that Allah wants us
to put in the effort, along with putting our trust in Him. And putting in the effort. And using
tactics and figuring out the best mechanisms changes from time to place, to culture, to era to
		

			circumstances situation, and in the current world that we live in. And the country that we find
ourselves in. The tactics that are used are to lobby our politicians to influence the people around
us to show the world that we care. And anybody who says that this is ineffective, has not learned
from history. What is the civil rights movement, except masks protests for years. That's exactly
what this country did. When a large group of people were treated as second class citizens. They went
to the streets, they protested, they were shot at dogs were sent upon them. Why water hoses, you've
all seen the videos, people walked into restaurants where they weren't allowed to walk into, and
		

			others made fun of them through food on them. The governors of states said we're gonna call the
police if you dare come, but they still went to school.
		

			And they won in the end of the day. So anybody who says protests don't work. History proves them
wrong. Now, my own analysis, Allahu Akbar them. Without a doubt, the most important thing we need to
do is spiritual. This is what I've said from the beginning. Without a doubt, our iman our Taqwa Our
doors are number one. This is my philosophy. This is my understanding of my religion. But number two
after that, and it's not an either or it is together. After that, we must do everything we can in
our power. And this is a long term battle, not a short term. Don't expect that after one protest,
the polls are going to change. No, this is very short term thinking. It's going to take years, maybe
		

			even decades. But this is the reality of the world we find ourselves in. And Wallahi I hear your
pain that protests are not the most effective. I understand the sarcasm, oh, while they're dying,
you're going to hold a plaque in front of the White House will lie I understand your sarcasm, but
I'm going to push it back at you. what solution do you have? What's your alternative? And don't
quote me grandiose schemes of whatever you give me practical alternatives. What can we do in this
country?
		

			And I say it's not the most effective, but it is one of the only weapons we have in our arsenal. It
really is. And in the long run, you know, again, the civil rights movement, the iconic, the iconic.
Most time was when was when they post protested in front of the Capitol. When they marched on.
Martin Luther is iconic speech was given where in Washington DC, the I Have a Dream speech was given
to a million plus people, right? That moment, it took years from that moment for change to occur.
But that moment was necessary. And it stirred the conscience of the people. And it allowed millions
of other Americans to see the reality to hear a perspective they don't really hear. So yes, I hear
		

			you
		

			The protests are not the most effective or the most noble things, but we don't have an alternative.
And therefore, I would definitely support and if need be, I would call for one, I'm not in a
position to do so. But I have no problems helping and supporting and saying we should do it. Now as
for the notion of some minor issues happening, such as this term Free mixing, which we need to
unpack in a longer 50 class or whatnot. But Subhanallah I mean, you go and you monitor your own
decency, you go and you fear Allah as much as you can, for you to negate the efficiency of an entire
campaign, because of some minor issues happening. I think you are losing the forest for the trees as
		

			the saying goes, and I think that you're being you're not being wise in this regard. Yes, there's
going to be some drama take place there, some people will come that we don't agree with as well,
we're gonna have people that have lifestyles different than our own, that are going to show up, but
you know, what the cause is headed. And if something happens on the grounds that is not fully there,
we're not going to stop the cause because of things we cannot control. So I think the bigger picture
		

			is that protests are one of the most effective mechanisms in this country, to get the news
attention, to get media to have our speeches aired on CNN and C span and BBC to allow millions of
Americans to realize Hey, hold on a sec. There's another perspective I don't know about let me do my
research. Let me find do my homework. So I am an advocate even though I do believe it is not the
number one, but it is the number two and number three and I also am skeptical of the immediate
efficiency, but the long term efficiency, it is the only thing we can do, Wallah who to either
either
		

			either
		

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			me Down