Khateeb Talking Points

Khateeb Talking Points

Liberation Zones: Supporting our Students in Divestment & Anti-Genocide Encampments

Key Messages

1. Trust in our youth. We raised a generation of young people on Islamic values, including witnessing truth and upholding justice. They are now putting what they have been taught into practice, and we must support, encourage, and pray for them. They understand our American context and legacy of civil disobedience more than the immigrant generation does and have studied the impact that colleges have had on policymakers over the course of American history. Our students are walking the path of those who called for the end of the South African apartheid state not so many years ago.

2. Significance of this moment. In this critical moment, when all efforts at diplomacy at a government level and in institutions like our universities and colleges have all but failed, and Palestinians are continuing to suffer unprecedented destruction, student movements have spearheaded a new strategy that is breaking through to public awareness and is creating change.

3. Willingness to sacrifice. We cannot only engage in activism when the personal price is low or non-existent. As the side of justice and goodness grows stronger, the side of evil and material profit will grow more desperate and even violent. Many of us may be required to sacrifice, struggle, and lose some of our job security and wealth.

4. Supporting our Muslim students. They put their professional opportunities, scholarships, educations, and even their physical bodies on the line out of a spiritual duty to eradicate injustice and oppression. We owe them our resolute encouragement and our tangible support, and at the very least, we should step out of their way.

Talking Points

1. We raise our Muslim children for these moments.

1. Standing firmly for truth and prohibiting evil is our calling as Muslims.

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

Let there be a group among you who call others to goodness, encourages what is good and forbids what is evil – it is they who will be successful. (Surah Aal-Imran 3:103)

We are called to stand firmly for justice. We are witnesses over humanity to truth before Allah, even at personal risk. Ultimately, we enter this world to serve humanity for His Sake with the little time we occupy, not to seek comfort or indulge ourselves.

 

۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًۭا فَٱللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن تَلْوُۥٓا۟ أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۭا

O believers! Stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives. Be they rich or poor, Allah is best to ensure their interests. So do not let your desires cause you to deviate ˹from justice˺. If you distort the testimony or refuse to give it, then ˹know that˺ Allah is certainly All-Aware of what you do. (Surah Nisa 4:145)

 

2. The youth of the cave demonstrated a unique commitment to upholding truth, first by insisting on speaking and living out Islam in a society that suppressed it, then by leaving society and essentially camping out to maintain the practice of their Deen and make known that they protest the suppression of truth and justice. Ultimately, Allah both preserved them and let them live to see society reformed for the better because of their statement.

 

وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَـٰهًۭا ۖ لَّقَدْ قُلْنَآ إِذًۭا شَطَطًا

And We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and declared, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never call upon any god besides Him, or we would truly be uttering an outrageous lie.” (Surah Kahf 18:14)

 

2. The time is now.  This act of protest is critical.

1. Nearly every social shift that has taken place in American society has been the result of civil disobedience: Black Americans staged marches and sit-ins in white-only spaces for Black Americans to end segregation on paper and blocked the streets in protest against police brutality. Women marched and rallied for the right to vote. Communities gathered at Standing Rock to block an oil pipeline through the ancestral land of indigenous people. They did the same to protest the internment of immigrants at the Southern Border. Historically, students have facilitated anti-war protests in America through demonstrations and encampments on campus and beyond, like the ones we see today for Palestine.
2. In fact, on-campus demonstrations and encampments led US universities to divest from companies supporting and profiting from the apartheid in South Africa, thus shifting the tide for the anti-apartheid movement. At Columbia, the catalyst of the Palestine encampment actions today, the University divested in response to anti-Vietnam War encampments in 1968.
3. Why universities and colleges?

Universities have billions of dollars vested in Israel and in defense companies which supply weapons to Israel, thus playing a substantial role in sustaining the apartheid state, its settlements, and its genocide against the Palestinian people. A large-scale divestment will be an enormous step towards divestment, sanctions, and other actions that put an end to Israeli occupation and the zionist project.

4. In our universities and colleges, students and even faculty largely support divestment to the extent that many student bodies nationwide have voted to divest by a massive margin. University administrations disregard students’ votes and demands, making encampment and protest necessary steps.
5. Our students are products of the American context. Many of them, especially those familiar with history or steeped in the humanities, are well-acquainted with the merits and power of civil disobedience in capturing the public’s attention and mobilizing their peers, eventually leading to revolutionary policy changes.
6. Some have claimed it’s acceptable for some of us to keep our heads down and avoid risking our positions and economic success because the ummah will need people in high places in the future, but the call today is urgent. Staying back and withholding in a moment when the youth are putting so much on the line would suggest an unjustifiable spiritual and moral weakness. We have little option except to support and engage in whatever capacity we have. It’s the least we can do.

3. Don’t get in the way!  

 

1. If you are fearful or don’t want to participate in the encampments and protests, at the very least, don’t discourage young people who do.
2. Many parents, aunts, and uncles have come up with convoluted excuses to discourage participation: you might lose your scholarship; just keep your head down and focus on your studies; there will be another chance to make a difference. These excuses come from a heedless worldview that prioritizes this world over the next.
3. As Muslims, we seek to live for a mission and raise our kids for that mission. We worship God above all else and hold nothing else as a higher priority than carrying His message and standing for truth and justice. We should be proud if our children have enough courage and confidence to join this movement today – they demonstrate upright morality. Don’t let your fears as a parent, relative, or mentor get in the way of their worship of Allah and their fully embracing their identity as a young American Muslim.
4. If anything, we should be almost envious of the position of our students. Allah chose this group of young people to spearhead an incredible movement that is already shifting the tides. We should support and enable them instead of only sitting on the sidelines.
5. While our children are stepping up for these encampments and protests, we should have conversations with them to ensure they understand their rights and remain within the appropriate spiritual and legal parameters for their activism.

 

4. A profitable transaction. Risking your livelihood for the sake of Allah.

1. Students are risking their education, their scholarships, and their careers through this activism, due to doxxing from zionists and repercussions from universities.
2. These are their personal tests, as Allah described:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ١٥٥

We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure— (Surah Baqarah 2:155)

 

3. This is a trade, not a loss; they risk the comfort or success in the dunya, for a guarantee of status, reward, and benefit in the akhirah.

• Suhaib Ar-Rumi was imprisoned and prevented from making hijrah to Madina with the Prophet (S) and companions. Although he was an extremely lucrative and successful businessman with great wealth hidden, he had no social status as a foreigner in Makkah. He tried many times to escape and failed. In his final attempt, he realized the Quraysh did not want him to escape with the wealth he had made in Makkah so he offered up the location for all of his wealth in exchange for the ability to migrate to Madinah. He joined the Prophet (S) with nothing to his name – except Allah’s pleasure, which was everything and more.
• Allah revealed an ayah about his trade:

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشْرِى نَفْسَهُ ٱبْتِغَآءَ مَرْضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ رَءُوفٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ ٢٠٧

And there are those who would dedicate their lives to Allah’s pleasure. And Allah is Ever Gracious to [His] servants. (Surah Baqara: 207)

• When he arrived in Madinah the prophet Muhammad PBUH gave him glad-tidings, “ ‘The trade has been successful, O Suhaib!’” (More info on Suhaib Ar-Rumi: Suhaib Ibn Sinan Al Rumi (ra): From Persia, to Rome, to Paradise | Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research)

4. We should inspire our youth and reassure them that the trade is profitable and Allah will only reward them with better. They will surely be compensated for their sacrifice in the akhirah. In this world, even, they are writing history and leaving a lasting legacy. They are bringing us to victory.

5. Victory comes in many forms

1. Some universities are listening to student demands and negotiating with the students – this is one form of victory.
2. Other forms of victory have emerged and continue to become apparent because of their persistence:

• The student bodies and other members of the public see that it is the MUSLIM community who shows up en masse to protect their encampments and bolster them with supplies and moral support.
• Muslim students are praying openly while being surrounded and guarded by their non-Muslim peers. Prayer and the mention of God are part of the program at many of these encampments, thus increasing the public remembrance of Allah and awareness of Islam.
• Victory can look like demonstrating truth and exposing falsehood and hypocrisy.^[1] This is already happening. Students are voting to divest and setting up encampments across the country and the world. A significant amount of people engaging in activism for Palestine are not Muslims, let alone people of Palestinian descent.  
• No other faith community or otherwise matches our commitment to Deen and Allah, and that victory is not in the hands of the nation with the most power or highest GDP but in ours. It is a victory to pack the masajid and to be the ummah with the greatest levels of spirituality and alignment of the hearts. Further, our political weaknesses are  temporary, and it’s a matter of time before the political victory comes, but in the meantime, we owe our best efforts and our sincere worship.^[2]

 

6. Substantive Support for our Students

1. Attend demonstrations and show up to encampments to surround students with our physical presence and protection. Make it a family or youth halaqa outing – you don’t have to be on the front lines of the encampment or protest to make an impact.
2. If a student in your family or circles wants to join the movement, uplift and support them; don’t discourage them with your own fears or excuses. Take pride in their bravery and their commitment to truth.
3. Donate funds for supplies or your time for mentorship, upliftment, etc.
4. Write letters to university administrations, local politicians, and other key players to advocate for divestment goals, protect freedom of speech and assembly, and support students being doxxed or reprimanded for peacefully exercising their rights to speak up.
5. Uplift in the aftermath of repercussions: We should consider donating to existing bail funds, developing scholarships, and other support mechanisms for students who may lose their scholarships or fall behind in coursework with suspensions and/or expulsions.

 

 

Resources

 

Gaza Solidarity Encampments – MLFA

Why do we lose and How do We Win? Allah’s Laws of Victory – Muslim American Society 

Lessons from History – The Ummah IS Victorious! (Khutbah) | Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi 

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi on University Students Protesting for Palestine

Suhaib Ibn Sinan Al Rumi (ra): From Persia, to Rome, to Paradise | Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research

“Don’t Move!” – Gaza Encampment at Northwestern University- Khutbah by Dr. Omar Suleiman

Imams and Scholars Statement in Support of Students Encampment Movement