Michigan in Color
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Lesson from Dr. Omar Suleiman
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 — 5
As-Salaam-Alaikum
Wa-Alaikum-Salaam
The
auditorium—recently
buzzing with greetings and
jovial conversations—fell pin-
drop silent, intent on hanging
on Dr. Omar Suleiman’s words.
Imam Suleiman’s résumé is
more than impressive: Muslim
scholar,
civil
rights
leader,
writer and public speaker. He
currently works as a professor at
Southern Methodist University
and founder of the Yaqeen
Institute for Islamic Research.
At a luncheon prior to his
speech, Suleiman moved from
table to table, taking the time
to engage with each attendee
in thoughtful conversation. He
was taking so much time talking
to each individual that I began
sweating through my shirt in
anticipation of our interview—
the interview he graciously
remained behind for, even when
his schedule required him to be
elsewhere. Suleiman’s powerful
calmness
was
unmistakable
during the interview as he
talked so passionately while
maintaining
an
even-keeled
demeanor.
During
the
interview
and the subsequent speaker
event,
Suleiman
emphasized
Islamic theology as a source
for liberation, using the Quran
as the basis for his social
justice values. He pointed to
many
liberation
movements
and
leaders’
attraction
to
Islam because of the Prophet
Mouhammad’s (Peace Be Upon
Him) explicit anti-racist and
anti-oppression rhetoric. From
Malcolm X to Angela Davis
to Muhammad Ali, countless
Muslim activists have led the
fight for civil rights in our
country.
Suleiman
expressed
the
importance
for
justice
movements
to
support
all
oppressed groups. He drew
upon the Honorable Malcolm
X’s philosophy of recognizing
the Black Americans’ plight
within the context of all forms
of oppression worldwide, not
being afraid that incorporating
other movements would dilute
their own. A self-described
student of Malcolm X, Suleiman
quoted him when exploring
Islam’s focus on justice.
“The Quran compelled the
Muslim to take a stand on the
side of those whose human
rights are violated no matter
the religious persuasion of the
victims,” Suleiman said. “Islam
is a religion which concerns
itself with the human rights of
all mankind despite race, color
or creed. It recognizes all as
part of one human family.”
A universal struggle against
oppression
is
embodied
in
Martin Luther King’s words,
“oppression
anywhere
is
a
threat to freedom anywhere.”
This philosophy has played a
role in many effective social
rights
movements,
from
Fred
Hampton’s
“Rainbow
Coalition”
to
the
Black
Feminist Movement. However,
Suleiman
highlights
this
notion has been surprisingly
rare
in
justice
movements
throughout the ages. From the
women’s suffrage movement’s
exclusion of Black Americans
to the Mynmmar’s freedom
movement’s
oppression
of
Muslim minorities, many such
movements ignore the plights of
other marginalized groups and
even support their oppression.
Even today, many oppressed
groups argue over whose plight
is the most important instead
of viewing their oppression as a
singular issue.
Coming from a Palestinian
household and as a child of
refugees, Suleiman grew up
with a responsibility to fight
against Palestinian oppression
as well as a connection to other
oppressed groups. His family
housed
refugees
displaced
by the Bosnian genocide and
was active in local civil rights
issues, building the foundation
for Suleiman’s global mindset.
Working towards a universal
struggle for liberation, Suleiman
strives to build coalitions across
religious divides. During our
interview,
he
talked
about
how
“polarization
is
one
of the greatest threats to a
civilization,” causing people to
isolate and “work in their own
corners.” Suleiman emphasized
that
there
are
issues
that
cut
across
all
identities,
especially around exploitation
and poverty. He approaches
coalition-building by bringing
different groups to the table and
working together to champion
commonly-held issues. He says
these groups can form strong
bonds by working together on
these challenges.
Like Malcolm X, Suleiman
emphasizes viewing oppression
through a global lens. One issue
he focused on during his speech
was
the
intersectionality
between climate change and
oppression. Inside the United
States’s
privileged
bubble,
the connection may not be
apparent,
but
Dr.
Suleiman
highlighted that climate change
will continue to displace an
increasing number of people
around the world and create
competition over increasingly
scarce resources. He predicts
these
conditions
will
lead
to
increased
oppression
worldwide.
His
prediction
aligns with the Institute for
Economics & Peace’s prediction
of 1.2 billion refugees by 2050 due
to climate change and natural
disasters. Michelle Bachelet,
U.N.
High
Commissioner
for
Human
Rights,
wrote:
“As
environmental
threats
intensify, they will constitute
the biggest challenge to human
rights in our era.” Suleiman
contextualized his claim with
his personal experience during
Hurricane Katrina. The New
Orleans native led a group to
assist with the city’s recovery
and
saw
how
the
natural
disaster had disproportionately
affected oppressed groups in
the area.
Global
oppression
cannot
be fully encapsulated without
including Palestine. Suleiman
described Palestine as “a filter
to test a person’s commitment
to human dignity” that “many
people
who
pontificate
on
every human rights issue will
suddenly go silent or worse.”
His speech further laid out
the grim reality of the ongoing
oppression.
“Ninety-seven
percent
of
water in Gaza is undrinkable,”
Suleiman
said.
“Seventy-five
percent of its people are food
insecure. An estimated 91%
of its children suffer from
PTSD.” These statistics don’t
account
for
the
consistent
acts of violence and systemic
oppression
Palestinians
face
today.
Suleiman
laid
out
advice
for students in the fight for
equality. Most importantly, he
emphasized the importance of
courage and implored students
to not be intimidated. He called
on students to not only be
charitable but to also challenge
the underlying policies and stay
steadfast when people turn
against them for doing so.
While
Suleiman
focused
mainly on how one should
conduct
oneself
to
advance
justice and human rights, he
did address the mindset of
oppressors. I will leave you
with another Malcolm X quote
Suleiman shared. I think it’s
incredibly
pertinent
to
the
structural
and
systematic
inequality we see in our country,
to
the
countless
migrants
displaced from their homes, as
well as to countries ravaged by
colonialism and imperialism.
“You clip the bird’s wing and
then blame it for not flying as
high as you.”
KUVIN SATYADEV
MiC Columnist
Samin Hassan/MiC
Facing the Unfamiliar
It is interesting to think
about humans existing almost
robotically
alongside
one
another, with their own stories
to tell and rabbit holes to climb
out of. There is something
fulfilling
about
having
an
exchange
with
a
stranger
— a chance encounter that
unexpectedly sparks joy in a
way that takes me by surprise.
Last weekend, after leaving
a friend’s house, I stepped into
my Uber, ready to go home and
melt into my pillow. As per
normal, I immediately scanned
my surroundings for anything
out of the ordinary. To be on
the safe side, my friend swiftly
received a ‘track your ride’
notification. I always have my
wits about me — it’s a feminine
instinct, I guess.
It was approximately 12:30
a.m. on a Friday and I was
already dozing off. Unwilling
to engage in conversation and
hoping for a silent car journey,
I was met with an eager
conversationalist.
“Where are you from?” The
driver asked. Half-heartedly, I
answered “London.” To which
he said “Oh wow! How do you
like living in Ann Arbor?” To
which I said, “It’s great.” And
so on.
Usually, I am wary of speaking
to Uber drivers. Having lived in
Pakistan, I am all too familiar
with the unfortunate reality
of
unrelenting
stares
and
fixations from men, a constant
feeling of being watched. In
Western countries, men are
more cognizant of this, and
yet, existing in public spaces
as a woman is frightening and
I always feel the need to be one
step ahead. For better or worse,
I have carried this sentiment
with me since I was a child.
This man, to my surprise,
was lovely. I told him I was
originally from Pakistan, and
coincidentally, he had spent
four years studying in Karachi
during his twenties. Driving
down State Street in the middle
of Ann Arbor, I found myself
discussing my hometown in
great depth with someone who
could actually relate. I felt a
sense of warmth in being able
to speak with someone who
understands
where
I
come
from. From reminiscing over
hours spent in Karachi traffic,
with aggressive drivers and
street vendors drowning out
all other noises, to laughing
about Sattar Buksh (Karachi’s
own rendition of Starbucks),
we
found
unexpected
commonalities in our unique
experiences.
I left the car with a smile on
my face and began wondering
how old he was, where his
accent was from and what
he
looked
like.
I
realized
how absorbed I was in the
conversation because I had
not once seen his face — just
a dark but friendly silhouette.
Turning on my phone, ready
to stalk his Uber profile, I
stopped myself. It actually felt
refreshing to speak to someone
without being able to see them.
Whenever
I
return
to
school at the start of every
semester, I find myself having
to
alternate
between
two
very distinct mindsets: the
unparalleled comforts of home
versus unrestricted freedoms
at college. Leaving home and
coming to Michigan feels like I
am stepping out of one reality
and entering another. Large
gatherings overflowing with
countless
family
members
turn into lecture halls filled
with
unknown
faces.
So,
rare instances such as these
— where I am able to bridge
the gap between these two
identities — strangely reassure
me.
I was a shy child, but as
an adult, I like to think that
I
confidently
push
myself
outside
my
comfort
zone.
Interacting with this man, how
ever silly it may sound, was an
example of this. I’ve discovered
that engaging with strangers is
invigorating. Each individual
comes with their own distinct
set of experiences, which in
turn inform my own. Though
my conversation with this Uber
driver led me to no profound
realizations, I was able to
appreciate
the
encounter
for what it was — a brief
moment of connectivity. We
are conditioned — sometimes,
rightfully so — to disengage
from strangers, but if we choose
to share more of ourselves, I
find that others are willing to
do the same.
Sometimes it is easier to be
honest with strangers because,
to them, I am a blank slate.
In our modern world, the
one caveat that holds us back
from such experiences is our
inability to disengage from
technology and social media.
Not knowing the age, ethnicity
or background of a person
eliminates many of these self-
imposed barriers and makes
room for the simple pleasures
that still exist around us, how
ever caught up we may be in
our own little world.
Rino Fujimoto/MiC
NURAIYA MALIK
MiC Columnist