George Floyd: "Racism is Suffocating us" 7th June, 2020

GEORGE FLOYD: RACISM IS SUFFOCATING US

An American black man, George Floyd died last week after he was pinned to the pavement by a police officer who put his knee on the handcuffed man's neck until he stopped breathing. His killing set off protests that spread rapidly across the US. The world is echoing the sentiments: “Racism is suffocating us”. One would have thought the Americans took pride in their famous Hollywood blockbuster movies' statement that one is innocent till proven guilty. Or does it just remain what it is - a Hollywood movie mumbo jumbo?

BUILD UP:

Let me try to put across God’s perspective on the unfortunate incident. How does God look at it? Let us try to see His perspective. Firstly, He is the same God for every human being. He is the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Provider. He has not run away after creating us all. He has not gone off on an extended vacation after this creation or has not gone off to slumber. God has spoken to us! This is the beauty of His existence. God has spoken to us through His messengers. We have the Divine Scriptures with us – The Torah, The Psalms of David, the Gospel,  and the Qur’an.

He says in the Qur’an Chapter 5, Verse 3:

” Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you,….”.

The ‘blessing part’ is that God has spoken to us and conveyed His expectations for our salvation. We do not have to go to the top of the Himalayas or the depths of the oceans or in the deserts or stand one-legged on the top of a tree for forty years for the elusive nirvana, or through other prescribed rigorous mental exercises to achieve a life of bliss or achieve enlightenment or blessedness for communion with the Creator.

His Divine messages (Torah/ Bible/ Qur’an) are easy to access. We only need to open them. Read them. Get connected with God. Connecting to the expectations of God is not rocket science. It is connected with the inner innate voice of our conscience.

Qur’an Chapter 91, Verses 7-10:

“And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness, He has succeeded who purifies it, And he has failed who instills it [with corruption]”. 

The Qur’an’s message serves as a ‘reminder’ of this basic morality for us to realign ourselves with God.

Qur’an Chapter 15, Verse 9:

“Indeed, it is We who have revealed this reminder and it is We who will ensure its preservation."

MAIN THRUST:

George Floyd is dead. Let us look up some of the verses of God from His Divine Scriptures which address racism. I shall present God’s expectations from us, through the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an. It is worth noting that God’s expectations require half a sentence, one or at the most two verses. The reason is that His Scriptures are essentially reminders of our innate consciousness to differentiate between right and wrong. Only a referral is required for us to realign ourselves with His reminder.

The Torah says:

Deuteronomy 10:17:  “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes”.

     The Gospel says:

     John 10:10: “I came that all may have life and have life in abundance.”

Ephesians (the tenth book of the New Testament) 5:21: “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

John 22:2: “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all.”

Mark 12:33: “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 

 Galatians 3:26–28 –“…for in Jesus Christ you are all children of God through faith, … There is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The Qur’an says: 

·    Qur’an (49:13): “Mankind! We created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know each other. Indeed, the most honoured of you in the sight of God is the one who is the most God-conscious. And God is full of knowledge and well-acquainted.”

All the above verses are wisdom and ‘reminders’ from the same One Fountain! As mentioned above, it requires a sentence to remind us of our innate goodness.

What does the expression ‘God-conscious’ in the Qur’an verse mentioned above mean? It means being aware of the precincts of God’s expectations of us. One aspect of being God-conscious is to remain humble; and to consider all beings as equal. The human attribute which is most detestable in the eyes of God is exuding an arrogant demeanour. The last prophet, Muhammad, Alaihissalam, is reported to have said “The one who has the slightest hint of arrogance in his heart shall not enter the paradise.” When he was asked what exactly arrogance was, he replied “to reject the truth and consider others inferior.” The reason arrogance is unacceptable to God is that all humans are equal; they all are children of the same parents. Qur’an (32:7) mentions: “Who made all things He created excellently, and He started the creation of the human being from clay.” Therefore, if there is any criterion of superiority, it is God-consciousness and piety which is primarily an inner state of an individual. One has no basis for being arrogant.

Prophet Muhammad, Alaihissalam, in his last sermon before he passed away soon after, amongst other important matters shared as a ‘reminder’ to his companions, he also stressed all mankind being equal. That mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; white has no superiority over black, nor does a black have any superiority over white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action. Exactly in line with God’s message in the Qur’an! Prophets always reiterate God’s expectations. It is the very basis messengers are sent to convey God’s expectations conclusively to the addressees.

The world community recognizes this very fundamental human behaviour of treating human beings as equals. Please allow me to say it is a sub-human trait or an animal attribute where equality is not practiced. The adage ‘Might is Right’ or ‘Live and Let Die’ rules the jungles.

Humans innately thrive on ‘Right is Might’ or ’Lie and Let Live’. The UN post Second World War in 1948 laid its foundation on basic human rights which states: Human rights are meant for everyone equally, no matter what their race, religion, culture, nationality, age, sex, beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, or intelligence.

I have read American author Alex Haley’s famous book Roots as a young man in the early nineties. Mr. Haley traced his seven generations back to his ancestor Kunta Kinte, who was kidnapped from Africa to be shipped in chains like cattle to the shores of the US to be sold as slaves. I remember I cried helplessly several times while reading the book.

All human beings are equal and to be respected equally.

The great American peaceful activist Mr. Martin Luther King Junior made his great famous speech in 1960 in the very land in the US where George Floyd died, when he said,” I have a dream that my four little children shall not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”; again, exactly, conforming to the innate human nature of mutual respect as mentioned in God’s Divine Scriptures. It remains an enigma how one condones the acts of organizations like the Ku Klux Klan within America, the members who sought the restoration of white supremacy through intimidation and violence.

The diversity in human beings is God’s design. No one asked anyone where to be born what features to be born with or what abilities to be born with. These are elements of nature where no one has any say whatsoever. On the other hand, the innate sense of morality if recognized and paid heed can lift a person of any caste creed, colour, religion, or ability to great heights in the eyes of God Almighty. Yes! This (morality) is one playing field that is leveled for all denizens of the world. This is the 21^st century! Humanity should be competing on this end; not relegating to sub-human behaviours.

Last but not least let me point out a fact that is as deplorable, as intolerable, and as condemnable as the murder of George Floyd itself. No one in any religion or any form of government is allowed to take the law into one’s own hands. The looting and arson following this incident across the US is terrible and condemnable. Everyone has the right to protest but protest peacefully. The black Americans have a great example of peaceful protests amongst them – the great peaceful activist Mr. Martin Luther King Junior. He would have despised the looting and arson. Mr. King was a human being with the innate goodness in him which he exuded at all levels and under all circumstances and he was a fearing man of God. This looting and arson has to stop in the name of God.

God says in the Qur’an (4:29-30): “O you who have believed, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, God is to you ever Merciful. And whoever does that in aggression and injustice - then We will drive him into a Fire. And that, for God, is [always] easy.” God detests and abhors chaos and anarchy in the society. It ruins the very fabric of a peaceful environment where the life and property of peaceful citizens are at stake. God declares it a grave sin worse than murder!

Rest assured George Floyd has not died in vain. No death goes in vain. All deaths shall be accounted for, in the Hereafter, where the matters shall be settled with utmost fairness. The aggrieved shall be compensated. The aggressor shall be punished. It is plain as daylight.

Anon!

CONCLUSION:

My message to all around the world, and especially within the US would be to start healing each other. Even as I write saner elements in the US are calling for an end to this mayhem following this death. Let us not wait for the higher clergy to come up with healing statements. We are all masters of our destiny! The good common sense invokes us all to exercise restraint. Let us side with the peace-mongers and not the mischief-mongers! Tempers are soaring high. 

Resentment is at its peak. The emotions of people get the better of them. It is in these circumstances that one transgresses the boundaries of morality. One must relink with God and ensure not transgress His laid-out boundaries. It is always plausible to relink with God’s message for solace and guidance. That is why God claims His message as a REMINDER. One tends to forget the basic morality one is endowed with in such incidents.

My message too is meant as a Reminder!

Aamir Yazdani