Originally published in The Baltimore Sun
Black History month is an important time to commemorate the accomplishments of blacks around the world; it is also a time to remember and address the unresolved issues in our society dealing with race.
Last year highlighted several issues which, despite the successes of the Civil Rights movement, still plague our society. They include the disproportionate police violence against minorities and the lack of accountability the prevails and the disproportionately large percentage of minorities in the nation’s prisons.
Much has been done legally to eradicate racism but not enough has been done to change hearts and minds.
My faith, Islam, teaches that despite our racial differences, only our righteousness matters in the eyes of God.
The Prophet Muhammad stated in his farewell address that “a white has no superiority over a black nor does a black have superiority over a white except by piety and good action.”
Famous Muslim civil rights leader Malcolm X said that “America needs to understand Islam because it is the one religion which erases the race problem from society.”
I pray that America and all countries with race issues take away this lesson from Islam: That race is not a measure of a man and that good moral and spiritual character is the ultimate criterion for judging a person’s worth.
