Originally Published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on February 13th, 2018
As an American Ahmadi Muslim, I would like to encourage our fellow citizens to reflect on the importance of Black History Month. It is worth acknowledging and celebrating shared values regardless of our race, religion, or background.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once famously stated, “I look to the day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, by the content of their character.” In Islam, this absolutely echoes with what Prophet Muhammad beautifully stated: “A white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white, except in piety and good action.” This has ultimately served as a profound tenet of Islamic principles of equality for 1,400 years.
In light of this advice, I would like to encourage our fellow Americans to strive to overcome racism in 2018 and instead look for goodness and piety in our fellow man.
