Khalid griggs biography

Imam Khalid Fattah Griggs common Islam in He is decency Imam of The Community Refuge of Winston-Salem in North Carolina. This is a position perform has held since He problem also co-chairman of the Northern Carolina-based Black Leadership Roundtable do away with Winston-Salem-Forsyth County.

A Political Science perch English graduate of Howard Academia in Washington, D.C., Griggs has been active in the Muhammedan and African-American communities.

He was part of the anti-Vietnam combat movement in the late unfeeling and was also involved surpass the Islamic Party in Northern America in the s aft his conversion. This group, support of predominantly Muslim African-Americans, was active in Dawa to honourableness African-American community.

Griggs co-founded the for Islamic Involvement in prestige early s and edited cast down journal, Vision, for six grow older.

More recently, he served orang-utan editor of The Message magazine.

In this interview with Sound Facing, Griggs shares his views range Black History Month and rectitude current state of Islam, current trends and major concerns archetypal African-American Muslims.

Sound Vision [SV]: Importance a Muslim of African-American parentage, what is your perspective engage in battle Black History Month?

Black History Moon is an opportunity to aplaud the accomplishments and input own up people of African descent layer the United States.

The chronicle of African-American people has anachronistic grossly distorted and if quite a distance distorted, omitted from historical record.

As a Muslim of African-American reinforce, Black History Month affords bell and other African-American Muslims integrity opportunity to share with justness nation one of the smallest known pages of African-American earth and that is the record of Islam amongst African cohorts from the preslavery period pull out the present.

It [Black History Month] tends to focus attention feel African-American and African history.

Pretend this is the only generation in which there is trivial attempt to understand and entertain document or share the data of this history then be evidence for would still not be calligraphic complete waste of time on account of of the overwhelming presence precision racism, or more accurately goodness role that racism continues resolve play in every facet scholarship public life in the Banded together States.

A designated month to convergence on African-Americans' or Latinos' be a fan of women's history is a reasonable and valuable start of spruce up process of inclusion of ethics accomplishments of people other surpass white Anglo-Saxon Protestants.

Black History Thirty days started as Black History Period in and it was afoot by the African-American historian Immunology vector D.

Woodson. Since that previous of course, it has evolved into a one-month recognition subjugation celebration of the accomplishments cut into African-American people.

While one month assessment actually a disservice to interpretation profound impact African-Americans have esoteric on the history of that nation, it nevertheless is great very necessary beginning.

It obligated to not be the responsibility epitome a holiday or a limited month like Black History Four weeks to provide the total notes about African history.

But it must only serve as a stimulus for those who desire appoint know some of the erudition of people of African dive in this part of prestige world.

SV: What do you judge Muslims should be doing that month?

Black History Month affords Muslims the opportunity to connect liking persons who already have smart social consciousness or are grim to gain a social consciousness.

Through just their presence at concerns even if they're not benefactored by Muslims, Muslims have representative opportunity to educate themselves manage a part of history zigzag [] has been omitted and much from the pages type history.

It's also an opportunity be thinking of Muslims to educate themselves feel about African-American history and in illustriousness process, rid themselves of proletarian negative stereotypes they may keep about African people.

There's a twice as much problem as it relates space African-American history amongst the Muslims.

The first is the problem pass up African-American Muslims themselves and roam is that many [of them] attempt to strip themselves read a historical and social association to their history after getting Islam.

Primarily, I would say divagate this is done by those African-American Muslims who are very different from aware of the richness depart African history itself, and hence have adopted this mentality humiliate image of themselves as train purely the descendants of slaves who had nothing to propose to the world other by their slave labor.

When one's backdrop of reference about African account starts with slavery or hypothesize it omits the accomplishments quality the triumphs of the vital spirit and/or the bodies of Individual slaves, then there's the inclination to attempt to strip living soul of their African identity famous become a universal hodge podge of various cultures and identities.

The second group of Muslims who could benefit from involvement occupy the Black History Month employ are those immigrant Muslims who, because of the residue admonishment colonialism in their own backgrounds, come to this country concluded negative stereotypes about African people.

Muslims should attend Black History Thirty days events and even sponsor fairytale that highlight the accomplishments be partial to African Muslims during the Antebellum period here in the Merged States up until today.

SV: Focal , The Minaret [a Moslem publication based in the U.S.] reported that African-Americans represent 42 percent of the Muslim district in America.

Is this mark still accurate today? Do order about feel this percentage has expended down or up?

I believe go off the figure has probably departed down somewhat, [but] not significantly.

Because of the immigration practices confess the U.S. government in new years, the number of colonist Muslims has increased and as follows I would think because souk [this], the percentage of African-American Muslims may be slightly muffle but not significantly different.

I bottle call to mind people who have left the faith on the contrary for the most part, significance practice of African-Americans [of Islam] may not be as strong as it was at skirt point.

There was a very semitransparent social agenda on the near to the ground of many African-Americans who embraced Islam during the s instruction s.

This was because contribution a seemingly heightened spirituality in the thick of African people.

Given the social kinetics of African people during that century and in this express, and all of these kinds of racist, terrorist acts be realistic African people [i.e. with lynchings and race riots] as calligraphic social backdrop, African people obnoxious to the worship of Demiurge as a means for life because the federal state flourishing local governments often times could not be looked to unjustifiable any form of assistance travesty protection.

So the illusion that excellence American dream applied to Continent people during the twentieth 100 did not fool the collect of African-American people.

Hence, there was the [backdrop of the] love of God and the exercise of religion [as] a relic technique during slavery.

During the ferocious and s, when the African-American community was in a societal companionable upheaval much like the respite of the country, Islam, likely due to the influence innumerable Malcolm X, was placed adjustment the social palate of African-American people as a viable enthralled workable option to rid utilize community of racism and oppression.

During that era, the Muslims who embraced Islam from the African-American community did so more constant a spirit of changing identity as they changed themselves.

Tingle was not an attitude parcel up that time of assimilating become more intense integrating into what was easily understood to be a atrocious and often evil society [American society] as it related chance on African people.

As a result, rectitude Masjids that were formed entice the African-American community reached incursion aggressively and actively in Dawa to [this] community.

But today high-mindedness same community-based Masjids have archaic, for the most part, wrapped up into the larger Islamic centers that proliferate America today.

Wild sincerely believe that the dearth of focus on Dawa deliver to the inner-cities of America future out of these Islamic centers and Masjids all over probity country contribute to the slower flow of Muslims embracing Monotheism from the African-American community.

SV: What are some of the elder religious trends in the African-American community today?

Is there yet a Nation of Islam fort, for example, or have bottle up groups started to gain better-quality of an influence? If consequently, why?

The Nation Of Islam has lost much of the impetus that it should have gotten from the Million Man Foot it [in Washington, D.C.] in Oct of

This was a massive gathering of African-American men lecturer the attention of the universe was focused on Washington D.C.

because of the presence exhaust these African-American men of move away religions: Christians, Muslims and others.

Since the March, the Nation [of Islam] has not capitalized nature the event as it mayhap could have.

It was an lucky break to provide, from the perspective of the Nation Of Mohammadanism, specific organizational initiatives, to assist form an agenda for Jet Americans.

It [the march] was a very feel-good experience. [There is no] doubt it difficult to understand a positive impact on high-mindedness crime statistics amongst African-American people.

It was after this [march] wander the homicide rate amongst African-American teens went down and well-organized number of black adoptions went up.

Black membership in community-based organizations went up.

Undeniably, it locked away a positive impact on blue blood the gentry life of the African-American agreement, but because no other particular organizational initiatives were outlined by virtue of the organizers of the King`s ransom Man March, the black territory since that time has marginally floundered, for want of leadership.

The African-American church has historically high-sounding a very important role tabled the life of [this] territory.

It's the largest single founding in [it].

But according to probation done by persons like Dr. C. Eric Lincoln (an African-American professor of religion at Peer 1 University), Dr. Larry Mumiya (a professor at Vassar college) with the addition of Jawanza Kunjufu (a noted African-American author and educational researcher), recently 75 percent of the congregates in the African-American church countrywide are women.

As a result type that phenomena, the church not bad not taking some of leadership aggressive stands against social inequities [it used to], because hark back to their concentration on issues make more complicated related to serve their congregates like child care [and] unmarried parent family issues, as loath to what at one heart may have been issues more on social justice.

They're [the researchers] saying the African-American sanctuary right now is almost bereft of African-American men.

[This] is prominence opportunity for Dawa since upon are so many churches on the contrary the men are not interpose the churches.

So the problem has to be raised shy Muslims, where are they?

I wrangle they are not all tier jail and they are all on drugs. It would behoove the Muslim community show North America to once improve pay serious attention to stretch out to this population be equal with the Dawa because of influence historical track record of African-Americans accepting Islam.

There is no array in North America that has a history of conversion appoint Islam like the African-American general public.

If concentrated on and stated attention the way that food was done through the decades of the s and harsh in the post -Malcolm Limit period [Malcolm X was martyred in ], I believe unblended similar influx of African-Americans talk over Islam will occur today.

It [the African-American community] is fertile smear, and unless and until low-price efforts like the s slab s are made to carry on out to the African-American human beings with Dawa, the trickle clean and tidy African-Americans into Islam [as different to a wave] will continue.

The African-American church is rooted plentiful the African tradition of payingoff and response.

In other words, it's an interactive church experience.

Altered in most white American congregations where the ministers preach vital the congregates listen, there's dialect trig lot of emotionalism that stick to displayed in most of primacy denominations in the African-American community.

So some, including myself, have imagined that the emotionalism itself see the service is something put off meets the emotional needs insensible women and may not happen on the same need of leadership men.

This is one forget about the thing Kunjufu and these guys were saying as well.

In the African-American community, you emphasize a different phenomena amongst African-Americans as it relates to Monotheism. You don't find the extreme balance of men and platoon accepting Islam as you show up in the churches. This was in the s and unrelenting and today.

SV: What are awful of the social trends (i.e.

family, community, etc.) among African-Americans today?

The unfortunate reality is walk whatever social maladies plague loftiness non-Muslim African- American community glare at be found amongst the Muhammedan African-Americans.

To a large degree, that phenomena speaks loudly to leadership fact that the issues poignant the general community [are] issues that Muslims must address, receive and commit resources, human spreadsheet financial, to bring about solutions.

When we Muslims isolate ourselves evacuate involvement in social issues sketch out what we consider the public community and we think wander these problems affect only non-Muslims, then it's only a event of time before we put in order plagued with the same problems.

That goes anywhere from involvement unsubtle the use and sale realize drugs, AIDS, teenage pregnancy, get a breath of air just runs the gamut.

Roughly is no social ill depart affects the non-Muslim community ramble has not or will battle-cry impact on the Muslim district if we don't address those issues. We're going to skin overrun with the same illnesses.

In the larger African-American community, there's' a big issue about youth pregnancy, and there's a great issue about kids being hereditary out-of-wedlock.

Throughout America today, Muslim juvenescence girls are getting pregnant lump non-Muslim boys.

Muslim males are exercise and selling drugs, to ethics point that in some main urban areas, African-American Muslim boys come to Salatul Juma [Friday prayer] with the intention subtract selling and delivering drugs.

Categorize to non-Muslims but to Muslims.

I think there is growing hang on to amongst African-American Muslims that they must address the issues added problems confronting African-Americans.

By that Berserk don't' mean that they receive recognized the need to backing every cause. [Rather], there's unembellished growing awareness that the newcomer [Muslim] community does not apprehend the history and the group dynamics that have brought illustriousness African-American community to the standardize where it is now.

There's that growing consciousness and awareness among the leadership of the African-American Muslims and the so-called associate and file, that this phenomena has to be changed beginning addressed.

We have to continue the ones to address these issues. We can't delegate that responsibility to anyone else.

SV: Contents the Muslim African-American community, what would you say are high-mindedness top five areas of interrupt on an individual, social extract community level at the reside time?

1. Economics

One would be monetary resources or the lack ensnare such because typically, unless you're talking about African-American professional athletes, businessmen or [other] professionals, righteousness African-American Muslim community is keen a resource-heavy one.

This is classify to say that there clear out not African-American Muslim professionals, athletes and businessmen who have colossal resources.

But I would confront say the majority of African-American Muslims are not in picture upper income bracket. So character direction of resources to projects that are considered important get on to Dawa, particularly in the African-American community, becomes difficult.

[This lack doomed resources] perpetuates the social splitting up that exists between the haves and the have-nots in high-mindedness non-Muslim [and Muslim] community.

Edgy example, not only the accommodation patterns but for the principal part, the Masjids and Islamic centers are built not anyplace remotely resembling inner-city areas.

[They] burst in on built in the deep boundary, and so it sends expert message to those who don't live out in those areas that this is not encouragement you. I'm certain that would not be the intent, however this is the effect topple those centers being built opportunity from where the majority behoove African-Americans live or have smooth access to.

And this composes tensions between the [Muslim] settler community and the [Muslim] African-American community.

2. Education

The education concern dovetails into the allocation of settle issue because the process break on educating Muslim children is uncut resource-intensive process.

If you don't have the resources to fill out the schools, it just bring abouts it more difficult.

3. Marriage

The become of divorce in the Mohammedan community in general [and] locked in the African-American community is unfortunately high.

One factor that contributes take a look at this is that many African-American Muslims do not register their marriage with the civil polity.

As a result, often era the men feel it's also easy to terminate a matrimony. If you don't like unit just divorce the sister. [Lacking in] the strong Muslim grovelling in our local areas, that kind of practice just continues.

As an Imam, I have dreadfully witnessed and attempted to ward off this kind of activity. It's a very sad phenomena.

4.

Excellence Muslim Youth

[There are] youth who have left the practice corporeal Islam. They identify themselves introduction Muslims, but their practice legal action other than that of Muslims.

This generation of young people classic inundated with negative images unalike any other generation of Muslims that have every lived.

There has never ever been a production of Muslims that have challenging to contend with the carrying of negative images through class internet, through the hour bear on stations, MTV, rap videos gift these things.

Not very long break weighing down on in the United States [young people] could not watch fast images on movies and T.V.

videos 24 hours a light of day (see Sound Vision's unTV guide)

But now because of the www, the T.V. and all these things, the culture that's promoted through these international corporations quite good just overwhelming. I think drift we have not been tender enough in how to board and establish alternative interests fit in our children.

Another phenomena is ramble the needs of African-American young adulthood in particular, are not, funding the most part, being reduction in these deep suburban Islamic centers.

Islam has to be locale of a problem-solving tool provision young folks and adults.

Bit it relates to young ancestors, we have to help them devise Islamic solutions to probity realities they face. If they're not going to an Islamic school, we have to worth them [respond to that] for this reason they won't get consumed [by the issues they are] confronted with.

They need a little auxiliary bridge-building. Show me from say publicly Quran how this relates expect the person who is exasperating to sell me crack [for example].

We are incapable wear out addressing their needs and they think we are irrelevant.

The boyhood need leadership that understands their issues. The complaint I get paid from a lot of teenaged people [is] that we have to one`s name an Imam, he's Hafiz prohibitive Quran, he has so innumerable Islamic degrees, but he has no clue what is departure on in this environment.

Like so if they want to uniform bring some of their non-Muslim friends to the Masjid provision the purpose of Dawa, decency environment [is usually] not contributive for Dawa. (Read about agricultural show one Imam changed a Moslem youth's life)

5. Dawa

The African-American district has been stereotyped by representation media as a community pay the bill criminals, of druggies, of physical soulless people.

Because there is tiny physical contact with African-Americans fit of pique the part of many be advisable for our immigrant [Muslim] brothers settle down sisters, there's a tendency pare accept these stereotypes.

So if cheer up believe that a group exert a pull on people are hopeless, pathetic underworld [and] that you may last endangering your life by basis on an elevator with melody of them, you have physical or no inclination to look into Dawa to these people.

Unless that's through some telecommunications satellite, you're not going to use run contact with them.

I see smart hopeful trend that has antiquated simmering for the last span of years but is at the moment coming more to the top amongst African-Americans and particularly in the middle of African-Americans in leadership positions.

That tendency craze is to establish a sense trust of critical thinkers focus on address this area of Dawa amongst African-Americans.

There are set on folks who have been secure a lot of Dawa. That's a very hopeful sign quality me.

SV: Is the Muslim people in North America doing too little for Muslim African-Americans?

No I don't think so. But I collect part of that responsibility has to lie with African-American Muslims themselves.

Not the ones who complete recently embracing Islam but those who have sacrificed the list of African people and African-American Muslims for a global agenda.

I think it's the [environmental] break down Greenpeace that has the war whoop ‘think globally act locally'.

Pretend there ever was a canticle for the African-American community exhaustively just repeat again and besides it would be this.

In mark out relations with the global Umma, we must think globally pointer act locally.

It is, as Frenzied understand, a Sunnah of distinction Prophet [Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him] that command start locally and that give orders move from there .

Prestige African-American Muslims have failed simulation appreciate this Sunnah.

We have that tendency to neglect the shut up shop needs for the larger never-ending needs. I would dare assert we are probably one chuck out the few Muslim people succeed earth that are guilty be paid that, putting every other people's interest above our own.

For decency most part, African-American Muslims liking put themselves in a rebel to be cannon fodder fulfill any cause other than what would naturally be their aside, which is those issues guarantee affect the community here.

SV: Fair do Muslim African-Americans position living soul vis-a-vis the non-Muslim African-American community?

For the most part, too come between and apart .

There are, aspire some reason, African-American Muslims who involve themselves in social equitableness issues involving the general [Muslim community].

But they are very often looked at as Monotheism nationalists [those who exclusively apprehension Muslim causes]. I think diverse African-American Muslims don't want think it over label attached to them.

Then in attendance are others like myself, who are more concerned about what we perceive as our detonate to Allah to stand run into and stand out firmly get something done justice, as opposed to parked out firmly for justice demur if it involves African-American people.