Author Ahmad Cleaver
Interview by Juwayriyah B. Ayed
Back in February the American television station PBS aired a
documentary about the rise and fall of the American Civil Rights group, the
Black Panther Party. The documentary was titled, "The Black Panthers: Vanguard
of the Revolution". Among the founding members that were featured was
a young Kathleen Cleaver whose video clips and memes about Black power and
natural hair pride had been circulating on social media millions of times. Mrs.
Cleaver was the wife of the American writer, political activist, and also
founding Black Panther Party member, Eldridge Cleaver. The documentary was
wildly successful for PBS and uncovered quite a few new pieces of information
for me that I hadn't already learned from my mother and grandparents. As usual, once I told my mother that I wanted to interview Brother Ahmad for our Author Spotlight series, she said, "I know him." After a bit of scheduling issues I able to speak with Brother Ahmad and take some notes. The following is #MuslimGirlsRead first Author
Spotlight with brother Ahmed Cleaver from Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
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How did your parents' activism affect your life (childhood and
adulthood)?
My
parent's activism had on effect on me since my birth; born & lived in
Algeria/sister born in N. Korea/lived in France visited China, Vietnam and many
faraway lands as a child of revolutionaries in exile. Our children’s' books
were about Malcolm X, Nat Turner, Denmark Vessey, Marcus Garvey, full of heroes
and sheroes from Black history. We were directly taught to question, stand up
for your rights, fight injustice, say the truth without fear & that slavery
has modern forms which must be dismantled. As an adult, this background brings
respect from many as well as fear & suspicion from the misled &
oppressors of today.
Soul On Islam tells your personal journey into Islam and how your
upbringing helped mold you and directed you towards your shahadah. Why
did you feel it was necessary to share your narrative and open up to the world
about your experiences?
The
consistent spread of Islamophobia and the popularity of misconceptions about
Islam and Muslims have both been intensified by the war on terror and the effects
of misled extremist groups. This dangerous environment has indeed been one of
the reasons that helped to encourage me to use the word to try to shed light
upon the beauty of Islam. Another reason is to dispel the pre-conceived notions
and imagined half-truths that many people have been deceived by. It is my
small efforts to share the beauty of Islam's eternal principles.
Can you explain social justice from Islamic point of view?
Equality
is the servitude of God as said by Dr. Mbaye Lo, of Duke Islamic Studies Center
at Duke University. The Prophet (May the Peace & Blessings of ALLAH be Upon
him) said: “There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a
non-Arab over an Arab. Neither is the white superior over the black, nor is the
black superior over the white — except by piety." (Sahih Bukhari
Hadith 1623, 1626, 6361) Justice in the highest & perfect form is to hold
unto the principles of Islam & the example of the Prophet (May the Peace
& Blessings of ALLAH be Upon him) with sincere worship, revolving our
lives around 5 prayers a day, treating your family, friends, neighbors &
strangers in a fair, kind way. And not to lift your hand except to stop someone
from doing wrong to others or yourself. The Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace
& Blessings of ALLAH be Upon him) said: “Help your brother, whether he
is an oppressor or he is oppressed.” The Prophet (May the Peace &
Blessings of ALLAH be Upon him) was asked: “It is right to help him if he is
oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” He replied: “By
preventing him from oppressing others.” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 624)
As an educator living in the Muslim world what do you feel are
some of the most pressing issues facing Muslim youth and specifically Muslim
girls? Any tips on how we as Muslim parents and educators can work on them?
Most pressing issues facing Muslim Youth: Drugs and alcohol, the lack of Islamic modesty, [and] the
need for Islamic Moral Guidance based on the Qur'an & Sunnah. [Also]
accurately learning the Islamic Methodology of life & dispelling confusion
of how to bring social change. And understanding real masculinity and the value
of hard work and being responsible to family and to society.
Most
pressing issues facing Muslim Girls:
The importance of Islamic modesty and a broader understanding of the Aqidah
(beliefs). Qader (the Divine Preordination & that all that happens is by
ALLAH's will & is already written) [this] includes who she will marry so
[our daughters/sisters] don't need to fret or rush or flirt. Early Training in
how to balance life between family, friends, children, marriage & career
[is also needed].
Parental
Tips: Open discussions are a must between parents and children.
Giving guidance and direction is needed. Parents [need to] be approachable
parents, affectionate and loving. Children need to feel in their home
environment a sincere openness to be able to discuss with their parents any
topic. Parents must be good examples and role models and consistently establish
the prayer…al-Salat….al-Salat (the prayer, the prayer, the prayer).
Black American Muslims have had a long and rich history in the
United States. What are your thoughts on Black History Month and in particular
the history of Black American Muslims? Do you think that American Muslim youth
would benefit from learning about prominent Black American Muslims and their
struggles to establish Islam in their lives?
Indeed,
there is a history full of figures of morality, shining brave leadership
echoing their sacrifices for justice and battling against a racist system and
its continuing injustice. The history of the African-American Muslims goes back
to the time before the establishment of the USA and still has not been
completely accounted for, documented nor passed down to our next generations
and to the larger American community [that includes] Black, Red, White, Yellow
and Brown Muslim & non-Muslims. Some excellent works have recently been
written such as "Servants of Allah: African Muslims enslaved in the
Americas" by Sylviane Diouf and Aminah McCloud's, "African American
Islam", Edward Curtis', "Islam in Black America: Identity, Liberation
& Difference in African American Islamic Thought". As well as the
book, "Islam & the Black American" by Sherman Jackson
However, still much of that history remains for our children, to become
truly educated scholars to uncover it and then write it down to preserve it.
There is a lot to learn about and benefit from in this special, unique history
of the African-American Muslims.
What are some ways that Muslims can introduce literacy to younger
generations?
Using
stories from the Qur'an and in the Hadith (narrations from the Prophet
Muhammad, (peace be upon him) and reading them as a family story time [helps to
introduce literacy]. Then getting the youth to summarize and express themselves
vocally [such as] what they learned and liked from the stories and what is the
moral of the story is helpful also. Then, the next step is for them to express
it in written form. Seek to introduce literacy in fun ways; fun learning for
the youth is [necessary]. Read as a family the Qur'anic stories of Yusef Qur'an
12: 1-103, Zulqarnayn
18: 83-101, the story of Essa 3:35-62, 19:1-37 the stories of Musa
& his brother Haroun & the Pharaoh of Egypt 28:2-50, 20:9-99 & the
stories of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace & Blessings of
ALLAH be Upon Them all) In addition to traditional Qur'an reading, memorization
& recitation.
#MuslimGirlsRead is an initiative to help get Muslim girls and
women reading, writing, and ultimately pursuing higher educational fields that
would allow them to teach, control their narratives, and give back to their
communities, enshallah. However, there are many hurdles for them to overcome
inorder to reach those goals. What naseehah would you give to young
Muslim girls living in the inner-cities of America on how to rise above the
Islamophobia and unIslamic trends in the media?
My
sisters: educate yourself with concise responses; learn how to refute the lies
about Islam. Read the book, "Clear Your Doubts About Islam: 50 Answers to
Common Questions", Compiled by Saheeh International." Purify your intentions;
make your life and heart's intention to seek to please ALLAH, the Creator. He
can with ease bless you to learn and then to teach, to give back and mold your
story in your own voice. Raise the flag of the dignity of the Muslim woman! The
beautiful modesty of Islam is far removed from foul speech, nakedness,
promiscuity and sex outside of the divine bonds of marriage. Study, read, learn
and follow the life examples of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, (May
the Peace & Blessings of ALLAH be upon him), the Mothers of the believers,
his pious wives, and the great female scholars of Islam. Walk a path of keeping
yourself far away from mimicking the singers, the actresses and scantily
dressed models who your mothers would not be honored to see.
For
information on Brother Ahmed, make sure you pick up his book from Amazon.com Soul On Islam is available now!
My
mother, Author Umm Juwayriyah and I, would like to graciously thank brother
Ahmed for taking the time to answer our questions and bring you, our readers
Muslim Author Spotlight! If you're a Muslim Author and you would like your book
reviewed and/or to be the next Muslim Author Spotlight subject, email us at #MuslimGirlsRead
