Unity

The May 25, 2020, murder of George Floyd was substantial. Still, three years after this tragedy, America still struggles with the very issues that prompted it. Violence, race riots and murder have happened in cyclical patterns throughout America’s history.  

As “we the people” prepare for this year’s Fourth of July celebration, America is reeling from the isolating impacts of Covid-19, the political upheaval of the previous year, the four years of blatant race baiting, and a strong need to connect with each other.

Regardless of the reasons, for many of us, forgiveness is not a habit we engage in in a systematic, regular manner. But this is key to gaining its spiritual, psychological, and health benefits.

There is an urgent need for thoughtful influential Muslim leaders, like you, to raise a collective voice against this self-destructive violence that threatens to create a seemingly unbridgeable fault line in the Muslim world.

How do we keep the bonds of Islamic brother/sisterhood intact to fulfill our goals as an Ummah, especially in North America, where our diversity is even more marked than in other parts of the world? Here are ten practical ways you and your community can build unity:

Let us drop the illusion that we are doing a favor to Muslim unity by withholding our constructive criticism. It is time for Muslims to heed Allah's call in the Quran to stand up for justice and speak the truth, even if it is against ourselves.