Mahasin D. Shamsid-Deen

Sha’ban is the eight month on the Islamic calendar. Although it is not classified as one of the sacred months, it has both spiritual and historic prominence that is often not reflected upon by the collective Ummah.  

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is no kindness in a thing but it adds beauty to it, and there is no absence of kindness but it disfigures a thing.” (Muslim)

The human heart is the most meaningful part of our human existence both physically and spiritually. In the womb, the heart is the first organ to begin developing and transporting blood and nutrients to the embryo.

The legacy and power of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X) has lasted for generations. The media and popular culture attempt to confine and define his deeds and words as that of an outspoken, confrontational civil rights leader working solely on behalf of African-Americans.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is controversial to some Americans. To others, it is a lived experience. CRT itself is a legal and academic concept that examines the existence and impact of racism in America’s institutions, systems and culture. Racism is discrimination leading to oppression.

The term “Critical Race Theory” (CRT) appears to be a new issue being used by politicians on both sides of the political aisle as a battering ram. However, it is not a new concept and the “controversy” around it is simply a manifestation of the very concepts that CRT examines.