Siraj Wahhaj’s speech in Chicago

Siraj Wahhaj, the imam of al-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn, New York, and the Muslim Alliance Leader of North America delivers a speech in 14th MAS-ICNA annual convention in Chicago.

He encourages Muslims to know the law of the land and defend their rights. He gives an example of rally against racism and while they were chanting “racism must end, racism must end,” the imam in the rally took the microphone and said you have to say, “We must end racism.”

“Martin Luther King Jr. said that every one of us can be either a thermometer or thermostat. Thermometer just shows the temperature but thermostat can change it,” he quotes the late rights movement leader. “We have to make a determination at this conference that we are going walk out of here not merely thermometers complaining about things but rather thermostats to change them.”

“We Muslims can get allies not by asking them but by participating in all proper activities. You as a Muslim, we as Muslims, must be involved with the society.”

He recommends that “Muslims should get into social media as we live in a world of visual and we have to have our children get involved in the media to begin to show our stories. These make the differences.”

“Muslims should understand the power of the vote and the power of the law. Muslims should learn the law of the land,” the imam says.

“Muslims should enjoy the goods and forbid the evil because they believe in Allah. That is our command to stand up in our country wherever we are and tell the truth to the power and don’t be afraid.”

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