text of imam Elahi’s response to George Floyd’s tragic death

Salaam alaikum

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!

The unbelievable brutality in the death of George Floyd shocked the world and sparked anger across the nation.

The heartless and brainless officer, Derek Chauvin and his irresponsible colleagues once again embarrassed our nation, made America awful to the rest of the world.

There was no justification for officer Chauvin to kneel on Floyd’s neck, torturing him, suffocating him and making his two young daughters orphans?

The man was unarmed, already arrested, already handcuffed, showing no resistance, all he was saying was “I cant breath” the situation was absolutely inhumane, immoral and barbarian.

While covid-19 has already killed over 100,000 Americans and made 40 million Americans jobless, we didn’t need another riot of racism, causing these catastrophic clashes between the police and protesters and curfews in big cities from coast to coast.

As people of faith we never advocate violence, I am against burning the buildings, destroying private or public properties, but the violence started by an irresponsible officer to begin with.

We don’t have good violence and bad violence as we have been saying for many years that we don’t have good terrorism and bad terrorism, good criminals and bad criminals.

Unfortunately, some of the president’s talks and tweets have been part of the problems, not the solutions. We can’t call the violation in Lansing as act of liberation while condemning violation in other places.

The job of an honest leadership is to create confidence, healing, unity and solidarity among the nation.

Its very hard to ignore the pain and suffering of Floyd ‘s family and just ask them to be patient and peaceful.

Remember what late MLK said more than 50 years ago! “ a riot is the language of the unheard”

During this horror of corona crisis there is a hope of developing a vaccine to save lives.

Is there any hope that finally we find a vaccine for the virus of racism and white supremacy in this great country?

Is there a vaccine to cure the disease of discrimination? A vaccine for the pandemic of prejudice?

Is there a vaccine or the evil of Islamophobia, antisemitism?

The vaccine is not developing through “shoot first, think later” its not in the absence of check and balance, its not in arrogance and exclusion, the hope is coming through a true national

conversation, to bring more education, more diversity training, and sanitizing our society and politics against the poison of racism and replace brutality with benevolence brotherhood, cruelty with kindness.

The highway to peace and prosperity is justice and generosity.

Voting on November is also another way of making change and valuing the principles!

Great majority of our nation are loving and peaceful, also majority of people in police departments chose such a challenging and risky job to serve and protect us.

At the end they are our brothers and sisters, but the bad cops can’t be trusted with this huge responsibility. The cops like Derek Chauvin and also the killers of Ahmaud Arbery should have no place in any police department in our country.

Let’s pray for peace and justice, in the name of One God, one universe and one humanity!

‎إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ

‎وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاتَّقُونِ

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