Many
Shall I repeat?
Many
Shall I repeat?
Many
Shall I repeat?
Many
Would you please not be consistent?
Would you please not be so loud?
Would you please not be so disturbing?
You're irritating us
Don't bring Godly attention our way
Don't remind us of our responsibility
Stand up
Sit down again if you're going to put your hands up and pray
while OUR GOD is playing
OUR GOD is playing, Mahmoud, don't you hear HER?
Aren't you a slave like us?
You're more of a slave than us
You're paid better than us
You're paid big money
like the rest of your proball player colleagues
You're making us feel uneasy
We feel jittering
We're uncomfortable right now
Now, we're upset
STOP.
STOP right now
or Get out. Go.
GO.
We want you to leave
We don't like you anymore
LEAVE
Hang up your jersey
and toss away your basketball
Do whatever you want with them
Sale them, Give them to charity, Put them on display in a museum or at an exhibit somewhere
We don't want to see them anymore
We don't want to see you anymore
We don't like that you make us feel like cowards
We don't like that you remind us that we haven't any reason to have pride
in our nation
in a stolen land
WHAT?!
You're making us think
We didn't come to watch a NBA basketball game to think
We didn't come to leave a NBA basketball game thinking
WHAT?!

Don't you know anything about America separating church and state?
You're American, right?
Though your name is different
If you were an immigrant
you might have had to learn this
to take a test to get your citizenship

Yes, yes, I know
that a basketball court is not a state
and that you don't believe in the church
And you've said
that the making of a prayer's never confined to any particular institution or place of worship
You said
At the doctor's office,
I pray
In the car before I pull off,
I pray
In the restaurant before I eat and after I eat,
I pray
At the start of a game,
I pray

All this unnecessary buzz
All this unnecessary hype
around me refusing to pledge allegiance to the American flag
and instead pledge allegiance to God
and pray during the anthem
Even more than 25 years later, a 1/2 of a century later,
we're talking about it
But this time
I get to speak my story
to whoever is interested
I get to speak to the world
through a number of ways
so that the truth can be heard

As for the NBA
compensate me in a way that can never repay me for what you did
for what I've gone through and others
for all of the suffering
compensate me as justly as possible
compensate me appropriately
Do what you would want to be done to you
in a fellow human's shoes
if you were in my Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf basketball player's shoes

It's your choice
Either way
My light has shined
GOD has told us that
Joslyn Rose Lyons
said this, too
and with her production
"STAND"  
a documentary film
about me and my truth,
it will continue to shine

Anything done for GOD will always be zoomed in on
Will always be talked about
Will always STAND out
Because with as many Hitlers as there are
As many Netanyahus as there are
As many corrupt Saudi Kings as there are
No matter how few,
there'll always be
Mahmouds
There'll always be
El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazzs or Malcolm Xs
and
Imam Khomeinis
There'll always be
Imam Asis

You see
Mahmoud's See
"Once you see something,
you can't unsee it"
is POWER
Mahmoud's See
is INFLUENCE
Mahmoud's See
is like that of the SEA
with a beautiful, eye-catching tide
that keeps coming back
and keeps making waves
and keeps giving us reason to notice

Mahmoud
You said what you did and what Kaepernick did
By the way  
I bought 10 copies of your autobiography (audio CD)
"In The Blink Of An Eye"
produced by Kaepernick Publishing
allowed you both to speak your conscience
to do what is right
to speak against injustice
but it doesn't translate into POWER
because as you said
in so many words,
there are still many injustices
happening in America and around the world
and crimes against humanity still taking place

What you, Kaepernick,  
and the other professional athletes to whom this applies did
doesn't translate into power
because there aren't enough like you  
taking a STAND
asserting their human rights
speaking truth to power
More are emergently needed
Insha Allah, as those who take a STAND
become the norm and
they become a sizeable number,
POWER will be the result

Nonetheless,
your STAND beckons more to STAND
It's a rare match to start a flame
  
Injustice will always have its See
And justice will always be seen
even if and when it's seems to be at a distance
even when it appears out of reach

Like Mahmoud,
myself, and others,
we are forever changed by
an NBA star's See,
a human who chose to STAND's See
With it,
there is no turning back

By: Najwa Kareem

Would you have guessed you’d be next?
Perhaps you said so to someone close once in a text. Your suspicions concerning the police kept you running.
Did you ever consider that maybe you were too stunning?
That maybe your continuous smile was too bright.
That maybe your face was filled with too much light.
That maybe your comings and goings, your daily visits to Mom were too much.
That perhaps your happy, cheerful, respectful demeanor could reach out and touch.
That maybe a look into your eyes, they were blinded by the sun.
That surely at the ripe age of 25, your life would be done.
An act of racism I ask?
An act of brutality I ask?
An act of inhumanity I ask?
An act of injustice I ask?
Where in police school does one learn that a young black man standing on the street makes him a suspect?
Where in police school does one learn wearing Prada makes you a
prospective criminal?
Where in police school does one learn that having a nickname Pepper
makes one a target?
Where in police school does one learn that a citizen’s lead
poisoning makes him a magnet for a 6 police officer raid?
Where in police school does one learn that having no knowledge of a
man carrying a knife makes him the next chase?
Where in police school does one learn that being a human officer
entitles one to act unjustly against a human person?
Who are you or I to say because he couldn’t read as well as you or I his life didn’t matter?
Who are you or I to say because Freddie lived like many in low-income housing he didn’t deserve a chance at a better life?
Who are you or I to say because he had been arrested for drug
possession in the past he didn’t deserve to live out his dream?
Who are you or I to say because he liked to sing and make others laugh he didn’t deserve a life of dignity?
Who are you or I to say he didn’t have the right to continue
visiting his dear Mother, Mrs. Gloria Darden?
Who are you or I to say he shouldn’t have had the privilege to
continue walking Baltimore’s streets?
Now Freddie our hearts grieve your loss.
Now Freddie my heart grieves your uncalled-for death.
Now Freddie your prideful city has simmered down but it still feels
the pain.
Now Freddie my warmest sympathy to you, your family, your friends,
your supporters, and the city of Baltimore.

Standing and looking up from underneath these Allah made magnificent trees while waiting for the next bus to come
with all of their complexities, dimensions, features
each branch artistically and uniquely designed
many almost hook like in shape
variations of pink colored carnation flowers hanging delicately from them in light, medium, and dark shades
with pin drop size black dot on each flower's stem                                                             ­                      
complemented by green and copper tone leaves
I see All Blue Skies and think they should see All Blue Skies, too

Looking up, I think it isn't fair that I see what I see
All Blue Skies and people of Palestine, people of Gaza don't see the same and don't have the same

Do they even have a moment of pause
a chance to look up at what's above  
an opportunity to marvel at something
to rest a bit

And if they have lived or survived to be able to look above their heads                                                        
isn­­’t it often
that they see gray or black and not All Blue
Is it not rubble from deadly bombs that they see falling down on them
for many, many not to live life as they were meant to live it

Looking up at the All Blue Skies from underneath these marvelous trees
I shake my head right to left, left to right and with expressions on my face I wish I myself could see, think this isn’t fair

When we look up at the All Blue Skies above our heads and wonder why our blue skies don’t feel as blue
It’s because Palestine’s All Blue Skies aren’t there
It’s because people of Palestine and people of Gaza don’t have them that we don’t relate to them and their long standing, ongoing struggle
Because they don’t have what we have, we don’t see them as one of us
But like Nelson Mandela said, We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.

We have a lot of work to do
with us unified and with proper guidance by moral leadership
We have a lot to do
So that All Blue Skies are had by all and felt by all

We should all work in significant, high priority ways – be the Abds,
be the servants, be the slaves that Allah created us to be for Him
so that All Blue Skies for Palestine’s Human Lives are seen clearly, seen vividly, from everywhere on the globe
And afterwards, when we look up wherever we are at the All Blue Skies sitting above our heads,
we’ll feel not blue  

By: Najwa Kareem

Standing and looking up from underneath these Allah made magnificent trees while waiting for the next bus to come                                      
with all of their complexities, dimensions, features
each branch artistically and uniquely designed
many almost hook like in shape
variations of pink colored carnation flowers hanging delicately from them in light, medium, and dark shades
with pin drop size black dot on each flower's stem                                                             ­                      
complemented by green and copper tone leaves
I see All Blue Skies and think they should see All Blue Skies, too

Looking up, I think it isn't fair that I see what I see
All Blue Skies and people of Palestine, people of Gaza don't see the same and don't have the same

Do they even have a moment of pause
a chance to look up at what's above  
an opportunity to marvel at something 
to rest a bit

And if they have lived or survived to be able to look above their heads                                                        
isn­’t it often
that they see gray or black and not All Blue
Is it not rubble from deadly bombs that they see falling down on them
for many, many not to live life as they were meant to live it

Looking up at the All Blue Skies from underneath these marvelous trees
I shake my head right to left, left to right and with expressions on my face I wish I myself could see,
think this isn’t fair

When we look up at the All Blue Skies above our heads and wonder why our blue skies don’t feel as blue
It’s because Palestine’s All Blue Skies aren’t there
It’s because people of Palestine and people of Gaza don’t have them that we don’t relate to them and their long standing, ongoing struggle
Because they don’t have what we have, we don’t see them as one of us
But like Nelson Mandela said, We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.

We have a lot of work to do
with us unified and with proper guidance by moral leadership
We have a lot to do
So that All Blue Skies are had by all and felt by all

We should all work in significant, high priority ways – be the Abds,
be the servants, be the slaves that Allah created us to be for Him
so that All Blue Skies for Palestine’s Human Lives are seen clearly, seen vividly, from everywhere on the globe
And afterwards, when we look up wherever we are at the All Blue Skies sitting above our heads,
we’ll feel not blue  

By: Najwa Kareem

They stand out among the empty
Blossoms trees of pink
In the coldest season of the year
we've been graced with
their delicate, soft ambiance
As amazing as they look
As beautiful as they are
They're here now
And they'll be gone tomorrow
Let us let pink know now, they are appreciated
Let us let pink know now, their lure shines
Let us let pink know now, our sight of them gratifies us
Let us let pink know now, we love them

Imam MUSA, M for man, USA, for America, the great dister
he, a Muslim American leader in a country, Zionist, her sister 
known to be a disgusting, agonizing, maximus blister  

No coincidence, your death and mourning your loss is happening at Thanksgiving  
Sucker punched by America’s lies and propaganda was not your way of living  
Nor when you were exposing the barbaric, perpetual crimes of your native land were you kidding  

A consistent, reliable voice of the Mustadhafeen
You were among them, Islamically preaching, Islamically teaching and influencing many to the deen
You're one of the Mumineen

Isn't that, right? He speaking confidently, speaking truth, he’d ask us during a speech or presentation
A bright smile and a joke here and there to lighten the misery of his peoples' condition, certainly no vacation
far from what humans are rightfully due, far from elation

He focused on what it is that I can do
and encouraged us to join him, walk the talk, for those many with only one shoe
Please lend a hand - Please come together and help out the needy, the oppressed, the suffering, too

Beautifully created, more beautiful on the inside
he brought clarity and unique features to our understanding of America's fake pride
and Zionist Israel's, Saudi Arabia's, and other corrupt nations' injustices, so grossly wide

Not pro American, but pro Islam, pro truth, pro equality, pro peace, pro brotherhood, pro Palestine, pro The Islamic Republic of Iran
Salam, dearest Imam, we should've done more and at least regularly said to you, Shukran
By not letting your legacy die, through actions, more than words, Insha Allah, we'll meet you and make it up in the heaven's dawn

By: Najwa Kareem

KEIN RESPEKT Für SIE, NWMI
NO RESPECT For YOU, NWMI
Generally speaking, KEIN RESPEKT

In the grand scheme of things,
they do NOTHING FOR THE OPPRESSED
NWMI tun im Grunde NICHTS FÜR DIE MUSTADHAFIN

Tell me, what have they done for Yemen?
Tell me, what have they done for Palestine?
Tell me, what have they done for Syria?
Tell me, what have they done for Nigeria?
Tell me, what have they done for Myanmar?
Tell me, what have they done for oppressed Blacks in America
besides feeding some black persons who are homeless
food of lesser quality than they fed themselves at their Galas/parties and at their Eid celebrations
and offering a few BLM programs during BLM's buzz moment, trending time, media coverage frenzy?

Unlike many other Islamic, non-profit organizations run by Muslims,
they have all this money to do a lot with
And comparatively speaking,
they continuously have all this money to do a lot with

Though NWMI, you've learned from with unyielding thanks to them a few Imams and leaders
branded as freedom fighters
voices of the oppressed
who have taught you accurate information
and as far as I know, have not been guest speakers at any of your "signature" programs

So you encourage social responsibility through service
Serving who?
Serving "your own"?
Serving those who in comparison to the world's oppressed and needy
and to those oppressed and needy, both Muslims and non-Muslims in your own backyard
don't need to be served
Ha ha, what a joke

"Hold on to the rope of Allah all together and be not divided." Qur'an 3:103
in bold it reads, a welcome to their website
Well, they've divided themselves
They've separated themselves alright
from the Mustadhafin
The most oppressed of the believers,
they've separated themselves from    

I'm sure the ones you look to as role models
the Ahlul Bayt (AS)
would highly approve of your complicit, apathetic ways
Their feet followed the Mustadhafin everywhere they were
everywhere they went
You're NOT following in the Ahlul Bayt's footsteps
You're NOT

We smell hypocrisy and we hate that smell
We hate that smell called hypocrisy

KEIN RESPEKT Für SIE, NWMI

Tell me, what have you done for Iraq?
Tell me, what have you done for Afghanistan?
Tell me, what have you done for Somalia?
Tell me, what have you done for Pakistan?
Tell me, what have you done for Palästina, for again, Palestine   
"...PALESTINE CONTINUES TO BE THE ISSUE
and ISRAEL, ZIONIST ISRAEL CONTINUES TO BE THE PROBLEM." (IMAM ASI, 5/2008)  
Surely, you know, they're dying right now
They're mourning right now. RIGHT NOW
Tell me, what have you done for them?

Tell me, what have you done for me and my people...yeh the ones who are suffering in unfathomable ways all over the place?
Tell me, what have you done for my bleeding mercilessly, oppressed family?
Tell me, what have you done for my yelling loudly, screaming their hearts out for help brethren...our brothers and our sisters?
Tell me, what have you done for my regularly targeted, innocent, dear human friends?

In the grand scheme of things,
Nix
Nothing

KEIN RESPEKT Für SIE, NWMI
NO RESPECT For YOU, NWMI
I THINK YOU HEARD ME

By: Najwa Kareem