Some time back, I wrote a post addressing the Salafi issue. If you haven’t seen it, here’s the link. I received an email from this guy, who was too cowardly to leave his name, about me and what I think about the Salafis.

What is it with you people that you never explain yourselves. What do you mean by Qur’an and Sunnah? What is the Sunnah? Is it one thing? Is it many things? Does it mean the same thing to all people? Are all aspects of it religiously binding on every Muslim? What parts are? What parts aren’t? What were the opinions of the origianl Salafis, the Companions of the Prophet , on this subject? You obviously don’t have the intellectual prowess to carry on a conversation or a dialog – that’s one of my biggest pet peeves of the Salafis – ya’ll just mad at the world. If you wanna walk around with cut-off pants, scraggly beards, brushin’ yo’ teeth with a stick and whippin’ yo’ asses with rocks, more power to you, bra’. As for me, I have found another way. And oh, yes, it’s Qur’an & Sunnah. And as far as Hamza and Zaid go, they’ve forgotten more than you’ve ever learned. My advice to you is chill, take a bath and really learn what your religion’s all about.

Again, thank you to all of you who have taken a moment to comment on this issue. I am humbled that the response is as large as it has been and that it’s been a balance from both sides. It is my wish to continue this dialog and to carry it from a secular point of view into a forum where it can also mix a little bit with religion. So both sides have a say. I am intrigued to see the interplay of the social issues that certain groups face while still being a part of the seem spiritual group. Racism means many things to many people (or at least that’s what I gather). The racism that I may experience as a Blackamerican (tip of the hat to Professor Sherman Jackson) will not be the same as someone who’s Arab or Pakistani or Albanian (oh, yes. The Albanians are white but they do suffer from racism as well – now wouldn’t that make an interesting post/subject?).

And finally, how will Blackamerican Muslims use Islam as a vehicle to combat white supremacy and institutionalized racism? What tools can we extract from Islam and the Prophet’s Message to use in our fight for equality? I don’t know, but I’m sure some of you will have some ideas on that. Feel free to share.

P.S. I really appreciate it when you link to me – it allows me as a writer (albeit a semi-pro/amateur one) to reach a bigger audience. So in return, leave your link as well and I’ll return the favor. Thanks.