وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
And if God had not enabled people to defend themselves against one another, corruption would surely overwhelm the earth, but God is limitless in His bounty unto all the worlds. (Quran, 2:251)
Innocent people with bloodied faces fill our newsfeeds, from Gaza to Los Angeles. The US government is responsible for both. It eagerly participates in genocide and marshals brute force on a hair trigger to obliterate dissent.
At least 56 people were arrested for protesting federal immigration raids this weekend in LA. Police deployed tear gas, flash-bangs, and “less-lethal” rounds. National Guard troops flooded the streets contrary to the will of Californians or even the state government. The Marines are currently on standby. This is not about safety. It’s about domination and crushing dissent.
The longstanding relationship between the LAPD and Israeli forces deserves special comment; it was one of the first cities to initiate a relationship between its police force and Israeli forces, sharing tactics, intelligence, and training since 2002. We see the same tactics, technology, and aggression targeting Palestinians under occupation as well as people of conscience in LA.
This repression is animated by the same spirit of arrogance with which Nimrod sought to crush Abraham, with which Pharaoh oppressed Moses and the Children of Israel, with which Jesus and Mohammad were persecuted by the authorities of their times.
For truth to prevail, we must wake up. People have a right to privacy and dignity. People have a right to hold their governments accountable without the fear of retaliatory arrest (such as that experienced by Mahmoud Khalil and others) or barbaric violence. Governments are supposed to serve the people, not instill fear amongst them.
Fear will not silence the truth. This is not the time for rest, this is the time for confrontation and action. Our Beloved Prophet (SAW) teaches us to stand up for the truth, seeking only true justice and not fearing the oppressors. Anything less is a failure to live up to our sacred duty.
Until every system of oppression is broken and every occupation ends, we will keep fighting. So show up, protect the oppressed, and change evil with your own hands, as our Beloved Prophet (SAW) instructed.