Imam Zaid Shakir spot on about those who turn a blind eye to oppression due to their hatred of certain groups

By: Imam Zaid Shakir

“Do not allow your hatred for a people move you to be unjust…” Qur’an 5:8

One of the sad realities of our age is the way some Muslims are allowing their hatred of the Muslim Brotherhood to justify atrocities to be committed against innocent people. We saw this during the massacres in the aftermath of the disposal of Muhammad Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically-elected president, when innocent people were shot in the streets like rabid dogs. Many of those killed at that time were not members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Some were defenders of the democratic process, some desired to be witnesses to the history of that moment, some were women and children who were there in support of their menfolk. In the eyes of some they were all guilty, deserving of death.

Now we see the same phenomenon playing itself out in Gaza. There are some Muslims, who, owing to their hatred of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas being the Palestinian branch, are supporting the Israeli slaughter of civilians in blockaded Gaza strip. We remind them that most of those who are being killed in Gaza are not members, nor possibly not even supporters of Hamas. They are innocent civilians who are trapped into one of the world’s most infamous killing fields. They have nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide, and, most significantly, they are guilty of no crime.

When we allow our hatred of a group or organization to reach such a level that we can cheer on or turn a blind to the massacre of innocent people, who have no proven affiliation with the group in question, then we have moved far beyond the standard of justice Allah is setting for us in the verse we quoted at the onset. May Allah bless all of us to be more just and to uncompromisingly uphold the sanctity of innocent life, regardless of the political considerations involved. Our religion calls us to do no less.”