14 More Things You can Do for Imam Jamil Al-Amin
14 More Things You can Do for Imam Jamil Al-Amin
There are several ways you can work for Imam Jamil's freedom and dignity, whether you are an individual or a group of people. The most important thing is to try to do what each of us can consistently. Here is a list of ideas:
1. Make Dua (a Prayer)
Asking God by Dua (supplication) to help Imam Jamil Al-Amin (formerly known as H. Rap Brown), to clear his name, and to let the truth of this matter come out takes only a few minutes. It also costs nothing and it doesn't require making any public statements. Make it a habit to remember Imam Jamil Al-Amin in your Dua daily.
2. Read, study the history, keep up with the case
Read, read and read up on Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, the Civil Rights, Human Rights and Black Liberation Movements. If you aren't familiar with Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown or his case, read up on it. You can check out the website whathappened2rap.com. Become familiar with who Imam Jamil Al-Amin is, his past and his present. Read his books, Die, Nigger, Die and Revolution by the Book: The Rap is Live . Find out how he's contributed to the community and world and to Islam in the U.S. as a Muslim for the majority of his life. This will give you a clearer understanding of why defending him is so important.
Many of us are misguided into believing that the US court and penal system is fair for all. Reading about the civil & human rights movements in the United States, why they have been necessary and African-Americans' apprehension about the justice system will quickly dispel that notion. African-Americans have had to struggle long and hard to free themselves of slavery and oppression in this country. They are still fighting against racism today. This will give you an appreciation of how the African-American community has helped everyone, especially people of color.
3. Distribute IJAN materials
Become a contact person for the Imam Jamil Action Network in your area to distribute information. Distributing flyers etc. about Imam Jamil at community events is one of the most important ways to publicize his case. Most of what people know is coming from mainstream media sources, which often times is biased against Imam Jamil Al-Amin.
4. Establish an IJAN Support Committee in your Community
Establish an Imam Jamil Action Network support committee in your area. This will make it easier to inform people about Imam Jamil Al-Amin and to help him locally. Make sure this committee truly represents the community by including women, youth and members of different nationalities. Its activities could include seminars, lectures, fundraising dinners, pamphlet distribution, media interviews, tables at public events and more.
5. Ask your congregation's clergy to speak out
Ask your house of faith or worship group to dedicate a sermon about Imam Jamil Al-Amin’s case. A sermon is an excellent way to reach a diverse crowd. You'll find all kinds of people at worship service, from a myriad of nationalities. Take advantage of this and let them know about our brother, Imam Jamil Al-Amin.
6. Organize events with your congregation
Organize a program in your neighborhood, Church or Masjid, club, union, or home about justice in the U.S. and Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin. This is another way to inform the community about Imam Jamil Al-Amin's case. If possible, get two or three speakers who are well versed in the issue. Also, make sure to raise funds at this event and send it to the Imam's legal fund, The Justice Fund.
7. Share Imam Jamil's case on your social media networks
The Imam Jamil Action Network website is one of the very few voices which speak about the Imam and his case from a our perspective. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok Have ideas? ...send an email to the webmaster info@imamjamilactionnetwork.org <chrome-extension://bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc/views/qowt.html#mailto:info@imamjamil.com>
8. Write on the case for whomever will publish your article or letter
Write about the case in local, organization and campus newspapers, blogs, podcasts. By writing in these newspapers about the case, you will give a national story a local angle. You also reach a diverse audience of some Muslims, but plenty of non-Muslims, who could also be interested in supporting this cause. In addition, with new information about a confession by another man to the crime last summer, which the FBI did not report to Imam Jamil Al-Amin's attorneys and kept meeting with this man until he recanted. It's important to inform as many people as possible about this and other facts about his case which are not known to the public.
9. Get the media to report on this case
Arrange a campus, local broadcast, internet or community radio show on the topic. Radio is not dead. It's a medium which has gained back popularity in the last few years because of Internet radio stations like Black Talk Radio, Blogtalk Radio, RadioIslam.com, etc. Arrange a special program dedicated to Imam Jamil al-Amin. Community, internet etc. radio programs are usually open to the idea of different communities expressing their viewpoints. Use this to your advantage to present the case for Imam Jamil’s freedom.
10. Organize Programs where you can
Hold joint programs with university associations and departments, especially Black, African, African American, Islamic. Involve African-American associations and your university's African History and Black History departments with the effort to publicize and promote Imam Jamil's campaign through workshops, lectures, information tables, discussions and more. They can provide you with information, contacts and sometimes resources you'll need to publicize the event amongst a larger crowd, and also with vital information and statistics about the African-American community in the U.S., which you would not find from mainstream sources. Think creatively. Political science, socialogy, US history, etc. instructors many times welcome speakers to their classes.
11. Develop alliances
Muslims are not the only ones interested in Imam Jamil Al-Amin's case. African-American organizations, caucuses, social justice groups, left-wing and socialist groups are all interested not just in observing the case but also in doing something about it. This is a great example of Muslims working with others for the greater good. The added bonus of taking a joint approach is that you will have more resources at your disposal to fight for justice for Imam Jamil.
12. Use the case as a school project
"Media Bias in the Case of Imam Jamil Al-Amin" could be the topic of your next term paper or presentation. Use your upcoming class assignment as a way to educate peers and your teacher about Imam Jamil and his case. For example, you can do a paper or presentation for a law class; you can discuss how his case shows media bias in a journalism class; you can do a book review of his autobiography Die, Nigger, Die or Revolution By The Book: The Rap is Live.
13. Be sure his books are part of your local and school library
Check out the bookshelves and see if they're carrying his writing. If not, write a polite letter to the librarian about your discovery and explain why the institution should purchase his books and how people will learn from them. Get other students and teachers involved also.
14. Hold a family meeting about Imam Jamil & the case
Have a family discussion about Imam Jamil. Get one member to collect biographical facts about him, another to gather information about the case and a third to talk about how Imam Jamil has benefited Black people in the United States. End the meeting with a Dua (prayer) for him and a family collection of money for his defense fund.