May 31, 2020
STATEMENT AGAINST RACIAL INJUSTICE
The New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association stands in solidarity with George Floyd, his family and the black community as it grieves and fights against centuries of systemic injustice. George Floyd was brutally murdered. There is no denying what the world witnessed. Those responsible must be held accountable. We must also recognize our individual and collective responsibility to act and speak out against hatred in all its manifestations. Cooperative work to achieve systemic change and constant vigilance is necessary until the scourge of racism and intolerance is eradicated. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” ― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail.
The New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association pledges to be allies to our communities of color and affinity bar organizations. We pledge to listen, learn, speak up and engage in the work required to end racial injustice. We shall do our part, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the black community with our bodies and our resources, and we demand our leaders do the same. Change will only happen when we work together. As Muslims and attorneys, it is our duty to stand up against injustice; not just with our voices, but with our actions. We are guided by the following verse from the Quran: “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for God, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, God is more worthy of both. . . . [I]ndeed God is ever, with what you do, acquainted.” (4:135)
In Solidarity,
New Jersey Muslim Lawyer’s Association
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