"I Can't Breathe": Islamic Centers of Worcester Condemn Tragic Incident
By Tahir Ali
Worcester: "I can't breathe," George Floyd’s final words - heard all over the United States of America and the world - continue to reverberate.
In a joint statement the Islamic Centers in Worcester categorically condemned in the strongest possible terms the unfortunate incident that led to the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
"We are deeply shocked to see a human being pinned down by the neck gasping for air saying 'I can't breathe,' and eventually succumbing to his demise a few minutes later," Dr Muhammad Ramzan, the president of WIC, lamented.
Asif Hirani, Imam of WIC, and Amjad Bhatti, president of ISGW, represented the Islamic centers and the community at the Rally in the city of Worcester. The rally was organized by the City Councilor Khrystian King a week after Floyd's death. Thousands attended the rally at the Worcester Common and marched through the streets of downtown Worcester in an organized and peaceful manner. The main slogans and protest signs were "I can't Breathe" and "Black Matters."
Amjad Bhatti said that George Floyd was unarmed and his only crime in the eyes of the white officer apparently was that he was Black.
Imam Asif Hirani emphasized the point that Islam teaches us not to be racist, which is quite evident in what the Prophet of Islam, Prophet Mohammad (SAW) said over 1400 years ago in Mecca: "O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no favor of an Arab over a foreigner, nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin, nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness."
Despite the pandemic crisis many Muslim Americans, including Dr Mohammad Mushtaque, Mohammad Yousaf, Waqar Haider, Furqan, Imrana Soofi and her children, sisters Absatou and Hawa of Somaila descent, and youth - Habiba, originally from Somalia, with her parents Zubair, Ashraf and Habiba Magdum, Ahmed and Asad Bhatti plus countless others who were present but not spotted in the thousands of protesters, showed their solidarity with African Americans by joining in the rally.
At the same time, we cannot use a broad brush to paint an ugly picture of our law enforcement officers either, albeit t he irony here is two-fold, especially when a law officer who took an oath to save lives is responsible for this murder, while three other officers are partners in crime remain complicit.
So, w hat part of "I can't breathe," officer Derek Chauvin's did not understand.
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