ICNA Statement on the Passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson
The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) mourns the passing of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a towering figure in the struggle for civil rights, human dignity, and social justice in the United States and beyond. For decades, Rev. Jackson stood at the forefront of movements that challenged racism, poverty, war, and inequality, leaving a legacy that touched countless communities, including American Muslims. Imam Khalid Griggs, ICNA CSJ Communications Director said Rev. Jackson “‘I am somebody, I may be poor, I may be on welfare, but I am somebody. I may be uneducated, but I am somebody.’ This is the self-affirming mantra that Jesse used effectively at the conclusion of his speeches, especially to youthful audiences.” His unwavering defense of religious freedom, opposition to discrimination, and commitment to coalition-building fostered a climate in which Muslim communities could organize, worship, and participate more fully in American civic life. At times when Muslims faced suspicion, bias, or exclusion, he spoke with moral clarity in support of equal rights and mutual respect. Rev. Jackson also built enduring relationships with Muslim leaders and communities in the United States and around the world. He consistently emphasized solidarity among faith traditions and recognized the importance of Muslim voices in broader struggles for justice and peace. His outreach reflected a deep belief that lasting change requires unity across racial, religious, and cultural lines. We extend our condolences to his family, loved ones, and all who were inspired by his life and service. We pray that his legacy of courage, compassion, and principled advocacy continues to guide those working toward a more just and inclusive society.
Your Neighbors Are Waiting!
Your Neighbors Are Waiting! 🎁 Share a Ramadan Gift This Year Alhamdulillah, we’ve made it super easy for you! Simply attach our pre-printed Ramadan cards to a small gift — 🌿 a plant, 🍫 a box of chocolates, or any sealed/packaged Ramadan treat — and personally deliver it to your neighbors. ✨ Make it a family activity ✨ Add your name & contact info ✨ Include a dawah brochure if you’d like ✨ Do not forget to personalize cards ✨ And most importantly, make sincere du‘a that Allah ﷻ blesses this humble effort. Ameen. This small gesture can open hearts, build bridges, and reflect the beauty of Islam in the most meaningful way. 📦 Order your FREE pre-printed cards here: Gift for Neighbors Let’s make this Ramadan a month of Quran, connection, kindness, and dawah 🤍
Welcome Ramadan
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ As the blessed month of Ramadan begins, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) extends its warmest greetings to you and your loved ones. This sacred time invites us to strengthen our connection with our Creator, seek His mercy, and embrace the transformative power of prayer, fasting, and charity. More than abstaining from food and drink, fasting is a journey of self-discipline, patience, and spiritual purification. Ramadan is a time for deep reflection on our personal and collective responsibilities. It calls us to care for our families, support our neighbors, and uphold our duty to humanity and the Ummah. Above all, it reminds us to guide ourselves and others toward life’s ultimate purpose—preparing for the Hereafter. It was in this blessed month that the Quran was revealed as guidance for all of humanity. As such, it is incumbent upon the Muslim community to learn, practice, and promote its core teachings—sincerity, kindness, and justice—especially in standing with the oppressed. In particular, we must remember the people of Gaza, who are enduring one of the worst humanitarian crises in history. For over five decades, ICNA has been dedicated to serving communities across North America, fostering education, relief work, and Islamic outreach. Through initiatives like ICNA Relief, Helping Hand, ICNA Council for Social Justice, WhyIslam, Embrace, and GainPeace, we strive to uphold the values of faith, service, and social justice. This Ramadan, we invite you to support ICNA’s efforts in spreading the message of Islam and assisting those in need. As we gather for Iftar, stand in prayer, and share our blessings through Zakat and Sadaqah, let us embrace the unity that Ramadan brings. May Allah (SWT) accept our fasts, prayers, and good deeds, grant ease to the oppressed, and guide us toward righteousness and Taqwa. وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ Saad Kazmi President, Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
ICNA Reaffirms Commitment to Faith-Based Unity and Shared Humanity
*NEW YORK, NY (Feb. 1st, 2026) –* World Interfaith Harmony Week is an important opportunity to reaffirm our shared responsibility to promote peace, mutual respect, and cooperation among people of all faiths and beliefs. The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) proudly joins communities worldwide in advancing harmony as a foundation for a just and compassionate society. Islam calls upon humanity to embrace mutual understanding and respect. The Qur’an states: “ O mankind, indeed We created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you ” (Qur’an 49:13). Guided by this principle, ICNA has long made interfaith engagement a central part of its mission. Across North America, ICNA has worked with diverse faith communities through interfaith dialogues, open mosque events, and joint service initiatives addressing hunger, disaster relief, social injustice, and the defense of religious freedom. These partnerships reflect ICNA’s belief that genuine harmony is built not only through dialogue, but through meaningful collaboration in service to the common good. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught, “The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to people.” Inspired by this teaching, ICNA remains committed to working with all people of goodwill to reject hatred, build understanding, and strengthen the bonds that unite our communities. As World Interfaith Harmony Week is observed around the globe, ICNA reaffirms its dedication to cooperation, peace, and the dignity of all people, and calls on communities everywhere to continue building bridges of trust and compassion.
In Memory of Dr. Mazhar Kazi
On November 23, 2025, our elder Dr. Mazhar Kazi passed away. We pray that Our Lord, the Most Merciful, envelops our beloved brother in His mercy and opens to him the doors of paradise. A pioneer in the American Muslim community, Dr. Kazi was among the first foreign-born Muslims to settle in Houston, and helped lay the earliest foundations of the community in the area. Among other contributions, he founded the first mosque in the Houston area and also helped organize the earliest Eid prayers. Dr. Kazi was a devoted, sincere leader and friend. He was continually dedicated to serving people and helping those around him and thus he leaves behind many who forever remember his kindness and friendship. Those blessed by his presence would find their hearts lifted with light-hearted comments even as they gained access to his sincere, thoughtful advice. In Houston, his kindness and attentiveness to others’ needs meant that he became a refuge for those facing a variety of problems. Those who had the opportunity to work closely with him in ICNA Houston recall his leadership and organizational excellence. Dr. Kazi’s focus meant that meetings began on time, discussions remained focused and productive, and—as he often hosted gatherings himself—that people would leave having eaten well. When differing opinions arose, he ensured that a sense of mutual respect prevailed. Among his many efforts, Dr. Kazi was particularly dedicated to supporting new Muslims. From 1990 to 2010, his sincere efforts (direct and indirect) resulted in countless people accepting Islam in Houston. And he also applied his personal time, effort, and resources towards helping these new Muslims after they joined the community. The ICNA Houston New Muslim Center—and particularly its dedicated women’s section—was one of the results of his devoted efforts. He arranged shelter, training, marriages, and support for many new Muslim sisters. For nearly three decades, Dr. Mazhar Kazi devoted his full attention to Islamic work, whether this came in the form of speeches, writings, teaching, or community service. He dedicated his life to dawah, nurturing new Muslims, and serving the community with sincerity and loyalty. In addition to the many he helped as a leader and friend, he leaves behind the family he loved so dearly, including his wife, Alia Kazi, a respected presence in her own right in ICNA Houston and Dallas. May Allah grant them lasting comfort and protection. May Allah reward Dr. Mazhar Kazi for all his efforts, fill his grave with light, and enable us to follow his example in serving the community.
ICNA Council for Social Justice Mourns Passing of Imam Jamil Al‑Amin and Reaffirms Call for Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ICNA Council for Social Justice Mourns Passing of Imam Jamil Al‑Amin and Reaffirms Call for Justice The ICNA Council for Social Justice (ICNA CSJ), together with the Muslim Alliance for Black Lives (MABL), mourns the passing of Imam Jamil Abdullah Al‑Amin (formerly H. Rap Brown), who returned to his Lord on November 23, 2025, after decades of wrongful incarceration. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, children, family, and Muslim community all who loved and were inspired by him. For more than six decades, Imam Jamil stood at the heart of the Black freedom struggle in America, from his early leadership in the Student Non‑Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and his role as Minister of Justice of the Black Panther Party, to his transformative work as an imam in Atlanta’s West End. He helped build masajid, reduce crime, and revive a community through daʿwah, service, and principled organizing. ICNA CSJ has long affirmed that Imam Jamil was a political prisoner, targeted for his beliefs and community leadership rather than any crime. In August 1995, he was arrested in Atlanta on highly publicized shooting allegations; the alleged victim later stated he had been pressured to name Imam Jamil and admitted he never saw the shooter. Those charges were ultimately dropped. Years later, the same pattern of suspicion and overreach reappeared in the tragic events surrounding the shooting of two Fulton County deputies on March 16, 2000, for which Imam Jamil was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to life without parole. “We believe Imam Jamil’s conviction was a grave miscarriage of justice and part of a longer history of state repression against Black freedom fighters and Muslim leaders,” said Imam Khalid Griggs, ICNA CSJ. “His passing does not end our responsibility to seek truth, accountability, and restoration of his honor.” After his conviction, Imam Jamil was held for years in harsh federal facilities far from his family and community, including extended isolation and prolonged medical neglect. Even as his health deteriorated with serious illnesses, he remained a teacher, a source of strength, and a symbol of steadfastness for movements against racism, Islamophobia, and mass incarceration. ICNA CSJ and MABL honor Imam Jamil’s lifelong struggle for justice and renew our commitment to: -Support efforts to fully review and publicly disclose all evidence in his case; -Pursue posthumous measures to clear his name; -Stand with other political prisoners and victims of wrongful convictions, especially Black and Muslim prisoners. Inna lillāhi wa inna ilayhi rājiʿūn (From Allah we Belong and to Allah we shall return). May Allah grant Imam Jamil the highest ranks of Jannah, forgive his shortcomings, and reward his family for their immense patience and sacrifice. Media Contact: Imam Khalid Griggs ICNA Council for Social Justice
A Call for True Peace
A Call for True Peace Statement from the Islamic Circle of North America The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) welcomes any genuine step toward bringing lasting peace to the people of Palestine. While the latest peace proposal offers a flicker of hope to those who have endured unimaginable suffering, the brutal killing of over 67,000 innocent civilians has laid bare the cruelty and moral bankruptcy of the ongoing oppression. We pray this effort paves a true path to justice, freedom, and dignity for every Palestinian. History, however, has taught us caution. Too many promises have been broken and truces shattered the moment the world’s attention shifts. A deep fear remains that once an initial phase is complete, Israeli leadership will revert to bombs and blockades. Should this fragile hope be betrayed, it would represent not merely a political failure, but a moral collapse in the eyes of the world. Therefore, we call on people of conscience everywhere: do not remain silent if this peace is violated. Stand with the oppressed. Speak for the voiceless. Demand that justice be honored, not delayed. True peace can only be achieved when the violence ends and mercy triumphs over might. A Call for True Peace Statement from the Islamic Circle of North America The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) welcomes any genuine step toward bringing lasting peace to the people of Palestine. While the latest peace proposal offers a flicker of hope to those who have endured unimaginable suffering, the brutal killing of over 67,000 innocent civilians has laid bare the cruelty and moral bankruptcy of the ongoing oppression. We pray this effort paves a true path to justice, freedom, and dignity for every Palestinian. History, however, has taught us caution. Too many promises have been broken and truces shattered the moment the world’s attention shifts. A deep fear remains that once an initial phase is complete, Israeli leadership will revert to bombs and blockades. Should this fragile hope be betrayed, it would represent not merely a political failure, but a moral collapse in the eyes of the world. Therefore, we call on people of conscience everywhere: do not remain silent if this peace is violated. Stand with the oppressed. Speak for the voiceless. Demand that justice be honored, not delayed. True peace can only be achieved when the violence ends and mercy triumphs over might.
Biography Of Muhammad (peace be upon him) By A Non-Muslim
By: Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao Head of the Dept. of Philosophy, Govt. College for Women. University of Mysore, Mandya-571401 (Karnataka, India). Re-printed from “Islam and Modern age”, Hydrabad, March 1978. Mohammad: The Visionary Mind That Transformed Arabia In the desert of Arabia was Mohammad born, according to Muslim historians, on April 20, 571. The name means highly praised. He is to me the greatest mind among all the sons of Arabia. He means so much more than all the poets and kings that preceded him in that impenetrable desert of red sand. When he appeared Arabia was a desert — a nothing. Out of nothing a new world was fashioned by the mighty spirit of Mohammad — a new life, a new culture, a new civilization, a new kingdom which extended from Morocco to Indies and influenced the thought and life of three continents — Asia, Africa and Europe. Mohammad’s Impact and Beyond When I thought of writing on Mohammad the prophet, I was a bit hesitant because it was to write about a religion I do not profess and it is a delicate matter to do so for there are many persons professing various religions and belonging to diverse school of thought and denominations even in same religion. Though it is sometimes, claimed that religion is entirely personal yet it can not be gain-said that it has a tendency to envelop the whole universe seen as well unseen. It somehow permeates something or other our hearts, our souls, our minds their conscious as well as subconscious and unconscious levels too. The problem assumes overwhelming importance when there is a deep conviction that our past, present and future all hang by the soft delicate, tender silked cord. If we further happen to be highly sensitive, the center of gravity is very likely to be always in a state of extreme tension. Looked at from this point of view, the less said about other religion the better. Let our religions be deeply hidden and embedded in the resistance of our innermost hearts fortified by unbroken seals on our lips. But there is another aspect of this problem. Man lives in society. Our lives are bound with the lives of others willingly or unwillingly, directly or indirectly. We eat the food grown in the same soil, drink water, from the same the same spring and breathe the same air. Even while staunchly holding our own views, it would be helpful, if we try to adjust ourselves to our surroundings, if we also know to some extent, how the mind our neighbor moves and what the main springs of his actions are. From this angle of vision it is highly desirable that one should try to know all religions of the world, in the proper sprit, to promote mutual understanding and better appreciation of our neighborhood, immediate and remote. Further, our thoughts are not scattered as appear to be on the surface. They have got themselves crystallized around a few nuclei in the form of great world religions and living faiths that guide and motivate the lives of millions that inhabit this earth of ours. It is our duty, in one sense if we have the ideal of ever becoming a citizen of the world before us, to make a little attempt to know the great religions and system of philosophy that have ruled mankind. Debunking Misrepresentation In spite of these preliminary remarks, the ground in these field of religion, where there is often a conflict between intellect and emotion is so slippery that one is constantly reminded of fools that rush in where angels fear to tread. It is also not so complex from another point of view. The subject of my writing is about the tenets of a religion which is historic and its prophet who is also a historic personality. Even a hostile critic like Sir William Muir speaking about the holy Quran says that. “There is probably in the world no other book which has remained twelve centuries with so pure text.” I may also add Prophet Mohammad is also a historic personality, every event of whose life has been most carefully recorded and even the minutest details preserved intact for the posterity. His life and works are not wrapped in mystery. My work today is further lightened because those days are fast disappearing when Islam was highly misrepresented by some of its critics for reasons political and otherwise. Prof. Bevan writes in Cambridge Medieval History, “Those account of Mohammad and Islam which were published in Europe before the beginning of 19th century are now to be regarded as literary curiosities.” My problem is to write this monograph is easier because we are now generally not fed on this kind of history and much time need be spent on pointing out our misrepresentation of Islam. Redefining Warfare and Uniting Humanity Through Self-Defense The theory of Islam and Sword for instance is not heard now frequently in any quarter worth the name. The principle of Islam that there is no compulsion in religion is well known. Gibbon, a historian of world repute says, “A pernicious tenet has been imputed to Mohammadans, the duty of extirpating all the religions by sword.” This charge based on ignorance and bigotry, says the eminent historian, is refuted by Quran, by history of Musalman conquerors and by their public and legal toleration of Christian worship. The great success of Mohammad’s life had been effected by sheer moral force, without a stroke of sword. But in pure self-defense, after repeated efforts of conciliation had utterly failed, circumstances dragged him into the battlefield. But the prophet of Islam changed the whole strategy of the battlefield. The total number of casualties in all the wars that took place during his lifetime when the whole Arabian Peninsula came under his banner, does not exceed a few hundreds in all. But even on the battlefield he taught the Arab barbarians to pray, to pray not individually, but in
YMj Institute 3 Years Program for Middle School Students
We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the third semester at YMJ Institute, an online educational platform dedicated to nurturing middle school students through comprehensive Islamic education. At YMJ Institute, we are committed to shaping the next generation of ethical and responsible leaders—young individuals grounded in strong Islamic values, moral character, and spiritual awareness. Our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to inspire students to grow intellectually and spiritually, while fostering a deep connection to their faith. Semester Highlights: • Tailored Islamic studies for middle school students• Interactive online classes led by experienced educators• Focus on character development, ethics, and spirituality To register your child, please refer to the attached flyer or use the following link:Register for the Third Semester Register Now We look forward to welcoming your child into a vibrant learning community that empowers them to thrive both academically and spiritually.
