By Kiran Ansari

Sept/Oct 2023

“If we don’t speak to our children in Urdu, the language can die with us.” This realization hit hard for Nadia Siddiqui from San Jose, Calif. Twenty years ago, there were not many online resources. With no extended family nearby, she was worried that her children – and grandchildren – would not know how to speak their mother tongue if she didn’t put in the effort.

It helped that her husband was also an immigrant from Pakistan. They made it a point to converse in Urdu only and focused on it more than English when their children were young.

“The kids will automatically pick up English from TV and school,” Siddiqui said. “That’s the factory default setting for our North American kids. If we value our mother tongue, then we must put in time to preserve it.”

Mirela Uddin from Algonquin, Ill. made it a point to speak to her children in Bosnian only. She subscribed to a Bosnian language TV channel at home and had the kids Skype with their grandparents regularly. She also spent a couple of months every summer in Bosnia so the children could soak in the language and culture. She believes the Bosnian weekend school and weekly talk in Bosnian at the mosque also helped reinforce the language.

“80-90% of my conversation with my kids is in Bosnian,” Uddin says. “Since my husband is not from Bosnia, and we didn’t have many Bosnian friends here, I knew I had to put in the work.”

Today, her older kids can carry on a conversation in Bosnian. They can order food and converse with the locals. Her daughter even has some Bosnian songs in her playlist. Uddin feels learning an additional language at a young age could have increased their affinity to learn new languages. Her college-aged daughter is also fluent in Spanish.

Siddiqui also took her children to Pakistan regularly. Even though their cousins in Pakistan were encouraged to speak in English, hanging out with extended family and domestic help made a big difference. She started with teaching her children the names of objects in Urdu. Later came stories and the famous “Urdu game” on long car rides and waiting at the doctor’s office. Siddiqui used to say “tree,” or “red,” and the kids would compete to see who could translate in Urdu the fastest. What ensued was a lot of learning – and laughter. After all, keenoo (orange) and konee (elbow) do sound alike.

Enter YouTube and Co.

While Siddiqui didn’t have many resources, parents today can supplement their efforts with online help. Tamania Jaffri in Calgary, Canada has been working tirelessly for the last eight years to preserve the language with her blog, urdumom.com. She loves sharing ideas with families to pass on language and culture to the next generation. Viewers saw her kids grow up on her weekly Urdu story time on Facebook. Recently, she started a YouTube channel called Urdu preschool with familiar rhymes for the littlest ones.

“The response has been amazing,” Jaffri said. “I have years of material based on my experience, and I love taking names of children during the video. Families write to me about how their kids would love to hear their name called out on TV.”

Oregon-mom, Rinad Qutub wanted her children to have educational screen time that helped them learn Arabic. She collaborated with Abrar Shahin from New Jersey and came up with the idea of Kalam Kids after noticing their children responding well to video content. Kalam means words or speech in Arabic. They wanted kids in multilingual households to have access to conversational Arabic. 

“The response for our YouTube channel has been overwhelmingly positive,” Qutub said. “Nothing makes us happier than seeing little ones smiling and engaging with our videos.”

Like other languages, there are many dialects in Arabic. “It’s tough to cater to all dialects because even between the two of us, we say words differently,” Shaheen added. “When choosing which words to use, we refer to traditional Arabic.”

Parents – the Best (and Free) Resource

Jaffri believes that the best tool for passing on language is the parent themselves because children model after them. So, a parent who actively speaks the language with their child, and sings/plays/reads in the language is the best resource. Her videos give parents ideas and remind them of poems and stories in Urdu they might have forgotten themselves.

“The most important thing parents can do is to love and respect Urdu,” Jaffri said. “We carry a lot of colonial baggage in our disdain for Urdu and consider English superior. Children are smart and can pick how their parents feel about the language.”

The Kalam Kids ladies agree that a multimodal approach yields the best results.  They encourage parents and caregivers to watch and repeat the videos along with their little ones to promote an active learning environment. They stress the importance of including learning a language in the daily routines.

Multilingual Households

Children can learn another language even if their parents don’t speak it. The key is that they continue to practice the concepts with someone who can. Today, thanks to Kids Bolo, that can also be online.

In addition to leveled Urdu-English books, and an innovative Urdu talking pen, the Kids Bolo online Urdu conversational classes have become very popular. They have around 200 kids from the U.S., Canada, U.K, and other countries outside Pakistan enrolled in their monthly subscription model.
  

“As parents whose children were born in the West, we felt our choice of relevant resources was limited,” said Masooma Aftab from Toronto. “So, my husband Hamid and I leveraged each other’s professional degrees (Finance/Start Up and Early Childhood/Youth Work) and created those resources ourselves.”

In 2020, they launched as “Inglish For Kids” and sold thousands of books. They used that feedback to rebuild the products from scratch and relaunched as Kids Bolo. Their Urdu taking pen has been very popular as it allows kids to read books in Urdu on their own.

“Bilingualism has many cognitive and social benefits,” Aftab said. “Learning your heritage language not only connects you to a larger community but it helps preserve the culture – its mannerisms, dialogue, nuances. To preserve it, you must practice it out loud and increase exposure like being around people where you hear it consistently.”

“This exposure doesn’t need to come from parents. However, it is extremely helpful if the home environment is supportive of language acquisition and participates in the ‘back and forth’ dialogue,” Aftab said. “Dialogue with other children that are at the same learning level does wonders for learning. In many cases, I have seen both the child and parent hone their Urdu language skills together – which is phenomenal as it enhances bonding between generations.”

Hard Work Pays Off

It can feel daunting to introduce a new language. However, it is possible — and rewarding. You could play regular games like Go Fish or Charades, but in the other language. You could also stick flash cards around the house for kids to remember what a clock or table is called in their mother tongue.

A new language can be fun as long as it doesn’t feel like a chore or homework. “Kids learn best and fastest when they are having fun,” said Qutub. “We find that singing songs and implementing language into games and activities is most beneficial. Just be silly and have fun. “Parents do have to put in extra effort at first. Later, they can enjoy seeing their vocabulary increase and how the children gain more confidence in a beloved language. They don’t have to become poets or scholars in the second language. But if a language can bring them closer to grandparents and their heritage, it is worth the effort for future generations as well. It does not have to be perfect. However, with practice and love, it can be well worth it.

Kiran Ansari is the Assistant Editor of Islamic Horizons. Even though her three kids are at different levels of Urdu fluency, she is grateful that they keep trying. 

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By Hamza Mohammed

Sept/Oct 2023

Many Muslims grow up hearing and seeing sunnah foods around them. From grandpa breaking his fast with dates, to grandma sprinkling black seeds (nigella sativa) in her famous potato curry, and mom giving a spoonful of honey to relieve a cough. 

However, it is interesting to study whether these sunnah foods continue to be in one’s pantry after parents and grandparents are no longer around. Do college students and then young parents rush to the nearest pharmacy when they have a bad cough, or do they reach for the jar of honey? 

Quick and Easy Snack Bars

If there’s one thing that everyone is nowadays, it is busy. From professionals to parents, students to service professionals, everyone is stretched for time. That could be one of the main reasons why some companies have introduced sunnah foods in more accessible forms. 

Cure your World is a Muslim owned and operated company that produces a unique snack, the Cure Bar, as well as black seed products and supplements. Founder, Zobaida Falah fell victim to junk food as a student. When she became a teacher, she witnessed this trend continuing with her students who were also consuming junk food throughout the school day. Zobaida created Cure Bars in an effort to provide an alternative to unhealthy, readily available snacks. She was inspired by her  grandmother, whom she watched prepare a mix of nuts, seeds, and honey each morning as a child. Zobaida’s grandmother called it her “secret cure for everything”, and believed it to have medicinal values and that it protected her from illness.

Manufactured in Washington and Ohio, Cure Bars, which increased in popularity after being featured in an AJ+ viral video, come in three flavors: Peanut Butter, Roasted Almonds and Honey, and Coconut Cashew. In addition to black seed and honey, the bars also contain healthy ingredients, such as oats, sesame seeds, and chia seeds and are a great source of magnesium and zinc. CURE also sells black seed products and Supplements, including black seed oil, black seed oil capsules, and turmeric and black seed powder capsules. 

“The benefits of black seed are extraordinary,” said Noor Salem, author of Sunnah Superfoods: Miraculous Remedies & Recipes that will change your life forever. “They’ve been found to contain benefits for preventing cognitive decline, obesity, bloating, arthritis, inflammation, and blood sugar dysregulation to name a few. Honey has incredible healing benefits that researchers continue to uncover. Some include suppressing cough, balancing blood sugar (which many find surprising), and healing the intestinal lining. Both this book and her “Sunnah Superfoods for Kids” are available on Amazon. 

“There is healing in black seed for all diseases except death.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 5688, Book 76, Hadith 11].

Yummy Gummies

In 2021, Aresh Saqib launched Sukoon Nutrition, Muslim owned and operated company that makes Halal gummies using foods such as black seed, honey, and elderberry. He got the idea after seeing his father, a medical doctor, eat black seed and honey together every day for 20 years. It always blew his mind how his father almost never got sick, even while working 12-hour shifts at the hospital. 

Their biggest surprise has been how customers have reacted to the gummies. “We never thought it would get as big as it has,” Saqib said. “Alhumdulilah the gummies have helped hundreds of people with ailments such as joint pain, hair loss, blood sugar levels, immunity and more. Some have even told us they were in pain for years until they tried our gummies.”

“I love Sukoon gummies,” said 9-year old Soha Rasul. “My mom said many of the gummy vitamins at the store are not halal, so I was so excited to try these. They taste just like candy, but are good for you. I wish I could have more every day.”

Sakoon Nutrition contributes a portion of each of their sales to charity. Located in Laguna Beach, Calif. their five different types of gummies are sold across the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and in the U.S. 

However, like many companies, they have had their share of challenges. “One of the biggest challenges, he said, has been growth,” said Saqib. “After the Tik Tok honey moon phase died out, which was when everyone was getting 10,000 views a video, they had to pivot to paid social media advertising. Growth has been slow but steady,” he added. 

Pure Honey

Founded in 1995, two brothers in Kuwait shared their pure honey to friends and neighbors. Today, Mujeza Honey, based in Tampa, Florida, is one of the world’s leading companies in honey production. They produce a variety of different types and flavors of honey including turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and black seed. 

“One of the biggest struggles was making sure people know that we sell natural, authentic honey,” said Omar, one of the founders. “Many companies use sugars and syrups rather than real honey. We were also surprised how online sales through our website and Amazon have helped the business grow. We got far more customers than we could have at a retail store.”

Mujeza Honey has received many international certifications.They sell more than 15 different types and flavors of honey, and their products can be purchased at more than 500 retailers in 20 countries as well as on their website.

Worth a Shot

Dua Aldasouqi, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Champaign, Ill. agreed  that black seed is used in many types of disease management. One of the most common ways of it being consumed today is through black seed oil. Research has shown good results of black seed treating diabetes  and types of heart diseases. She said that honey has been used medicinally in many civilizations in the past. It has antibacterial properties, and can also be used to treat some colds and skin conditions.

With thousands of reviews on Amazon, many people are also trying out paraben-free black seed toothpastes and hair growth oil. 

“While it is hard to accurately judge the intentions of companies making these products,” said Aldasouqi. “I believe if it brings youth closer to sunnah foods, it is a great initiative.”

Hamza Mohammed, attends Farragut High School in Tennessee. He is an avid reader and enjoys writing in his free time.

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By Yerusalem Work

Sept/Oct 2023

Muslims believe that God tests whom He loves. We remind ourselves of this when we get a biopsy report or radiology results. However, what happens when someone is diagnosed with a mental health condition? Do we process it in the same way? Or do we brush it aside? 

Even though Muslims believe that God provides the cure to any disease, they are also taught to “tie your camel and trust God.” Even if someone considers their relationship with Allah as more important than a patient and provider, the latter should not be ignored either. Muslims do not have to choose either medical or spiritual healing. They can get the best of both. 

Mindfulness

For effective healing, one must get to the root of the clinical condition. Muslims believe they are created to worship God. Prayers bring us closer to the Creator. We are dependent on Him. He is free of need. It is through His power that we find a cure or a way to manage our symptoms. It is through His power that medications are effective. 

The Prophet Muhammad, (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) recommended the benefits of practicing small but consistent good deeds. Taking medication regularly and on time is a sign of discipline. Avoiding anything that may harm us, like drugs or alcohol, is an important step in the right direction too. People with mental health conditions may find solace in committing to routine exercise and peace in jotting thoughts in a gratitude journal. 

They can work toward longevity through incorporating excellent nutrition on a daily basis. If Muslims truly follow the sunnah and fill one-third of their stomach with good food, one-third with water, and one-third with air, they can prevent many illnesses. Rest is valuable too. The Muslim way of life includes structure and time management through five daily prayers. It offers guidance in terms of when to pray and how to physically and spiritually cleanse ourselves each day. Islam helps us stay afloat in an ocean of nonstop activity.

Meditation

“Verily, in the remembrance of God, hearts find rest.” ( Quran 13:28) 

Meditation should lead us closer to God, Who is in control of it all. Treatment that focuses on physical symptoms and not spiritual sources to genuine problems is incomplete. Behavior does not solely depend on signals from neurotransmitters. Muslims trust science, but believe science alone is not enough. To reach the summit of knowledge, we need faith too. We need an awakening. Islam is an enlightenment. It is the highest height. So, when in our lowest lows, we ought to reach for the rope of God, the Quran. We must hold onto the pearls of wisdom and hope in the Quran and the Hadith. God revealed verses about our soul’s meditation or our mind’s thoughtfulness, (tafakkur) for those who reflect on the design of creation.

˹They are those who remember God while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth ˹and pray˺, “Our Lord! You have not created ˹all of˺ this without purpose. Glory be to You! Protect us from the torment of the Fire (Quran 3:191)

When battling depression, mania, anxiety, psychosis, or another psychological disorder, be sure to seek professional help. But as Muslims, also remember to arm yourself with revelation and meditation. You can meditate on a verse from the Quran, repeat phrases for the purpose of dhikr (remembrance), or hold onto an image that invites peace, for example, a sunset. As a practicing Muslim, one should never feel alone.

Medication

“Mental health issues cannot be ignored and the stigma of seeking professional help, which exists in our community, should be addressed by its leaders,” said Imam Naeem Baig of Dar Al Hijrah in Falls Church, Va. The community needs more of such top-down thinking, beginning with leadership and moving toward the general population. If people go to see a medical professional for a broken leg or high blood pressure, they should not hesitate to be seen for mental issues too. 

Aneesa Abdus Salaam is one of the mentors in The Shahadah Sisterhood Group based in Washington, D.C. “Prayer is the key, however Allah has blessed medical doctors with the knowledge of how to diagnose diseases and manage symptoms,” she said. “Yes, Allah is the One who Heals. But being under professional medical care is also wise for a Muslim.”

This shows that mental health needs to be addressed in the Muslim community properly and consistently. One khutbah in a blue moon is not enough. The African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” is apt for this situation. No one should struggle with mental illness alone. 

However, the Muslim community is not a monolith. Through interviews with Muslim brothers and sisters, we can see different approaches to overcoming challenges with mental illness. 

“Taking medicine is a big drama,” said Hammad*. “Instead of relying on doctors and medicine, rely on faith and education. You have to be strong enough to trust yourself and your strengths. If you have belief in your heart, you will not experience depression. If you have faith, you will not contemplate suicide.” He also believes that men are less likely to see a therapist, and that is why they should be equipped with tools from our faith. Hammad* is not alone. There are some other Muslims who feel the same way. 

Meaningful Conversations

Mosques and Islamic centers need to invest time and funding to have meaningful conversations about the journey toward mental health. From symptoms to outcomes, from hospitalization to housing, there is still a long way to go. Some may crawl. Some may walk. Some may cry. Some may sulk. The goal is to heal together. Muslims are commanded to rejoice, to be thankful for His bounty, and to smile. Ask yourself where you find joy. If you find it in the pages of the Quran and the words of the Prophet, you will be trying your best to work on God’s Promise. 

“Thoughts turn into feelings and subsequently lead to actions,” said Asumini Kasule, Youth and Parenting Coach in Maryland. “It is important not to ruminate over every thought that comes to your mind. Let them pass like clouds. If you focus on thoughts of fear, for instance, you can give rise to anxiety. The cognitive process begins with our unconscious mind which records our thoughts in the moment. The simple truth is you can often help manage anxiety by changing your thought pattern.”

Asumini hopes many more people of faith will step up to study psychology and serve in ways that benefit wide, diverse audiences. Mental health professionals can help steer us in the right direction if we’re honest about our goals. Do not be ashamed to ask for the help you deserve. Be proactive with taking care of mental health. Reach out to a professional if needed. 

She urges Muslims to remind themselves that only God is in control of the future. “Rely on trusted professionals, and praise God for His wisdom in sending them your way.”

Yerusalem Work has a heart for interfaith dialogue. She is an award-winning essayist and bestselling author of poetry and short stories available on Amazon. She earned a master’s degree in library science and a bachelor’s degree in film studies. As an Ethiopian-American artist, educator, and librarian, she wishes everyone compassion and endless inspiration. 

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The post Muslims and Mental Health appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

Sept/Oct 2023

• To limit social media, children need to be provided with other opportunities for connection with peers. Kids that play sports and are busy outside of school hours are often better adjusted. 

• Minimizing screen time and social media use in tweens and teens is more effective with parent engagement. Encourage children to utilize social media and online content as tools to seek activities they can enjoy. If your child wants to bake, they can look for a recipe online and print it out. 

• Try to interact with families who share your approach of minimizing social media. Meet up regularly. This way the kids don’t feel like they are the only ones without unlimited access to devices.

• Instead of giving kids smartphones, use phones that have limited features of calling and texting. Introduce social media slowly through a multi-tiered approach. The first tier is the child sharing a parent’s device and interacting with peers through a parent’s account. Of course, parents need to educate themselves on these apps too. Some apps have features like disappearing messages, and kids can get sneaky really fast.

• Social media has a long lasting footprint. It’s everywhere and you can’t avoid it. Become smart about how to use it. Remind your kids to not engage with people they don’t know.

• Parents should avoid aimlessly using smartphones and be present and engaged with those around them. If  you need to send an urgent email during a board game or movie night, say it out loud so the kids know why you are on the phone during that time. Implement weekly family meetings and be intentional about communicating without distractions. 

• It is imperative for children to know how to respond to unwelcome/inappropriate interactions online. Regular communication within the family ensures children feel safe and trusted to share difficult things. 

• Remind your children that what they see posted online is a very small — and filtered- part of the other person’s life.

• Parents should try to agree with each other over their children’s access to smartphones and social media. Move away from just thinking about the kids. Try to establish shared family goals, so it’s not us vs. them.

Excerpted quotes from the experts interviewed in the main story. 

Sundus Abrar is a parent of two, residing in Chicago. 

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By Sundus Abrar

Sept/Oct 2023

Dove’s viral commercial,“Cost of Beauty” portrays the swift and detrimental impact of social media use on a young girl. Based on a true story, Mary receives a smartphone on her 13th birthday and after intensive interaction with social media develops a debilitating eating disorder. The message of the commercial — advocating for kids’ online safety – resonated with many concerned adults. Guarding impressionable young minds from the compelling nature of social media is a clear concern. In one scene, Mary’s mother attempts to physically grab the smartphone to disengage her from constantly scrolling. Undeterred, Mary pulls away, and continues using her phone. 

Mary is unfortunately the norm today.

Tween and teens everywhere are resisting the attempts of parents and educators to limit social media use. Amal Naeem, a seventh grade teacher in Mississauga, Canada, regularly faces this issue with her students. The Islamic School school she teaches at doesn’t allow smartphones and has a firewall on the school network to prevent access to non-educational content. Despite this policy, limiting social media among students remains challenging. 

Kids Get Smart with Smartphones

“They find ways to log onto Instagram on their Chromebooks, and with one click they can quickly close the tab” said Naeem. “Some children bring smartphones to school because their parents want to ensure that they can maintain contact. These students use their phones during recess to get onto social media sites.”

Aside from being a distraction with school work, the concern around social media use in a school environment is the problematic content with which the children are engaging. In 2019, Naeem was teaching 5th grade when TikTok was gaining traction amongst young users. She recounts an instance where she saw a group of her students performing a TikTok trend with provocative undertones at school. 

“I told them this is inappropriate,” said Naeem. The 10-year olds were just surprised that their teacher was aware of the trend. A trend on social media can be a short dance, skit, lip syncing video that users re-enact and share. Discussions and interactions around these trends provide opportunities for tweens and teens to socialize with each other and form peer groups. These can be positive outcomes from the children’s perspective, but children are not mindful of long term consequences. The sub-culture perpetuated by social media use is multilayered. Naeem’s students were only mimicking the dance moves of a trend which without the context of the problematic trend may not be concerning. However, the overall inappropriate messaging has potential to influence these young users to mirror more aspects of the behaviors they are observing. “Parents assume that their children are innocent. They underestimate how much children can understand,” she added. 

Nikhat Raffiq, a Naperville, Ill. therapist, recognizes the draw of social media for her teen and young adult clients. “It can be a safe space, especially for introverted individuals, to find like minded people,” she said. The pseudo anonymity on social media is reassuring for those who may feel shy in social settings. Online they have space to form their responses and process their emotions. 

Raffiq does see clients struggling in limiting their social media consumption. “They feel guilty for spending so much time online,” she said. This lack of balance is aggravating, and she sees her clients struggling with feelings of guilt and anxiety. She encourages starting with imposing boundaries on social media use, and encourages families to communicate about what they see online. “Young people often attach too much meaning to what they see online,” she said. Communication among family members is important as it helps break down unattainable expectations and standards set by social media. 

Social Media and Islam

Social media is commonly being accessed on smartphones and tablets. The privacy afforded by these personal devices requires that communication around social media requires an intentional effort. Shahnila Ahmed, a Southern California-based Muslim parent coach, encourages this consistently on her Instagram account, @BraveMuslimParents. At the ages of 12 through 18 it is natural for children to seek autonomy and rebel against parental standards. “This makes sense as they are at the stage when they want to connect to their fitra, but they need space to do that, “says Ahmed. Social media can be hindering spiritual development in children if they turn to it to seek acceptance and validation. “Most things about social media do not align with our Islamic values. Majority of content perpetuates showing off what you are wearing, eating, or where you are vacationing. It waters down our values of modesty and humility,” says Naeem.  

Ahmad and Naeem both advise delaying and then limiting access to social media platforms for children. As a parent to a tween and teenager herself, Ahmad does recognize that social media is not entirely avoidable. She advises parents to not give children smartphones, and instead allow them to use parent devices with supervision. She also encourages parents to be educated about the platforms their children are accessing. 

“Just like you teach your child to look both ways before crossing the road during heavy traffic, we need to be teaching our kids how to behave online on social media,” says Ahmad. Some schools cover online safety guidelines, but in Naeem’s experience these exercises are not resonating with the students. “Children are not capable of understanding the long term impact of  decisions that they make,” says Naeem. One such instance is when her husband — vice principal at a different Islamic School — encountered students sharing passwords with each other. “It’s so easy to manipulate children at this age as they are still developing their personality, and they don’t realize how their actions now can come back to haunt them.”

Teaching Kids about Legal Health

Arshia Ali-Khan, CEO of Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), is especially concerned about the vulnerable position of Muslim youth and their online activities. MLFA, a nonprofit organization that advocates against unjust legalized prosecution of Muslims in the U.S. Following the 9/11 attacks and the passing of the Patriot Act, Muslims communities have been subject to surveillance. “The government needs to find terrorists to justify the budget of billions of dollars that sit in the national security budget targeted to find terrorists,” says Ali-Khan. Muslim women, youth and converts have become targets of FBI’s predatory and grooming behaviors. Even social media interactions can be monitored. In various cases, vulnerable Muslims have been misguided and entrapped by FBI informants.

These interactions between targets and FBI informants can and do occur online on social media platforms. Georgina Giampetro, converted to Islam and posted alarming statements online in response to the war in Syria. Giampetro later went on to retract her misguided support for terror groups in Syria. Yet she continued to be observed by multiple FBI informants who interacted and entrapped her in a terrorism case through in-person and online interactions. Giampetro was initially facing a sentence of 10 years. She is now serving a significantly reduced sentence of five and half years. Ali-Khan is urging the Muslim community to recognize that its members are vulnerable and can be unjustly targeted for their interactions online. “The constitution protects us in our freedom of speech, but that is not the same liberty that Muslims have. Muslims are being targeted and entrapped into terrorism cases, “says Ali-Khan. Muslims also face enhanced sentencing. MLFA advocates for fairer trials and challenges the unfair prosecution of Muslims.  

“We need to be teaching children about their legal health,” Ali-Khan says. The unjust surveillance and prosecution of Muslims is a current and ongoing issue, but Muslim communities have stopped addressing it with the persistence it demands.

Sundus Abrar is a parent of two, residing in Chicago. 

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By Hamza Mohammed

Sept/Oct 2023

On May 1, 2023, the U.S. Secret Service barred Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, an elected official of Prospect Park, N.J., from entering the White House for an Eid celebration. This was despite the invitation he had from the President. Khairullah was treated this way because the FBI had assigned him a secret status years ago without any notice or explanation.

The names of many thousands of innocent Muslims over the last two decades have also been put on this list. As a result, they are banned from flying, pressured to spy on the community, treated as criminals while traveling, and forced to endure countless other indignities. 

All of this injustice comes from a secret list known variously as the Terrorist Watchlist, the Terrorism Screening Database or, as the FBI recently rebranded it, the Terrorism Screening Dataset. The equally famous No-Fly List is actually a designation given to some people on the watchlist, singling them out for the additional punishment of being unable to fly. 

CAIR reviewed a leaked copy of the watchlist from 2019 and found Mayor Khairullah’s name on it. Unfortunately, this incident is not an isolated case, and the evidence is no longer anecdotal. 

Our July report, “Twenty Years Too Many: A Call to Stop the FBI’s Secret Watchlist’.’ (https://communityresourcehub.org) studied more than 1.5 million entries on a 2019 version of the FBI’s list. This was provided to us by a Swiss hacker who found them online after a regional air carrier accidentally posted them to the public internet. One scroll through it reveals a list almost completely composed of Muslim names. In fact, more than 350,000 entries alone include some transliteration of Mohamed or Ali or Mahmoud, and the top 50 most frequently occurring names are all Muslim ones. Of the watchlist entries we’ve reviewed, we estimate that it includes more than 1.47 million Muslims — over 98% of the total.

Second-class Citizen or Worse

The Muslim community has long been aware that the FBI’s list is nothing more than a list of innocent Muslims — an assertion now proved by CAIR’s recent study. The consequences of being on this list are borne almost exclusively by Muslims. Even non-Muslims who openly espouse political violence generally do not find themselves targeted in this manner.

A person’s watchlist status is life-defining. Made without notice by a government official whose name will never be known, this is the FBI’s way of formally branding a person a “KST” — a “known or suspected terrorist.” Government agencies use this designation to harass and humiliate travelers in many ways: outright forbidding them to fly, denying them licenses and permits, refusing to hire people or firing employees, delaying or denying visas and applications for U.S. citizenship and subjecting them to dangerous and invasive law enforcement actions. As one federal judge put it, a person’s watchlist status “transforms a person into a second-class citizen, or worse.”

The FBI’s list has acquired a global reach, as the bureau disseminates it throughout the federal government to airlines, every police department in the country, hundreds of private companies  and to an always-growing roster of foreign countries — asking each to act against the listed people they encounter.

A List That Follows You Everywhere

This list not only ruins the lives of people who are on it, but also follows them wherever they go. With the list, an FBI official in the D.C. suburbs can assign American citizens a status that will, for example, instantaneously interfere with their ability to get a visa to India, prevent them from boarding any plane that traverses US airspace, deny their spouse the immigration benefit needed to get married and live together in this country, as well as causing people to be handcuffed at gunpoint during a traffic stop. In short, it’s a substantial power without precedent in American history. 

Congress did not give the FBI this authority. Nor does its watchlist derive from any law. Even the presidential executive order that supposedly gave rise to this list did not put the FBI in charge. Instead, an agreement among several agencies put it, along with all the authorities having a list, in the bureau’s hands. 

Despite calls from Khairullah and several members of the New Jersey congressional delegation, including New Jersey’s Senators Cory Booker (D) and Bob Menendez (D) and Rep. Bill Pascrell (D) to provide a “detailed explanation of what occurred and why,” to “provide Mayor Khairullah with the substantive reasons he was denied admission,” and a “review of Mayor Khairullah’s status” on the FBI’s list, the agency has been silent, claiming a need for secrecy to avoid explaining what happened and why. But beyond this high-profile event, other people on the watchlist are denied access to military bases, some public buildings and other government-secured areas.

But neither the FBI nor any other government agency should have a secret list. They’ve abused the one they have now, and there’s no such thing as a good, lawful kind of secret government list made available to hundreds of thousands of government actors. It’s time to bring this practice to a close.

That is why Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-Calif.) congressional letter of June this year to President Biden has expressed “deep concern with disparity in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s terrorism watchlists” and called on the administration to “take all necessary steps to prevent the watchlist from being managed or applied in a way that disproportionately harms Muslims.” Congresswoman Porter has followed up by introducing an amendment that would require the administration to provide Congress answers on how its watch listing system is consistent with constitutional rights. 

For 20 years, the FBI’s secret list has brought hardship and fear to the Muslim community. But the FBI’s next million targets won’t be Muslim. With the War on Terror fog lifting, the FBI’s secret list will one day find a new target — our fellow Americans. This report is meant as a warning to them. 

We are raising the alarm. This can and will happen to all of us, from every community, even those beyond the Muslims currently on the FBI’s list. We call on all Americans to join our demand that the FBI stop sharing its secret list as a first step to responsibly disposing of it.

Justin Sadowsky is a trial attorney. Gadeir Abbas is an attorney with CAIR.

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