“Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath Allah promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward.” — Holy Qur’an 4:95
Saturday, Nov. 11, marks an important day for remembering the brave men and women who have served our nation and given us abundant freedoms; yet America is still divided racially, and classism is giving power to white nationalism.
The divisive America is not what our brave men and women of our armed forces fought and died for. Nor did these soldiers enlist to defend a legal system in America that continues to fail people of color and those who are financially unstable.
As we reflect upon and honor these men and women on Veterans Day, let us keep in mind why they fought and who they fought for. It is upon the solemn words within the U.S. Constitution that veterans swear to defend our nation; even when our nation was inept at securing African-Americans soldiers their constitutional rights when they returned home.
Even to this day, veterans continue to fight to receive proper compensation for their physical injuries with little or no hope for help with their mental and spiritual injuries. Silently, the families of veterans witness their loved ones suffer these ravaging effects of war. Too often family members of veterans do not realize how they are being negatively affected by post-traumatic stress as they try to help the veterans in their families.
Let us also salute and respect the fact that our veterans fought for all Americans to have a fair share of America, which includes protection of the civil and human rights for every man, woman and child to have equal protection under the U.S. Constitution.
Veterans sacrificed so that every American can have a quality of life that sustains wholesomeness and safe neighborhoods where citizens respect the police — not fear the police! Americans living in fear at home is not what veterans fought for. They fought for equal protection under the law — yet across America and in Indianapolis we have not yet achieved that equality of protection.
Veterans fought so that we would have sustainable neighborhoods made possible by a fair distribution of our tax dollars, but that does not happen. The evils of gentrification continue to displace people based upon skin color, financial status and the level of their education. This is not what our brave men and women fought and died for. Yet these evils persist right here in Indianapolis. The ultimate reason for honoring those who fought and died seems to be in vain when we continue to see disparities in our communities that deny individuals and communities the basic rights of freedom, justice and equality.
Our schools are more segregated today, based on economics and a tracking system, than ever before. Why send our soldiers abroad to fight a designated enemy only to return home to find blatant enemies in our school systems and the gentrification of neighborhoods? As long as better education opportunities continue to elude many poor whites and African Americans, modern-day forms of Jim Crow will continue to exist. This is not what our veterans fought for!
One way to truly honor and respect our men and women of the military is for us to fight for our share of America and Indianapolis in our schools, our neighborhoods and our families. We must claim our liberties and stand up for what is just or, when necessary, kneel as our brother Colin Kaepernick has demonstrated.
Our brave veterans fought abroad so that we can fight locally using the laws of the land. Let’s stand up and truly salute our veterans by being the best Americans possible. We dishonor our soldiers and we slight the value of Veterans Day when we let people trample over our due rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.
Michael “Mikal” Saahir is the imam at Nur-Allah Islamic Center. He can be reached at nur-allah@att.net.
