In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
I certainly agree with Jason Williams about a number of things that he stated regarding Christianity's effect on Black people. I personally recall hearing, "Mark of Cain", sermons preached in church when I was a teenager. The preachers claimed that after Cain killed Abel, God turned Cain black in order to curse him and his descendants forever. Those same verses were used to justify slavery. This is one of the numerous reasons why I reverted to Islam at the age of seventeen.
Combine that with the so-called, "White Jesus" and "White Virgin Mary" paintings and statues that exist in churches and homes all over the world, and it is easy to see a systematic act of mental oppression that has been going on for centuries. Those subliminal messages were put in place in order to make blacks feel inferior, and whites feel superior.
The Bible says:
"Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh."
"All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered."
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the LORD."
There are many other verses in the Bible like the ones above, and they were utilized by whites to oppress and subjugate people of other races, primarily blacks.
However, I question Jason Williams’s lack of approval about Amber Guyger being hugged by numerous people, after being sentenced for killing Botham Jean in his own home. It was a tragic event for everyone involved. But what is wrong with forgiveness? What good does it do anyone to harbor hatred or refuse to forgive? Refusing to forgive will not change the circumstances. Refusing to forgive causes people to carry the burden and weight of disdain for other people, and that is not healthy.
I do not agree with the "Love Thy Enemy" verses of the Bible, because they play along with the "Love and Forgive your Oppressors" brainwashing that they were meant for. But that doesn't mean that forgiveness shouldn't be given. I believe that Amber Guyger was certainly careless to say the least, but it would be unrealistic to think that she killed Botham Jean on purpose.
Still, I can't fathom how someone could walk over a big red door mat, and into someone else's apartment, without noticing items on counters and other places that obviously are not their own. Then to shoot him while he sat on a couch, that had to be different than her own, is so shockingly disturbing that words cannot express the utter bewilderment of it all!
But I am not at all surprised by Brandt Jean, the brother of Botham Jean, choosing to forgive her. It was obvious that he truly meant what he said, and that is a reflection of a good and pure heart. It has nothing to do with slavery verses of the Bible, the Civil Rights Movement, Jim Crowe, Christian Crusades, David Duke, Ku Klux Klan, Al Jolson, Malcom X, Martin Luther King, Huey P Newton, Rosa Parks, or any other racial issue that exists. It boils down to someone who is hurting, choosing to forgive someone who is also hurting, because they feel guilty for causing the hurting.
My biggest concern was questioning if the Judge chose to hug the family members of Botham Jean? If in fact she did not, I am more disturbed by that than her hugging Amber Guyger. Nevertheless, is it wrong for people to show compassion for others? Is it wrong for sinful and flawed people to have sympathy for other sinful and flawed people?
It seems that Jason Williams is suggesting that people shouldn't forgive one another. Or could it be that Mr. Williams is being a bit racist in his thinking? I suspect the latter to be the case. To that I say, fighting racism with racism will never defeat racism. The people who hugged Amber Guyger obviously did so because they truly felt bad for her, despite the hurt and pain that she caused.
In his last sermon before his death, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said the following;
"All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; a white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over a white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action….."
Brandt Jean demonstrated his superiority through his piety and good action, by choosing to forgive. But it was not a superiority in race that was demonstrated, it was superiority over hatred. He showed his superiority by forgiving someone despite the pain she caused, despite her race, and despite the atrocities that whites have committed against blacks for centuries! He proved himself superior through his actions and by having a heart of compassion for another human being despite her mistakes. That is a good thing. He should be commended, not ridiculed! People should be saying, "Despite what you have done to us, we can choose to forgive, and you will never take that from us!"
I will close by saying that Christianity doesn't stand alone regarding forgiveness. The Qur'an is filled with verses about forgiveness! As a matter of fact, every time Allah mentions punishment in the Qur'an, it is followed by a verse about forgiveness. This tells us that repentance is always an option and forgiveness is possible for all sins, except for the sin of associating partners or equals with Allah. Choosing to forgive makes you superior to those who refuse to. Mr. Williams, I encourage you to give it a try!
Qur'an: Surah Az-Zumar 39:53
"O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
Qur'an Surah An-Nisa 4:98
"Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin."
May Allah accept my efforts. Ameen
Author Kenny Bomer
10/19/19
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