Black Panthers and Colonialism

 This article was written a few days after May 1, 1998, after meeting some of the Black Panthers in Los Angeles, at the funeral of Eldridge Cleaver. It was published in Palestine Times around the year 2000. The paper stopped publishing in 2007. Links to the original issue are: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20010504044545/http://www.ptimes.com/issue86/articles.html#13

http://www.ptimes.com/issue86/articles.html#13

 

Black Panthers and Colonialism

By Fazeel Azeez Chauhan

The Civil Rights Movement heroically reversed the effects of slavery in America. Even today, it is important to understand what strategies were used to create slavery so that we can better defend ourselves. The British Colonialists used the same tactics to create self-hatred among the natives of India.

What is the process that turns a human being into a creature of self-hatred and self-doubt whereby the enslaved becomes fully controlled and fearful of another person? The slave master uses the process known as "seasoning" to condition slaves. Strong men and women are broken down, tortured and stripped of their dignity through seasoning. The process re-makes the person into an image, pleasing to the oppressor.

To maintain fear and control, seasoning usually involves the enforcement of five strategies:

1- Establish and maintain strict rules.
2- Implant in the slave a consciousness of personal inferiority.
3- Make the slave believe that the master has enormous power.
4- Strip the slave of his roots and identity, including his name, culture, history and language. Make the slave admire the standards of "good" conduct of the master, so that the slave longs to be like the master.
5- Impress upon the slave his utter sense of helplessness to create a habit of perfect dependence.

When the slave fears for his own personal life, more than the survival of the group, the seasoning process is complete. This is yet another example of the philosophy of divide and conquer. It creates mistrust, apathy and cynicism among the poisoned society. Similar to the slave masters, the British Colonialists proclaimed proudly, "We will not only rule them, we will control their hearts and souls for generations to come."

On 15 October 1966, the Black Panthers for Self Defense Party was created to combat this racist philosophy, which continued through Apartheid and segregation. The Black Panther Party played an essential role in the Civil Rights Movement. The founders were fed up with the non-violent approach, because African Americans were being killed, beaten, humiliated and oppressed every day. Bobby Seale and Huey Newton decided one day to take matters in their own hands to change the injustices of the status quo. Within an hour, they came up with the goals of their party, those being:

1. Freedom and power to determine the destiny of their community.
2. Full employment for their people.
3. An end to the exploitation of their Black community by Capitalists.
4. Decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings.
5. Education for their people, which exposes the true nature of the American society. They wanted education that teaches them their true history and their role in the present day society.
6. All Black men to be exempt from military service.
7. Immediate end to police brutality and murder of Black people.
8. Freedom for all Black men held in jail.
9. All Black people who are brought to trial should be tried by a jury of their own peers, from their own community.
10. They wanted land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace. They wanted a Black Colony.

Langston Hughes, a famous musician, was a Black Panther who said, "The Panther in his desperate boldness wears no disguise. He is motivated by the truest of the oldest lies." The text paper "Arm the Masses" proclaims, "What we believe equals revolutionary nationalism and socialism for the Black Nation. Forty million Africans are captured inside the racist, capitalist U.S.A....". To help their community, the Black Panthers designed new and innovative social programmes that continue to this day. These include, but are not limited to, free breakfasts for students, free medical clinics, free clothing and shoes, free education and assistance for the elderly.

FBI director J. Edgar Hoover called the Black Panthers "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country". The police and the FBI infiltrated the Panthers through their Counter Intelligence Program to destroy the party and assassinate its leaders. They provoked violence between the Panthers and the U.S. Government. They created internal fragmentation through their propaganda to stop the Panthers' alliances with other groups.

One of the leaders was Kathleen Cleaver. She received a law degree from Yale and is a Professor at Emory University Law School in Atlanta. A reporter, Eldridge Cleaver, joined the Panthers two years after the assassination of Malcolm X (Malik Shahbaz). Eldridge (El Rage) was soon framed with a murder case and the couple had to go into exile in Algeria. Their Muslim son was raised there and in Somalia. Eldridge passed away a few weeks ago.

The Panthers admired the revolutionary Philosophy of Malik Shahbaz, who called for freedom and justice for the oppressed people "by any means necessary". A major activity of the Panthers was policing the police. They confronted the police, equipped with law books and rifles, when it was legal to do so. For further information, read a book or see the movie "Panther". Their common slogan was "Power to the People. Power to the People". We should be grateful to African Americans for their sacrifices. We enjoy several freedoms because they fought to attain these rights for all of us.

 

 

Honouring African Americans - Published in Palestine Times (2001)

The following article was published in Palestine times (in addition to Pakistan Link), around 2001. The paper Palestine Times, stopped publishing in 2007

Information about Palestine times:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Times#:~:text=Palestine%20Times%20was%20the%20only,Jerusalem)%20and%20the%20Gaza%20Strip. 

Link to the following published article: 
https://web.archive.org/web/20010108030200/http://www.ptimes.com/issue81/articles.htm#anchor765307*

Ode to the Social Work Student / Intern

May you get a scholarship to a good university

May you learn in a school which uses Critical Race Theory

May you find professors who care about your well being

May you meet social work professionals who become your friends

May you get mentors who give you wings

May your training empower you to be of service where needed

May you be deemed worthy of the privileges of an intern's bill of rights

May you be protected from humiliation and oppression in your internship

May you receive fair labor wages for every hour you work as an intern

May you be assigned a supervisor who will value and honor you

May you not be made invisible because of the label "intern" applied to you

May your "superiors" not be in denial that interns are a marginalized community

May you survive the implicit and explicit biases against you

May you have realistic expectations about other social workers

May the disappointment by other social workers not cause you resentment

May you be an agent of change starting at your own university

May you get fired up and inspired in classes

May you engage in nourishing dialogue with professors and schoolmates

May you find a refuge from discrimination

May you enjoy a sanctuary free from White Supremacy

May your lived experiences be deemed as valid

May your voice be heard loud and clear

May your feelings be considered as legitimate

May your heart and soul be acknowledged

May you leave your positive mark on the lives you touch

May the hypocrisy in the field not leave you disillusioned

May the double-standards applied to you, not leave scars

May the lack of social justice in the field, not make you quit

May the travails and tribulations of the work not cause you to lose hope

May the pain not leave you drained

May the tears not blur your vision

May the burdens placed on your shoulders not get you burned out

May your sacrifices be never in vain

May you truly be an advocate for change

May you throw a monkey wrench in every system of White Supremacy

May you not become a tool of the systems of oppression

May the lack of ethics by others not extinguish your passion

May you never be made to feel like a nobody

May you be the somebody who advocates for the nobodies

May you never let the bastards get you down

May you find a circle of support where you are loved

May your reduce the gap between knowledge and implementation

May you remain steadfast and resilient in your commitments

May you advocate and educate

May you graduate and celebrate... with honors

May you be fulfilled and enriched by social work

May you serve a higher purpose through your job

May you always take the high road

May you make our world a safer place

Get Up, Stand Up, For Your Rights

 (27) Get Up, Stand Up, For Your Rights

by Fazeel Chauhan

10-25-96

In an effort to "adapt" in America, we may change our name, language, clothes and beliefs. As hard as we may try, we do not fit in as "Americans." Our basic identity seems alien to a typical American. Our name, religion, culture and heritage are non-European. Because of these differences, we as a group have the most difficulty in the process of "assimilation" and may become easy targets of racism. Thus the title, which is one of the many suggestions given by reggae singer Bob Marley.

When I came to America, as a teenager, I wanted to fit into the new society. I tried hard to get rid of my accent, facial hair and native clothes. I opened myself up to learn about the new cultures, religions and social behaviors. I wanted to understand Americans and to discover common things based on which I could befriend them. I was an excellent Cricket and Hockey player. That did not help me here so I started playing football and baseball. In college and elsewhere, I was told that in order to survive, we must adapt. And I tried to adapt as much as I could. I even had to adapt my sense of humor because I could not make American people laugh with Pakistani type jokes.

I learned that American people in general have many great qualities. Americans are generally honest, law-abiding, well organized and punctual. In college people did not cheat like they did in Pakistan. In everyday life, I didn't have to deal with corruption. Sadly and unwillingly, however, I became aware of racism in America. It was of a different brand than the kind I experienced in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Somehow, we are not prepared to deal with it.

Most of us don't come here with American citizenships in hand. Many come here on student visas, which do not give us the confidence to walk on this ground as if it belongs to our fathers. We live in fear, without "making waves," til we acquire our Nationality. To our dismay, it doesn't make us an "American" in the eyes of the American majority. We continue to operate from a place of fear and put Caucasians on a pedestal.

In the initial contact with Americans, the first question asked is "Hey, what's your name?" If it's a common Muslim name like Hamid, Ali or Fareed it generates a wall of separation. If you're "lucky" enough to have fair skin and/or "European" features, you may get a foot in the door. But if you have the usual brown features, a wall rises against you, even before your name is asked. In conversations with Americans, we're asked about our religion or country of origin and some barbed wire gets added to the walls. These questions may be prompted to us because of our "accents." Some of us may discover that becoming a part of the American social circles is extremely difficult. We know them, but they are not interested in finding out who we are. In trying to "adapt," we gain little and lose our identity. We also turn to fellow Pakistanis and realize that they too have imported certain prejudices. We notice that frequently Pakistanis don't acknowledge each other on the street. The idea gets or grows in our heads that we are no good. The media does its share of promoting White American values, which may make us feel minor.

Muslims around the world and in America don't seem to have the spiritual fire and power like we did in the old days. When we instinctively stood up for our dignity, faith, and name. There is a general feeling of sadness and powerlessness among Muslims. A weakening of the spirit was caused by outside forces and helped by inner corruption.

Speculation about the state of the collective Muslim mind can be very subjective. The point is, at least in America, we operate from a place of fear and don't stand up to defend our basic human rights. We sometimes get stuck at "What can I as one person do." Or we become so disappointed that we pretend not to care. Some people stop me from talking and expressing my feelings about racism. I tell them that I am a Pakistani Muslim and my name is not "John" any more. I insist to them that I am the victim, not the racist and we shouldn't blame the victim. It is a big problem and the only way to get to the solution is to first talk about it.

Evil and good are part of everyday life. The evil things may seem scary, but if we have the solid strength in our spiritual being, we can say Takbeer or Na-ra-ay Haidery and face up to whatever evil is in front of us. Last week, my buddy Noman and I stood up to six racists in Chico State University, near Sacramento, CA. When we stood up for what was right, to our surprise, they turned out to be cowards and ran away. Muslims, Pakistanis and Indians are new immigrants and thus the easy pickings. A racist person looks for the easy target. Even gay people have more "power" than us, such that it is considered politically incorrect to say anything against them. But it's considered acceptable to slander Muslims. From your heart, do something to end racism, and help empower your people

Affirmative Action and Proposition 209

 Affirmative Action and Proposition 209

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  10-28-96)

Is there a conspiracy against non-white immigrants? In California the same people who brought us proposition 187 a couple of years ago, are now bringing us proposition 209. It assumes that racism does not exist anymore and that Affirmative Action programs should be terminated. If the two dots are connected, I wonder what the projected ultimate goal is. If we as part of the "minority" don't vote against 209, then we are on our way to legalized racism.

Proposition 187 targeted "Illegal" aliens, denying their children education and medical care. As Dr. Hathout mentioned, "Even if a person doesn't have proper papers, I will still treat him like a human being and give him the medical care he needs." Proposition 187 attempted to legalize immoral treatment of undocumented aliens and it passed. Proposition 209 is the next step, which takes certain rights away from "legal" aliens. What's next? Separate passports based on which country a person immigrated from? Legalized racism based on your color? Currently, people with "European" features are not likely to be asked to prove whether they are legal or whether they are "American." Nobody even talks about the thousands of illegal Italians in New York. In fact, immigration from European countries is encouraged. Governor Wilson and his supporters are targeting the non-white people.

Some students have been on hunger strikes and demonstrating at the Federal Building on Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood. This is a tradition that Mahatma Gandhi popularized. But Jackie who is an activist says that appealing to an oppressor's morality only works when he has morality. So what can we do? Believe it or not, your vote is extremely powerful. Elected officials do care about your vote. Even if you are not a citizen and not eligible to vote, you have every right to call or write to them and state how you feel. Even President Clinton responds to letters within a month. Many government officials are on the Internet and can be contacted easily if you have a computer. You can contact your local library to obtain names, addresses and phone numbers of all your representatives.

Many people, especially "Americans" say that they don't want to get involved in politics. Even though politics is a dirty business, still, we cannot escape the effect it has on our personal lives. For example, proposition 209, will affect all of us because we are a subset of non-white immigrants. Although a lot of energy is required these days to earn a good living, we should not be blind to the big picture. In politics, there is a lot of misinformation. For example, proposition 209, which takes away rights from minorities and women, is labeled as the "Civil Rights" initiative. This kind of "double-speak" can confuse even a sensible person.

Affirmative Action programs which were designed to combat racism are now being called reverse discrimination. The truth is, Affirmative Action is a sensible remedy for addressing current discrimination against people of color and women. It is a means of giving equal opportunities to people of color and women for hiring, promotion, public contracting and public school enrollment. Currently, 86% of jobs are not advertised, and are filled through word of mouth. Affirmative Action is a door opener for people who would otherwise be shut out of good schools, government contracts, and public jobs. It is not a system for hiring unqualified people. No program requires anyone to accept substandard or unqualified applicants. It is not a quota system and it is not a remedy for past discrimination. Unfortunately, discrimination continues to be widespread today. Just ask a conscious non-white person. According to Californians for Justice, Caucasian men make up 96% of CEO's, 85% of tenured professors, 89% of US Senators and 100% of all U.S. Presidents. On the other hand, people of color and women get the lowest paying and least desirable jobs. They also have much higher poverty and unemployment rates. Radio station KPFK 90.7 FM is also a good source of un-biased news and information.

Don't be fooled by Proposition 209, which they are wrongly calling the "Civil Rights" initiative. It eliminates all public equal opportunity affirmative action programs. This "Civil Wrongs" initiative offers only racial division, gender exclusion and open discrimination. The dangerously vague language also legalizes discrimination against women and girls. Does it sound like Apartheid as in South Africa? The initiative falsely assumes that the effects of past and present discrimination don't exist. It takes us back at least thirty years. Fortunately, there are groups like "Angry White Men Against Prop 209" a beautiful bunch of guys from Oakland. Please, vote against Prop. 209 on November 5th and write your elected officials to discourage them from putting such a bill on the ballot in the future

Thanks, Rodney

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  5-12-93)

The whole country watched the brutal beating of Rodney King by four cops. Their guilt was documented on a video, yet the jury found the policemen not guilty. I asked Jameel about his thoughts and feelings about the case and the riots that followed.
"I don't blame the people for rioting", he said. "You have to look at the history of this country. You have to objectively see the tremendous problems with the social, economic and political systems of this country. A closer look shows that fairness isn't equally likely for minorities and the less privileged. Police beatings and unjust verdicts occur every day. We just don't see it... until it happens to us. Only then do we usually try to do something about it.
"To fix a problem, first we have to acknowledge that it exists. But usually, Americans choose to not see things that may upset the status quo. If the sleeping masses wake up and see what the U. S. is doing to their own people, as well as to other countries, then they would become very upset and will do something to change it. This is what people were attempting to do through rioting. The Rodney King verdict woke up some people with a big jolt. Some took to the streets and expressed themselves violently. The destruction is seen as sad and scary by most people, but in the bigger picture of things, it is not a big deal. About fifty people died and there were about a thousand fires. Compared to the 300,000 plus human beings killed in Iraq and the total destruction of cities and industries there, the L. A. riots are minuscule. Why didn't the American people riot then? They didn't identify the death of Iraqis as a problem.
Problems are usually allowed to get out of hand before they are noticed. Consider for example the millions of deaths in Africa due to hunger and disease, lack of human rights around the world, the population explosion which is suffocating the Earth, the cutting down of the South American Rainforest at a rate of one acre per second and ozone depletion, the conquering of the Native Americans and the deletion of their history, slavery of blacks and ongoing racism, teachers who don't get paid enough, daily gang shootings in L. A., assassinations and government overthrows of sovereign nations by the CIA, enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world sixty times over, the two-party political system in the U.S., both of which are two sides of the same coin, the ever growing multi-trillion dollar U. S. deficit and the violence and tension in the Middle East, Kashmir and the new Soviet republics. These are massive, sad, scary and upsetting problems about which most American have not done much. These are the things that people really need to protest and correct. If the people lead, the leaders will follow. But for most people, if it's N.I.M.B.Y. (Not In My Back Yard), they don't care and they remain asleep. People started "caring" when their back yards were on fire.
"Politically, the American people are very naive. They will have to open their eyes to the identify problems such as the Rodney King case, and become involved to correct them. Not budging from the status quo and the comfort zone create numbness. On the other hand, each change is a chance for progress and learning. The last riot in L. A. was twenty five years ago. That means the people have been asleep for many years because as I said, there are far more important issues to protest about than a police beating. Hopefully this protest has paved the way for people to get actively involved in trying to correct other problems.
There has been destruction but the positive aspects have far out-weighed the negatives. The violence may not have been an appropriate means, but at least the people did something to get the attention of the powers-that-be. Maybe they were also tired of peaceful demonstrations, which nobody seems to care about. In a numb society, outcries of injustice can be very healthy because they can wake people up. Thanks to Rodney's verdict, the people attempted to take things into their own hands. Their methods may have been wrong, but at least they tried. They attempted to change things, to correct wrongs and to make progress. The roots of the problems are in the overall economic, political and social systems. Those are the areas that always need to be actively evaluated and corrected. As a first step, we must have equality for all human beings"

Honoring African Americans

Honoring African Americans

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(as published in Pakistan Link, Los Angeles, 1997)

February is Black History month and it serves as a great reminder of the immense contributions which African Americans have made to this society. Their teachings can profoundly help and accelerate the progress of Pakistanis and other Muslims in America. The extreme degree of their human experience and their devout legacy deserves tremendous honor. We need to thank all minorities who came before us. They have given their lives for obtaining Civil Rights for our children. They can teach us immensely if we are willing to be humble and accept that we have a common milieu. 

If we as Muslims want to become aware of our predicament, we must begin by getting an accurate picture of American history. The book "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn is compulsory reading. It will shock you with the truth from page one. Native Americans were already here for thousands of years before the Europeans like Columbus arrived at the new world. Ironically, Columbus was actually looking for India, to enslave my own ancestors. Zinn's book quotes Columbus' own journal about his intentions of importing slaves and gold to Europe.
Historically, there has always been a small group of people exploiting a much larger group who may be the poor, weak or non-white. We must be aware of the idea that the media defines and divides the world into the categories of "the West and the Rest". In the scheme of American definitions, we are classified as minorities. We are included in the groups of Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and immigrants. We should join the ranks of our fellow minorities and do our fair share. If united, this group of "'minorities" can be very powerful. Otherwise we fall prey to being divided and conquered by other people. The people classified as "minorities" in America can teach each other astronomically because we share most common values. We may have different religions, but our culture, morals, behavior and predicament are the same as native or traditional people of the world.

The legacy and teachings of Native Americans also deserves tremendous honor. The first owners of this land are classified as a "minority" who did not "immigrate" to America. The first "non-Europeans" who immigrated here, but against their will, were Africans. It is guaranteed that their words will enlighten you. Their experience will help you progress much faster. We are not the first minority or the first immigrants here. Africans, have been here for hundreds of years before us. We should always enlist their help and cooperation so that we do not have to keep re-inventing the wheel. Thus we need to appreciate and honor them.

If you are facing raci~m, ask an African American about the experience of his ancestors. If you feel that you are among aliens, watch movies like "Amistad." Invite an African American family over for dinner and engage in a dialogue about your common issues. Their heart, hope, persistence, faith, humbleness, pride and power will invigorate and catapult you. In addition to dialogue, read books written by African Americans and other minorities. Get beyond only watching movies such as Malcolm X. Find out who struggled for hundreds of years, bit by bit, to get equal rights for "people of color". As a rule, any dominant culture tries hard to maintain the status quo. It wasn't Anglo-Americans who initiated the ideas of Civil Rights against slavery, apartheid and racism.
Our Muslim parents push their kids to pursue careers which are only financially rewarding such as business or medicine. Why should it take five more decades to realize that we need to encourage kids into the arts, politics and social work? The Jewish people are a great example of a small group of people who became very influential by teaching their kids to go into the powerful areas of media, politics and finance. We should learn from them. Your children can be the next heroes for people around the world, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Mohammed Ali. African Americans are usually the best athletes but why are they, prevented from being coaches? The best Cricket, Squash, Kabaddi and Hockey players in the world are in our genes. Why do we keep them dormant?

White supremacists continue to use IQ tests and various studies to prove that other minorities somehow lack certain human elements. But look at how African Americans prove them wrong by their accomplishment in science, as well as arts. Louis Lattimer is a famous scientist and inventor. African American scientists are not well publicized but artists will tell you that even art involves a high level of mathematical and scientific abilities. Notice that often Anglo-Americans are made legendary by the media while minorities are ignored. For example the notion that "Elvis is King". What about Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Miles Davis and Jimmy Hendrix? African Americans are the pioneers of pop music. They sang gospel and the blues from the time of slavery and later invented the highly complex style called jazz. Actors churn up their ancestral emotions and deliver heart wrenching performances in the theater. Dancing is so instinctive for African Americans that their beautiful dance of life leaves us envious. Tony Morrison is a Nobel Laureate for Literature.

Some of our Muslim brethren look down upon other sects. But any human being who claims that he is a Muslim, probably shares at least 70% of your beliefs. So why not joyfully embrace him for that? Us Pakistanis have the common disease of pointing the finger at others and being unable to see that the other three fingers are always pointing at us. The Nation of Islam has done a lot of revolutionary and brave work. Most Anglo-Americans believe the trash on TV and don't even know who is Allah or Muhammed. If a group of people like the Nation of Islam can teach someone the basics of Allah, Muhammed and Quran, then each student receives thousands of benefits. Instead of dividing people based on differences, and judging other groups, we should accept them for being like us. Which Muslim group will organize the next Million Man March?

We also import prejudices from the old country where human supremacy based on skin color and money is rapidly becoming common. We need to be aware of how beautifully these lies are fed around the world through TV and movies. African Americans and Muslims are portrayed as criminals and sub-human.

Caucasians are portrayed as admirable heroes, even if they are shown as killers. Some churches which present Jesus as a White man, subtly give the message that Caucasians are godly and can't do no wrong. Immigrants like us were lucky enough to have experienced life in other environments. We are very perceptive and can also in return be good teachers. These statements are not anti-anglo. They are human beings like the rest of us, but no race or skin is superior. The extreme of unity is Allah. The benefit of human unity is that we can teach each other and together, greatly accelerate our progress.

lokol and globol kowboyz

(a litany of trigger happy gun users and “conquerors”)

 

lokol and globol kowboyz

I shewt
bewhere
stay awey
mighty fense
you vermin
its myne
keep aut
don’t nock
you lost
no home
moov on
you ded
the end
 

Concentration Cramp

Concentration Cramp

"Not in Europe but L.A.
Angry, howling dogs
Smashing against cages
Bold, majestic cats
Cute, fluffy kittens
Orphans awaiting adoption

No Nazi uniforms around
But somebody makes choices
Picking which pets to kill
In the name of space

Their dreadful crime:
Learned their multiplication tables
Far too well"

Says an Anglo American writer
He's choked up with emotion
With evident love and care
Protesting against cruelty to pets
But what about human orphans

 and poor people instead?

Fazeel Azeez Chauhan

4-19-99