Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2018/03/06

World-renowned Islamic orator Sheikh Omar Suleiman, and other community leaders were arrested in Washington DC after calling on lawmakers to support bi-partisan immigration legislation.

Peaceful protesters took to the nation’s capital to advocate for immigration reform which will allow permanent protection available to ‘Dreamers’ protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, before being arrested for acts of ‘civil disobedience’.

Sh. Suleiman is a well-known orator and a frequent visiting guest to South Africa; he was quoted as saying that ‘Muslim scholars are fighting white supremacy because Islamophobia, racism and anti-immigrant stances all stem from the same roots’.

“First and foremost to the Muslim community, we being targeted by the same desease that is targeting our Dreamers community as a whole, so we have to stand together.”

Imam Omar Suleiman speaks at the capitol today as we stand together as #MuslimsForDream demanding Congress pass a Clean #DreamActNow! We are #HereToFight until justice is served! https://t.co/0rFxHWUy4v pic.twitter.com/oK80GUVIVD

— MPower Change (@MPower_Change) March 5, 2018

Law enforcement officials also apprehended prominent US Muslim scholar, Imam Zaid Shakir.

Prior to the arrests, Imam Shakir said that the US is threatened by the actions of a ‘reckless racist regime’.

“Brothers and sisters, it’s a blessing to be here, and we just want to say that this is home for many people, this is the only home that many of the people threatened with deportation have known to be home.”

According to the Muslim Link Paper, “faith groups are rallying against using undocumented immigrant youth and advocating the passage of a bill that would give legal status to 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children.”

Frequent Radio Islam International guests, Nihad Awad of CAIR National, Zahra Billoo and Linda Sarsour were among those arrested.

Sh Suleiman confirmed on his Twitter account, that he has since been relaeased by the authorities.

Salaam all! Al Hamdulila I just got out and I’m fine. I greatly appreciate the concern. Will update soon inshaAllah

— Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman504) March 6, 2018