Juneteenth and the Islamic Message of Equality

Despite creating reforms to enact racial equality within the last century, grave injustices are still being committed within the justice system. As an American-Muslim, I am compelled to speak up about tolerance and unity. In the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (Muslims who believe Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani to be the Messiah of this time), for example, our motto is “Love for all, hatred for none,” and I find it inspiring to always strive to live up to the expectation that all races and religions are not only to be treated with their due respect but as brothers and sisters. This principle lines up with the tradition of Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the emancipation of slaves and equality of all races.

Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19, after slaves in Texas were freed after the arrival of General Wagner in 1865, despite the Emancipation Proclamation coming into effect two years and a half year prior. Similarly, the Holy Quran promoted the freedom of slaves in verses 90:13-17 in the slave-ridden lands of Arabia. Today, however, we still fail to see this practice fully realized, as people of color still face systemic barriers, as many are subjected to cruelty rather than kindness, such as the case with refugees from Latin America. As not only a Muslim but as an American, I find it imperative that the standards of common courtesy be met, for holidays such as Juneteenth would be for naught if America has failed to change into the land of the free that it claims to be.