Bring The BIRT to your city!
WHO ARE THE BIRT?
The Black Imam’s Roundtable consists of 3 veteran Imams who are longtime friends and colleagues. They provide a weekly discussion of relevant and important talks for their supporters as well as on-the-ground (and online) sessions of knowledge. They have supporters throughout the country and throughout the world. The B.I.R.T. first began their public weekly discussion and thinktank on June 4, 2020. Several events inspired and highlighted the need for such a forum. George Floyd, an American Black man, was killed by police, on camera, while bystanders stood around and watched on May 25, 2020. This horrific – yet all-to-common – event followed by the subsequent unrest and publicity highlighted the sad reality that Black People’s lives and welfare are not generally a concern for the rest of society. This also opened the scab on the wound of the American Muslim community. In the same way the larger society treats its Black members, so do the larger American Muslim community also treats its Black Muslim ‘brothers’. This treatment is in fact mistreatment, marginalization, neglect, abuse and in many cases the relationship is toxically parasitical. The 1st Black Imam’s Roundtable was called “Addressing Our Concerns”. Beginning with that 1st session on June 20, 2020, the Imams pledged themselves to address issues that are of concern to this neglected section of the Muslim Ummah (community) – the Black Muslim. They have vowed to address issues – sensitive or otherwise – in an open and frank manner bereft of any sugarcoating or verbiage which takes into consideration of the fragility of non-Blacks at the expense of the marginalized Black Muslim. The B.I.R.T. comes together online every Tuesday for approximately 2 hours. During these lively discussions we encourage all participants to contribute monetarily for the sake of Allah. These funds are used by the Imams to visit the Believers all over the country to teach, help Al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahāwiyyah 44 and render service to those who normally couldn’t afford to host such programs. As a result of this blessed weekly gathering, we’ve grown from an online – virtual – community into a real – in-person – community which is evidenced by our many in-person gatherings; especially our 1st Post Fajr Reflections (PFR) Cookout on July 10, 2021.
