Restoring Justice to Indigenous Americans

Let’s be real, much of what we think we know about the past has been and is still largely piggybacked on privileged white patriarchy often Christianized. From within our society to the very education our school’s virtually indoctrinate into our children, the age-old superiority complex still lurks. Did you know that a century before Columbus violently stole the limelight, Spanish, Black, and Middle Eastern Muslims arrived in America with humility and peace? Amid the West’s hijacking of history via bloody inquisitions marinates an egotistical fantasy to steal the restorative arena posing as saviors to an injustice they themselves created and continue to push. The insensitive hypocrisy has to end.

Instead of covering up atrocities and guilt through quick fix distractions and sensational language, let’s administer the medicine of sparing time in our lives and classrooms to truly appreciate the treasure of Indigenous Americans, their experience, history, culture, and, dare I say, religion from their perspective. I promise it will be an enlightening and humbling experience. Perhaps one day we’ll do the same with other minorities after realizing that we too are a piece of America’s fabric, in more ways than what meets google search results.

As an Ahmadi Muslim American father, Teacher, and double minority I recognize that the healing liberation in replacing dangerously entitling facades like Columbus Day with reformative truths like Indigenous People’s Day is just the beginning.

Regards of peace,

Zahir Mannan is a Building Substitute Teacher at Keigwin Middle School in Middletown, serves voluntarily as a Meriden Police Chaplain, and is the elected Outreach Director for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Baitul Aman “House of Peace” Mosque Meriden. He can be reached at 860-670-6402.

"Love for all, hatred for none"