Kareem abdul jabber biography islamic song

He wanted to transform in a more private way than making public announcements still he has not to regret what he faced for becoming a Muslim. A true Muslim indeed has the same spirit as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar filled with Islam is all about peace and contentment. Being a celebrity he had to face a lot of criticism, objections, and questions. Facebook Instagram Paypal Twitter Youtube.

Sign in. Today, according to the Pew Research Center, there are about 3. The numbers are growing, in part because it is a religion that tends to encourage having more children and in part because we have more Muslim immigrants. Unfortunately, the increase in the Muslim population has brought with it an increase in fear from white non-Muslims in America.

Kareem abdul jabber biography islamic song: Although I am Muslim,

When I was converting to Islam in the s, news was spread through only a handful of television stations, radio and newspapers. Today, with hour news outlets online and on cable, every act of terrorist violence anywhere in the world becomes hammered at the public all day on phones, computers, TVs and even watches. This magnifies the anxiety of the public way beyond the actual threat level.

The media becomes a mirror in which objects appear much closer than they are. Five people killed by radical terrorists in Libya can seem like 50 killed in your own suburban neighborhood. In that irrational national atmosphere, Muslim-Americans face much more scrutiny than they did when I converted. Fortunately, there are so many more Americans who treasure the words of the U.

Constitution that prohibit discrimination based on religious belief or ethnic origin. Many people are born into their religion.

Kareem abdul jabber biography islamic song: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis

For them it is mostly a matter of legacy and convenience. Their belief is based on faith, not just in the teachings of the religion but also in the acceptance of that religion from their family and culture. For the person who converts, it is a matter of fierce conviction and defiance. Our belief is based on a combination of faith and logic because we need a powerful reason to abandon the traditions of our families and community to embrace beliefs foreign to both.

Conversion is a risky business because it can result in losing family, friends and community support. Some fans still call me Lew, then seem annoyed when I ignore them. According to a Pew Research Center poll on attitudes about major religious groups, the U. The acts of aggression, terrorism and inhumanity committed by those claiming to be Muslims have made the rest of the world afraid of us.

Part of my conversion to Islam is accepting the responsibility to teach others about my religion, not to convert them but to co-exist with them through mutual respect, support and peace. One world does not have to mean one religion, just one belief in living in peace. During his 20 seasons in the league, he won six championships and six Most Valuable Player awards.

Read More at Aljazeera America. Kareem shares why he converted to Islam. Unease with celebrity. Posted in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The first thing he did was push aside the Baptist religion that his parents had brought him up in and study Islam.

Kareem abdul jabber biography islamic song: Born, () April 16

To him, Christianity was a foundation of the white culture responsible for enslaving blacks and supporting the racism that permeated society. Islam helped him find his true self and gave him the strength not only to face hostility from both blacks and whites but also to fight for social justice. I began to study the Quran. This decision set me on an irreversible course to spiritual fulfillment.

I made serious mistakes along the way. As I said earlier, I was brought up to respect rules — and especially those who enforced the rules, such as teachers, preachers and coaches. Some fans took it very personally, as if I had firebombed their church while tearing up an American flag. Actually, I was rejecting the religion that was foreign to my American culture and embracing one that was part of my black African heritage.

An estimated 15 to 30 percent of slaves brought from Africa were Muslims. Although I was greatly influenced by Malcolm X, a leader in the Nation of Islam, I chose not to join because I wanted to focus more on the spiritual rather than political aspects. Eventually, Malcolm rejected the group right before three of its members assassinated him.

My parents were not pleased by my conversion. But the more I studied history, the more disillusioned I became with the role of Christianity in subjugating my people. But for me, it was too little, too late. The failure of the church to use its might and influence to stop slavery and instead to justify it as somehow connected to original sin made me angry.

Papal bulls e.

Kareem abdul jabber biography islamic song: A reading of The

And while I realize that many Christians risked their lives and families to fight slavery and that it would not have been ended without them, I found it hard to align myself with the cultural institutions that had turned a blind eye to such outrageous behavior in direct violation of their most sacred beliefs. The adoption of a new name was an extension of my rejection of all things in my life that related to the enslavement of my family and people.

Alcindor was a French planter in the West Indies who owned my ancestors. My forebears were Yoruba people, from present day Nigeria. His name felt like a branded scar of shame.