For African-American Muslims, Ramadan Has Special Meaning

As the month of Ramadan begins, many millions of Muslims around the world are joining in a collective fast intended to help purify their souls. But for the more than half a million African-American Muslims, many of whom descend from former slaves, Ramadan has a special meaning -- a link between the African-American experience and the Islamic tradition of spiritual freedom. VOA's Mana Rabiee has more.

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• Ramadan
• Islam
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• African American Muslims
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[rollingklouds]

@LostAngel723 That is what King Leopold of Belgium told the Europeans, and asked for their assistance. Then he took over the Congo, started a most vicious campaign of extermination and mining. During his rule Congolese population shrunk from 30 million to 8 million.

In the same country, over 5 million have been killed since 1995.

[LostAngel723]

@GrandmasterTigerfist "The arabs were also involved in slavery of the African people,"

Read my response to Mr. Sheniah.

The Arabs were enslaving many people. Not just Africans but also Europeans were taken as slaves, especially the women that were used as harems. In the end, I'm really not concerned about how some Arabs took part in the slave trade. This does not stand against the beauty of Islam and how it has transformed the lives of many people, regardless of race.

[GrandmasterTigerfist]

@LostAngel723

The arabs were also involved in slavery of the African people, the africans enjoyed a short period of freedom when the Turk sultan Timur defeated the arabs.

[LostAngel723]

@MrSheniah

Anyway, Islam was the light of African civilization. From the golden age of the Moors to empires like Mali, Songhay, Timbuktu, the university of Sankore where you had scholars from Europe and Asia come to study.

[LostAngel723]

@MrSheniah

Europeans made a deal with Arabs as well as other Africans that if they helped them, they would be rewarded so this was done out of greed. However it was Europeans who were mainly responsible for the enslavement of African peoples and I doubt the founding fathers were concerned about the enslaved Africans well being. That's a bunch of b.s..

[MrSheniah]

@LostAngel723 Africans brought to the west were captured by Arab Muslims and sold as slaves. Those that didn't come to the Americas were castrated so they couldn't reproduce or killed. The reason the founding fathers of the US didn't send back the Africans was because of the cruelty by the slave captors.

[LostAngel723]

Well many of the enslaved Africans who were brought to the west were Muslim so we're really returning to the ways of our ancestors.

[naaziraa]

Not just African Americans should accept Islam, although many have, But the entire world. Alhamdulilah Islam isn't just for the Blacks or the Arabs but for all of mankind. :) Mashallah beautiful video!!

[Ummahstreamdotcom]

Thank you for sharing, many times we get left out of the beautiful Muslim Rainbow...

[MuhammadEgypt]

Freedom, Justice and Equality. Wonderful!

[RCvolunteer1978]

A GOOD VIDEO Thank you

[Gutsyndicate]

African Americans should adopt Islam, as its the only way to salvation and the only way to success