(Bergen Record) More than two dozen mosques across New Jersey plan to dedicate their sermons on Friday — their main day of prayer — to speaking out against racism and police brutality, a coalition of groups announced Wednesday.
Friday’s “Day of Outrage” is part of a larger effort from Muslim organizations and houses of worship to express solidarity with black Americans after the death of George Floyd, organizers said. The 46-year-old black man died in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin, a white 44-year-old police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed face down in the street.
“We want to encourage Muslim leaders to act not only externally and issue statements against police brutality and racism, but also to commit to becoming better leaders of the Muslim community,” said Selaedin Maksut, executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “We are asking them to fight racism in their own circles.”
