Aljazeera. Im femi oke a and you are in the stream today why do Prison Inmates in United States come to islam imo it could be law that weve discussed a documentary film the honest struggle which tells the story of an exit fenders mission to help muslim converts as they leave jail leave your comments and questions for us in the chat or on twitter. Reentry sometimes is a misnomer because it implies a 2nd chance and the reality for a lot of our brothers is that they dont really have a 1st chance i begin to think the best place for me to be was back and one of them say yes because the only thing it is that you have no idea what its like in every step for me is. That al davis was just 18 when he was 1st sent to prison 7 a total of 25 years behind bars davis converted to islam while in jail taking on the name. Truthful as part of an attempt to leave his previous lifestyle behind about living history for i rebuilt in a life outside the prison walls presented its difficulties in the honest struggle david share says story of returning to the chicago streets that once led him to prison and his story one of faith and overcoming hardship is not unique hundreds of thousands of inmates in the United States have found a sense of community and solace in islam with some studies estimating that muslims comprise about 10 to 15 percent of all american prisoners so what are some of the challenges that former and current inmates encounter as they navigate their faith were pleased to welcome said davis to the stream to help us explore that question also with us just in michoud for. The Los Angeles Based filmmaker and the director of the on a struggle and in the u. S. State of connecticut and is an islamic scholar and senior faculty member at Zaytuna College in berkeley california welcome to the stream everyone good to have a. City hello. There was a moment when you decided you were going to convert to islam now tell us about that moment how did you get. Well. Really good about what did you get out were you or is this what work enough you know no matter how would it. Wasnt working. Go up dont move your part would have a. Good opening. While were. There to. Put a couple symbol represents who isnt going to understand the koran. Being. You know a good mix of the peace that ive never experienced before one like. To do something about the quran that attracts you that drew you in or was it the brothers in prison that you use. Well were. Broke because. We can direct you to blubber co we well it was so important to maintain well. That is why were all look at how what is the use of the ever recognize the fact that it was inhumane and the reason why were going. Because i did recommend this you know because. Were going to series because this is real people is that it says what is within the havent written a real mess that i have a mess of things go in order to find out who about who do the work in harlem to be living as a human being. So we got this tweet from your oclock here and she kind of picks up on what youre saying there about why she sees people converting to this religion in prisons mine or says islam is a religion which will forgive when perhaps the rest of the world are willing to offer you peace and answers for everything going on which makes it easier to be patient during hard times and have hope for the future so with that in mind just in the idea for this documentary in the 1st place i know it came to you in the form of an email or a letter from a chaplain way back in 2008. Yeah so in 2008 i had received an email from a christian chaplain who was actually in charge of the muslim inmates and he was looking for muslims on the outside be you know pen pals and it was just such a stretch that he found my email on the internet and i as a documentary filmmakers that immediately you know started researching the subject i just took on so many other brothers that were locked up through his network through some my own network and i was in touch with you know about a half dozen and then finally in 2010 i discovered Humans Program and i just said it was it was 2nd to none and it was such a unique thing that i just really wanted to tell that story so just in just for the people who are tuned in today for the 1st time we have covered the program youre talking about with the inner City Muslim Action Network its called the Green Reentry Program but in the line there can you describe what that program is yes sure so the the Green Reentry Program essentially identifies positive role models it within the prison that are prisoners that are coming out to give them a safe space to live and then also in addition give them green rehabilitation skills and constructions so they are rehabilitating the lapped it homes on in the south side of chicago that have been for foreclosed on and they do solar panel laying they do you know recycled flooring and materials and kind of giving the ideas to give kind of cutting edge job skills so that way people can kind of get on their feet and become selfsufficient in moms and i want to go out something that is really relevant to what its from the Pew Research Center is quite an old piece of research religion in prisons a 50 state survey of Prison Chaplains and then here which group some crying is shrinking top of the list muslims who roaming or staying the same in prison why do you think that is what you think it is about islam that actually a tracks people in prison to think that that is something that might help their journey. A thing there are a number of issues 1st of all for a lot of people this isnt universal for a lot of people its learned as a protest religion its a protest against oppression as a protest against conditions that are sometimes cruel and unfair giving and for many people the reigning religious reality is part of whats being protested and so its not become sort of an alternative but everyone i think is thats where many people i think is universal that islam gives a person dignity by empowering that person empowering the person through literacy i know many muslims who are incarcerated the 1st book that they read cover to cover and their life was the core answer and so thats a very empowering so there are there are a lot of. Good there are many many reasons also is to learn because it demands that you study as a its a religion thats based on knowledge its a Knowledge Base tradition and religion and that reckon set of values in many instances slows a lot of brothers down for the 1st time as those who seen the documentary can remember said be talking about just in the street youre going youre going you move me i think and writing that speech sometimes and once you are incarcerated and you have a koran thats that slows you down and once you slow down you can begin to get in touch with your true self and so there are many other reasons we commence to but ill turn the micro but to my colleagues well the sid the keep my follow up on that sitting there are some Beautiful Moments in the film with that moment when nothing with you in the moment so last crying with you one of my i lost a lot of us a sense of self realisation he said it took you 14 years to realise us dumb as a box of rocks. Because it. And then you became snobs. Like you were in prison as a culms that how to exactly what i was saying to jet yes yes so if you think that is dumb as a box of rocks that he became a come back and then how did that help teens actually get through the rest of your prison sentence. Well you know but this is the you know i mean i realize that i wouldnt come out of astral you know like i see it is or you. Dumb as a box the rock was when i gave it Everything Else the goods on soul could me by way of being everything became be reclear who are rather that knowledge or because i wouldnt wouldnt who take my hand and put it behind my back you know i wouldnt really matter recognize the fact that i wasnt smart as a star award but then i kept looking at the fact that a could have been to mock with a clip given orders problem but an older guy been in sales so its done something is not right robin givens who grew older through the less its part of my life goals and it was something much more and faster much more rewarding much more useful is being that i realize and accept the fact that ok now im beginning to understand. Im beginning to see. How what is it up and live in contrary to what it is that i was created to do and. Out of through to correct if i. Wanted to straighten it out and still. Gang members in the make what that look like would be practice adults who also would be free. And she had of course been the ventilation that it was decorated in a fatal head and i made. At the age of 40 the revolution came to prop it more of. Its a very good here. For the t. V. Matter meineke here on twitter says that the conversion often is because of a sense of community of feelings of belonging and its important to then ones wellbeing and that is while in prison but then what happens when you get out and oftentimes that is for many people a struggle in itself which seeks this to this we just got from t. J. Who says i would like to know how the director how you justin came out with the idea the on a struggle as the title of this documentary what is behind that honest struggle. First of all for credit to being creative about that title as my wife. And i had multiple titles of the film as i was working on it and my wife came up with the name sensually you know comes from the idea of truthfulness and honesty and the film d is completely about his struggle so it really just like popped in so you know so well and it worked perfectly to be the on the struggle being sidique struggle i think theres a moment where we won on you but i could hear you and we were wondering what happens when you get out you have this community of brothers in prison and then you have to look for your community now that your comfort out saw eat there was a moment where you met up with an old friend called rachelle notat her friend and you were chit chatting and telling her about your conversion and i just want to share with our audience as well seem from that moment to have them. Coming back over here and many people who walk home movies and on the block we do it in the playground. Coming back home black and be reminded a way it is a come from is my way of trying to share with the block that i contributed to the problem. My name is deep she deep means truthful. So one thing is im not going to do is just on im all name that ive done my life barry. Barry danny boy what is it i when i hear the word subject. I think is good you become the person that you are now under you know. Its in a lot. You know you turn out. Long enough to. See that is date dark shade michelle is trying on you our friend. Let me out of finding a new community that youve never experienced tell us about that well you know through embrace islam and career. The ball game we the crew had been to whether what were told about remember thats the root or what you want to get. Late sixtys and said we are because i was. But having discovered is. Also remember packwood network. That what your brother who. You know is given. The greatness of it is that ive never experienced before the goodness of the family again this is a commitment. Coming out to the street and thats been the same thing that sort of ever devastated you know we had a very strong sense of. Community in prison and you know if we come out of produce not experience that was very deborah for me not i think that was one of the hardest things is obvious and kind of before my life about her that so much great experience and so much belief in my mom the community and the brotherhood so i had to come up with definite about that a lot more than want to create about how were different out on the streets and i thought it would be a whole lot better over 3 feet of water than prisoners however you know along with the afternoon there are a few other brothers who i was able to maintain but it was very difficult why wouldnt pretty persistent caller can kind of now recognize that hes probably part of what i called in on. A thing was mention is very important and thats why the Green Reentry Program a Similar Program to so important in addition to the job training there is the still point to support what sometimes the prison life as anyone everyone knows is very structured and islam is a very structured religion 5 prayers jumana friday congregation koran meeting koran study Group Conversation fasting ramadan together so you put the structure of this lemon you combine that with the structure and structure of incarceration thats a whole lot of structure and everyones together almost 24 sevenths you come out into the street and this is from my my experience working inside of the prisons and also and in a city. 1 community mirman an inner City Community where we have people reintegrating back into the community that structure in many instances completely ignore you might find it the morning prayer the badge of prayer where a decent number might come together then everyone is going to work this is going to work this is going to take the kids to school boost to is going to do this that and the other and you might not get together and to the by the prayer and so having poems where there is a sense of continuity in terms of that structure in terms of the support group and terms of job training to assist the process of reintegrating early reintegrate him back into society is absolutely important im so happy for so deep that he was able to find that opportunity in the context of the green room. So. What youre saying that i just want to i want to chime in here because people watching this are are are weighing in this is nora and she says what returning citizens often need is a little bit of extra help when leaving prison to keep themselves out of trouble she says businesses should perhaps accept a quota of former prisoners when employing and give them a chance without that routine distraction its easier to fall back into old ways so someone else whos weighing in on that idea of what happens when people come home return to society is someone who works at a band the company that the organization that youve heard our guest talk about inner City Muslim Action Network and theyre the ones that have the Green Reentry Program thats a dick you were a part of one of the founding members of that this is 10 asia comin and she talks to us about what some of these returning citizens often face. I believe the main difficulties of being a returning citizen is the stigma that comes with the title of being a returning service and. People tend to judge you on your past as opposed to trying to help you really cultivate and figure out what your future is gonna look like. When you walk around with this dark cloud and it comes with not forgiving yourself for whatever mistake you may may or may not have made but i think its really important as a returning citizen to really see your future self to forgive yourself for your past and to look at how you can be a better person in the future so justin as the filmmaker behind this were you surprised that difficulty or is that the reason you decided to tackle this. Yeah i mean it was definitely one of the reasons i decided to tackle it if you look at the statistics on reentry its just absolutely you know disappointing and depressing frankly and i see you know organizations like him on their contribution is so crucial. They you know kind of are following up on on the legacy of people like malcolm x. Who you know when coming out of prison said you know what the 1st thing i want to do is try to help call my brothers out of the situation so i think you know that was definitely a big motivator for me and to you know inspire people to take this is a serious priority and theres a lot that we can do in order to help people that are that are really simple things one of the one of the 1st people that i spoke to when i was making this film was a brother name alija and he was he was from iowa and when i went out and visited him just the community had just kind of thrown to the side and he just said you know everybodys going to salami at the mosque but i just want somebody to play x. Box with. You know so it was really kind of difficult to see that and. That type of statement is asian that happens to people that are coming on was disappointing and i feel like. Muslim communities can do a lot to improve the city come just looking at some photographs here from the screenings from the on a struggle im looking at screenings in indiana prisons im just going to school for some of the public that you know just been doing this is your view to full life you have to watch the film to find out. Very interesting that you look so comfortable being a representative of what it means to convert to islam coming out of prison and then going on that journey what are you able to share with people what is your message to people as you enter this film its more than just your story. Well to begin with if i could go in every prison in illinois i would tell them to try to get in 1st with your mom you know because the mom was responsible for me having a place to come to it was the fossil for me being in the muslim serving the Community Practice it being about was wrong and i didnt really begin this bravo and left if i had any kind of control religious its a way its not a running back. To that because i knew. That space was also a battle for the book was coming out so to myth that is that i would like to give to people to sort of this love is this at some point youve got to recognize the fact if you were to manifest youve got to recognize the fact that you need to be doing Something Different you know but the results know what separates good guys or do you have before you realize it is mamas available to the weight of your life over we will have no control over of everything it is the before you realize that. Is the given to you to have these great new lifestyle for more than anything i want to continue. In prison when you come out as long as you maintain the thing is no one who can make people laugh or know who can sit in on a ramadan and do everything it is necessary for you to do. No matter what it is you go through youre going to be all right because the last part of what ive never put on you much more to what is easiest to come back. Which is why on you tube right now someone is watching what youre saying and writing in if this works for inmates or former inmates and why ostracize them a spiritual awakening is tantamount to rehabilitation of course you can do that in the live feed of the show but i actually want to play a video comment we just got on instagram from someone who talks to us about what he can do is asking a question have a listen to i came in this coming. Absolutely cmon Amos Saki Muhammad im from the south side chicago and i was really inspired by the film donna shrug when my question is how can we better if we are brothers in the streets with the message of a song for the sweat of his soul pressed him and say ill get that went to you. Well what we used to do in new haven connecticut amongst other things is we had a band we called the bill that we put some speakers on the roof of the band and we put up a system that was powered by the cigarette lighters and we were going through the streets and wherever there was a quote brothers and we get out and we just talked to the brothers and embrace them and encourage them and many times there would be people what most of them sometimes there were people or muslims who who would. Start coming to the the mast i think we have to open the doors of the mascot i think a big important thing in terms of what we can do is we have to be look being representatives of that true. True regardless of the external situation regardless rather were ostracized or. Rather were marginalized or celebrated no matter what the external condition siddig assert Something Else but to this we have to rise above them be an example and. There really should were hope that all the who might be doing were good to support group a man i made suitable brothers there. Who came through the prison system and no thank you so much in my whole on the outside it was going to stop ok i was a no no no policies needed a speaking true fright here on the stream in a safe city just saying thank you very much for being on the stream we cannot talk about this film without telling you where to see it and you can see it wherever you are in the world justin is in full promo mode right here so you can see it on i scenes and also if you go to the website of the on a struggle you will see it on amazon instant physio and also on ice sheet and also a pivot share around the world and coming soon to google play thank you very much gentlemen it is such a pleasure having you on the stream today now this show is not just thrown together we put it together with an incredible crew one of my credible crew one of half hourly is Madeline Finkel Maddie think oh who is leaving today so leak out how do we see her lets cut to the controller and i would like that so lets cut to the control room so we can give maddie a big thank you and the reality was even i guess are plotting to think oh we will mystere we love you very much thank you for helping us make the scream see you next time without my. From the aljazeera London Bureau catherine to t. V. Special guest in conversation when you say a lie a 1000000 times that becomes the you then can create whatever narrative you want unprompted uninterrupted and i realized i was working for something i was able you know being a part about it creating our maria ressa meets Christopher Wiley the death of journalist and theres only the 1st signal for the death of democracy studio to be unscripted on aljazeera. We understand the differences and similarities of cultures across the world. So no matter where you call. Aljazeera were bringing you the news and Current Affairs that matter to. Aljazeera. Every year 50000000 tons of electronic waste is thrown away the majority is illegally dumped in developing countries right now electronic waste is the most creative as of this with retracing the tech through the criminal organizations making big profits and asking why the west is turning a blind eye. Manmade on the waste trail on aljazeera. The. Earth the world. The number of infections in the u. S. Sets new records as it grapples with bringing in the coronavirus pandemic under control. They have to go back to work a country has to get back or could 3 is based on. Im Richelle Carey this is al jazeera live from doha also coming up a call for unity as the u. S. And china must Work Together to fight the virus. The party is over heres a new orleans could
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