-Ga is straight, but strain from -Er. Come on now.

He said it best. "The overwhelming majority of Muslim youth who are currently employing the term “nigger,” even in its “sanitized” form, “nigga” are following one of the least savory manifestations of popular culture." -Imam Zaid Shakir

(www.newislamicdirections.com/nid/notes/
should_muslims_use_the_n_word/)

I hold the deepest respect for Imam Zaid Shakir, an American Muslim scholar and co-founder of the Zaytuna Institute in Hayward, California with Sheikh Hamza Yusuf. Often times, it is difficult to negotiate a balance between religion, culture and American society. Through the lectures and writings of Imam Zaid Shakir, I find myself having a greater appreciation of Qur'anic exegesis, Islamic history and intellectual thought because I see how this knowledge applies to reality. In addition to his Islamic studies training, Imam Zaid Shakir holds a Masters degree in Political Science from Rutgers University. By bringing sensitivity to race and poverty issues, he uses his faith-based lens to understand the human condition. Imam Zaid Shakir's awareness of the current social, political, and economic state of Muslims and non-Muslims alike makes him better equipped to educate the masses.

That said, I find it particularly important to reflect on Imam Zaid Shakir's explanation of the derogatory use of "N" world. He gives examples of how the word was used as a tool to oppress and vehemently spread hatred which we all know but seem to forget. Nowadays, it is so common to use the word as a term of endearment in pop culture which seeps into the malleable minds of the youth. Apparently, "-ga" is acceptable and "-er" is not. When specifically addressing pop/hip-hop culture who feel some kinship in using "-ga" to take back their history, I think the use oversimplifies and takes an ahistorical stance on a word filled with such pain. Using the word in vernacular shows a complete amnesia of history, an acceptance of intolerance and sadly, encourages a society that continues to think in black and white.

When it comes to the Muslim youth, what happened to finding an authentic American Muslim identity for themselves rather than taking charge of another culture, especially the specific use of a word filled with such hate? It is thoroughly repulsive to hear the youth addressing each other with racially charged language. We should expect more of ourselves and each other than to resort to such uneducated speech.

You may think, I need to chill out. Who cares, right? No, that isn't good enough. Everyday we should strive to be better, always searching for truth, justice and compassion. Aligning ourselves with a history of intolerance by accepting and purporting the usage of a the "N word," reverts our struggle from creating an identity of our own and demanding a legitimate place in our social fabric.