Social Justice Movement to Free Shifa

The Sadequees designed a powerful coalition of activists, community organizers, social justice advocates, human rights organizations, and countless ordinary citizens, drawing participation from local, national, and even global platforms. They established a multi-racial and multi-faith grassroots movement in support of the Justice for Shifa Campaign, which sought to liberate Shifa and those unjustly imprisoned. Uniting such a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations was fraught with challenges, an uphill struggle. Yet, fueled by unwavering faith in their Creator, the Sadequees pressed onward, diligently constructing a coalition despite the obstacles they faced. Undeterred, Justice for Shifa remained resolute, committed to their cause, and determined to navigate the complexities of their struggle for justice.

The Sadequee family discovered that local immigrant Muslim community professionals and leaders were inexperienced and incapable of addressing government overreach, lacking knowledge of and guidance in such situations. Like other affluent Muslim American communities then, these first and second-generation immigrants were primarily focused on self-interest and wealth accumulation, with little understanding of the American political landscapes, social justice movements, and Islamic liberation theology, ethics, and practice. Some people who achieved socio-economic privilege aligned themselves with whiteness and the government. Additionally, the community had only mosques and Islamic schools but no Muslim civil rights or social justice institutions. Out of fear, inexperience, and privilege, the immigrant Muslim community leaders urged the Sadequee family to seek support elsewhere.

Sadequee family experienced internalized Islamophobia of the immigrant Muslim leadership in Atlanta.

The Sadequee family recognized that the situation required a broader coalition to challenge the government's overreach effectively. By collaborating with local community organizers, lawyers, African American communities, and African American mosques, Sadequees built an intersectional campaign and movement for truth and justice.

Supported by local organizations such as Project South, Atlanta Transformative Justice, Southerners on New Ground, Women’s Action for New Direction, ACLU-Atlanta, Reverend Joseph Lowry’s Georgia Coalition for Peoples Agenda, and expanding their coalition building to activists, lawyers, and organizations such as Desis Rising Up & Moving, MuBANY, No Separate Justice, Project Salaam in New York, they aimed to raise awareness about the injustices faced by Shifa, a Muslim American youth. Together, they developed a multifaceted campaign that included community meetings, educational workshops, and social media outreach.

Joining the US Social Forum in 2007 in Atlanta and Detroit in 2010, the Sadequee family focused on storytelling to highlight personal experiences, making the issue relatable and urgent. Art and performances were incorporated to engage a wider audience, while informational pamphlets were distributed to inform the public about their rights and the case’s specifics.

Through partnerships with various local and national organizations, they organized rallies and peaceful demonstrations, drawing attention to the plight of Shifa and others like him and advocating for systemic change. This grassroots effort not only aimed to support Shifa but also sought to foster solidarity among diverse communities, highlighting the shared struggles against injustice. The campaign became a powerful testament to the strength of unity in the face of adversity, amplifying their message and ultimately seeking to bring about change.

The family’s public engagement sparked a transformative movement within the Atlanta Muslim immigrant community. Inspired by their example, community leaders began to see the importance of civic involvement and the impact it could have on their lives.  Sadequee family’s ethics of social justice and unrelenting struggle inspired the immigrant-based Atlanta Muslim leadership to start several community-based organizations currently flourishing in Atlanta.

Learning from the Sadequee family's community organizing efforts, immigrant Muslim community leaders began to recognize the importance of civic engagement and political organizing for the first time.

This page chronicles some of those voices and actions of local, national, and international support for the Justice for Shifa Campaign.