Khalid Yasin

For the jazz musician who also used the name Khalid Yasin, see Larry Young (jazz).

Khalid Yasin
Khalid Yasin speaks on evolution in public lecture.
Born	1946 (age 77–78) Harlem, New York, United States
Nationality	American
Other names	'Abu Muhammad', 'Abu Muhammad Khalid Yasin' 'Abu Muhammad, Khalid Yasin' 'Shaykh Khalid Yaseen'
Spouse	Nuria Quintilla
Children	13

Khalid Yasin (also known as 'Shaykh Khalid Yaseen', 'Abu Muhammad', 'Abu Muhammad Khalid Yasin')(born 1946) is a former Christian and now reverted Muslim American teacher and lecturer.

Yasin lives and operates a "Da'wah" organization in Manchester, England. He founded, directed and ran the Islamic Broadcasting Corporation and The Purpose of Life Centre on Shirecliffe Lane, Sheffield (closed down around September 2008). The organization was formerly known as the Islamic Teaching Institute (ITI) and the Islamic Information Network Ltd. The organisation has now re-located in Manchester.

Background

Yasin was born in Harlem, New York and raised in Brooklyn as a Christian along with 9 siblings in a very large family. Although not an orphan, he grew up in foster home environments from the age of 3 along with some of his siblings, and until he was 15. He describes each foster home as having a different Christian denomination, so he covered a wide spectrum of Christianity by the age of 15. He was put up for adoption due to the lack of financial support his family could provide such a large family.

In earlier life Yasin related to growing up in "the ghetto" where it was just "Me and my two brothers Sam and Julius, against the world. We had nothing but converting and accepting Islam now we have everything". In the early process toward accepting Islam, as Yasin refer to "reverting" - not converting, he often used Encyclopedia Britannica as a non-subjective source on Islam and its concepts.

Growing up Yasin saw much grief of afro-American people like himself, one in certain Malcolm X. Through who's influence Yasin along with fellow siblings eventually converted. He says he can link the suffering of afro-American people with that of fellow Muslims, ever fueling his hatred of those he feels are against his people.

Yasin began his ministry as the "Ameer" or leader of Jammat Ita'hadul Iqwa on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn N.Y. (often referred to as the McDonald's Mosque, due to its proximity to a McDonald's). g" For many Yasin represent radical Islam, other characterize him as a "learned scholar that regularly tours different countries debunking the misinformation about Islam".

Yasin in Australia

During Yasin's stays in Australia in mid-2000s, he stirred a lot of media attention, including public debates with country's then prime minister John Howard, regarding views on (radical) Islam.

Criticism and controversy

According to an article in the conservative newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald in 2005, quoting the Sarah Ferguson's program Sunday on channel Nine, oppose many typical western values:

On friendship with non-muslims: "There's no such thing as a Muslim having a non-Muslim friend, so a non-Muslim could be your associate but they can't be a friend. They're not your friend because they don't understand your religious principles and they cannot because they don't understand your faith".

On education: Young Muslims should not go to universities, because they would lose their direction. "University is a gateway for deviation,you forget your Islamic direction. Now you have become compromised through some kind of intellectuality."

On disobedience of wife: Yasin is said that Qur'an commands that wives who disobeyed their husbands should be beaten. "Now specifically, if you take that word literally, it means literally, beat them lightly, beat them, like I would my child."

On homosexuality and bestiality: Homosexuals should be killed if convicted. "The Koran gives a very clear position regarding homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality — that these are aberrations, they are immoralities and if they are tried, convicted, they are punishable by death."

On origin of the AIDS Virus: Yasin believes the AIDS virus might be man-made by the US Government to limit population growth. He considers both possibilities, it being a natural disease vs. man-made, but find there to be a substantial amount of forensic evidence backing up the latter theory.

Sunday Nights With John Cleary

On September 7, 2003 Yasin appeared on Australian program Sunday Nights With John Cleary:

On Islam's position in the west: Cleary asked "Islam is getting a very rough trot in the West today. How do you deal with that as a teacher?" and Yasin answered "Well there's two ways. For myself, and other co-religionists, I say we have to be tolerant. Along with being tolerant we should be ourselves stable, functional inside the religion, so that we personify the core principles of the religion, because if we do that, then at least we're not going to be responsible for people taking a radical view of us. The second thing is that I try to take into account, to make an assessment of who I'm speaking to, and upon doing so, I try to from their perspective, correct the distortions, correct the misconceptions to the best of my ability, because that's what an educator does. Now if there's a matter of aversion or rejection, or ignorance on the part of the person that I'm unable to penetrate, then that's not my fault, this is just a hill that I couldn't quite climb."

On Sharia law: Discussing international governing bodies and the lack of them in Islam, Cleary asked "Where does the Sharia fit into that?" and Yasin answered "Well the Sharia is the cement that keeps all the bricks together. The Sharia is the legislative element. The Sharia is the judicial element. This is where rules, this is where juristic decisions, this is where the courts, this is where law. And I mean if you don't have a people that is governed by Sharia, then you have a lawless people."

Yasin in Europe

During later parts of the 2000s and early 2010 Yasin has lectured in many European countries.

Denmark

In 2010 Yasin lectured in Copenhagen at a Muslim youth project called "North Bronx" - From Gang Member two Conscious Muslim, with one of his credentials being the fat that Yasin is a former gang member from Harlem. His participation stirred political debate whether Yasin was a suitable role model for keeping youths out of gangs. The organizer of the event defended Yasin and stated that "He has totally changed his position and entered the fight to prevent radicalization and crime".

Netherlands

In 2009 Yasin lectured at the private Muslim university of Rotterdam. Several Dutch parties wanted to deny him access to the country, but Minister Hirsch Ballin found that Yasin was welcome to enter The Netherlands.

Yasin in Middle-East and Asia

Oman

In December 2011 Yasin lectured in the Sultanate of Oman. According to Times of Oman Yasin want to portray Islam as a peaceful religion: "He makes tremendous efforts in raising Muslim awareness on the positive views related to contemporary changes happening these days and stressing that Islam is a peaceful religion and which is very accommodating and that can cope with modern challenges." He lectured in Oman to to people of all faiths.

See also

• Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno
• Zakir Naik
• Bilal Philips
• Yvonne Ridley

External links

• Shaykh Khalid Yasin's official website
• Official website biography
• Khalid Yasin audio and video lectures

News articles

• Khalid Yasin: The New Voice of Islam? reported by MSN.com.au
• Feature Interview: Sheikh Khalid Yasin reported by ABC.net.au
• Week captures Islamic spirit reported in dailytargum.com/