Ieasha Prime advises Muslims to be steadfast in difficult times

A prominent educator and public speaker advised Toronto Muslims that in difficult times to always take care of their spiritual life and maintain their connection with Allah.

“You cannot allow the discrimination and oppression done against you to consume you,” Ustadha Ieasha Prime told an audience at the Islamic Institute of Toronto on Sunday, June 3rd. “There is no spiritual bypassing to wipe over oppression.”

“How do you preserve your heart [during oppression]? You have to cocoon your soul. Your body may be here, but your heart is with Allah.”

Ustadha Ieasha Prime spoke at the forum titled, Steadfastness in the face of Oppression organized by the Black Muslim Initiative and supported by the Islamic Institute of Toronto.

Ieasha Prime is a traditional, Islamically trained educator, activist and public speaker.

She was educated at the Fajr Institute in Cairo, Egypt and at Dar al Zahra, an Islamic University for Women in Hadramaut, Yemen.

She is the Executive Director of Barakah, Inc. a community based organization empowering women and youth with a foundation of Islam.

“Many of us are moving through activism, rallies and speaking to oppressors,” said Prime. “But why are we not having an effect? Because we are not moving with Allah.”

Ieasha Prime’s presentation was followed by an open question and answer period and concluded with Iftar.

“Iftar is very important, but we would be at a great loss if we are not using this time to stand in front Allah to weep and cry out to Allah,” she advised the audience.

The organizer of the forum, the Black Muslim Initiative is a grass-roots advocacy & social support organisation dedicated to understanding and addressing issues at the intersection of black and Muslim experience.