Usama Canon: Hipster Islam, Blurred Lines, and Reframing the Narrative

By Umar Lee

Umar Lee
Umar Lee
Nov 8 · 7 min read

Almost a decade ago it was brought to my attention that a clique of Muslim men had emerged out of the Bay Area that were involved in serial temporary-marriage, sexual improprieties centered in religious spaces, and other questionable activities. This group included Usama Canon, his brother Anas, photographer Mustafa Davis, and a number of Muslim rappers.

In response to the information I received, including from women who felt they were victims of sexual and clergy abuse, I made a video calling out the practice and wrote a couple of pieces on my old blog.

While I got support from some supporters for the video and articles I received more negative feedback. People were livid that I would speak ill of Canon and the other minor Muslim celebrities around him. As is the norm in the Muslim community during internal squabbles the attacks on me were nasty, critics saw no obligation to any concept of truth, and as is common in all faith communities there was a sense of rallying around outwardly pious men and not wanting to “air dirty laundry”. Yet many of these same critics were fans of my Rise and Fall of the Salafi Movement in America and other works calling out bad behavior in the largely African-American Salafi community.

Hipster Islam: Dhikr and Avocado Toast

What was the difference?

A popular narrative arose post-911 that has been enshrined in the ideology of the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) industry. Salafis= poor, working-class, extremist, violent and misogynistic Muslims. Sufis=spiritual, peace-loving, artsy, middle-class, apolitical Muslims. Of course this narrative is simplistic and historically inaccurate as both Salafis and Sufis are diverse in thought and action; but the stereotypes remained. In this era Sufis weren’t used to receiving criticism and fans of Sufi religious figures, who had been more than willing to criticize others, suddenly began using religious arguments about “hiding the sins of your brothers".

Salafis responded in a way I’m familiar with. I’m a working-class guy and a product of North St Louis County. When Salafi brothers got angry with me and wanted to physically fight I accepted that, was cool with that, and obliged. When I began speaking of the clerical and sexual abuse of a Sufi cult in Jordan in which there were many Americans and about the actions of those in the Bay Area a different sort of language emerged. Threats of lawsuits, legal-action, and the condescending language of wealthy snobs.

This different reaction portrayed a cultural difference between these two segments of the Muslim community. The Muslims of the East Coast and Midwestern Salafi masjids I’d written about were products of working-class families and poor mostly black neighborhoods. The Muslims of the Taleef Collective represented a higher income-level, were based out of middle to upper class areas and universities, and they had a less adversarial relationship with the system and greater society. If the system would be criticized from the Taleef crowd it would come from the secular political talking points within the American left-right paradigm. Thus it should come as no surprise that Taleef applied for and received CVE grants and other figures around Taleef, particularly the rappers, have been involved in American “cultural diplomacy” efforts.

Taleef helped to create a “hipster Islam” and many viewed this as important. While someone like me looked at a crowd of urban hipsters in skinny jeans talking of Malcolm and Rumi while gentrifying Bay Area black neighborhoods as comedic and absurd, Taleef certainly had an appeal to many and it must be stated that from my observation class, as in the vibe of Taleef having no appeal to a working-class person such as myself and friends of mine, played a key role and who did and didn’t like Taleef. In Ferguson terms Taleef was for the foundation-backed and selfie-taking daytime activists discussing issues over tea and crumpets in a climate-controlled environment. My crowd, Muslim or non-Muslim, are those that joined me on the hot and humid frontlines of St Louis as we marched into the teargas with no masks at night.

Blurred Lines: Bukhari and Blow Jobs

A growing number of Muslims in America, including me, are unmosqued. Many of these unmosqued Muslims are young, have a liberal view towards religion and issues such as gender and sexuality, and feel they don’t have a place in the conservative mosques of their parents or ethnic group, or in predominantly African-American mosques.

Taleef was like a Planet Fitness for Muslims. Come as you are with no judgment and learn about the deen and study with hip and cool teachers. Unlike Salafi mosques were you could also get classes at Taleef and other emerging “Third Spaces” the genders mixed.

According to several women I’ve spoken to they liked the classes and environment at Taleef until they became targeted for spiritual-abuse. People have mentioned that we shouldn’t be airing people’s personal sins and no one is perfect. I completely agree. I could care less who anyone is sleeping with or what they’re doing in their private lives. That’s between them and Allah. Go on Tinder or Muzmatch and knock yourself out. However, when religious institutions are used for grooming and abusing followed by silencing and credible allegations of online harassment and physical threats, then things become a communal issue. This is what is being discussed in relation to Usama Canon and his friends. Many others as well including Zia Sheikh. If my inbox is full of allegations involving several celebrity imams, activists and sheikhs then I know others are as well and more stories will come to light including names much bigger names than Usama Canon. Again, no fatwa, but if you wanna get pussy, and I enjoy pussy as much as the next heterosexual male, then surely there are better and more ethical ways of getting laid than becoming an imam, sheikh, religious activist, or hipster Sufi guru. If you do abuse religion and groom women you should be outed. It’s my wish that a climate can be created where women are no longer intimidated or silenced and can feel free to come forward and be believed. If this happens then there will be a lot of nervousness among celebrity sheikhs and imams and the question will be how strong are those “NDA’s" paid off to women?

Reframing the Narrative: Bougie, Not Burqas and Beardos

A big push after 9-11 was to “reframe the narrative” and promoting interesting, unique and often fringe elements of the Muslim community in America as the face of the new face. Out of the narrative would be Salafis, Deobandis, Shia, and even many Sufis. Big beards, thobes, niqabs, traditional hijabs, and conservative looks were out and the “spiritual not religious” clean-shaven brother dressing like a lumberjack despite not knowing how to change a flat tire was in. Less Yasir Qadhi more yoga. No Taymiyah just religious retreats to Taos.

This image is one media and academics got behind. Taleef and similar organizations received a positive reception from both. While that was happening more working-class Muslim communities which are often African-American or first-generation immigrant became erased in many narratives. Despite Taleef and similar organizations being small in number they received a lot of attention. Part of this is due to the fact that by their nature people like Usama Canon are less threatening or more approachable to non-Muslims and more liberal Muslims than more popular Muslim figures like Mufti Muneer Muhammad and Imam Shadeed Muhammad. Yet, due to this class, geographic, and often racial bias, an inaccurate picture of the community has been created giving people like Canon a larger voice than they deserve.

In Closing: Sana Saeed and The Health of Usama Canon

Sana Saeed has written a piece about the Usama Canon situation as well. Before her piece came out she made it a point to take a shot at me and then block me (predictable behavior for anyone who could see the slightest trace of Malcolm in a dude like Usama Canon). I’ll just note that by Sana’s own admission her attendance at Taleef began YEARS AFTER credible allegations against Canon. Due to the status of Taleef and Canon as media darlings perhaps some outlets and figures were reticent to believe women or air dirty laundry. I see Al Jazeera as a problematic entity due to it’s ownership by the hypocritical “woke in the West and Islamist and authoritarian in the East" Qatari slave-state. However, given the resources of AJ, there’s no doubt that had Saeed chosen to give the issue of spiritual-abuse a serious look she could’ve made a serious impact years ago and yet she didn’t and the behavior continued. That piece is textbook CYA. Of course San Francisco is an odd place anyway full of odd juxtapositions. Plenty of Black Lives Matter signs from “allies” yet disappearing black and Latino neighborhoods.

Regarding the health of Usama Canon I’ll say that he’s in my prayers as are his family. Except his brother who physically threatened me (note: I come from a place where we go to sleep to the sounds of bullets and I’ve had four family members, including my mother, die violent deaths in the last four years. The fact that some Bay Area green smoothie sipping hipster could think he could intimidate me under any circumstances is beyond comical).

Usama is in my prayers. His health is the reason I deleted my video from 2011. Yet, unlike others, I won’t fall for the okie doke and be spiritually intimidated because “his family is ahlul bait and will curse you". Nope. The actions of Usama Canon have consequences. If you think exposing spiritual-abuse in this life is too severe wait until Canon supporters find out about the Day of Judgment.

My two videos on this topic can be found on my YouTube Channel.

If you’re facing spiritual and sexual abuse at a mosque or in a Muslim community please contact FACE which is an organization set up to deal with these issues.

Umar Lee can be supported at Patreon.com/UmarLee . Books can be found on Amazon and the St Louis Speaks podcast can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

    Umar Lee

    Written by

    Umar Lee

    Host of the St Louis Speaks Podcast, writer and activist.

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