Megan Rice Opens Up About Her Journey and Activism for Palestine – Muslim Girl

SAIRAH GORSI [FROM MUSLIM GIRL]: What motivated you to become an activist, and how has your activism evolved over time? 

MEGAN RICE: My family has always been the type of family to discuss world issues and injustices at the dinner table. My grandmother specifically dedicated her life to God and helping her fellow human beings. I guess you could say activism is in my blood.

However, I would say my activism kicked off in High School when I joined the ONE Campaign. I became the Congressional District Leader for the district I lived in at the time and it allowed me to attend meetings with the office staff of House Reps and Senators and ultimately took me to Capitol Hill where I was able to experience what it was like to stop Senators in the hallway on their way to the floor and push important issues on the fly. It built my ability to take rejection and immediately dispose of it and try again. An important skill you’ll need in activism.

When it comes to activism I’ve done everything from marching, writing letters, holding meetings, delivering petitions, attending charity events, and of course, actually going to Capitol Hill and taking the fight face-to-face with the very people making the decisions that directly affect our lives.

From my experience, I can confidently tell you that it’s all important. From doing something as simple as voting to become far more organized and strategic with fellow activists to make an even larger impact.

What challenges have you faced as an activist, and how have these experiences shaped your perspective? 

I could write a novel on the challenges you face as an activist. You experience far more losses than wins. One memory that sticks out the most was when I attended one of the Mesa City Council meetings [in Arizona]. We were protesting the building of a private prison. Doctors, lawyers, subject matter experts, etc. presented irrefutable evidence regarding the ongoing harm private prisons cause — specifically for marginalized communities. Our case was solid. They still voted to build the prison.

This experience was one of my more gut-wrenching losses. It nearly led me to give up activism entirely, but what that experience taught me was that most of the harm we’re seeing worldwide comes from just a select few people. The majority of human beings want, and fight for, peace. It wasn’t me alone that felt the loss that day. Everyone in that room, aside from the few people who made that decision, felt that loss. The experience allowed me to continue to see the true good in humans and know that they will always be worth fighting for.

Can you share with us the personal journey that led you to revert to Islam, particularly during what’s currently happening in Palestine? 

I’ve learned of several atrocities that have happened to humans throughout history. It is one thing to learn and imagine these atrocities. It is another thing entirely to see them. Witness them. Right in front of your eyes, or in our case, right on the screens, we watch every day. I wasn’t new to witnessing atrocities. Being Black Americans, we are constantly traumatized by the ongoing injustices and murders we face in our own country at the hands of our government and law enforcement.

However, what I was seeing with Palestinians when they were facing the possible annihilation of their entire population in Gaza was… faith. Unyielding, steadfast, ironclad faith. Faith while mothers held their dead children. Faith when men were digging their hands bloody in the rubble for their family members. They were still calling to God. I knew as I was watching at the time that if I were in that situation, I would abandon God completely. I would have probably even cursed His name if it were me pulling out the body parts of my precious mother or siblings or my nieces and nephews.

I needed to learn more. I needed to see why their faith was not fading even when experiencing such suffering. So I picked up the Quran to figure it out. I was not religious, and it was never my intention to revert. I had been firmly against organized religion and felt that it was responsible for many crimes against humans. I, of course, respected anyone choosing to practice, it just wasn’t for me. My relationship with God has been tumultuous through the years. I simply wanted to educate myself about what I was seeing. The rest, as they say, is history. Clearly, Allah had other plans for me… and He is indeed the best of planners.

How has your newfound faith in Islam influenced your approach to social justice and activism? 

I’m approaching social justice and activism with far less rage in my heart and far more compassion. Justice before was not just seeing equity and freedom with humans facing injustice, but it was also seeing the people responsible pay for their crimes. I even wanted to see the worst happen to them at times. I had that darkness in my heart.

Justice now is simply longing to see humans live in happiness and peace together: free of suffering, free of ignorance, free of hate.

Islam has calmed me in ways that I could not imagine possible for myself living with Autism, anxiety, depression, and CPTSD. Peace was a feeling I never thought I’d know. It has inspired me to keep the work going. Not for some toxic sense of justice or revenge, but for love and love alone. Love for Allah, and love for my fellow humans.

How can individuals and communities around the world show solidarity with those affected by the conflict? 

Listen. Learn. Read. Educate yourself. I can not stress these points enough. Everything that we are seeing today has already happened to other marginalized groups around the world throughout history. Study that history. Study the history of those facing injustice now and study the history of those who are still recovering from the injustice they have faced and continue to face. When you learn about these things, you learn about what is coming next. You learn about why history repeats itself… but ultimately you learn exactly how you’re going to fight it.

Given your unique background, how do you engage in interfaith dialogue, especially with individuals who may have different perspectives on the Israel-Palestine conflict? 

You must remember that people in other faiths believe what they believe just as strongly as what we believe in Islam. As much as we see Islam as the truth, they see their faith as the truth as well. You will not be successful in trying to convince them otherwise. You would be far more successful in finding common ground to create dialogue. Every religion in this world has similarities you can use to connect with your fellow humans.

We are far more similar than we are different. I have taken note of that as I have studied various religions over the years. The issues arise when we focus on our differences rather than our similarities. It leaves the door open for far darker things when we focus on our differences in a negative manner. That is where hatred grows.

Can you recommend key books, documentaries, or resources that have profoundly influenced your understanding of social justice and activism, providing valuable insights for someone seeking to understand these principles? 

My goodness, there isn’t enough time in the world. “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander will show you the pattern of oppression at the hands of the U.S. government throughout its history along with “An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. Those are good starter books.

Now, if you wish to understand the Zionist point of view to be more effective in speaking to Zionists about the atrocities happening to Palestinians, you would read “Night” by Elie Wiesel. Elie Wiesel was a survivor of Auschwitz concentration camp in the Holocaust and went on to be known as a great humanitarian… he was also a Zionist. Having read Night as a preteen, I was shocked to discover he was a Zionist. Reading his interviews in regard to Israel after also reading his firsthand account of the Holocaust in Night helped clarify the utter confusion I was feeling when I couldn’t figure out the mindset behind Zionism. We so often look at the “what” when we see injustice and rarely research the “why.”

In your opinion, what are some common misconceptions people have about activism, and how would you address or dispel them? 

Far too many people think that activism is difficult. If you have ever signed an online petition against injustice, congratulations! You are an activist. Activism is simply standing up against injustice and deciding to love your fellow human beings. That’s it. That’s all it is. I think the majority of people think that activism must include marching in the streets with a megaphone. That simply isn’t true.

Volunteering in your community is activism. Inviting a person with an opposing view out to coffee to talk through your different perspectives is activism. Choosing to love is activism. Are you seeing a pattern? Love. Is. Activism.

What advice do you have for individuals who are passionate about social justice but may feel overwhelmed or unsure about how to contribute? 

Start small. Start with those petitions online that simply take a quick signature. Then move on to writing a letter to your reps and sending it through the mail. Then move on to organizing a letter-writing party with your local Muslim community at the Masjid you frequent or better yet, in your own home after sharing a meal… all of these things have an enormous impact as they grow. One letter-writing party could lead to all of the Masjids in your area deciding to do it. Then maybe every Masjid in your state… then the nation. Every tremendous movement starts very, very small.

When you start, never stop. Know it is lifelong. Know that there will be heartbreak and losses. Know… that it will all be worth it if even one human being knows peace because of what you have done.

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