Giving With Strings Attached

In this powerful episode of *Immigrantly*, host Sadia Khan welcomes Professor Rhea Rahman, author of *Racializing the Ummah*, to unpack the complex realities of Muslim humanitarianism in the West. Drawing from over a decade of fieldwork with Islamic Relief, Rahman challenges the myth of neutral, benevolent aid, revealing how even well-intentioned Muslim charities are shaped by racial capitalism, white supremacy, and colonial legacies. She reflects on her own journey—from growing up as a brown Muslim in a segregated Michigan suburb, to internalizing a 'savior mentality' while working in development, to ultimately embracing an 'Islamic Black radical tradition' rooted in mutual aid and collective liberation. The conversation exposes how humanitarian aesthetics, donor priorities, and institutional structures often reinforce hierarchies, with 'good Muslims' being those who align with Western secular norms while marginalizing Black Muslim voices and radical interpretations of justice. Rahman calls for a radical reimagining of giving—not as charity, but as a recognition of shared struggle and the return of what is already owed. The episode closes with a profound reframing: zakat is not a favor, but a right owed to the poor, shifting the power dynamic between giver and receiver toward dignity and humility.