Uh we are going to be moving into our
perspective section of American Muslims
today and uh with us we have our noble
brother Eddie from the Dean Show a
wonderful program that you can find on
Yahoo and also on the deanshow.com.
Brother Eddieumlaykum
Hey brother, thank you a lot for joining
us this morning. We really appreciate
it. Thank you very much for having me.
Brother Eddie, uh, one of the things
that, uh, I wanted to ask you first, uh,
is, uh, basically you you have a very,
uh, you know, interesting story, uh,
and, uh, we wanted to, you know, ask you
a little bit about it. U, how did you
get started in doing the Dean show? How
did that all come about? I wanted to,
before I answer the question, I just
wanted to expound on what we just said.
That greeting I think is very important
because just like your show you probably
reach out to thousands of thousands of
people who are listening and many of
them are probably non-Muslims. So we
said something in Arabic. We said
assalamu alaykum. So this in itself is a
greeting of peace. You wish it on me. I
wish it back on you. And by the way this
is a greeting of peace that Noah Abraham
Jesus Christ and the last and final
messenger to send to mankind the prophet
Muhammad. They all greeted their
followers with this greeting of peace.
So I wanted to expound on this and now
answer your question how I got started
with this was that I went through life
like many of us, you know, enjoying the
many delights of this world. And to make
it short, I kept hitting a dead end,
acquiring many of the material things.
And then I kept pondering. I said, man,
there has to be more to life. It can't
just be about getting the latest uh
bends, getting the bank account full,
the pockets full. There's got to be more
to life. So, I started to question
what's the purpose of life. And then
from there I came to realize that there
is a creator and the one who should tell
me how to live and what's my purpose in
life is that one god that creator and
then from there it was just uh I caught
this momentum of enjoying uh living that
life that the creator wanted me to live
and then I started to really appreciate
it and you know when you love something
you want to share it with others. So I
thought it was just so simple. It was
something simple to understand, simple
to explain and I just started to share
with the others with the rest of my
brothers in humanity.
Mashallah. So uh you're currently uh
over there in uh Chicago uh currently.
Is that right? Yes. Yes. Can you uh give
us the uh a little bit of the um
geography of Chicago's Islamic community
and and why do you think that your show
is such a good fit uh for uh the uh area
there? We're It's Chicago is a beautiful
city. You have a demographic, a
community of people from all different
backgrounds. You have like myself, you
have white Americans. You have people
from uh India, from the subcontinent.
You have people from all over the globe
in this melting pot here. And the reason
I feel that the program that we do, we
try to present Islam in a very simple
way using simple English. And you have
many sincere people out there who are
searching for the truth. They're saying
that the money is not bringing me
happiness. you know, uh, all these
different things that I'm thinking, you
know, sitting at the corner bar, maybe,
you know, having, uh, these good times,
it's not bringing me happiness. So, the
show when we, we're here at the local
cable station in Chicago, uh, Kant TV,
and most of our shows are on our
website, the deanshow.com. So when we
sit there and we share this basic
message of Islam with the people which
is to be conscious of your creator to
try to live a righteous life on
according to how he wants you to live
and they see how simple this is. It's
not something eentric something that's
weird and way out there and you have to
do some all kinds of mental gymnastics
to make it fit. So when they see an
American who's using simple English
explaining
something that just fits with the very
nature of man, people start calling in.
People start to email us and they want
to know more because they heard all
sorts of
falsehood misconceptions from the media.
They might have heard some things from
people who have no knowledge in Islam.
So when they see us, they flick through
and they say, "Wow, there's nothing
blowing up over here.
these things that they're calling us to.
It just makes sense. It it it makes good
old common sense that there is a creator
and you know what? I should live how he
wants me to live. So I think that our
program is very basic and simple and
many of the people when they listen to
it they can appreciate what we're saying
and a lot of them they jump on board.
That is interesting. That is
interesting. Um, do you get uh some
comments uh on the flip side of people
who uh want to uh challenge you or
debate you or anything of that nature?
Also,
you get because we have so many people
all praise and thanks is to the creator
of the heavens and earth. In Arabic, we
say Allah. This is the one God, the God
of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, the God who
created the sun, the moon, and
everything in this universe.
Now,
I've had really a positive response from
many even non-Muslims, people who don't
even say uh agree with everything we're
saying, they still appreciate because
our intention is not to step on
anybody's toes. Our intention is not to
hurt anybody's feelings. It's really
just to present Islam for what it truly
is.
And I really don't get many people I
haven't had people really you know just
a few people will try to you know in a
polite way they'll try to present
evidence to their belief and we we might
have a nice dialogue back and forth but
really so far I've really gotten a
positive feedback from the different
non-Muslims who've been watching the
show and they've even encouraged uh the
for for us to keep going because it's
building an understanding and that's
what we need today. We need to
understand the other people's what they
believe what they consider to be the
truth. And you'll be surprised how many
people are actually accepting this way
of life. The way of life that Noah
lived, Abraham lived, Jesus Christ,
peace be upon him, lived. And it's a
simple way. It's that way of submitting
and surrendering, being obedient
sincerely and in peace to the one who
created you. Who can object to that?
Does that make sense? So people more so
are calling for more information because
they want to do the right thing. They
want to do what God wants them to do.
I see. I see. Another uh uh interesting
aspect you mentioned that uh you know
the people you know sometimes uh will
call in and say you know keep going
because you know you're uh you know
helping to address uh uh misconceptions.
So you you feel like uh uh not only in a
way are you uh opening uh you know uh
people up to the to the prospect of
Islam but uh also you're you know
changing people's minds about it. Have
you you've heard people's mind be
changed about certain things? Absolutely
100%. People watch CNN and Fox and they
think that all Muslims are people who
are having bombs strapped to themselves
and maybe an Arab living in a desert
riding a you know a camel and he's
trying to you know just uh has this
vengeance against Americans and like I
said when they see an American who I was
born and raised here born bred and
raised American but when they see us
showing that Islam is not about what
they are saying on TV. And those
sincere, honest people, they hear
what the truth actually is. They start
to change their thinking. They say,
"Man, I've been lied to. These things
that, you know, I've been told is is not
the truth." So, this makes them a little
upset. Why have I Why have I been lied
to? And then they continue to to listen
and they continue to observe and and you
know what? Their whole mentality starts
to change slowly. both honest and
sincere individuals and there's a lot of
them out there. I got you. Exactly.
Very, very important discussion. I want
to continue on this thread. Uh we're
going to uh continue to uh chitchat with
our brother Eddie from the Dean Show,
talk about uh his uh projects, uh some
of the things that he's working on, uh
and also, you know, some things that
have uh you know, surprised him and uh
encouraged him uh throughout his
process. But right now, we got to do the
news. So stay with us. Uh Lincoln,
appreciate you with us. And thank you
Eddie for joining us. We'll be right
back with more uh of American Muslims
today. Stay with us.
We often hear claims Muslims don't
condemn terrorism and that Islam
condones violence. As Muslims, we want
to state clearly that those who commit
acts of terror in the name of Islam are
betraying the teachings of the Quran and
the Prophet Muhammad. We reject anyone
of any faith who commits such brutal
acts and will not allow our faith to be
hijacked by criminals. Islam is not
about hatred and violence. It's about
peace and justice. And as promised, uh
part two of our very informative
interview with our friend and brother
Eddie from the Dean Show. Ready?
Thanks so much for continuing to stay
with us and uh as I'm perusing your
website currently right now, the deans
show.com.
Uh I'm seeing uh you know several uh
things here. You've got a great website
um library, a history of shows and
videos and uh discussions with some uh
popular Islamic callers.
um what uh are some of the uh most
memorable uh interviews that you've done
recently?
I want to first thank you very much and
may the creator of the heavens and earth
Allah reward you for the wonderful work
that you're doing being brave enough
that you're out there trying to humbly
educate many of our brothers in humanity
on Islam. This is a wonderful work
you're doing and may the creator Allah
reward you in abundance in this life and
in the hereafter. Appreciate that,
brother. Really thanks a lot so much.
And the wonderful moment I've had so
many I mean this is just incredible that
I from when I really started to
implement
this Islam in my life, the way of life
that was implemented by all the
messengers of God. that submission and
surrender to the one God, doing what God
wants you to do on his terms. Now, I
started to really just have this
enthusiasm about sharing this message.
And subhan Allah, all glory is to the
creator of the heavens and earth that
now he gave me the platform where I can
continue out of my love wanting to talk
about this that I can continue to talk
about it on a global level because not
only are we viewed here in Chicago, but
now globally over the net, people are
tuning in from all around the world. M
so I got to one of the beautiful things
is it's a great way for me to increase
my knowledge and being around with the
students of knowledge scholars people
who are much more learned than myself
obviously that I can sit there and learn
from them and then everyone else who is
tuning in they can learn from them also.
So I mean I get to meet these brothers
who are just traveling the world
educating the people you know trying to
do their best also as myself to clear
the many misconceptions and all of them
I mean you know every one of them has a
unique character and they all have this
uniqueness about him. So I I I would do
an injustice. You know, uh Shik
Yusvestus, who I like to to work with.
He has a great personality. You can't
just stop, you know. He he's while he's
serious at the same time, he'll crack a
joke. He's got a wonderful sense of
humor that you laugh so much you cry.
You know, some of these people that they
have so much knowledge in this way of
life that you're just, you know, I'm on
the other side. Usually I'm inter
interviewing the people but you know I
get so excited that I get to ask these
questions that many that are in the
minds of many of the people and I have
them in front of me. So it it's it's
it's a wonderful blessing and all of
them just really have you know this
great uh uh personality and they have
this knowledge and and it just it's an
amazing uh thing that Allah the creator
has given me the opportunity to do this
kind of work. Mashallah. And uh I've got
also noticed a very important point. Um
there is a a gentleman named uh I
believe his name is David White uh who
um runs a very staunch uh Christian
organization and often times uh he uh
views your programs and replies
and rebutts uh the people who are on
your show. Do you catch that at all? You
know what? I really don't pay too much
attention. There's many people now that
are are viewing in uh tuning in to watch
the shows. I mean, we present the truth.
It's very simple. That there's only one
God. Mhm. That he is the one that should
be worshiped, adored, revered, the one
God, the one who created man, woman, but
he's not a man or a woman. He created
the sun and the moon. He created
everything in the creation. Worship him.
That is the message of all the
messengers. So now some people who are
worshiping the sun, worshiping a cow,
worshiping a man, worshiping a woman,
everything in the creation, they might
not like what we have to say. And many
of people have to understand that many
of the messengers when they came with
the truth, there was the truth hurts.
You see, you might be in love with
something and this thing that you're in
love with is no good for you. You know,
you ever had that relationship and
someone's coming to you and say, "Man,
he's no good for you." And they give you
all the evidence that this person is
going behind your back and doing all
sorts of scandalous, all sorts of bad
things, but someone comes and give you
the truth. Now you end up hating that
person. Huh? But that person loves you.
They want to share and protect you. So
we're not the enemies. We're just coming
to tell people, "Hold on. Wake up. There
is a creator. He's not in the creation.
He doesn't come into existence.
He is the one who created all things."
So he's not the one that was born. He
doesn't come out of a womb of a woman,
get suckled by a woman, have to change
the diapers and etc, etc. This is not
God. So some people might have been
worshiping a man, worshiping a woman,
worshiping an animal, and now we come
and we have to speak the truth. We have
to say, "Hold on, put a break on this.
Worship the one who created everything.
Turn to him alone. He's not like me and
you. Can you be God?" No. You do certain
man things, woman things. you, you know,
you eat and you get a headache and you
take aspirin and you go to the bathroom,
you suffer, you get sick, you might have
to go to the doctor, you get the swine
flu, you get the swine flu. God doesn't
get the swine flu. God doesn't pray. We
pray to God. God is self-sufficient.
He's the only sovereign one. This is
something that anybody who uses just the
good old common sense. You don't have to
be a brain surgeon. You don't have to be
a doctor to figure this out. You can be
the layman because that message has to
fit. I was just talking to uh one
individual who was hanging out with us
for for a while. He we we like to I
actually teach for a living martial
arts. I I train Gracie jiu-jitsu. And
one brother uh who is uh he was a
non-Muslim. He's hanging out with us and
you know he gets to see we're greeting
each other with assalamu alaykum and
we're you know we we don't do the
typical things like gossip and backbite.
We don't use foul language. You know we
want to live a upright good righteous
life. And then the guy's just watching
our behavior. And then, you know, he
starts talking about, you know, uh what
he believed as a kid. You know, he was
brought up as a Christian and he could
never make this trinity fit and it was
just too complicated. And then we start
to explain he was also watching the
shows how we talk about Jesus. How we
love Jesus. But Jesus was a mighty
messenger. God is God. Jesus is Jesus.
He was a representative God. Uh he was a
representative for God on earth. Just
like Abraham, Noah, the last and final
messenger, Prophet Muhammad. He said,
"Man, this makes sense. M it makes
sense. It's simple, right? You don't
have to do all this mental gymnastics to
make it fit. That's right. I got you. So
So just to to to uh I know this show is
short. So many people they they they get
possibly, you know, uh some people get
upset when the truth comes, but it's
simple. It's logical. And I always tell
people, you know, stop for a for a
second. Let this uh uh let this digest
this and then ask the one if there's any
confusion. Ask the one God alone to
clear things up. It's very simple.
Right. Right. Right. Uh, one of the last
questions we'll ask you is is uh,
regarding just Islamic uh, media in
general. Um, there's there's a a need a
great need out there for uh, highly uh,
highquality produced Islamic media. And
I believe that uh that you and I inshall
hopefully if I if I am able to to come
up uh uh to your level of uh of uh you
know being able to spread the message
inshallah God willing uh
there is a very strong need for
highquality Islamic media and um do you
see for an example like uh the
potential the potential of growth uh for
this and and or where do you think the
level of Islamic media is at right now.
I think it's it's very it's slowly
growing. I mean, they're saying that,
you know, in the next 20 to 30 years,
there's going to be 50 million Muslims
living in America. I mean, Islam is the
fastest growing way of life in the world
today. Yet, it's the most misunderstood.
So, there is there are people such as
yourself,
people such as may may God almighty
Allah accept this from us. Amen. and and
and and and and
reward us in this life and hereafter.
But we there is a need. I mean, there
aren't too many people who are who are
doing this who are out there, you know,
trying to clear these misconception and
educate our neighbors and we're going to
be questioned about this. That's right.
So, I mean, there's a there's a big
need. There's people like Dr. Zucker
Nike who has peace channel and that's I
think reaching over here to America. But
you'll see so many channels, you know,
uh propagating all different ways of
light, but there's very few I don't know
too many in in America that are doing
things and having programs such as yours
and mine. And it's it's needed. It's
something that's needed. And those
brothers like yourself who are doing
this, the radio shows, the TV show, they
need to be supported. They need to be,
you know, uh uh uh uh people who who
will will not hold you back but push you
forward. at least give make do out for
you and give you words of encouragement,
you know, and pray for you and then
whatever support you need to, you know,
to get on the bandwagon and and help out
because we're really at a lack of this
and it's so so crucial cuz the media
reaches so many people. May All I reward
you for for saying that, brother,
because I think that, you know, there's
sometimes uh that competitive uh force
that, you know, now everybody sees it in
a way that, you know, if uh if uh I help
this website grow, then my website's not
going to grow or if my program is if I,
you know, share with this program, then
we're not going to benefit. They see it
as like a zero- sum game, whereas you
know, if we, you know, help each other
uh to come up, we both benefit, you
know, it's a win-win, you know. So
encouraging people not to not to hate
but to congratulate. Exactly. And that's
why you now we are connected. You got to
come on my show and you got to let me
talk to you on how you accepted Islam
because you actually as I as I heard
correct me if I'm wrong you came from a
different background and you accepted
Islam also didn't you? That's correct.
Yes. We have to get you inshallah on the
dean show and we have to collaborate.
Look how this is something that's
pleasing to the cur that we work
together and I also work together with
many people in Chicago with the Iikna
with gain peace and they have a phone
number that people can call the 1800662
Islam they can get a free copy of the
Quran which is the verbatim word of God
we're working together and only more
people because of I feel working
together it is only benefited more
people because I think there's more
blessings in this so we have to you know
get rid of this this emnity that shan
tries to put between us the devil and
you know dividing and conquering us. We
have to get together and work together
so we can accomplish something greater
than just this individualism and trying
to you know it's good to race for those
good deeds but let's do it together not
apart. That's right brother. May Allah
reward you greatly for spending time
with us. We're out of time unfortunately
but uh you know we did it once. It was
real nice and hopefully we'll be able to
do it twice. Thanks so much brother and
I'm looking forward to joining you on
your show in thank you very much.
Alhamdulillah. Thank you for having me.
No problem, brother. Brother Eddie from
the Dean Show. You can see his website
at the deanshow.com.
We'll be right back with a summation of
the program. Stay with us.