The Philly Muslim Freedom Fund (PMFF) is a new grassroots organization whose mission is to uplift Muslims oppressed by the carceral state. Rooted in an Islamic ethos of social justice, PMFF operates in solidarity with bail funds and is informed by living experiences of Muslim prisoners and stakeholders. PMFF is uniquely positioned to serve diasporic Philadelphia Muslim and Muslim American communities.
Our long-term vision is to abolish solitary confinement and cash bail, cultivate an ecosystem of support for rehabilitation, and dismantle the prison-industrial complex. We aim to do this through community fundraising for posting bail and supporting reentry for Philadelphia Muslims. We also recognize the importance of political education and fostering cross-class, cross-racial, and intergenerational dialogues within and outside of our communities. Our project is a collaborative effort to combat a carceral state and criminal injustice system built on racism, classism, and Islamophobia.
The wake of the police murders of George Floyd and Walter Wallace Jr, and the subsequent months of uprisings, spawned PMFF’s initial formation. We dedicate PMFF to Aisha El-Mekki and center her legacy. Mama Aisha was a matriarch in our community and embodied the revolutionary spirit of a former Black Panther and devout Muslimah.
