Zulu frontman Anaiah Rasheed Muhammad came under fire over the weekend as extensive allegations of abuse arrived online. A former partner of Muhammad accused him on Instagram of physical abuse, one instance of which allegedly ended with the police being called. The extensive and graphic account can be found here in its entirety. Muhammad has since responded, denying all allegations made against him.
“I want to address the false and deeply troubling accusation that has been made against me,” wrote Muhammad. “Forgive me if my words aren’t perfect, as I’m trying my best to navigate my speech. I wanted to put this out immediately but did not want leave a lackluster message.
“First off I want to start by saying that I categorically deny ever engaging in any form of physical abuse. Violence towards anyone, especially partners, is completely against my values, and I would never harm anyone.
“As a person and as a Muslim, my faith and moral values guide my actions every day. Islam teaches respect, integrity, and accountability, and I strive to uphold these principles in my life. I strongly condemn any form of physical or sexual assault, and I would never and have never engaged in such atrocities. The claims against me are not only untrue but also deeply damaging-to me, my loved ones, my band and those who have supported me throughout my life.
“Furthermore, I want to make it absolutely clear that I have never engaged in any form of coercion, manipulation, or isolation toward this individual. At no point have I ever tried to control her environment, interfere with her personal life, or restrict her in any way. I have also never encouraged or allowed anyone—friends, acquaintances, or otherwise to harass, intimidate, or gang-stalk her. Any suggestion that I have done so is entirely false and contradicts the values I live by.
“After our falling out (and for context, we were not in a romantic relationship and was upfront about this, as well as communicated with each other on that understanding) I made every effort to keep my distance from this individual out of respect and to avoid further conflict.
“Despite the false accusations, I have remained committed to resolving matters in a mature and dignified way. I even attempted to mediate through an imam, offering an opportunity to have a respectful and neutral conversation to resolve discrepancies we had in our overall communication. However, she was not willing to meet, and I respected that decision without further pursuing it.
“I am fully prepared to defend myself against these claims and will cooperate with any necessary process to clear my name. I trust that the truth will come to light, and I deeply appreciate those who continue to support me during this difficult time.”
Since then, former Zulu drummer Dan Brown came forward stating “for everybody who asked me do i still play for zulu, this is why i don’t.” He then shared a second story supporting Muhammad‘s former partner. Lambgoat further pointed out that Zulu appears to have played without Muhammad on March 8 at the NDP Fest in São Paulo, Brazil. Zulu has not issued a statement on Muhammad‘s status within the band.
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