The Germans have proposed taking in 30,000 Syrian refugees through its humanitarian admission program. That is a staggering number for a European nation. The entire country of Germany is about the size of the State of Texas and has a gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita income of $46,896. ((All figures for GDP PPP were taken from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) website http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/index.aspx ))

The Icelandic people are pressuring their government to take in more Syrian refugees saying they will host them in their own homes if necessary. Iceland is about the size of the State of Tennessee and has a per capita income of $45,269.

The United Kingdom has proposed that it should take in 10,000 Syrian refugees. The UK is about the size of the State of Michigan and has a per capita income of $40,676.

The United States of America has claimed it will accept the 17,000 Syrian refugees who have applied for entry. They took in 1,500 last year and have promised to at least double that number by next year. The USA has a per capita income of $56,421.

But let’s not forget those who have all the while been hosting 95% of all Syrian refugees for the past few years: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. ((All figures for the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt were taken from Amnesty International’s article Facts & Figures: Syria refugee crisis & international resettlement, 12/5/2014 https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/12/facts-figures-syria-refugee-crisis-international-resettlement/ ))

Turkey hosts 1.6 million Syrian refugees. Turkey is around half the size of Alaska and has a per capita income of $20,188, which is below the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average per capita income of $25,908.

Lebanon, a country of just 4.8 million people, hosts 1.1 million Syrian refugees making them 26% of the entire population. Lebanon is about half the size of the State of New Jersey and has a per capita income of $18,422, well below the OECD average per capita income of $25,908.

Jordan, a country of 6.5 million people, hosts 618,615 Syrian refugees making them nearly 10% of the entire population. Jordan is smaller than the State of Louisiana and has a per capita income of $12,213, below half of the OECD average per capita income of $25,908.

Iraq has hosted 225,373 Syrian refugees. Being a war torn country also currently beleaguered by ISIS, their reduced capacity is not surprising. In spite of this, they are hosting more than a quarter of a million Syrian refugees. Iraq is about the size of Montana and has a per capita income of $14,448, just over half of the OECD average per capita income of $25,908.

Egypt has hosted 142,543 Syrian refugees. It is between the size of Texas and Alaska and has a per capita income of $11,194, the lowest income on the list, and far, far below half of the OECD average per capita income of $25,908.

There are, of course, countries that have been far less helpful.

Slovakia, with a per capita income of $29,210 well above the OECD per capita average, says it will take in Syrian refugees but only if they are of the Christian faith. Syria is 90% Muslim.

Russia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, all nations with healthy per capita incomes, have expressed absolutely no intention of assisting Syrian refugees. Singapore, which has an impressively strong per capita income of $85,198, well over three times the OECD per capita average, has shown absolutely no interest in accommodating Syrian refugees.

But what is most lamentable is that some of the richest nations on the planet which also happen to be conservative Muslim societies have been woefully behind in accommodating their Muslim brethren from Syria. While the Gulf Arab nations of Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain have donated tremendously for humanitarian relief in Syria (Saudi Arabia being the single largest donor in the world, with well over a quarter of a billion dollars to help refugees in both Iraq and Syria), they have done nothing to actually accommodate Syrian refugees into their countries.

Qatar has the highest per capita income on Earth of $143,532, five and a half times the OECD per capita average.

The United Arab Emirates has a per capita income of $65,149 making it the 7^th highest in the world and well over double the OECD per capita average.

Saudi Arabia has a per capita income of $53,149, double the OECD per capita average.

Kuwait has a per capita income of $70,914, nearly three times the OECD per capita average.

Bahrain has a per capita income of $52,515, more than double the OECD per capita average.

These aforementioned Gulf nations could easily afford to accommodate, or arrange for accommodations, for each and every Syrian refugee. But they haven’t. Not a single Syrian refugee should have to apply for refugee status in Europe and America where they will be aggressively ministered to and pressured to convert to Christianity. Not a single Syrian refugee should sit in a squalid camp where Christian missions will go and manipulate their delicate emotional state and pressure them to convert to Christianity. It is happening! This is from a Christian missionary website:

“One Sunday when I was there we had 200 people in a room. We said, ‘Okay, you know that we are Christians and we believe in Jesus and we would like to pray for you.’ We shared the gospel with them. I’ve never seen so many people praying at the same time in my life, ever. All of them were Muslims. We said, ‘Do you want to give your life to Jesus?’ They said, ‘Yes,’ and they prayed. I don’t know if it’s because we were there, but I know they need Jesus. That’s all I know. That’s the maximum we can give them.” ((An Insider’s Glimpse into the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Christian Aid Mission, 10/24/2013 http://www.christianaid.org/News/2013/mir20131024.aspx ))

I didn’t quote the above to vilify this missionary. He’s doing what he believes his Lord has commanded him to do: Share the Gospel. Don’t we believe we are commanded to share Islam? But, regardless, neither Christianity, nor Islam, nor any religion for that matter, should be pushed on an emotionally vulnerable people like the indigent and hungry Syrian refugees. This is not serving God. It’s serving one’s self.

We need to step up our game because, quite frankly, when it comes to humanitarian causes for our own people we are being trounced by the Christian world while the wealthy of us think that throwing money at the problem will make it go away. Wealthy Muslim-majority nations need to stop with the multi-million dollar donations that are a drop in the bucket for them anyway and realize that the key component of the word “refugee” is “refuge”. Show-off donations are self-serving. Use that money to get involved, get on the ground, and start architecting programs to provide refuge for OUR refugees.

(Featured Photo: Jonathan Lines)

Photo: Tim & Stacy Fisher

What happens when what you have spent years building is lost in one day? How do you control the actions of others that will unfairly, but inevitably, be associated with you? Is it really worth even doing anything at all?

In the Qur’an, Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) tells us about the Prophet ‘Uzayr `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him). The Prophet ‘Uzayr was sent to a destroyed Jerusalem. It was razed to the ground. There were no people, no trees, and no buildings. There was absolutely nothing there. ‘Uzayr had no idea what he would be sent to. And so imagine how dumbfounded he must have been when he saw the state of the place. He might have wondered why he was even sent, because it was beyond saving. As he looked at that forsaken land, he asked the question:

“How will Allah bring this to life after its death?”

We might ask ourselves the same question. After the shocking events in Paris and the (selective) media outrage, the subsequent Islamophobic attacks and backlash against Muslims—is it dead? Can we ever really do anything when no matter what good we do, we will be blamed for the actions of a few? And those actions, as deplorable as they are, will be divorced from their roots: of foreign invasions, occupations and killings. So we will never actually reach a coherent solution, because our diagnosis of the disease is so off-mark.

‘Uzayr was alone. He only had a bit of food, and a donkey to ride. But as he stood there, he picked up whatever broken pieces he could find. And he began building the foundations. Then he retreated to a mountain so he could rest for the night.

But Allah (swt) caused him to die for a hundred years. He brought ‘Uzayr back to life after those hundred years. But something else happened. Jerusalem was also given life. People had come after him, and built upon the foundation that he started. People had moved back. Jerusalem was alive again. When ‘Uzayr saw this, we are told in the Qur’an:

“And when it became clear to him, he said, ‘I know that Allah is over all things competent!'” [Qur’an, 2:259]

No matter how much other people destroy, we need to be like ‘Uzayr. We might wonder how this will ever be fixed. It does not matter. Our end is Allah (swt). We are accountable to Him and will only be held responsible for what we did—not for what others do in our name. And so we will continue to do. If we build for a hundred years and it gets destroyed in a day, we will pick up the pieces and build again.

But let us build.

Let us build the things that will remain even after we are gone. We are all capable of doing something. We are given a short time on this earth, and our time will not come back. We will not take our possessions with us. But we will leave a legacy—big or small, good or bad.

Allah (swt) sent the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) at a particular time. He did the best he could do within his context. And we are alive at this moment in time for a reason. We may not be able to influence what people do in other places, but certainly we can do good where we are. We can help. We can revive—because that is what we were brought to this earth for.

Plant a seed, and see how Allah (swt) makes it grow. We may all plant seeds that today are hidden in the ground and covered in dirt. And we might ask, “How will Allah bring this to life after its death?” But those seeds will become a garden one day, God willing.

Let us build for the things that will last.

—–

Some Muslim builders:

1- Muslim Groups Give $100,000 To Help Detroiters Without Water, Say It’s ‘Part Of Our Faith To Help’

2- The Unsung Muslim Heroes of Paris

3- Project FEED in San Francisco, dedicated to feeding the homeless, started in 2010 and going on until today

4- Ethical halal food

It is drizzling outside and the raindrops gently fall against my window. Though it is raining, the sunlight has remained undiminished during the downpour, leaving an ethereal landscape that is caught temporarily between sunlight and rain. God’s mercy pours down upon us this Ramadan, this month caught somewhere between who we were before it came, and who we will be after it leaves, this month, fostering contemplation and compassion, while quenching thirsty hearts across the globe. How blessed we are to have been granted this opportunity once again, to be in the midst of such a long awaited and beloved realm of worship, reflection, and renewal.

Photo: Emil Melgaard

This Ramadan, many of us have been fervently shaken by the plights of our sisters and brothers, in humanity and in Islam, who are facing severe and unexplainable oppression, discrimination, poverty, famine, and injustice. A picture of a beautiful toddler fills my computer screen and my heart overflows with a sense of helplessness. I cannot help but cry. ‘Darling baby brother, why wasn’t I able to save you? Why wasn’t I there to wrap my arms around you and shield you from harm? I reel inside from the pain of having lost your precious smile, and the smiles of so many pure souls.’ I search for something to quell the feelings of helplessness and inadequacy—something to rein in the turmoil—and then I remember three words we hear with every call to prayer, three words we say every time we pray, three words that every atom of the universe testifies to, three words spoken so eloquently by our Imam at a janazah (funeral prayer) in our community some years ago. Three words that bring stillness to our souls and cause our anguish to transform with renewed purpose. Three words: Allah is Greater.

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He) is Most Great, and acknowledging this, means recognizing that He is truly Greater than everything. He is Greater than our anguish. He is Greater than our fears. He is Greater than our sense of helplessness. He is Greater than our inadequate attempts to make sense of the world. His plan is Greater. His knowledge is Greater. His promise is Greater.

Let us use this last Ramadan day to do whatever is in our capacity. Let us pray, make du`a’ (supplication) with sincerity, reflect upon the Qur’an and its relevance, and donate our time, money, and effort to make serious changes for a more just and peaceful world. Let us excavate pathways to the hearts we own, and glean treasures of love and renewal along the way. Let us shed the bitterness and cynicism we have held onto for so long, and realize there are so many more important things to attend to. Most of all though, let us acknowledge with the very depths of our beings that indeed: Allah is Greater. Only then can we truly clear away the clutter that has filled our lives until this Ramadan, and return with humility to the One who is Most Great, and Greater than everything.

May Allah (swt) help all those who are suffering and oppressed, and alleviate their burden. May Allah (swt) help all those who holding onto their last threads of hope, and enable us to assist them to the best of our abilities. May Allah (swt) bless the aunty who shares her prayer rug, the uncle who passes out plates for iftaar (breakfast), the children who fall asleep on the masjid carpet, the donators and the volunteers, the hufaaz (people who memorized the Qur’an) and imams, with their recitations and supplications swirling up towards the masaajid (mosques) ceilings, the believers who entreat and shed tears of gratitude in solitude, and the rows of worshippers standing shoulder to shoulder in congregation, with the moonlight spilling through the window, late into the night.

The rain has diminished outside and the water droplets left on my window from the brief shower sparkle in the sunlight, like believers that glow with renewed purpose after being showered by Allah’s mercy in Ramadan. How blessed to have this beloved month. How blessed to be a part of this amazing, indescribable ummah (community). How blessed to know: Allah is Greater.

One of my dearest friends is currently working in a war zone.

In late February, the government building she frequents came under attack, killing one of her colleagues. When I began writing this a couple of weeks ago, she had just called me to tell me about another ordeal. She was woken up in the middle of the night to the sound of bomb blasts, and the electricity was cut off. She had never been so afraid. She is a beautiful, brave human being who wants to help her homeland—so despite the great risk to her life, she stays.

When I was alerted about the first attack, there was nothing I could do. I tried calling, but her phone was switched off. So I turned to the One who sees and hears all. I called Allah subhanahu wa ta `ala  (exalted is He) by His Names and made a desperate supplication:

“Ya Hafidh, ya Maani’, ya Qawwiy, Allahumma ihfadha, Allahumma imna’ al-sharr, ya Qawiyy, ya ‘Azeez.”

“O Guardian, O Preventer of Harm, O Strong One, O God protect her, O God prevent harm, O Strong One, O All-Powerful.”

At that moment of helplessness I could not remember any of the du`a’ (supplications) I had memorized. But I remembered Allah’s name and attributes. No one could protect her but Him.

When you are in the depth of helplessness, when you feel overpowered, when you feel unsafe, call on the All-Preserver, the Protector, the Strong.

Al-Hafidh, Al-Maani`, Al-Qawiyy

Al-Hafidh is The Guard (al-haaris, الحارس) and it comes from the root H-F-Dh (ح-ف-ظ). When the brothers of the Prophet Yusuf `alayhi as-salam  (peace be upon him) asked their father to send with them their youngest brother, Prophet Jacob (as) said:

“He said, ‘Should I entrust you with him except [under coercion] as I entrusted you with his brother before? But Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.’” (Qur’an, 12:64)

He said that Allah (swt) is the best guardian (khayrun hafidha – خير حافظا). Despite knowing that his sons had something to do with the disappearance of his son Yusuf, he knew who the ultimate protector was. And Allah (swt) guarded both Yusuf and his younger brother and returned them to him. And Yusuf underwent extreme hardship: from being thrown into a well by his brothers and sold into slavery to being seduced by a powerful woman and then wrongfully accused and thrown into jail. But Allah (swt) protected him in protecting his morals and character from corruption, and from any serious bodily harm, and finally he was made a minister and reunited with his family. Such is His protection even in the most difficult circumstances!

Al-Maani` comes from the root m-n-a’ (م-ن-ع), and it means to prevent, restrain or deny. Allah (swt) is the One who prevents harmful actions from coming to you. When a lifeguard rescues a drowning child, it is Allah (swt) who prevents the drowning. In Bukhari, Abu Bakr radi Allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) narrated the story of when he and the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) were on the journey from Makkah to Madina and being hunted down by Suraqa bin Malik. Abu Bakr (ra) exclaimed, “We have been discovered, O Messenger of Allah!” And the Prophet ﷺ replied, “Do not grieve, for Allah is with us.” The Prophet ﷺ made a du`a’ to Allah, and the legs of his horse sank into the earth up to its belly.

Al-Qawiyy indicates “perfect power” according to Imam al-Ghazali. This Name is mentioned numerous times in the Qur’an, as we are told over and over:

“Indeed, Allah is Powerful (Qawiyy) and Exalted in Might.” (Qur’an, 57:25)

The first battle the Muslims were confronted with was the battle of Badr. They were few in number (three hundred and thirteen, according to the narration) and faced with the more powerful army of Quraish of about nine hundred and fifty strong men. But Allah (swt) tells us:

“And already had Allah given you victory at [the battle of] Badr while you were few in number. Then fear Allah; perhaps you will be grateful.” (Qur’an, 3:123)

This is the other meaning of al-Qawiyy: you may not be powerful yourself but are made powerful because your protector is the Most Powerful. Relying on the Most Powerful also means doing our due diligence. The Prophet ﷺ did not go to battle unprepared. He did as much as he could with what was given to him, was frequently innovative and always asked the opinions of his companions radi Allahu `anhum (may God be pleased with them). 

Can you think of a time when you were protected?

Think back to your childhood: the time when you escaped a major accident with minor bruises. When you broke your bones, but Allah al-Jabbar healed you. When you said goodbye to your child as they went away for college, worried. When you just barely avoided that major accident.

We do not often remember that most of our life is spent under the protection of Allah (swt); accidents and harm are usually an anomaly. In the 24 hours that we have in a day, we are under protection for most or all of it. Because we take it for granted, we are often unaware that this protection of Allah (swt) is an active act and is constant. The Prophet ﷺ reminds us:

“Whoever wakes up safely in his home and is healthy in his body and has provisions for his day, would have acquired all the worldly possessions he is in need of.” (Tirmidhi)

Tests

Sometimes we may be harmed and experience pain. The Prophet ﷺ tells us in that case:

“No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” (Bukhari)

Even when we are harmed, there is a wisdom as well as compensation for it. Nothing that happens to us is overlooked by God.

In situations of war, it may seem that Allah’s protection is absent. But this is why the rules of our religion command us to protect the weak and establish justice. In essence, the true application of Islam brings about the very visible manifestation of all of Allah’s Names and attributes. When you build a shelter for battered women, like Sister Asma Hanif of Muslimat Al-Nisaa, you are embodying this characteristic of God, which we are commanded to do. When you follow the example of Muhammad Ali, who was not only a world famous boxer but an outspoken critic of the Vietnam war, you are actively trying to protect the lives of innocent. When, like Sister Ameena Mathews, you work to stop violence in your community, you are that shining light that our faith commands us to be. After all, what else were the Quraish so angry with when the Prophet ﷺ commanded that the weak be protected and justice be served? You may suffer hardship as these roles are not easy, but there is no strength like the inner strength that comes with conviction of purpose and faith in God.

Some other meanings

Another meaning of al-Haafidh is also that Allah (swt) has guarded and preserved the Qur’an. Allah (swt) says:

“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” (Qur’an, 15:9)

It is a great honor and gift to be able to memorize the Qur’an. The Prophet ﷺ tells us:

“It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an after he has entered Paradise, ‘Recite, and rise!’ For every verse he recites he will rise one level (in Paradise), until he recites the last verse with him [i.e. in his memory].” (Abu Dawud)

You become a haafidh—in essence, a preserver or a guardian of the Qur’an—with your memory. May Allah (swt) make us of them.

Al-Maani’ on the other hand, not only prevents physical harm but spiritual harm as well. So ask Him to protect your soul and your faith.

Finally, al-Ghazali pairs Allah’s Name al-Qawiyy (the Strong) with al-Mateen (the Firm) in his book, as Allah does in this verse:

“Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider (ar-Razzaq), the firm possessor of strength (thul qiwwatil-mateen)” (Qur’an, 51:58).

Al-Ghazali says that “strength indicates perfect power, while firmness indicates firmness of strength.” So Allah does not waiver in His strength.

So whenever you feel helpless, weak or afraid, call on the One whose strength does not waiver and the One who can protect you both spiritually and physically. Please make du`a’ for my friend. Thank you.

A country’s capital rarely represents it.

Google a map of Turkey and while you’re at it, Google a map of the regions of Turkey that voted AKP. Here’s a little help:

http://www.iha.com.tr/iste-2014-yerel-secim-sonuclari-gundem-344902

Results are early but Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP), the Kemalist “Republican People’s Party”, won only 13 out of 81 provinces. AKP won a whopping 49 of 81 provinces between the 5 major parties running, AKP, CHP, BTP, MHP and BDP.

Istanbul, a Western tourist hub and Turkey’s unofficial de facto capital (Ankara is the official capital), may be what the Kemalists would like you to think represents the whole of Turkey, but the rest of the country is far more conservative and, in many cases, rural. Likewise, there’s more to Egypt than Cairo. The rest of Egypt is much more conservative than Cairo and their political stances are a lot less black and white than the news outlets may find sensational enough to report on. There’s more to Afghanistan than Kabul. The rest of Afghanistan is fiercely conservative and, regardless of what we think of the Taliban, they preferred them over any other alternative. They didn’t like them (nor do I), but they weren’t kidnapping their women and children like the warlords we’ve been supporting have done over the past 30 years. These are just two examples of how our media misguides us by presenting a small, often affluent, sliver of society in another country to spuriously represent the whole.

Nonetheless, the Kemalists’ CHP lost Istanbul to Erdoğan‘s AKP. Ouch.

“It doesn’t matter that our leaders are corrupt. YOURS better not be!”

This is patently absurd and ridiculous. We have presidents guilty of, and getting away with, impeachable offenses. We have a president who has presided over the NSA hijacking your smartphone camera and watching you take a shower as it rests on the counter. Yet, Erdoğan blocks YouTube and Twitter and we act like he committed genocide against peace loving Ewoks. Yes, blocking Twitter and YouTube was utterly stupid and a travesty for any free democratic society, but let’s look at our own government and put things into perspective. We Americans have perfected double standards and hypocrisy into an Olympic sport.

Democracy is when a society elects their leaders. It is not when a society elects leaders that America approves of.

Recent reports (concurring with reports trickling out since July of last year) indicate that we were the ones who funded the Tamarod protests in Egypt last year in the first place. Someone find that “Shut up your mouse, Obama” woman and let her know that Obama’s mouse is actually her friend.

So you can imagine what other “revolutions” we have orchestrated. As if the laundry list of democratically elected governments we overthrew covertly isn’t bad enough as it is. These recent reports support my personal theory, which I held from the beginning, that this farcical so-called “Arab Spring” is totally a concoction of our own intelligence agencies. The Arabs are simply incapable of pulling off something like that on their own. Hopefully, one day they will be without foreign manipulation but they definitely aren’t capable of it in their current socio-political condition.

What this all points to is that America needs to focus a whole lot more on interests within her own borders which have been morosely neglected. Our economy, employment, healthcare, crime, vice, social services, civil and constitutional rights are not in any state that we should even be involved in the affairs of any other nation that doesn’t directly impact us. We just don’t have the bandwidth for board games of global domination.

This is somewhat related to a serious issue that impacts the entire region. From the bungled and baseless war in Iraq to our covert ops orchestrating government overthrows in Egypt (successful) and Turkey (failure) we need to look at whom Erdoğan has been speaking out against and who has been behind each and every one of these overseas operations that are in no interest of the American people. Israel. Recipient of THREE FREAKING BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR of our American tax dollars. If they are “God’s chosen people” —who happen to have an undisclosed and unofficial nuclear arsenal that at up to 400 warheads would make them the third largest nuclear power in the world after the USA and Russia— they’ll do just fine without us. If they’re in danger after we cut the umbilical cord then maybe they’re not “God’s chosen people”. Maybe they’re just like the rest of us. And maybe, like the rest of us, they need to take care of themselves now and the entire planet shouldn’t be subject to their interests. Maybe the future of Turkey, and the rest of the world, shouldn’t need to conform to what makes Israel comfortable. Think about it and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t change it.

A call to balance. Let’s see things in color.

What the Sisi-Morsi debacle in Egypt and the controversies surrounding Erdoğan’s strong-man politics have shown us is that practicing Muslims don’t always support Islamist parties and Secular-leaning parties often have practicing Muslims amongst their supporters. Yet again, we see that the motivations and proclivities of the masses are never as black and white as we are led to believe by an increasingly sensationalist media. Everyone loves The Godfather and Scarface, and loves to see that “tough guy” image in our leaders. But, hello?! Do you remember the end of Scarface? Tony Montana didn’t exactly sail off into the sunset with his little friend. Such attitudes rarely bode any better for politicians. We can’t protest Sisi massacring his people while remaining silent on Erdoğan refusing to address evidences of corruption and doing outlandishly bad things like banning YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to follow. Sure, Erdoğan stopping the Turks from Tweeting pictures of totally awesome Baklava isn’t as bad as Sisi handing out the largest mass death sentence in the history of every civilization of the galaxy, but injustice even on the smallest scale requires outrage from us regardless of how small and regardless of how wronged we, or those we sympathize with, have been. Heed this divine reminder:

“O People of Faith! Be those who stand up for justice, witnessing for God, even if it be against your own selves, your parents or your near and dear. Whether they be rich or poor, God is best a protector over both of them the same. So do not follow your own desires when meting out justice. For if you swerve or falter in that, know that God is most acquainted with what you do.” [The Qur’an 4:135]

Ibn Jarīr al-Tabariī relates in his exegesis of the Qur’an that Ibn `Abbās explained this verse thus:

“God commanded that they speak the truth even if it be against themselves, their fathers, or their sons. The rich are not to be preferred for their wealth, nor are the poor to be excused for their poverty.”

Note in particular “The rich are not to be preferred for their wealth, nor are the poor to be excused for their poverty”. From that, a breakdown can be deduced: Those with the advantage are not to be esteemed for their advantage and those without advantage are not to be excused for their disadvantage. Those in power shouldn’t be blindly respected and adored simply for virtue of being in power and the underdog should never be excused when he overcomes his oppressor, gets in power and then starts to betray justice or, worse, starts taking revenge.

Erdoğan, the world is watching you; but that pales to the fact that, above all, the Lord of the Worlds is watching you even closer. You can be the greatest leader the Muslim world has seen since the Ottomans whom you repeatedly invoke, or you can fall just like them when they lost their way. Which end of their history you resemble is up to you.

Syrian Chronicles:  Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI

In this series, Syrian refugees share their stories of being displaced as a result of the current atrocities occurring in that region. All accounts are factual, but may be written by a family member or a friend.

By Issra

Fridays were holy days and “weekends” in Syria, but that was long before our revolution began.

I lost three very dear people to me – Salem, Kenan, and Dawud—on a Friday.

That day was the worst day of my life.

It did not begin in any peculiar way.  Just another attempt to live our lives normally in an environment that was anything but normal.

Salem, his son Kenan, and his nephew Dawud were headed to my aunt’s home for breakfast that Friday morning. The town in which she lived in was targeted by local regime forces, and many of the main roads leading to it were closed off with makeshift barricades and military checkpoints. In an effort to find a way through and evade a confrontation with soldiers, Salem lead Kenan and Dawud down a different route that was seemingly safe.

Little did they know that there were snipers positioned right ahead. As the three walked along early that morning, they came across a man on the side of the road who began to call to them for help. As they moved towards him, a sniper began to shoot them down. Salem died instantly, and as his wounded son began to crawl towards him, Kenan’s soul left him before he reached his father. Dawud, injured in the neck, slowly crawled towards the man they had been walking to and hid behind his truck.

Salem and Kenan’s bodies remained sprawled in the middle of the road until the news reached my family. Two of our neighbors set out to try and drag the bodies away from harm, fully aware that they could easily end up in the same position as Kenan and his father. As they began to drag Salem’s body, one of the men bumped into a dumpster used to block off a side road and alerted the attention of regime soldiers nearby. They ran towards the two men and caught one of them, detaining him as if he were a criminal. The other man ran for his life, and later on fled the country after being identified and wanted by the police, leaving behind his wife and three-month old son.

When it was decided that dragging the bodies was too risky, my family began to plead with the soldiers, bribing them with money and asking them to simply allow for someone to bring the bodies home. One of the officers eventually agreed, after proper compensation for his “favor,” of course. But even bringing in the bodies to our apartment was a dangerous thing to do. Across from our building lived regime thugs, paid by the government to terrorize and kill as they pleased. If they spotted people taking bodies of the dead, it was unimaginable what they would do. So Salem and Kenan’s bodies were snuck in to the basement of our apartment building, and thank God the ordeal went unnoticed.

Salem’s mother and wife awaited him and his son, and upon seeing their bodies soaked in blood, the two women began to weep in deep anguish and despair. It broke my heart to watch Salem’s wife speak to his stiff, bloodied corpse. “Your martyrdom earned us a home in paradise, Salem. I hope you died quickly and didn’t suffer too much.” That night, our whole building was inhabited by fear and grief, and those painful images haunted us all.

The burial process was not any easier. At dawn of the next day, Salem and Kenan’s bodies were placed in a relative’s pick-up truck. Our family bid them a final farewell as the driver prepared for the huge risk he was about to take. The first attempt to drive across town under open fire earned him a gunshot in one of his arms. The second attempt involved heaving the truck up a stairway with a group of men in order to avoid a checkpoint. After many extremely risky maneuvers, the driver finally arrived to a grove near Salem’s childhood home. Salem and his fifteen-year-old son were buried there, as were many of the martyrs of our hometown

By the next day, our whole apartment building had fled their homes, as the terror of last night’s experience reined far too unbearable. My family and relatives all moved into one home in another area of Syria. We lived like sardines in a can, forty-five of us dwelling in one house for a period of three months. The pressure, fear, sadness, and overwhelming risks kept us all from leading ordinary lives; I had to leave school, and no one in my family had work. When the three months had passed, I fled the country to Egypt with many of my relatives. We yearned for a sanctuary there, and had one for a bit, until we were made scapegoats for politics that we played no role in.

As we later learned, Salem’s wife and son who remained in Syria were victims of a chemical weapons attack. Dawud, who was taken by the man on the side of the road the day he was shot, was hospitalized at a military hospital. Visits to his room were extremely limited, and eventually prohibited completely. The bullet remained in his neck, and he was later detained and moved from the hospital to a prison, with no consideration for his health.

Until today, no one knows anything about him. His mother is living a nightmare, facing complete uncertainty about the fate of her son.

All of us Syrians share her misery, as we mourn the obscure future of our country. We know the truth to be very clear, but continue to face the most absurd atrocities and injustices.

And so we continue to pray, and so should you.

No really, take a look around. Everything is in complete chaos, nothing seems to make sense. It seems that with every coming day things just keep getting worse and worse. Humanity is lost. People do not care about each other like they used to. It is clearly apparent that the world as we know it is going down the drain and there is nothing we can do to stop it.

Or is it? Think back to the “good ol’ days.”  The days when things actually made sense, and there was still humanity to be seen around every corner. Perhaps it was a time when you were young when the world seemed to be perfectly aligned, or at least for the most part. Or perhaps you can’t remember a time where things made sense, but you have heard about those times and secretly crave to be teleported back as soon as possible.

One of those times that is oft brought up is the time when the Prophet ﷺ  (peace be upon him) was present on the earth. We hear stories about when the Prophet ﷺ  was amongst the people, and we get swept away by the beauty of it all. A time when human life was still regarded as precious. It was a time when trustworthiness was praised and encouraged. It was a time when mercy, compassion and love were shown to all. Hearing these stories can make us want to get lost in this picture-perfect memory and leave reality for at least a few peaceful moments.

While the truth is, it was such a beautiful time and no one can deny the blessings and the beauty that radiated throughout the lands, we are overlooking some of the details of this time as well. We are forgetting that there were people living at that time who were burying their daughters alive simply because they were girls. We are forgetting that there were people who were plotting and planning to kill the beloved Messenger ﷺ for speaking the truth. We forget that people were murdering each other, stealing from each other and betraying each other. We forget that there was plenty of evil during that time as well, evil that our Prophet ﷺ was trying to erase.

The fact of the matter is that it is easy to look back on times and see the highlights of the good, the beautiful and the beneficial; although when in the situation, all we can see are the crazies and the evils. It is easy to think that the world is going down the drain when stuck in the middle of the whirlpool of life, but perhaps in 20 years you will look back and see the beauty that was surrounding you through it all.

The key to it all is trying to enjoy it while it lasts. To take the example of our beloved Prophet ﷺ who lived through times that are now seen as “the good ol’ days.” It is said that he was never to be seen without a smile on his face. That he would greet anyone he came across and ask about their well being. He even checked up on a person who had been throwing trash at his door when the trash stopped appearing, in fear that the person might have been sick. He was a light that was spreading love, and through his love he touched the lives of the people around him, granting them the light to carry through. It is this example that we should take and implement in our lives during the present moment.

Be a light and spread your love to every person you meet: be it through a smile, a kind word or even a small gesture. Know that, yes, there are crazy things going down in the world that are horrifically unexplainable, but that never stopped the beauty of love from penetrating the lives and hearts of others in the past—so it will not prevent us today. And realize that the days you are living right now, may in fact be “the good ol’ days” not too far down the line.

So, no, the world has not gone crazy. The world has been crazy from the start. But in that craziness we find the perfect opportunity to bring light to where it is needed most.

In this series, Syrian refugees share their stories of being displaced as a result of the current atrocities occurring in that region. All accounts are factual, but may be written by a family member or a friend.

by Isa

I am at a loss for words after my grandmother passed away.  The sudden events that took place as my brother and I were simultaneously placed in jail by the Syrian regime may have caused her the traumatic strokes that ended her life. Am I to blame for causing her stress? Am I the one that should have been placed upon her deathbed? These are the questions that often circulate through my head. I can’t help it though. I long for the freedom that neither I nor my parents had.

It all started when Syrian citizens of all ages took to the streets. We peacefully protested the Syrian Regime, because we lacked basic human rights,  a stable economy, and freedom at any level. We were sick of an authority that was brutal, a dictatorship that needed to be replaced with a government who benefited the citizens of this country and looked out for their best interest. At 24 years of age, I wanted to be out there, I wanted the future generations to experience the freedom and justice that we missed out on.

I faced many challenges by taking this route, internally and externally. I have six aunts and four uncles. Three are pro-regime, and the rest are against, but they do not take a public stance or do anything about it. I have one aunt who freely expresses her disgust with the regime, but that naturally happens since she lives in America.  My mother is pro-regime, because she was one of Hassoun’s students ((Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, the Grand Mufti of Syria and a supporter of Bashar al-Assad)) ; she believed the government can do no wrong and blamed it on foreign interference. I often argued with her about everything I did to oppose the government. I did not have much support from the family. I lost a lot of friends and cousins due to my position.  Some of them called me a sell-out and a shame to the family. They tried me and tested me with questions: How dare you defy the regime and put yourself out there with the scums that are protesting along your side?

Who are you to decide that the regime is corrupt and give our family a bad reputation?

I was picked up at a protest and held in jail for three months. It was the most horrid, terrifying experience of my life. I was fed rotten bread, just so I can live to bear the abuse in every inhumane way possible. Sometimes the rotten bread was flavored with urine; the attempt of the regime was to put our morale down as much as possible. This was the best case scenario for there was worse. We were sometimes urinated upon along with our food. We were beaten with wires so badly that maps were engraved onto our backs to tell our stories forever. They stripped us down, electrocuted our private parts and tongues. AlhamdulilLah (Praise be to God), I was finally let go three months later after my family begged and pleaded and paid 500 USD.

The dismay I experienced provided me with determination to move forward and demand change regardless of the consequences. I continued to protest by helping those hurt by the attacks of the regime. I took them to hospitals and documented everyday experiences through words, pictures, and videos. I was caught for the second time at a protest. I swallowed the SIM card and threw the phone on the floor because I did not want any of my contacts to get hurt or interrogated. My friends informed my mother that it was a peaceful protest. We had our cameras, phones, and flowers as we chanted, “Freedom, freedom!” I was finally bailed out after my family paid 1200 USD, but at this point I was broken.  They got to me and took away any sense of dignity I had—that is the purpose of prison—but I will not back down.

At this point, my family decided to ship me out to Lebanon. I was taking too many risks and they wanted me out of their sight, because I was causing them too much trouble. I stayed in Lebanon for three months where I was active through Facebook in exposing the atrocities committed by the Syrian regime. I kept in touch with my fiance Amal who I loved dearly. I decided to sneak my way to Idlib and marry her because it seemed that the conflict was dragging longer than expected.

While I was away, the regime was unhappy with my virtual activism and they habitually visited my parents’ home asking for me.  They were frustrated with the fact that I was absent and took my older brother instead. Ahmad was 28 years old, married with a daughter.  His experience in jail was much worse than mine. It made me feel guilty that they took him on my behalf. He endured the same experiences I did, but to a greater level.

The regime specialized in ways to break each person who went through the jail experience, male or female. Ahmad spent three weeks in jail, he was fed meals that contained a type of substance that made people act irrationally. They forced the men and women in jail to strip naked and rape each other. He was defiantly scared. The problem with our culture is that we do not talk about these experiences to get over them or seek help, we just bring shame to the family and it ends there. We continue our lives as broken individuals who are not healed and do not know how to heal.  I wanted to turn myself in so that my brother may be let go. My aunt convinced me out of it, because she knew that the regime had no mercy and would keep us both instead. My family was able to collect 1000 USD and bail Ahmad out after three weeks of his hellish experience.

I lived in Almarra for some time with Amal and her family, until I had to leave because it was getting attacked. We fled to Aleppo, but my parents’ house was shelled and therefore, we relocated to a village in the outskirts of Aleppo.  My wife is pregnant, and we will be expecting any day now. I am grateful for the supportive family that I have, someone to rely on in times of hardship. I pray that my child experiences a Syria that is free, able to operate in a democratic fashion. I pray for her to enjoy a life my grandmother never imagined or fathomed. I pray for a victory very soon insha’Allah (God willing).  For I want the upcoming Eid to be a holiday of true celebration and lack of bloodshed. Ameen

By Dr. Jerry Hionis, Jr.

I believe that “Islamic” economics should start to focus on the day-to-day decisions we as Muslims make. For example, one can go to a Jum’ah (Friday) service at any masjid and see decisions Muslims make with little thought.

It is very common to see both men and women wearing some type of gold jewelry. Outside of making the correct zakat payments, most people do not put in long hours of deliberation over whether or not they should buy gold. In modern times, the production of gold has become very harmful both to the people who mine the gold and the environment that is all too often polluted by it.

Gold has had a controversial history from the conquistador raiding on early Latin America to the exploitive practices in the Western U.S. during the 19th century. The modern industry has grown into another monster completely. Outside of the social costs that it inflicts on West African nations like Ghana, the purifying process destroys both the environment and those who live near the destruction. Once gold ore is found in a mine ((Again, we will ignore here the horrific and inhumane conditions that many of the laborers must work in to produce menial wages. For those inclined, see Perlez and Bergman’s article “Tangled Strands in Fight over Peru Gold Mine” in The New York Times October 25, 2005)) , chemicals such as cyanide and mercury are used to purify the gold from the rock, creating “slag”. In most developing countries with weak laws and even weaker government enforcement, this slag is improperly dumped on land and in rivers ((See Perlez, Jane and Johnson, Kirk. “Behind Gold Glitter: Torn Lands and Pointed Questions”. The New York Times October 24, 2005)) . It should not be a huge stretch for one to conclude that years of dumping slag in these areas decimates the environment and causes health issues for the local population ((See Perlez, Jane and Johnson, Kirk. “Behind Gold Glitter: Torn Lands and Pointed Questions”. The New York Times October 24, 2005)) .

Beyond gold, it is very common to see many Muslim women (and some men) wearing diamond jewelry. Hopefully, the effects of the diamond market on many African nations, such as Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia, are well known to all. In summary, the consumption and selling of diamonds, whether labelled “conflict” or “non-conflict”, finances exploitive labor practices, war, rape, murder, drug trade/use and increased instability in governments – especially those with large Muslim populations. In fact, calling it the diamond market is a bit of a sham. It holds very little in common with most markets that the average consumer and producer partake in.

From both the consumption and production aspect, the industry is controlled (over 90% of all diamonds mine and sold throughout the world) by the De Beers corporation, a monopoly deemed criminal by the U.S. government. The cultural demand and preference for diamonds was manufactured by De Beers in an aggressive advertising campaign in the 1940’s. You know, “Diamonds are forever” and “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. Says who? De Beers, that’s who. The supply is manufactured as well. Against the conventional wisdom, diamonds are not rare. Actually, they are more abundant than one would think. The market price for diamonds is so inflated because the demand is kept high and the supply is controlled, by De Beers, to be artificially low. In other words, De Beers intentionally hordes resources and wealth to keep prices high ((There is no shortage of resources on the subject from movies, books, articles and documentaries. In fact, reading any historical, economic or political account of a West African nation is bound to dedicate a substantial amount of time to the diamond industry. That being said, the most iconic book on the subject is Greg Campbell’s Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World’s most Precious Stones.)) . I am not an Islamic scholar, but I find it hard to believe that these practices would be deemed mubah (allowable if necessary), makruh (avoid if possible) or even halal (permissible) by the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him).

Finally, even without gold and diamond jewelry being donned, there is one item that all Muslims will have with them at Jum’ah: clothing. Out of the three preverbal needs of any person – food, clothes and shelter – the consumption of clothing is rarely thought about entailing an ethical or religious component. The recent tragedy of the Rana Plaza collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh in April has made many start to ask where and how their clothing is made. Unfortunately, the problems of “sweatshop” labor and inhumane working conditions is an industry-wide issue that has been associated with the textile industry since its industrial conception.

The garment industry has had a historical “race to the bottom” structure, where production shifts locations in order to find lower labor costs. The modern industrial textile industry has raced from England, to the rural south and industrial north of America, to Central America, to West African nations and is now located in Southeast Asia. With low standards of living, labor costs in these countries are extremely minute compared to those found in Japan and the U.S. ((For a comparison: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/9/895/indias-textile-wet-processing5.asp)) In economics, a good such as clothing is known as a labor-intensive good; that is, the major input in production is hands-on labor. Therefore, production will always move to where the labor is cheapest. These garments are then sold in America, Europe, and parts of the Middle-East, all with high standards of living, at higher prices. Even with transportation cost and retail overhead, the profit margins are substantial.

All this makes perfect sense theoretically. Globalization and free-trade supporters claim this to be the natural mechanism of the market and all are winners in the long-run. Opponents of globalization counter by saying that there are always winners and losers in the market, especially in the short-run, and the long-term effects lead to an increasing divergence in economic growth. Leaving this argument aside, the question for the Muslim should be: is it ethical and in line with the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ?

In her book The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, Pietra Rivoli intensely examines the textile industry. As the production of clothing moves across the globe over time, one constant is that the majority of laborers in the market are women – usually, widowed or divorced – who have children to support. Rivoli shows that these women were and are ((Al-Mahmood. “Bangladesh’s garment industry still offers women best work opportunity.” The Guardian, May 23, 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/may/23/bangladesh-garment-industry-women-opportunity)) preferred workers because, having dependents to support, they tend to accept lower wages, endure worse working conditions, work longer hours, take more abuse, complain less and, in general, are unaware of the country’s labor laws. In China for example, the huji, or hukou, system, where one is assigned an area that they are allowed to reside, has a direct effect on the exploitation of labor in the industry. Many leave their government assigned areas to go work in the urban textile factories. Because these workers are not designated residents where the factories are located, they must work longer hours for lower wages and no benefits and many even sleep in the factories to avoid travel costs. Of course, with a rising middle class in China, Chinese labor costs have been slowly rising and textile production has raced to other countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

People are starting to now check the tags on their clothing and ask questions. Unfortunately, checking to see if the tag says “Made in ________” does not give one the full story of their garment. Like the fallacy of diamonds labeled “non-conflict”, the production of a t-shirt, a pair of socks, a pair of pants, a thobe, has many steps in many countries in many factories with varying conditions. Just because your kameez (shirt) says “Made in Pakistan” does not mean exploitive labor practices were avoided in all stages of production.

For the most part, all this is legal and theoretically efficient, but are these practices in accord with the Prophetic tradition? Again, I unabashedly admit that I am not an Islamic scholar. Yet the seerah (biography) of the Prophet ﷺ consistently mentions his reputation as an honest and fair dealing trader. There is no shortage of hadith (narrations) that refer to trading and the importance the Prophet ﷺ put on clear, honest and transparent transactions, especially on labor.

If the Pope himself condemns the labor practices in Bangladesh and labels them “slave labor” ((“Pope condemns Bangladesh ‘slave labour”’. Al Jazeera, May 2, 2013.http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/05/2013525185257206.html)) , why has the Muslim community not been at the forefront of this issue – especially given that the majority of Bengalis are Muslims? Muslims should not be supporting the various movements and organizations that fight to change these practices. Muslims should BE those fighting for change, whether those being exploited are Muslim or not.