Salaam alaykum;
this is from my sister Fatemah, part of this campaing:
HOW HAVE YOU HELPED THE UMMAH LATELY?
The hate has to stop with us, The Here and Now Generation. History repeats itself as we all see on a daily basis. Third World countries crying out year after year for relief, from hunger, homelessness, wrongful imprisionments and the worse of all they cry to stop Oppression and Occupation. I am not a learned scholar many of us arent, but we are muslims. Muslims Ordered by Allah swt to protect, take care of and defend our neighbors. This is a tall order for just a few, but we arent just a few, we are an Ummah. We are spread across the whole world. We come from all types of cultures and we have seen the unjusts in our own countries. We need to stop looking for others to help us and help each other.
A child should not be homeless and roaming the streets for food and shelter. A child should not be without his or her parents. A child should not have to fear walking to school for an education. A child should just be a child, carefree and playful, warm and secure, educated with countless possibilities awaiting him or her. But it seems only the rich have these luxuries. And it is no excuss. If we have even alittle and we share what we have.
If all muslims were giving their amout of Zakaat each year, there would be no hunger, If all muslims look and see that the life we have isnt to see how much we can collect for ourselves, but infact to share so many have equal. The age old arguement, I worked hard for this money, why should I share with someone not working? This money has been in the family for generations. How many people walk from their homes and comment on a child dress less for the wheather and blame the parents? or have their children come home and comment on a smelly child in class? Subhana Allah, these are signs that someone is in need.
The media a friend or foe? depends on who is taping it and filming it. Many films have been made educating about the problems that pleague the world, some never released and some released in wrong time. The media is a powerful tool if one has access to it, but many of us dont. It is time to rely on ourselves to educate and show the world what others are hiding. We Muslims.
Many of us can go through our pantries and cubboards and see canned foods that have not been eaten in some time, or food gone sour in the fridge because too much was made and not eaten, how many people do you think that could have fed? We do our laundry weekly and complain about how much there is, while others are without even proper shoes. Somewhere a neighbor has lost his or her job, or lost a family member who was the main bread earner, has any stopped by the home to offer help? or would this take away money from car, tv, internet payments? Many americans spend up to 300.00 or more in gas for their cars, in the city I live it is about 300.00 every two weeks to a month, the thing is , in my town it is not so big to use so much gas, to carpool with a few co workers could save 150.00 that could go to help feed , cloth, and /or educated many families in less fortunate places.
Many of us have heated homes, our children sleep warm, and somewhere we have brothers and sisters who have no heat and no warmth at night. Think we could spare a few blankets? The over stacked pantries, Think you have enough to spare even a few cans or boxes of food? These are simple and easy requests to ask of any muslim, but the harder ones take a greater Unity.
The Oppression and Occupations are a harder test for us as Muslims, As we have to becareful what we say and what we do , not to be labeled a terrorists or an extremeist. The best way for us to do this is Education. Show the World what so many are Hiding. Homes being torn down illeagally, teenagers being imprisioned illeagally, children in many countries are being used as target practice, subhana Allah. The hardest thing to realize is that atleast half the world doesnt know the truths about theses crimes against humanity. They are blinded and deaf to the world around them. They dont realize that 100's of thousands are dying and oppressed and imprisioned every day. Secrets of the media propaganda, an example is , the american people are desensatized but the media and movies that are forever engulfing our youth. They watch movies where everyone dies , killed by some homicidal maniac, zombies roam the earth, gangster movies romantisizing murder and crime. To get through to the american people will need hard proof without candy coating. many women in the usa have soft heart for children no matter where they are from, this is an ideal target, if you will, to start educate but true written stories and as many pictures one can take about their lives and situations. Hard Core Wake Up Education.
We are Muslim and this is Allah swt's World we inhabit, it is left to us to take care of what has been loaned to us. American Muslims write your political representatives, write your masjids and volunteer, and tell any to whom you meet about what they are blind about. Form Groups and demonstrations educating about the poverty, the wrongful imprisionments, and the Occupations. get involved, we here are american muslims and it is up to us to educate about Islam if not by words then by actions, volunteer, read, write, sing if you have to. I have never met anyone yet here that wasnt interested in Islam to know what it is all about, be prepared to answer questions or direct to get answers. Muslims all over the world, it isnt a christian matter, a mormon matter or even a jewish matter, this is An Islam matter and requires all Muslims of the Prophet's (saws) Ummah to be involved, prayers alone will not do we must get involved and be heard.
HOW HAVE YOU HELPED THE UMMAH LATELY?
fee amaan Allah
waalaikum assalam
