My Ramadan Thoughts This Year

Assalamu `alaykum wa rahmautllah
I don't have an article or video to share, but I wanted to relate to you all some of my reflections on a couple of current events taking place in our world which concern me. I've been quietly watching the progress [there *must* be a better word!] of the flooding in Pakistan, as well as the spread of racist hate throughout the US.

It's so strange to me that the flooding in Pakistan happened now, during Ramadan. I mean, it started before Ramadan. However, it has been a major event in the Ummah for the entire month. And with Ramadan being a month in which we are to be especially charitable, I would think that donations would be flooding into Pakistan. They might just be. But I don't *feel* as if they are. And I am positive that our "Islamic" countries just aren't giving according to their abilities. That really upsets me. And it isn't because I expect more from our Islamic countries. They have proven themselves to be tight-fisted on many occasions like this. The need is just so dire now, though. It seems like such a violation of the concept of justice which we Muslims are supposed to uphold to see wealthy nations, ostensibly guided by Islamic principles, only bothering themselves to look like Muslims while not performing some of the most requisite Islamic acts.

And the hate. We have seen the wave of hate. Hardly anyone could have missed the anti-mosque protests, the arsons, vandalisms, attacks, even bombings which have been directed at our American communities. What we may not have noticed is that it isn't just us. Some of the most horrid, spitefully racist things have been said about our President, high-ranking Afro-descendant and Latino officials, and everyday people of colour. A gay legislator, along with an African-American legislator, were spat on by protesters from a certain conservative movement. We've even had some a synagogue in Maryland vandalised. As sister Masooma pointed out very eloquently in a recent article, this very obviously racist movement isn't targetting only us. I strongly feel that unless we stand together with others, including non-Muslims, of all colours, all religions, all ethnicities, all backgrounds, and voice our collective condemnation of the hate, we will all be suffering even worse violence. I also strongly feel that we need to take a long, hard look at our own communities and weed prejudice out of our own ranks. I am so sick of hearing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, or declarations that one would never marry a black person, or other hateful nonsense like that. And no, I don't think that we have the time to cure ourselves before we point out voices outwards. Now is the time to target hate from both directions: in and out.

And please donate for Pakistan, or do what you can to help.