On Sunday 15 September I attended a youth group initiative to raise funds for Syria. The brunch event was organised by young women from the INSPIRE group at the Pickles and Peppers venue overlooking the Klerksdorp dam. It was well organised and well attended and will hopefully ingrain event-coordinating confidence into these young women, insha Allah.
The even was emceed by Saaleha Minty, opening qiraah by a learner from the local Al Huda school, and vote of thanks by Fatima Hoosen. Zakkiyya Jeeva, a local pharmacist who visited Syria with a deputation from South African charity (Gift of the Givers) earlier this year, reported her experiences. Her presentation was accompanied by graphic photographs of injuries and baleful ones within refugee camps. She spoke with a quiet courage that imbued tones of collective ummah grief and guilt.
My presentation was titled Syria, How can I stop the War?
Key points touched on were as follows:
1. The need to support youth forums and youth initiatives because these events are not only about collecting money. For youngsters, events like these lay foundations of working together toward a common goal, despite indifference or differences. They also give the youngsters’ involved experience in hosting and putting together functions, a mammoth task and a helpful life skill. Further, it would be ironic if events like these are not supported, or boycotted because global ummah-building starts with caring and supporting the local community (despite insulated internal issues).
2. Part ayah from Surah Ra’ad 13:11
“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron.”
Hence, to stop the wars of the entire world we need to look at long-term goals and long-term solutions to cease firstly, internal conflict within ourselves. We need continuous encouragement and honest and pure company — to be brave and courageous in discovering our inner strengths and weaknesses in being able to create personal mastery. This then allows us to move beyond tears or despondency to best serve our bleeding ummah and ourselves. Wars and uprising have been a human condition from Adam (AS) son’s and will be the human condition till the last man.
We cannot allow ourselves to become emotionally hijacked by graphic images and videos. Temporary heightened emotions are not enough to sustain our interest in conflict zone assistance. There is also the fear of comparing wounds and causalities thereby becoming desensitized or becoming utterly despondent. Media reports will continue changing day by day, nuanced and biased. It is short sightedness on our part to be glued to indeterminate media reports and ignore the determinate and long-term solutions espoused in the Quraan and via our beloved Nabi (saw).
3. Maps of Shaam
i) Post-WW1 division of territories
o Prehistoric times.
o Byzantine era.
o The Rashidun Khilafat, Syria taken from the Byzantines in the 636 battle of Yarmouk in the era of Umar (ra) under Khalid bin Walid (ra).
o Syria under the Abbasids
o The Crusaders and the Ayyubids
o The Mamlukes
o The Ottomon Empire
o Syria under French mandate. Damascus under Amir Feisal. After 1916 Shaam divided into 4 parts shared between Britain and France. Syria then subdivided further Allepo, Damascus, Latakia and Hauran.
o The Assads, how did they come to be head of the Syrian Baath party. Syria’s political influence in the region.
o The Iran connection
ii) Torture centres within Syria
o How did the violence begin in 2011? Where is Dera and why did the locals take to the streets after local school kids had been tortured in police custody?
o Why is there Shia leadership over a majority Sunni population? Is this a sectarian conflict or is it being exploited as such?
o The human costs – Excerpt from Janine Di Giovanni’s Seven Days in Syria.
iii) Refugee camps and centres within neighbouring territories of Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Egypt.
4. Onward
Toward personal mastery – an example in the life of Asma bint Abi Bakr (ra). Her resilience and bravery despite her straitened circumstances. Being conscious of her husband Zubair (ra)’s temperament and being able to serve those in her family and community, thereby the Islam we own as ours today, despite obstacles in her way. Never giving up. Being sincere. Not being lazy and making excuses.
Her advice to her son Abdullah before he was killed by Hajaaj. Can our Abdullah’s be like hers (RA)? What is our parenting plan?
5. Hope and Tawakkul
Mufti Muhammad Shafi (ra) reminded us in an incident related to the battle of the trenches [Khandaq] or Ahzaab [The Confederates], as it is known in the Holy Quran, surah 33. Armed combat was largely averted by the digging of a trench around Madinah Munawwara to prevent a united force of pagan and Jewish tribes from attacking.
Salmaan [The Persian] (ra) was the only sahabi who hit upon a solid rock. Trying to smash it, several tools like sledgehammers, pickaxes and spades were broken. No matter how hard he tried, he could not break it.
It strange that in this three and a half mile stretch of land no one from among the diggers of the trench faced any impediment, which would render him helpless. The only one who did face it was Sayyidnah Salman (ra) who had given the advice of digging a trench and the whole project had started on his advice. To him Allah Ta'ala showed that there was no way out even after digging and making a perfect trench except turning to Allah Ta'ala for help in the face of the failure of all implements and instruments. Here, these blessed souls were being taught that assembling material means to the measure of capacity and ability was obligatory, but to place trust in these was not correct. The trust of a believer even after having assembled all the material means – should be in Allah Ta’ala alone. [Ma’ariful Quran pg.109, vol 7].
Wa billah at’taufeeq
Radio Islam Programming
2013.09.17
0 Comments