title: Discrimination
In light of the recent Swiss ban on Minarets and in honor of World AIDS Day Today with UmmHend is going to address discrimination.
Against us
It’s an unfortunate human mishap for a given group of people to discriminate against another group different from themselves. It has happened since long before 9/11, long before the days of segregation, long before WWII and even long before Islam and the time of Abraham.
In our time, and in our situation as Muslims, this new wave began with 9/11, at least, that’s when it was hurtled to the forefront of our everyday lives. Whether we live in NY, London, Madrid or even over in Denmark we are affected by this often unspoken, and often very outspoken, discrimination, fear, hatred towards muslims.
Most of us know someone who has been verbally or otherwise harassed because of being muslim. Many of us, especially hijabis and niqaabis, have experienced it first hand.
This blog post doesn’t have the whys or the hows but I can say this from our beloved Prophet peace be upon him:
“Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers.”
I am as hurt and bothered by the discrimination and islamophobia as the next person. But we need to remember ‘la hawla, wa la quwwatta illa billah’ there is no might, and no power, but by Allah! These people have no power over us, they have no place in our collective or individual spirit and know that for every hardship we face here, for every hurt, there is a reward and a removal of sins.
Know that we, muslims, share a rich history of strong peoples who have over come such widespread hate. Our very own Prophet and the early muslims faced much worse than all of this and look what came of their struggles. Just look at the beautiful scenes from Hajj and think of what they endured from the Quraish for this to be possible. Allahu Akbar! Takbir!
Among us
Then there is this. Even sadder is it that we find discrimination and hatred among our very brothers and sisters in Islam, dare I call them that.
While we have the Prophet in his last sermon telling us:
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.
We have muslims telling revert muslims to go back to their churches, telling beautiful dark skinned niqaabis and bearded brothers to stop trying to act Arab and favoring a wife of fair skin over a wife of dark skin.
We have people treating other people poorly simply because of their skin color or ethnicity. People treating each others poorly because of illness or poverty or lower means.
When we have such a message as the one above from our Prophet (who we claim to love only second to Allah) a declaration of brotherhood among us that transcends all our differences. We still have discrimination among us.
Is this not the epitome of ignorance?
Comments
7 Responses to “Discrimination”
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Posted by Emma Apple
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Dec 1, 2009Rate
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Yvonne, My Halal Kit
2:15 am
Asalaamu'alaikum,
This short, simple and to-the-point article is one I wish I could have read a year ago when I was much more affected by close interaction with other sisters & brothers in our community. Sadly, my experience was one in which the adults served as such poor role models for the youth, who in turn took any sort of Islamic rhetoric as just another form of empty speech.
We need to remember that if we don't stick together and help each other in GOODNESS, then who will we be close to in this dunya? We have one thing in common, "La ilaha ilallah"– and that should be enough glue for us of different skin color, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, etc.
Thanks for letting me speak my mind. I really enjoyed waking up to this article this morning. May Allah swt bless and reward you. ameen.
Durriyyah
4:05 am
MashaAllah, great article, and I love how you point out the problem in our own community as well! So often I think people point the finger elsewhere and fail to realize the problem in their own backyards.
We all have filters in our mind of what reality is. InshaAllah we can break those down, piece by piece to make sure we aren't imposing judgment on others just as we don't appreciate others imposing judgment on us.
Mezba
6:31 am
I think there is a lot we Muslims can do to counter this discrimination.
I have visited Switzerland, and it is a beautiful country.
I think Muslims in Europe also have a duty to ensure not only that Islam is respected, but also the traditions of the local country.
Too often, cultural baggage plays an important part.
I did an MBA analysis of the Swiss Minaret ban, and this is my take on it.
http://mezba.blogspot.com/2009/12/mba-analysis-of…
Umm Hend
11:11 am
Thank you all so much for your support and comments.
Yvonne, thank you so much as always for your beautiful comment! You raise some great points. You're welcome to speak your mind here anytime, that's what MO is all about ;)
Durriyyah, I couldn't agree more that it is so easy to point the finger and often people forget that at least half the problem (if not more) is within our own community and often, ourselves.
Meza, you also, bring up great points. My husbands response was similar to yours, that Muslims hold a lot of responsibility for these things in that we are so often failing our deen by being less than the best example of it to those who may hold preconceived ideas and are reluctant to learn anything other than the example of those around them. I read your article, you have some really interesting suggestions.
Jessica Dawah
11:38 am
Assalamu Alaykum
Masha'allah, Umm Hend. Wise words, and you would think it would be so simple to understand!
Sonia
12:47 pm
Assalam alaikum,
MashAllah what a short and precise article! I have so much to say about this, but I think they all would just restate what you've already written. May Allah open people's eyes and hearts towards Muslims and Islam, and soften the hearts of our brothers and sisters in deen.
UmmIn
8:59 pm
Mashaallah sis. Great article.
One thing that I often use is that we are not the ones to judge, only Allah subhanahuwa ta'ala.