title: My Lord has commanded Justice

Child Protection in the Muslim Community.

We live in the age of technology and communications. 50 years ago, computers as we know them today did not exist. The internet was but a dream. Mobile (cell) phones were far off and communicating with someone in another place was lengthy if not impossible!

Nowadays, most people have access to the internet in some shape or form, giving rise to a whole new manner of communicating with one another. Not only is it estimated that around half the world’s population now own a mobile phone, but these phones now have internet connection and video phone technology. Laptops and PCs with built–in webcams are becoming increasingly affordable and the result is now that not only can you talk to someone on the other side of the world, but you can actually see them when you speak to them as well.

For our children, this means they are growing up in a totally different world to the one that we may have experienced at their age. They have a world and wealth of technology at their fingertips and technology and they are able to seek knowledge about life with increased ease. Whilst this sounds wonderful, it comes with hidden dangers and places on our children increased responsibility and decisions.

If you are roughly the same age as me, you will remember children’s campaigns that taught that if a stranger in the park offers you sweets, then you should say no and tell an adult. This indirectly meant that when a child was out of the house, this was really only the time when parents had to be truly on their guard and that if their son or daughter was in their bedroom, then they were safe and secure from the dangers of the outside world. Sadly, this isn’t the case any longer – children can have access to a whole heap of inappropriate information and images from the comfort of their own house. Strangers, those with unhealthy , dangerous or illegal intentions towards your child, can be talking to your son or daughter right in front of you from another corner of the country or world.

Recently this issue has increased in notoriety and the use of technology to further some people’s ill intentions is growing in awareness. The BBC reports that ‘The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) says it has seen a “notable increase” in still and moving images captured on webcams.’ Basically, paedophiles or those with inappropriate and sexual intentions towards children are using cameras to SEE our children and coax them into compliance towards their quite frankly, sick fantasies.

Its hard to imagine how someone could have these kinds of feelings and intentions towards a child. The use of webcams and internet/video phone technology means that this is a real issue for us as parents. CEOP reports via the BBC that “These can be self-taken as a result of online grooming, for example, inciting a child to commit a sexual act and then using video capture software to record the video streams for later viewing and trading and/or use as blackmail to ensure further compliance by the child. Similarly, there is also a marked trend of the use of webcam streaming chat sites, enabling offenders to interact either through instant messages and/or webcam to share previously captured footage or live-time images of abuse of children in their care.”

These people are hard to spot. They market themselves in completely innocent chat rooms and sites, hiding their identity and appearing as if all is normal and ok. Often their method of approaching a child and befriending them can be complex and lengthy, hiding behind a disguise of being the same age or some other such persona.

Obviously to ANY adult, any parent, this is a real concern. As Muslim parents, we need to be especially aware – I hate to say it, but these predatory characters even exist within our own communities, both online and in face-to-face contact. Whilst discussion around this is increasing in the mainstream media, I see a conspicuous absence of it within Muslim media or circles. Why? Are we not affected? Or do we want to pretend we are not?

Mosques, madrassas and even some Muslim chat forums have unfortunately been shown to be places where these types of people COULD also be – within an environment that most of us would assume is populated only by safe, pious and moral adults. Places where our children should be safe, brought together by people who have love only for Allah s.w.t. and his Deen. Unfortunately this is not always so and it isn’t just happening in “immoral” Westernised, Non-Muslim societies and countries – it is rife in Muslim countries also. There is a woeful lack of accurate figures since the crux of this matter is that it often goes unreported, covered up and therefore unaddressed and ignorant.

Islam puts children’s rights as paramount and the repelling of evil with good is a fundamental ( though oft forgotten) aspect of our faith. As Muslim parents should you have any concerns about the contact your child has with someone, you should in the first instance put a stop to that contact, even if you are only suspicious. This is our duty – to protect those who cannot protect themselves and to enjoin good and forbid evil.

“Oh ye who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones.” (Qur’an 66:6)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Every one of your (people) is a shepherd. And every one is responsible for whatever falls under his responsibility. A man is like a shepherd of his own family, and he is responsible for them.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

As Muslims in our communities, we can often worry far too much about honour and “what people will say” and hence be reluctant to cause a stir or speak out about something when we should do so. For some Muslims who follow their culture perhaps too closely, the honour of a woman in particular is given way too much emphasis to the extent that a woman who has been ‘dis-honoured’, (such as suffering rape or abuse) may find herself ostracized from the community despite being a victim to another’s bad hands. Unbelievably sometimes the one who is at fault has their sins and crimes hushed-up and a blind eye is turned for the sake of keeping something within the community and denying that we, just like other groups of people, suffer from crime, sin and abhorrent actions.

This approach to how some of us have come to deal with issues in our circles, also affects children – those who do suffer abuse at the hands of adults can find that they have a stigma attached to them which becomes an unjust burden as they grow up. In all cases, it has to stop. Islam commands justice – Allah commands justice. So we need to make sure the victims in our community are given the adequate and appropriate rehabilitation, we need to ensure that the perpetrators are not able to hide behind a veil of ‘piety’ or cultural taboo and we need to raise awareness and stop being scared of talking about these issues. We may not like it, but we are affected too.

As for children – their rights are paramount in Islam and we have duty to protect them more than any other:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was informed by one of his companions, al N’uman bin Bashir, who said: “Oh Prophet of Allah! I have granted a servant to one of my children (asking him to testify for that gift).” But Muhammed (pbuh) asked him: “Did you grant the same to each and every child of yours?” When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was informed negatively about that, he said: “Fear Allah, the Almighty, and be fair and just to all your children. Seek the testimony of another person, other than me. I will not testify to an act of injustice.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

You who believe! Be upholders of justice, bearing witness for Allah alone, even against yourselves or your parents and relatives. Whether they are rich or poor, Allah is well able to look after them. Do not follow your own desires and deviate from the truth. If you twist or turn away, Allah is aware of what you do. (Qur’an 4:135)

Allah commands justice and doing good and giving to relatives. And He forbids indecency and doing wrong and tyranny. He warns you so that hopefully you will pay heed. (Qur’an 16:90)

As adults, we need to guard our children and be aware of the dangers some people can pose to them, both online and in our community. That means we need to take some practical steps towards our childcare and not naively assume that because someone is Muslim or because the school or group we send our child to is Islamic, means that we should cut corners and assume that everything is fine. For instance we should check for references for those who care for our children (even if you met them in the mosque, male or female, you need to check them out for childcare and child protection experience); the madrassa or Quran school we send them to at the weekend – who is leading the class? What are their references? With both of these parties, whereby you leave your child in their care, if they are professional and sincere, they should be able to provide legitimate background checks, including a Criminal Records Check (called a CRB or ISA check in the UK). If they can’t or even refuse (don’t be fobbed off by ‘fisabilillah excuses’ ) then you should seriously consider sending your child elsewhere.

Likewise for the internet, you need to check what your child is doing online. Most people are unaware that you need to be at least 13 years old to have a Facebook account and that under-18s should seek permission of their parents. MSN Messenger, MySpace and any other site with a chat or private messaging facility – who are they talking to? Do they know? How much time do they spend online? Is your child able to understand that there are some people on the internet who are not very nice? Would they feel able to tell you? Sit them down, talk to them – they are children but they need to know, as they are living in an increasingly accessible adult world. We don’t need to wrap our children in a cocoon of cotton wool, we must allow them to grow and develop lest we hinder their ability to mature, but we need to safeguard them where appropriate and in doing so, make ourselves aware.

We need to wake up – these issues are not something we are immune from, they are things happening right here in our society. Let’s not let Islam be something that those with bad intentions can hide behind, nor let ourselves be ignorant to what is around us in our desire to present the face of the Muslim community.

Say: ‘My Lord has commanded justice. Stand and face Him in every mosque and call on
Him, making your religion sincerely His. As He originated you, so you will return.’ (Qur’an
7:29)